Situation Vacant

Eighth Doctor Adventures #4.2

Released: 15 July 2010

Listened: 11/1/21

With the interlude over, we can get back to Series 4, or more accurately, start Series 4, because “Death in Blackpool” seems more like a holiday special. The Doctor is alone, and has been for a bit, so he’s auditioning for a new companion, Apprentice-style. That leads to four candidates with really distinct personalities, which is a good start. Then the sci-fi things start happening, and it’s not clear to anyone whether these are tests the Doctor set up, or real threats. It’s never entirely clear where the threats came from or how they were resolved; that’s secondary to how the characters react. And pretty much nothing here is what it appears to be, from the contestants to the secondary characters to the contest itself. From here in 2021 America, a reference to The Apprentice leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but Big Finish seemed to be thinking of the UK version, and in 2010, who would have known? It’s a funny premise, especially since none of it goes down as planned, and it does make you wonder who planned it and why. In other notes, the mid-story break is back, with attendant cliffhanger. Also, in this story, there are a number of references to the names of previous companions or actors. I don’t think they mean anything; they’re just fun to spot. This story definitely sends the signal that this series will be different.