Doctor Who review: No Place is a spooky story for the Tenth Doctor and Donna
By James Aggas
The Noble family takes part in a rather unusual home improvement show in No Place, the opening episode to Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume 3.
With the recent release of Donna Noble: Kidnapped!, I thought it was long overdue for me to review the third volume of The Tenth Doctor Adventures. Starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna, the series aims to tell brand new stories with this iconic duo in Doctor Who, while still aiming to capture the essence of the stories that made them such a great pairing in the first place.
The third volume gets off to a strong start. Not only does No Place feature the Doctor and Donna investigating some spooky goings-on (while also finding themselves part of a TV show called “Haunted Makeovers”), but they’ve brought the family to join them. Specifically, Donna’s mother Sylvia (Jacqueline King) and her grandfather Wilfred (Bernard Cribbins).
It’s an absolute joy to hear the Noble family reunited, for the first time in almost a decade. Sylvia and Wilf were such a huge part of Series 4, so it’s fantastic to hear them return once more. What’s particularly interesting is that, while Sylvia is as critical of both her daughter and the Doctor as ever, we do get to hear more of her nice side in this story. Particularly around Haunted Makeovers’s host, Justin (Noel Fry). She can be abrupt with him at times, but she can also be understanding, almost caring, even. Certainly, she does her best to keep everyone safe, something she’s naturally worried about whenever the Doctor is involved in something.
Not only do David Tennant and Catherine Tate feature in this audio, but Jacqueline King and Bernard Cribbins also feature as the rest of the Noble family…
Image Courtesy Tony Whitmore, Big Finish Productions
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Ghost story
Unsurprisingly, there’s a rather effective ghost story told in No Place. One of James Goss’s strengths as a writer is horror. Some of the best Doctor Who and Torchwood audios he’s written are firmly within that genre. (Including Ghost Walk, one of the best Fifth Doctor audios out there.) So it’s nice to hear another strong example of it, one that’s rather rich in atmosphere and presents a spooky listen.
Of course, this being Doctor Who, there’s a little more to it than your typical ghost story. But not too much more, it has to be said. When the explanations are given, Goss makes sure not to reveal too much, and focuses more on the emotional aspect of the story rather than the scientific one.
No Place is a strong opening story for the third set of The Tenth Doctor Adventures. An effective ghost story that captures the feeling of Series 4 perfectly. Fans wanting to hear more of the Noble family will surely enjoy this one.
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Have you listened to No Place? What are your thoughts on it? Are you a fan of ghost stories? Let us know in the comments below.