‘SCIENTIFIC ADVISER’

Please feel free to comment on my review.

The Making of ‘The Invasion’ Movie with the Second Doctor

This story called ‘Scientific Adviser’ is by Ian Atkins. It features the Second Doctor as well as the Brigadier. Ian Atkins would go on to be a writer, script editor and producer on the ‘Short Trips’ audio range as well on ‘The Companion Chronicles’, both by Big Finish. I’ve also met Ian twice in real life. 😀

‘Scientific Adviser’ is an enjoyable entry in ‘More Short Trips’. It takes place in London in the 1990s and has the Second Doctor helping out on the making of a film version of ‘The Invasion’, one of my favourite ‘Doctor Who’ stories. The Doctor, on behalf of U.N.I.T., makes changes to the movie script.

These changes include having the Cybermen arrive by water pipes and not by the sewers; having the Cybermen be called Zexians instead; having sixty-four landing sites and not just London; and giving Tobias Vaughn a troubled childhood to establish his motivation for why he assisted the Cybermen. 🙂

Presumably, this story takes place during the period where the Second Doctor is evading the Time Lords, following his conviction to be exiled to Earth between ‘The War Games’ and ‘Spearhead From Space’. Not exactly sure if the Doctor is working on a mission for the Time Lords in this certain story.

I enjoyed the interactions the Doctor had with the film’s director Lloyd Kingsley-Sayle and his daughter Kate, and it’s funny that an actor called Michael is playing Tobias Vaughn in the film. I do wish more was made of the Cybermen and the Cyber-Planner’s appearance throughout this story. 😐

‘Scientific Adviser’ rating – 7.5/10