The First Sontarans

Lost Stories #3.6

Released: 23 July 2012

Listened: 5/3/20

This is a big one, in terms of scope rather than length, from Andrew Smith, who was the original author, but it was bumped in favor of “The Two Doctors,” because let’s face it, that was Bob Holmes. It’s unique in that it features both the Sontarans and the Rutans, in actual combat, which never happened on TV, although it has in other media. It bounces all over the place, from the moon, to late 1800s Sussex, to spaceships. It does indeed tell the origins of the Sontarans, but as an event that happened in the distant past, with repercussions to the present, so it’s not another “Genesis” story. Dan Starkey plays some of the Sontarans, of course, but plays them rather straight. Even though the soundtrack wants to make use of “Heroes of Sontar,” which was comedic, these Sontarans are a serious threat, as befits a story from Season 23. Peri gets to have a lot of agency, and even comes off as strident at times, which might be a step too far. It’s a convoluted plot, and maybe a bit overwritten, but on the whole, pretty good.