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Doctor Who review: An Earthly Child (Eighth Doctor audio)

By James Aggas

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Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish

Image obtained from: bigfinish.com.

“One day, I shall come back.” And one day, the Doctor did. Find out what happened when the Doctor was finally reunited with his granddaughter in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child…

For their ongoing monthly range of Doctor Who audios, Big Finish used to include an incentive to get fans to subscribe. This incentive would take the form of a bonus and exclusive CD, for free with a subscription. In previous years, this had taken the form of bringing back something familiar. 2007 saw Return to the Web Planet. The following year saw Return of the Krotons. Both stories having a strong appeal to fans of the original stories, at least.

However, 2009 saw the release of something bigger. Much, much bigger. In fact, it was so big, that the fact it was a subscriber exclusive annoyed non-subscribers, initially. Because it wasn’t a reunion with a one-off monster or planet for the Doctor. This time, it was the long overdue reunion with his granddaughter Susan. Equally interesting, the Eighth Doctor would meet a new member of his family: Alex Campbell, his great-grandson…

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A long expected reunion

A reunion between the Doctor and Susan is a major piece of mythology that the New Series never got around to. In some ways, neither did the Classic Series, at least not properly. When the Doctor left her behind on Earth at the conclusion of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, they only met once more in The Five Doctors. But that story never really explored what Susan had got up to, or what her life had been like since. The twentieth anniversary special included a lot of returning characters and enemies, and Five didn’t even get to talk much to his granddaughter.

So having the Doctor visit her on Earth and catch up understandably felt big. It was a major piece of mythology. But as big as it was, it made sense that it was covered by Big Finish instead of the New Series. Especially in 2009, when it was believed that the Doctor’s whole race was dead. Essentially, An Earthly Child was the kind of major story that Big Finish should do.

Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC

Image obtained from: bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.)

Susan

Overall, it’s a story that works really well. Getting Marc Platt to write it was definitely a nice touch. As the writer of several First Doctor and Susan stories, including The Beginning, Platt has a very clear idea of the Doctor’s and Susan’s relationship. So it makes sense that he’d be the one to write up their long awaited reunion.

As the story builds up to that moment, we catch up on Susan herself. She’s changed a lot since the Doctor left her, facing a lot of challenges on her own. As well as being a mother, she also has the task of trying to help humanity move forward. She’s facing a lot of difficulty, though. There are many people who are against aliens, including her own son, who has no idea of his heritage.

It’s funny, but in just one hour, Susan comes across as a much better written character than she was on television. Platt does a really great job fleshing her out and giving us a clear idea of how much she’s changed. She’s not infallible, and she makes a few mistakes in the story. But she’s also very strong, and much wiser than she was as a teenager. Carole Ann Ford takes this material and portrays it brilliantly. It’s easy to imagine how happy she was at playing a much more developed version of the character in a full-cast drama.

“Grandfather”

Paul McGann does an equally great job at playing a very different side to his Doctor. When the Doctor and Susan are finally reunited, they both completely sell it. In particular, it’s an absolute joy to hear Susan call him “Grandfather” once again.

Platt also explores the more alien side to the Doctor’s nature. That could be a risk with McGann’s Doctor. One of the best elements of his character is his depth of emotion, and how relatable he can be at times. But both Platt and McGann sell it perfectly. The Doctor is glad to be a grandfather again, but it also blinds him to the more obvious aspects of Susan’s life. Particularly how she’s a mother now, and is far more reluctant for adventures than she once was.

Jake McGann (son of the Eighth Doctor himself) does a serviceable job as Alex. He’s not very likeable at this point, but it’s easy to understand why. He doesn’t trust aliens, especially his great-grandfather. But he’s been kept in the dark too much, and the only aliens he knows about are the Daleks. So it’s an interesting introduction to his character.

An Earthly Child is a very good story. The more emotional aspects especially are handled exactly right. Hearing the Doctor reunited with his family once more is an absolute joy. Even better, however, is the promise that this story isn’t over yet. Along with Death in Blackpool, An Earthly Child is a story that sets up a great deal for the fourth and final season of the Eighth Doctor Adventures…

Next: Doctor Who review: The Sontarans (First Doctor audio)

Have you listened to An Earthly Child? Would you want to see the Doctor and his granddaughter reunited on television? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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