4.09 Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles - Shadow Of The Past (Dr. Who)

There is definitely a colder more formal feel to this story with Liz Shaw relating previous events to UNIT Sergeant Marshall in the darkened silent surroundings of a Whitehall military vault. It is the spaceship remains (held therein) and how it arrived on Earth that form the basis of a story that effectively brings memories of television stories to mind. These include initial radar detection (SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE) the opening of the rescued craft (AMBASSADORS OF DEATH) and the octopus like pilot (again SPEARHEAD) which are obviously points in the audio titles favour. However for the most part I felt that the Doctor was portrayed as an antihero whom largely has his own interests at heart by wishing to use the spaceship pilot to possibly help him to escape his Earth exile. In comparison to THE BLUE TOOTH (the previous Caroline John narrated story) this title lacked any degree of humour or pleasing period specific soundscape with the incidental music here being rather haunting restrained ethereal and with a degree of classical inference. Although not totally without merit or appeal I personally am relatively disappointed with what I feel is generally a fairly lacklustre 65min Third Doctor outing. There is however worthy contribution from director Lisa Bowerman in the 8 min CD Extras chat but I doubt this 73 min disc is one that I will be playing too often.