Everyone goes to Flatpack – so it’s not too surprising that old friends can reunite…

John Dorney wraps up this collection of Ninth Doctor stories with a tale that links him to his (Big Finish) past, as Nicola Walker and Rebecca Root reprise their roles from the Eighth Doctor stories. Set some time after the end of Stranded, the couple are living a much more normal life – to the extent that Liv is having trouble keeping the days straight, and Tania is convinced, unsurprisingly, as the native Londoner that she knows her city rather better than her time travelling partner.

Spoiler: She doesn’t.

Inevitably, there’s a touch of the School Reunions about this (classic series era companion who knew the Doctor in two incarnations is reunited unexpectedly with a new series Time Lord), but the gap for Liv between encounters is nowhere near as long as it was for Sarah Jane… and she can sense that things are very different for the Doctor than they were when they were travelling together. It’s an opportunity for Dorney to put some ideas into this Doctor’s head, and you can imagine him thinking of one particular conversation from this towards the end of Rose – you’ll know both bits I mean when you hear them.

There’s much more to Flatpack than just a chance for three old friends to get together – as well as the inevitable digs at certain companies. The guest characters are mostly played by actors familiar to listeners from their Big Finish work, and we get to hear a different side to Christopher Eccleston in particular here. The concepts at play could easily fall apart in less capable hands, but Ken Bentley keeps all the balls juggling very well.

Verdict: A clever central idea that’s given some extra depth through its characters. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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