The Home Guard (audio story)

The Home Guard was the first story of the sixth series of The Early Adventures, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Simon Guerrier, narrated by Anneke Wills and featured the Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright. James Dreyfus also features as the Master, returning after his encounter with the First Doctor in The Destination Wars.

Guerrier was inspired by Dominic Sandbrook's history of 1960s Britain, White Heat, and the BBC wartime sitcom, Dad's Army. Originally the story was a pastiche of Dad's Army but Guerrier was dissatisfied with it and rewrote it, incorporating a tone similar to the 1945 film Brief Encounter.

A number of references remain to the sources of inspiration: the cover's Union Flag arrows are identical to those seen in the Dad's Army opening credits, the character of Robert Collins was based on Private Godfrey, and the Doctor also calls Jamie "stupid boy". Additionally, Sandbrook lends his surname to the character Jill Sandbrook. (BFX: The Home Guard)

Publisher's summary Edit

It’s the middle of the Second World War and Ben Jackson has returned to visit his married friends Polly and Jamie in their quiet English village. But they can't quite shake the feeling that something's not right...

Plot Edit

Part 1 Edit

A young soldier runs through a field of ruth, trying to escape from someone or something. He reaches an open road, where he sees a bus stop and a bus coming towards it; he tries to get on, but before the bus can reach him, someone kills him by shrinking him down with a device.

Ben Jackson, a sailor coming home for a licence, gets off the bus without seeing anything. He reaches the home of his two friends, Jamie McCrimmon and Polly Wright, now married, coming right before they have to leave because they are late for a reunion of the local Home Guard, to which they both belong. Ben comes along with them.

Part 2 Edit

to be added

Part 3 Edit

to be added

Part 4 Edit

to be added

Cast Edit

• Polly / Narrator - Anneke Wills
• Jamie / The Doctor - Frazer Hines
• Ben Jackson - Elliot Chapman^[1]
• The Master - James Dreyfus
• Jill Sandbrook - Molly Hanson
• Robert Collins - Brian Murphy

References Edit

to be added

Notes Edit

• Elliot Chapman confirmed that this story would be his last in the role of Ben Jackson^[2] as he did not wish to play the role in more stories than the original actor Michael Craze.^[3]
• This is the fourth audio story to place this TARDIS team in a Second World War setting after Resistance, The Forsaken and The Night Witches. However, in the case of The Home Guard, this connection to the conflict is much more tenuous.
• The story was released the same day as the other Series 6 instalment, Daughter of the Gods.

Continuity Edit

• The Master uses the Tissue Compressor Eliminator for what is chronologically the first time in the continuity of the series. That weapon will become a significant part of his arsenal in later years. (TV: Terror of the Autons et al.)
• The Doctor mentions the encounter with the Macra. Polly still has short hair. (TV: The Macra Terror)
• The Doctor recalls facing the Master on Destination. He thought the Master was dead. (AUDIO: The Destination Wars)
• The Doctor tries to remind Ben about past adventures, mentioning WOTAN, (TV: The War Machines) the Moon, (TV: The Moonbase) the Macra, who had previously used brainwashing on them, (TV: The Macra Terror) the fish people (TV: The Underwater Menace) and the Yes Men. (AUDIO: The Yes Men)
• By the end of the story, the Master is put on trial for the first time in his life; he will later also be put on trial by the Daleks (TV: Doctor Who). He tries to appeal to an independent court, only for him to be answered that, if he wants, he can be judged by his own people, as it will eventually happen to the Doctor himself. (TV: The War Games)

External links Edit

• Official The Home Guard page at bigfinish.com

Footnotes Edit