Doctor Who: Time In Office

In a story set not long after the events of The Five Doctors, , the Doctor is once again recalled to Gallifrey to reluctantly take up the mantle of the presidency. What follows are effectively four 30-minute stories featuring his having to deal with affairs of state and trying to get out of his responsibilities so that he can return to wandering. Many of the characters we'd plausibly expect to see here, were this a novel with no casting limitations, are handwaved as elsewhere (Turlough is presumably locked inside the TARDIS for the entire duration), but we do have a welcome return for Leela alongside regular companion Tegan.

The result is unashamedly a comedy, albeit one where the humour is played against a serious backdrop (as most good comedy is) and where there are some moments of genuine peril. Along the way, we encounter fake deities, a planet made of toothpaste, a couple of ineffective wannabe rebels, and a number of references to events from the classic TV series. Tegan is particularly strong here, the character being in her element with her natural spikiness given free rein. The increasingly exasperated Castellan responsible for the Doctor's security also comes across as a notably memorable character.

It's a spoof of political thrillers, arguably including Big Finish's own Gallifrey series, and, despite the references mentioned earlier, doesn't delve too deep into the show's lore. It's standalone, requiring no knowledge of the rest of the range, or, really, of the classic TV series itself, with some great one-liners and unexpected turns of dialogue, taking itself just seriously enough to get away with it without seeming absurd. Recommended even for those who only dip into the BF monthly series occasionally.