It’s nearly D-Day, and the Doctor, Leela and Margaret are in the local village pub with a bunch of GIs preparing to go to war…

The second of the new box set of stories for Tom Baker’s Doctor is a marked contrast to the studied whimsy of the first, with the Time Lord and his friends caught up in a base under siege story that happens to be set in a pub. There’s something of the feel of the classic war novel/movie The Eagle Has Landed about it – a feeling that’s accentuated by Joe Kraemer’s score, which is very nicely done, but does feel a little high in the mix sometimes (in the same way that Murray Gold’s music could sometimes overshadow the dialogue).

Chris Chapman’s script surprises the listener on multiple occasions, and uses the character of Margaret to good, bittersweet effect, given that she has lived through this time period once already – and suffered as a result. He also draws on a part of classic Who history that’s inspired a lot of stories but not in this way, and the friendly invasion of the title has many meanings.

Amongst the guest cast, Barnaby Edwards demonstrates a wide vocal range (and has some of his most menacing scenes in some time) while Evie Killip gives a strong performance as local girl Edie, caught up in things that are much bigger than her.

Verdict: Some clever takes on familiar concepts make this an intriguing two-parter. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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