The Big Finish audios have done a lot of good things for Doctor Who. Keeping the series alive during the prolonged period off air was just one of their major contributions to the show. The other is the rehabilitation of the Sixth Doctor.
As any Who fans out there will know, the show was not served well during this era, with massive budget cuts, being shifted around the schedules by a company who (then) had no interest in it and culminating in the ignominious dumping of Colin Baker as the Doctor.
But Baker’s Doctor, who showed flashes of potential on screen, has been allowed to flourish in the Big Finish audios, and this one is no exception.
This story, set on contemporary Earth, also features one of the most interesting companions the Doctor has ever had- Evelyn Smythe. She is a middle aged history teacher and a world away from the screaming teenagers that this ancient alien usually hangs around with. Yes, yes, I know he hangs around with them for audience demographic reasons, but let’s just ignore that, eh?
Anyway- I’ve talked a lot here and not yet said much about the story.
Well, it’s a very clever one- in that it is both a sequel and a prequel to a number of audio adventures that have gone before. Such is the joy of time travel.
Well, it’s a very clever one- in that it is both a sequel and a prequel to a number of audio adventures that have gone before. Such is the joy of time travel.
The cast are excellent- I didn’t recognise David Troughton at all and only knew it was him when listening to the extras.
As I have said about many of these before, this is absolutely crammed with plot. And by that I don’t mean it is overly complicated , slow and hard to follow, I mean that every second is given over to something important. There is no flab in this tale at all and it covers a hell of a lot of ground from when it literally hits the ground running in the opening scene to the unexpected final one.
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