No Place finds the Doctor, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilfred taking part in a reality, ghost-hunting show at a supposed haunted house. As the story opens, listeners are basically thrown into the middle of it - the Doctor, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilfred are already in the house, and the ghost hunters have set up shop and are following the four "family" members as they go about their business. Justin, who is the lead ghost hunter, is determined to find out whether this house is truly haunted, or if there is a logical explanation for everything that happens. Of course, we know - if the Doctor is involved, there is a pretty good chance - 100% chance! - that something is going on. But what is it, why is it, and who is it - those are the questions to be answered.
While the premise behind the story is actually pretty cool, the execution leaves a bit to be desired. Perhaps if this were an actual episode with visuals, it might have been easier to enjoy. But with just audio, it is a bit jumbled, particularly in the beginning, trying to figure out who is who. There are no real introduction to the ghost hunter cast, and honestly, I found it difficult at times to determine just who was speaking. Catherine Tate was obvious (she has that distinctive style about her voice), and Sylvia was fairly easy to spot. Wilfred is sounding a bit older, so it made his voice relatively easy to discern. Surprisingly, it was the Doctor who was not always clear, making me wonder if David Tennant did voices for more than just one character in the audio. Plus, with a number of supporting characters within the ghost hunting crew, it just made it all the more confusing when listening.
That being said, it was really nice to hear the Noble family all together again. David Tennant's third season as the Doctor was by far my favorite, and Donna - - well, she's Donna, how can she not be my favorite? So any chance to hear her and the Doctor I will take, regardless of how good it is. The interaction between Tate, Cribbins, and King is priceless, as they truly have a chemistry that makes them sound like and feel like a real family, with all the squabbles, the annoyances, but ultimately, the love and concern for one another. It was a bit surprising to see Sylvia actually go along with one of the Doctor's plans, considering how little she thought of him in the series. Not really sure where this is set within the time frame of Donna's journeys with the Doctor, but I would assume it was likely to have occurred after the "atmos" Sontaran storyline, since that was the time when Sylvia really got to see the Doctor at work.
The "ghost" in the story, of course, turns out to be alien in nature, and I will admit, that was probably one of the most interesting parts of the story. I'm not going to spoil it, but I will say that it does give the writers a chance to show just who the Doctor is and what he is made of (and also gives that growing part of Donna's caring side to shine through). So, again, while the execution was a bit rough, the underlying story was definitely Doctor Who through and through.
Only two more Donna stories to listen to ... so I'm spacing them out, so as not to run out of Donna Noble too soon!
RATING: 6 holes in the ground out of 10 for satisfying, all too briefly, that need for a Donna-fix!
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