"Doctor Who" and the Daemons (Classic Novels) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

I wanted to like this audiobook, I really did. It comes from one of the truly great periods in the show's history, was written by one of its most talented personnel, and featured some of its post popular actors and characters. Nevertheless, I am unable to like it.

The main problem for me was the endless padding. The original television story was cut from six episodes to five to improve the pacing, but much of the verbiage here could also have been cut. Whole pages pass by with nothing happening, which completely dispels any mood and atmosphere the story is trying to build up. In one scene in a pub, we even get a detailed account of what constitutes a ploughman's lunch. Such unnecessary detail can only have been included to pad out the word-count.

The story itself is very good. The Doctor, his assistant, Jo Grant, and the UNIT personnel descend on Devil's End, where Professor Horner is about to open an ancient barrow. In doing so, he unleashes the ancient power of Azal, the Daemon of the title. By-the-bye, Letts gets in a discussion of science and rationality versus superstition.

Letts trained as an actor before enrolling on the BBC's internal director's course, and his reading is exemplary, giving each character his or her own cadences, and capturing the spirit of the Doctor and the Master, both of whom reached their apotheosis during his time as producer. In the end, though, I found listening to this audiobook a trial.

If you are not sure about this BBC audiobook range, then Barry Letts reading of a story he was heavily involved in is actually very good. Letts is a good story teller as his "Who and I" testifies. Had I not known that this was Barry Letts voice, one could be forgiven for thinking it was the lovable Peter Sallis detailing the story of Devil's End.

The story gets a four as it does feel a little over long and I am not fully convinced we really need such readings when a DVD would suffice. It is amazing to think that these original books were generally between 30p and £2 for the bulk of their paperback life, yet now we are paying nearly tenfold for an audio adaptation. As good as a reading might be, for many it is still no substitute for the visual and audio experience of the original.

What a marvellous addition to the thoroughly excellent BBC Doctor Who Classic Novels audiobook series this is.

Of course, it's based on top-drawer source material: the 1971 Jon Pertwee TV serial is fondly remembered as the finest example of that golden era, and producer Barry Letts later developed his own script into the much-loved, Alan Willow-illustrated Target novelisation (1974) this is based on. Now Letts is able to add another dimension, drawing on his past life as a jobbing actor to add colour and dimension to a thrilling retelling of the third Doctor's battle with the Master and forces of black magic - or is it dark science? - in the English village of Devil's End.

Letts' abiding faith in humanity informs a tale that is at turns spooky, electrifying and laugh-out-loud funny, and there're five discs worth, too (though the five-plus hours fly by all too soon). Long-term fans will delight at the way Letts, after a slightly-hesitant start, quickly finds the voices of characters he helped shape: the first, and best, suave incarnation of the Master; the blustering-but-human Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, never a mere blimp or cipher; and of the course, the dashing, dandy, heroic high-and-mighty third Doctor (though no one in this series has quite captured the quicksilver magic of Pertwee's delivery... but then, who could?).

The extended running time allows plenty of time for quiet character moments amid the action, and Letts' compassionate view of human nature (and others) means there's sympathy and understanding for the minor characters - even the bad 'uns. The regulars get fleshed out, too (Sergeant Benton is revealed as a twinkle-toed ballroom dancer, for example), but if you don't know this era don't worry: outside the DVDs (and The Daemons in still on the wish list) this is the perfect place to start. And you should!

The highpoint of a brilliant series so far then, though there are no real clunkers; the Tom Baker readings of his early adventures are delightful (start with Brain of Morbius, perhaps) and the Malcolm Hulke authored Pertwee-era readings are winners, too, ...Space War perhaps the slowest going. In some cases - Dinosaur Invasion, Black Orchid - these sets arguably even supplant the telly stories as definitive versions, though that is a debate for another day.

Recommended, then: shop carefully, bide your time, get 'em for under a tenner all-in and you'll certainly never regret it... in fact the only thing you'll be sorry about is the sudden shortness of the daily commute... but then there are about 150 of these titles to go at. Can't wait.