Fans can now watch the animated Doctor Who adventure, The Celestial Toymaker, on BBC iPlayer for free. It was previously available only on DVD and Blu-ray, released in 2023.
You can now watch the four episodes of ‘The Celestial Toyroom’ – ‘The Celestial Toyroom’, ‘The Hall of Dolls’, ‘The Dancing Floor’, and ‘The Final Test’ – on BBC iPlayer. They’re located in the Doctor Who season 3 section, alongside many classic episodes featuring William Hartnell as the original Doctor.
The Doctor, along with his friends Steven Taylor and Dodo Chaplet, face off against the Toymaker, a powerful and immortal enemy brought to life by actor Michael Gough.
The Toymaker manages to separate the Doctor from his friends and forces them all into a dangerous game with deadly challenges.
The Celestial Toymaker is considered a ‘lost’ Doctor Who story because the BBC erased the original recordings from 1966. Only the fourth episode still exists in the BBC archives.
Shapeshifter Studios created the animation for this story, offering a fresh look compared to past missing episode reconstructions, which typically used more classic animation techniques.
Audio engineer Mark Ayres, who worked on restoring and improving the original soundtrack, previously called the technique “experimental.” He explained that it helps create smoother motion on screen.
According to Ayres, the entire process relies on motion capture technology, where actors perform all the roles while following the pre-recorded soundtrack.
Everything is timed to match the music and voices. Occasionally, the syncing is off, so I have to adjust the audio to get it right. This is a new approach – we use motion capture, which makes the characters move much more naturally.
Want to see this content?
This YouTube video isn’t available while you’re signed in to Contentpass. Please sign out of Contentpass to watch it.
Ayres admitted the show’s unique animation style might not appeal to everyone, but emphasized the immense effort put into it. He expressed pride in the work of the Australian animators. Meanwhile, the character of The Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris, reappeared in Doctor Who for its 60th anniversary episodes in 2023.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Read More
- FC 26 reveals free preview mode and 10 classic squads
- When Perturbation Fails: Taming Light in Complex Cavities
- Jujutsu Kaisen Execution Delivers High-Stakes Action and the Most Shocking Twist of the Series (Review)
- Where Winds Meet: Best Weapon Combinations
- Fluid Dynamics and the Promise of Quantum Computation
- Dancing With The Stars Fans Want Terri Irwin To Compete, And Robert Irwin Shared His Honest Take
- Red Dead Redemption Remaster Error Prevents Xbox Players from Free Upgrade
- Hazbin Hotel season 3 release date speculation and latest news
- Meet the cast of Mighty Nein: Every Critical Role character explained
- 7 ‘The Batman Part II’ Villains, Ranked By How Likely They Are
2025-12-08 19:06