The Doctor and Rose answer Jackie’s call for help after Norwich is invaded…

John Dorney kicks off this new set of David Tennant’s Doctor’s adventures with this sharp tale that you think is going to be a pleasantly comic story until you reach a certain twist that puts the whole thing in a very different perspective. It was said that in the Russell T Davies era, the tone of an episode could change in the space of a sentence, and Dorney captures that feeling, as both time travellers and audience start to take the threat considerably more seriously.

The story seems to be set towards the end of Series 2 when the Doctor and Rose are getting cocky. We know (and let’s be honest, it was telegraphed without a great deal of subtlety on screen) that things are heading for disaster, but it’s fun to re-engage with that era. Billie Piper seems far more comfortable as Rose now than in her Series 4 appearances, and Tennant drops back into his Doctor’s very particular pattern as if he’s not been away. Dorney also creates a lovely foil for Camille Coduri’s Jackie Tyler in Rosie Cavaliero’s Marge (and there’s some great RTD-esque moments for Rose talking to Marge’s daughter Jess, nicely played by Beth Lilly), while Guy Henry’s Ikron is a differently-motivated but credible villain.

Add in a Gold-en score from Howard Carter (although I’m shocked that Big Finish didn’t go the whole hog and hire the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for total verisimilitude!) and slick direction from Nick Briggs, and you’ve got a faithful and fun recreation of the era.

Verdict: You’ll believe it’s teatime in 2006 – great work all round. 9/10

Paul Simpson