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The Companion Chronicles #3.5
Doctor Who: Home Truths
There’s a house across the waters at Ely where an old woman tells a strange story.
About a kind of night constable called Sara Kingdom. And her friends, the Doctor and Steven. About a journey they made to a young couple’s home, and
the nightmarish things that were found there. About the follies of youth and selfishness. And the terrible things even the most well-meaning of us can
inflict on each other.
Hear the old woman's story. Then decide her fate.
About a kind of night constable called Sara Kingdom. And her friends, the Doctor and Steven. About a journey they made to a young couple’s home, and
the nightmarish things that were found there. About the follies of youth and selfishness. And the terrible things even the most well-meaning of us can
inflict on each other.
Hear the old woman's story. Then decide her fate.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published November 30, 2008
1 person is currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Simon Guerrier
168 books61 followersSimon Guerrier is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of Doctor Who and its spinoffs. Although he has written three Doctor Who novels, for the BBC Books range, his work has mostly been for Big Finish Productions' audio drama and book ranges.
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 5, 2013
A man enters an old house on a cold night and hears a story from the resident. The resident is Sara Kingdom, onetime companion of the Doctor. An informed reader knows that Sara was the very first companion to die in the Doctor Who TV-series. So who is this old woman? And what is the mystery of the house she inhabits?
She will tell you a tale from a long time ago, before her endless loneliness, a time when she traveled with the Doctor and Steven as a professional soldier fighting the Daleks. A time that took her and her companions to that odd house...
Simon Guerrier has written a perfect Who story in "Home Truths". It's completely haunting, melancholic and immensely sad, yet remembers to offer just the sort of mysterious scientific intrigue Who excels at. Through the mystery of Sara we are hooked, through the touching portrayal of her character we care and feel her tragedy and horrible guilt. This sort of emotional resonance is rare even in Doctor Who, one of the most emotional franchises out there. ”Home Truths” is a prime example of what this series can do, in any format.
She will tell you a tale from a long time ago, before her endless loneliness, a time when she traveled with the Doctor and Steven as a professional soldier fighting the Daleks. A time that took her and her companions to that odd house...
Simon Guerrier has written a perfect Who story in "Home Truths". It's completely haunting, melancholic and immensely sad, yet remembers to offer just the sort of mysterious scientific intrigue Who excels at. Through the mystery of Sara we are hooked, through the touching portrayal of her character we care and feel her tragedy and horrible guilt. This sort of emotional resonance is rare even in Doctor Who, one of the most emotional franchises out there. ”Home Truths” is a prime example of what this series can do, in any format.
December 4, 2018
Part of classic, essential Sara Kingdom trilogy.
OVERALL TRILOGY RATING 5/5.
Very memorable haunted house mystery type of story with science-fiction and classic early Doctor Who aesthetics that reveal themselves through repeated periodic listens.
If a space security agent Sara Kingdom (or English jewel actress Jean Marsh as..) companion intrigues, then this tale should eventually win you over.
The sound production is good and aids the story but does have its technical flaws of overuse of repeating samples! But strangely it kind of works as a sort of experimental audio along with its darker ambient sections.
After a few spaced out listens and getting used to an older Jean Marsh who does excel in a subtle and fine performance and whose career I am too familiar with outside of Who, I’ve grow to appreciate this one and now love her as Sara Kingdom, albeit experiencing her character as performed by her now all these years later finally.
The atmosphere of house and its sci-fi odd workings did in fact firmly and immediately evoke 1st Doctor territory in a sort-of a 60s-Doctor-Strange, dark proto-psychedelia making this a success on all levels. The cover art advertises this perfectly.
Really a (near) masterpiece cohesive with an early Doctor Who era sensibility (equals treasure) but it takes effort, the right space and some time to get there perhaps.
PS. Regardless of this being part of a trilogy of stories, I prefer this one fine as a standalone experience and what it is – a Doctor Who odd science-fiction ghost story. (And the overuse of ghost stories, which exists in the Big finish catalogue, I find personally find very grating and tired otherwise). This is a bit different with obvious connections and strange fabric to the Doctor Who universe in an interesting way, to its credit in more of a figurative manner.
With some objective refinement for, my representive ratings would stand as “excellent” or 4/5.
This was 4/5.
Director: Lisa Bowerman
Writer: Simon Guerrier
OVERALL TRILOGY RATING 5/5.
Very memorable haunted house mystery type of story with science-fiction and classic early Doctor Who aesthetics that reveal themselves through repeated periodic listens.
If a space security agent Sara Kingdom (or English jewel actress Jean Marsh as..) companion intrigues, then this tale should eventually win you over.
The sound production is good and aids the story but does have its technical flaws of overuse of repeating samples! But strangely it kind of works as a sort of experimental audio along with its darker ambient sections.
After a few spaced out listens and getting used to an older Jean Marsh who does excel in a subtle and fine performance and whose career I am too familiar with outside of Who, I’ve grow to appreciate this one and now love her as Sara Kingdom, albeit experiencing her character as performed by her now all these years later finally.
The atmosphere of house and its sci-fi odd workings did in fact firmly and immediately evoke 1st Doctor territory in a sort-of a 60s-Doctor-Strange, dark proto-psychedelia making this a success on all levels. The cover art advertises this perfectly.
Really a (near) masterpiece cohesive with an early Doctor Who era sensibility (equals treasure) but it takes effort, the right space and some time to get there perhaps.
PS. Regardless of this being part of a trilogy of stories, I prefer this one fine as a standalone experience and what it is – a Doctor Who odd science-fiction ghost story. (And the overuse of ghost stories, which exists in the Big finish catalogue, I find personally find very grating and tired otherwise). This is a bit different with obvious connections and strange fabric to the Doctor Who universe in an interesting way, to its credit in more of a figurative manner.
With some objective refinement for, my representive ratings would stand as “excellent” or 4/5.
This was 4/5.
Director: Lisa Bowerman
Writer: Simon Guerrier
September 26, 2024
A perfect Doctor Who audio play.
From the warble of the original theme tune opening up this serial to the last words of the play, everything about Home Truths is exquisitely done. The story, seemingly simple to start with, is framed by an excellently performed dialogue between Jean Marsh and Niall MacGregor. The atmosphere here, immersed in the patter of rain and tick-tocks of a grandfather clock, creates a somber atmosphere as Sara Kingdom, the best First Doctor companion who never was, recounts her tale of travel with The Doctor and Stephen. This results in an interesting take on the character as he observed in the third person from Sara's point of view, one that is seldom seen in DW media. This serves to make her tale more poignant and personal and allows her to expertly characterise the Doctor as an investigative yet playful character. Stephen's character is also excellently displayed here, inasmuch as he has broad shoulders and wears a beige jumper!
The story effortlessly dips in and out of the framing and main narrative, never once losing its pace and gradually climaxing towards an emotional and thoughtful ending. I was struck speechless once the ending theme played, contemplating what I had just listened to on the station platform as the train rolled in.
Utterly stellar in every way, this is one of the best stories to ever feature the First Doctor. Brilliant stuff.
From the warble of the original theme tune opening up this serial to the last words of the play, everything about Home Truths is exquisitely done. The story, seemingly simple to start with, is framed by an excellently performed dialogue between Jean Marsh and Niall MacGregor. The atmosphere here, immersed in the patter of rain and tick-tocks of a grandfather clock, creates a somber atmosphere as Sara Kingdom, the best First Doctor companion who never was, recounts her tale of travel with The Doctor and Stephen. This results in an interesting take on the character as he observed in the third person from Sara's point of view, one that is seldom seen in DW media. This serves to make her tale more poignant and personal and allows her to expertly characterise the Doctor as an investigative yet playful character. Stephen's character is also excellently displayed here, inasmuch as he has broad shoulders and wears a beige jumper!
The story effortlessly dips in and out of the framing and main narrative, never once losing its pace and gradually climaxing towards an emotional and thoughtful ending. I was struck speechless once the ending theme played, contemplating what I had just listened to on the station platform as the train rolled in.
Utterly stellar in every way, this is one of the best stories to ever feature the First Doctor. Brilliant stuff.
June 21, 2023
Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh) sits in an old house in Ely, England in the far future and tells Cambridgeshire officer Robert (Niall MacGregor) a story about how she discovered the house while traveling with the First Doctor and Steven. Set between Episodes 7 & 8 of the TV Story The Daleks' Master Plan, the TARDIS arrives in an empty house that can seemingly grant wishes and soon discover the murdered occupants of the house. Jean Marsh does an excellent job telling the story which has been brilliantly written by Simon Guerrier. What results is a brilliant atmospheric ghost story that's definitely up there among Big Finish's best. The story is continued in Doctor Who: The Drowned World.
September 1, 2021
The Companion chronicles usually are told from the perspective of a former companion after their time traveling with The Doctor featuring an untold chapter from the continuity of the TV series. Home Truths is unique in that the story is about the experiences of Sara Kingdom but the tale can't be told by Sara Kingdom.
It actually told by the psychic imprint or echo of Sara, left after her visit to an unusual house. What follows would be perfect fair for a campfire ghost story or a Halloween night. It's a spooky tale and the reveal of the spirit at the end is a nice twist.
It's a nice side adventure that could have happened in the middle of the massive 12 episode Dalek's Master Plan.
It actually told by the psychic imprint or echo of Sara, left after her visit to an unusual house. What follows would be perfect fair for a campfire ghost story or a Halloween night. It's a spooky tale and the reveal of the spirit at the end is a nice twist.
It's a nice side adventure that could have happened in the middle of the massive 12 episode Dalek's Master Plan.
November 25, 2020
This is an odd one. Not sure how well it worked for me. But it’s an interesting one and it is certainly well done.
March 14, 2023
Fantastic!
July 2, 2024
Interesting Sara Kingdom story. Wish this somehow could’ve been full cast though.
December 10, 2016
Home Truths is a haunted house story. No really - it really is. And it's a incredibly well-constructed one that works particularly well on audio. I can see this one becoming an annual Halloween favorite. Home Truths begins with the First Doctor (as played by William Hartnell in the original
Doctor Who
television series), Sara Kingdom, and Steven Taylor landing the TARDIS inside a house. Yes, inside the house - wherein becomes the problem, because they can't leave by the traditional method - the door, the house has been well and truly sealed. And if you're wondering how a companion could be traveling around with the Doctor when she's mostly famous for dying (opps, sorry, spoiler there - but we are talking about a character death from 1966, ok, 50 years - that's well enough time to not need a spoiler warning) - it turns out that Sara per canon did travel in the extremely unreliable TARDIS for awhile. Anyway, the trio alight the TARDIS and almost immediately stumble over the dead body of a woman, and later, a young man. The deserted house is strewn with wedding presents, most not even unwrapped. The Doctor starts to figure out the mystery when a glass of water appears near his hand, and he remarks that he was thinking about how he'd like some water. But it's Sara who makes a mistake - placing her hand in a hand-shaped groove near the near from the kitchen. Sara had thought it was a door control, similar to the security panels in her own time. But Sara's innocent action will have far reaching consequence - that stretch into the two sequels that follow this story, The Drowned World and The Guardian of the Solar System.
Eventually, the Doctor, with some help from Sara and Steven solves the mystery - which I'm not going to reveal, though the truth is quite horrifying. I'm also not going to reveal here what effect Sara's innocent action would have. The story is also framed as an interview between the mysterious "Robert", a policeman of sorts, and Sara, who narrates the story.
Sara is played, wonderfully, by Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom in Doctor Who "The Daleks Masterplan"; Morgaine in Doctor Who "Battlefield"; and Rose the Lady's Maid in the original Upstairs, Downstairs). Robert is played by Niall MacGregor. Home Truths is written by Simon Guerrier and directed by Lisa Bowerman.
Eventually, the Doctor, with some help from Sara and Steven solves the mystery - which I'm not going to reveal, though the truth is quite horrifying. I'm also not going to reveal here what effect Sara's innocent action would have. The story is also framed as an interview between the mysterious "Robert", a policeman of sorts, and Sara, who narrates the story.
Sara is played, wonderfully, by Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom in Doctor Who "The Daleks Masterplan"; Morgaine in Doctor Who "Battlefield"; and Rose the Lady's Maid in the original Upstairs, Downstairs). Robert is played by Niall MacGregor. Home Truths is written by Simon Guerrier and directed by Lisa Bowerman.
November 18, 2017
A First Doctor story told from the perspective of the late Sara Kingdom.
Sara, of course, presents a couple of problems for the Companion Chronicles, which typically feature an older version of the companion recounting an unseen tale between two of her broadcast ones: she only has one TV story, and she dies at the end of it. Getting round the first problem is easy enough, since the story in question includes trips in the TARDIS, so that there are potentially gaps within it. How they solve the second problem is the meat of Home Truths.
Here, the framing device is intimately connected with the story itself, with the second actor playing the part of the audience, rather than the villain, as is more common. This gives the listener more of a sense that they are actually hearing somebody recounting an old adventure, but it also adds a depth that is often lacking in this series.
The story itself is a sort of ghost story, with the Doctor and companions exploring a mysterious house. It's claustrophobic, creepy, and brilliantly brought to life by Jean Marsh. Even the framing device is subtly done, as the nature and motives of the in-play "audience" are slowly revealed.
Indisputably the best Companion Chronicle I've listened to so far.
Sara, of course, presents a couple of problems for the Companion Chronicles, which typically feature an older version of the companion recounting an unseen tale between two of her broadcast ones: she only has one TV story, and she dies at the end of it. Getting round the first problem is easy enough, since the story in question includes trips in the TARDIS, so that there are potentially gaps within it. How they solve the second problem is the meat of Home Truths.
Here, the framing device is intimately connected with the story itself, with the second actor playing the part of the audience, rather than the villain, as is more common. This gives the listener more of a sense that they are actually hearing somebody recounting an old adventure, but it also adds a depth that is often lacking in this series.
The story itself is a sort of ghost story, with the Doctor and companions exploring a mysterious house. It's claustrophobic, creepy, and brilliantly brought to life by Jean Marsh. Even the framing device is subtly done, as the nature and motives of the in-play "audience" are slowly revealed.
Indisputably the best Companion Chronicle I've listened to so far.
October 20, 2022
So The Sara Kingdom Trilogy is undoubtedly one of the finest of the companion chronicles, however despite enjoying it on my initial listen, I was quite disappointed in Home Truths, having been promised a story by reviewers that it was an absolutely terrifying listen, and whilst it definitely had atmosphere and terrific ideas, I felt underwhelmed.
However, I've decided to give it another listen for the spooky season and I'm so glad I did. This is a brilliantly unique haunted house story that plays with the supernatural in a bizarre but creative sense that could only work in Doctor Who. It's full of a rich atmosphere and the characterization is top-notch. We get to learn a lot about Sara Kingdom in this story from her being an officer to her grief and guilt at having murdered her brother.
Simon Guerrier has written a terrific story oozing with creepiness and intrigue. It's a very original story with a twist that will take you by surprise, but explain everything in a way that makes us understand what this trilogy is going for!
Overall: Definitely worth a listen, it's not a terrifying listen by any means, but it's one to listen to late at night in the dark that is definitely bound to send shivers down your spine! 9/10
However, I've decided to give it another listen for the spooky season and I'm so glad I did. This is a brilliantly unique haunted house story that plays with the supernatural in a bizarre but creative sense that could only work in Doctor Who. It's full of a rich atmosphere and the characterization is top-notch. We get to learn a lot about Sara Kingdom in this story from her being an officer to her grief and guilt at having murdered her brother.
Simon Guerrier has written a terrific story oozing with creepiness and intrigue. It's a very original story with a twist that will take you by surprise, but explain everything in a way that makes us understand what this trilogy is going for!
Overall: Definitely worth a listen, it's not a terrifying listen by any means, but it's one to listen to late at night in the dark that is definitely bound to send shivers down your spine! 9/10
June 2, 2016
This tale deals with a story told by a old woman in a house on an island. It's a story not that interesting until the end. A couple had been killed in the house that Sara, Steven and Doctor arrive. They are trying to find out who did it. Basically the house grant wishes and has no sense of what is wishing. So the wife had a thought of her husband killed and afterwards desire to kill herself and the houses made both wishes come true.
Sara Kingdom to make the house conscient made a copy to it. We later learn that the old woman is Sara or aka the House.
There are some information that links to another two tales. The first "The Drowned World" and the last of the trilogy "The Guardian of the Solar System". We also get some glimpses of how the world changed. I think of the three it's the weakest one...
Sara Kingdom to make the house conscient made a copy to it. We later learn that the old woman is Sara or aka the House.
There are some information that links to another two tales. The first "The Drowned World" and the last of the trilogy "The Guardian of the Solar System". We also get some glimpses of how the world changed. I think of the three it's the weakest one...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 8, 2009Jean Marsh returns as Sara Kingdom, reminiscing about her time travelling with the Doctor and Steven long ago - rather a daring choice, since we all know what happened to her. Suffice it to say that continuity is respected and Jean Marsh turns in another stunning performance of a script that surely has deliberate echoes of William Hope Hodgson's House on the Borderland.
January 6, 2014
What a lovely spooky haunted house story by Simon Guerrier. Jean Marsh did a lovely job telling the story. I was totally hooked into it. I've not actually seen Sara Kingdom's Doctor Who episodes but I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Listened to this again a year later as I bought the rest of Simon's Sarah Kingdom Companion Chronicles and it's just as good the 2nd time around.
Listened to this again a year later as I bought the rest of Simon's Sarah Kingdom Companion Chronicles and it's just as good the 2nd time around.
February 26, 2015
On paper this has probably very little to redeem it - a seemingly haunted house with dead bodies and a lot of exposition wandering around rooms. What does lift this story out of the ordinary is Jean Marsh's excellent Sara Kingdom and her reflections on her relationships with others and the final twist in the tale that makes the previous fifty minutes worthwhile.
July 21, 2024
This is a really good story about a seemingly haunted house that takes on the spirit of Sara Kingdom. The house fulfilling requests, literally, is a good device and works well. Jean Marsh is a talented narrator and is able to hold the narrative thread well, even when it threatens to become a little convoluted. Nicely spooky in a very Doctor Who way.
January 21, 2009
A bit of a slow start, but builds up to a satisfyingly creepy ending. Would probably have been much better listened to in a darkened room, rather than while out walking in the bright sunshine, which is how I heard it.
September 10, 2016
this was a great take on haunted houses. i was in one once as a kid. my neighbor's actually. my neighbor wasn't dead or anything, they just weren't home. and i got in through the attic we shared. It was a duplex. i guess what I'm trying to say is i broke into my neighbor's house.
August 20, 2012
Atmospheric, creepy, and sad tale told by Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh), one-time companion of the First Doctor.
January 21, 2016
This was a spooky and gripping adventure. It was great to hear from Jean Marsh who has been so elusive lately.
January 14, 2015
Really excellent start to this storyline.
July 4, 2015
Jean Marsh reprises her role as Sara Kingdom, the Companion who should have been. It's a haunted house, sort of.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews