Seven to One

"Perhaps I can learn from my mistakes of the future."

Writer: Simon Miller

Format: Audio

Released: 31st May 2011

Series: Short Trips 3.01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Sixth Doctor, Peri, Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Fourth Doctor, Romana II, Third Doctor, Jo, Second Doctor, Jamie, First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis

Seven Doctors... one tricky situation. Will the First Doctor be able to save his future incarnations from a deadly game?

Verdict 

Seven to One was an absolutely brilliant Short Trip audio story, eclipsing Rise and Fall as my all time favourite in this great little range. I loved the idea and audacity of doing a multi-Doctor story in this format, and yet it absolutely worked. It was definitely the right decision, with no main actors reprising their roles, to not have the Doctors meet up. I loved how the story progressed in reverse order for the Doctors, as the story title suggests, going from the Seventh Doctor to the First. The way the Seventh Doctor and Ace bypassed the android guard to the door was very clever but I thought the way the Sixth Doctor and Peri got past was much better and the best of the story! As I continue through the audios more and more, my pity towards Tegan grows as the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa have had, and I'm sure will have, numerous adventures set between Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity. The pairing's role was pretty short here, yet still effective. The Fourth Doctor and Romana II, an astounding pairing, were the first to discover that future incarnations of the Doctor himself had been defeated by the game of the Entity, which was terrific as the enemy of sorts. They never agree yet can't do anything without the agreement of one another. And that provided the setting of Grey Space. Brilliant. The Third Doctor and Jo bypassing the android to the door was great and I thought the Second Doctor and Jamie doing so as well was done excellently. And as all six incarnations after the First Doctor had failed the game, plunging to what seemed like their death, mysteriously without their companions, it was up to the First Doctor himself to save his future incarnations. The youngest, but probably the wisest Doctor of them all soon realised that Susan wasn't actually his granddaughter. It was someone impersonating her to lure him into the door and to have his life records expunged. I absolutely loved how this story depicted that the First Doctor is the wisest and cleverest of all the (Classic at least) Doctors. Was it the family bond between the Doctor and Susan that caused the realisation for the first incarnation? Whatever it was, it was just wonderful! An absolutely brilliant audio where the First Doctor saves his future selves! 

Rating: 10/10