The House that Hoxx Built

Classic Doctors New Monsters #3.1

Released: 28 July 2022

Listened: 8/3/22

In production time, it’s been a few years since the first two sets of CDNM stories, but this is one of the earliest in the chronology. The formula gets changed up a bit this time, as we’re incorporating the Third Doctor, and in this boxed set, the Doctors have companions with them, in this case Sarah Jane. We’re also stretching the definition of “monster” quite a bit, as this story features the Hoxx of Balhoon, brother to the Moxx of Balhoon from “The End of the World” on TV. The story appears to take place in roughly the same time period, as the Hoxx is also interested in Earth conservation, and has convinced Galactic Heritage to reconstruct an old manor house on the otherwise empty Earth. Of course, if you rebuild an English manor house, you’re inevitably going to get ghosts along with it. In addition to the Hoxx, there’s his ward Francesca, a Fleeceling (evolved sheep), and a butler named Butler. Butler is rather sinister and ghostly, but that’s because he’s a holographic life form, and a glitching one at that. Tim Foley lays the references on fairly thick here, for fans of the new series, as well as a few hidden classic references as well. The atmosphere is properly spooky, and it’s hard to determine on first listen just who’s behind all the spookiness. Sadie Miller continues playing Sarah Jane, and sounds even more like her mother this time. Dan Starkey plays the Hoxx, in a departure from his normal roles, and you’ll never know until the credits. It’s a nice tight story all around.