Big Finish - Short Trips Season 6
Tim Treloar is just amazing! Not only does he manage to recreate the 3rd Doctor but somehow the voice he chose to tell the story in is reminiscent of the era of the 3rd Doctor. I know nothing about the PM at that time (or now, even – a particular blinder having to do with living in the USA) so perhaps he’s imitating that man’s voice but wow, it really brought out the atmosphere of the era!
This story is told from a recording, where someone presses play on a tape recorder of some type and the story unfolds from the perspective of the PM, Jeremy. There is a ship hovering near a small town in northern England, doing nothing. So the PM decides to visit the Doctor, to convince him to do something about investigating it. And their hand is forced as a lethargy field is activated. Mysteriously, one of the phone calls the PM places actually is answered by someone. And alien to tells him there are consequences to taking things that are not his. We discover at the end of the story what that is referring to – the actual title of this story. Perhaps a reference to an episode of the 3rd Doctor on TV but I have not seen them all. So the Doctor drives the PM to the location of the alien ship and they “neutralize” the threat, as it were.
The most interesting and tantalizing part of this story is the conclusion. It makes me want to watch more of the 3rd Doctor TV series for sure! Just what was Damascus and why does the PM insist on continuing with it? We already know that people in a position of authority ignore the Doctor at their peril when he gives advice from the new series. Interesting and extremely well done!
Narrator: Tim Treloar
Writer: Jonathan Barnes
Director: Lisa Bowerman
Release: August 2016