Christopher Eccleston returns another set of audio adventures as the Doctor encounters Shades of Fear.
For the final box set of his second series at Big Finish, the Ninth Doctor travels from a present day charity shop to the far future on a colony world.
While some of the threats are new, there’s also an old enemy lurking in the shadows too…
The Colour of Terror
The first tale finds the Doctor in the most innocuous of locations, a charity shop. However, the shop in the otherwise unremarkable town of West Morebry is the epicentre of a rather unusual invasion attempt; the Doctor and his allies find themselves under attack by creatures from another dimension. The Vermeen are attempting to invade our reality though domination of the colour red, making everything from ginger casts to ketchup bottles potentially lethal.
Lizzie Hopley’s story deftly blends the comic and the tragic, putting characters at the heart of the tale. From the young man doing community service to the lady who runs the café next door, the lonely busybody to the young couple in love, all have to band together to see of this threat. It is a terrific, thoroughly off-beat idea executed with plenty of heart.
The guest cast here are superbly entertaining. For us, the highlights are Susan Penhaligon’s formidable Mrs Bevell and Frank Skinner who brings pathos to his everyman role of Pete – not so far away from his turn as Lonely in Callan, but without the avaricious edge. We would happily hear the TARDIS return to West Morebry for more with this little gang.
The Blooming Menace
The most comic of the three outings blends a Jeeves and Wooster sensibility with touch of the Triffids; it takes place in and around a 1920s gentlemen’s club and sees the members falling in love with a species of giant plant.
In amongst the humour, which sees the Doctor taking on the role of a valet, is a love story. Underneath it, James Kettle creates a tale about acceptance and freedom. In the guest cast, Dave Hearn (The Play That Goes Wrong) and Milanka Brooks entertain as Toby and Phil.
In truth, the threat itself is gloriously daft but it certainly rips along pleasingly.
Red Darkness
The final tale, by Roy Gill, brings the scares. It brings the Doctor to a remote colony planet and into the life of Callen Lennox, his scientist mother and his dog Doyle.
There’s so much to love in the setup of this tale, from the notion of a talking assistance dog to the idea of a Celtic Alliance of Interplanetary Pioneers (every planet has a Scotland!) To be honest, any story which sees the Doctor reference The Littlest Hobo easily wins us over!
It’s no secret that the story features the Vashta Nerada, the swarming shadow inhabiting “piranhas of the air” introduced onscreen in the Tennant era. Here, there’s another twist on them and their motivations, as they blend with something even more deadly. Doyle chillingly refers to them as “the teeth in the night!”
We loved the combination of Adam Martyn as Callen with Harki Bhambra as the slightly sarcastic Doyle. We know the Ninth Doctor chooses to travel alone, but the pair would make brilliant ongoing companions.
In Summary
Shades of Fear brings an interesting mix of challenges for the Ninth Doctor, with Christopher Eccleston getting to demonstrate his comic talents. He’s also exasperated at times with the humans he encounters – a touch of the “stupid apes” we heard about onscreen. And yet that seems like a blustery generalisation, as he seems to easily find plenty to fight for among those he meets.
Once again, Christopher Eccleston has narrated a video trailer for the box set. This one, is call back to the 1965 Hartnell tale ‘The Space Museum’ offers a glimpse at numerous familiar foes.
Is this an end for The Ninth Doctor Adventures after eight volumes? We hope not! Christopher Eccleston has now enjoyed a run on audio that’s almost doubled his number of onscreen appearances as the Doctor. For an actor we thought we might never be coaxed back to the role, we’ve been incredibly spoiled!
While there’s nothing else announced just yet, we do know he plays a role in Big Finish’s upcoming 60th Anniversary series Once and Future.
Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Shades of Fear is available on CD and download from Big Finish.