Doctor Who: Find and Replace

A Third Doctor story told from the perspective of Jo Grant.

This comes closer to being a true audio-play than the Companion Chronicles normally do, in that, for about half the story, there are only three characters in it, two of whom are being played by Katy Manning. The second of these, Iris Wildthyme, is, of course, Magrs' own creation, first appearing in some of the DW novels that he wrote, and subsequently appearing - played by Manning - in some of Big Finish's other audios. The idea of having Iris meet Jo, when both have traditionally been played by the same actress, must have been too good to pass up, and it works well here. (On the downside, those not already familiar with Iris on at least a basic level might find it all a little confusing).

Indeed, Manning proves herself to be an effective voice actress here, and it's possible that if you didn't know that one person was playing two of the leads, you might well not guess. This proves, however, rather less effective in the second half, when she's also called on to voice Benton and the Doctor. She does pretty well, all things considered, but the listener is in no doubt that these parts are being narrated, bringing up the usual weakness of the Chronicles as hybrids between plays and audio books.

As for the story, the first half is definitely played for laughs, with Iris's eccentricity and the Noveliser's meta-narration both feeding into the mix. This part is set in modern-day London, with an elderly Jo being interrupted in her Christmas shopping by the alien Noveliser (who was previously seen in Ringpullworld). But then we head back to the '70s, and, despite some initial humour, the story soon drops into a more emotional mood. It becomes one about the impossibility of returning to your past even when you can, you know... literally return to your past. It's a touching story, likely to strike a particular chord with those nostalgic for the Third Doctor's era on TV.