The Maltese Penguin

Bonus release

Released: 12 July 2002

Listened: 8/2/20

This story is officially listed as bonus release #33⅓, because it was released as a freebie with Main Range release #33, "Neverland." This story takes place after the Doctor and Frobisher have already had several adventures together, and Frobisher wants a break, so he can be the hero of the story for once. As a result, the Sixth Doctor barely appears, except periodically popping up to ask Frobisher if he wants to resume traveling. However, Frobisher spends a large chunk of the story in the form of the Sixth Doctor (because he’s not good at humanoid forms, so gravitates toward people he knows), which means Colin Baker provides the voice, using a variation on the extremely nasal tones he uses to voice Peri in Short Trips. Frobisher is a private detective, meaning this is mostly a pastiche of noir detective stories, right down to the florid first-person narration. It also features the first appearance of Josiah Dogbolter, who will appear in at least one other Main Range story. On the whole, it’s awfully silly, but that’s intentional.