Helen and Liv aren’t impressed by their latest ally, but they have other things to contend with when they meet the Brothers Grimm…

The arrival of the Eleven on board the TARDIS was never exactly going to be what Helen Sinclair or Liv Chenka wanted – particularly after the exploits of the Nine during the previous story – but very sensibly Matt Fitton (or the Doctor, depending on whether you’re in or out of universe) separates them from the two Time Lords for a large part of the story. He also gives Liv what seems to be the easier of the two brothers to be dealing with – the one doing research in a library. But the time travellers – and listeners – are well aware that nothing ever really goes to plan.

The idea of fairy tales coming to life is something that’s been examined in the genre before (in fact, there’s a Doctor Who version with the eighth Doctor, courtesy of the BBC Books novel Grimm Reality) but Fitton has fun playing with the idea. There’s also some fun moments – Professor Marathanga’s first meeting with Liv, for example, doesn’t play out quite how you’d expect given the circumstances, and the two are paired for a decent chunk of the time. Tanya Moodie’s performance warrants a return appearance at some point – and I’d also like to hear more from Arthur Hughes and Leighton Pugh as the brothers Grimm.

Verdict: A good melange of historical, fantasy and SF. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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