One of the very best things ABC aired last fall was the “Toy Story” Halloween special, “Toy Story OF TERROR!,” a half-hour adventure featuring Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang (plus a few new characters like Combat Carl) stuck in a motel on a dark and stormy night when strange things were happening to the toys. Though the toys probably exhausted their usefulness for full-length films with the amazing “Toy Story 3,” they’re sill incredibly valuable for shorter stories like that one, which dealt with Jessie’s claustrophobia and turned Mr. Pricklepants into the “Toy Story” version of Abed from “Community.”
“TERROR!” was so good, in fact, that I hoped it would just be the first of many holiday specials, and today ABC granted that wish, announcing the new Christmas special “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” which will air this year during the holidays.
According to the press release, “During a post-Christmas play date, the ‘Toy Story’ gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room.” The cast includes Kevin McKidd from “Grey’s Anatomy” as Reptillius Maximus.
As a fan of these characters and of Kristen Schaal (who plays Trixie), sign me up.
What does everybody else think? Would you rather the gang take a break for a while, or does this seem a good way for them to live on without undoing the sense of finality from the last film?