Can there really be ghosts infesting the Thames Tunnel?

Chris Chapman’s story for a solo Sixth Doctor feels very like one of the Russell T Davies era “celebrity historicals” with two key men from the pre-Victorian era – Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father Marc – at the centre of the story. It’s a well-written and structured script, with each episode having a very different feel to it as the scope of the tale widens, and director John Ainsworth and sound designer Andy Hardwick following suit. Ainsworth has brought together a strong cast with James MacCullum particularly noteworthy as the younger Brunel, and keeps the story rattling along.

There’s also the RTD era attitude to society in historical stories, with at least one key character not reacting as societal norms of the period would suggest. This gives Becky Wright a very interesting part as Flo, the maid who you’d expect to be seen and not heard (rather than getting to fulfil any explosive aims she might have harboured). The ghosts are, as you might expect, not what they seem, and Chapman’s created a different sort of alien society that’s not as predictable as you might think.

Verdict: A very enjoyable historical tale for the Sixth Doctor. 9/10

Paul Simpson