1963: The Assassination Games [AUDIO/2013.11.15]

★★★★☆

  Doctor Who has dabbled in political thrillers before, but for some reason 1963: The Assassination Games is the one story that actually commits to the subgenre and ends up being the most memorable. It was an obvious choice to give this electrifying conspiracy/government infiltration extravaganza to the most enigmatic and manipulative of Doctors, the Seventh, and Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred immediately seem to leap at the chance of bringing something special alive. I have a great fondness for the 1963 monthly range trilogy for their ambition and their generally well-done presentation, and The Assassination Games acts as the perfect bookmark: a story with less bombast but more stakes, with nuclear war on the horizon and the UK government taken over by a malevolent alien force only told in fairy-tales.

  It's also fun and incredibly fitting for the Counter-measures group to get their fair share of the action on it. They're all fantastic characters, having shown their metal in both Remembrance of the Daleks and their spin-off Big Finish boxset, and they fit this winding, complex story of nuclear disarmament and vehement anti-communism like a glove. John Dorney makes the smart move here and makes the Doctor and Ace's involvement big enough; they're not completely working from behind the curtains, but they don't overshadow the Counter-measures group either because it's a celebration of them as well. Besides, the Doctor acting as a political official to counter an alien cult/faction bred from a hospital for the rich elite is a fantastic idea... and for once, The Assassination Games reaches the full potential of its ideas. It's a tight four-parter, an exciting political thriller and a great showcase of Seven and Ace.