England in the 1920s.
Whilst K9 is off in the TARDIS leading the Black Guardian on a wild goose chase, the Doctor and Romana are enjoying a leisurely lifestyle as the Lord and Lady of a London townhouse. But trouble never stays away from them for long, and before they know it a chance discovery of alien technology leads them deep into the heart of the English countryside where a malign presence lurks.
As the Doctor dodges deadly butlers and ferocious gamekeepers, Romana is faced with a malevolent Aunt and an even deadlier peril – marriage.
THE AUNTIE MATTER
The first series of Fourth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish featured the continuing adventures of the Doctor and Leela, set between “The Talons of Weng-Chiang” and “Horror of Fang Rock.” But things were changed for the second series, with BF bringing Mary Tamm back to the role of Romana to star alongside Baker for the first time since 1979. There’s a feeling of sadness over the series, given Tamm’s unfortunate death shortly after recording concluded, but the first story, Jonathan Morris’ “The Auntie Matter,” is anything but sad.
I often complain when I have very little to say about a Doctor Who story in a review, but “The Auntie Matter” takes that problem to new heights. Morris is doing a PG Wodehouse pastiche here, one that draws so close to the source material it’s often indistinguishable, save of course for the involvement of aliens and androids. The actual Doctor Who portion of the plot is almost perfunctory – the Doctor and Romana deal with the problem in the course of an afternoon without expending any sort of effort – so that leaves us with the farcical elements of the story. Even the most basic familiarity with Wodehouse – even if that’s only having seen “Jeeves and Wooster” a few times – will render the story entirely familiar.
The best stories like this in Doctor Who – or other science fiction – take the original tropes and subvert them with the sci-fi elements. “The Auntie Matter” takes those tropes, embraces them, and runs away with them. I don’t want that to sound like a criticism, because the story is definitely hilarious at some points and funny at most others, but when it was over I found myself shrugging my shoulders and getting ready to move on to the next one. It’s ephemeral, it’s fluffy – I’d almost say “disposable” but I don’t want to speak in the pejorative. It’s a fun listen, but nothing about it sticks in the mind.
Tom Baker has a great time with it, of course – this sort of airy, witty material is second nature to him and he certainly delivers. But the best part of the story is hearing Mary Tamm return to the role of Romana – and I’ve said this about other companion actors but she really does sound like she’s stepped right off the set. She doesn’t even sound noticeably older, something many of her colleagues have been unable to avoid. And this character is still a great match for Tom Baker – she respects him, but she’s not impressed at all by his flippancy or his tendency to show off, and that provides a unique dynamic. The argument at the conclusion about who accomplished what is hilarious.
The sound design by Howard Carter and Ken Bentley’s direction both contribute well to the desired atmosphere. The score contributes in appropriate period fashion as well. And that’s where I run out of things to say about “The Auntie Matter.” If you think you’ll enjoy a Doctor Who Wodehouse pastiche, pick this up. If you don’t, don’t. There’s really nothing more to it than that.
7/10