Matt Smith reads a new adventure for the 11th Doctor

(AudioGo)

Written by Oli Smith, read by Matt Smith

ORIGINALLY released as a giveaway with The Daily Telegraph, this exclusive story is the first audio adventure for the 11th Doctor read by the man himself, actor Matt Smith, and as such is an interesting bridge between his first series as the Time Lord and the forthcoming Christmas special.

Allowing for stories which budgetary restrictions would prevent on the small screen, audio is a great way of expanding upon the Doctor’s TV adventures and landing the TARDIS in a wide range of new locations. Here, the Doctor and Amy arrive in the Wild West in the midst of the American Civil War, form a posse to retrieve an alien artefact and make their getaway on the newly-constructed transcontinental railway…

The TV show has actually only visited the American West for the 1966 story The Gunfighters, whereas the period actually offers all sorts of opportunities for exciting, dangerous escapades which exploit the clich�s of the genre while also giving it a decent dose of Whoness, so this new tale is very much welcome.

Matt Smith does a pretty decent job with the variety of voices required for the narrative, although his American accents are somewhat samey, and there is a surprising depth to the featured characters, which means this is more than just a simple rollercoaster romp and acts as a promising addendum to the 11th Doctor’s initial TV adventures.