The Secret History

"I'm trying to rebuild the Roman Empire."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: June 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 200

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Steven and Vicki to the Italian city of Ravenna in the year 540 – besieged by the army of the celebrated Byzantine general Belisarius. Caught up in the fighting, Steven ends up on a boat bound for Constantinople, the heart of the Roman Empire.

Rescuing Steven, however, is the least of the Doctor's problems – because he shouldn't be mixed up in this particular adventure at all. Someone has sabotaged his own personal timeline, putting him in the place of his First incarnation... but who, and why? The truth is about to be revealed – but at what cost to all of the Doctors, and to the whole future history of the planet Earth?

Verdict

The Secret History was a great story to mark the two-hundredth Monthly Adventures release! This really does feel like something of a milestone which is impressive and even though I’m a decade too late, it’s brilliant to finally mark it. I didn’t start listening to this range until 2013 so it feels wonderful to reach this point in twelve years, a little less than would have been the case if I was collecting monthly from 1999 when the range began! It’s good to mark the occasion with a special story and it concludes the fascinating misplaced Doctors trilogy in fine style. The trio of the Fifth Doctor, Vicki and Steven is admittedly not one that excited me all that much but it’s such a fun moment to hear the companions enter the TARDIS and see a very different Doctor indeed. Believing that the Fifth Doctor was still their Doctor came about pretty easily with Vicki having no doubts once their discussion in The Rescue was brought up. Steven’s reaction to hearing about along with The Romans was good fun. Surely they’d have talked about that by now though? I think going to the sixth century is tremendous and that kind of history is not something that Doctor Who has exploited all that much so it was refreshing. I wouldn’t say it’s the most exciting period to discover or explore but I’m all for it. The title alluding to a real life document was fun and it’s certainly one that provides immediate intrigue. How can a history be secret? There’s a big difference there to it being unknown. Of course, the answer should be obvious when the brilliant reveal is made in part three that the culprit of the last three stories is the Monk! Graeme Garden reprising the role is a nice touch and I almost didn’t recognise his voice as it has been a while since I covered his exploits in the fourth series of the Eighth Doctor Adventures! It was a welcomed return and the Monk mentioning how the Doctor was the only one to call him by that religious title was quite amusing. What is his actual name then? The Meddler would almost be more fitting. His purpose here was quite an extraordinary scheme though as he wanted to change history at the ultimate level. He wasn’t going to just alter the Doctor’s history, he was going to step right into it and become him! That was audacious and I loved it. It’s a fantastic concept but I don’t think there was enough time to breathe with it to fully come into fruition. Only one part to play with was good but I wanted to enjoy the Monk as the Doctor for a little longer! I thought it was good to start part four in the same way as part one but with the Monk in the Doctor’s place, and his rationale for changing history to Vicki and Steven was actually believable. As long as they weren’t in their own time stream then their history couldn’t be altered. The Doctor would tell us very differently! I liked how with this very much being a First Doctor story, the very first opening theme was used and the Fifth Doctor realising what events he was about to experience but would soon forget as history reset was strong stuff. It was a terrific concept and the Doctor had to keep things on track which can be quite difficult when you’ve forgotten what happened! This did feel very much of the early era with how the TARDIS trio were all split up early on and the scale of the journey from Ravenna to Constantinople was a little rushed. I almost felt like this could have been six parts! There was a lot going on and I just wanted to know more and explore which is a big compliment. I think it’s also fun to have the Monk as the villain in a story featuring Vicki and Steven as they know him very well indeed from The Time Meddler. Steven’s reaction in particular to hearing that Quintis was actually the Monk was superb. I thought Sofia was a strong character and her relationship with the Monk was really interesting. The journey she goes on over the course of the story is really intriguing as once the Monk has replaced the Doctor, we learn that she dreams of the events of The Defectors and Legend of the Cybermen. That was fun and a good way to tie the trilogy together. I thought the Fifth Doctor's restoration was good and the Monk really was sent packing by the Doctor in a way which showed very little remorse! Overall, a terrific little story to celebrate two hundred releases!

Rating: 8/10