The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in the Space Year 2003 – only to discover old acquaintances can not easily be forgotten…

As soon as Mark Gatiss’ docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time was broadcast, there were requests for the recast first TARDIS team to be reunited either to tell new adventures or to remake some of those stories that have been lost from the archives over the years. With David Bradley now canonically the First Doctor, thanks to his appearance in Twice Upon a Time, this new set of adventures seems a very sensible way of continuing the era – while Carole Ann Ford, and possibly William Russell, carry on in other formats, this provides a new outlet for First Doctor stories.

And make no mistake – these are stories that fit very neatly into the established run of tales (alongside the various Companion Chronicles and Early Adventure that Big Finish has treated us to over the last decade). Yes, it is a little bit of a disconnect hearing Jamie Glover rather than Russell, or Claudia Grant rather than Ford, but Jemma Powell and Bradley have already established their versions of Barbara and the Doctor, so it only takes a few moments before it’s no longer even a consideration.

Matt Fitton’s opener takes a much braver step, introducing us to a “new” incarnation of the Master, played with saturnine charm by James Dreyfus. There are times when his phrasing very much echoes that of Roger Delgado, and I can see this easily being established as a younger version of that incarnation. (Those of us with long memories of the BBC Books will just have to accept the discontinuity with The Face of the Enemy.) Dreyfus establishes himself quickly in the role, and I’m really looking forward to hearing further encounters down the line.

Fitton’s script reflects the black and white era well – you can imagine easily how this would look on screen, and there’s that slightly arch dialogue that characterised some of Doctor Who’s looks at the future in that period. He also reflects on the harsher side to the First Doctor that does tend to get a little glossed over, and there are some strong moments for Bradley and Grant as grandfather and granddaughter. Director Nicholas Briggs ensures that this remains very much an “of its period” piece (no stray 1980s background sounds for the TARDIS here!).

Verdict: A very strong start for the First Doctor’s new lease of life. 9/10

Paul Simpson