The Doctor is subpoenaed as an expert witness…

Nev Fountain’s adaptation of John Lloyd’s Douglas Adams era tale for the fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 embraces all that’s great (and not so great) about the period, slotting neatly into the stories where two show-offs and a robot dog travelled the universe, making clever quips and saving the day, almost, at times, despite themselves. There’s reworking of familiar tropes, running gags and a tendency to wander off into footnotes that feels so evocative of both Adams’ own Who scripts as well as the first series of Hitch-hikers (which, don’t forget, John Lloyd co-wrote).

The plot is suitably convoluted and filled with moments that will make you grin, whether it’s at the Doctor’s verbal antics or the thought of a judge hiding in the bushes on Hampstead Heath doing some investigating! Although Tom Baker’s voice occasionally shows his age, he throws himself into the nonsense of it all, with Lalla Ward’s Romana trying to be a voice of reason, no matter what, and K9 coming up with solutions that of course echo what the Doctor was thinking. Julian Wadham sounds like he’s having a whale of a time as the aforementioned judge, while Jeany Spark, Paul Panting and Richard Laing all treat it totally seriously – because if they didn’t, then it would fall apart very quickly. Nicholas Briggs’ direction and Howard Carter’s sound design and score keep things moving at a suitable lick.

Verdict: Very much a Season 17 story in outlook and presentation, this is an enjoyable trip back in time. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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