Legacy of Blood

"I bring death to all vampires."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: December 2025

Series: Christmas 1.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Leela, Ellie

Synopsis

It's 1962 and Ellie Higson has lived a long time. Her adventures alongside those inimitable investigators, Professor George Litefoot and Henry Gordon Jago, have long since faded into memory. So why is Ellie suddenly being plagued by her most harrowing recollection of those bygone days?

Drawn to the village of Dunstanton-on-Thames, Ellie is reunited with the Sixth Doctor, on the trail of an ancient evil. As the ice sets in, old friends and enemies return, and the Green Knight is invited out of his prison...

Verdict

Legacy of Blood was an excellent story to continue my way through the Christmas boxset! I was a little sceptical about actually listening to this episode at this moment in time because whilst I’m a huge fan of the Jago & Litefoot spinoff, I haven’t completed it yet. I’m not far off now as I’m on Series 12 as the next boxset to purchase, but I understood from the preview and the synopsis that this was almost something of a love letter to the series. Thankfully, it payed homage in a beautiful way and focused on the events of some early series which was a delight. It was also a bit of a throwback to hear the name of Gabriel Sanders once again. The ordeal that Ellie underwent thanks to him was something she was still suffering from greatly even all these years later. It’s so sad to think that she had to live on without both Jago and Litefoot but this episode did a stellar job as a tribute. This really was a rather lovely way to get to say goodbye with a reunion of Ellie alongside not only the Sixth Doctor but Leela too! I had no idea she was returning in this episode so that was a real delight as she was there right at the start in The Talons of Weng-Chiang which felt right to bring everything full circle for them. Her reaction to finding out that the Doctor had travelled with Jago and Litefoot in Voyage to the New World and Voyage to Venus was very amusing but I had no idea how poignant those references would be by the end. I think the threat of Vampires is excellent and they’re no stranger to any of the Doctor, Leela and Ellie. I mean, Ellie was one! Her connection with that species has been something I’ve been so invested in since it happened early on in the Jago and Litefoot range and I always hoped for it to play a major plot point again. At last I get my wish here as the lead back into Series 5 of the spinoff range was rather beautiful. Even seven decades later Ellie was still hit hard by not having her two chums around and who could blame her as everything came flooding back to her when it came to Litefoot’s sealed letter. I thought the way the professor was able to play a role in events from the past was glorious and Ellie actually asking for a sign from them both and then hearing the TARDIS dematerialising was stunning. The Sixth Doctor not immediately recognising her felt a little demeaning and much in line with the character played on screen rather than at Big Finish. But he was definitely showing a more ruthless side here with Vampires at play. The history they have with the Time Lords is extensive and fun to play around with. I loved the exchange when he challenged Leela on why she was here and obviously she had been sent by the Time Lords to recover the Chranemesis which was an interesting artefact. The concept of it as something that could burn vampires was excellent, but the Doctor was more concerned with why she hasn’t aged. She lived on Gallifrey which ought to be enough of an explanation but the reference to Annihilation and Leela drinking vampire blood to cure her blindness was very emotional! I loved that the savage stood up for herself. The setting of Dunstanton-on-Thames was strong and it turning out to be mostly a village of Vampires was quite something! That was a really strong concept, as was the arrival of Vaanaxyr! Again, I had no idea Ice Warriors were featuring here so that was a real treat especially a vampiric one! Leela getting to discuss honour with him was brilliant and it was nice for her to dissect his history and what happened with his father. He eventually came around to helping and hadn’t actually tasted blood despite his condition. The Doctor using all the character elements of the story and their vampiric history to find a cure was really well done and then we got a nice five minutes or so at the end to reflect which I enjoyed a lot. Overall, a magnificent tribute episode! 

Rating: 9/10