Identity Check

The Ninth Doctor Chronicles #1.4

Released: 4 May 2017

Listened: 3/15/23

This Short Trip from the 2023 collection is the first time in a bit that we've heard Jacob Dudman narrate a Ninth Doctor story. And his Christopher Eccleston impression…is really good! Remarkably good, in fact. The Northerness, the pacing, the delivery, it’s very nearly spot-on. Which is even more remarkable if you’ve just been listening to the real thing, and a welcome change if you’ve been listening to the Nick Briggs version (sorry, Nick). As for the story, it’s fine, but that’s about it. A colony, somewhere in the future. Lots of humans and refugees from other races. It’s after a war, times are hard, and everybody’s mining. So there’s lots of racism going around. Of course, the story involves the most racisty racist of all, who’s hiding a secret, even from himself. Unfortunately, not from the listener, because you can figure that bit out pretty easily. It does give the Doctor a chance to expound on what he thinks of war criminals, which is either poignant or hypocritical, depending on how you look at it. Rose is in the story, but doesn’t really do a whole lot except back the Doctor up, and be slightly more empathetic. Not the best story, but wow, Dudman does a good job.