Following his future self’s directions, the TARDIS arrives at sea on board the Santa Maria under the charge of one Admiral Christopher Columbus. The Doctor is instantly excited at the chance to interact with such an important historical figure, but Peri is less than thrilled; she has major issues with this ‘monster’ from history responsible for horrendous atrocities and slave trading.
Far from an awe-inspiring figure, it transpires that Columbus is both incompetent and vain, with a ship full of superstitious sailors. Taking the time travellers for locals, he thinks the Doctor has medical skills and asks him to assist with a stricken crewman. The poor man is ranting about having seen the Devil and he is not the only one, as Peri has seen something too.
As well the subject of Columbus, Peri and the Doctor clash on a more serious note. The Doctor diagnoses the sailor’s illness as tuberculosis and has the means to save him, but wonders if to do so would risk damage to the ‘web of time’ as a cure has yet to be invented. Incensed at this, Peri quite literally goes of the deep end abandoning the TARDIS key and stalking off, apparently throwing her self off the boat.
The story is interspersed with Admiral Columbus’ amusing log entries, which keep the story moving and provide a good insight into the buffoonish nature of his character. There is also a running gag regarding the consequences of the Doctor’s attempts to explain things and a brave attempt to provide some logic for the Time Lord’s more recent ability to open the TARDIS doors at will… involving a goat.
On narration duties for this instalment is Nicola Bryant, who brings both Peri’s familiar American twang and her own steadier tones to the tale. Her take on Colin Baker’s Doctor is a well-judged RP, rather than an impersonation and it works well. For his part, Cameron Stewart provides the buffoonish Columbus as well as the unusual alien threat and a sailor or too.
Writer Nev Fountain knows his characters well, capturing the Sixth Doctor speech patterns and his bickering with Peri perfectly, in the Season 22 style rather than their warmer ‘Trial of a Time Lord’ relationship. In fact, with in-story references to George Stephenson and HG Wells, he plants the tale firmly after ‘Timelash’.
All in all, ‘Trouble in Paradise’ is both highly entertaining and gloriously silly, never taking itself too seriously and yet managing to make a little mileage out of the modern era’s use of ‘celebrity’ historical figures. If you enjoyed ‘Peri and the Piscon Paradox’ then this one is definitely for you.
Released on Thursday 6 June 2013 by AudioGO.
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