The Lives of Captain Jack: Volume 1

A collection of four hour-long stories starring Jack Harkness, but not based around his time at Torchwood. Set at different points along his personal history, one of its strengths is showing how the character has been changed by the experiences he has had during the TV series; in effect, there's a different version of him in each episode here.

• The Year After I Died – As the title indicates, this is set shortly after the events of The Parting of the Ways and notably, before Jack has discovered that his survival in that story wasn't just a one-off event. In some ways, therefore, it's a sequel to that story, taking place on an Earth still recovering from the Dalek attack. There's a good look at a Jack still uncertain and cautious after his scrape with death, as well as a number of references to that story's events and the future society depicted in it. The plot, however, is less strong, being fairly straightforward with an over-the-top villain whose utter ghastliness is a little too much to swallow. But, as an introduction to this series, it works well enough for what it's trying to do. 3.5 stars.

• Wednesdays for Beginners – The second story is much better and this is largely due to the fact that it has Jackie Tyler in it. It's primarily told from her perspective, with her waking up one Wednesday morning to find that something is very wrong on the Powell Estate. The story itself has some fun ideas, as the actual nature of the problem and how it might be tackled become apparent. But mainly, it's the interplay between the two leads that sparkles, with plenty of great lines that contrast Jackie's down-to-Earth nature with Jack's otherworldly experience. This makes it a real joy to listen to... although those who aren't British might wonder why Jackie finds the aliens' name so funny. 5 stars.

• One Enchanted Evening - This time we get a sequel to Voyage of the Damned, following on directly from the brief scene with Jack meeting Alonso Frame in The End of Time. The pair's planned evening goes badly wrong when the space station they are on suffers a disaster and Alonso finds himself once again trying to get the few survivors to safety, despite the insecurity induced by his failure to save most of the passengers last time. There's plenty of flirting amidst the peril, some touches of humour, and a nice turn from the ship's engineer. But once again, it's let down by a ridiculously over-the-top villain that damages the story's credibility - although Katy Manning is clearly having great fun with the role. 3 stars.

• Month 25 - While the previous stories have moved chronologically through Jack's life, this one jumps back to when he was still in the Time Agency. Which means that he's both mortal and still using his real name. It's a good portrayal of a younger Jack, still extremely cocky (something he notably isn't in the previous story) and more interested in having a good time than actually working for the Agency. The story is set almost entirely in his native time period, concerning a plot within the Agency itself, guest starring Alexander Vlahos as a stranger who knows entirely too much about Jack's life. 4 stars.