Bill thinks she knows what happened to a missing Roman Legion – so the Doctor takes her back there to see if she’s right.

It’s nearly 30 years since Rona Munro contributed a script to Doctor Who and the show and television in general have moved on a lot since then. The 75 minutes given to Survival in 1989 would be condensed to a single 45 minute episode for the current series, and Eaters of Light could easily have filled three or even four of the old show’s slots, although the episode never feels rushed. There’s a nice wraparound for Munro’s story featuring two young children – although that’s not the end of the episode with more of the ongoing plotlines coming to the fore at that point.

It’s a solid linear story, with some great lines for Nardole (which Matt Lucas nails), and another of Bill’s lightbulb moments regarding her travels in the TARDIS. As with so much of this season, it feels as if homage is being paid, possibly unconsciously, to the first series of the 21st century run, with elements feeling familiar from one of the two-parters – albeit handled very differently by Capaldi’s Doctor to the way Eccleston did. The earlier broadcast slot suits the story: there’s a BBC Classic Serial air to some of it.

Verdict: We’re about to go into the two-part finale, so this is probably the final standalone adventure we’re going to get for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. It’s not as strong as some we’ve had this season, but the bar has been set high, and it’s certainly entertaining. 7/10

Paul Simpson