Escaping from the Second World War, the time travellers find themselves just prior to the Great War – but this appears to be their own timeline, with all its attendant risks…

It’s been a bit of time since we last caught up with Simon and Liz, as well as the new characters created for Big Finish’s continuation of Timeslip, and very sensibly there’s a short reminder of where we left off at the start of this third adventure – and unless you did a relisten before embarking on the latest set, I’d advise not skipping it.

Roland Moore picks up the pen for this instalment, and once it’s fully underway, it’s a very engaging tale; however it all feels a little bit disjointed initially. There’s some very short scenes, and almost some hesitancy in the performances in the first episode, but by the time we get to the key cliffhanger, at the end of episode 2, it’s back firing on all cylinders. Setting this story in the original timeline, and tying it firmly to Liz’s own past, means that rather than perhaps wanting to change history, our heroes need to leave things as they are… painful as that might be.

Spencer Banks and Cheryl Burfield get further opportunities to explore elements of their characters that wouldn’t have fit in the original show, and there’s further expansion of Orlando Gibbs’ Neil and Amanda Shokedo’s Jade to the point where I feel we know them well enough that they could support their own offshoot. Sarah Sutton’s Charlotte is keen to show she has turned over a new leaf, but given the way she’s treated our heroes before, it’s not too surprising that, despite her (occasionally too often-repeated) pleas that she’s changed, the others find it hard to trust her.

It’s a treat to hear Hugh Ross back in a Big Finish tale, and his Sir Crispin is one of his nastier performances; he has a strong foil in Rachel Fenwick’s Flora, and Moore’s script will surprise you in a number of ways in its telling of her story. Credit also to Luke R. Francis for taking what could have been a stock “Victorian henchman” and giving him depth.

David Roocroft’s sound design and score work well, particularly in establishing the various different time periods, and Helen Goldwyn’s direction allows the story to gather momentum.

Verdict: A different sort of Timeslip tale. 7/10

Paul Simpson