An Ordinary Life

Early Adventures #1.4

Released: 16 December 2014

Listened: 2/22/20

These last two stories are from the Early Adventures series, which means they’re longer, full-cast stories, which is nice, because Peter Purves and Jean Marsh play off each other quite well. This story is one of my favorites from this era, not because of the high concept, but because of the character focus. The TARDIS lands in London in the 1950s, and it appears the Doctor has left Sara and Steven behind. Because they’re both from the future, they have some trouble adapting, and end up living in a boarding house upstairs from a Jamaican family, newly arrived in London. With their limited knowledge of history, Steven and Sara just don’t comprehend the racism the family faces; they just can’t get it through their heads at all. Which is a nice thought from the writer, but Purves and Marsh have to sell it, and they succeed. The sci-fi plot doesn’t actually start until halfway through, and I don’t mind. It’s a pretty normal body-snatchers subplot, but that’s not really the important bit. I have to salute the guest actors, whose Jamaican accents make a nice change from the voices normally found in these stories.