Doctor Who writer spotlight: Simon Guerrier – A fresh perspective on early eras

We look at Simon Guerrier’s Doctor Who stories, particularly those written focused around the first two Doctors, and look at what makes him such an effective writer for those early eras.

This month saw the release of the new Doctor Who audio story The Home Guard. Focusing on the Second Doctor against the Master, I was confident that this would be a really solid story. Not just because it was part of The Early Adventures, which is usually extremely consistent. Not even because it was directed by Lisa Bowerman, who’s handled many strong stories for Big Finish over the years. But what made me more confident about the release, more than anything, was who had written it: Simon Guerrier.

When it comes to stories set during the eras of the Sixties Doctors, one of the strongest and most consistent writers today has to be Simon Guerrier. Over the years, he’s written a large number of First and Second Doctor stories for both The Companion Chronicles and The Early Adventures. And while he’s written for other Doctors and other series (including Bernice Summerfield and Graceless, the latter of which he’s written for in its entirety), I just want to focus on his stories set during Doctor Who‘s earlier seasons, and why they work so well.

The first key reason is authenticity. Guerrier knows his Sixties Who. He knows what stories work for those Doctors and what doesn’t. What stories they would have told and what they wouldn’t have.

For the most part, Guerrier gives us stories that we could easily imagine watching on-screen with Hartnell and Troughton playing the Doctor. He doesn’t make them full of action or too fast-paced, but gives us stories that allow the characters, the plot and the drama plenty of room to breathe. He also knows how to create worlds that feel completely authentic, and has mastered the art of the slow burn. (The Yes Men and The Home Guard definitely stand out as strong examples of this.)

Early encounters

However, I said that they’re authentic for the most part. Because Guerrier’s stories usually include something just a little different that allows them to feel completely fresh. Nothing too much, just something that makes them stand out in the best ways possible.

This could be something as simple as earlier encounters with well-known enemies. I’ve already mentioned that The Home Guard features the Second Doctor with the Master, which is exciting itself. As many fans of the Classic Series know, the Master wasn’t introduced in Doctor Who until Jon Pertwee’s era, so it’s nice to get a glimpse of their earlier encounters.

Another example is the excellent First Doctor story The Sontarans. When they were first introduced in Jon Pertwee story The Time Warrior, it was established that the Doctor had met them before. So it’s fascinating to get a kind of “introduction story” for them. It’s also a refreshingly dark take on them compared to what we’ve seen in the New Series.

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Companions old and new

But it’s not just returning monsters or villains that make Guerrier’s stories stand out. It’s the companions, too. Throughout The Companion Chronicles, he’s written many stories that explored what happened to early companions like Steven Taylor and Zoe Heriot after their travels with the Doctor had ended. What did they get up to next? How did they adjust to their new lives? Even Sara Kingdom has been explored in such a way, and if you’re wondering why, give Home Truths a listen. (Seriously, listen to it, it’s absolutely brilliant.)

But I think Guerrier’s greatest achievement has been the Oliver Harper trilogy. Not simply because it gave us a new companion for the First Doctor. But because it handles a key issue from the Sixties in a rather brilliant way. I won’t spoil what it is, but I will say that it helps make the stories feel true to their era, while at the same time, explores something that would never have been directly explored in Doctor Who during that time. It’s a nice balance between authentic and modern storytelling, and a key example of why Simon Guerrier is one of the best writers for the earliest Doctors’ adventures on audio.

Have you listened to Simon Guerrier’s stories? Do you agree that he handles the First and Second Doctors’ eras particularly well? What do you think is essential for stories set during the early years of Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments below.