DOCTOR WHO: OUT OF TIME
Teeth and curls meets sandshoes
RELEASED AUGUST 74 minutes | CD/download
Publisher Big Finish
Multi-Doctor stories can be tricky things: for every punch-the-air moment in “The Day Of The Doctor” there’s a head-in-hands scene in “The Two Doctors”. It’s exciting to see our heroes on-screen together, but it’s all too easy for the resulting stories to be a fan-pleasing mess. Fortunately, Big Finish has hit the right mark with the first of its new series of multi-Doctor adventures, Out Of Time. It’s the beginning of a trilogy, each featuring two different Doctors, and this one stars Tom Baker and David Tennant – a fan-pleasing combination if ever there was one.
The Tenth Doctor, still trying to outrun his upcoming regeneration, visits the Cathedral of Contemplation, a piece of architecture that exists outside of time, opening doors and offering views around the universe. While picking locks he stumbles upon the Fourth Doctor, taking time out after “The Deadly Assassin” to paint a fresco and make a friend. Unfortunately, said friend is on the run from both her father and his enemies, the Daleks, both of whom come knocking.
It’s a decent adventure tale, fast-paced when it needs to be, yet still with time for moments of poignancy as each Doctor faces either his future or past self. While the Fourth Doctor is relaxed about Ten’s existence implying his own future “death”, Ten himself worries about losing “everything I am” to regeneration.
The Daleks are underused, but serve to highlight the difference between the Doctors, with Ten having come to the conclusion that (contrary to what Donna once said) he shouldn’t be stopped from making the terrible decisions. Well worth a listen for fans of either incarnation. Rhian Drinkwater
In the ’70s, a young David Tennant got Tom Baker to sign The Doctor Who Monster Book at Glasgow’s John Menzies.