And the Creature from the Pit Book

I want to give this 5-stars so bad, but I'm using great restraint in not allowing the bias of my childhood joy to cloud my critique. You're welcome.

Seriously, I absolutely loved watching Dr. Who when I was growing up. Back then (we're talking the early 80s) my local PBS station would play the show's reruns from the 70s, which meant the Tom Baker version of the Doctor. Because of this he would become, and still is, my favorite of all the actors whoever played the kooky timelord. So, when I saw this audiobook was narrated by him, I knew I'd be moving this to the front of my queue.

The book in question, The Creature from the Pit also happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the show. I loved the jungle planet setting with its wolf-like tumbleweeds, the hairy bandits and their love of metal, the evil queen whose costume and makeup reminded me of her counterpart in Disney's Snow White, and then of course there was the creature from the pit, a massive worm monster that haunts the subterranean world.

The Doctor is in fine form here, and with the assistance of his capable sidekick Romana (she was smart and didn't constantly scream and cry like Sarah, so I loved her) and the show's Cousin Oliver character (or perhaps Scrappy Doo is a more apt comparison) K-9, our heroes navigate a very sticky situation and come out on top...as of course we knew they would, but still, it did seem a bit touch-and-go there for a moment!

Tom Baker's narration is great!...Oops, I let slip some of that childhood bias. Sorry, it's very good for the purpose of this particular book. Sure, it's a bit camp/over-the-top on occasion, but rarely! Let's just say that Baker's reading acts this out with a myriad of characterful voices, as you might do if you were a saintly parent with enough energy at the end of another trying day to read a bedtime story to your bratty child.

If you're a Whovian or if any of what I just said made you gurgle and push your glasses back up your nose, go out there and find this audiobook! And when I say "go out there", I mean open another tab on the computer you're hiding behind and seek this out...probably on Overdrive or Audible.