Doctor Who review: The Unbound Universe: The Library in the Body

Photo: Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield cast.. (L to R) Lisa Bowerman, David Warner and Sam Kisgart. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions.

Continuing our series of reviews focusing on David Warner’s Doctor, we look at Bernice Summerfield’s first adventure in The Unbound Universe, The Library in the Body.

The first two series of Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield were meant to act as a kind of jumping-on point for the character. After years of adventures away from the Doctor, The New Adventures reunited her with the Seventh Doctor and Ace, and gave Doctor Who fans previously unfamiliar with the adventure loving archaeologist a fresh place to start with.

However, the third series went in a radically different direction. One that, if anything, was even more of a perfect jumping-on point for new listeners. Because while the first two series built on Benny’s existing relationships with the Seventh Doctor and Ace, The Unbound Universe introduced her to a Doctor she had never met before. In any sense, in fact.

The Library in the Body establishes the new major plotline for the next two box sets in just the opening scenes. While Bernice is trying to teach some archaeology students, the familiar shape of the TARDIS appears. Initially, she’s pretty blasé about it, even when the Doctor who steps out (played by David Warner) isn’t one she’s ever met before. But within mere minutes, she goes from teaching an archaeology class to finding herself trapped in another universe, with no way back. That’s quite a way to establish the main arc for the next eight episodes!

New beginnings

James Goss had quite a shopping list with this opening story. While it’s an accessible starting point for Benny’s audios, that was arguably less important than re-introducing David Warner’s Doctor. After all, this is the third series of The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield, while this was Warner’s first appearance as the Doctor in eight years, and more importantly, outside of the Doctor Who Unbound range. So Goss had to introduce this incarnation to any listeners previously unfamiliar with the character.

What he does is extremely impressive. In a way, The Library in the Body does almost exactly the same job as Russell T Davies had to do for Rose. For some of the audience, the story works as a completely new beginning thanks to seeing it through the eyes of the companion, even a previously established one.

For others, it works equally well at continuing the story that they’re familiar with (i.e. for those who’ve previously listened to Sympathy for the Devil and Masters of War). But it also resets the story in such a way that they discover almost as much as listeners brand new to this Doctor.

The last time we saw Warners Doctor was in Masters of War. What has happened to him since then?

(Photo: Doctor Who: Unbound – Masters of War.. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions)

Old Doctor, new take

Speaking of the Doctor, I love the new take we get on David Warner’s incarnation. Not that I didn’t enjoy him in his previous two appearances. In both Sympathy and Masters, his version of the Doctor was serious and full of authority, and it worked rather well for those stories.

But within mere seconds, it’s clear that this Doctor has changed since we last saw him. When Benny asks which one he is, his response is perfect:

"Oh, you’re fun, aren’t you? Which one am I? The wrong one!"

That’s the kind of banter we get for the rest of the episode. It’s a radically different take on his Doctor, but it works very well. Even better is that, thanks to the time gap, it doesn’t feel too out-of-place.

This Doctor has been through a lot since we last saw him. The universe has been through a massive war and there’s very little of it left. On top of that, he’s been given a lot more responsibility which he certainly hasn’t asked for. So the fact that he has changed his attitude and his outlook makes sense for his character. Regardless, the more rebellious attitude that this Doctor has works well for him, and David Warner plays it brilliantly.

Benny and the Doctor – starting from scratch

As well as re-introducing Warner’s Doctor, we also have the additional element of Bernice’s friendship with the Doctor starting from scratch. She’s known him for an extremely long time, and by this point, she feels like she trusts him completely, no matter what body he or she is wearing.

So having her meet a Doctor from another universe entirely is a brilliant idea. It’s made clear in The Library in the Body that, while this Doctor feels somewhat familiar to her, she doesn’t trust him as much. This Doctor has been through a lot, including events that are radically different to the Doctor she knows. So at this point, she’s not sure what to make of him.

This is absolutely fantastic, as it breathes new life into the Doctor’s and Benny’s friendship. The previous two series of New Adventures were highly enjoyable, but it’s clear that there’s much more to explore with Benny and this Doctor.

On top of that, the banter between the two is fantastic. Both of them are brilliantly witty characters, allowing for plenty of laughs as the episode goes on. It also helps them to form a sort of bond fairly quickly, even if she doesn’t quite trust him just yet.

Also, it probably goes without saying that Lisa Bowerman is brilliant as ever as Benny. At this point, she had been playing the role for just a couple of years short of two decades, so to say she’s got a good handle on the character is an understatement. Hearing her and Warner together is nothing less than magic.

Once again, Bernice Summerfield’s life is turned upside down by the Doctor – but definitely not the one she was expecting…

(Photo: Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield – The Library in the Body. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions.)

The story

Last but not least, we actually get to the story itself. Many of James Goss’s stories can be really subversive, and with a title like The Library in the Body, it’s clear that this is no exception. There’s an intriguing whodunit mystery here, one that introduces us to a lot of interesting characters. (The space nuns singing hymns of numbers definitely stand out.)

More from Winter is Coming

But while the story itself is interesting, that’s not the main draw of the episode. I’m not saying the plot of The Library in the Body isn’t good, far from it. But just as Rose had more focus on establishing the New Series and the major characters rather than the episode’s plot, The Library in the Body essentially has to do the same. As radically different as these two episodes are, they both have to perform the same job.

And Library does that brilliantly. It establishes the new universe, the main characters and their relationship very quickly, and feels like a completely fresh start. It’s easy to see why the writers and producers of the Bernice Summerfield audios wanted to take things in such a radial direction based on just this episode.

In some ways, the general audience feels a lot like Bernice: extremely familiar with the key concepts of Doctor Who by this point, but also feeling like they’re rediscovering it all over again. A very strong start to this era.

The War Master will face the Unbound Master in his final series!. dark. Next

Have you listened to The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield: The Unbound Universe? What did you think of the opening installment, The Library in the Body? Do you think it established the new arc well? Let us know in the comments below.

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Doctor Who review: Benny meets the Unbound Doctor in The Library in the Body

By James Aggas | Sep 18, 2019