The Phoenicians

Marc platt having a little stumble but sticks the landing

This one scrapes by for me. It can be good in spots, but it suffers from being a bit too unfocused and a main character (Elissa) being annoying and cruel without ever being reprimanded for it.

The main characters however, are very likeable in this. We get some new light on the relationship between Ian and Barbara, and Susan shows her optimistic side well. The doctor is a absent for quite a part of it, which fits with the old tone of the episodes I suppose.

One small aspect that really added up unintentionally was Ian’s watch. It has not been mentioned in this range or on television, but the watch makes several appearances in the Companion Chronicles and Short Trips. Him losing the watch and musing that it was one of the last mementos from home got an added layer on top of that, which was very sweet. Especially after he trades it in later to get a gift for Barbara.

The actual setting is a bit hit or miss. It is varied, travels a bit and is interesting, but it could stand to be explained a little more. We have a history teacher and a smart student here. We can hear a bit more about the myths and history than a few short mentions of the bible and some poems. Good thing is, I want to know more because I’m intrigued. The little setup we get is quite good!

As mentioned though, the supporting cast and ‘guest character’ are quite bad. The only enjoyable one was the assassin girl with the hawk. In another time, she could’ve been a really interesting companion for the first doctor. The rest suffers from being actively annoying. Their actions make no sense, and even if they would for them, it is explained poorly and never punished. The princess is the worst offender of this.

The dreaded accents also return. I don’t know why these sets are so insistent on using those. The actual series never did, and they are distracting at best, insulting at worst. They could be done well, like in ‘The great white hurricane’, but that’s because it is an accent based on the English language. For others, it feels out of place and worsens the listening experience.

All in all, this one’s a mixed bag. Some good stuff, some bad stuff. A shame. If it got a solid structural check, and some clearer information on the actual history and setting, it could’ve been quite good. As it stands now, it is, at best, a worse Marco Polo.