Doctor Who - Big Finish September Mega-Review

The Lost Stories 4.1 €“ "The Dark Planet"

rating: 2.5

Somewhere far back in the early days of the universe the TARDIS lands on a world lit by a dying sun. Missing from the Doctor's star maps and dotted with strange crystalline statues, it is a world ripe for exploration. But it is also a world of destruction. Venturing out onto its surface, the time travelers find themselves drawn into an age-old conflict between the two species residing on the planet - people of Light and Shadow. Proving a catalyst for the escalation of the conflict, the Doctor and his friends need either to create a peace or to pick a side. Because in times of war, nothing is ever black and white.

You know what's really nice about the Lost Stories line? They're very faithful to the era in which they would have been produced. They have music like what was on the show, the dialogue is like what was on the show, the stories are like what was on the show, etc. On the other hand, what's bad about the series are those exact same things. Don't get me wrong, I like the First and Second Doctor stories just fine. But they've not aged well, and storytelling in general has changed quite a bit in the last fifty years or so. As a result, sometimes the stories can feel a bit bloated. This is very much one of those stories. It's quite a bit like what was being done on TV at the time, in that it's a four-part story carefully expanded into six parts. There just isn't enough material to really justify the amount of time the story takes, and that's a shame. The basic idea of a planet at the dawn of time where dark and light exist in a constant state of war is an interesting one. It's just a pity that the format dragged down the story, especially since this is the last First Doctor Lost Story we're going to get. Aside from that complaint, I must give excellent kudos to Maureen O'Brien, who not only does her usual fine job as Vicki, but also turns in a great performance as Barbara.