Doctor Who: The Book of Kells

The Doctor and new companion Tamsin visit 11th century Ireland in a story that's rather strong on the slapstick humour. As such, it works well as a break between the more serious preceding and following stories, as it's doubtless intended to, but may be less successful when listened to out of that wider context.

Nonetheless, it is a fun romp, with the broader comedy elements offset by a plot that's full of twists which are often genuinely surprising. It's a good cast, too, with Graeme Garden particularly notable as the Abbot of Kells. As for Tamsin, she once again proves herself quite likeable here, but still has little to make her stand out from a number of other companions down the years, lacking the spark of Lucie (or Charley, going back further).

There are, perhaps, a few holes in the plot. One has to wonder, for instance, what on Earth Tamsin is wearing that nobody in the 11th century remarks on it (to be fair, some of the characters have good reason not to... but not all of them). There is no monster, if that's a key element of Doctor Who for you, but, again, this provides a welcome break from the larger scale and more traditional sci-fi of the stories on either side.

It's not a great story, particularly when taken out of its arc, but it's more than enough fun to make up for that. And the post-closing theme cliffhanger ending at last provides a clear indication that this season does have an overall plot arc...