Doctor Who review: Stranded 1 begins a completely fresh era for the Eighth Doctor
By James Aggas
The first box set of new Eighth Doctor series Stranded is different from anything else we’ve had in Doctor Who history.
Released last month, Doctor Who: Stranded 1 marks a completely fresh start for the Eighth Doctor. Since 2012, his audio adventures have mainly been told across big, epic series usually split up into four box sets of four episodes each. And in some ways, Stranded seems to follow the same format that Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition, and Ravenous did. But it’s also completely different from any of those.
The biggest reason for this is the series’s name. Stranded refers to the Eighth Doctor and his companions being stuck in modern-day London. He has no TARDIS and not even a sonic screwdriver to help him. Worse, he’s stuck in a time when UNIT has gone, so when the series begins, there’s nothing to occupy him.
The series asks a key question: What happens when you take virtually everything that makes Doctor Who out of Doctor Who? How far can you really push the boundaries of the series without breaking them? These are questions that Stranded 1 explores.
The Eighth Doctor is joined by friends old and new in this volume.
L to R: Hattie Morahan, Rebecca Root, Tom Price, Paul McGann and Nicola Walker.
Image Courtesy: Big Finish Productions.
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Needless to say, Big Finish is essentially exploring uncharted territory with this series. It could either go horribly wrong, or it could work brilliantly. So how well does Stranded 1 succeed?
The first thing that leaps out is how well it explores the Eighth Doctor. Across the past two decades, we’ve seen (or more accurately heard) the dark side of Paul McGann’s Doctor. We’ve seen him depressed. We’ve seen him angry, even full of rage. But we’ve never seen him so lost before.
In Stranded 1, the Doctor has almost lost his sense of purpose entirely. He knows he should be exploring the universe, fighting evil and injustice. Instead, he’s stuck on Earth and finds himself in the position of being a landlord. Never has he felt less true to who he really is.
The excellent episode Wild Animals by John Dorney perfectly highlights this. When one of his friends is attacked, the Doctor tries to do what he does best. But this isn’t the result of someone’s evil plan to rule the world, just a petty crime. So instead of the Doctor saving the day, he just keeps getting in the way. It’s a rather unusual glimpse at our hero that’s handled naturally and believably.
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New regulars
What also makes Stranded stand out as a series is that it features a large cast of regular characters. With his house on Baker Street having been turned into flats, the Doctor finds himself living with several other people. So we’ve got many different people to get to know over time.
There are many characters to keep an eye on, including Robin Bright-Thompson, who clearly shares a rather difficult relationship with his father. There’s also the mysterious Mr Bird, who might not be all that he seems.
But it’s Tania Bell who stands out the most. Played by Rebecca Root, she’s a rather interesting character who keeps one or two secrets herself. More than that, she shares a rather sweet relationship with one of the Doctor’s friends. So either way, it’s clear that she’s already a core part of this series.
Along with the residents of Baker Street, we also have Tom Price’s ever-lovable Torchwood character Sergeant Andy Davidson appear in this series. But why is he in London? And why is he so interested in the Doctor and why he’s there? The answers to these questions soon become very clear…
Stranded 1 is an extremely strong start to this series. In fact, it just might be the best opening box set for an Eighth Doctor series since Dark Eyes. While the final episode Divine Intervention certainly hints at bigger things to come, the low-key approach of this opening box set is more than welcome. Stranded 1 gives us something radically different not just to other Eighth Doctor series, but also to almost anything else in Doctor Who. As a result, it’s an extremely exciting fresh start, and we’re already eager to hear more.
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Have you listened to Stranded 1? Do you think it’s a strong start to the series? Do you think the TV series itself could take a similar approach to Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments below.