N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

Real Time, Doctor Who‘s second webcast, is, much like its predecessor (understandably, given broadband speeds at the time) of the limited animation ilk. Both it and Death Comes to Time could almost be telesnap reconstructions of lost stories in that sense.

“I’ve been around the galaxy enough to know when I’m being baited.”

The Doctor, Real Time

Real Time‘s tale is, nevertheless, somewhat smaller in scale than the first webcast. It’s also fairly gruesome, with much crushing of hands, limbs and skulls — mostly left to the imagination thanks to the aforementioned animation, but still, it’s pretty brutal stuff at times.

Colin Baker is on top form, though, and the Sixth Doctor has ditched the garish patchwork quilt of an overcoat for a striking blue ensemble. It’s nice to hear Maggie Stables as Dr Evelyn Smythe accompanying him, making her (I believe) the first Big Finish companion to feature in a BBC broad(well, web)cast of Doctor Who. (Obviously, later on as more Big Finish got a radio airing, she would not remain alone in this regard.)

Whether you like Real Time will come down to your fondness for the twisty-turny grandfather paradox threat type of plot and, of course, Cybermen. I must confess to finding it a little uninvolving at times, although I did like the idea of Goddard being invisible to Cybermen.