The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on an unusual world, orbiting a pulsar, and discover that the cosmological phenomenon has all sorts of strange side effects…

A few possible hints as to the overarching theme of this eleven-Doctor series emerge during Simon Guerrier’s tale – not quite enough to make you go back to listen to the first one, but if there’s something similar in next month’s then it’s truly mixing the classic and new series together.

This is a taut story which uses Frazer Hines’ ability to mimic Troughton to the limit – it’s effectively a three-voice tale – and has some very spooky moments. It’s sort of a ‘base under siege’ saga with some unusual elements thrown in, as well as some neat continuity nods to old and new series, as well as the audios.

The second Doctor is notoriously difficult to get right (making this month’s triple whammy of Troughton quite risky) but Guerrier captures not just the mannerisms (aided by Hines’ delivery), but also the inner qualities of the Time Lord. He’s self-aware enough not to be fooled when someone else tries to reassure him using the same panacea, and will quietly get on and sort things out when the situation requires it.

Verdict: A puzzling story that will keep you intrigued.  8/10

Paul Simpson