Review by Cavan Gilbey

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The Three Doctors is a beloved story from one of Pertwee’s most popular seasons, debatably one of the most popular seasons for the classic in general; it’s certainly one of mine. As much as I love Season 10, I had never really read any of the production history behind the season, so it was something of a surprise to discover this alternate take on that iconic first multi-Doctor story. Deathworld, originally penned by Bob Baker and Dave Martin and adapted for this new audio release by John Dorney. If you expected this to resemble to that original TV  serial then think again, because this is a very different beast. I’m not entirely sure if this the equivalent of fandom sacrilege but this is way more interesting than The Three Doctors for me, although it is so clearly un-filmable on the 70s era budget.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this story is the presence of The First Doctor as a major player. You’ll remember that, due to Hartnell’s ill health, this Doctor was confined to a couple of brief scenes that more resemble a cameo than a role. But Martin and Baker’s original script has him getting stuck in, with Dorney doing a great job at making this Doctor feel like a unique brand of action hero. Stephen Noonan is naturally playing the role and this is my first extended experience of this interpretation of the character, having only heard him in his brief appearance in The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50. But Noonan is a great recast, getting the cadence and playfulness of Hartnell down really nicely whilst managing to add his own quirks to the role. There’s a great wryness to Noonan’s performance, allowing him to play off Treloar and Troughton perfectly. In fact, all three of our recast Doctors are firing on all cylinders and making the most out of getting to bounce of off each other.

Fans of The Mind Robber will find great glee in this story as it feels quite like a spiritual successor to that serial. There’s a greater focus on these surreal, mish-mash environments where the unexpected happens. One minute you could be running from a mob of zombies and fall right in to the grasp of embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins. Sure this surreal and absurdist nature makes the serial essentially un-filmable, but as a audio drama it really comes alive. Tim Steemson, who provides the score and sound design for the story, and director David O’Mahony work perfectly in tandem to create such a vivid world with great soundscapes and world-building throughout the two hours of run time.

This is a great return to the pure pulp era of Doctor Who, feeling very fast and high concept while maintaining a genuinely impressive sense of character dynamics where no-one gets left with nothing to do. Deathworld is pure fun, and a welcome addition to what have been two of the best Lost Stories releases to date.

10/10

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Review: Doctor Who –  Operation Werewolf

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