270 all-singing, all-dancing, all-chattering kids, well-chosen celebrity appearances, a video message from the Official Queen of Christmas herself Mariah Carey, and even an adorable labrador puppy called Star, Friday night's Late Late Show was a bit of a Christmas cracker.
Making his second turn as MC, Patrick Kielty even managed to make wearing a Christmas jumper look classy.
This was his second outing as Toymaster of ceremonies and the Down man, father of two little boys of his own, made the whole thing run like clockwork.
The theme this year was Home Alone, the modern movie classic about a cute little boy left behind in a posh gaff at Christmas as the rest of his family jet off to Paris, and who then has to defend himself and his castle against a pair of grubby burglars.
"Tonight, it’s all about the magic of Christmas," Kielty says after he bobsleighs down a replica of a flight of stairs from the film (perhaps the most rehearsed stunt of Friday’s show). "I have been left home alone with this studio audience."
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Kielty knows full well that the trick here is to let the kids and the toys do the talking. He does, however, make more costume changes than Mr Benn or maybe even Diana Ross at one of her many farewell concerts, and throughout the night, we see him as an astronaut, a wrestler (we think), a gorilla, and even a full-blown Christmas tree.
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The warm glows come thick and fast. First up, future vet, eight-year-old Dory from Tallaght demonstrates a toy aquarium and a pet store, which includes a mother duck and her ducklings who scuttle off, stage left, and could now be halfway down the Stillorgan dual carriageway.
There’s also a toy monkey who walks like a stoned zombie but all that is forgotten when, as if by magic, fast-rising Crumlin pop star Jazzy drops into the studio to surprise the starstruck Dory. It’s the first of many awwwww moments on Friday night.
The next two and half hours are a blur of toys (a fortune-telling globe, tractors, a fart gun, tractors, glittery slime... did we mention tractors?) all tested by a bevvy of talented kids who are so chill they might as well as be in their front parlours at home.
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Maybe it’s unfair to pick out the highlights but there’s no denying that 11-year-old Brian Óg from Tyrone commanded the studio like a pro and looks destined for a telly career, if telly still exists after his first term as Ireland’s youngest-ever Taoiseach. He shows off a charming toy Gekko, plays a bit of footie with Patrick, and then blasts out a karaoke version of Wagon Wheel. We hope Bob Dylan gets to see that clip.
The night wasn’t short on full-blown music showstoppers either. Early in the show, the kids belted out a rock-trad version of that well-known Christmas classic Thunderstruck by AC/DC, there was the requisite song from Wicked, and a medley of songs from pop divas of the moment, Taylor, Sabrina and Chappel. This time next year all those kids will be into Billie.
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Later in the evening, Olympians Sharlene Mawdsley and Phil Healy are on hand to help young Kirsty with a live trolley dash around a well-known Dublin toy store in aid of Crumlin Children's Hospital.
However, it was a brand new item that looks set to become a Toy Show tradition - a 32-county salute to Ireland herself with 32 kids parading past using all modes of transport, including pogo sticks, tractors (surprise!), toy diggers and scooters.
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As Patrick told us earlier on Friday, "Whatever you’ve planned, that’s not happening." Phooey! The whole thing ran as smoothly as a mother duck and ducklings with a fresh set of batteries. All this and over €4 million and counting raised for the Toy Show Appeal.
Kielty and the kids delivered a stormer of a night.
All the toys featured on Friday night’s show will be donated to various charities in time for Christmas Day.
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