Tag: Leela

Doctor Who: Last Man Running

Doctor Who: Last Man Running

by Chris Boucher (BBC, 1998)

Book cover: Doctor Who - Last Man Running by Chris Boucher

While Boucher’s characterisation of Leela is superb, the non-regulars need actors to give them substance and the Doctor is diminished through having his inner thoughts revealed. The world-building outstrips the story’s needs, leaving the underlying idea more conceptually effective than narratively satisfying.

Doctor Who: The Crowmarsh Experiment

Doctor Who: The Crowmarsh Experiment

by David Llewellyn (Big Finish, 2018)

Llewellyn_Crowmarsh Experiment

Leela is attacked during one of her adventures with the Doctor, and wakes up in a research institute for implanted dream consciousness. Which of her realities is genuine? Perfectly pitched performances by Louise Jameson and Tom Baker. A nice idea cleverly executed.

 

 

Doctor Who: The Lady of Obsidian

Doctor Who: The Lady of Obsidian

by Andrew Smith (Big Finish, 2017)

Smith_Lady Obsidian

Leela’s return—pairing Louise Jameson with John Hurt—is a highlight of the Time War, both nostalgically and for the manner in which Andrew Smith brings her back. Unfortunately, there’s too much else going on. The story rattles helter-skelter around the moment.

 

 

Doctor Who: Match of the Day

Doctor Who: Match of the Day

by Chris Boucher (BBC Books, 2005)

Boucher_Match of the Day

Anyone considering this novel should take note that its strength lies entirely in the journey, not the destination. Boucher, who created the companion Leela, develops her (and the Doctor) with charming authenticity, but the scenario nosedives into a rushed, barely coherent ending.

 

 

Doctor Who: Corpse Marker

Doctor Who: Corpse Marker

by Chris Boucher (BBC, 1999); audiobook read by David Collings (BBC, 2015)

Boucher_Corpse Marker

Back in the late 1970s Chris Boucher established the character of Leela, wrote the classic Doctor Who story The Robots of Death, and script-edited Blake’s 7. Little surprise, then, that his robots sequel Corpse Marker showcases the better qualities of all three.

 

 

Derelict Space Sheep