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Big Finish: Monthly Range #200
Doctor Who: The Secret History
The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Steven and Vicki to the Italian city of Ravenna in the year 540 – besieged by the army of the celebrated Byzantine general Belisarius. Caught up in the fighting, Steven ends up on a boat bound for Constantinople, the heart of the Roman Empire.
Rescuing Steven, however, is the least of the Doctor's problems – because he shouldn't be mixed up in this particular adventure at all. Someone has sabotaged his own personal timeline, putting him in the place of his First incarnation... but who, and why? The truth is about to be revealed – but at what cost to all of the Doctors, and to the whole future history of the planet Earth?
Rescuing Steven, however, is the least of the Doctor's problems – because he shouldn't be mixed up in this particular adventure at all. Someone has sabotaged his own personal timeline, putting him in the place of his First incarnation... but who, and why? The truth is about to be revealed – but at what cost to all of the Doctors, and to the whole future history of the planet Earth?
2 pages, Audio CD
First published June 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Robson
158 books111 followersEddie Robson is a comedy and science fiction writer best known for his sitcom Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully and his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He has written books, comics and short stories, and has worked as a freelance journalist for various science fiction magazines. He is married to a female academic and lives in Lancaster.
Robson's comedy writing career began in 2008 with material for Look Away Now. Since then his work has featured on That Mitchell and Webb Sound, Tilt, Play and Record, Newsjack, Recorded For Training Purposes and The Headset Set. The pilot episode of his sitcom Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 5th July 2012. It starred Katherine Parkinson and Julian Rhind-Tutt.
His Doctor Who work includes the BBC 7 radio plays Phobos, Human Resources and Grand Theft Cosmos, the CD releases Memory Lane, The Condemned, The Raincloud Man and The Eight Truths, and several short stories for Big Finish's Doctor Who anthologies, Short Trips. He has contributed comic strips to Doctor Who Adventures.
Between 2007 and 2009, Robson was the producer of Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of products, and has contributed four audio plays to the series. He has also written books on film noir and the Coen Brothers for Virgin Publishing, the Doctor Who episode guide Who's Next with co-authors Mark Clapham and Jim Smith, and an illustrated adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Robson's comedy writing career began in 2008 with material for Look Away Now. Since then his work has featured on That Mitchell and Webb Sound, Tilt, Play and Record, Newsjack, Recorded For Training Purposes and The Headset Set. The pilot episode of his sitcom Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 5th July 2012. It starred Katherine Parkinson and Julian Rhind-Tutt.
His Doctor Who work includes the BBC 7 radio plays Phobos, Human Resources and Grand Theft Cosmos, the CD releases Memory Lane, The Condemned, The Raincloud Man and The Eight Truths, and several short stories for Big Finish's Doctor Who anthologies, Short Trips. He has contributed comic strips to Doctor Who Adventures.
Between 2007 and 2009, Robson was the producer of Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of products, and has contributed four audio plays to the series. He has also written books on film noir and the Coen Brothers for Virgin Publishing, the Doctor Who episode guide Who's Next with co-authors Mark Clapham and Jim Smith, and an illustrated adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 4, 2022
The 200th release of the monthly range, is is the final installment of the Locum Doctors trilogy. A while ago, I listened to the middle chapter, Last of the Cybermen, not realizing right away that it was part of a trilogy. I think I enjoyed that one more than this one. It helps that I have more enthusiasm for the Sixth Doctor in the audios and that I prefer Jamie and Zoe over Steven and Vicki. But this was still an interesting "team-up," nonetheless. I still have yet to listen to the first installment of this trilogy, The Defectors.
I also liked the inclusion of The Monk as the big villain. He tries to take The Doctor's place. Steven and Vicki's skepticism over Five being The Doctor make sense, and I do wish Five explained regeneration better to them. As can be expected, things get a bit messy, but a fun adventure regardless. As far as stories about Five being plucked into the timestream of another version of himself are concerned, I do prefer the more recent Forty box set overall. I definitely recommend that.
I also liked the inclusion of The Monk as the big villain. He tries to take The Doctor's place. Steven and Vicki's skepticism over Five being The Doctor make sense, and I do wish Five explained regeneration better to them. As can be expected, things get a bit messy, but a fun adventure regardless. As far as stories about Five being plucked into the timestream of another version of himself are concerned, I do prefer the more recent Forty box set overall. I definitely recommend that.
November 17, 2022
I loved this one. Great story that works either as a 5th Doctor story, or as a “William Hartnell didn’t show up for work today” First Doctor story that were sadly common towards the tail end of his run. I love how Steven comes across in these audios. Just ultimate himbo energy. And this is my favorite incarnation of the Monk as well. Just the right combination of comedy and menace while not stepping on the Master’s toes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2025
I feel this is an underrated story. 5 and the First Doctors Tardis team work well together. 5 always works in historical settings and having a competent team that can hold their own even when the Doctor is not around is refreshing. The twist hits hard and I feel this did not need to be a trilogy. I understand this was meant to be a commemoration story but I feel these didn't need to be an interconnected trilogy. This is still a great story by itself.
October 26, 2019
Another brilliant audio by Eddie Robson! This story concludes and ties The Locum Doctor's Trilogy brilliantly! The characterization in this was spot on, the return of an old foe was great to see, the complexity of the last episode was really well done but best of all it felt like a first doctor story! 9.5/10
March 7, 2025
5, Vicki and Steven are an interesting grouping. I love Vicki as a companion so that's a plus, the story for the first 3 parts is a basic run-of-the-mill Doctor and Companions explore the past. The last part of the story wraps up the trilogy well but overall, I just wanted a bit more since this was rather pointless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2024
Full cast
Another cross over episode
Peter Davison in for William Hartenal
Another cross over episode
Peter Davison in for William Hartenal
November 24, 2020
The concluding part of the "Locum Doctors" trilogy and the 200th release in Big Finish's main
Doctor Who
range, this sees the Fifth Doctor swapping places with the First. As should surprise nobody, given the title, this is set during the reign of Emperor Justinian the Great. With both Belisarius and Procopius featuring as major characters, it initially appears to be a "straight historical" very much in the Hartnell mould, but the science fiction elements become much stronger about a third of the way in.
Even so, a lot of the relevant history is packed in here, and the length of time that the characters spend in Ravenna and Constantinople is also reminiscent of the First Doctor's era. Belisarius comes out of it reasonably well, although Justinian and Theodora are somewhere between the saintly version of Orthodox hagiographies and the (presumably) slanderous one of the play's namesake. To me, at least, the historical era appears well-presented, and it's good to see the inclusion of a chariot race of the sort that might be a little tricky on a BBC TV budget.
The science fiction elements are necessitated by the fact that, this time, the central mystery of the trilogy has to be explained. In fact, it's the solution to the mystery that nudges this into five-star territory for me, in particular, the way that the final 30-minute segment plays out. Needless to say, time travel is a key element here, although I didn't feel it was overly complicated once you accept the central premise of what the villain is up to (which seems no stranger than things many others have tried in the series).
I especially liked the fact that it hinges so closely on the differences between the First and Fifth Doctors, something that really justifies the purpose of doing this story at all. With good use of both Steven and Vicki, and something that really feels like the Fifth Doctor is walking around in a First Doctor story, this is a good conclusion to the trilogy and a commendable 200th release.
Even so, a lot of the relevant history is packed in here, and the length of time that the characters spend in Ravenna and Constantinople is also reminiscent of the First Doctor's era. Belisarius comes out of it reasonably well, although Justinian and Theodora are somewhere between the saintly version of Orthodox hagiographies and the (presumably) slanderous one of the play's namesake. To me, at least, the historical era appears well-presented, and it's good to see the inclusion of a chariot race of the sort that might be a little tricky on a BBC TV budget.
The science fiction elements are necessitated by the fact that, this time, the central mystery of the trilogy has to be explained. In fact, it's the solution to the mystery that nudges this into five-star territory for me, in particular, the way that the final 30-minute segment plays out. Needless to say, time travel is a key element here, although I didn't feel it was overly complicated once you accept the central premise of what the villain is up to (which seems no stranger than things many others have tried in the series).
I especially liked the fact that it hinges so closely on the differences between the First and Fifth Doctors, something that really justifies the purpose of doing this story at all. With good use of both Steven and Vicki, and something that really feels like the Fifth Doctor is walking around in a First Doctor story, this is a good conclusion to the trilogy and a commendable 200th release.
February 10, 2017
The third in a trilogy marking Big Finish's 200th Monthly Release -- this is #200 right here!
In this final installment, the Fifth Doctor mysteriously replaces the First Doctor, during the time when he's traveling with Steven and Vicki. While they are suspicious of this younger version of the Doctor (Vicki wonders if the Doctor ages backwards!) when he pilots the Tardis -- something no one else is able to do -- they accept he is who he says he is.
The story is a typical First Doctor historical adventure, landing the Tardis in the Ostrogoth city of Ravenna, just as it is entered by Belisarius. Meanwhile, someone's meddling with history trying to make things turn out slightly different than recorded.
This final installment in the trilogy reveals the old foe who has caused the Doctor to replace himself in the previous two stories ( The Defectors , and Last of the Cybermen ). It ably evokes the First Doctor era, with a returning protagonist who really needs to return more often.
Four stars might be a bit generous, but the weak connecting threads of this trilogy are nicely tied up, and it was a pretty cool gimmick.
In this final installment, the Fifth Doctor mysteriously replaces the First Doctor, during the time when he's traveling with Steven and Vicki. While they are suspicious of this younger version of the Doctor (Vicki wonders if the Doctor ages backwards!) when he pilots the Tardis -- something no one else is able to do -- they accept he is who he says he is.
The story is a typical First Doctor historical adventure, landing the Tardis in the Ostrogoth city of Ravenna, just as it is entered by Belisarius. Meanwhile, someone's meddling with history trying to make things turn out slightly different than recorded.
This final installment in the trilogy reveals the old foe who has caused the Doctor to replace himself in the previous two stories ( The Defectors , and Last of the Cybermen ). It ably evokes the First Doctor era, with a returning protagonist who really needs to return more often.
Four stars might be a bit generous, but the weak connecting threads of this trilogy are nicely tied up, and it was a pretty cool gimmick.
April 10, 2023
I feel like I do this all the time. I hadn’t realized this was the finally of a trilogy. Oh well. I enjoyed it anyway. And it seems that as each chapter featured a different Doctor, stepping in for an altogether different Doctor ... it didn’t really matter. In any case, this was fun, it blended the amiable nature of the fifth Doctor with companions for the first Doctor and gave the whole thing an oddly nice twist. I’ve always enjoyed the pleasantness of the fifth Doctor, sandwiched between the pandering mannerisms of the fourth and the arrogance of the sixth, so it’s a treat to have him taking on the Meddling Monk with Vicki and Steven along for the ride. Really nice music in this one too.
September 6, 2016
The 5th Doctor ends up in the place of the first doctor to work with Stephen and Vicki. The do battle with the Monk in the early Roman Empire.
November 7, 2015
Nice conclusion to the 'misplaced' Doctors arc with an interesting conclusion. I liked how this felt like a 1st Dr story, but with the 5th. Hope BF do this kind of thing again.
January 31, 2016
Enjoyed but didn't love this "locum Doctors" trilogy. Feel more could have been done with the concept.
July 29, 2015
Over-complicated and over-ambitious overlapping timelines.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews