Michael Troughton, son of Patrick, has spoken about how it feels playing the titular Time Lord for Big Finish’s The Second Doctor Adventures: Beyond War Games, an audio tale set in the so-called “Season 6B”, i.e. after The War Games but before Spearhead from Space.

It’s always a nerve-wracking experience, stepping into someone else’s shoes, but there must be extra pressure when the person you’re imitating is actually your own father, especially when he’s so beloved by a massive section of the Doctor Who fandom. Nonetheless, Michael calls it an honour above all else:

“It’s quite a big task because Christ, he was a bloody amazing actor. Even if he was my dad, he was such a brilliant actor that it’s an honour, really, to be asked to try and recreate him. It really is.

“And I’m sure he’d be absolutely delighted that I was doing it and having fun with it. Because he took the business seriously but he wanted to have fun and he wanted to enjoy what he was doing. And my goodness me, he did. He really put a lot into everything.”

It’s lovely to hear Michael talk so lovingly about his dad, and that Pat’s legacy is continuing so brilliantly.

So what’s the most difficult thing about recreating the Second Doctor? Michael elaborates:

“The real problem with trying to recreate Dad on audio is that he was such a physical actor. It would be looks, it would be movements, it would be various things. So I’ve had to grab certain mannerisms he has.

“For instance, he used to cough. And everybody used to think that was part of his performance, but actually it was a cough to give him time to remember the next line. And so I put a bit of that in.”

That’s a nice detail we didn’t really know before!

The Second Doctor Adventures: Beyond War Games is due out later this month. Here’s the synopsis:

Before Earth, before UNIT, before exile, the Second Doctor enters into a dangerous bargain in return for his freedom…

The Final Beginning by Mark Wright and Nicholas Briggs (4 parts)
Believing he has escaped exile – and a change to his appearance – by the Time Lords, the Doctor finds himself lost on a snowy, alien world. He is not alone – prospectors Catrona and Silas are stranded on this nightmare planet, but without his TARDIS, the Doctor is powerless to help them.

Seeking answers – and freedom – the Doctor’s hopes and suspicions are aroused when a crashed TARDIS is discovered in the snow. Are Catrona and Silas as innocent as they seem? And who is Raven, the young woman who watches from afar?

Long buried secrets are about to be revealed in this icy wasteland, and the Doctor discovers that every end has a terrifying new beginning…

Wrath of the Ice Warriors by Andrew Smith (4 parts)
Plunged into the middle of a desperate mission by his new masters, the Doctor is delighted to be reunited with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT near Cape Wrath, Scotland. The Doctor’s arrival coincides with the sighting of black cylinders in the sky and an attack on a trawler by a ‘creature o’ the sea.’

The Doctor quickly realises he is dealing with Ice Warriors and investigates with the help of the Brigadier and local crofter Sheena Flynn. With a space fleet lurking in the vicinity of Jupiter, the Doctor believes the Martians are planning a new invasion of Earth – but who is the true enemy?

Battle lines are drawn and the Doctor races against time to prevent Earth being caught in the crossfire.

Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart created by Haisman & Lincoln and used under licence.

You can pre-order The Second Doctor Adventures: Beyond War Games now from Big Finish.