Review: Doctor Who: Short Trips 5.10: The Way of the Empty Hand

When Jamie is kidnapped and forced to fight in an arena, the Doctor has to employ an unusual way to rescue him and his fellow captives…

Julian Richards has contributed to a number of Who projects including penning the intriguing Short Trip Foreshadowing for the Eighth Doctor a few months back. Unfortunately, this tale for the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe doesn’t quite hang together. It almost feels as if it’s a story intended for a homage to the annuals (with Terry Nation-esque titling of planets and people), rather than fitting into the main continuity – which would be no bad thing if that were the case! – while trying to make a point that’s intrinsically linked to the continuity (where does the Third Doctor get a particular set of skills from?).

It doesn’t help that narrator Frazer Hines doesn’t come across as that engaged in the story – there are times, particularly towards the end, when he seems to be charging through as quickly as possible to get to the conclusion, and his normally sharp Troughton impression isn’t as on form as normal.

Verdict: A rare misfire for the new Short Trips. 5/10

Paul Simpson