‘Four From Doom’s Day’ is a compilation of four audiobooks from a ‘Doctor Who’ spin-off featuring a character called Doom. She is a hired assassin who meets some famous companions and monsters from the world of ‘Doctor Who’. They are all written by Darren Jones and are part of a multi-platform ‘Doom’s Day’. The release is part of a celebration of sixty years of ‘Doctor Who’. The title is a play on a ‘Doctor Who’ adventure from 1982, when Peter Davison played the Time Lord.
The first story, ‘The Steel Cascade’, harks back to the origins of ‘Doctor Who’ as it catches up with original companions Ian and Barbara, who were kidnapped by the First Doctor in 1963. This story finds them on board a cruise ship, happily relaxing with some reading material. Before long, Doom meets them and plunges them into a perilous adventure. The story is read by Sooz Kempner who has played Doom as part of the BBC’s project. Her reading doesn’t suggest that she has seen many of the episodes featuring Ian and Barbara. The story is written and delivered in the flippant style of the current series, which jars with the more sinister, black and white era.
The second story is called ‘The Martian Dilemma’, which is read with energy by Jaye Griffiths. She is a more engaging narrator that Kempner, and the whispering, hoarse Ice Warrior voices and sound effects give the adventure some menace. It is set on the Ice Warrior’s home planet of Mars.
The second LP comprises two stories featuring the Ood, monsters that were created for the new ‘Doctor Who’ series. Silas Carson delivers ‘An Ood Halloween’, which is set in America during the holiday that the nation enjoys most of all. Carson’s American accents and array of voices are entertaining enough and there is a nod to the Paul McGann TV movie from 1996 that fans will enjoy.
The final story, ‘Dark Space’, takes place on an alien planet in the far future. Admirers of Peter Capaldi’s sunglasses-wearing incarnation of the Doctor will enjoy his character’s appearance in the story as Doom encounters the Time Lord as the TARDIS coincidentally arrives on the scene. Kempner’s Scottish accent breathes some life into the Twelfth Doctor.
The seemingly endless array of ‘Doctor Who’ spin-offs can be difficult for casual fans to keep on top of. There’s a dizzying number of audio adventures, some of which can feel like fan fiction. Much of ‘Doctor Who: Four from Doom’s Day’ comes across in this way, especially for a reviewer who hasn’t seen the show for fifteen years. The new series has always left me cold, and these stories didn’t grab me either. Nevertheless, I’m not the intended audience for this release. ‘Doctor Who’ fans who have embraced every era and iteration of the show that constantly reinvents itself may find plenty to enjoy in ‘Doctor Who: Four from Doom’s Day’. The four original audio adventures are released on two 140g LPs that are translucent purple and translucent blue.
Cast: Sooz Kempner, Silas Carson, Jaye Griffiths Writer: Darren Jones Released by: Demon Music Group Release date: September 2023 Buy ‘Doctor Who: Four from Doom’s Day’
