In the Bleak Midwinter: Twenty-Four Doors in December

"Santa and his elf are here!"

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: December 2023

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures 12.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, Audacity 

Synopsis

When the TARDIS lands in London on the first of December the Doctor decides to treat his companions to a proper Christmas holiday... even down to dragging out the Baker Street Advent Calendar. 

But elsewhere in the city a department store Santa is starting to have a very unnerving month. He's on a collision course with the time travellers. Is it going to be a Happy Christmas?

Verdict

Twenty-Four Doors in December was a strong start to the In the Bleak Midwinter series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This follows up nicely where the previous series concluded in having Audacity brought on board the TARDIS as a new companion, but surprisingly alongside Charley Pollard who is back for more! I think the trio is an interesting dynamic and whilst I'm still unsure about the decision to have two historical companions, I'm more than happy to let things play out. This wasn't a typical kind of adventure with the Doctor and company staying put in the same location for a month or so over Christmas, but it's nice to know that Audacity and Charley will be very well acquainted with each other now. Maybe that was the intention with the format? I think the title is an intriguing one and clearly part of the Christmas theme, although I'm not sure the announcement of each door and date with the location was strictly necessary. Twenty-four of them was an awful lot! Touching on the Christmas setting was really well done and I definitely got a festive vibe from things in terms of atmosphere. The focus being on Al Norton was certainly unique and captured a very certain vibe of realism. He was a recovering alcoholic who had lost his partner and his daughter to the drink which must be tough, and hearing him tackle that and try to show he was a changed man was powerful. I lost all respect though when he succumbed quickly to a quick half. He wasn't the most likeable of characters and I think that was the point. I think the midlands accent contributed to that too as he felt very working class. I liked how he was a Santa but that accent really doesn't lend itself well to the role and character of Father Christmas. The fact he was fired for letting a girl easily rip off his beard and then telling others that Santa wasn't even real was quite a spectacular failure. Isobel as his elf was far from pleased at losing a fortnight's wages! She was a fun character though and you felt sorry for her that she was almost reliant on this man. The struggle Al had in hearing the eery song of Silent Night was excellent though and that really did inject a creep factor. It was rather ominous and whilst in keeping with the festive vibe, it brought a huge chill which I appreciated. I liked the Eighth Doctor being on Baker Street and whilst we're used to that with later companions, it's good continuity and it's nice to know he has somewhere to call home. Charley being in a Christmas story was really good and I loved The Chimes of Midnight reference as she had to stop herself about why Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without pudding. That was subtly brilliant. I thought the apparent hallucinations Al was seeing turning out to be projections of the future as warnings was an intriguing concept, but I didn't like that the Doctor was essentially guessing that time was attempting to heal itself. I think a higher rating was right there if there was a better explanation in regards to the resolution. It was nice to conclude with Al being reunited with his daughter though and I wonder if it was her all along that was responsible for the singing he heard? Overall, a fun start to the series and a very cool festive vibe. I'm excited for more! A great listen.

Rating: 8/10