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Doctor Who Overview: ‘The Eighth Doctor Adventures’ (Season One)

By James Aggas

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After experiencing the earliest adventures of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller, we take a look at how successful their first season really was.

As I mentioned in my introduction to the first season, the most interesting element of The Eighth Doctor Adventures was how much it aimed to balance between the Classic Series and the New. While it couldn’t use any characters or events directly from the New Series, it could replicate its style. It could tell stories at a faster pace and aim to capture that modern feel. Now that I’ve finished re-listening to the first season, the main question is this: how successful was it at getting that balance?

The stories

At just 8 episodes, the season had a nice mix between single episodes and two-parters. The season began and ended with a two-parter, with four single episode length stories in the middle. How well did the season handle this new format, after years of telling stories in four-part serials?

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The single episodes were interesting to listen to. Some worked with the shortened length, some didn’t. I thought Horror of Glam Rock and Phobos used the format really well. They both packed in a lot, but they kept the stories simple enough to flow nicely across fifty minutes.

Personally speaking, I don’t think Immortal Beloved or No More Lies worked quite as well. I still enjoyed both, but I also feel they could’ve been better if they had been given a little more length. Immortal Beloved had a lot of ideas that needed some room to breathe. No More Lies had a key science-fiction element that could’ve benefited from more exploration.

As for the two-parters? In some ways, it’s not quite as drastic a move as the single episode stories. This is due to the fact that two episodes from this season would be roughly the same length as four episodes in a Classic season. And both Blood of the Daleks and Human Resources were really great stories to listen to.

Having said that, I think the latter was more successful at using the format. This is mainly due to the second half of the latter story changing gear quite considerably, which I don’t think is true of Blood. The New Series has usually aimed to tell make each episode of a two-parter distinct from each other. Human Resources was very effective in using this technique.

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Story arc

The story arc for The Eighth Doctor Adventures‘ first season was definitely inspired by the New Series. While previous arcs for the Eighth Doctor could be complicated and full of different strands – particularly with Zagreus and the Divergent Universe – this season kept things simple.

The main recurring element throughout most episodes was the Doctor and Lucie being tracked down by “the Headhunter”. Like “Bad Wolf” and “Torchwood” in series 1 and 2, she’s an arc element that doesn’t directly affect the plot of the episodes until towards the end of the season.

The most significant developments in the arc, perhaps unsurprisingly, occur at the beginning and end of the season. While it isn’t talked about as much in between, both Blood of the Daleks and Human Resources heavily explore Lucie’s story. Specifically, why she’s been put into a “witness protection programme” and why the Doctor has to look after her. And while I like the simplicity of the overall story arc, it’s how it sets up the character arc for the season that makes it so interesting.

Character arc

One of the most successful elements of this season – and of The Eighth Doctor Adventures as a whole – is the relationship between the Eighth Doctor and Lucie. It’s very different to the one he shared with Charley. It even stands out against the relationship Nine had with Rose.

What makes Eight and Lucie’s relationship stand out so well is that they don’t like each other, and yet there’s a good reason why they’re travelling together. It makes their relationship more interesting and more believable than other Doctor/companion relationships that were antagonistic.

Putting Lucie into a “witness protection programme” was a stroke of genius, especially the idea of the Doctor having to put up with her. Ordinarily, the Doctor wouldn’t ask someone like Lucie to travel with him. At the very least, she doesn’t come across as ideal companion material, not at first, anyway. It probably doesn’t help that, although it’s unspoken, he’s still likely recovering from the departures of both Charley and C’Rizz.

Hearing how their relationship develops over time is really rewarding to hear. It’s very gradual, but you can tell that they’re learning to like each other more and more over the course of the season. When they finally do admit to enjoying each other’s company, and they get to start travelling as friends, it’s a really rewarding moment.

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Lucie Miller

One more thing I adore about this season, and The Eighth Doctor Adventures in general? Lucie bleedin’ Miller. I absolutely love her, and a big part of that is down to how brilliant Sheridan Smith is in the role. Right from the first episode, she just nails it.

I think that a character like Lucie could have been very hard to like at times. Like Donna, she can be very loud and very angry, especially in her first episode. However, with strong writing and Smith’s performance, Lucie very quickly becomes endearing. Also like Donna, Lucie is one of my favourite companions of the past ten years. In both cases, a lot of it comes down to both the performance and the development that their characters go through. Lucie went through quite a character arc this season. But she’s still got plenty more to go through yet.

The Eighth Doctor

It’s a little trickier to write about my favourite Doctor compared to Lucie this season. In some ways, this season was a real revival for his character. After a long time of going through dark or depressing stories with Charley and C’Rizz, he comes across as more lively with Lucie.

But on the other hand, he doesn’t get a lot of significant development, either. While Paul McGann’s performance was as brilliant as ever, in terms of meaty drama, he wasn’t given a great deal of it this season. There were a few cool moments, of course. Especially in Phobos, where he got a couple of speeches that really stood out. But not much more than that.

However, with a new companion to introduce, it’s definitely understandable that the focus isn’t on him. And his Doctor will be explored much deeper in subsequent seasons, at least.

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The Time Lords

One final point I need to add: how well this season uses the Time Lords. They’re really the biggest reminder that this season is a prequel to the New Series. Everything else matches up to the style of the New Series really well. Even McGann’s Doctor feels like one that fits perfectly alongside the likes of Eccleston and Tennant.

So it’s great that the makers of this series decided to use the Time Lords so effectively. Especially as they hadn’t been seen in the Eighth Doctor’s stories since Zagreus. It’s also great to see them up to their old tricks, too. Specifically, interfering in the Doctor’s life and being as devious as ever.

It’s also wonderful to know that a lot of fans who had only watched the New Series before would have been discovering what the Time Lords were really like for the first time. Considering both Nine and Ten had spoken the world of them on TV at that point, the audience who hadn’t been exposed to the Classic Series probably would’ve been shocked at finding out just how controlling and deceitful they really were.

Overall verdict

The first season of The Eighth Doctor Adventures succeeds in what it set out to do. While it’s not perfect, it is a very effective balance of Classic and New. And it avoids using too much continuity, so it’s perfect for New Series fans to jump on board with. It’s not perfect, and it’s not the best season of the EDAs, but it is a lot of fun. It’s also a great revival for the Eighth Doctor and his stories.

Next: When can we expect the new Doctor Who companion to be announced?

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