The Doctor, Flip and Constance get a taste of Armageddon…

One of the most constantly surprising 6th Doctor stories in recent times, Chris Chapman’s The Middle constantly throws curveballs at the listener (and the characters), repeatedly changing the way in which you view the situation. It’s one that will be very interesting to revisit once you know all the twists and turns, and the basis of the society in which the three travellers find themselves as Flip is intent on ensuring that Constance gets a suitably raucous 35th birthday party.

Mark Heap’s The Middleman is at times as unctuous as his character on Upstart Crow, oleaginous where required but peremptory and cutting with his perceived inferiors. Sheila Reid’s Janaiya is a well-observed character, with Reid bringing out the many different facets to her character as the truth becomes apparent. Colin Baker, Miranda Raison and Lisa Greenwood are separated for much of the story, but each of the TARDIS team has a clear plotline and react to it in their own very individual ways, with all three lead actors at the top of their game here.

It’s a story that (like the Star Trek tale referenced in my synopsis above) takes aspects of modern day society and makes us question our attitudes, without ever getting preachy on the topic – something that’s not as easy as it sometimes seems. Jamie Anderson directs the story with flair, although maybe a couple of the audio tricks in Joe Meiners’ sound design for the ends of scenes become a little overused, and Jamie Robertson’s music helps to evoke the mood of the different strata.

Verdict: Clever writing, strong direction and excellent performances lead to a terrific tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson