Doctor Who review: Jago & Litefoot join the Sixth Doctor in Voyage to Venus
By James Aggas
In a rather special Doctor Who audio, the Doctor’s old friends Jago & Litefoot become his companions on a Voyage to Venus!
Voyage to Venus is something special. While it’s listed as a Doctor Who story, the adventure is one of two stories that take place directly between series 4 and 5 of the spin-off series Jago & Litefoot. As such, the Sixth Doctor’s two new companions have just as much importance in this story as the Doctor himself.
It’s rather fitting that – rather than visit Skaro or Gallifrey, or even a brand new world on the other side of the universe – Jago & Litefoot’s first trip in the TARDIS takes them to somewhere much closer to home. Or, in this case, within their own solar system. It suits their era really well, when science-fiction was more likely to focus on life on Mars or Venus than anywhere outside of our solar system.
It’s also so much fun to get a typical Doctor Who adventure as seen through the eyes of Jago & Litefoot. Their excitement at visiting an alien world is marvelous to hear, while Jago’s trouble of understanding the basic concepts of time travel is hilarious. It’s far from a typical adventure for them, but considering how macabre their cases often are, it’s nice that they get to experience something a little lighter, at least.
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Venusian mythology
Along with writing a sci-fi story that’s just a little bit old-school, Jonathan Morris also makes sure to have plenty of fun tying Voyage to Venus to the larger Doctor Who universe. In the Classic Series – particularly during the Third Doctor’s era – the Doctor had made many mentions of his previous trips to Venus. Here, in this story, many of those references get fleshed out, which many fans will appreciate. In particular, there’s a rather satisfying moment that reveals why the Third Doctor’s “Venusian lullaby” seemed to have a rather recognizable tune…
But Voyage to Venus is more than just a mix of continuity. It’s an excellent sci-fi adventure story, one filled with plenty of twists and turns. There’s a particularly great one halfway through that moves the story from old-school sci-fi into something that’s just a little more modern, and it works rather well.
Overall, the first of the Doctor’s travels with Jago & Litefoot is a lovely little crossover. It combines the best of both worlds for all three characters and uses each of its leads extremely well while telling a solid sci-fi adventure story. An extremely enjoyable listen.
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Have you listened to Voyage to Venus? Do you think it was a solid adventure for the Sixth Doctor and Jago & Litefoot? Did you enjoy its mix of old-school and modern storytelling? Let us know in the comments below.