The 10th Doctor and Brian visit the world of Magnox, where the Doctor needs the answer to a question that is haunting him.

Darren Jones pens BBC Audio’s contribution to the Time Lord Victorious series, and for those keeping score, this 10th Doctor story takes place during the events of Una McCormack’s novel, as Brian the Ood Assassin and the Doctor are travelling around the Dark Times after certain plans have been put in motion.

Jacob Dudman provides the narration, as well as the various characters, including David Tennant’s Doctor and Silas Carson’s Brian – and there’s opportunity for some other parts of his repertoire to be accessed. Jones’ script gives us some background on Brian as he kills time waiting for the Doctor and takes on a mission just to keep his and Mr Ball’s eye in. Some of this backstory is on the Ood T-shirt, but since that’s probably going to be one of the least accessed portions of Time Lord Victorious, it’s good to have it incorporated here as well.

This just about works as a standalone story, but it’s definitely best viewed as part of the Time Lord Victorious tapestry, giving us some insight to the way the 10th Doctor reacts to what he’s doing. There’s also a nice little coda – and some unexpected links to other parts of the saga.

Verdict: Some insight into the Doctor and Brian in an enjoyable tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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