1 episode. Approx. 30 minutes. Written by: Stephen Cole. Directed by: Nicholas Briggs.
THE PLOT
The Doctor is on television (well, its sci fi equivalent), giving his personal endorsement to Alien Defence Incorporated, a private security outfit designed to battle an Earth-like planet's frequent extraterrestrial invasions. This endorsement comes as something of a surprise to the Doctor, who has certainly never recorded TV adverts for private security companies.
So the Doctor and his companion, Fitz (Matt Di Angelo) decide to pay a visit to ADI's offices. The Doctor breaks into the offices at night, determined to find out if the company is what it appears to be, or if it's hiding some other agenda. Meanwhile, Fitz prepares to enact the Doctor's backup plan, to insure against anything going wrong.
Naturally, everything ends up going wrong.
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: He is quite happy to make an appointment to talk to Commander Femor... but only after first breaking into her offices in order to determine whether or not her answers will be the truth. He continues to think quickly, and his rapid realization that the situation has changed when he and Femor end up facing a deadly alien helps to save both their lives (and Fitz's). By his 8th incarnation, he has learned to come up with a "Plan B" before blithely charging in, which is an improvement - even he hasn't quite learned how to make "Plan B" run entirely smoothly when it's needed. McGann gives a spirited performance, seeming to enjoy his co-stars and the light-hearted nature of the material.
Fitz Kreiner: Matt Di Angelo makes his debut as Fitz. The 8th Doctor's longest-running companion, Fitz ran through more than half of the BBC EDA range, gaining a fervent following among readers. To date, this is his only audio adventure, though hopefully the positive reaction to this release will inspire Big Finish to bring the character back. Di Angelo is quite good in the role, playing Fitz's sarcastic side and his cheeky (and slightly cheesy) bravado to good, humorous effect. Di Angelo has good comic timing, which is a great asset to a primarily comic story. This paper-thin story doesn't give much chance to go beyond Fitz's surface, but there is at least the sense that there is more to the character than just what is on the surface.
THOUGHTS
Fitz's Story works pretty well as far as it goes, because it does maintain an appealing light touch. Unlike the same release's Benny's Story, there's no sense of anyone trying to overreach. Writer Stephen Cole has crafted a small-scale story that's perfect for a single episode's running time. The results are consistently entertaining and energetic. The whole thing is over almost before you know it, and I found it a fine way to make one day's commute from work go by quickly.
Mind you, like pretty much all the other single-episode stories I have reviewed to date, it's as insubstantial as a spider's silk web. There's nothing here to linger in the memory. There's no sense of jeopardy, but the fast pace and strong energy keep that from mattering.
Mainly, the story works because Paul McGann and Matt Di Angelo play extremely well opposite each other, as do McGann and guest star Fenella Woolgar. The 8th Doc/Fitz partnership is an engaging one, and it's not hard to see why Fitz came to dominate the BBC Books range to such an extent. I would actually quite like to see a full-length story featuring Fitz.
In the meantime, while this teaser doesn't compel me to go out and order a bunch of BBC books, it's a fun piece, produced to Big Finish's usual polished standards.
Rating: 6/10.
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