The Destroyer of Delights

Main Range #118

Released: 14 February 2009

Listened: 12/24/19

The second part of the “Key 2 Time” is perhaps more notable for who worked on it than what actually happens. If you’re going to have the Key to Time, then the Guardians are bound to turn up, and since omnipotent characters are tricky to write, they have to be taken off the table. As a result, both Guardians are reduced to mortal men who are hanging around in 9th century Sudan. The original actors are deceased, so David Troughton gets to play the Black Guardian, and does a decent job with the somewhat reduced brief. Lisa Bowerman directs, her first story within the main range, and it has her somewhat farcical style on it. On the whole, the story is a bit camp, with the Guardians being annoyed at having lost their powers, and the Doctor being irritated at being used as their errand boy. It’s a fun story, but seems slightly lightweight with the fate of the universe at stake.