The Stuff of Nightmares: The Tivolian Who Knew Too Much

"What are the chances of bumping into a Tivolian in Rome?"

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: July 2022

Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 3.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

    

Taking an Italian holiday, the Fourth Doctor and Leela encounter another tourist very far from home. Timble Feebis is a particularly timid Tivolian, but he has much to be fearful about!

Guarding a vital data-chip, the three visitors are soon caught up in the machinations of a crime boss and his gang, and a dangerous alien assassin...

Verdict

The Tivolian Who Knew Too Much was another fun little story to continue the third series of Classic Doctors, New Monsters! This follows in the footsteps of The House That Hoxx Built nicely in having another unique monster from the new era of Doctor Who to encounter the Fourth Doctor, as I don't think the Tivolians would be an expected candidate to feature in this range! It's fun though and whilst they weren't exactly the focus of their two on screen appearances in The God Complex and Under the Lake/Before the Flood, that was more so the case here which I enjoyed. It was really fun to have the setting as Rome in 1977 and the idea of the Doctor and Leela being on holiday was very nice. It was lovely to hear how impressed Leela was by Rome and she was the perfect companion to have for a Tivolian return. I was excited by the potential dynamic of having the noble savage come up against a race that yearns for surrender but I must admit despite my enjoyment of the episode I don't think that was utilised or explored anywhere near as much as it could have been. I think that typical Leela humour was missing a little and she could have, at least initially, belittled the Tivolians for their nature. A species evolved to surrender just wouldn't be something I could imagine Leela accepting lightly! It was nice though to get a more evil Tivolian in the form of Steasel. A criminal Tivolian seems a little odd given their nature of being ruled, but I really enjoyed how he used that as a way to prove that Leticia of Galactipol would not shoot him. What would it say for her reputation if she shot a Tivolian? That was fun scheming. I thought Timble made for a good character and his being shunned off with the data-chip worked very well. The search for that chip throughout the episode gave us a solid direction and it was fun that it contained the means to free the Krevellons from a containment shield. With this, the Tivolians could be ruled and the Krevellons would have a world to rule over. Except, there was slightly more to it than that with the Krevellons actually planning to devour the Tivolians as a feast! I thought that was a fun twist and really gave the Doctor something to prevent! Dr Kleeb was a fun little character too as the therapist for Timble and he really did pick his moments in conversing with her! When he was in a stressful situation, it was down to her to make him calm and think of the relaxing blues of the sky and sea. It was not the best of holidays for the Tivolian! The conclusion with the Doctor pretending his sonic screwdriver is a gun and Timble blurting that out before all was sealed was tremendous and some fine humour. The Doctor was surprisingly calm in that situation! I thought it was a nice touch after all that had gone on that Timble got offered a job at Galacticpol by the end. I didn't see that coming after the torturous Mr Quave, Steasel and the rest of his cronies had got up to. Overall though, a fun little audio!

Rating: 8/10