Daniel Mansfield reviews the first of two new Lost Stories from Big Finish

---

Since 2009, Big Finish has resurrected unused scripts from the classic era of Doctor Who as full-cast audio dramas, Lost Stories that give listeners a tantalising glimpse of what could have been. Recent instalments in the series have been reimaginings of classic stories based on draft scripts, but with Operation Werewolf we have the genuine article – a story planned to air in the 1967 season of the show but scrapped due to budgetary concerns.

Big Finish stalwart Jonathan Morris has adapted writers Douglas Camfield and Robert Kitts‘ story outline and producer Innes Lloyd‘s notes into a six-part drama, which stars Michael Troughton as the Second Doctor, a role he has inherited from his late father; Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon; and Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot. Troughton has settled in very nicely as the Doctor by this point, conjuring up the essence of his father’s performance without ever feeling like an impression, while Hines and Padbury are as excellent as ever in the roles they’ve now inhabited for almost 60 years.

While Troughton, Hines and Padbury recently played older versions of their characters in Conspiracy of Raven (review here), this is the first time we’ve heard the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe together as they were in the TV series, and the fact that this is an actual lost story from the 60s makes this feel all the more special. Morris has done a fantastic job of making his adaptation of the source material feel authentic, such that, at times, this really feels like we’re listening to something recorded in 1968 rather than 2024.

Thrilling, suspenseful and full of danger and derring-do, Operation Werewolf is a true gem of a story. Every cliffhanger propels things into new territory, every character has something to contribute, and the guest cast are all on sparkling form, bringing to life intrepid Résistance agents and zealous Nazis alike.

Particularly impressive are director David O’Mahony, who guest stars here as British agent Fergus; Leonie Schliesing and Timothy Blore as the villainous Lenni Bruckner and Ulrich Schneider; and Michael Higgs as Sir Aubrey, an aristocrat with some very dubious morals.

Though Operation Werewolf is three hours long, it doesn’t drag for even a second, thanks to Morris’s pacy script, deft direction from O’Mahony and stellar post-production from Jamie Robertson. And let’s take a moment too to admire the stellar cover from Georgie O’Boy, a new artist to Big Finish who I hope we see more from in the future.

It’s a real shame this story was never filmed, because I think it would have been one of the highlights of the Troughton era. Thank goodness we have this adaptation to show us what we missed out on. A joy to listen to from start to finish, Operation Werewolf is one of the best Big Finish releases of 2024 so far, and one of their best Lost Stories too.

Operation Werewolf is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com