BBC Studios, out now

Tom Baker reads his new novel, which expands an original film script written by Ian Marter and him in the 1970s. The Fourth Doctor, Harry and Sarah have a picnic ruined by the arrival of walking scarecrows and the devil.

I made the point in my review of the Scratchman novel that because it’s written in first-person narrative it blurs that line between the Doctor and Tom Baker – where does one end and other begin? This point is exacerbated in the audiobook recording of the novel by Tom – he’s now relaying the story directly to us as if this is what actually happened. And in this respect it makes this iteration the most authentic of all – written and read by Tom, based on his own story.

Of course, this isn’t the first Doctor Who audio recording by Tom Baker – Doctor Who and the Pescatons claimed that honour in 1976 – or even the first recording by Baker of his own work – that’s 1997’s Who on Earth is Tom Baker? – but it is the first recording by the actor of Doctor Who material that was written by himself. And that’s great, because for a generation of Doctor Who fans, Tom’s narration was a big deal. When the show wasn’t airing we grabbed every opportunity to enjoy his fruity tones in Disney Time (1975), The Book Tower (1979-81) and Jackanory (1985); we didn’t have home copies of Doctor Who episodes to return to – talking Tom was the closest we got to watching a new episode of the show.

When the 1978 Genesis of the Daleks LP was released, opening with ‘I stepped from the TARDIS…’ (except you didn’t) I must have played it hundreds of times – I can pretty much recite it verbatim – and when the Pickwick 1981 recording of State of Decay was released it finally provided some variety. Which in a really round about way is me saying that Baker narrating new ‘classic’ Who is a big deal.

Luckily, the recordings of Big Finish plays and Paul Magrs serials has tempered Baker’s portrayal and refined it to the version we hear here – playful but never exaggerated – and that’s very helpful with a story which is already pretty bonkers. It’s a shame that the budget (or was it a creative decision?) didn’t extend to having the series theme to contextualise its time period but we do get occasional musical cues and the TARDIS materialisation. Big Finish’s Nick Briggs also pops by to provide some additional voices, but it’s Tom who’s doing all the heavy lifting, never trying to mimic Sarah or Harry in the delivery of their lines, and letting the dialogue sell the characters.

Verdict: You may already own the hardback of the Scratchman novel (and it’s a lovely tome for sure) but the addition of Tom Baker reading  it must make it the definitive telling of the story in the absence of the movie. Tom sounds as sprightly and engaged as ever, and if (as he suggests) this is his final Doctor Who project then it’s a fine way to bow out. 9/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk