The Stuff of Legend (Studio Version)

7️⃣⏹️ = ENJOYABLE!

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

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST PROFESSOR!”

Please note, that this is a review based on the studio recording of the live event. I have not seen the live version of this story.

This story begins like any other: the Doctor and Charley arrive in Cornwall in 1963 and stumble upon a man throwing himself to the sea, only to then get entangled in the local goings-on. They begin delving into local folklore and a missing professor living in the area.

Their exploration turns into a bit of a treasure hunt in the style of Indiana Jones. The Doctor and Charley are accompanied by Emily Barnfather, whose fascination and willingness to explore make her a very natural fit for this TARDIS team. She’s a bit like a new Charley, but from the 60s, and Nisha Nayar plays her very well.

Here, we meet the Bucca, mysterious binary creatures greatly performed by Annette Badland. The aliens are pretty typical for Doctor Who, but their binary nature at least makes them somewhat special.

The end of Part 1 finally tightens the tension a bit with the inclusion of Robomen, Daleks the Bucca, and the Master. Alex Macqueen is delightful as always in the role of the latter—sly and calculative, but with a certain wit and charm. Part 2 is then a thrill ride (literally) with the Master's machinations intertwining with the Daleks exterminating left and right.

This story sort of lives up to its name by being a mix of very typical Doctor Who elements—the stuff of legends. It makes for a safe and perfectly listenable adventure that hardly tries to tread new ground. The studio erosion is perfectly fine, but I suspect it worked much better as a live-stage performance.

Charley impersonating a Dalek and being very bad at it is hilarious. Brings back memories of Ian coding similar things in The Daleks (1963-1964).

Love how the older Emily (voiced by Badland) narrates the story as if telling a bedtime story for us. The final scene, with the Doctor and Charley picking up the older Emily for another adventure, is also very nice.