The Perpetual Bond (2011)

The latest companion chronicle is quite a bold one because it introduces a new companion for the First Doctor. This is the first time that a character has been created for the first four Doctors. We are introduced to Oliver Harper (played by Tom Allen) who at first seems like your typical 1960’s human but its not that simple. The story is set immediately after The Daleks Master Plan and the TARDIS lands in the very junkyard where it all started in An Unearthly Child. The Doctor intends to see Ian and Barbara to try and cheer themselves up after the death of Sara Kingdom. However the Doctor gets sidetracked and then the story moves to a sort of stock exchange where they meet Oliver.

The story introduces us to a race of Mushroom-shape headed aliens who are traders but are dealing in humans. Te idea is that as Britain nearly went bankrupt due to World War 2, the aliens started to trade in humans because there were just too many. They would take a certain amount from each part of the country. At this point it sounded very familiar to what they were doing in Torchwood: Children of Earth. Anyway what is quite good is that the government were aware of what they were doing and allowed it to continue. The thing I don’t quite believe is that they have been doing it for hundreds of years. The problem is that they don’t have enough menace for me to find that believable.

Apart from that minor quibble is actually a very good story. The resolution of the human trading story was very clever but did take me a while to get my head around. But once I did then it made it even better. The voice for the alien was very good and at least made them sound alien. Peter Purves was brilliant in this. After his last appearance in the Toms Tardis Award winning story ‘The Suffering’. It was great to hear his William Hartnell impression. Just as impressive as Frazer Hines’ second Doctor voice. He probably has it pitched slightly too high but its still a good attempt. As Steven though he doesn’t seem to try and do something like the old Steven Taylor but instead does his own voice but he is enthusiastic and that that is what is great about Peter Purves. As the newbie, Tom Allen is superb as Oliver Harper. He has a perfect voice for radio and according to the extras at the end of the release has been on Big Finish’s radar for quite sometime. He played it perfectly as a rader who is thrown into an alien situation. The fact we are going to get more of Tom Allen is only a good thing. As a double act Purves and Allen work well together and I think it makes Doctor Who history by being the first all-male TARDIS line-up only took 48 years but better late than never.

After the story seems to have finished we get a bit more and that is Harper has a secret and he hopes that the Doctor and Steven don’t find out (which of course they will). I don’t know what this secret is but I hope it’s a good one and not a monumental disappointment, only time will tell. As a story in its own right, the Perpetual Bond is a nice story in a setting we don’t get to experience in Doctor Who very often. How it will compare to other stories to other stories in this story arc is unclear but at this moment in time I am not worried. Apparently the idea for the creation of Oliver Harper came from David Richardson who as producer of the Companion Chronicles has a better idea than most what will work. Praise should go to him but also to Simon Guerrier who has written an enjoyable story. Though when you look at his track record you shouldnt be surprised. It’s not a shock for me to say it’s the best companion chronicle of 2011 (even though its only the second release of the year) and after a great Peri and the Piscon Paradox, it’s a continingly good start for the companion chronicles.