The Doctor and friends arrive in Montgomery, Alabama – and it’s not somewhere they instantly fit in…

There’s a lot of attention on this historical episode – particularly as previews weren’t generally made available – and it’s very different from the celebrity historicals that we’ve had since the show returned. This is far more the educational trip into history of the Hartnell era: things are inevitably told in large strokes (there’s talk of lynchings, and police officers checking for the presence of non-Caucasians in motel rooms) but, with one major exception, it’s handled well. (The exception is the scene you know we’ve got to have where 2018 racism comes into play.)

We’ve been here before, of course, with the Doctor racing to ensure history stays on course, and those expecting there to be no back references whatsoever this season, there’s more than a few pleasant surprises. There’s plenty for all of Team TARDIS to do – including Yaz – although you do wonder if one of their occupations was set up particularly for the purposes of this story!

Director Mark Tonderai keeps things visually interesting throughout, with the South African locations working well – and of course, doubly interesting, given the story being told – while Segun Akinola’s music is broadening in scope with each outing.

Verdict: A different sort of historical of a type I hope we see more of in the years to come. 8/10 [For the record, 16 year old Sophie gave this 9/10]

Paul Simpson