Doctor Who: Shada

By: Douglas Adams, Gareth Roberts

Narrated by: John Leeson, Lalla Ward

The Doctor’s old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University – where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana and K-9. When he left Gallifrey he took with him a few little souvenirs – most of them are harmless. But one of them is extremely dangerous. The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey isn’t a book for Time Tots. It is one of the Artefacts, dating from the dark days of Rassilon. It must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. The sinister Skagra most definitely has the wrong hands. He wants the book. He wants to discover the truth behind Shada. And he wants the Doctor’s mind... Based on the scripts for the original television series by the legendary Douglas Adams, Shada retells an adventure that never made it to the screen.

Critic reviews

Lalla Ward... proves to be an agile voice artist, and her characterizations are informed by her insider knowledge. John Leeson, the voice of the Doctor’s robot dog, K-9... reprises his role to good effect. This BBC production also features background music and numerous audio effects from the series. Shada is a must for Doctor Who fans, but it’s also produced in a way that will entice new listeners to the series.

Shada, as an audiobook, filters Douglas Adams' style and voice rather wonderfully, evoking the sounds of the Hitchhikers' Guide. (Cameron K. McEwan)

Wish this had been an episode

While there are times the story gets confusing, it is no more confusing than any other Doctor Who episode I’ve seen on the BBC.

The narrator is wonderful and the background ambiance doesn’t distract from the story or drown out the narrator, so you are never straining to hear what is going on behind what is going on.

Well worth the listen

Because it's a long story, I've had to listen to it a couple of times. I've enjoyed it each time. I think the ship and the narrator's characterization of it is one of the best parts.

loved it!

instant classic. exceptional narration. an engaging story of Romana , K9 and the 4th doctor. i highly recommend

I could almost SEE it!

Brought my "old friends" back for one last episode; easy to see Douglas Adams' influence

Like uncovering a lost treasure

Listening to Shada has been a delight from beginning to end. First there is the fun of getting to enjoy a well-paced and exciting classic Doctor Who adventure. The characters are all wonderfully portrayed, and performed. Then there is the fun of having it read by the Time Lady Romana herself (aka Lalla Ward), who gives a terrific performance with each of the different character voices. On top of that, as a big fan of Douglas Adams, it was like uncovering a new novel from the late author. Gareth Roberts' novelization does a remarkable job of keeping so much of Adam's classic sci-fi style and humor - it will feel very familar to anyone who's read Adams before, even if you've never encountered The Doctor until now. Particularly since many characters and ideas from this lost script later ended up as inspiration for Adams' later Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.