Y1 - The Celestial Toyroom

Doctor Who takes its first full on leap into the world of surrealism with The Celestial Toymaker, and it's unfortunate that the programme never strayed back into that realm more often afterwards. Usually, surrealism can be a lot like The Emperor's New Clothes in that no one will want to admit that they didn't understand a surreal piece of art for fear of their ignorance standing out amongst an otherwise appreciative crowd. (Or, at least, it can be for me!)

The surreal aspect of The Celestial Toymaker is perfect for the format and viewership of Doctor Who - the childhood games that Steven and Dodo are forced to play in order to survive are oddly sinister for an adult to watch, yet familiar and fun for the younger audience to enjoy. It's a double-edged sword that the first three episodes of this story don't exist, though. Yes, it would obviously be nice to see them (and every other missing) again for the first time since it was originally broadcast in 1966, but the fact that this serial was made on the cheap to account for the rampant over spending on The Ark might have been more than apparent onscreen...

By the end of this episode, The Doctor has been punished for insolance by being made invisible. We'll see* what this entails, and was meant to entail, in the episodes to come...

*pun entirely intended