Toys and Childhood Special

A special episode about the toys we love and how they’ve shaped our childhood, including some of the best-loved toys of the past 100 years, from teddy bears and Sindy dolls to Star Wars action figures and computer games.

From a 4,000-year-old pull-along toy to one of the first personal computer consoles based on the arcade game Pac-Man, the team explores how toys and the ideas of childhood have changed over time. Raj Bisram explores a fantastic Action Man collection, while Marc Allum tries his hand at much-loved table football game Subbuteo and learns the origins of its obscure name.

We see toys drawn from a history of conflict, including two marionettes made by Second World War prisoners, and Fiona Bruce delves into the archives at the Museum of the Home in London, uncovering a unique Christmas present made from an old gas mask box.

Vintage toy collector Stephen Lane challenges Fiona to place three rare Star Wars figures in order of value, while Mark Hill travels to the V&A in London to find out how they’re preparing to move priceless toys to a new home in the Young V&A, due to open next year.

Fiona also meets broadcaster Jonathan Ross, owner of one of the largest toy collections in the UK, and finds out what sparked his passion for all things plastic, and why he loves Japanese action figures.