Channel 5 has commissioned The Repair Shop indie Ricochet to produce The Toy Hospital (w.t) a new, series celebrating the history and nostalgia of the world of toys and the expert treatment needed to bring them back to their original glory.
Based on an original idea by Ben Frow (Director of Programmes, Channel 5) and commissioned by Kit Morey (Commissioning Editor, Channel 5) each episode will include archive material to transport viewers back to their childhoods, to relive memories of receiving treasured toys and much-loved dolls for birthdays, Christmases and holiday treats. Each visitor to the hospital reveals the story behind their injured toy then the skilled experts at the Toy Hospital set to work.
The 6 x 60’ series features a talented collection of Toy Doctors, experts in everything from plastic to wood, fabric and electrics, sewing, stitching and setting.
Filming takes place at a unique clinic which serves as a one-stop shop able to tend to the needs of any type of toy – whether teddies, dolls or bikes and train sets.
Toy owners are greeted at the Toy Hospital by a receptionist who directs the toy patients to a plethora of specialist units. Whether it’s the Fabric Dermatology Unit, the Plastics Department or the garage-style workshop which houses the Nerve Damage Unit for treatment of electrical problems, or the Orthopaedic Unit for heavy duty restructuring jobs.
Channel 5 Commissioning Editor, Unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+, Kit Morey said: “The Toy Hospital is an utterly joyous new series. So many of us have a treasured toy at home that we would not want to be parted from. A toy that holds immense personal and sentimental value, but, like many of us, is showing the ravages of age. But no challenge is too big for our talented team of specialists and experts! In bringing these much-loved toys back to their former glory, our team will also dig into the personal history of our special ‘patients’ giving viewers a glimpse into the story behind the toys and the secrets they hold.”
Executive Producer, Sandy Watson, from Ricochet, added: “This series is a celebration of everything toy-related. As well as looking back at the history of many of our most-loved toys, it is set in a fun medical precinct that highlights the extraordinary work of our experts, as they deliver breath-taking transformations that often leave the owners lost for words”
The Toy Hospital (w.t) is a 6 x 60’ series commissioned for Channel 5 by Kit Morey, Commissioning Editor, Unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+. It was developed by Claire Egerton-Jones and will be produced by Ricochet, Executive Producers Sandy Watson and Emma Walsh. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. International Television Production.
Jon Creamer
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