Jago & Litefoot: Series 4

In the fourth season, the titular characters are joined not only by Leela (who also appeared in the third season) but, at least partly, by the Sixth Doctor. I say “partly” because he's hardly in the first three episodes, although he does have a significant role in the final one.

* Jago in Love - Our heroes decamp to Brighton in the inevitably futile hope of getting away from the sort of adventures they usually become embroiled in. The core of the plot is rather good, with a mysterious supernatural threat somehow connected with the Brighton West Pier. Unfortunately, the part of the story in which Jago is smitten by a music hall performer, while well played, doesn't really make any sense once you realise what's going on in the background. But that doesn't detract too much from the rest of the tale. 4 stars.

* Beautiful Things - Jago and Leela meet a mysterious man at a performance of the latest Oscar Wilde play, while Litefoot investigates some peculiar deaths scattered across London. This all leads to a quite fantastical denouement in a magical library, amidst a number of references to, most obiously, The Picture of Dorian Gray. There's a particularly good scene in which Wilde out-Jagos Jago with a display of amazingly alliterative affectation, and the playwright has a significant role to play in the events of the story. 4 stars.

* The Lonely Clock - Jago and Litefoot are stuck on an empty train running round the Circle Line for much of this story, rather limiting their usefulness. Leela and Ellie get a bit more to do, which helps liven things up, but the main problem seems to be that the story is a rather visual one. This results in lengthy speeches in which characters are describing what they're seeing, and the story would likely have worked much better in a different medium. The big “revelation” that the Doctor is, in fact, the Doctor (which has been obvious to the listeners practically since the teaser to episode one) is also overdone. 3 stars.

* The Hourglass Killers - We finally discover what the season's recurring villains are really up to, as the Doctor joins the title characters properly for the first time. There's some wonderfully inventive ideas in this, and some surreal imagery that may well be the kind of thing that's better done in audio. The conclusion is dramatic, as well as wrapping up some loose threads from earlier episodes. Obviously, the presence of the Doctor does change the dynamic, but (unlike other reviewers) I didn't feel that this detracted too much from the regulars, and I'll note that Ellie, in particular, has more to do than usual. 5 stars.