Seeing red takes on a whole new meaning for the Ninth Doctor…

It’s a bit of a surprise the 10th Doctor has a thing for little shops, given his predecessor’s luck with stores – the last adventure saw him face problems in Flatpack, and here it’s the local – award-nominated – charity shop that’s causing problems. Or at least it’s some of the items within it. Oh, and the obstreperous manager, without whom this story would be quite a bit shorter!

Lizzie Hopley takes quite a few of the familiar tropes of the base under siege story and upends them, as much by the choice of characters who become involved in it, as by the nature of the enemy itself. It’s a story in which the standard race against time also has a rather different meaning from usual, and one where the Doctor is being thwarted all too often by bloody-mindedness as much as by the efforts of his foe.

It’s a story rich with guest stars – Susan Penhaligon is the manager in question, Mrs Bevell, with Frank Skinner as one of those assisting the Doctor – and Helen Goldwyn maintains the tension well.

Verdict: The Shades of Fear set gets off to a good start. 8/10

Paul Simpson