The Second Doctor has a rather unique flavour that’s challenging to capture. Troughton’s Doctor was very much a product of its age, and combined highly imaginative and free flowing story telling with a sense that anything was possible (provided it was within budget). What Big Finish have done is rather remarkable; they’ve bottled the pure excitement of The Second Doctor, and made it new, fresh and exciting whilst keeping the classic vibe.
The plot is anything but straightforward; The Black Hole is a tale of science gone awry and time-distortion. The basics revolved around the titular Black Hole which is causing time to stand still on a research space station. The Doctor and his companions (Victoria and Jamie) are unaffected, of course. Along for the ride are Commander Flail and the Time Lord Constable Pavo, played by the rather marvellous Rufus Hound, who spends much of the production chewing the scenery. The tale is long and fairly complicated, with plenty of surprises peppered along the way. It all feels like a proper piece of old fashioned ‘60s style telefantasy.
The production is of the superb quality we’ve come to expect from Big Finish. The entire affair is evocative of the Troughton period and the acting is superb throughout. Hines puts in a superb performance as both Troughton and Jamie, and Deborah Watling picks up the role of Victoria effortlessly. It’s hard not feel a twinge of nostalgia when listening to The Black Hole.
At two hours, this particular slice of Doctor Who is just long enough to evoke both the past and also innovate new things in familiar spaces. Who fans of all kinds will lap this up.
DOCTOR WHO EARLY ADVENTURES 2.3: THE BLACK HOLE / DIRECTOR: LISA BOWERMAN / AUTHOR: SIMON GUERRIER / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / STARRING: FRAZER HINES, DEBORAH WATLING, RUFUS HOUND, DAVID WARNER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
