Doctor Who: The Perpetual Bond

A First Doctor adventure told from the perspective of Steven.

Set between the TV stories The Dalek's Masterplan and The Massacre, Steven is the only companion here, making it possible to do a “present day” story without a companion escaping. Here, much of the action is focussed on the London Stock Exchange in the 1960s, with avaricious aliens disguising themselves as bowler-hatted businessmen. The concept behind the story - the explanation as to what the aliens are doing here, and why they're getting away with it - is an original one, but it's difficult to explore too much of its potential in the Companion Chronicle format, and much of the action comes across as rather confused.

The second actor plays Oliver Harper, a human stockbroker helping the Doctor, and, not as is more usual, one of the villains. This works well, giving us a wider view of what's going on, including some scenes before the Doctor arrives, and it's notable that Harper is also hiding a secret that remains, as of the end of this story, a mystery to the listener. The story is also notable for its effective evocation of the mid '60s, as well as giving us another chance to hear Purves' surprisingly good Hartnell impression. (He is not, after all, a professional voice actor).

All in all, a good, but not remarkable, story, that suffers somewhat from the limitations of the format, but that provides a reasonable kick-off to a trilogy featuring Harper as a new companion. This at least promises an unusual dynamic, with two companions, neither of whom are women...