“Traveller in Time and Space seeks male or female companion with good sense of humor for adventures in the Fourth and Fifth Dimensions. No experience necessary. No time wasters, no space wasters please.” After the departure of Lucie Miller, the Doctor is searching for a new companion…by taking out a classified ad??? Apparently so, and four eager applicants arrive at the designated time and place to meet with the Time-Lord. The four get an extensive vetting as one dire threat is already occurring and they quickly find themselves getting on the job training. And what is a job interview with the Doctor without an additional cataclysm? Of course, this being a Big Finish production the ad isn’t what it seems to be and neither, as it turns out, are the applicants. Of course, the Doctor gains a new companion in the end, but it definitely isn’t who or how you’d expect.
The writing on “Situation Vacant” is superb. The script by Eddie Robson is perfectly paced and full of very witty dialogue. Everything is presented clearly and precisely and I found myself easily imaging what was going on. There is a moment where two characters pause in their conversation and I could actually visualize their facial expressions, that’s how good the script and Nicholas Briggs’ direction are. It seems almost unbelievable how good Big Finish are at putting together these Doctor Who stories together and what’s even more surprising is that they have not run out of terrific ideas. The fact that each story continues to have unique twists and surprises is amazing and “Situation Vacant” raises the bar even further.
After over three years it seems odd not to hear Sheridan Smith’s Lucie Miller alongside Paul McGann, but James Bachman, Shelley Conn, Joe Thomas, Niky Wardley all hold their own and each initially makes for a great companion. I’m not going to spoil it and tell you who winds up as the new TARDIS resident, but I will say that this person’s voice and attitude very much compliments the eighth Doctor and I look forward to their first full adventure together.
[Editor’s Note: We are catching up on Big Finish reviews and, as such, expect a review a week of the eighth Doctor’s adventures until we’re current. The main range reviews will resume next week as well with a review of the three audios reuniting the fifth Doctor TARDIS team and continuing from there. Thank you.]
