Desperate for his time on Earth to be over, Jack is overjoyed to hear the TARDIS materialising… but it’s not the Doctor he’s expecting…

This is one of those stories that you fear could easily be all froth and no substance – after all put John Barrowman in a part like the polysyllabic, magnificently over the top Sixth Doctor, and it’s a recipe for a tale that, to misquote the New Adventures’ mantra, is too loud for the small screen (or speakers). And for the first part of the story, as “the Doctor” returns to a planet to try to sort out the situation that apparently got him killed, that’s what it seems like it’s going to be.

But that would be to seriously underestimate James Goss, who deliberately leads the listener down the garden path for the first few minutes before adding dimensions to the story that make it much deeper. Colin Baker and John Barrowman certainly have a great deal of fun with it – and I don’t think anyone will expect Baker not to be returning the favour and portraying “Cap’n Harkness” – but there are also moments where their characters’ different modus operandi meld well, and we (and Jack) get a new understanding of how reputations can sometimes be as much of a hindrance as a help to the Doctor. Class’s Sophie Hopkins also guest stars – I hope this is the first of many roles for in the Big Finish universe – while Hannah Arterton and Prasanna Puwanarajah add edges to the proceedings.

Verdict: Of course there’s all the fun of hearing John Barrowman in Sixth Doctor mode – but this is the Big Finish Sixth Doctor with the according amount of depth. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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