The Third Doctor comes to a former captain Ronald Henderson’s aid.

The winner of the Paul Spragg Memorial Opportunity Short Trip competition once again brings to notice a writer who knows the character of the particular Doctor he’s featuring very well, and puts them in a situation that we’ve not seen in the TV show, but which makes perfect sense. We’re well over halfway through this story before there’s any hint of an alien presence, and Selim Ulug weaves a tale that picks up on the innate melancholy of the exiled Time Lord.

Ulug takes advantage of the format to present a story that doesn’t confine itself to one point in the Doctor’s timeline, allowing us to see the contrasts in personality of different times in the Third Doctor’s life, when certain important changes occur. Nicholas Briggs doesn’t try to outdo Tim Treloar in his version of Pertwee’s Doctor – there are certain vocal attributes that communicate this Doctor’s presence almost in shorthand – and he captures the many different moods that the story requires, not just from the Doctor but from the captain he encounters. None of the Doctors always think through the effects of their actions, and Briggs is particularly effective as this Doctor comes to terms with an unexpected reaction.

Neil Gardner’s direction allows the story to breathe and creates very different atmospheres for the various aspects of the tale. It adds up to an unusual Short Trip that will stick in the memory for some time to come.

Verdict: A well observed character piece for the Third Doctor, brought to life very well. 9/10

Paul Simpson