The Doctor, Steven and Sara arrive in the trenches during the Great War…

Men of War is the start of a new linked series from BBC Audio, but instead of stories for one particular Doctor, this is going to cross between different incarnations. Justin Richards elects to use one of the British soldiers for first person narration, giving us his impressions of the Doctor and his travelling companions – and allowing for a nice piece of character work for Sara Kingdom. Those who don’t follow the Big Finish audios may wonder how there’s room for an adventure for the SSS agent, but in fact it’s been set up since the days of the Daleks’ Masterplan novelisation that the three travelled together for some time – and this story could only be told in the way that it is because of its placement in the Doctor Who timeline. Things are not quite right historically, and this gives Richards the chance for one of the best explanations of the idea of the Web of Time I’ve encountered.

Peter Purves seems to relish the chance to narrate from a different viewpoint, while still having the opportunity to play the Doctor and his companions, and David Darlington’s sound design constantly reminds us of the backdrop against which this plays without pushing things too far.

Verdict: An intriguing start to the new series. 8/10

Paul Simpson