Doctor Who: Slipback

Writer: Eric Saward

Producer: Paul Spencer

 

Slipback is a Sixth Doctor Doctor Who audio play of six short parts, that sees the Docto (Colin Baker) and Peri (Nicola Bryant) on a starship against a computer with dual personalities. And it’s pretty darn good… once you again get past Bryant’s awful attempt at an American accent!

The opening is intriguing and comedic and the pace is kept well at least at first, though perhaps the story would benefit from fewer and longer episodes. Bryant’s acting is questionable but Baker’s is positive and Jane Carr (Computer) by far steals the show with spectacular presentation of both personalities, comedy and drama. The concept is a good one, though suspiciously similar to that of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, great in general but they have so much in common that one does begin to wonder… It does also strike me that every episode of every Who audio drama seems to end in much the same way, with a threat and/or a scream, but as this is only the second original Who audioplay ever released, I suppose one can’t complain in this case. The final episode sees a very bizarre and somewhat anti-climatic, but unusual and somehow satisfying ending and on the whole, for a format that’s only just getting on its feet, it’s really not too shabby.