The Doctor’s faithful companion is being targeted…

The second of BBC Audio’s Beyond the Doctor series is the first of four tales written by Paul Magrs, which are interlinked by certain characters who we meet for the first time in this unusual and highly enjoyable tale. It’s narrated by Stephanie Cole and is set now rather than back in the 1970s/80s of the UNIT years.

That’s because this isn’t by any means simply an adventure for the Doctor and Liz/Jo/Sarah related from an unusual perspective – it’s a lookback at Bessie’s whole life, of which her time with the Doctor was a hugely important part, but by no means the whole. And it’s a very storied past, with owners who took her to extraordinary places even before the Doctor’s trips to Omega’s anti-matter world or the Death Zone on Gallifrey.

When the Doctor does arrive on the scene, with him comes a very clever explanation for how we (and indeed others in-universe) can hear Bessie. At the same time, she and we become aware of a threat in the present day that grows as Bessie gives her perspective on her time with the Doctor…

Cole has the perfect voice for Bessie, and by the end, you may well find yourself expecting to hear her next time you watch a Third Doctor story, particularly the one in which Bessie makes arguably her most important appearance. It’s a clever conceit and works very well as a one-off.

Verdict: An unusual and unexpected treat. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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Watch for our interview with Paul Magrs coming early next week