This terrific collection of five unabridged audiobooks from the classic range of ‘Doctor Who’ Target novelisations will delight any fan of the original 1963-89 science-fiction series.
There are two adventures featuring the First Doctor, played on screen by William Hartnell, plus one each for the Second (Patrick Troughton), Third (Jon Pertwee) and Fourth (Tom Baker) Doctors. Back in the 1970s and 80s, before commercial videos were widely available, this range of novelisations was the only way for fans to remember or experience for the first time stories from the show’s past.
For many people, and I include myself in this august group, these ‘Doctor Who’ books instilled in us a lifelong love of reading. I retain my collection of paperbacks for sentimental reasons, but never have the time to dip in any longer. Thus, these audiobooks, narrated by some top British talent, are a wonderful way to open the door to childhood nostalgia and enliven a commute!
‘Marco Polo’ was novelised by the original screenwriter John Lucarotti, and it was recorded by Zienia Merton (1945-2018) who played Ping-Cho in the 1964 serial. It is a great choice to have an original cast member bring to life Lucarotti’s story. A missing classic, junked from the BBC archives in the 1970s and never found since, ‘Marco Polo’ looms large in the imaginations of many fans. The First Doctor befriends the Venetian explorer in the Thirteenth Century as they encounter Kublai Khan on their journey along the fabled Silk Road. The enjoyable historical story was only the fourth adventure ever to be broadcast, and it tops my most-wanted list to see the episodes recovered.
It is easier to spot the differences between the novelisation and the broadcast version of the next story, ‘The War Machines’, as the episodes still exist in the archives. Coming towards the end of William Hartnell’s three-year run, it introduced new companions Ben and Polly, and hastily wrote out Dodo. Set at what was then the new Post Office Tower, the story saw a supercomputer using human slave labour to construct a mighty army of machines to take over the world. Famously, WOTAN, the villainous computer, demands that “Doctor Who is required”, a silly mistake by the script editor. This is corrected to “The Doctor is required” in the novel. Similarly, an on-screen reference comparing the Doctor’s physical appearance with long white hair to that of a certain DJ who has since irreparably damaged the BBC brand wisely does not make it into the novelisation. It is read by Michael Cochrane, who is an unusual choice since he has no connection to the story (he twice guested in the show in the 1980s – in ‘Black Orchid’ and ‘Ghost Light’). Nevertheless, he has an authoritative, gravelly voice and an understanding of the series, so he brings to life this story that enjoyably captures London during the Swinging Sixties.
Where ‘The War Machines’ introduced Ben and Polly, ‘The Faceless Ones’ saw them depart the TARDIS crew when a new Doctor (Patrick Troughton) had established himself. Rather like Dodo in the previous story, they sadly depart at the end of an adventure that sidelines them for much of it. At least they have an on-screen farewell scene (unlike poor Dodo). However tumultuous the era of the show was, Anneke Wills, who played Polly, still retains affection for her time on it, and she lends her silky voice to the recording of this audiobook. For that reason alone, it is a standout favourite amongst this collection. I remember devouring this title whilst on holiday with my parents in 1987, and it will always have a place in my heart! Terrance Dicks, who wrote the novelisation, is often criticised for the brevity of his books. But he deserves enormous credit here for bringing an unwieldy and over-long seven episodes down into a tight adventure. The contemporary setting of Gatwick Airport warrants its place in this collection of Earth adventures.
The Third Doctor classic ‘The Ambassadors of Death’ is Terrance Dicks at his finest. His descriptions of the way the Doctor takes charge of every scene immediately brings Jon Pertwee’s authoritative performance to mind. He grants his reader some background context as to why the Doctor is stranded on Earth, having had his knowledge of time travel confiscated from him. This instalment is narrated by Geoffrey Beevers, who later played the Master in the Tom Baker serial ‘The Keeper of Traken’. As the widower of Caroline John, who plays companion Liz Shaw in this adventure, he is a welcome choice as narrator. In fact, out of the principal cast members, there is nobody now left, but this recording is a fine way to honour an excellent ‘Doctor Who’ adventure. Only one year on from the moon landings, this creepy story about astronauts who go missing en route to Mars piqued interest at the time, and that need to explore and overcome our fear of the unknown remain common human impulses.
If Geoffrey Beevers was a fine choice for the last one because of his expertise in voice work, then the same is true for Michael Kilgarriff who narrates ‘The Seeds of Doom’ by Philip Hinchcliffe, which rounds out this collection. Only Tom Baker remains from the original 1976 cast. Kilgarriff played several prominent roles in ‘Doctor Who’, giving voice to the giant robot in Tom Baker’s first story and the Cyber Controller in ‘Revenge of the Cybermen’. His deep and resonant voice is a great choice for an audiobook, and he ably whisks readers off to Antarctica where a scientific expedition has just dug a pod from its long entombment in ice. What could possibly go wrong when the pod germinates? The adventure is one of the highest-rated of all, and the producer of the era who brought it to screen, Philip Hinchcliffe, does an outstanding job of translating the scripts into a novelisation.
All of these audiobooks are well-produced. The sound quality is excellent and mood music and effects are well-chosen and always augment the story rather than intrude upon it. Listening to these recordings by experts in their field, I’m reminded why I fell in love with these novelisations all those decades ago. Running to 19 hours, there is so much to enjoy in ‘Doctor Who – The Third Earth Adventures Collection' that it gets a massive and unequivocal thumbs up from me. These great adventure stories capture everything that was unique and brilliant about the original series.
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK audio Publication date: 2nd January 2025 Buy ‘Doctor Who – The Third Earth Adventures Collection’
