All hell breaks loose as historical figures mysteriously appear on the Powell Estate in 2006! It’s absolute Pandemonium with the situation becoming increasingly chaotic — hence the story’s perfect choice of title.
Returning from Cloud Eight, the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) find author and political activist Edith Nesbit (Kate Harbour, a familiar voice from many of my childhood favourites) moving in with the latter’s mother Jackie (Camille Coduri); 17th Century diarist Samuel Pepys (Nick Denning-Read) getting drunk; with Celtic and Roman warriors and British-French World War II spy Violette Szabo (Holly Jackson Walters) also added to the mix. Meanwhile, the Tylers’ neighbour and history buff Glen (Clive Hayward) has kept a book detailing the “past people”, including his deceased partner Paul (also voiced by Denning-Read) who later shows up.
There definitely is a lot going on, but Katharine Armitage delivers a good balance of humour and emotional depth without making the script overcomplicated. Released on 15th April, which happens to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Doctor Who Series 2, the story revisits the early roots of the show by exploring its educational elements. It’s a fantastic improvement over Ravagers, the first boxset in The Ninth Doctor Adventures range. And funnily enough, the key concept of historical figures appearing in the 21st Century reminds a bit of the Torchwood Series 1 finale, End of Days, but it’s far better dealt with this time.
One aspect that touches me the most is going further into the consequences of Father’s Day, and how it tackles grief in the best way possible. Having already learned from her mistakes in the Series 1 episode, Rose still mourns the loss of her dad Pete, but the temptation of wanting to bring him back from the dead greatly affects everything surrounding her, even as Glen introduces her and the Doctor to Paul, which brilliantly highlights the historical significance of homosexuality in the UK. I find Billie’s performance extremely relatable, as it reminds me of how much I miss my dad, who died of cancer during my early childhood.
It’s clear that the Doctor is already fed up with the TARDIS being bounced back to the Powell Estate many times, plus his awkwardly strained relationship with Jackie Tyler. Despite having to put his intolerance of domestics aside, he knows he has no choice but to investigate what is causing the historical figures to appear, which directly correlates with the overarching narrative that converges on the Tyler home residence. This is what I appreciate about Christopher’s performance: remaining faithful to how he originally portrayed the Ninth incarnation on-screen, especially during the climax which nearly had me in tears.
Overall, Pandemonium is the strongest entry yet in 9DA Series 4. It makes the subject of history all the more interesting with figures I’ve not heard of before, along with the stellar casting and emotional character development.
And coming in June: the Doctor and Rose finally discover what has been bringing them back to the Powell Estate in Thirteen O’Clock, written by Robert Valentine. Make sure you check out this nostalgic “Next Time” style trailer and, with the return of Saffron Windrose (Indigo Griffiths), listen to Station to Station (from Back to Earth) beforehand!
Pandemonium is available now from Big Finish.
