The Sands of Life

Fourth Doctor Adventures #2.2

Released: 11 February 2013

Listened: 5/31/22

This story is the first half of a two-parter, and oddly, it’s an extended story, told in three parts. The big draw here is David Warner as Cuthbert, wealthiest and most famous man on Earth, and head of the Conglomerate, which is conducting some dodgy time experiments. It seems to take place in the future, although not too far, as capitalism is still running strong, and the military still seems to use conventional weapons. However, the story is a bit drawn-out to fit. A species of time-sensitive space whales are headed for Earth, disrupting both the TARDIS and Cuthbert’s experiment. Naturally, the powers-that-be react badly to a few billion creatures dropping in on the Sahara. And they have a point, because their spawning process will be destructive to the planet. They’re willing to psychically talk to Romana because she’s a female, but we don’t really know yet how far the connection goes. It’s a decent enough opener, but it’s just an opener.