Torchwood: The Dead Line

Author Phil Ford is fast becoming the Terrance Dicks of new Doctor Who.

Here he knocks-out yet another straightforward story that does the job, ticks all the boxes, makes a couple of minor mistakes, and doesn't resemble the rest of his work. Ford's becoming a bit dependable.

While I don't usually like stories told in flashback (because you have to wait ages for them to catch you up), this tale of a deadly sentient phone-call from the 1970s had my attention almost throughout. Once more radio Torchwood's dependence on clean dialogue – and lots of it – makes room for plenty of reasoning, and sparkle between the characters.

If Asylum was a good chance to flesh-out Andy's character a bit, then this time it's definitely Rhys' turn. The sound of the brash ringing telephone from yesteryear is really chilling, especially when it can be heard on the other side of a wall from the characters.

Though Gwen does get hit by a car that she must have seen coming, and we're back at a hospital again, the plot's real weakness is at the end when everything is, as usual, resolved by someone pressing a button that handily just undoes everything. But the journey to that scene is terrific.

Radio Torchwood - quite good.