The Morton Legacy by Justin Richards is the latest two-disc release in the Big Finish Doctor Who Early Adventures range. It’s a second Doctor story, with Fraser Hines voicing both the Doctor and Jamie, while the rest of the TARDIS crew consists of Anneke Wills as Polly Wright, with Elliot Chapman continuing his excellent run of recreations of Ben Jackson (originally played by Michael Craze).
As even the TARDIS has gone slightly off-course, this time the right city (London) but 10 years too early. They quickly become embroiled in the hunt for the TARDIS (quickly stolen by nefarious persons) and to the antiquarian Josiah Morton (David Sibley) and daughter Jemma (Kerry Gooderson). This then leads to involvement in a set of mysterious deaths and the realisation something unnatural is stalking the streets of London.
Where this story works well is by giving all the cast a meaningful part in the story, adding in some good authentic local villains and treading a line between is it a supernatural story or are there more alien influences. At various times there are kidnappings, threats, police involvement and some rough and tumble, along with the ever-present threat of sudden death. The story keeps the pieces in play but first and foremost entertains. Jamie even gets a near-romance with Jemma, played with just the right amount of youthful ambition, as it might have been in the early 1970s.
This particular TARDIS crew are now very used to working together, and the recasting of Ben Jackson has helped flesh out this less-explored era well. Elliot is one of the team and the whole piece feels very much of its era. The setting helps, but there’s a lot more to this than just yet another Victorian London adventure.
Even if some of the ingredients are very familiar, this range is becoming a must-listen, rivalling the main range itself for the quality and range of stories.
THE MORTON LEGACY (DOCTOR WHO) / AUTHOR: JUSTIN RICHARDS / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / STARRING: ANNEKE WILLS, FRASER HINES, ELLIOT CHAPMAN, DAVID SIBLEY, KERRY GOODERSON, EWAN BAILEY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
