Doctor Who Review: Cobwebs-Fifth Doctor Audio Adventure

The Fifth Doctor era has always been my favorite, and with audios, it continues to be so. The best TARDIS crew with the Fifth Doctor really was Tegan, Nyssa and Turlough, followed closely by just Tegan and Turlough. Not disrespecting Adric, as I also, in the minority of fans, appreciated what they tried to do with the character onscreen. Cobwebs is the first audio to welcome back all three companions together with the Fifth Doctor, especially Janet Fielding as Tegan, who hadn't been in the world of Doctor Who for at least ten years previous, with the only exception of the audio The Gathering, but that really isn't the point now. Cobwebs is the first full return of Tegan, to the much delight of many fans, as without her presence in other Fifth Doctor audios, the adventures could be a bit dull without that little spark of fire that was Tegan. This is a review of the audio adventure Cobwebs, and what makes it such a terrific one at that.

New Course for Nyssa

The last time Nyssa was seen, she was leaving Tegan, Turlough and the Doctor in the episode Terminus. Now, for this particular series of audios, Nyssa is much older. Although it may have been a few days for the others, it was many years for Nyssa, as she is in her seventies. Bear in mind, Nyssa is an alien, and does not age the same way as Tegan would. We find out Nyssa is still the active scientist, and is looking for a cure for a sickness that had spread throughout worlds, killing many, many lives. She comes aboard a facility on the planet Helheim, and it's a facility that has been left alone for years. This is where she reunites with her old friends, as the TARDIS was forced down to the facility. This was a nice, different use of Nyssa, and it works really well. It doesn't interfere with the stories that were made on television.