The Doctor and Liv finally arrive in the same place as Helen – but what exactly is The Eleven up to?

The Happiness Patrol is one of those stories that divides fandom, particularly when it comes to discussion of its central villain, the Kandyman, brought to life, for those who don’t recall the details, as a living Liquorice Allsort creature. He was certainly one of the Seventh Doctor’s more memorable foes, and a rematch of some sort was bound to be on the cards. Very sensibly, though, producer David Richardson and the team behind the Eighth Doctor Adventures have gone back to the original concept of the Kandyman – and frankly, I wish that we’d had that version from the word go. He’s a malevolent presence throughout the first segment of this two-part story, and you’re waiting for the confrontation between him and the Doctor – which doesn’t disappoint.

The fact it is a two-disc story allows Matt Fitton time to really set up the situation and give the audience an insight into the new dynamic between The Eleven, Helen and those around them. Mark Bonnar and Hattie Morahan have some terrific scenes, as we see the link between them become clearer.

It’s not a Doctor and Liv-lite episode, though – Liv’s back in a time period she knows, which presents a different way of approaching problems, while the Doctor encounters another arachnid…

Verdict: Good character moments combined with a malevolent presence – the recipe for classic Doctor Who. 9/10

Paul Simpson