Doctor Who: The One Doctor

Big Finish: Monthly Range #27

by Gareth Roberts, Clayton Hickman, Colin Baker (Narrator)

When the evil Skelloids launch an attack upon the seventeen worlds of the Generios system, its peace-loving inhabitants face total destruction.

So it's fortunate that the famous traveller in time and space known only as the Doctor is in the area, and doubly lucky that, with the help of his pretty young assistant, Sally-Anne, he manages to defeat the deadly creatures and save the day.

But now it looks as though the Doctor¹s luck has run out.

Who is the mysterious, curly-haired stranger who insists on causing trouble? What role does the feisty redhead Melanie play in his scheme? And what have they to do with the sinister alien cylinder approaching Generios?

One thing is certain: for the Doctor and Sally-Anne, there¹s deadly danger ahead ...

Chronological Placement
This story takes place between the television adventures, The Trial of a Time Lord and Time and the Rani.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Time Travel, Media Tie In, Comedy

Audio CD

First published December 17, 2001

About the author

Gareth Roberts has written TV scripts for various soap operas (including Brookeside, Springhill, and Emmerdale), Randall & Hopkirk (deceased), the revival of Doctor Who, the Sarah Jane Adventures, and Wizards vs Aliens.

Also for the Doctor Who universe, he has written the interactive adventure Attack of the Graske, the mobile phone TARDISODEs accompanying the 2006 series, several Big Finish audios, and multiple novels, as well as contributed to Doctor Who Magazine.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The combination of two British institutions in Doctor Who and Pantomime work so well to hilarious effect.

Choosing well known Panto actor Christopher Biggins as the impostoring 'Doctor' fitted perfectly well, as both him and companion Sally-Ann as they use the Tine Lords name to con various planets out of money.

This adventure really rehabilitated both The Sixth Doctor and Mel's pairing as they learn of Banto Zame's (get it) tricks only for a real alien invasion to occur.

The plot is simply a fun runaround as both Six and Mel along with their parodies must undertake a quest to save the planets inhabitants.
Learing what Banto's Stardis has been modeled on is one of many laugh out loud moment, the manner of needing to find three treasure pieces again allows for plenty of affectionate pokes at the TV series - especially corridors.
The Dalek parody was also great!

Even though this was originally released in December and just like all good pantos can be enjoyed over Christmas, the humour and self referencing allows this to be savored all year round.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You don’t get the same effect with audio – people actually want to see the monsters!"

[Frank Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very silly and a whole heap of fun.

Six and Mel travel far into the distant future and discover a pair of charlatans who are masquerading as heroes by generating false emergencies and then pretending to swoop in and save the day... but worse than that they have capitalised on the Doctor's reputation and are actually claiming to be The Doctor and his companion... and worse still, they are not above fleecing their unwitting victims in the process of "rescuing" them.

While the Doctor begins lamenting over how he'll one day become a fairytale and a distant memory, an actual existential threat appears and demands tribute, or else it'll destroy all 17 planets in the system. So the Doctor and Mel team up with the crooks to find and deliver the 3 most suitable offerings from within the system.

What ensues is a series of comical parodies which are consistently fun if not always as funny as intended to be, the highlight being a dalek-like race of logical machines that are hell-bent on assembling things rather than destroying them.

Meanwhile, the fake companion starts to admire the real Doctor's bravery and the fake Doctor falls head over heels for our friend Mel, claiming that he has never met a woman like her before. Classic.

We're all expecting a twist at the end of this one but I encourage you to think outside of the box a little bit, it's not the obvious one.

A fun story and a spectacular performance!

[Jadetyger Sevea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Finish has done it again. "The One Doctor" is witty and engaging. The storyline makes excellent use of the audio format treating the listener to sparkling dialogue.

Colin Baker continues to shine as the Doctor in a way he was never allowed to on screen. This was my first exposure to Mel as a Companion, and while I wasn't blown away by her character, I did think that she had some fine moments.

Overall, I highly recommend "The One Doctor" as a fun, lighthearted romp across the cosmos with our favorite Time Lord.

[Avarill · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a gem! A fun audio that never faltered from start to finish, it even made me enjoy Mel -- and that's saying something. It's a little zany but always struck the right balance between crack and good storytelling. One of the best 6th Doctor adventures I've listened to.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the story that turned me around on Colin Baker. I now admit that he is amazing and his potential was wasted on the TV show.

I've heard that this is considered "Panto." Not being British, I have trouble getting my head around this concept, but it seems to translate to cracktastic comedy. As a Doctor Who fan and a fan of absurdist humor like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it was right up my alley. Laughed the whole way through.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so fun. I love the little adventure they go on and the characters pretending to be the doctor/companion. This story flows nicely and is an easy listen. Mel is amazing here and 6 is hilarious too.

[Taksya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il sesto Dottore e Mel in una avventura comica e paradossale, forse a tratti anche esageratamente ridicola.
Un finto dottore con assistente al seguito, nemici che fanno il verso a nemesi più classiche, dettagli che richiamano atmosfere a la Guida Galattica... tanti spunti interessanti, buona partecipazione come sempre, ma non completamente soddisfacente.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man has it been a while since I’ve reviewed anything Doctor Who related, when this site was still called “An American View of British Science Fiction”, I used to review these a lot, but for some reason I haven’t kept up with it. My apologies to those that liked following them, as I have sort of neglected that side of the site. My plan is to start going back into these now, and even though there is no way I’ll catch up in any sort of manner that wont take ages, but I’ll try. Truth is, I originally listened to this many years ago, even before I started working at my current job, during those times when I used to walk to work. Going into this, I obviously didn’t remember the finer details of the audio drama, so I needed to listen once gain. Man this brings back memories!

This is a Sixth Doctor adventure, and like with all of these audio dramas I absolutely love Colin Baker in the role. I never hated him in the TV show or anything, but he was honestly never my favorite. What a difference decent scripts and good direction makes for such a good actor, he’s easily the highlight of my adventures through these. He is joined by his companion Mel as played by Bonnie Langford, once again a character that I didn’t particularly enjoy that is made much better in audio form. In this serial, The Doctor comes face to face with …… The Doctor?! in this light-hearted Christmas Special. Being a Christmas special, this isn’t necessarily the best episode of Doctor Who in any regard, but its fun.

"When the evil Skelloids launch an attack upon the seventeen worlds of the Generios system, its peace-loving inhabitants face total destruction. So it’s lucky that the Doctor, that famous traveller in time and space, is in the area, and that he, along with his pretty young assistant, Sally-Anne, manages to defeat the deadly creatures and save the day. But now it looks as though the Doctor’s luck has run out. Who is the mysterious, curly-haired stranger, intent on causing trouble? What role does the feisty redhead Melanie play in his scheme? And what have they to do with the sinister alien cylinder approaching Generios? One thing is certain: for the Doctor and Sally-Anne, there’s deadly danger ahead…" Publisher’s summary

Joining Baker and Langford are the imposter characters of Banto and Sally-Anne, played by Christopher Biggins and Clare Buckfield. Banto is traveling around in a port-a-potty (or port-a-loo for UK readers) called the STARDIS, basically extorting people for money posing as the legendary Doctor himself. And when not heroically fighting the bad guys, he spends his time ogling his beautiful companion, seemingly on the edge of having to make a trip to a hotel room at any moment. As you can imagine, this all makes the actual Doctor very irritated indeed.

This is an enjoyable romp that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s full of fun gags, and plays up all of the tropes of the show to a silly degree in the fraud Doctor and his companion. Audio design is spot on, and sound effects and music are good. Perhaps my only quibble is that there are a handful of instances that the dialogue gets a bit buried under music and sound effects, but it never goes so far in that you can’t hear what’s happening. I’m not sure I’d recommend this as a standout episode on it’s own merits, but if you are listening to these in order like I am, it’s a good listen.

Currently one can purchase this directly from Big Finish, or do what I did, and listen on Spotify. It looks like a bunch of these old Big Finish releases are on there absolutely free!

[Seb Hasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story really was a unique listening experience for me. I reserve five star ratings for the best of the best, so while I fought the idea of giving this story that rating, eventually I had to give in and do so. It is arguably one of the funniest Big Finish ever made, you don’t go a full minute throughout without a joke that makes you audibly laugh; something that even the most carefully thought out stories these days can only dream of. Having two comedy writers helm this one clearly was the way to go, with the parodies of TV, the original ridiculous ideas, and the brutally funny dialogue all scoring home runs. I never thought I’d be able to say this but, Christopher Biggins is marvellous as the Doctor’s dodgy imposter. Such a well known person playing a shoddy conman was such an interesting way to go and he carries the role perfectly the whole way through. Clare Buckfield fits perfectly as his ‘companion’ and she delivers just as much if not more of the character comedy through the story. Those two perfectly offset the Doctor and Mel, and the ludicrousness of the situation along with the contention between the four makes for some great character comedy. Colin Baker & Bonnie Langford are clearly having a fantastic time and that reflects in their performances, everything feels so genuine and as much as they further the narrative, it’s their ability to play the comedy straight-faced that really impresses.

The plot is nothing all too special, just the Doctor catching an imposter and having to foil an alien invasion; except if you went into it thinking it’s just that, you’ll come away truly shocked. Every moment brings a new hilarious character, silly situation, or perfectly timed joke and in furtherance to entertainment; you cannot stop yourself from laughing so hard you lose track of time. The story doesn’t feel forcefully ‘christmassy’ as a lot of stories like this do because the idea of it being christmas is only really mentioned in the post-credit scene. Instead this is a story designed to make you laugh all the way through the holidays and beyond, no powerful dramatic moments, just charm and silliness. The stories villains are all comedic and that’s rather the point with them, they fit the narrative perfectly with all threat being surface level and there’s so much from them being ludicrous that entertains. The story has such fun, light music which plays so well against silly sound design, enhancing the plot and all these scenes intended to make you laugh. The supporting cast too clearly all have strength in comedy, as their performances quite often eclipse the stars in terms of the laughs they get, and with everyone giving it their all, it feels there are no weak links just a perfect ensemble. The story is paced perfectly, opening the scenario in part one, cramming parts two and three with silly situations and hilarious nonsense, and part four giving more of that while perfectly taking our characters to the end of their journey.

I really cannot find fault with this story, and favourite Doctors etc is not a factor when it truly is proof no matter what you think of the Tardis team, you cannot help but love this one. It is truly unique in the Dr Who universe and many later stories fail to copy the humour and charm of this story, so it is fabulous that if I ever want to I can visit the 100+ endless jokes and sweet silliness that this story does perfectly.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

6代目ドクター、コリン・ベイカーとコンパニオンのメルを演じたボニー・ロングフォード主演。ナードールでおなじみのマット・ルーカスもゲストで登場。

あらすじ
Part1

ドクターとメルがモノポリーで遊んでいるとターディスが救難信号受信して、そちらに向かっていく。到着したのは遠い未来。平和でテクノロジーが発展し、宇宙は探険しつくされ、謎も問題も全て解明されていた。そのため、ドクターはこの時代に全く興味が持てず、これまで訪れたことはなかった。ターディスが到着したのはジェネリオス・ワンという惑星で、外に出るとあたりはお祭りムードで賑わっていた。通りすがりの住人に理由を尋ねると、スケリオンという好戦的種族から侵略されそうになっていたところを伝説のタイムロードであるドクターに助けられたので、それを祝っているという。当然覚えがまったくないので面食らうドクター。何者かが自分の名前を騙っていると、メルと共にその正体と理由を探ることにする。程なく偽ドクターの正体はバントーとサリーいう名の詐欺師で目的は自作自演で救世主を装い謝礼を騙しとることだと判明する。しかし、ドクターとメルが官邸に潜り込み、バントーとサリーを偽ドクターと糾弾しようとするも、しつこいファンに困っているとバントーに訴えられ逆に警備兵に捕らえられてしまう。しかし、新たな侵略者がジェネリオウスに向かってきていると、バントーとサリーはジェネリオウスの議長に助けを求められる。

Part2

直接攻撃に出てきた侵略者は滅ぼされたくなければジェネリオウスの3大宝物を差し出せという。バントーとサリーはドクターのフリをしてたまま3大宝物を横取りする算段を立て出す。その間にドクターとメルは牢屋を抜け出す。議長から3大宝物のあるかを描いた地図をたくされたバントーとサリーはジェネリオウスから偽ターディスで脱出すようとするが、ドクターとメルが止めに入るが議長にまた追い出されそうになる。バントーとサリーはドクターとメルのことも自分達と同じ詐欺師だと思い込んでいた。しかし、業を煮やした侵略者が惑星を破壊できるビームを威嚇射撃してきた。4人はバントーの偽ターディスに乗り込み、ドクターの操作で本物のターディスの中にテレポートする。バントーとサリーはドクターが本物のタイムロードと知り狼狽える。バントーとサリはこのままジェネリオウスから逃げ出そうと提案するが、ドクターとメルはジェネリオウスの人々を見捨てることはできないと、バントーとサリー3大宝物を手に入れる手伝いに半ば強引に引き込む。ドクターはサリーとメルはバントーと組み、宝物を探すことに。ドクターとサリーは嵐の中を、メルとバントーは巨大倉庫の中を3大宝物を探し歩いていく。

Part3

バントーが倉庫内の組み立てロボットに捕まり、産業スパイと疑われて解体されそうなところをメルが自分達はスパイではなく、この星系が破壊されるのを防ぐために3大宝物を探していると懸命に訴える。一方ドクターとサリーはなぜかクイズ番組Weakest Linkの収録現場に。クイズに参加しているロボットが宝の１つであるメントスという最先端の究極的高性能コンピュータと知る。バントーとメルは組み立てロボットから宝物の設計図と部品をわたされ、自分でくみたてろと言われる。ドクターとサリーはメントスをクイズから解放させるには絶対に答えられない問題をだすことと突き止め、ドクターがクイズを出させてほしいと願いでる。

Part4

3大宝物の2つまでを入手した4人は3つ目の宝物の入手に向かう。リストと地図に従ってターディスを向かわせた先には巨大なダイヤモンドが鎮座していた。罠かもしれないと疑ったメルの言葉にドクターは調べるためにダイヤモンドに近づくが、触れようとした途端不気味な化け物に飲み込まれてしまう。



感想

ドクターの偽物と偽コンパニオンとドクターとドクターのコンパニオンの冒険。終始バカバカしいネタ満載で面白かった。いい具合に肩の力を抜いてきけた感じ。ドクターの偽物であるバントーとサリーもドクターとメルと動揺面白く、カップリングをスィッチさせてもいいケミストリーが出ていてよかった。バントーはちょっと気の毒だったけど、でもまぁドクターは助けに行くって言ってくれてるし。6thドクターって私の中ではある意味1番ドクターっぽいのかもと思えた一品。イースター・エッグとして特典ミニドラマもついてきてお得感満点。

[James Jeans · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Oh, here we go: another voyage around the English language!"

Over the last few years I've been slowly working my way through the Monthly Adventures, and while I've enjoyed them, there hasn't been a story that I've been in love with.

The One Doctor is the first story that I'm completely head-over-heels for. I wasn't sure how other people would feel about it online, because the tone is so different from previous Big Finish stories. It's a lot more like a post-2005 Doctor Who story than a classic series story, but it REALLY suits Colin and Bonnie.

In fact, this is the best the Sixth Doctor and Mel have ever been (at least within my exposure to their Big Finish stories so far). If Colin had played the Doctor like this on TV, I think he would have been a big success with the audience.

And Sally-Anne is fantastic, too. She has great chemistry with the Doctor, I would have liked to see her continue traveling with him.

I've read this story leans a lot more into comedy because it was essentially a Christmas Special. I hope there are more audio stories that are as entertaining and funny as this one, because I'm absolutely in love with it. It's my first perfect score story. It feels like Doctor Who by way of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and that really suits the 6th Doctor. This is easily Colin's best performance in the role.

I like this story enough that it's the first one I plan to try to find a physical copy of. I know it's out of print, but I'm hoping I can find it at a reasonable price.

10/10.

[Finlay O'Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was very fun and light-hearted. Sometimes, when Doctor Who goes panto/frivolous, it can be quite boring and unenjoyable, but this one had the perfect blend of still feeling like a proper Doctor Who story whilst also being a proper laugh, even the title, "The One Doctor," is very in tune with the whole 'X Doctors' recurring title, but is just a gag here really.

There are similar meta-references to the franchise throughout, including Banto Zame's recollection of fighting 'dust bin' monsters (a joke on the Daleks), the Cylinder listing multiple identities of the Doctor from the books and other BF audios, Colin Baker's Christmas message to the listeners (like William Hartnell's one in "The Daleks' Masterplan"), and several more.

The supporting cast here are also brilliant and two in particular are notable, firstly Christopher Biggins, and perhaps more recognisable to Whovians, Matt Lucas. There's also an impressionist doing an android version of Anne Robinson from the Weakest Link (something else which, ironically, would retroactively be done in the show four years later).

But yeah, bottom line, don't take this one too seriously, just enjoy it as a breath of fresh air from the usual harrowing adventures of the Doctor.

[Bryan Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually wanted to read this one after somebody hinted at a nod to Hitchhiker's Guide, but was personally more fond of the meta-commentary about the show itself through the Doctor's initial plight. The story itself is a nice piece of light entertainment and the humor works throughout the entire piece. The opening though, establishing the bond between the 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) and Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford), was really nice to hear considering that the televised serial, Trials of a Time Lord (specifically Terror of the Vervoids and The Ultimate Foe), just drops her en media res.

[Gary Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frauds and Time Lords: A Sharp Comedic Outing

A clever pastiche that understands the essence of its subjects. Gareth Roberts’s The One Doctor is a sharp comedic outing, pairing the Eighth Doctor with a fraudulent, self-styled doppelgänger. The resulting dynamic is less a standard adventure and more an affectionate satire of the hero’s journey.

Roberts’s prose is witty and precise, his dialogue sparkling with the cadence of the classic series. The humor stems not from broad parody, but from impeccable character work and situational irony. It is a story that celebrates the Doctor’s mythos by gently prodding its conventions, all while delivering a plot that is engaging and surprisingly heartfelt. A standout in its genre.

[April Mccaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half-Way through listening to it, I remembered I already listened to it a while ago. Not sure if that say something about my memory xD

We won't talk about G*reth R*berts, but we'll talk about the actual story.

Over all, fun and I loved the way Sally Ann and Mel were developed here and were taking the lead rather than the Doctor and Banto. And someone finally took the mickey out of the TARDIS being a porter loo spaceship.

I also liked the Weakest Link reference and the ending scene with Mentos and the Questioner could tell by the end of it they were breaking out of character having fun haha.

Also nice to see Stephen Fewell in this.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Douglas Adams had seen The Weakest Link and had a bone to pick about IKEA furniture, you’d get something like this story. It’s a laugh-a-minute romp that requires you to suspend your disbelief a little, but hearing Colin Baker be absolutely indignant about Monopoly and, more importantly, a con artist ruining his reputation is a delight. Bonnie Langford gets some great material as Mel (something she lacked in the show), too. The best thing about this franchise is its adaptability, and an audio story with room for the Shelves of Infinity is a great one indeed. It’s very much a Saturday morning panto, with the Sixth Doctor’s larger-than-life persona more than up to the challenge.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a story to convince you 6 can be a great Doctor listen to this story. Mel also gets a proper story with 6. Juggling the 4 primary characters doesn't get confusing at all. I'd also compare this story to "Carnival of Monsters" as these are both Doctor Who parody stories. This story is more blunt compared to the former story but the bluntness is made up for with the humor. Also the pacing is snappy. The story is mainly a fetch quest but each are in pretty different environments allowing for some unique scenarios. The only reason it is not a 5 star is because it's missing that special sauce. Something emotional or big to push it over the edge for me.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not as funny as Bang-Bang-a-Boom or The Holy Terror, but there was some good humor in it. Even the "toilet humor," so to speak. And by that, I mean that the person claiming to be The Doctor has a Stardis that looks like a portaloo and makes a flushing sound when it travels. In some ways, this feels a bit like the Christmas special The Next Doctor. The One Doctor includes a hidden Christmas segment toward the end, so there's that.

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming enough. this is a self-reflexive romp through some of Doctor Who's own tropes. It's occasionally funny, but when you start to realize that it's going to base most of it's success on jokes about "The Weakest Link" and how confusing it is to build IKEA furniture, you get that same sinking feeling that you do when you hear a stand-up comedian start to talk about airline food.

[morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought goodreads was for books, but in any case, this is a great audio play. One of Big Finish's best.
Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford do some exceptional work in audio land, and it's quite hilarious in some parts, i.e. the jelloid waiting for his mail (which might have been played by Matt Lucas if memory serves)

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was okay. Colin Baker was great as per usual. Bonnie Langford was fantastic. The only serial with Mel I've seen is "Time and the Rani" where she just screamed the whole time, so it was nice to see a more sassy, confident Mel this outing. I look forward to more adventures with her

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was absolutely outstanding! christopher biggins in a doctor who story and you make him a con man! Well i was absolutely sold and hooked all the way through this story was so funny and clever i kinda didn't want it to end 😅 i wished it kepted going!

[Richard Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little long, but a great concept and very enjoyable. I would definitely listen again.

[Luiz Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crítica | Big Finish Mensal #21 a 27: O Olho do Escorpião e Outras Histórias: https://www.planocritico.com/critica-...

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the opening. And the way they wrapped it up. The books itself was quite amusing.

[Jpr0328 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny story. Mel's much better in these audios than she is in the tv show.

[Amane Kabbaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending of this is wonderful. The Christmas dinner in the Tardis was sweet and wholesome and the second part with the weakest link! Knowing absolutely everything except the Earth question!

[Felecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I love the silliness and how it didn't take itself too seriously.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was some really good lines in this one