Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker Animation Review

My breakdown on the controversial animation of Doctor Who The Celestial Toymaker. Does this authentically capture the look of the original production design? How does this compare to previous animations & is the this the worst in the range so far?
The Doctor, Steven & Dodo have arrived in the realm of The Celestial Toymaker, a powerful godlike being that forces people into playing games for his own amusement. Now Steven & Dodo must play a series of highly dangerous games in order to escape, whilst The Doctor is forced to play a game of intelligence & skill. But can The Doctor, Steven & Dodo win these games or will they be forever trapped in this surreal dreamlike realm & become playthings of The Toymaker for all eternity?
CHAPTER POINTS:
The Plot 01:24
The Cast 01:52
Animation 02:24
Overall Thoughts 03:33
Fair Use Disclaimer: I do not own any pictures/videos contained within this video. Clips & Photos used in this video are owned by the BBC.
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[@AnotherScifiGuy]

Of the three version presented here, my favorite is the black and white animation. The animation works for the fantasy nature of the story. Wouldn't work for most stories though.

[@thewhoview]

I thought the same thing Prowl.

[@DarrenDazzlerLongden]

I actually like the animated version. Also Loved watching the extra with Peter Pervis, Maureen and Lisa doing all the puzzles. It reminded me of the Adventure Game series I used to watch on tv.

[@thewhoview]

I think it worked well for the story. & Yeah that bit was fun. ☺️

[@gabriellegabbynoblecomics3913]

Normally I watch the black and white versions of the animation and switch to the live action episodes if they exist in a release like this... But this time their vision was so different I treated this as if it was a completely new thing and watched all colour and all animation. I was never a fan of the story in audio form, I always find it long and dull and full of sloppy padding... So I was surprised how much the animators' new vision for it bucked it up. Treated as a completely new beast, this is really shockingly good. A cut-down version of this would be prefect for new fans as a 'Tales of the Tardis' episode. I think this is the first animatited replacement that is better than the original version (appears to have been.) That said, yes, totally agree with you, much more work needs to be done on likenesses and facial expressions before they try to handle something like 'Marco Polo' with this type of animation.

[@thewhoview]

I'm glad to hear that you really enjoyed it. I've always liked the celestial Toymaker mainly due to me just liking the target novel. I thought it was ambitious for a doctor who 60s shoestring budget but I thought they did it pretty well considering. I think this new animation elevates the story even further, the changes aren't going to be for everyone but I think they worked really well making everything feel larger than it ever was. I encourage anyone to go into it with an open mind & just see it for themselves.

[@matthewbolitho-jones]

I like The Celestial Toymaker

[@TheToymaker0]

Tzhat is gut to 🤪hear

[@GuyClapperton1]

What I really liked about this was that the original version wasn't available so they told the artists to use some imagination - just go for it! "Pretend you're still setting this in a low-budget TV studio" would have been too limiting. I could see Masterplan expanding on the scale and the realism of the ancient Egypt section among other changes. It could be that we'll end up wondering why we ever wanted this stuff to be limited by the original TV versions - if they turn up and become available I'm sure the BBC will release those as well.

[@markpostgate2551]

I was racking my brain trying to think "why would the king of hearts use the n-word?" I thought, that is strange; didn't seem in context, not in character, and there is no one in the story he could feasibly be using that slur against. And then it struck me he obviously did the "eeny meeny miny mo" rhyme - I forget that is even in there. By the time the Seventies came around we had replaced it with "tiger"; that was the cleaned up socially conscious version. Hum, to me these attempts at sanitisation make them less useful as historical documents. How does one get a taste of the attitudes of previous cultures if one forces those cultures to conform to the attitudes of ones own?

[@thewhoview]

@@markpostgate2551 yeah sorry I probably should of clarified that specific moment in the review. They took out the eeny meeny miny moe scene completely. It makes sense why you would take it out & I was fine with that. I think that moment was just ad libbed by the actor & wasn't originally there in the script anyway.

[@markpostgate2551]

@@thewhoview I started ad-libbing it once in an improv (the joke being that my character was using a choosing rhyme to make.what should be a serious decision) and an audience participant said "you know where that song is going don't you?" and I corpsed as I realised what they were referring to, and said "oh yeah, I'd forgotten that. Don't worry, I was going to do the clean version."

[@Popcultureguy3000]

Ya know, before this release, I think the only other animated recreation I’ve seen that really tried to expand the scope of the original serial was “The Macra Terror”. But only a little bit, because all they did was make the digital versions of the alien landscape and city more impressive looking, made The Macra larger, more expressive, and had one pick up Polly by her leg to drop her into it’s mouth to eat her, instead of just grabbing her to bring her closer to it, since the prop was originally only a little bigger or a little smaller than people in that shot.

[@thewhoview]

@@Popcultureguy3000 It was Polly, not Vicki, but yeah, you're absolutely right, & the changes in that feel like it's the type of thing they would have done at the time had they had the technology & budget.

[@Popcultureguy3000]

@@thewhoview That’s right, it was a Ben and Polly adventure! They can be kinda interchangeable in my mind unless I’m listening to Big Finish thanks to comparatively lax characterization in their original stories. Though I always loved Ben’s teasing little nickname for Polly “Your Duchess”.

[@lestermengel8995]

Some streaming sites and private collections contain copies.

[@teamsonicchannel4400]

I just want to know what animation is next

[@thewhoview]

I'm exactly the same with the collection range 😆

[@teamsonicchannel4400]

@@thewhoview which collections are left

[@thewhoview]

@@teamsonicchannel4400 1,3,4,5,6,7,11,13,16,21,25 & hopefully a wilderness years set with a proper HD remaster

[@teamsonicchannel4400]

@@thewhoview wilderness years whats that and also don't we need a rerelease of season 2

[@thewhoview]

@@teamsonicchannel4400 yes every release from season 2 to present needs a standard edition release. The wilderness years is when doctor who was essentially cancelled after season 26 & there was no doctor who on TV. There's stuff like dimensions in time, the curse of fatal death, scream of the shalka animation, & the tv movie needs a true hd remaster. There's load of documentaries they could include in that set like about how fandom kept doctor who alive in that time, documentaries about how they tried to continue the series with the new adventures books & then the eighth doctor books. A look at the 30th & 40th anniversary celebrations & many more.

[@gladiator652004]

The story is a bit of a bore in places so I am glad there has been some reimagining. I am surprised they did not make the Doctor, Steven and Dodo more like they look in real life though.

[@thewhoview]

It's definitely slows in the middle but I think it picks back up again in part 4. It would of been nice if they tried to capture more of their actual likeness but I was fine with what we got, the changes imo elevate the story expanding the scope.

[@gladiator652004]

@@thewhoview Yes, they seem like good changes. There seems to have been some tonal differences between the three writers. I wonder if the animation changes the tone, making it more sinister.

[@thewhoview]

@@gladiator652004 no for the most part I would say the tone is the same it's just the Toymaker's world is more surreal but it does feel like the danger is escalated in part 4 with the triangle hopscotch. By having the triangles float in space, it definitely feels like the danger has risen.

[@Vadim_Morozov]

It wasn't my cup of tea due to its massive set changes and inconsistencies such as: booth in the first game. I mean, I don't mind it being replaced by a car, but they're calling it a booth, and that's what annoyed me the most. Still a great review!

[@thewhoview]

@@Vadim_Morozov that's completely understandable 😊

[@fanfreely]

I'll see if I can watch this four part episode. I like to know what is the next Doctor Who animated episode? It would most likely be a Patrick Troughton episode like "The Highlanders?" If it is, The animation won't be like of "The Celestrial Toymaker."

[@barryaldridge1113]

I liked the story indeed and with the animation while Black and White is a way to connect with the episodes, I actually preferred the colour version as I felt it made the trippiness of the story even better.

[@thewhoview]

That's great! 😁 Whatever works for you. 😉👍

[@barryaldridge1113]

@@thewhoview very true. I do agree with you that Evil Of The Daleks is my favourite animation too. For me I love that style animation and on a personal level Evil Of The Daleks to me in my heart it is my favourite doctor who story of all time.

[@thewhoview]

@@barryaldridge1113 it's up there in my top 3 favourite Troughton stories. I much prefer it over power ☺️

[@barryaldridge1113]

@@thewhoview oh yeah I prefer Evil over power a lot. Granted power had great moments but I felt there were too baddies and also one or two of them I couldn’t care about because their development was weak at times. Yeah Evil would be my Top Troughton and Doctor Who story of all time. If I had two from Troughton that is top 3 they are The Mind Robber and The War Games.

[@thewhoview]

@@barryaldridge1113 great picks 😁👍

[@haileyshannon7548]

I’d like to see a hand drawn animation with cgi background effects a la Iron Giant or Treasure Planet

[@thewhoview]

That would be awesome! 😮

[@elberno4243]

And I said "Don't be blue, Peter". Needless to say, I had the last laugh. 😂🤣😂🤣

[@thewhoview]

@@elberno4243 you gotta love Alan Partridge 😄

[@elberno4243]

@@thewhoview Just glad someone got it. Good old Peter Purves

[@mattendo-retrogaminguk3584]

I watched it in colour. Was enjoyable and did like the psychedelic scenes as it reflects the madness of the toymaker. Didnt like the terrible framerate of the playing cards but loved their look. the tardis crew didnt look right and felt that the other characters had more attention than the main crew deserved. some scenes didnt flow well together due to reimagined ideas for the story. take the last game for example. the line about not just walking to each space didnt work as the spaces now float. i like the toy redesigned the most and cannot wait for the evil of the daleks style for the daleks master plan. also awesome an aussie animation crew got to make it!!!!

[@thewhoview]

@@mattendo-retrogaminguk3584 glad you enjoyed it & yeah it is pretty cool 😎😄

[@thewhoview]

I also agree with you on the hopscotch scene in part 4 that was strange because they clearly couldn't just walk across 😆

[@simonwicks8275]

The style of animation does work quite nicely with the story, especially as the animators have gone to town re-imagining the scenes in their own way. But I'd prefer if the likenesses resembled the actual people they're meant to represent. This sort of animation works fine for this story but I hope they no back to the old style for future releases

[@thewhoview]

@@simonwicks8275 yeah I don't think it would work for other stores, but it worked really well for this.

[@thewhoview]

Thinking about it the style could actually work for space pirates. You could make that story better.

[@adrianace1725]

I really enjoyed it. The animation really suited the surreal atmosphere of this story.

[@thewhoview]

@@adrianace1725 it does indeed. I don't know how it will go for something like the Highlanders or Marco polo, just have to wait & see. 😉

[@adrianace1725]

@@thewhoview If they do those stories they might go for a different style and look.

[@thewhoview]

@@adrianace1725 I'm always curious with the next animations, even if I don't like the style I still make an effort too check it out & judge it for myself. 😁

[@adrianace1725]

@@thewhoview I think the next animations most likely will be 'The Smugglers' and 'The Wheel in Space'.

[@Lover-of-Creative-Priorities]

This type of animation is better than nothing at all

[@thewhoview]

That is very true, it's much more accessible then telesnap reconstructions.

[@Lover-of-Creative-Priorities]

@@thewhoview I can understand why people might not like it. But I tend to focus more on the Creative Priorities of the plot of the show, the animation is easy to ignore once U focus on the creative priorities

[@paganartisan]

Disagree the animation was not bad, but the blueray quality was as the disk stuck. Still put it towards the Tudors which was far better anyway

[@Da1Dez]

I was most disappointed with the dancing doll designs, they looked so creepy in the original and the animation team should've made them look creepy porcelain ballerinas.

[@thewhoview]

@@Da1Dez yeah that would of been cool.

[@HudsonMedia]

Been really tempted to buy this release. One of the few who thinks the animation looks pretty good for what the BBC can afford. Really hope we get more announcements for physical media releases soon!

[@thewhoview]

Honestly I would encourage anyone to go into it with an open mind & just see it for yourself. I was sceptical about the animation before I saw it but after seeing it it's not bad, the changes actually elevate the story.

[@pangysagha]

Looks like a Telltale game

[@pangysagha]

Kinda like it

[@thewhoview]

It does yeah. It reminded me of Borderlands with character designs but the animation is not as fluid.

[@newsbender]

Anything up to 1989 is far superior to anything after 2005.

[@thewhoview]

@@newsbender Well, I grew up with the RTD era in 2005, so I have a lot of affection for it. For me, everything beyond Capaldi I loathe. The classic era is constantly good all the way through & has only a few bad stories, but even the worst of classic Who is like gold compared to the worst of modern Who.

[@newsbender]

@@thewhoview fair enough. I was already a jaded 30-year old when the RTD era started so that explains a lot 🙂

[@generalnapoleonbonaparte3186]

The Celestial Toymaker Animation Was TERRIBLE, Thought I Agree With the Changes which Made it MORE Faithful to the HIGHLY Ambitious Original Script By Brian Hayles.

[@thewhoview]

@@generalnapoleonbonaparte3186 it's not going to be for everyone & I don't think this style will work for a lot of other missing stories, but I thought it suited the celestial Toymaker really well. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it.

[@TakeNoteOfThat]

WTF was that?

[@thewhoview]

@@TakeNoteOfThat It's a new Doctor Who animation, that's wtf it is 😆

[@miely0847]

With AI, why can’t we take the existing tele-snaps and have an AI reanimate the live action

[@thewhoview]

@@miely0847 Ian Levine does that with missing episodes.

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

No the latest shit is the worst mate