In a bid to find the Doctor, Rose is sent through to a different dimension – one where Pete and Jackie never got together…

Jonathan Morris’ opener sets the stall for this series very clearly – it’s a parallel tale to the events of Series 3 of Doctor Who, depicting how Rose got from her departure in Bad Wolf Bay to her reappearance in our world as seen at the start of Series 4. Little bits and pieces have been hinted at in the main show, but this has all been tied together by producer David Richardson and his team to provide a coherent narrative. Inevitably, not every answer can be given in this opener – there’s plenty enough exposition as it is – but we’re told as much as we need.

Morris embraces the Russell T Davies school of storytelling, mixing humour and pathos, and turning from one to the other smoothly. There’s some laugh aloud moments (courtesy of Sean Dingwall and Camille Coduri) and a very nicely judged performance from Mark Benton that reminds us of the Clive that Rose met in the series 1 opener as well as quickly differentiating him. Rose is true to her character as established on screen, and Billie Piper brings her extra decade of acting experience to the role with some heartrending moments.

Josh Arakelian’s sound design and Joe Kraemer’s score (with its hints of familiar themes) both work well, and director Helen Goldwyn varies the pace according to the changing demands of the story.

Verdict: A bittersweet start to Rose’s quest. 8/10

Paul Simpson

The Dimension Cannon is available now from Big Finish