Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Toymaker
The Toymaker was butler to Batman, and even married Doctor Who's Polly!
57 years after his first appearance, the Toymaker returns to Doctor Who in the third 60th anniversary special, The Giggle. So, fans may be wishing to brush up on some facts about the cosmic trickster ahead of his latest showdown with the Doctor.
Sadly, that's easier said than done, due to the fact that three of the four episodes of The Celestial Toymaker are missing from the BBC archives. On the plus side, when it aired in 1966, it left a lasting impression on young viewers, who would grow up into the first wave of adult Doctor Who fans.
The Doctor Who Appreciation Society's monthly publication is called The Celestial Toyroom to this day, a nod to the impact of the serial. It's hard to understand how the story had such an effect based on audio recordings and the existing fourth episode, but hopefully, the return of the Toymaker will lead to an animated reconstruction so that those of us born after 1966 can properly see what all the fuss was about.
Until then, here are some fascinating facts and stories about – in RTD's own words – "the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced."
10. He Almost Came Back Multiple Times
The first attempt to bring back the Toymaker was in a story outline pitched by his creator, writer Brian Hayles.
In 1975, Hayles pitched a story called The Eyes of Nemesis for Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. Weirdly, the Toymaker was revealed late in the story outline, only pitting him against the Doctor in the final episode. This idea was rejected.
A decade later, 1980s showrunner John Nathan-Turner planned to bring Michael Gough back as the Toymaker for Season 23. A script was written by former producer Graham Williams, which would've pitted the Sixth Doctor and Peri against the Toymaker in an arcade in Blackpool.
Doctor Who's 18-month hiatus killed this plan however, with JNT deciding to completely redraft his plans for Season 23. This story was later novelised as The Nightmare Fair, before being adapted as a Big Finish audio adventure in 2009.
Years later, JNT suggested bringing back the Toymaker in a straight-to-home movie for the video market. He even considered using the villain in what would eventually become 1993's Eastenders crossover Dimensions in Time!
Toymaker dodged a bullet on that one.