This Sixth Doctor and Mel audio is a story I don’t remember enjoying much on first listen.  I remembered that Mel was thrown back in time and that the Doctor and her uncle went to rescue her, but not much more.  A second listen has made me appreciate it a little more but, as a whole, it still lacks something.

The Doctor and Mel visit Mel’s uncle, John Hallam at the National Foundation for Scientific Research (which is based in the family home of Hallam Hall).  Through a combination of the TARDIS’ telepathic circuits and a special metal alloy created by John, Mel is thrown back in time to the 18th century.  Dazed and confused, she ends up spending six months shut away in the attic of Henry Hallam, her ancestor, until the Doctor and John finally catch up with her.

At the core of this story is a time paradox.  Mel learns of the existence of the mysterious Eleanor Hallam from her uncle’s research into their family history.  On being sent back in time, Mel becomes Eleanor Hallam and, for a paradox to be avoided, the Doctor believes, initially, that Mel must live out her days in the 18th century until Eleanor’s reported death in 1811.

However, unlike Evelyn’s family-related time paradox in The Marian Conspiracy, Catch-1782 is a far more gentle and leisurely affair.  Central to the story is the idea of the ‘mad woman in the attic’ – a common 18th/19th century element of fiction (Jane Eyre, for example).  This is history at a family, personal level.  In a way, this is family genealogy written as a vaguely science fiction adventure.  Mel gets to meet her ancestor and solve a family mystery, whilst becoming part of her family’s murky past herself.

Overall, it is an enjoyable story but it lacks urgency and pace.  The cliffhangers are oddly placed (something which I sometimes find with Big Finish) and there are some frustrating character beats (most notably, the Doctor discovering Mel, who has just suffered six months of drug-induced confusion and is incredibly distraught, and then leaving her locked in the attic whilst he goes and sorts stuff out).

The performances are all very good; particularly Keith (Time-Flight) Drinkel as Henry Hallam – a sensitive and subtle portrayal of a man sent mad with grief and desperately clinging on to any scrap of love he can manufacture for himself.  Derek Benfield is a lot of fun as John Hallam and complements the Doctor nicely as his temporary companion in Mel’s absence.

This is another audio too which cements Bonnie Langford’s ability as an actress.  I’ve always considered Langford unfairly maligned by fandom.  Stereotyped by fans and scriptwriters alike in the 1980s, Big Finish have allowed her to prove she is a consummate actress and capable of delivering a believable character (particularly in this story where she is called upon to deliver some pretty extreme emotions.  At no point does her performance seem strained or over the top). What many fans never seemed to understand is that the ‘pantomime’ aspect they were so scared by (which isn’t really present in Doctor Who truly) reflects a strand of theatre which is incredibly hard work and to be good actually requires actors to be at the top of their game – something evidenced by the recent flurry of names such as Sir Ian McKellen stepping into pantomime during the Christmas season.

Of course, Catch-1782 is as far from pantomime as it is possible to get (have a listen to The One Doctor if you want to hear pantomimic Doctor Who done incredibly well) but I am eternally grateful to Big Finish for rehabilitating Melanie and Bonnie in the eyes of fandom – and to Bonnie for agreeing to return to the role.

One thing about Catch-1782 I find odd is the cover of the CD.  I’ve never been able to work out what/who the figure standing is supposed to be.  Even on second listen I’m not entirely sure.  I assume it is meant to be a ghostly version of ‘Eleanor Hallam’ who’s voice is heard in Episode 1 (although this bleed-through from the past is never really explained later in the story, it’s a reasonable assumption that this is Mel crying out for help after being stranded in 1782).  That said, the open locket with images of the Doctor and Mel is a nice reflection of the romantic angle although maybe a picture of Henry Hallam instead of the Doctor would have made more sense, story-wise.