With the Toymaker being revealed as the villain in the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, here is a brief history of the Toymaker!
Find what you want quickly, here:
- Who or What is the Toymaker?
- The First Doctor’s Encounter
- Some Interesting Facts About the Toymaker
- What Doctor Who Stories You Should Read/Watch/Listen to Before the 60th Anniversary?
Who or What is the Toymaker?
The Toymaker, or the Celestial Toymaker, is a transcendental being from Classic Doctor Who. Also known as the Crystal Guardian or the Mandarin, this villain likes to trick people into playing “games” in his universe.
These games are always sinister, despite childish first appearances, resulting in either you losing (which means you become one of his toys for all eternity), or you win, destroying his universe and therefore you in the process.
In the Relative Dimensions comic book arc, the 12th Doctor claims that the Toymaker originated in the chaos before time, making him the oldest and most knowledgeable of all the Doctor’s enemies.
The First Doctor’s Encounter
William Hartnell’s original encounter with the Toymaker over 58 years ago is the first and only televised story that includes the Toymaker until the 60th anniversary specials. Not much remains of the recording (most of the four-part story is lost), but we still know the plot, and there have been some animated recreations using original audio.
Having thought the Toymaker was a legend growing up, the Doctor sought out the celestial being in his first incarnation in order to see whether there was one or several Toymakers in existence (due to inconsistencies in the Time Lords’ data banks). This led him to getting into a lot of trouble, and his friends Rallon and Millenia ending up possessed and turned into a permanent resident of the Toyroom, respectively.
The Doctor escapes, barely, and even then because the Toymaker wishes to face off against The Doctor again, when he has matured.
The First Doctor is drawn into the Toymaker’s games once again, this time with Steven Taylor and Dodo Chaplet. The game is set so that no matter if they win or lose, they would all die. Of course, the Doctor outwits the celestial being and they escape, leaving the Toymaker’s realm in chaos.
(The information from this section comes from the TV episode, which is lost, called The Celestial Toymaker, the novel of the same name, and the novel, Divided Loyalties by Garry Russell (1999)).
Some Interesting Facts About the Toymaker
Hecuba was the sister of the Toymaker, and is also known as the Queen of Time, with an audio story of the same name giving us the Second Doctor’s encounter with yet another celestial being. Whether she will be making an appearance on the 60th anniversary, we don’t know… I wouldn’t rule out a quick mention, at least.
In comic books, novels, and audio stories, the Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Twelfth Doctor (with Clara Oswald) have all had various run-ins with the Toymaker. How much of this will be relevant to the Fourteenth’s story in the 60th anniversary, though, is impossible to say.
What Doctor Who Stories You Should Read/Watch/Listen to Before the 60th Anniversary?
There are of course so many stories including this classic villain, and fan favourite (despite the lack of watchable TV episodes), but we can’t look at everything here. Some of the stories I would recommend you seek out, include:
- Novel: Divided Loyalties by Gary Russell
- Novel: The Celestial Toymaker by Brian Hayles (novelisation of the TV story)
- Audiobook: The Nightmare Fair, written by Graham Williams, and adapted by John Ainsworth
- Audiobook: The Magic Mousetrap, written by Matthew Sweet
- Comic: Relative Dimensions (from the Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor comic series)
