Since 2021, Christopher Eccleston’s been reprising his role as the Ninth Doctor in an ongoing series of audio dramas for Big Finish Productions. And while it’s been nice having Eccleston back in the world of Doctor Who, the range itself has been kind of a mixed bag. An ongoing collection of mostly standalone stories set sometime before the Ninth Doctor’s televised appearances, mostly without any real character arcs or ongoing plots. And while Big Finish’s latest release doesn’t change any of that, Doctor Who: Travel in Hope shows off just how fun their ongoing Ninth Doctor range can be. Doctor Who: Travel in Hope delivers a trilogy of tense, farcical, and thrilling stories. There’s something for everyone here – a bit of horror, a bit of comedy, and a bit of political intrigue, all tied together by one of Eccleston’s strongest performances to date.
Below There by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle
Vyx (Kelly Adams) works in total isolation aboard a teleport relay station. She spends her days keeping the relay online and caring for the station. But something weird is happening aboard the station. Mysterious voices come across the comms, strange figures float in the emptiness of space, and horrific dreams haunt Vyx’s sleep. She’s at the end of her rope. Until she receives a call from the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), who wants to help her get to the bottom of things before something catastrophic happens. Below There leans heavily on claustrophobic paranoia, with the Doctor and Vyx initially doubting Vyx’s visions. But before long, things take a hard turn into true sci-fi thriller territory. It’s a haunting, creepy story buoyed by breathtaking performances from Adams and Eccleston.
Doctor Who’s got a long history of base-under-siege stories, and Below There slots in perfectly among the crowd. Mooney and Pringle’s script luxuriates in the unsettling unease of the situation, playing up Vyx’s increasing paranoia and uncertainty before eventually diving headfirst into some Alien-style horror. For as creepy as the story is, it ends up being more of a haunting character study than an out-and-out horror piece. An examination of how crippling isolation can be – with a very Doctor Who outer coating wrapped around it. Eccleston is at the top of his game here; slightly threatening, endearingly enigmatic, and wholly reassuring. His rapport with Adams’ Vyx elevates the story into something special. A true two-hander in every sense of the word.
All in all, Below There is a nearly perfect opening story to this box set. A thrilling, emotional ride elevated by some outstanding performances and a startlingly atmospheric soundtrack from composer Howard Carter. It’s a story that’s well worth revisiting over and over again. (9.5/10)
The Butler Did It by James Moran
When the Doctor arrives at a spaceship repair station to get the TARDIS repaired, he stumbles across a crime in progress. An old friend of his, and one of the last of their species, has just been poisoned – and the culprit is somewhere in the station. It’s up to the Doctor and the station’s nurse, Myra (Emma Swan), to unmask the would-be murderer and find an antidote for those poisoned before it’s too late. The Butler Did It’s got big Agatha Christie vibes. A quasi-farcical murder mystery buoyed by delightfully silly performances from Eccleston and Swan. It offers a nice, lighthearted breather after Below There’s intensity. Not a total homerun, but fun enough. If you’re a fan of the Tenth Doctor episode, The Unicorn and the Wasp, then you’ve got a good idea of what to expect.
The Ninth Doctor isn’t quite as natural a sleuth as the Tenth Doctor, but Eccleston gives it his all. His performance is very tongue-in-cheek – in the most delightful way possible. Myra steps in as this episode’s companion, and Swan pairs nicely with Eccleston. Both of them give quite light, silly performances, but they’re still a lot of fun together. If anything, Moran’s script doesn’t quite flesh out Myra enough. But you can easily forgive a murder mystery pastiche for having a few archetypal characters. The one big issue is that the culprit is pretty obvious. The moment you meet them, they come across as unbearably villainous. So, most of the episode feels like you’re just waiting for the Doctor and Myra to figure out the obvious. It’s not a big enough issue to wholly wreck the story, but it’s a bummer.
Still, The Butler Did It offers a fun pastiche of Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries. It’s light, funny, and deeply tongue-in-cheek. (8/10)
Run by Robert Valentine
Afraid of a future where the corrupt Bellatrix Vega (Jane Asher) rules over the Galactic Federation, the Doctor convinces the newly elected representative of Alpha Centauri (Jane Goddard) to run against her. But the Doctor and Alpha Centauri face an uphill battle filled with deception, political intrigue, and assassination attempts. After all, how can you run a clean campaign when your opponent knows every dirty trick in the book? Run offers a perfect mixture of Classic Doctor Who worldbuilding and Ninth Doctor-era political satire. One part origin story for a fan-favorite character and one part political thriller, Run is an enjoyable ride – even if it doesn’t always hit the mark. If you liked the kind of broad political commentary found in previous Ninth Doctor episodes, like season 1’s Aliens of London/World War Three, then you’re in for a treat here.
Run is a perfect blending of old and new Doctor Who. It tells the origin story of Alpha Centauri – the first time they met the Doctor and how they rose to prominence within the Galactic Federation. But it’s also a tense, action-packed political thriller. The downside is that the social commentary is extremely broad – even for Doctor Who. Vega is the archetypal despot; a politician so brazen and unlikable that it’s hard to fathom exactly why she’s so popular. And in that regard, it’s quite a realistic portrayal of modern-day politics. But at the same time, Valentine’s script does startlingly little with the idea. And for a story like this, one that’s very Star Trek in its structure, painting with such broad strokes feels like a major missed opportunity. Asher delivers the best performance she can, but she’s given little material other than villainous monologues to work with.
That being said, Run delivers where it counts. Eccleston and Goddard carry the bulk of their stories on their backs, with Goddard being particularly good here as Alpha Centauri. As a standalone story, it’s fun enough – even if it feels both rushed and painfully slow at times. But its real success lies in its exploration of Alpha Centauri’s early days. It’s not perfect, but it’s enjoyable. (7.5/10)
Final Thoughts
Overall, Doctor Who: Travel in Hope delivers a nice variety of standalone stories. You’ve got a bit of claustrophobic horror, a farcical murder mystery, and a tense political thriller. For what they are, all three stories are quite enjoyable. And they slot in perfectly alongside the Ninth Doctor’s TV appearances. It still feels weird seeing the Ninth Doctor without a companion. It’s not that Eccleston can’t carry the stories on his own – far from it. It’s just that the Doctor really works best when paired with somebody they can grow with. All of these one-off companions are nice, but the range could really do with a proper regular costar.
As is, Eccleston does some of his best work as the Ninth Doctor here, showing exactly how varied his Doctor can be. Between his performance and a trilogy of pretty solid scripts, Doctor Who: Travel in Hope offers a perfect jumping-on point for new listeners and a lovely revisit with an old friend for everyone else. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s still worth a listen.
Doctor Who: Travel in Hope is available now on the Big Finish website.
While the lack of ongoing character arcs and plots continues to hinder the range, Big Finish's latest entry in their Ninth Doctor series, "Doctor Who: Travel in Hope", delivers a trilogy of tense, farcical, and thrilling audio dramas. Led by a gangbuster performance from Christopher Eccleston, it offers a great reminder of how fun the Ninth Doctor range can be.
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GVN Rating 8.5
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