Doctor Who review: The Curator returns in Stranded: Lost Property
By James Aggas
The Doctor is stuck on Earth and living in London at the start of the brand new Doctor Who audio series Stranded. But luckily, he has help from a mysterious Curator…
The opening episode of Stranded – the new Doctor Who audio series focused on Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor – jumps right into the middle of things. At the end of the previous series Ravenous, the TARDIS was badly damaged and was only able to make one final trip – to London in the year 2020.
When Lost Property begins, it’s clear that the Doctor and his companions Liv and Helen have already been living in the city for some time. The Doctor is desperate to find a way to repair his ship and travel the universe once more. But this time, is he stuck on Earth for good?
From the very beginning, it’s clear that Stranded is set to be a series unlike any other in Doctor Who, whether on audio or even on the screen. We’ve seen the Doctor stranded on Earth before, but back then, he was occupied by helping UNIT fight off alien invasions. But at this point, UNIT is gone, and the Doctor has nothing to keep him occupied. No alien invasions to stop, no evil villains to defeat. Not even a sonic screwdriver to help him.
This is a bold take on Doctor Who. The first episode alone establishes Stranded as a series that lacks most of the essential elements of the show, with the exception of the Doctor and his companions. This is definitely risky, but it works extremely well. Putting the Doctor in a different kind of setting allows us to see brand new sides to him. At the very least, it highlights just how alien he really is. He isn’t used to living an ordinary life, and he certainly isn’t used to being a landlord.
Landlord from Gallifrey
This is one key idea that quickly becomes central to Stranded as a concept. Making the Doctor a landlord is a very strange idea for something like Doctor Who, and yet it’s introduced to the audience in a very natural way. It helps that the Doctor has long had his own place on Baker Street as a kind of home away from home in the Big Finish audios, so the Doctor living in London isn’t too strange of an idea. However, he is surprised to find that his old house has now been converted into flats.
With flats comes tenants, all of which are introduced in this opening episode. There are quite a few, but one that stands out the most is Tania Bell. Played by Rebecca Root, she quickly gets along well with the TARDIS crew – especially with one particular member. But is there more to her than meets the eye?
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The return of the Curator
It’s not just new characters that this episode features. In fact, it doesn’t even star just one Doctor. Because Lost Property features the return of the mysterious Curator, as played by Tom Baker. He has quite a major role here, which is definitely refreshing after his very brief appearance in The Day of the Doctor.
However, while many scenes feature this character, writer Matt Fitton makes sure to avoid ruining the mystery of him, too. He comes across as a wizard in a fairy tale, offering some help, but nothing too direct. It’s a return that works extremely well.
Lost Property is less about starting a brand new epic and more about establishing a new dynamic, instead. And honestly, that’s definitely the best way to go. Earlier Eighth Doctor series Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition, and Ravenous were all great to listen to. But after several epics, it’s refreshing to have a series begin with something more lowkey and intimate. An exciting first episode that acts as a strong reset for the Eighth Doctor and his team.
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Do you think Doctor Who can work without so many of its core elements, including both the TARDIS and the Sonic Screwdriver? Do you think the TV series could take this approach or is this something that is best done on audio? Let us know in the comments below.