Doctor Who Unbound: Return to Marinus is an audio drama from Big Finish Productions and sees David Bradley make another stellar return as his version of the First Doctor. He is joined by the versions of Ian, Barbara, and Susan portrayed by Jamie Glover, Jemma Powell, and Claudia Grant. Jonathan Morris wrote the script which was directed by David O’Mahoney.
Other cast members include Timothy Blore, Derek Elroy, Ewan Goddard, and Sophie Matthew.
The Doctor and his companions have returned to Marinus, where they had faced a long quest which was threatened by the Voord. A century has passed, and the TARDIS crew are remembered as heroes. They population seem to be under some kind of strange spell, however there are other concerns when the Daleks enter the scene. The Daleks may not be quite as the Doctor remembers either.
It’s an enjoyable enough episode. Morris puts in a few impressive twists in the plot.
Even though Bradley does not really do an impersonation of the late William Hartnell, he somehow still captures the essence of the original portrayal of this Doctor’s persona.
The other main cast members also capture the roles of the companions without really trying to be carbon copies.
Nicholas Briggs returns to voice the Daleks and does his usual masterful job.
I am not that keen on this crew revisiting locales of known adventures from the television scenes, but this episode still works for the most part.
The technical aspects are well executed as well. The sound design remains top notch.
It’s another solid triumph for Big Finish that recreates a long-ago era of the program. I just wish that new worlds remained the destination for this crew.
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