The Doctor turns up on a planet of peace – but things never seem to stay quiet when he’s around…

At a guess, Cavan Scott has probably written more stories for the Ninth Doctor now than anyone else – including his creator, Russell T Davies – but in this fantastic (sorry, couldn’t resist it) opener to the new collection from Big Finish, he heads back to an earlier part of this incarnation’s life. There’s been a debate ever since the transmission of Rose 12 years ago as to whether the Doctor seen there had recently regenerated or not, but this would seem to suggest that that wasn’t the case. This is the Doctor between the end of The Day of the Doctor and Rose (with the latter name both needing and not needing italicisation!) and he’s perhaps not quite as we expect.

A lot falls on Nicholas Briggs’ shoulders in this: he’s narrating the story, and also playing the part of the Doctor (and a few others). Director Helen Goldwyn and sound designer Joe Meiners makes the two elements very distinct – there are moments where the Doctor is clearly in the background when Briggs is narrating – and it’s another great performance from Briggs as the Ninth Doctor, matching his work on the Destiny of the Doctor CD. Sure, you know it’s not Eccleston playing the part, but we know it’s not Patrick Troughton but Frazer Hines as the Second Doctor, not Jon Pertweee but Tim Treloar as the Third in the Big Finish releases – like them, Briggs captures the vocal mannerisms and inflections well.

I won’t spoil the story itself: Scott has done a great job in fleshing out this early Doctor, and putting him in situations that might be hard to do with Rose/Captain Jack. Claire Wyatt’s reporter Adriana Jarsdel is a strong foil for him, and there’s some interesting parallels with elements of the start of Series 10 (which given the way that Series 10 paralells Series 1, is rather appropriate)!

Verdict: It’s teatime in, er, 2005 again… welcome back Doctor Nine! 9/10

Paul Simpson