1963

"Might I be the first to welcome you to London the 23rd November 1963..."

Writer: Niall Boyce

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Short Trips 2.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis 

The Doctor returns Ian and Barbara home to London on the 23rd November 1963, only to find that the entire city and its inhabitants are frozen in time.

Verdict 

1963 was a fantastic little audio! I say little but that's what the Short Trips are - short adventures. And some of them are really impressing me, the First Doctor ones in particular. To my recollection, Rise and Fall is the only story of the range I've given full marks to that features just the one incarnation of the Doctor and I loved how the First Doctor was the hero of the sensational Seven to One. Now, this story wasn't really about the Doctor. I liked the focus that was mainly on Barbara, and slightly on Ian too. After travelling around endlessly and hopelessly in time and space, the Doctor finally returned the TARDIS to 1963. Ian and Barbara were home. But, a slight problem. The TARDIS had a malfunction and its heartbeat wasn't correct so it couldn't keep up in time with the pace of its owner, something that was delicately and expertly explained in the story. It was extremely intriguing for Barbara and Ian to be standing in their home city with it absolutely still. Literally everything was solid stone, stopped, stationery. This even included the rivers! I really liked the audacious moment where Ian was walking on water, ha! He really did do and see just about everything on his travels with the Doctor. I loved the continued relationship from TV between the Doctor and Vicki, I like to think of them as mischievous and making each other laugh so that was nice to see here. The humorous adding of brown sauce to the food machine was great and I loved how Barbara was still fond of the TARDIS' bacon and eggs. Her sadness of being home but not being able to say was excellently portrayed by William Russell who read the story brilliantly. Fifty years on and he's still and always will be Ian Chesterton. The story behind Barbara's relation and supposed meeting with her aunt was an emotional one and I liked how they were gutted, yet acceptant, at the fact they had to depart 1963. It must have been unimaginably hard for the pair! I liked how the Doctor mentioned the possibility that London was becoming a favourite city of the TARDIS, very clever throw in indeed. Overall, a superb little audio with emotion and great explanation!

Rating: 9/10