I was eight years old when Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005, but I didn’t start watching Series 1 until shortly after I turned nine – on this very month. And 20 years later, the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) are finally reunited for a new run of 12 Big Finish audio stories, beginning with Snare by Tim Foley. These all take place between Father’s Day and The Empty Child, with each story being released every two months instead of boxsets.
Now, before I carry on, there’s a little title controversy surrounding the fourth series in this range. So to paraphrase the Spy Master (Sacha Dhawan) in The Power of the Doctor… “I was just thinking we could call this The Ninth Doctor Adventures Series 4. Or the, er… Ninth Doctor and Rose, or Series 1B?” (Guess it doesn’t matter too much, but I’m sticking with 9DA Series 4 for convenience.)
The Doctor and Rose are back on the Powell Estate with the latter’s mother, Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri), while their ex-neighbour and art student, Kevin (Alex Austin, who played Yedlarmi in the Series 12 finale, Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children) returns to clear out his late father’s old flat. But trouble ensues as Kevin and his photographer friend Marlene (Hannah Brown) discover that the flat has mysteriously transformed into a neon forest jungle, and things won’t ever be the same for him again.
A different kind of horticultural horror to The Seeds of Doom — but this time with a tentacled Gardener (also voiced by Brown) involved instead of Krynoids. I may not be an expert in botany, but I couldn’t help but think of the Soul Snare, the titular spaceship from another dimension, as Space Kew Gardens with a claustrophobic environment. Clever concepts!
The story is so rich with its substantial, character-driven nature and emotional depth, it feels like watching an actual TV episode from 2005. After writing Archipelago (from 9DA: Star-Crossed), which recently won the 2025 Scribe Awards, Tim Foley’s script for the Ninth Doctor and Rose’s first full-cast audio adventure maintains faithfulness to what Russell T Davies envisioned for his first series as showrunner. What makes it equally special is that Foley also wrote last month’s Vampire Weekend, which saw the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) making their brilliant Big Finish debut.
Released on 6th August, coincidentally the day before the 20th anniversary of when I started watching (with Aliens of London being my very first episode), listening to Snare has brought back so many fond memories of recording the episodes onto VHS (as repeated on BBC Three). The same goes for Big Finish dropping the trailer on my birthday; the timing couldn’t be more fantastic.
If Big Finish reuniting Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper weren’t enough, we shouldn’t forget about adding Camille Coduri to the mix. Initially terrified of monsters and freaking out, from getting caught up in the Auton invasion to almost being killed by the Slitheen, her portrayal of Jackie Tyler continues to shine as a loving mother to Rose and a kind-natured neighbour on the Powell Estate. After slapping the Doctor in the face, I love that she’s making an effort to give him a chance, such as preparing him potato waffles and other local delicacies. Maybe she’ll make a shepherd’s pie at some point, as suggested in World War Three. And not to mention her offering Kevin mini Battenbergs (now I’m craving some!).
One thing I admire about Rose is her willingness to help and show compassion, even if it involves mildly confronting the Doctor and talking sense into him. Billie’s performance in this story adds more nuance to her character development, as part of grieving the tragic loss of her dad. As I lost my dad to cancer during my early childhood, I find Rose and Kevin touching upon losing both their fathers to be extremely relatable, even as she cryptically references wanting to return home after the events of Father’s Day. (She, of course, wouldn’t tell Jackie until The Parting of the Ways.) The same goes for Kevin’s dad, nicknamed “Spider”, dealing with mental health issues; it’s one of my personal favourite aspects of realism in fiction, which helps elevate the characters and storytelling.
After doing 12 predominantly solo boxsets (plus Once and Future 6: Time Lord Immemorial), I love how Christopher maintains his incarnation’s personality of not doing families and domestics, whilst containing his PTSD from the Time War and his recent encounter with the Dalek (aka “Metaltron”). When something alien crops up, the Doctor quickly springs into action and determines to solve the case. That’s his coping mechanism of sorts. Because I had no concept of what the Time Lords were when I started watching the show, my mum simply described the Doctor as a “human-alien”, which helped me to understand the foundations of the mysterious titular character. Although I won’t delve into too many nostalgic references, one of my favourites has to be the Doctor refusing to watch Titanic at Jackie’s behest, due to finding the actual experience traumatic. Keep in mind that he saved the Daniels family from boarding the ship, as referenced in the Series 1 opener Rose and explored further in Battle Scars (Short Trips).
Overall, Snare is a fantastic opener to 9DA Series 4. A character-driven masterpiece which acts as a perfect Big Finish starting point for fans and casual listeners alike, right up there with Respond to All Calls. (You can also listen to the first volume, Ravagers, for free on BBC Sounds!) Ever since the range began in 2021, I hoped that Christopher and Billie would do some audios together, set during Series 1. And my wish has finally come true. Despite it being 20 years since appearing onscreen together, they both remain absolutely fantastic as the Ninth Doctor and Rose on audio. What a fun opportunity to relive my childhood and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Doctor Who‘s revival!
And coming this October: the Doctor and Rose travel to 2036 where her home has been abandoned in The Last Days of the Powell Estate, by Timothy X Atack. Here’s a nostalgic “Next Time” style trailer for you to watch!
Snare is available now from Big Finish.
