In the Big Finish audio range so far they've faced the Seventh and Sixth Doctors respectively. So it was inevitable that they would have to face the Fifth Doctor at some point.

As a Thal science ship encounters a swarm of unknown but deadly creatures in space, it sets in motion a chain of events that seem to be unstoppable.

When a Dalek time corridor snags the TARDIS, The Doctor manages to break free and lands on 22nd Century Earth. But, as he and Nyssa quickly discover, this is Earth ruled by the Daleks. Escaping, they are once more caught in the time corridor, but manage to land some distance from the Dalek base.

They find themselves on Earth in the 43rd Century. Only a handful of humans survive, but not because of the Daleks. Another force has decimated Earth, the same force encountered in space by the Thals. But will The Doctor be able to put aside his mistrust of the Daleks in order to assist them in stopping the Mutant Phase, before the entire Universe is wiped out?

The premise of this story is an interesting one. Thals and Daleks working together to stop something even more deadly from coming into being. And the fact that the new and deadly threat is something the Daleks mutate into is even more fascinating.

Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton turn in excellent performances as The Doctor and Nyssa. Its almost like they've never been away at times. It certainly doesn't seem like twenty years have passed.

This is very much a Nicholas Briggs production. As well as providing one of the voices for the Daleks, writing and directing The Mutant Phase, he also is responsible for music composition, sound design and post-production. He certainly likes to keep busy.

Of the supporting cast, special mention this time must go to Christopher Blake as the Thal scientist Ptolem, Jared Morgan as Ganatus and Mark Gatiss in the short lived but interesting role of Professor Hendryk. All the relatively small cast get their moments to shine in this production.

As for the overall production, The Mutant Phase is an ambitious story. It is very complex and there are times when it threatens to lose its way. But it comes through in the end. We get an interesting glimpse of Earth under the Daleks, what was happening across the Atlantic while we were seeing Hartnell's Doctor battling the Invasion of Earth. And despite a slightly shaky finish, the production manages to get its message across.

One slight problem I have with this is the use of the Dalek time corridor. The TARDIS escapes it once, only to get ensnared again. Shades of Resurrection on TV? Shame they couldn't have found a different way around that part of the tale. But that is just a small gripe.

Big Finish certainly brings out the best in the Daleks, and all without the addition of Davros. It shows that the belligerent 'pepper pots' from Skaro can still carry a story without their creator. And long may it continue!