The Spectre Of Lanyon Moor

The Doctor and Evelyn arrive at a Cornish moor where an archaeological dig seems to be stirring up more trouble than it’s worth. Professor Morgan’s attempts to unearth an ancient landmark have begun to awaken an equally ancient evil which has been trapped on Earth for thousands of years. Nearby, the wealthy eccentric Sir Archibald Flint has barely guessed at the nature of this hidden power, hoping to tap into it for his own ends. To the Doctor’s delight, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is at the dig site, quietly monitoring the proceedings at UNIT’s behest – but even UNIT’s firepower and the Time Lord’s cunning may not be enough to save Earth from a creature hell-bent on revenge.

written by Nicholas Pegg
directed by Nicholas Pegg
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Maggie Stables (Dr. Evelyn Smythe), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Toby Longworth (Professor Morgan), Barnaby Edwards (Philip Ludgate), James Bolam (Sir Archibald Flint), Susan Jameson (Mrs. Moynihan), Helen Goldwyn (Nikki Hunter), Nicholas Pegg (Captain Ashforde), Helen Goldwyn (Pelagia Stamatis), Helen Goldwyn (Corporal Croft)

Timeline: after The Marian Conspiracy and before The Apocalypse Element

Logbook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Review: This terribly effective ghost story, in much the same vein as such Doctor Who classics as The Horror Of Fang Rock and Terror Of The Zygons, boasts an impressive cast of voice actors, a believable plot, the welcome return of Maggie Stables as the sixth Doctor’s equally headstrong companion Evelyn, and – of course – Nicholas Courtney reprising his role as the Brigadier. Of particular note in the guest cast is Toby Longworth, a voice artist who lent his larynx to such Star Wars Episode I characters as Lott Dodd.

The four episodes ooze a creepy, almost gothic atmosphere that makes this one of the better audio outings. Highly recommended, if only for the unique combination of Colin Baker’s Doctor and Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart (a collaboration which never happened on television).