Doctor, Ben and Polly arrive on Bonfire Night in Lewes in the 1950s…

Things feel slightly off kilter at the start of this pair of adventures for the First Doctor’s final TARDIS team for reasons that will eventually become clear – but after that initial hesitation, it’s full speed ahead with a well-characterised tale that allows Anneke Wills and Elliot Chapman to share narration duties where relevant (and both render their own version of Hartnell’s Doctor). Una McCormack admits she didn’t visit Lewes (which happens to be only a few miles from the SFB offices) but she captures the ambience of the town, particularly during its annual festivities around November 5th. There’s always that slight feel that things could get out of control, and in this tale, they do, whipped up by otherworldly forces.

Neither Wills nor Chapman try to imitate Hartnell but both actors get the cadence of the actor’s speech patterns, particularly in his final few weeks in the role. That’s helped by McCormack nailing the way in which his Doctor would rally his strength for the key confrontations, even if he seemed to be enfeebled much of the rest of the time and the Doctor’s speech about confronting those who are against the acquisition of knowledge is a timely reminder about the perils of ignorance.

Verdict: A strong story which highlights how much potential there was in this period. 9/10

Paul Simpson