Nine Minutes Past Four

"Regeneration was a lottery."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2026

Printed in: Tales of the TARDIS Prequel

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Two very different but freshly-regenerated Doctors are summoned to help the Remembered TARDIS. Only through working together and remembering their shared past can they hope to move forward and become the Doctors they were born to be...

Verdict

Nine Minutes Past Four was a wonderful little short story! This was a fantastic bonus release to accompany the publication of the Tales of the TARDIS collection of short stories which is something I'm really excited for because the potential combination of reunions is very exciting. Nothings feels out of bounds when it comes to the Remembered TARDIS and that is evidenced enough right here as we have the Fourth and Ninth Doctors meeting! That's such an exciting duo because they really could not be more different as incarnations of the Doctor, and placing them together after both had just regenerated was very intriguing. It was such a unique dynamic because this clearly takes place during the events of Robot for the Fourth Doctor when he snuck off in the TARDIS which is fun, but also quite problematic when it comes to continuity! I'm sure Doctor Who and the Face of Evil will have something to say about the depiction and timeline placement here. But who cares? Who says he didn't have more than one trip? Of course, for the Ninth Doctor this is set right after we saw the War Doctor regenerating in The Day of the Doctor and got that glimpse of Eccleston coming through the golden regenerative glow. That's hugely exciting because this can arguably serve as the first chronological adventure for the Ninth Doctor and his post-regenerative story! That's something touched upon in The Bleeding Heart but this feels a little different. This definitely felt more personal. Credit must go to Beth Axford here as the writer because she captures the essence of both Doctors at the earliest possible point in their lives without it feeling like they're already too developed. The Fourth Doctor tackles regeneration with a smile on his face and sheer jubilation almost whereas the Ninth Doctor is pretty sombre. The former picks up on that and is clearly trying to help the latter which is a nice touch. I think the prospect of the Remembered TARDIS trying to remind the Ninth Doctor of just who he is works really well and I love at the end that he states he knows who he wants to be. It's obviously going to be difficult, but he wants to leave the Time War behind him. Easier said than done for sure! I thought the Ninth actually challenging the Fourth a little on his jaunt with references to Sarah Jane and the Brigadier was a nice touch too, as was the recollection of An Unearthly Child and how Ian and Barbara helped shape the Doctor into who he was now. Who the Ninth Doctor wanted to be again. I liked the description of the items in the Remembered TARDIS and it's fun to think that the TARDIS itself wants to help its occupants. It feeds on memories and the Doctors gave them that in abundance with a quick snapshot of their entire lives! I liked the numerous companions mentioned, although I'm not convinced we needed to dip into the future. And Clara and Martha being named out of order felt like a small oversight. But in terms of setting up the book and calling out to other Doctors and companions to come and bring their stories and memories, this was magnificent. A joy to read. I can't wait now to purchase the book and get started on the collection! Overall, a wonderful read. More of this please. 

Rating: 9/10