Customer Reviews

Doctor Who: The Nightmare Fair: The Missing Episodes

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One of my favorite villians returns: The Celestrial Toymaker.
The splendid plotline highlights how evil (yet strangely likeable) the character is. The original debut of the Toymaker was in the lost episode featuring the first Doctor. A terrible shame it is that this episode was also lost to the television fans. Fortunately, we can read about it!
The plot has many surprises and twists and not at all predictable like some Dr. Who stories. I will resist giving away the plot and merely say that the 6th Doctor and Peri travel to an Earth amusement park. Where, of course, mysterious things have been happening. From there, the Toymaker and his toy lackeys bring about danger for the Toymaker's amusement (after all, if you are immortal, you need something to entertain yourself!).
Easily as enjoyable as Star Trek's Q, the Toymaker is an omniscient being that adds to the plot. See for yourself...
PS: The minor characters are equally creative and fun to read about.

In 1985, the BBC decided to give Doctor Who a "rest" (although rumours persist that they actually cancelled it and were forced to continue due to public outcry...). Several stories were planned and in the writing stage when this edict came down. Three of these stories were novelised by their scripters - this one, featuring the return of the First Doctor opponent the Celestial Toymaker, was written by former producer Graham Williams.

The Doctor decides to take Peri to the most perfect holiday spot in the universe - Blackpool (?). They are quickly drawn into the machinations of the Toymaker, an old foe and a very bored creature from another universe who amuses himself by playing games with them - and cheating. And he wants revenge on the Doctor...

'Nightmare Fair' suffers from what I'm tempted to call Sixth Doctoritus - the story heads off in bizarre and gruesome directions where others are available and would have been preferable. Williams has limited experience as a novelist, but does write in a readable way.

I suspect that, had this story been made into a TV serial as intended, it would have been suitably enhanced by the acting skills of the cast. Sadly, in the format it appears in, it falls a little flat.