A disturbance in the vortex means the Doctor and Liv have to make a quick stop – and become embroiled in nefarious goings on…

John Dorney’s second story for this Eighth Doctor box set has many comic characters and moments, but never quite slips over the line into farce – something that a number of the scenes have the potential to do. All of the guest stars are given plenty of good material – Judith Roddy’s Stralla Cushing is a delight throughout, with the regard for the truth of Maxwell Smart combined with an innate ability to dig her way deeper into trouble. Christopher Ryan’s Macy is exactly the sort of detective you want on your trail if you’ve done wrong (and it’s a part that has to be played precisely or the character comes across as simply stupid – Ryan, needless to say, is excellent!)

There’s a lot of plotting and counterplotting, with information doled out as we need it – you can put some of the pieces together yourself but it’s actually more fun to enjoy it as it goes along – but Ken Bentley ensures that it never feels rushed.

Verdict: A killer title for a fun piece. 8/10

Paul Simpson