The Doctor arrives on the most haunted planet in the universe – but River is adamant that she’s not the one who invited him…

Jonathan Morris’ closing story in this set of adventures for David Tennant and Alex Kingston is a spooky tale that wraps the listener in the mysteries it creates – and don’t allow yourself to be spoiled by any revelations before you hear it, because you’ll only get that experience once. Morris provides all the clues as we go along, so you may jump ahead of the Doctor and River, but won’t necessarily think of all the ramifications.

Director Nick Briggs and sound designer and composer Howard Carter create the requisite atmosphere aided by strong performances from Tennant, Kingston and all the guest cast – it’s one of those stories that any weak link would pull you straight out of the moment, and that simply doesn’t happen.

As with all of this set, you may well go back and rewatch the two-parter that introduced River with new eyes, given what we now know she’s experienced with this incarnation, but script editor Matt Fitton has ensured that everything lines up – just maybe not quite as you might expect.

Verdict: A spooky story to wrap this set up. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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