Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures, Volume 1

The problem with audio stories based around the black-and-white era of the TV show is that few of the original stars are still with us. With this pair of 4-part stories, Big Finish have taken the plunge and recast all of the recurring roles. Naturally, some listeners won't be happy with that, and if you're one of them, this isn't for you.

If you are okay with it, though, perhaps the first thing to say is that the actors here aren't impressionists, and there's no mistaking that they're not the originals. It's more like the Star Trek films with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, although the First Doctor's mannerisms, for example, are in the script. For those who are primarily fans of the new series, of course, there's the benefit that the Doctor is played by David Bradley, who took on the role in the TV episode Twice Upon a Time.

It's perhaps for this reason that the release is being marketed as part of the new series range, despite being obviously based on the format of the first classic TV season from 1963-64 and with the show's original line-up of characters. Among other things, each 30-minute segment has its own title (for what that's worth when nobody reads them out) and each 4-part story ends by teasing the opening segment of the next one. For me, the new voices took a little getting used to, which may have affected my opinions of the first story, but I had no problems by the end.

The Destination Wars – In the first story, the TARDIS lands on a colony world whose technological progress is being advanced by a mysterious figure known only as The Inventor. It's a far more grandiose setting than we'd ever have seen on TV in the ‘60s but, equally, the plot is longer and more involved than a typical 45-minute episode of the modern era. In fact, the beginning is quite slow, revealing key details of the background, as was quite common in some early Hartnell serials.

Although there are some clever ideas about time travel (vaguely reminiscent, perhaps, of those in The Space Museum) the story is mostly notable for the villain. He's hiding a secret that's actually pretty obvious almost from the point he turns up but isn't revealed until the second cliffhanger, so I'll avoid mentioning it here. I have to say that he's played well, with a suave menace that breaks down when things don't go his way. But... there's an unfortunate controversy here, in that the actor who plays him later made some transphobic comments on social media that resulted in a number of complaints. Whether you can separate the artist from the work in this particular case is obviously a matter for the individual listener.

Leaving that aside, this is a decent story, with a premise that fits in with the classic series. Having said which, it's arguable how well it fits with the specific era it's supposed to be emulating, beyond a few lines (and, to be fair, one significant plot point) that reference episodes in the show's first season. Susan gets to play a more prominent part than she often had at the time, which is a good thing, but, while Ian and Barbara do get a moment of heroism they're less effectively used overall, being somewhat out of their depth. 3.5 stars.

The Great White Hurricane – The very first season of the classic TV show had stories that alternated between science fiction and historical settings (barring one half-length extra inserted at the last minute for budget reasons). So it makes sense that the first pairing of this new collection includes one story of each type. If there really is anyone listening to this who has been drawn into it by Bradley and isn't familiar with the original era they might be surprised that this means a straight historical, without any SF elements beyond the time travellers' presence. But, in all honesty, there can't be many.

The story sees the TARDIS arriving in 1880s New York, giving a great opportunity for British actors to dust off their best New York accents. It's an adventure tale in the “history is cruel” mould seen in stories such as Marco Polo and The Aztecs, although the travellers are only in the past for less than 48 hours, rather than the lengthy sojourns more common in the actual Hartnell era. The main threats come from rival street gangs and the increasingly bad weather as one of the worst snowstorms in history hits the city.

There's plenty of drama amid the snow, with Ian and Barbara helping out a Puerto Rican immigrant, and Susan and the Doctor separately encountering different aspects of the gang rivalry. In places, it's fairly grim, and there's precious little humour, although the story ultimately shows faith in humanity coming together against adversity. The Doctor is more grumpy than charming, although he does get a few good speeches and his tone is appropriate for this sort of story anyway. As a straight historical that doesn't include any historical celebrities, it's also something of a change of pace, which is worthwhile in itself. 4.5 stars.