The Siege of Big Ben

"Jackie Tyler saved the world!"

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Short Trips 8.06

Featuring: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor, Jackie

Synopsis 

Jackie Tyler has everything she's ever wanted: a loving husband and two children. But a terrible, far-reaching plan is underway, and only Jackie and a single friend stands in the way of it.

But the Doctor isn't the man he was...

Verdict

The Siege of Big Ben was a really enjoyable little audio! I have been wanting to listen to the adventures of the Metacrisis Doctor in the parallel universe of Pete’s World for far too long now and after finally purchasing a splurge of Short Trips, this had to be included in my list! It was a really interesting little tale and I love the idea of continuing the adventures beyond Journey’s End for the Metacrisis Doctor. Jackie recalling the events of how she saved the world to Beryl was pretty good because it was unbelievably accurate of how Jackie would tell things if she was in control. Her friend couldn’t get a word in and I’ll admit that with Camille Codouri being the only actor, whilst playing the role perfectly, it was a little too much at times! But that’s just Jackie. It was nice to fully explore some of the differences between universes and one major came with Harriet Jones not blowing herself up with the Daleks as we saw in The Stolen Earth. She was President here and had merged all of the Preachers and Torchwood with UNIT which I thought was nice. Jackie was a dinner lady, Pete a captain and the Doctor was of course scientific advisor with Rose his assistant. It was a fun makeup and I’d love to get some sort of exploration of that in Rose’s spin-off audios. Jackie thinking this version of the Doctor was weird was interesting and I would love to hear Donna’s reaction when she stated how he’d merged with ‘some secretary’. There’s a thought - Jackie meeting Donna. My word there just couldn’t be any other cast members! This Doctor was born in battle and Jackie thought that made him grumpy. It was hardly his fault! The mention of a recent attack of the Ice Warriors in the Antarctic was good and would make for a great adventure in its own right. UNIT being based inside Big Ben was really good but Jackie didn’t enjoy being right behind the clock! Those bells were giving her a migraine. The whole place going into red alert with all personnel out to Bridlington after another Cybus factory was found was fantastic and really good continuity. I can sometimes forget how ravaged this universe was by the Cybermen and it provides a superb dynamic. Whilst being a dinner lady, Jackie wasn’t shy in tooting her own horn which was nice. She calmly recalled defeating aliens with vinegar in World War Three which reminded us that she does have experience with combating hostile aliens. The ones here were big and purple rather than the green of the Slitheen. The Doctor being the only one left inside Big Ben with her was good and I loved that he was excited about the lockdown and potential threat. The idea of him beaming at the fact they were literally in a base under siege was magical. Playing on the idea of the Doctor being stuck in one place was very good and a nice throwback to the era of the Third Doctor. I imagine after so long travelling the universe since his exile, it must be so frustrating to find himself human, no TARDIS in his possession and as UNIT’s scientific advisor in a parallel universe. I was very surprised though that Jackie reckoned he would leave Rose if he had the chance. That didn’t sit right with me at all. I thought it was quite humorous of him to try and keep Jackie out of his lab amidst an alien invasion. That would never happen and she soon discovered that he was attempting to grow a TARDIS. That was a lovely thought and showed how unhappy he was to be stuck, but Jackie’s assertion once again that he might sneak off without Rose was just ludicrous! I did enjoy the line about her not entertaining the idea of him taking her with him though! There was a family now with Rose having a toddler sibling. That was nice. He had sports day tomorrow so they’d at least have to wait! The aliens wanting the Doctor to surrender or they’ll kill all the humans was far more humorous than it ought to be because Jackie was the only human inside! I liked that line a lot. Her realisation was great. Jackie referencing Love and Monsters was terrific and it’s quite easy to forget the ordeal she went through in that story. The Doctor grinning at the fact the aliens knew him was just wonderful. Finally he had some attention! Jackie was livid about that but she couldn’t deny that in that moment he was gorgeous. The little line about Jake was good with Jackie finding out about his activities with a lady friend and I’m just glad that he was mentioned. The aliens, all big and purple, wanting the time machine that the Doctor was building seemed logical, but he soon deduced that it was all a bluff. They had guns yet they weren’t coming upstairs to shoot them and take what they wanted. But they did have hostages on a zeppelin that included Rose and Pete on their return from Bridlington which meant Jackie was soon happy to surrender. The Doctor wasn’t happy with that and got himself a slap in the process. Jackie was a bit unfair to the Doctor in this adventure and at times it wasn’t to my liking. I think the comparison with the true Tenth Doctor was inevitable, but it didn’t need constant comparison in such a negative way. This Doctor enjoyed the challenge and was going to go as far as blowing up Big Ben! Jackie was speechless and soon realised it was up to her to save the world from the Metacrisis Doctor. She begged him to just think and be peaceful, acknowledging how her universe’s Doctor had made both Rose and Jackie better people. The Doctor needed to be better now. It was a really good speech and she had something of a plan. Using her experiences in Army of Ghosts and thinking that her dad had come back, which was quickly ruined by the Doctor, she suggested that the siege might be a fake. It was all just pictures and the true culprit emerged in the form of Brigadier Christa. Space gun in hand, she wanted to force the Doctor to go back in time and stop her daughter becoming a Cyberman. You couldn’t blame her for that and Jackie was more than sympathetic. It was a superb motive, but for a Brigadier of UNIT to try and defeat the Doctor with aliens just seemed silly! Even if it was a parallel universe. Jackie pouring out emotion with how she didn’t choose her current life and that the Doctor turned up and just took her away. She missed people but she can’t change things and just accepts that bad stuff happens. But she used that with the good stuff and it all resonated with Christa quite wonderfully. The Doctor understood too and told her that they wouldn’t tell anyone of her desperate attempt as she handed the gun over. Except he did as soon as Christa was unarmed. He told Pete and she’d be arrested which was quite callous, but more than understandable as she was clearly unstable. Jackie just thought she’d made a mistake and could see that this Doctor had no second chances to give. In that situation, I agreed with him. Overall, a really good audio adventure opening up some life in another universe, even if Jackie got a little irritable. Half an hour was definitely a good length!

Rating: 8/10