Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday

"Prepare to die, Rutan!"

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 07

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday was another decent little adventure to continue my way through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection of short stories! This is a story title that really does jump off the page and I think that's also partly because similarly to The Three Little Sontarans, this is a fairytale that the Eleventh Doctor mentions in Night Terrors as one he was read as a child. There's something quite comforting about that. I do think this story is perhaps a little rushed and serves as one of the shorter stories in the collection at barely sixteen pages long, but it does a lot with it. I think the concept of the Doomsday Machine was good and the threat posed by the King was pretty dastardly. It was dictatorship on an extreme level if that was even possible! Oppose the monarch in his ruling regime and the entire world of Winter would be eradicated. The Machine had that potential so the threat in this story is obviously a strong one, but it does seem perhaps a tad out of place to have Snow White as the protagonist for the adventure. She's actually a character I know well and surprisingly it isn't from my childhood. I don't remember ever being too interest in her story as a bit of fiction even with the Seven Dwarfs, but I found myself writing an essay during my time at university about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) as part of an interwar module during my second year of my BA in History. It was tremendous fun to watch a film that isn't far off being a century old and honestly the quality of it was superb considering when it was made. I got a first on the essay too so positives all around whenever I encounter Snow White! Putting her into the Whoniverse like this is good fun and I like that we get an explanation for her name with the Winter setting and the white of the outdoors. It made sense so that's all good. I thought her eavesdropping on Queen Salima as she looked to try and rule Winter herself was intriguing and she learned all about the potential of the Doomsday Machine from the enigmatic and unidentifiable engineer. I must admit I was expecting that character to be an incarnation of the Doctor but there would be no suggestion that was the case. When Salima's intentions were known it made it even more unlikely! Snow White knew what she needed to do though as the Machine could show where the keys needed to power it were located. They were all spread out but it was actually really clever of White to just concentrate on one key. That's all she needed to thwart the plan because without them all the Machine would not be usable. I thought the logic there was absolutely right, but it did hurt the story a little bit. I thought we could have had a full on novel in the style of The Keys of Marinus or even the entire Key to Time season, but Snow White is too clever for all that and has duped things entirely when the keys worked this way around and her aim was to prevent the use of the Doomsday Machine. She did it really well. Maybe a little more description on the actual keys themselves would have been beneficial because I'm not convinced a key is something so easily snapped in your hands! But I digress. Overall, really nice to get an in-universe story presented here and it was certainly in the style of a fairytale. 

Rating: 7/10

Jak and the Wormhole

"They want to destroy your world, like they destroyed mine."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 06

Featuring: Nimon

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

Jak and the Wormhole was a great little adventure to continue my reading through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection of short stories! This definitely felt like a sci-fi take on a fairytale classic and it was just right up my alley. Jack and the Beanstalk is a story I know extremely well and reading the faithful details of that at the start of this adventure sent my nostalgia running wild. I can't tell you how many times I will have watched a VHS version of Jack and the Beanstalk when I was about five or six years old so getting a Doctor Who version of that cult classic was tremendous. I like the simplicity of changing the name to Jak because it just instantly feels like an alien name for some reason. Who would have thought that one letter could be so important? But it really does take things away from a children's tale on Earth to a much more fantastical place. We never really get to know much at all about Jak's world or the one to which he travels, but the very nature of him selling the last family cow to keep them going for just a little longer financially made things feel rural on his world. His interaction with Councillor Jevan who was on the verge of death was emotional and it certainly peaked my interest. He was dumbfounded by Jak's claim of needing money and handed him an incredible amount of riches if he just did one thing and destroy a strange looking device. Jevan was on his deathbed because of it but Jak was desperate and needed the cash for his family. It proved impenetrable so the only option to safely dispose of it as promised was to bury it deep. That was logical when fire and physically breaking it were no success. His waking up the next morning and finding the Sun blocked out from his bedroom window was a nice touch of realism, although if that's how I woke up every morning I'd be investing in new curtains for sure! I liked the invisible nature of the wormhole that was in place of the beanstalk and there's no way I wouldn't do the same as Jak and venture through. The intrigue and curiosity would get the better of me. A chance to see another world? You'd have to be made to not take that. I thought the desolate world on the other side was really interesting and discovering that Jevan had seemingly betrayed the Nimon was excellent. They really are made for the villains of a fairytale and they fit that role very nicely here. I don't think The Horns of Nimon is anyone's favourite serial but it's always fun to have Classic era monsters showing up! Who'd have thought the Nimon had found their way into the fairytales of Gallifreyan children? But with their appearance and nature they're perfect for that. I thought the way Jak saved Jahannna was admirable and it was clear they were going to foster a strong relationship. She was a princess but he didn't think she looked like one. That coming full circle after rescuing her and returning to his world and him seeing her in his mum's old dress was lovely as he announced she did indeed look like a princess. But it was still Jahanna that was the hero in my estimation as she knew how to disable the device just before the Nimon broke through. It was a good bit of pace and action to conclude what was a really strong story to continue the collection! Overall, a great read. 

Rating: 8/10

The Three Little Sontarans

"Prepare to die, Rutan!"

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 05

Featuring: Sontarans

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

The Three Little Sontarans was another good little short story to continue my way through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! This is one I was really looking forward to because the Sontarans are an absolute favourite villain of mine and they really have reached iconic status as a monster in the Whoniverse by this point. Their story has been expanded across so many different formats and that’s been wonderful to explore. I was deeply intrigued by the Betrayal at the House of Sontar audio earlier this year where it was revealed that Division were seemingly responsible for an eternal war between the Sontarans and the Rutans. That was obviously part of the Rutans vs Sontarans range at Big Finish but given this story here was a Time Lord fairy tale, I find that very intriguing! A fairytale created from something sparked by a secret Time Lord organisation orchestrating events is pretty fun. I liked that aspect and I’m obviously benefitted from reading now in 2026 with this third edition of the collection. I must say though I thought the story was pretty generic. I’m not sure it lived up to its title which is just glorious and that’s a big shame. I think this should have gone down the comedy route and that’s especially so because of the Eleventh Doctor referencing this story during the events of Night Terrors as one he was read at bedtime. I don’t think it really had that vibe. I’m always delighted to be reading stories featuring the Sontarans and Rutans doing battle against each other and this was no different, but it could have featured somewhere else. This was just made for Sontaran comedy with the title! I thought the use of the Rutan Host was pretty decent and it was good to go deep on the descriptors of their makeup as a species. There’s something about the word squelching that feels uncomfortable and a little eery so that describing the Rutan Host and how it was hiding was impressive. I liked that the Rutan didn’t actually try to emerge from the wall but rather squeezed itself underneath it. That was an intriguing image to try and shape in my head! I thought the strength of the Sontarans was presented very well though and I liked that they tricked the Rutan here with somewhat ease. They’d anticipated everything the Rutan would believe as a trap and actually work around that to wipe it out completely. The final description of the green glow lighting for a second before going out was great stuff. This certainly didn’t place the Sontarans and the Rutan Host on an equal playing ground which was fascinating today the least! Overall, a good story but perhaps under the wrong title and collection?

Rating: 7/10

The Twins in the Wood

"You shall rule together, just as you were born together."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 04

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

The Twins in the Wood was a good little story to continue my way through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! I think this followed a similar path to Cinderella and the Magic Box in following the route of being about Time Lords rather than a fairytale to be told to them. That’s no problem at all and against I would just suggest that the marketing have been a little different prior to release. That’s pedantic though and it really doesn’t matter. I thought the story was just fine even if it was pretty predictable, but sometimes in short stories like this one there’s no room to go with a twist. And just because it’s predictable doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad! I just don’t think it’s going to get any higher of a rating from me when that happens. I thought the situation for Asher and Ella was intriguing if not unique in that their emperor father passed away and now they were the heirs. However, they were not yet of age to rule and so someone would have to fill that role. Except they barely got a chance to see how that succession route would go down as they were subjected to the obliterator module. They were officially announced as dead, but Rigel had revealed that he had tampered with it to ensure that they wouldn’t be obliterated at all. The ship crash landed on Gallifrey which was fascinating. I thought it was good to not name their location by name but the description of the orange sky was more than enough. That’s a detail that has stuck with me in picturing the landscape and beyond of Gallifrey so it still irks me that this was a missed detail in The Invasion of Time. It was still fun though to explore a different side of the Time Lord home planet because this was a wild part I don’t think has ever been explored or even mentioned. This seemed even super far removed from the wastelands we saw Leela exploring amongst the local inhabitants not lucky enough to be inside the Capitol. Rigel explaining about that in terms of directions but how far away they were was intriguing, but I must say if I was Asher or Ella and I knew he wasn’t coming back for a year to check on them I couldn’t help myself and go explore! I thought that was a little strange in that they just stayed put in their routine with the cat-dog creatures helping them with fruit and water. Surely you’d go and have a wonder even if you were happy and set? I thought Rigel coming when the twins were of age was good but it was obvious that their uncle was the one who murdered their father. The council on Levithia having posthumously pardoned the twins was good and Rigel being the one to evidence that they weren’t the killers was nice. He though for his part was sentenced to death by the now emperor and I can’t say that was much of a surprise given he was trying to reinstate the twins to their rightful place! It was bordering on Game of Thrones style stuff which was marvellous. The thirst for power! Asher and Ella agreeing to appoint Rigel as advisor on their return was a nice way to conclude things and the image of them now returning home was a good way to end. Overall, quite a nice and fantastical short story despite it going as expected. A good little read! 

Rating: 7/10

Cinderella and the Magic Box

"I don't even have a dress to wear."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

Cinderella and the Magic Box was a very good little story to continue my way through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! This short story was a fairytale of a different kind as whilst I do think the book and its contents are marketed as if they are fairytales told to Time Lords, this one is more focused on having one in particular at the forefront. That would obviously be the Doctor and why wouldn't he be taking Cinderella to the ball? Well, dropping her off at least. It seems silly in hindsight for me to think that the magic box in the title could be anything else other than the TARDIS! It just fits very nicely and is very much the stuff of fairytale. I liked how this story put the fictional life of Cinderella on an interstellar scale and it worked really well to be fair. Translating Cinderella to the stars isn't something I would have anticipated as being a good idea but it comes off very well and I think the short story format actually helps with that. We don't stick around long enough for things to get silly or venture into realms of unrealism and I appreciated that a lot. The pace was fast but not too frantic and this was just a lovely way to fill eighteen pages! I thought the Eleventh Doctor was a very strong fit for this kind of tale because I would say he is the most fairytale-like of incarnations. I mean, just look at The Snowmen and him literally living above a cloud! I know he was sulking but if that isn't the stuff of fairytales then I don't know what is. The start of the story was familiar with the traditional telling of Cinderella and her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. It really is a bit of sad state of affairs to be in the position she is but I found myself admiring her! She was nothing much more than a slave and yet she was still grateful to be in the position she was. She wasn't going to the ball that night but at least she had food and a roof over her head. That was an incredible outlook on her situation. No wonder the Doctor wanted to help her! I mean, he was also using her for his own gain but he was doing something for her at the same time. I wouldn't say his actions were manipulative but he definitely had an ulterior motive. It didn't get to the levels of the Seventh Doctor or anything like that, but it wasn't as charming as I might imagine this incarnation to be! He armed Cinderella with the sonic screwdriver and as the clock struck midnight she was called into action. Lord Darke turning out to be a vampire was pretty fun stuff and his plan for the prince and his entire people was dastardly! The whole ball was a front to get to the prince and turn him into a vampire so he could then befall that fate on his entire population. It was quite the scheme! I was intrigued that the Doctor couldn't action things himself because of artron energy being detected, but didn't Cinderella herself travel in the TARDIS to get there? The description of her bathroom and the fact it was time locked was also sublime. And the middle tap being lemonade! It truly did sound like paradise. The prince catching up with Cinderella at the end and returning her shoe was a nice touch to stay true to the origin story, but this definitely had the atmosphere of a fairytale which was lovely. Overall, a great little read to continue my way through the collection! 

Rating: 8/10

The Daleks' Master Plan Interlude

"You think I do not know false gods from real ones?"

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July-August 2026

Printed in: DWM 632-633

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Katarina

Synopsis

The Doctor, Steven, Katarina, and Space Security Service agent Bret Vyon are escaping in Mavic Chen's stolen ship, the Spar. Carrying the vital Taranium Core and an audio recording found next to a dead body in the jungle, someone the Doctor and Steven know all too well is after the Time Destructor...

Verdict

The Daleks' Master Plan Interlude was a great little comic strip adventure! With the absence of Doctor Who on our screens for the foreseeable future, I love the idea of the comic strip now doing a best of and jumping around different Doctors, companions, and eras. I perhaps think they could have gone down the route of the Fifteenth Doctor with a new and original comic strip companion, but honestly nostalgia sells and I was absolutely delighted to turn the page on DWM 632 to the comic strip section on delivery day and see the story's title and a black and white comic strip! It's such a good idea and the potential that comes from the scale of The Daleks' Master Plan is endless really. This is nowhere near the first story to be set during its events and I like how it ties in with the recently discovered episodes of The Nightmare Begins and Devil's Planet. It fills the gap alongside the already existing Day of Armageddon very nicely and it's also just wonderful to have more Katarina! Anyone suggesting she isn't a companion is ludicrous if you ask me. The missing episodes earlier this year showed she firmly is and I love that we get something extra with her here. Her fascination and beliefs of ending up in the Place of Perfection and actually seeing the godly figure of Zeus when under hypnosis was tremendous. I was a big fan of the style of story and putting it in black and white really made it feel authentic. I think that was absolutely the correct choice as it seamlessly fits into the wider story. I must say though that the illustration for Bret Vyon in particular was just outright strange. It didn't capture the likeness of Nicholas Courtney even a little bit and couldn't be a more generic man if they tried! Surely there was an issue with obtaining the image rights? That can surely be the only explanation. If that is the case I don't think they should have gone with him featuring in the first place because that really was off-putting for every panel in which he featured which was a big shame as it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the adventure. I thought the cliffhanger reveal of the Mechonoids was tremendous and the link with The Chase and that being Steven's first adventure in particular was marvellous. It also just doesn't feel right that they only appeared on screen once because they made such a big impact alongside the Daleks. I like the continuity there with them wanting the Time Destructor for themselves and it just works to have them doing battle with the Daleks in any kind of way. I really liked the incorporation of Marc Cory's message before his death tying things in nicely with Mission to the Unknown and putting a neat bow and just about every element of this instant classic. Things are obviously not complete here with the very nature of it being an interlude but it is a lovely way to tie into what we see on screen. Did we need this? Absolutely not, but you bet I'm delighted to have it! The First Doctor was presented terrifically and I liked exploring the fears of Steven after spending a couple of years basically in a zoo for the Mechonoids to gaze at him. Katarina being the one to defeat them by using the core against them and sending them packing was really nicely done! 2026 has been a tremendous year for Katarina and shining a new light on her qualities so it was lovely for that to be enhanced again here. A very strong comic strip! 

Rating: 8/10

The Kaleidoscope

"No easy thing, to live up to your own legend."

Writer: Jo Martin

Format: Novel

Released: September 2026

Series: Circuit Breaker #10

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

When memories lie, the truth can be fatal. In the aftermath of an improbable mission, the Fugitive Doctor and Martha realise that something is interfering with their minds. Something that doesn't want to be found.

Their investigation leads to a curious artefact in the British Museum: an apparently medieval toy known as the Kaleidoscope. But the object refuses to stay in one place, one time – or one identity. And when the Doctor is repeatedly mistaken for someone she's never met, fragments of unfamiliar memories begin to surface. 

Across Earth, a hidden pattern emerges; evidence of a secret that someone has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal. As ancient enemies close in and innocent lives are put at risk, the Doctor learns the hard way that some truths were buried for a reason...

Verdict

The Kaleidoscope was a good novel to continue my way through the ongoing Circuit Breaker multimedia event! And just like that it feels like we are at the end as this book saw the Fugitive Doctor return the final object into place, but crikey she didn't half go a roundabout way to get there! I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire concept behind this release and with the absence of Doctor Who from our screens this year and for the foreseeable, this has felt like the 'current' adventure and I've been a huge fan of that filling the gap. I think the crossover across the different formats from comic strips to short stories both in print and online has been seamless and this story continues in that vain, but I do think it is hurt by its very nature. A full-length novel is long and when we have had The Honourable Society for example as a pretty short comic strip fulfilling the same purpose in returning an object to its place, I couldn't help but feel we were putting off the inevitable and finding ways to delay the Doctor returning the item that was the titular kaleidoscope. Given this was a novel I can't help but feel that this adventure would have benefited from returning multiple objects instead. I'm starting a bit negatively here and I don't want that to be the case as I still very much enjoyed the book as my rating reflects. Kudos to Jo Martin in writing this because she's done a terrific job. I thought the first person narrative was intriguing and that's not something we get much of at all when it comes to the Doctor. This incarnation remains shrouded in mystery with the Doctor herself not even sure of her past and I thought that was explored really well here. I loved hearing the internal dialogue of the Doctor tackling with that and the impact of Division on her memories. The concept of memory was utilised really well here though when it came to the Silence. They're a really strong villain and having them tackle the Fugitive Doctor was a really clever match given the memory lass of the latter and the very nature of the former. I thought the idea of their memory erasure ability being transferred was good stuff and something that ought to have been weaponised more. I was a big fan of that. The Silence being committed to the Doctor not answering the Question of who she was worked very well in tying into the future and everything we know during the Eleventh Doctor era, and the continuation of the Fugitive Doctor hearing of the future Doctor she will become perhaps a feel little overdone by now. She's repeatedly asked not to mention him and how she doesn't live up to her future incarnations but she just goes unnoticed. I thought Martha had a really strong outing here and it was lovely to hear just how much the Fugitive recognised her as a strong companion. She could see why her future self would take her under his wings. I thought that was nicely presented. I wasn't a huge fan of the whole Stella angle in the story. I think it works fine in principle but considering we already know the Fugitive Doctor in another life as Ruth from Fugitive of the Judoon, it just felt a tad repetitive. I also think the investigation into the kaleidoscope itself went a tad too far with the specifics of the soil and the links to red solace and the hibernation technology. It wasn't bad at all but it just felt a bit unnecessary. The death of Civeline as the Doctor's adoptive mother in her Stella life was impactful though and I must say I didn't see it coming! I still have my suspicions about Andrew in how eager he was to complete the mission and I like that the Doctor noticed that, but the book ending on a cliffhanger was a nice way to lead into the Big Finish release coming up as we head to UNIT Tower! Kate is involved which is good fun but it's going to be strange now for Martha to just leave as I'm pretty certain Freema Agyeman won't be in the audios which is a shame as she's been a big part of the last few adventures in this series. Overall, a fascinating book and I was more interested in the insight of this incarnation of the Doctor. I feel like we know her better now and it was nice for her to add her own specs and modifications to the sonic. A good read. I look forward to hearing the aftermath now of the objects all being returned. Has it been the plan of the Conductor all along?

Rating: 7/10

Frozen Beauty

"No one knows what lies in this forest."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 02

Featuring: Wirrn

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

Frozen Beauty was another great short story to continue my reading of the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! This was a fascinating tale and certainly helps give credence to The Ark in Space as an impactful serial. It's one that I personally think is a tad overrated amongst fandom despite being an obviously strong adventure, but to have the Wirrn as a subject of a Time Lord fairytale surprised me a little. I don't mean that negatively it's just not a monster I would have expected to feature. I'm not entirely sure why that is and I was by no means disappointed when they were revealed as the source of the Stellar Fyre issues. I thought the whole concept surrounding that ship was really interesting and I must say the style of writing as well really did a good job in selling its importance. The rescue ship captain being in the employ of the original captain of the crashed ship's brother was good too and I really admired the efforts for sibling survival. Given the scale of the ship and where it went missing, it was unlikely there would be any survivors, but just a chance meant it was worth exploring. I admired that. I thought the original ship's mission was also fantastic in exploring the universe and I like how the Time Lords would romanticise that into a tale, but it was also just poignant for the captain's brother to have passed away and her memories and also those on the ship to be subjected to forgotten history almost. That was until after over a century that a scrap of potential was found regarding where the ship might have crashed. The search was on! I liked how the soldiers had utter devotion to the rescue ship captain even when it was admitted that their one hundred years in cryosleep might have been for nothing. They didn't know what they would find, but at least answers was likely. I thought the description of the ship as a wreckage was good and I should have guessed with the foliage tied within it that the Wirrn would be the culprit! Either them or the Krynoids was a safe bet but I am ashamed to say I didn't suspect either. I do like that though because it served as a neat little surprise. I'm going to put my lack of guessing correctly down to the fact I was reading before 8am on the weekend but here we are. I really enjoyed the pace of the story and even though the Wirrn was the only familiar character or element, I found myself enthralled with the characters. A couple of more identifiable characters rather than just different captains and actually naming them would have been nice to get even more of a connection, but that isn't a major thing. I thought the threat provided by the Wirrn was strong and I really liked that they had already caused damage before the crew got there. Some of those asleep had never had the chance to wake up and the captain having to basically resurrect herself with the state of the systems felt like a tense moment. The rescue captain giving the kiss of life was unexpected but it did the trick! I thought the brutality against the Wirrn in shooting them and their vegetation was really impactful, although I'm not sure what kind of fairytale this would be! Maybe the Time Lords see things slightly differently with that definition? Regardless, a really enjoyable read! 

Rating: 8/10

The Decayed Master Part Three

"I want to be healed."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: September 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 6.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, The Master

Synopsis

With the Master bearing down, Naava flees through a skiproad to the plague-infected streets of medieval York. She's seeking her old friend Calix, the greatest of the chronosurgeons, to warn him of the nightmare that pursues her. 

But something else is emerging from the skiproads, something twisted and deadly, tearing chunks out of the panicked city. Naava has only one hope to set things right and escape the Master's clutches, and he's hundreds of years in the future, listening out for ghosts of the ancient city.

Verdict

The Decayed Master concluded in excellent style with this third and final part of the story! Dark Gallifrey's sixth series/story certainly went out with a bang and I'm delighted to find that there are another two series to come next year. I'm sure when this range was announced a couple of years ago that it was initially only six series, so to be getting more is very exciting stuff. I love the Master but I do hope that the Time Lords focused in those two stories are not different incarnations. I suspect at least one will be though! The decaying incarnation here was written brilliantly and he has an air of the War Master about him with how calm and callous he is. He really is collected and so nonchalant which brings such an eery quality to him knowing his appearance. It's also great to explore his desperation as he refuses to accept death at the end of his regeneration cycle. I really appreciated how much this episode did in establishing the background on Gallifrey for Naava and Calix as I really do think this series should focus more on the Time Lord home planet itself. It was good to get a proper link to the whole Dark Gallifrey concept which has ironically probably been lacking in a number of stories within this range. It was an even darker experimentation than the skiproads and was a big reason why Naava was able to access them. I really liked that as an explanation and it all just tied in very nicely. The cliffhanger finish to part one was pretty extraordinary as we heard the Master at his demonic best. He had already killed Calix and made Naava watch her mentor die in agony before he subjected her to an endless state of torment. The emergence of the Third Doctor then as a means of saving her was great stuff and I liked that he knew Naava and she knew him. She was almost jealous of him for being a renegade and getting off Gallifrey. She was also in agreement that the Time Lords were too limited and I particularly enjoyed how she disagreed that there needed to be limits on things. No wonder the Master was so obsessed in tracking her down with her efforts to extend the limit on regeneration. I thought that was just really strong as a concept and I do hope we can somehow get more of Naava because she was a really intriguing character. I love exploring Time Lord history anyway but she knew the Doctor and expanding on their backstory could be tremendous. I don't see it happening but one can dream! I thought her acceptance of the sacrifice required to destroy the skiproads was impressive and the logic behind opening one within another to have them basically cancel each other out and be removed from reality was excellent. It had logic even if I don't know the science behind that. It's temporal science though and it sounds right so I'm just going with it. The Doctor being Naava's lifeboat essentially in dealing with it if she was wrong was a nice touch and I also liked how he considered the Master as his responsibility. His fate was disastrous as always with his TARDIS seemingly goners too at the end, so this survival effort is certainly impressive. I like how this incarnation meets the Third Doctor and it's not beyond the realms of possibility to have this after Frontier in Space and before The Deadly Assassin. It's a nice gap to fill. Overall, a fascinating and fantastic end to the story and series! 

Rating: 9/10

Too Much Reality

"I'm seeing ghosts in every shadow."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.04

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Jago and Litefoot meet their equivalent infernal investigators in this world – Aubrey and Betterman. Together they investigate sightings of a strange 'demon' and bodies that mysteriously fade away...

Before long they discover a crashed spaceship, and find out the truth behind Mrs Bartholomew and the Chapel of Night. But even with this mystery sold, will they be able to get home again?

Verdict

Too Much Reality was another great episode to conclude the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I thought this was a really nice finale and it was rather poignant as the last performed story for Trevor Baxter before his sad and untimely death. What a legacy he leaves at Big Finish with Professor Litefoot. A tremendous character that I will always cherish. I really did feel emotional as the episode reached its closing stages knowing what I did and it made me just have a moment of reflection on what an incredible run of adventures this spinoff range has been. I think it's terrific to place Jago and Litefoot on a parallel world and not only were they now interacting with their alternate counterparts, but they were also getting to know Aubrey and Betterman who were this world's infernal investigators. I thought that presented a strong dynamic and I like that they were able to tell stories of their experiences and investigations. So many similarities and yet so many differences. Perhaps the change of voice from alternate versions of Jago and Litefoot given the audio format was why the decision was made to have different people in that role? It makes sense as I do think audio is a difficult place to fully tackle alternate versions of the same character because there's just nothing to differentiate when all we can hear are the voices. The cliffhanger to How the Other Half Lives with the warning from Betterman about Jago and Litefoot being on their path sounded quite sinister but he and Aubrey were actually pretty friendly which was nice. They made a good team and I liked how once our version of Jago and Litefoot stepped back through the tear in reality to try and make it home, the quartet were going to acquaint themselves fully and set up base at the Red Tavern. The alternate Jago and Litefoot could definitely assist with infernal investigations! I thought that was a really nice setup and a good way to leave the parallel world. I thought the continuity with Chapel of Night was good stuff and I liked how we encountered a very different version of Mrs Bartholomew. The entire concept of feeding off the corporeal makeup of others to make herself real and able to interact and physically manifest in this dimension was great. She did seem to regret the side effects of death for those whose essence she took, but she was selfish too and still continued. I thought the very nature of Jago and Litefoot not being from this world was a really strong resolution to her threat and them not fading away and actually destroying Bartholomew's converter was terrific. It was clever too because Jago and Litefoot just went along with knowing it was a pretty safe bet. It was an intriguing end to the investigation and I liked the atmosphere that came with this episode. Crashed spaceships and the like felt like they should only occur at night and I definitely got that vibe here. Maybe the frequenting at the pub helps too! I thought the cliffhanger finish with Jago and Litefoot perhaps not arriving back on the correct version of their world after all was fun stuff and I look forward to the next and final series to hear where things go, but it will be a very different experience altogether. What a run. A glorious spinoff range, but we're not quite done yet. Overall, a great finale! 

Rating: 8/10

How the Other Half Lives

"The strength of the stilton will hide the taste of the opium."

Writer: Matthew Sweet

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.03

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Perhaps inevitably, Jago and Litefoot meet their counterparts in the world where they now find themselves. The Litefoot in this world still owns Greel's time cabinet, while Jago is also married to Xiu Xiu, a bar maid. But Greel's cabinet is not the only thing to survive from his time in this world – there is also a giant rat on the loose in the sewers beneath London...

Verdict

How the Other Half Lives was another great episode to continue my way through the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I thought this was a really fun hour spent with the infernal investigators and I was delighted that in parallel world we heard them encounter their alternate counterparts! It was also quite emotional hearing them basically be in hiding and not having a place in this world. I feel like there is plenty of potential for more time to spend in this alternate world as it does seem like there's so much untapped exploration, but given how things ended I suspect they will provide the route home. I'm also conscious that the next episode I listen to will be the final 'proper' episode within this range before the devastating death of Trevor Baxter. I feel that will be an emotional listening experience as I have absolutely loved this range. But I'm keen to enjoy them together here while I can and we sort of got a double dosage! I think the idea behind Jago and Litefoot meeting their alternate selves is fun and just had to happen, but I don't think audio is the best format for that to occur. These kinds of adventures have happened before across the audio section of the Whoniverse and without visuals and just the voices to go by, it can often be a little difficult to follow and keep up with which version is which. I don't feel like that was a huge issue here but I do think these work better when we can actually see and differentiate the versions with an item of clothing or a hairstyle for example. The perfect example is Inferno but this was never going to live up to that instant classic! I loved how this was a kind of sideways sequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang with the use of Greel's time cabinet and the threat of the rats in the sewers. Jago and Litefoot have come so far as a listener since that serial and encountering the man again so this almost did feel like a bit of a backwards step. That sounds negative but I don't mean it like that at all, more so that Jago and Litefoot were prepared and ready to tackle this kind of threat. They'd done it before and the urgency in which Jago wanted to prevent the alternate Litefoot from utilising the cabinet with the key already in place. The danger was very real indeed. I thought Xiu Xiu was a very comical character and if anyone was going to be the wife of Jago, it had to be someone like this. I must admit though I was thinking it was going to be Ellie in this alternate world before she was introduced! Now that would have been something. I'd like to know just where this alternate dimension sidesteps from that of N-Space because Jago and Litefoot barely recognised each other here which was intriguing but also a bit of a shame. I thought the threat of the rat was good and this is certainly something that works better in an audio format than on screen! A lack of visuals and just a vivid imagination make this threat much more imposing. I liked the continuity too and something as simple as this injects a fear factor because it is relatable. I must say as well, this audio made me jump on three occasions with the eery and spooky background music which really did catch me off guard. I mean, my one-year-old daughter was napping as I was listening and I may have initially thought it was her making the noises, but it added an uncomfortable element which I was impressed with. The emergence at the end of Aubrey and Betterman was a nice touch and Jago and Litefoot potentially being challenged by other infernal investigators is certainly interesting! Overall, a really good episode to continue the series. 

Rating: 8/10

Chapel of Night

"Will you make the choice not to die?"

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.02

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Trapped in a parallel world, Jago and Litefoot are enlisted to help inspector Quick investigate the mysterious Chapel of Night run by Mrs Bartholomew. Needless to say, there is more to the chapel – and Mrs Bartholomew – than there initially seems. Soon our heroes are caught up in another horrifying and dangerous adventure. But more to the point, can they ever get back to their own world again?

Verdict

Chapel of Night was another great episode to continue my way through the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I make this the fiftieth regular episode in the spinoff range and that's an extraordinary feat so to have Jago and Litefoot now travelling and exploring a parallel world is tremendous. I really like the concept and whilst they have been to the future before, this is an altogether different prospect. It certainly is a similar situation to that but the world in which they found themselves should have been pretty identical to the one they had left just with a couple of minor discrepancies. That seemed to come in the form of Jago in particular not being known. That was a fun element of the story as whilst Quick did know Litefoot, he had no memory at all of the theatre runner. Still, he didn't exactly know Litefoot in the way the professor was expecting anyway as he wasn't someone who had a relationship with him other than using him for his expertise in a purely medical sense. Certainly not when it came to anything mysterious and extraterrestrial. That was really well done and I thought it was good to have Litefoot suspecting of his surroundings almost from the word go whereas Jago was very accepting that they had made it home after the concluding events of The Stuff of Nightmares. Whilst that is fun and does make sense, surely even for Jago after everything he has experienced by now he wouldn't be so readily accepting of the world in which they had arrived? Especially if Litefoot was suspecting? That's not a big deal because of the comical good that Jago often is, but I would like him to be a little more intelligent at times! That was displayed well at the end though with his impersonation of the god-like figure that Mrs Bartholomew was attempting to summon. That was really well done and he wasn't wholly unconvincing which was good stuff. I thought she served as a strong villain for the piece though and with Jago and Litefoot entering this parallel world from elsewhere, I thought it was a smart choice to have her exploring different times and sideways steps as well. She needed to tap into energy from the Vortex and here was Jago stumbling right into the lion's den. That was glorious. He really is the loveable baboon. I thought the Chapel of Night was also excellent and really felt Victorian. One thing this series continues to achieve is just how authentic it feels of its time. It is such a strong representation of history and just feels like how the late-nineteenth century is supposed to be. Even in a parallel world! I think Ellie not recognising either of them was a shame as their relationship is obviously deep rooted but it presents a strong dynamic with the pair basically going things alone now and not knowing anyone. Just how they are going to navigate their way back to their own world remains to be seen but I'm absolutely on board for the journey! I don't want to get there just yet though as having Jago and Litefoot explore an alternate world is a wonderful idea and could fill the rest of the series and beyond! Overall though, a really mysterious story that perhaps ended a tad prematurely with Jago eradicating Bartholomew just by not being who she thought he was. Still, a great continuation of the series! 

Rating: 8/10

The Stuff of Nightmares

"Shouldn't the fact that you were dead have dulled your senses?"

Writer: Paul Morris

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.01

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Litefoot and Jago are both suffering from strange waking nightmares. They resort to hypnotherapy to try to diagnose the problem. But meanwhile a Time Agent is looking for them – as a way of tracking down the notorious criminal Magnus Greel. Before they know what is happening, our heroes find themselves trapped in a dystopian future where nothing makes sense any more...

Verdict

The Stuff of Nightmares was a strong start to the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! It really is an extraordinary run for this pair of infernal investigators and it's incredible to think how far these characters have come since The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and now this episode serves as a follow on from it. I feel a little dumbfounded by the prospect of seven series since The Final Act taking place over the course of just three years as Litefoot claims that to be the timeframe since last encountering Magnus Greel, but I'm not going to ponder on semantics when it comes to timelines. This was just a really good opening story to what I'm sure will be another stellar series of this wonderful spinoff range. Starting with a nightmare from the perspective of Litefoot was good because he's usually the more composed and accomplished of the lead pairing, but the very idea of being aware and awake whilst your body was seemingly dead and ready to be cut open is an understandable nightmare indeed! It reminded me a little of Dark Water and the darkness surrounding death and the dead there, but we actually could hear Litefoot pleading with Jago! Having him undergone a psycho analysis was good and I enjoyed how Jago and Ellie also went that route later in the story. Ellie's nightmare involving her vampiric past was terrific and her being addressed as the Old One was fantastic. I love that about Ellie's character and it's always good to be able to tap into that. The concept of a nightmare being explored in of itself is a very strong idea and I liked getting the Victorian slant on that. I have no idea how advanced science was in the late-nineteenth century when it comes to the dream state and beyond, but it was fun to explore for sure. I thought Cara made for a pretty good character and whilst she did lack a bit of charisma, that could be explained in her efficiency when it came to performing her role as a Time Agent. Given the time technology to hand, it does seem a little odd that she couldn't arrive at the right time and was actually at least three years late, but her desire to bring Greel to justice was admirable. Jago and Litefoot having to relive events concerning Greel could be described as a nightmare on its own but they weren't exactly revealing when it came to the information concerning him as dead. Cara confirming that with the remains of which there wasn't exactly much identifiable was immersive! Technology of the fifty-first century obviously works differently. I thought the use of Chronoplasm was fascinating and something fun to explore, especially with the difficulties that came from its leakage. I wasn't expecting such an emphatic end for Cara as her manipulator self destructed which meant she had a pretty terrible fate and death. That took me by surprise but it's opened up a fascinating world moving forward. It will be a bit of a waste if the resulting portal that opened amidst a world of doom would just take Jago and Litefoot home. I hope it's some kind of parallel universe or another dimension because we already had Litefoot linking minds with another version of himself that understood the futuristic technology, so surely we can explore more now? Overall, a real strong episode to start the series and I'm enjoying the direction presented here! It feels unique which at this point in the range I think is important. A great start! 

Rating: 8/10

The Garden of Statues

"It was as if they had vanished into the air."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 01

Featuring: Weeping Angels

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

The Garden of Statues was an excellent short story to kick off my proper reading of the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! I am delighted that I have never read this set of intriguing and folk-like tales before because of the extra add-on at the book's conclusion with The Doctor and the Three Witches to compliment the ongoing Circuit Breaker multimedia saga, but it now feels like I'm starting the book properly with the first story to be printed inside. This also feels more poignant now knowing that the entire original collection was written by Justin Richards who sadly recently passed away. His contribution to written Doctor Who and beyond is incredible and substantial so I'm delighted to be reading more of his work now. He's a tremendous writer and I know he played a huge role with Jago & Litefoot at Big Finish also which is a favourite spinoff series of mine. Starting off a collection like this one is no mean task and it's a bold move to go with in writing about fairy tales for a species like the Time Lords. We've seen mentions on screen by the Doctor of stories as a child and now we get to read some of them ourselves. I think that's magnificent. This one captures the very essence of the Weeping Angels almost faultlessly. They're a sublime villain as it is and probably the most iconic monster to come out of the modern era, and with them being famously assassins from the dawn of time it makes sense that they would find their way into Time Lord fairytales. Their being quantum locked is obviously iconic and I thought incorporating people with no knowledge of them was really clever. We really did learn all about the Weeping Angels through Tarmin and Izmay and it was great to have the advantage of knowledge as the reader. It was quite fun to know what was inevitably coming for the pair of children and the tension building as the Angels got closer and started to look more sinister. I was really impressed with the description of their appearance and it was perfectly resemblant of Blink in the writing which is what you want. We know they've returned numerous times on screen now but I'm not sure any modern episode has laid such a lasting imprint in the subconsciousness of fans of all kinds than that one. It's an iconic design and an incredible story. I thought the whole story of the children being scared of the haunted house with the older people now gone who used to look out over them was great, but the way that came full circle and turned out to actually be Izmay and Tarmin as older people was beautiful. The use of the same words that started the story and then ended it with them looking on at the children that were actually themselves and their friends was just stunning. That instantly upped the rating for me a mark because it was just so lovely. Even in a story that set the tone for everything that the Weeping Angels are and showed why they were feared, an emotional human story was at its heart. I thought that was just glorious. I like the paradoxical nature of the fates of Izmay and Tarmin in their elderly actions actually bringing them to the point in their lives that they were, and them presenting the silver tray for the sweets was great stuff. Overall, a superb start to the collection! I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

Rating: 9/10

Reunion: Broken Home

"I'm used to people thinking the worst of me."

Writers: Guy Adams & AK Benedict

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

Once a traitor, always a traitor?

Vislor Turlough returns to Trion at last – and promptly hands the Doctor and Peri over to the occupying forces. Has Turlough learned any lessons from the Time Lord he was once tasked with killing? And in order to liberate his broken home, who is he willing to sacrifice?\

Verdict

Broken Home was a great episode to conclude the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! The umbrella title for the boxset certainly comes into fruition here as we finally get to see Turlough at home on Trion. It's not quite the home he remembers though with then planet completely taken over by the Avokan. That was an intriguing place to put Turlough but it definitely helped that he was expecting that and ready for the cause in brining his people back to rule on Trion. I thought that was admirable and he really did go it alone with some very strong The Invasion of Time vibes in how he denounced the Doctor and Peri on arrival and seemingly had a pact with General Hesht! That shifted the dynamic of the entire series very nicely and I enjoyed how betrayed Peri felt. She is perhaps a little gullible in this episode which is a shame as I think as a whole she is a better companion than was portrayed here, but I did like that the Doctor was willing to trust his companion. They have had a somewhat rocky relationship ever since Mawdryn Undead and I wouldn't really want that to change because it's quite fun that even after all of this time, there was still a nagging doubt that he might actually be working against the Doctor. I never believed it, but if it occurred as a twist I wouldn't have thought it outrageous. The Doctor and Peri being confined to a cell was good and the subtle harsh humour from the former towards the latter with her plan of running on the spot to wear away the very fabric of their confinement was great stuff. That felt very Season 22 and I was all for it. Whilst this is very much the softer side of the Sixth Doctor, I think it's good to keep that cheeky personality in at times. It just works but wasn't offensive here. I thought Hesht was a really strong villain and the story of how she killed her father was absolutely brutal. I can understand as a father of a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl why silence would be wanted, but noise is just a constant in my house that. have accepted. I'll be wary now of any toy monorail sets to not get strangled by! That painted her in quite the light and showed why she was the ruthless woman she now was leading the Arokan takeover of Trion. The propaganda message that played throughout Trion sporadically was incredible in how it just reminded the population that they were nothing and had nothing. Talk about crushing morale. I thought the way Turlough took matters into his own hands showed his maturity and how much he has grown as a character, but with the Doctor in hand why wouldn't you utilise him? He's the perfect asset to have. I thought the use of personality matrix and tapping into the TARDIS to obtain that was unique and hearing Hesht talk like the Doctor at the cliffhanger was magnificent in how uncomfortable it was. Peri was also shocked by the end to hear what had happened and why everyone was talking like the Time Lord. Turlough planning things so that he got no credit was a little odd in that he was captured by his old friend and still thought of as a traitor, but he pushed the Doctor and Peri away to safety so he could carry that burden alone. I'm fascinated to hear if we will be returning to Trion for any kind of follow up, but the Doctor seems to have already sorted things in playing the message where Turlough revealed the plan in private just as he was about to be executed. Talk about timing! It seems time is up for this trio and I'm pretty fine with that as I don't think it should be a long term thing but it was fun for this kind of reunion with a different Doctor and giving the two companions a proper chance together after they met in passing during Planet of Fire. An intriguing series and they saved the best until last. A great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Reunion: Poison's Reach

"All we know is lies."

Writer: Paul Sutton

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

The civilisation of Freefall is powered by a natural radiation stream rising from its moon. That's the official story.

Engineer Sandra Silva knows the truth. She's determined to expose the Stelta Corporation's crimes, and she has a trio of time-travelling sightseers on her side. 

Turlough is about to learn that, to achieve a worthy goal, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice has to be made...

Verdict

Poison's Reach was another good episode to continue my way through the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! This set has been pretty run of the mill thus far with two pretty solid and consistent episodes to kick us off, but I feel like the finale will have a bit more at stake and a stronger emotional pull judging b the way things concluded here as Turlough ponders on finally returning to Trion. I'm excited to hear where that goes next but his relationship built with Sandra here really did set him on that path. She was a strong character and definitely the standout of the story, but I must say it got pretty tiresome to hear her full name spoken every time. It just didn't seem necessary and became a bit of a boring gag by the end of things. I thought there was some deep-rooted intrigue behind the Stelta Corporation and the official word surrounding the radiation stemming from the rising moon was good, but I'm not sure how much I could accept the way that truth was hidden. I love the idea of exploration misinformation but it went a little too far for me here that it wasn't entirely believable. It's a shame as the story has so much potential but this took me out of things a little bit. For a family to be convicted of the murders of over three-thousand people, the situation is obviously going to draw attention. But for that to be forgotten and basically copy and pasted over in less than a century feels like an incredible reach. Turlough rightly points out that there would be records of the trial and the court conviction, but somehow the Stelta family have not only gotten past that but they're in a position of power? I'm not having. I did appreciate Sandra's desire and efforts in wanting to expose the truth, but I just couldn't grasp that it had been buried in the first place. That just wasn't something I could accept. Priss served as a pretty strong villain as the head of the Stelta family and corporation now and finding out that he and Sandra were actually second cousins was a fun twist I didn't see coming. It made the emotional pull of her investigation all the more deeper and gave even more sympathy from Turlough. She had seen the TARDIS arrive and couldn't believe that this was actually Turlough and company's shift, but he was very serious in offering her a way out. She had accepted her fate though and despite exposing the truth despite how dark it was, she accepted her fate for her experimentation. She would serve time and somehow Priss was still on track to get reelected. People can always decide what they do with the truth and they rarely choose the right option! No matter what you tell them, the mind of society is often already made up and it's extremely difficult to change it. That felt like a good message that is prevalent in the politics of today. I enjoyed the Freefall setting but I must say I don't think the Doctor or Peri offered a great deal to proceedings. This was definitely Turlough's story from a point of interest. Disappointingly, I thought the cliffhanger was pretty naff for the second episode running and to be honest I don't really see why they are needed in these kinds of adventures/boxsets of three one-hour stories. Hopefully the finale has a special one though! Overall, some good character development for Turlough and a decent episode to continue the series. I'm excited to see where things conclude.

Rating: 7/10

Reunion: Save the Date

"A machine deciding the fate of empires."

Writer: Matthew Sweet

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

London, 1969, and the Eternal Joy dating agency has a new secretary: Miss Perpugilliam Brown. 

Peri's undercover. Her mission: to find the source of the sonic boom that rang out across London, discover the secrets of Eternal Joy's big pink computer... and set the Doctor and Turlough up on a double date with two young ladies.

Verdict

Save the Date was a decent episode to kickstart the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! I was intrigued by the name of this one right from the off as doing a story all about dating doesn't exactly seem well suited to the Sixth Doctor on paper! It wouldn't seem right for Turlough either but perhaps that was part of the charm? Two wildly uncomfortable characters not suited for doing well in the dating game and impressing women? I guess that's why Peri was in her element in quickly obtaining the position of Secretary at the Eternal Joy dating agency. I thought the agency was definitely interesting but I do think I got a little tired of Mary Joy as the face of the organisation. Her voice was so slow and made me sleepy which in an audio format wasn't ideal for over an hour! I think we needed slightly more of an injection of excitement or urgency but that was never coming sadly. I do like how the softer side of the sixth incarnation was explored here with the Doctor feeling really apologetic towards Val for his actions. She was somebody that had signed up to the dating agency for the right intentions in wanting to find companionship and a partner, whereas the Doctor took that role but had no intention of fulfilling it long term. He grew accustomed to her which was a nice touch and he did genuinely seem to like her, but just not quite as much and in the way that Val was hoping for before they matched. He was always going to hurt someone with Peri's plan but the wider cost was much more important and in need of prevention. With the 1969 setting of London, I was absolutely delighted to hear the Doctor return to the Inferno nightclub as the scene from The War Machines! That was tremendous and I must say I don't think the Sixth Doctor is any better suited to attend somewhere like that than the First! Little elements of continuity like that really make me happy and it's just so simple. It works. I thought the mystery surrounding the pink computer was decent although it did seem a little strange for it to just be in a cupboard with the control and power it was able to wield. The plot did get a little convoluted for my liking when it came to intergalactic viewing figures and a bigger story regarding reuniting extraterrestrial loved ones in order to save an entire planet. Peri going off plain quite literally was good and I also thought the character of Stephanie was decent, if not perhaps a tad underutilised. I was surprised Turlough was as accommodating towards as he was even with her thinking he was from Ireland and pronouncing his name very wrong indeed. But this is an older version so perhaps he has matured with age? It's a nice thought. I didn't think the cliffhanger worked all that well and didn't strike me as anything impactful. I was actually surprised to hear the end credits follow the line as it just didn't have that feeling of an ending to a part. I thought the ending perhaps went on a little too long also but it was logical and it was somewhat nice to get a bit of a happy ending, especially with Turlough working things out with the dog and flying the TARDIS safely. He was very hands on with the TARDIS in this episode which was good and I like the prospect of him getting a little too big for his boots. I'm still not sure it's wholly necessary for him to be around the Sixth Doctor and Peri, but I'm still interested and intrigued to hear where things go from here with this unique trio. Overall, a good start to the series even if it definitely could have been more. 

Rating: 7/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Wanted Dead and Alive

"Do not die."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

The Doctor dies on the shores of Lake Silencio; it's a fact known across the universe. Only someone has arrived early, an old friend of the Doctor, ready to do whatever it takes to save him...

Verdict

Wanted Dead and Alive was a great episode to conclude the Hidden in Plan Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! I thought this served as a strong finale and I must say that I was surprised that Captain Sydon hung around from Tyranny of the Judoon/Gambit of the Judoon, but it did ensure some really smooth continuity. There's no gap between the episodes of this series and I quite like keeping things continuous. Taking the Eleventh Doctor to the scene of his death at Lake Silencio is a strong concept and I'm surprised it's not one that has happened before now. I do think the timeline for the Doctor is perhaps a little too soon with this spinoff range taking place after the events of The Wedding of River Song, but I guess there's no saying just how long after? It also ties in nicely with the umbrella title for the series and keeps us guessing for more when it comes to someone trying to alter history and the Doctor's death as a fixed point in time. I think that's really good and I like how this series is beginning to explore the consequences of Series 6 which didn't really have a chance to happen on screen with Series 7 focused on the emotional departures of Amy and Rory prior to Clara's arrival. This fills the gap nicely and I like that we have an ongoing story arc now. Announce the third series please! I thought Malk was a fun little character and his interactions with Eleanor were terrific. His stuttering speech was good especially when that came full circle and was happening to Eleanor too, and she really did feel like the star again which is ironic considering this was all about the death of the Doctor. Sydon being abrupt as you might expect from a Judoon was good when it came to the mines and initially I thought they were going to be Dalek hand mines! Alas, that wasn't the case but what we got still worked well. Malk having history with the Doctor dating back to his first incarnation was a bit of a surprise but I'm always here for an Ian and Barbara name drop. I do wish this was a character we had met previously as I'm not a fan of unseen adventures or characters, but I suspected that was always going to be the way with the friend trying to save the Doctor. Malk definitely went a bit far though in threatening Eleanor's life if the Doctor wouldn't save his own! That seemed awfully uncharacteristic of a friend of the Doctor's but it certainly injected a shock value moment. Eleanor pushing the Doctor on information for his survival was good and I liked how he had worked it all out long before. Malk was insistent on wanting to know how too and with Sydon's fizzing, it was clear there was an ulterior motive. I liked that and the Doctor being one step ahead of the game is always great. I liked the toll this took on Eleanor with her being in a prison of her own mind whilst her body was controlled and an imposter Doctor also works well. She wasn't buying it though. I loved that she found the whole concept of regeneration as ridiculous and labelled it a logic gap! If only she knew. She wanted to go home though but judging by the cliffhanger finish, she might not quite get there. I look forward to what I expect to be another series now! A very good listen to complete the series.

Rating: 8/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Gambit of the Judoon

"You cannot possibly be the Doctor."

Writer: Ben Tedds

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

From: INVIGILATOR KOLLO

To: ALL STAFF

Subject: OPERATION PERSEUS

The two persons of interest remain at large. There is a strong possibility they may attempt to infiltrate the Shadow Proclamation. Inform me or Captain Sydon if any and all developments, no matter how small. 

Additional reminder: I am not to be disturbed during my lunch hour.

Verdict

Gambit of the Judoon was a decent episode to continue my way through the Hidden in Plain Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! This is basically a straight second part to the Tyranny of the Judoon opener but it does a good job in feeling unique and its own thing despite being an immediate continuation. I think the story does really well in terms of its chronology and placement in the timeline of the Eleventh Doctor. This feels like it could come soon into the life of this incarnation and doesn't feel like too much time has occurred since the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. That's a big compliment because the use of then Judoon and the Shadow Proclamation were really good. I thought the Judoon felt much more like a neutral party here with the Slitheen emerging now as the main enemy of the piece. I thought that helped with the differentiation in terms of feel from the opening episode, but I still felt underwhelmed by their presence. I'm not entirely sure why either because it was brilliant to keep them as a surprise but I just didn't entirely get on board with them here which was a shame. I don't think the voices were entirely perfect in representing what we saw on screen which is definitely part of it, but maybe they do just work better with visuals? I feel like as the listener we would have known earlier that the Doctor was actually a Slitheen in disguise and that would have helped. It's like the Martha clone in The Poison Sky as we're just waiting for the Doctor to call it out. We'd have had a similar moment here but it's not easy to tell in audio which is fine and I must admit it was a twist I didn't see coming, even though in hindsight I felt I should have. I thought Eleanor took a bit of a backseat in this part which was a shame because she's truly wonderful as a companion. Five episodes in and I can't wait to hear more and more of her. The appeal to her by Kollo was good stuff as it was a stark reminder of just how early into her travels in the TARDIS she is. I think she started to realise it too as she questioned just how much she knew him. Did she know him at all? She was thought of as a Slitheen and kept captive but the Doctor actually being portrayed by one was something she didn't quite see. I thought that was good in taking advantage of her newness. I thought Eleanor touching back on her financial background was well done and something we could have had more of when she was likening things to a startup investor presentation. Captain Sydon teaming with the Doctor was good although I did think it was a tad strange when the latter was going along with a plan of the former! The use of the magnetron and the planet actually being in witness protection from the Slitheen worked pretty well but the whole concept there is a little defeated when they're already present! Harking back to vinegar is a logical conclusion for the Slitheen and the couple bickering as the crashed planet was coming towards them was amusing, but I still don't think elements worked for me. Maybe just the combination of the Judoon and the Slitheen was a tad much? As my rating reflects, this is still a good episode but I just know it could be more. It concludes things neatly and the cliffhanger warning from the Judoon of someone wanting to save the Doctor's life at Lake Silencio makes for an exciting finale ahead! Word had gotten around that the Doctor was dead which was good continuity, so now I'm excited to hear just what happens next!

Rating: 7/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Tyranny of the Judoon

"We are here to protect you."

Writer: Ben Tedds

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor 

Synopsis

An ominous threat has left the people of Hefestis living under the shadow of the Judoon. But award-winning journalist Octavia Cain is here to sniff out the truth. She's even found two Shadow Proclamation detectives who'll help her unmask it.

If only the Doctor and Eleanor were actually from the Shadow Proclamation...

Verdict

Tyranny of the Judoon was a great start to the Hidden in Plain Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! I really enjoyed The First Question opening series and Eleanor Fong made an instant impact as a very likeable companion. I was delighted to see that a second series was coming pretty quickly and starting off with a Judoon two-parter is definitely appealing! I've always thought of the Judoon as a more neutral monster rather than an enemy and given that they are essentially an intergalactic police force that makes sense. That wasn't quite the case here though and that was good to have them in a more antagonistic role. They suited it well and whilst it was clear that the Shadow Ambassador was the central villain of the piece, the Judoon more than played their part! Eleanor is already very well settled into her position as companion but it's good to maintain that things are still new to her. She was revelling in the sights here and even in her description of the Judoon it was just good. She's really likeable and she isn't afraid to take initiative which I also admire. It's a really strong companion trait and I have nothing but good things to say about her at the moment. I hope this run is a long one, even if it is download only! I hope that isn't putting people off from experiencing her because she really is tremendous. I thought the setting of Hefestis here was intriguing and the politics of this society were clearly not all they ought to be. That was evident from the role of Octavia Cain who was a superb character as a journalist. Knowing that the second episode of this series is basically a part two of this one, I feel like she was killed off way too quickly! It was an impactful moment for sure and Eleanor goes through a lot in blaming herself because it was she who Octavia told to run on and buy a little time for, but she was just so good! She was really fun and I loved how she reacted in finding that the Doctor and Eleanor were also off worlders. The plan of the Ambassador was dastardly indeed in basically trying to terraform the planet into another, and then move it! It's an audacious plan but the Judoon fit in nicely there with the links to the Shadow Proclamation and the legalities being proclaimed. Cromarty was a bit of a fun and lighthearted character in a story that was otherwise subtly rather dark. I'm not sure he offered all that much other than some lodgings but potentially with Octavia out of the picture now he'll take a more central role in the next episode? It'll certainly be interesting to hear. I wasn't all that fussed by the cliffhanger with the Ambassador and company revealing themselves to not actually be all they appeared to be. It was definitely a feeling of imposter and plans were clearly more advanced than the Doctor thought! It was very reminiscent of Aliens of London for me with the skin shedding, although in a way that seemed like a little bit of a knock off which was a shame. I thought the bulk of the episode was really strong but I don't think the next episode will have the same feeling which is a shame. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but the cliffhanger didn't do much for me! Overall though, a really good episode to kick off the series.

Rating: 8/10