Best-known for his role on Top Gear as one of the three musketeers, James May takes on some madcap toy adventures in a bid to get children out of their bedrooms and away from their playstations and parents re-embracing the child within. In six episodes that feature extraordinary feats of engineering, James takes time out with some of Britain’s best loved toys - putting generations of families at the heart of some ludicrously ambitions undertakings and reminding us all of the precious joys of creativity and quality family entertainment...

James May's Toy Stories originally started broadcasting on 27 October and, as this review went live, there were still a further two episodes to be broadcast - with the final show due to air on 27 December 2009.

Over the course of these six hour-long episodes, May looks at classic play things including Airfix model kits; Plasticine; Meccano; Scalextric; Hornby Model Railways; and LEGO.

Each episode looks at the history of that week's toy, as well as how well it's fairing in today's market. We are also introduced to a different stunt that is designed to show that each toy is still as interesting today as it was when it was first launched and a world record attempt is usually involved.

Disc one kicks off with probably the show's most enjoyable episode, Spitfire Spectacular, in which May attempts to get a company to make the components for an Airfix model Spitfire kit that is the same size as the original plane. He also slowly introduces a group of school children into the world of model making in a bid to get them on side, so that they will finally help him make the final full size model.

In Plasticine Garden, probably the series's weakest episode, May attempts to enter the Chelsea Flower show with a garden that is constructed entirely from Plasticine.

Meccano Bridge, likewise is one of the series's less enjoyable episodes. Here May has to design a bridge made out of Meccano. To be honest the design is a little silly and the whole episode a little too dull.

Disc two opens with Scalextric Race, in which May attempts to lay Scalextric track around the original race circuit of Brooklands, Surrey, the world's first purpose-built motor sport venue. This is easier said than done as parts of the original track have been sold to developers over the years. Somehow May has to get permission to go across the premises of several high profile companies, a river and a housing estate. Then when the logistics have been sorted he's got a day to get the track laid, have a race between the locals and a group of Scalextric fanatics, and dismantle the track.

Next up is Model Railway Madness. Here May attempts to lay the longest train track (between the old disused branch line between Barnstaple and Bideford in Devon). The track is two and three quarter miles in length and, because there's little chance of a single train making the journey, May uses several trains which have a staggered start in the hopes that at least one completes the journey without burning out.

Finally we have LEGO House, in which May gets several companies to look into the possibilities of constructing a real house entirely from LEGO which will pass building regulations. This sounds easier than it actually is, as LEGO is designed to be easily taken apart by small children, and this means that ensuring the bricks stay together will need a bit of work. Also, as this will be a two-storey house, the top floor will have to take May's weight.

Extras include Model Railway Madness: Peter Snow's Attic (3 min, 17 sec featurette that sees May visit Peter Snow's model railway that he keeps in his attic); Plasticine Garden: Flower Arranging (46 sec look at May attempting to arrange some real flowers); LEGO House: LEGOland Vault (3 min, 22 sec look at the LEGO archives which houses one boxed copy of every LEGO set manufactured since 1958); James May Interview (10 min, 06 sec interview in which James goes through the episodes and provides some interesting snippets of information).

While the whole family will enjoy this series, the show is more likely to appeal to 30/40 - somethings who fondly remember these toys from their childhoods.

9

Darren Rea