The Beginning

"We had to get away. Away from our home."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: November 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis 

When the First Doctor and his grand-daughter Susan escape through the cloisters of Gallifrey to an old Type 40 Time Travel capsule, little do they realise the adventures that lie ahead... And little do they know, as the TARDIS dematerialises and they leave their home world behind, there is someone else aboard the ship. He is Quadrigger Stoyn, and he is very unhappy...

Verdict 

The Beginning was a brilliant audio adventure and has probably been the Companion Chronicle I've been wanting to listen to most ever since it was released, remarkably nearly three years ago. I really can't quite believe that it's been that long since the milestone that was the fiftieth anniversary but this really was this audio range's celebration story. I know that it kicks off a trilogy of adventures but with the name and what it depicts, along with the month of release, it has to be considered the anniversary audio from the Companion Chronicles. It depicted something that is very sought after in the Doctor Who universe and that's the Doctor leaving Gallifrey and embarking on his numerous adventures through time and space. Of course, we know that occurred with his granddaughter Susan and whilst there were hints at family life, I was glad that some things were kept a secret. Or rather unknown. Carole Ann Ford revealed in the short interview that followed the story that she wished the story showed the reason why her character and the Doctor fled from Gallifrey but I don't think you can reveal that. It can provide so much debate amongst fandom and I do think it should remain hidden. I mean, we know the general reason behind it but we don't particularly know any specifics. I was glad that things didn't contradict The Name of the Doctor in which we actually saw the moment the Doctor and Susan fled and the subtlety behind Clara's involvement in the Doctor's choice of TARDIS was wonderful I must say. It was very cleverly done. I thought it was terrific that once inside the time machine, the Doctor was clueless on how the controls worked. The early adventures of season one were kept in line with the inclusion of the food machine and I also thought it was very interesting that the Doctor had no apparent knowledge of Earth at this point in time. Any story set prior to An Unearthly Child has my interest and the way Platt got around Susan naming the TARDIS what it was whilst everyone else on Gallifrey referred to them as that was pretty good but I'm not so sure she wouldn't already know what one was. The attempt though was very good and I'm not sure it could have been bettered really as it is a bit of a head spinning topic. Quadrigger Stoyn was a good character and I liked how he was brought into just as much as trouble as the Doctor simply by being a worker on the deregistered and faulty TARDIS. That was a good way to get around the transduction barrier that Gallifrey has. The Doctor and Susan's reaction to stepping out on a brand new world was simply magnificent and seeing the First Doctor pose for the Gallifreyan equivalent of a photograph was most intriguing! Imagine William Hartnell doing that on screen. It staggers to be believed. The Archaeons were most interesting and I was a little surprised with how much of an impact they had on the story but they did greatly effect the Doctor and Susan which was good. I don't think it would go down very well nor set the tone for adventures to come if the first trip in the TARDIS wasn't an eventful one! We even had the insides being disassembled at times. However, for me this audio was always going to be about the fleeing from Gallifrey and the inspirations from The Doctor's Wife really was tremendous. Overall, an excellent story and beginning to one hell of a journey.

Rating: 9/10