Sympathy for the Devil [AUDIO/2003.6.16]

★★★★☆

  Isn't it marvellous how a Doctor created for the Unbound series, most likely created for a one-off "what if" scenario adventure, became so popular that he got a sequel, an entire series with Bernice Summerfield, and a substantial part in Big Finish's 60th anniversary celebration series? It's very much a product of David Warner being such a fantastic actor to play the part, but by my reckoning, the success of Sympathy for the Devil is also an important factor. Not even taking into account the fact that I simply love it when Dr. Who is set in the 1990s (something which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should), it's an amazing twist on the "what if the Doctor never became UNIT's scientific advisor?" prompt, painting a Brigadier torn with failure and sadness. Without the Doctor, aliens still invaded the Earth and UNIT was left to its own devices; many good people died, and the Brigadier was left looking like a madman screaming about killer plastic creatures. It's a depressing possibility that we've all had on our minds once or twice, and Jonathan Clements utilises that shower thought in a grounded, politically charged and bitter audio drama which wastes no time in revealing just how cold UNIT actually is without the cuddly uncle persona of the Brigadier as a spokesperson. The ever-dependable David Tennant as Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood is an utter bastard and a great government lackey to hate, and Mark Gatiss is delectably slimy as this Unbound universe's Master. In a packed cast, Warner is the undeniable standout; he's indignant, warm, and has the uniquely Doctorish twinkle that reassures the audience. This may be an entirely different universe, but the Doctor's still the Doctor.

  So, are you interested to see how Dr. Who could have handled the Hong Kong Handover back in the day (I mean, it's not as if this audio drama was released that far off from the actual event)? Are you interested to see how the Brigadier would be as a bitter old man with a shameful past, haunted by an imbecilic new face of his old organisation? Are you interested to find out how things would have been had the Doctor not been UNIT's scientific advisor? Check out Sympathy for the Devil -- it's well-paced, grounded (something you don't see me point out everyday, but being "grounded" absolutely works in its favour), and tied to the modern world in ways that Who rarely is. It's a fascinating piece with an atmosphere unique to its own (contemporary Hong Kong, in other words), and it's a brilliant beginning of a fantastic Doctor. Rest in peace, David Warner.