The Celestial Toymaker 🧩 Discussion & Review Podcast | Doctor Who: Hartnell Era Who Cares? - Dr. Who Fans Talk TV
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- TV & Film
Maker of Toys. Recasting actors. Character crossovers. Chaotic rewrites. Scuppered returns. Script archaeology. Fandom reassessments. The 1966 Toymaker serial is a bizarre window into a very strange and liminal period of Doctor Who, and a very strange and scattered set of production circumstances.
(00:00:00) Introduction & first reactions
(00:03:42) Why has it persisted?
(00:06:38) What the Toymaker actually does
(00:08:29) Watching characters do puzzles
(00:10:42) Internal logic
(00:12:57) Darkness of the story & humanity of the toys
(00:16:43) Wasting time & trap of meaninglessness
(00:21:34) Steven & Dodo's roles
(00:25:24) Thoughts on the 'visuals'
(00:28:06) Toymaker compared to the Doctor
(00:30:01) 'Cheat' resolution of the story
(00:33:47) Pathos of the toy characters
(00:37:53) Toymaker as a villain & a performance
(00:41:46) Music & things we wish we could see
(00:44:45) Absence of Hartnell & his qualities
(00:46:22) History of the serial: script editors
(00:48:56) Genesis of the script, George & Margaret
(00:54:37) Rewrites addressing tonal issues
(00:56:31) Early regeneration of Hartnell?
(00:58:51) Transition of the production teams
(01:01:54) Replacing George and Margaret & impact of the rewrites
(01:06:53) Contemporary & fan responses to the story
(01:11:03) Racist elements & interpretations over time
(01:14:32) The 'occidental Mandarin' & British juxtapositions
(01:19:15) Toymaker as an appropriator & depicting Orientalism
(01:27:50) Public schoolboys & Empire psychology
(01:31:44) Lost potential for meaning
(01:34:10) Absence leaving room to project & reimagine
(01:38:10) Position in the show's progression/regression + outro… Continue reading →
Maker of Toys. Recasting actors. Character crossovers. Chaotic rewrites. Scuppered returns. Script archaeology. Fandom reassessments. The 1966 Toymaker serial is a bizarre window into a very strange and liminal period of Doctor Who, and a very strange and scattered set of production circumstances.
(00:00:00) Introduction & first reactions
(00:03:42) Why has it persisted?
(00:06:38) What the Toymaker actually does
(00:08:29) Watching characters do puzzles
(00:10:42) Internal logic
(00:12:57) Darkness of the story & humanity of the toys
(00:16:43) Wasting time & trap of meaninglessness
(00:21:34) Steven & Dodo's roles
(00:25:24) Thoughts on the 'visuals'
(00:28:06) Toymaker compared to the Doctor
(00:30:01) 'Cheat' resolution of the story
(00:33:47) Pathos of the toy characters
(00:37:53) Toymaker as a villain & a performance
(00:41:46) Music & things we wish we could see
(00:44:45) Absence of Hartnell & his qualities
(00:46:22) History of the serial: script editors
(00:48:56) Genesis of the script, George & Margaret
(00:54:37) Rewrites addressing tonal issues
(00:56:31) Early regeneration of Hartnell?
(00:58:51) Transition of the production teams
(01:01:54) Replacing George and Margaret & impact of the rewrites
(01:06:53) Contemporary & fan responses to the story
(01:11:03) Racist elements & interpretations over time
(01:14:32) The 'occidental Mandarin' & British juxtapositions
(01:19:15) Toymaker as an appropriator & depicting Orientalism
(01:27:50) Public schoolboys & Empire psychology
(01:31:44) Lost potential for meaning
(01:34:10) Absence leaving room to project & reimagine
(01:38:10) Position in the show's progression/regression + outro… Continue reading →
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