The Companion Chronicles: The Elixir of Doom

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

For fans of the Big Finish audio series, Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles, 2014 was a bittersweet year as it marked the end of releases for the range (though Nicholas Briggs hasn’t ruled out a return to the series for specials and etc.). As such, the series ended with its 79th and 80th entries, The Elixir of Doom and Second Chances.

We’ll take a look at #80, Second Chances, tomorrow. First, for the Big Finish/Companion Chronicles uninitiated, the Companion Chronicles typically consists of a cast of two, one of which being a former companion of the Doctor, in the era the story is set (typically between the First and Third Doctors). The companion acts as a narrator and also usually gives their impression of their Doctor as well, if the Doctor is featured in the story (as many of them are of the Doctor-lite variety).

My initial reaction to The Elixir of Doom is that it should really have been titled “Iris Wildthyme and The Elixir of Doom”. While the audio features Katy Manning reprising her role as Third Doctor companion, Jo Grant (Jones), it is Iris that gets the lion’s share of the narrative. It also features the Eighth Doctor, one of only two Companion Chronicle stories to do so, though neither voiced by Paul McGann. Thus, accepting that the setup is a little different than you might expect, the story itself is rather engaging (if a little light on substance), in this reviewer’s opinion.

Iris and Jo find themselves at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, at a party hosted by movie star Vita Monet (also voiced by Manning), where in the midst of the company there is a Time Lord and an appearance by Monet’s monster co-star, The Lizard Man. I’ll not spoil the major plot points, but there is an obvious disconnect between Jo and Iris, because Jo expects her to act more like the Doctor. Indeed, it is Iris’ carelessness with time travel that set some of the events of this adventure in motion. Wildthyme’s handling of the knowledge that the Doctor is also on the scene is also noteworthy, as it underscores an insecurity within Iris.

Speaking of which, Manning’s performance is terrific. She seamlessly slips back in to Jo Grant Jones as if the character and actress haven’t aged a day. Her turn as Paul Magrs’ successful spinoff creation Iris is also well done and engaging. There is always the risk of boredom when one person narrates and voices the characters in the story, but it isn’t an issue in this case. Manning goes between the pair in a way that keeps the dialogue fresh and her throaty Iris is definitely entertaining (and in many ways, the highlight of the audio).

As this is billed as Third Doctor’s companion story it is a little disappointing that the Third Doctor has no part in the story. The consolation prize is the Eighth Doctor, but even he is used sparingly and it would have been nice to have McGann voice him for the plot points for which he is present. That being said, this is an enjoyable ride and while it isn’t the best of the series, Katy Manning’s performance is worth the price of admission.

The Elixir of Doom is available for purchase from the Big Finish website.

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