The Doctor follows the trail from a radio station to an old country house to a jail, finally to a crash in the Time Vortex to try to discover why he is being haunted by the same figures…

Like its predecessor, this set comprises four single episodes by different writers, linked by a unifying theme – and cast. Sensibly, answers are given at the end, courtesy of John Dorney’s Effect and Cause, which mean that you’ll always listen to the set differently with that knowledge.

It kicks off with Jonathan Barnes’ Echo Chamber, with the Doctor finding himself replacing a shock jock, and expected to somehow keep things argumentative. It’s something rather different for Peter Davison’s Doctor, and makes for a strong opener. That’s followed by Roland Moore’s Toward Zero, which has a terrific conceit at its heart, and Lizzie Hopley’s equally intriguing Castle Hydra, both of which present pieces of the puzzle.

Each of the guest actors is given plenty to do and between their vocal performances and Wilfred Acosta’s sound design, director Ken Bentley ensures that while they may be visually the same, neither they nor their environs feel familiar each time, with only Davison and Nicholas Briggs’ Daleks linking them. With Briggs getting some more unusual lines to deliver…

Verdict: A clever idea that’s worked well. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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