Review by Daniel Mansfield

---

After three boxsets of adventures with Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross, the latest instalment of the Fourth Doctor Adventures series, The Hellwood Inheritance, returns to the much-loved pairing of the Doctor and Leela for two new journeys through space and time.

The titular story, written by Alan Barnes, takes the time-travelling twosome to Hellwood, the world’s very first safari park for ghosts! Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are on top form here, the former delightfully dismissive of all things supernatural, and the latter providing her trademark wide-eyed curiosity about all the new things her TARDIS travels have shown her.

A traditional Who yarn, The Hellwood Inheritance feels a touch overlong, and tonally inconsistent, which is a shame as the premise is so mouth-wateringly good. Tamzin Outhwaite puts in a great guest turn as parapsychic investigator Joan Stone, while Rosie Day is suitably sinister as vengeful ghost Betty, though even these aren’t enough to elevate it above average.

Much better is Phil Mulryne‘s The Memory Thieves which, at half the length of its predecessor, tells a short, sharp story that never outstays its welcome. While it’s not groundbreaking stuff, there’s a poise and precision here that The Hellwood Inheritance lacks – the characters feel better drawn, the plot is simpler and more effective, and there are some nice concepts and images peppered throughout.

All in all, The Hellwood Inheritance is the perfect example of bread-and-butter Doctor Who. There are no hidden depths to be plumbed here, no strong character moments or big twists – just two solid adventures that, while enjoyable in the moment, won’t stick around in the mind for long after you’ve finished listening.

The Hellwood Inheritance is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com