Doctor Who — The Celestial Toymaker — Episode 4 — “The Final Test” — A Review

27th September, 2024: the announcement!

Yes: it’s that time of the week, again: it’s Friday.

And, frankly?

Well, if you’d read this morning’s Teaser, you’d realise I’ve had some interesting news.

Possibly, I’ve picked up some extra financial help.

I’m not going to count my chickens before their hatched: but extra money is always welcome.

I need a new mattress, if nothing else.

At any rate … ?

It’s Friday: so dinner is being done, while I polish my notes off for “The Final Test”.

And gently cook a piece of cod.

By the time you read this?

It’ll be … 

~≈👨‍⚕️≈~

28th September, 2024.

Part One: The Summary.

Episode 4 of The Celestial Toymaker — “The Final Test” — picks up where “The Dancing Floor” leaves off: showing us Dodo and Steven (Jackie Lane and Peter Purves) realising how near the First Doctor (William Hartnell) is to finishing the Trilogic Game … before confronting Cyril (Peter Stephens) in one last game of hopscotch.

A game that, as Cyril tells them, has spikes.

If a second player lands on a first player’s triangle, the first player goes back to the start.

Some triangles?   Force you to miss a go: or go back a space.

And if a player falls off a triangle … ?

They get electrocuted, before they hit the ground.

And Cyril?   Is born slippy … 

~≈👨‍⚕️≈~

Part Two: Thoughts.

So … what did I make of “The Final Test”, and The Celestial Toymaker, and the blu-ray that both rode in on … ?

The episode itself … ?

“The Final Test”, itself, is a fine episode: and a fine finale to the story.

We know that William Hartnell was on holiday for the second and third episodes.

The two weeks off show, I feel: as Hartnell’s performance seems far more alert, far more focused, than in the first episode.

Hartnell possibly needed to be: as Michael Gough, the titular Toymaker, was worth watching: as was Stevens as the villainous Cyril.

As were the sets.

I’m not especially enamoured of the character design: I’ve preferred the design, and the look, of earlier re-animated episodes, where the characters resembled the real world actors who played them.

But the hopscotch room — as the earlier game rooms —is well designed.

And the rendering of the TARDIS console, showing reflections — reflections — of the characters, in the central column of the console, showing the refraction of the light through that column … ?

And that shows us the colours of Steven and Dodo’s clothes?

That bit of design, of ray-tracing, was imagery that must have taken ages to render, and that shows us how computer-generated animation has come, since the days of Tron … ?

And looks utterly gorgeous.

~≈👨‍⚕️≈~

Part Three: The Serial.

The serial “The Final Test” is part of … ?

I have to admit, I don’t know if I’m totally impressed with The Celestial Toymaker, over all.

Yes: there’s aspects of it to like.

Lane and Purves both do well, carrying the story in Hartnell’s absence.

Michael Gough is menacing: Singer, Silvera and Stephens veering from creepy to outright slapstick.

And the set design of this animated version … ?

Is beautiful.

But … ?

I grew up watching from the mid-seventies and later: the late Jon Pertwee and early Tom Baker years of the show.

When the series was quite dark and aimed at what I think of as the Buffy crowd: an audience of late teens and early twenties-somethings who’d, these days, be watching Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and Torchwood, and possibly Wednesday.

So I felt a touch disconnected from The Celestial Toymaker: as it’s aimed at the show’s traditional tea-time, family friendly, audience.

Is that good, or bad?

I don’t know that it’s either.

Just something that didn’t, initially, appeal.

~≈👨‍⚕️≈~

Part Four: The Box It Rode In On.

Just as a last point … ?

I bought the recently released blu-ray version of The Celestial Toymaker, back in June: the cheaper version in the blue plastic box.

And did my usual thing: of ripping the contents, so I could watch the episodes through my AppleTV 4K, and selling the discs to my local CeX, to recoup some of the costs.

There’s arguments for and against that.   And possibly an explanation on how to do that, as well.

Regardless of the arguments?   I get a digital version of the story that I can watch at any time: even when the BBC loses the license to air the story on its iPlayer catch-up services.

Those rips?   Were made back in June: and, as and when I’ve watched the episodes, I’ve watched the colour versions.

Rather than the black and white, or telesnaps, versions of the story.

Along-side the different versions of the story?

This box set included:

• An audio interview with Carmen Silvera.
• A photo gallery: a mix of publicity stills from the filming.
• The scripts: as .pdfs.
• Shape Shifter: a ‘Making Of’ documentary about the animation process.
• “The Final Test” introduction: from the episode’s VHS release.
• And The Doctor Who Collection Escape Room: Team First Doctor: a Doctor Who themed escape room.

That last one was the one that caught my eye.

I don’t know if you’ve heard of escape rooms … but they’re a popular kind of puzzle, at the moment.

You and some friends are looked into a room or rooms: and can only get out by solving a series of puzzles.

I’ve enjoyed The Celestial Toymaker.

But found this Escape Room feature a joy to watch: and look forward to the next one, in the Season Twenty-Five collection as a result.

The team in this episode consists of Peter Purves, Lisa Bowerman and Maureen O’Brian.

Purves was very keen to solve the puzzles.

Lisa Bowerman — who plays Bernice Summerfield in the Big Finish Dr Who audio plays — seemed very observant.

And crime writer, Maureen O’Brian, who played Vicky in the show’s early years?

Did you ever watch the Saturday afternoon wrestling on ITV, back in the day?

Complete with the Grappling Grannies?

The older, female, wrestling fans who could do serious damage to wrestlers they didn’t like?

Usually, by hitting the wrestlers with chairs?

Those Grannies … ?

Well, I don’t want to mention Maureen O’Brian in the same breath as the Grappling Grannies … but I got the impression she was going to thump Peter Purves with a chair.

And a hell of a lot of fun!

~≈👨‍⚕️≈~

Part Five: And Finally.

With all that said … ?

Did I think both “The Final Test”, and The Celestial Toymaker, were worth watching and buying?

Yes.

Granted both the episode, and the serial, are lighter than I’d prefer.

And I’m not totally convinced by the character design.

But?

The Celestial Toymaker is perfectly watchable: and a must for completists.

“The Final Test”.

★★★☆

The Celestial Toyroom ★★☆☆

The Hall of Dolls ★★★☆

The Dancing Floor ★★☆☆

The Final Test ★★★☆

Average:  — ★★½☆☆