The Nightmare of Black Island

📝6.2/10 = ACCEPTABLE!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: “THE NIGHTMARE OF BLACK ISLAND”

Anthony Stewart Head narrates the tenth New Series Adventures release by Mike Tucker. This is a maritime adventure with stormy seas, secret caverns, a dark forest, and a remote lighthouse island—like a Nu Who take on The Sea Devils or Horror of Fang Rock.

The story begins building a murky atmosphere right away and introduces the monsters who wait behind every corner but only come out at night. Eventually, we bump into familiar elements—a group of normal people stuck in an abnormal situation, a mysterious person (old, gaunt, and wheelchair-bound) leading suspicious scientific projects under the guise of running a nursing home.

Rose wanders off to get in danger, driven by strange dreams she's had. She allies herself with Ali, a pretty annoying girl. Ten spends most of the story investigating on his own before pursuing back to save Rose. Except for Ali and Bronwyn, the supporting characters are hardly memorable.

Morton is a very generic villain type, down to the disability schtick. He gets the job done but lacks deeper character.

You could be fooled into thinking that this adventure would involve the Sea Devils, but the clue’s in the title. The monsters are nightmares created by the children in the area and controlled by reptilian aliens.

The second half brings in some action as the nightmares begin terrorising the Doctor as well, turning into Slitheen and Daleks. And the climax is a tense monsterfest again.

Anthony Stewart Head does a great job narrating the story in a way that underlines the moments of tension and excitement and greatly captures the Doctor's different moods.