Missy: Series 1

This consists of four stories featuring Missy as a major character, and at times even a protagonist. The result is much more anarchic than the War Master series and it's noteworthy that each episode has a very distinct feel. But all of them feel perfectly fitted to the character we see on screen, ruthless and a little bit mad, having fun with all the chaos she leaves in her wake.

• A Spoonful of Mayhem – The first story plays on the ‘Scary Poppins' motif with a story in which Missy takes work as a governess as part of a plan to escape from 19th century Earth. It's a nice idea, but, at least for me, fell flat in the execution. Part of that is due to a plot that (like Mary Poppins) relies on magic, or at least the appearance of magic, which always feels off to me when it comes to Doctor Who. But it also relies over-heavily on narration, much of it being from the perspective of the children she is looking after – there's one scene where the pair spend a lot of time describing to each other a series of events that they can both clearly see. Which is unavoidable on audio to some extent, but here is lengthy and detailed enough to feel ham-fisted. Yes, Gomez is great, perfect for audio with her habit of switching accents in mockery or as the character's mood flips, but she's let down by a mediocre story. 3 stars.

• Divorced Beheaded Regenerated – Then we have a comedy, which is much better than the opening episode, and better suited to Missy's persona. Certainly, one couldn't imagine it working with any other Master and this alone distinguishes it from the sort of story we get with, say, the War Master. The story is set at the court of King Henry VIII and there are a few historical inaccuracies in it... but given that it also features the Monk, and he's had a few years to get his meddling in, that could be deliberate. Most of the humour comes from the banter between him and Missy, two devious characters with wildly different motives both trying to get one over on the other. It turns out that Gomez and Rufus Hound (as the Monk) play off each other well, and I'm glad to see that the pairing re-appear in later releases in the series. 5 stars.

• The Broken Clock – The third story starts out as if it also a comedy, appearing to be a cheesy and cheaply produced US ‘true crime' documentary. It only becomes more surreal once Missy turns up and starts to argue with the voice over. But it's a very different flavour of comedy from the previous episode, and slowly morphs into something more serious as the details of Missy's plan become clear. It's a bizarre timey-wimey tale that leaves some questions open (which may put some listeners off) and that turns out to have more heart than appears the case at the outset. Plus: the world's most intentionally bad Mexican accent. 4.5 stars.

• The Belly of the Beast – It's only in the final episode that we have something set off Earth as we visit a planetoid that Missy is mining for some mysterious purpose. Much of it is told from the perspective of her slave labour, slowly discovering the disturbing details of what's going on as they try to rebel. It's a darker story than any of the previous ones, although Missy's flippant style keeps it distinct from the War Master series and it doesn't quite reach the level of despair of, say, The Master of Callous. It's fun, but not quite as much so as the previous two, although it does tie back to both of them, giving a (retrospective) feeling of a plot arc. It's open-ended, setting things up for the next release, although I wouldn't say that the ending is a true cliffhanger. 4 stars.