Steven Taylor recalls a time when he, Vicki and the Doctor encountered one of the key figures in American history – Benjamin Franklin…
I was delighted to see that Simon Guerrier has had a chance to continue his exploration and expansion of Steven Taylor’s character that began in the regular Companion Chronicles series; when they were brought to a close, it seemed as if some of the plotlines he had begun might not get a chance to be completed. The Founding Fathers deals with some of these, notably regarding the “Doctor”s presence on the planet of the Savages as revealed in The War to End All Wars..
Purves’ impersonation of Hartnell’s Doctor continues to be excellent, and director Lisa Bowerman gets a chance to demonstrate her range of accents in the tale as well as a mysterious woman who the time travellers meet along with Ben Franklin. There’s a deft deflection of any criticism of Purves’ American accent for the colonial visitor (and for those who think that it’s rather too convenient, it is true), and Guerrier makes a plot point out of the ways in which London has changed over the past few centuries.
There are still some loose ends hanging around – and the story ends on a bombshell revelation… Luckily, there’s not too long to wait for the sequel (at least hopefully).
Verdict: A well written, performed and directed Hartnell historical with some interesting moral discussions in the “contemporary” sections. 9/10
Paul Simpson
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