Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Paul McGann, Rakhee Thakrar, Michael Jayston, Nicholas Briggs, Adèle Anderson, Wendy Craig, Andrew Fettes, Raj Ghatak, Natalie Gumede, Anjli Mohindra, Jamie Newall, Jude Owusu, John Scougall, Venice Van Someren, Nina Wadia, Tracey Wiles.

If ever there was an arc of stories that deserved to be told for television within the Doctor Who universe, then The Time War would surely be the set that the fandom would overwhelmingly clamour, would petition in their droves to have given precedence over all others.

The Time War is steeped in its own mythos, it is one that exemplifies the narrative of the period in which the long running serial was off the air due to decisions typical short-sightedness, even maliciousness, of certain individuals at the heart of the corporation who were never fully behind the idea of giving all the type of stories that fed the imagination; but to which in their own undisguised hatred of the show actually gave it one of its most iconic, and treasured legends.

Thanks, be then to Big Finish on being the ones who can do more than allude to the slaughter between the Timelords and The Daleks and the Doctor’s involvement as the free thinking and voice of reason hero behind the scenes.

That suggests though that the mad man in the blue box is in control, and as all decently proposed arcs of fiction can attest, the one who endeavours to not be reduced to losing their soul in the fight, is often the one who is routinely devoured by the scenes they witness, the crimes they observe; it is almost as if they are the true criminals on trial, for they had the opportunity to stop the insanity of war, but instead chose to only help where they could.

The third box set of four tales from the pens of Matt Fitton, Lisa McMullin, Roland Moore, and John Dorney find a place to show that by design of being a conscious objector, a voice that is frustrated by both sides lack of will for dialogue, actually means The Doctor could be seen as the architect of his own downfall towards the end of the war.

There is though the fierce understanding that war displaces reason and the latest companion, the independent but loyal Bliss is pushed to that edge of reason by finding out just how close her every possible decision could lead to her becoming in time a megalomaniac bent on changing the timeline in her favour, or even the appearance of one person from the Doctor’s past can also be one to whom redemption is a scenario that they have to work at forever.

In State Of Bliss, The Famished Lands, Fugitive In Time, and The War Valeyard, Big Finish set the scene to shine a light on a different circumstance of mind, one in the excesses of conflict can be seen to wipe a slate clean of blood but which can also prove to the presumed most innocent that they are indeed the one to whom judgement is most reserved.

As with what follows in the first two tales of the fourth set of tales, The War Valeyard is one of the most interesting and illuminating of unveilings, and with Michael Jayston reprising his role as a future incarnation of The Doctor, so the listener is given the chance to see a person battle with their own duality when faced with the consequences of battle and how they might save even one soul; it is to this event that Michael Jayston once more recaptures the essence of the character, but also adds an element of humanity which was missing from The Trial Of A Timelord, the one spark that the watcher of the time might find an ounce of sympathy for. 

With terrific performances by the likes of Nina Wadia, Wendy Craig, Anjli Mohindra, and Rakhee Thakrar all giving Paul McGann their upmost support, the third box set of The Time War is one that adds yet another layer to one of the finest arcs and instances of Doctor Who history.

Ian D. Hall