As The Doctor and Peri’s adventures lost to time continue, the fourth story in the series sees the return of yet another formidable foe. Written by the late Classic Who writer Christopher H. Bidmead, The Hollows of Time finds The Doctor and Peri at the mercy of a sinister plot involving the gravity-wielding Tractators, who originally appeared in the story Frontios.

The Doctor and Peri have been on holiday, visiting old friend Reverend Foxwell in the sleepy English village of Hollowdean. But why are their memories so hazy?
 
Piecing together events they recall a mysterious chauffeur, who is not what he seems, and Foxwell’s experiments that could alter the nature of reality. Huge sand creatures have been sighted on the dunes, and many of the locals are devoted to a leader known as ‘Professor Stream’.
 
But who is Stream? And what lies within the Hollows of Time?
 
The Doctor will discover that not every question has a definitive answer…

Big Finish Synopsis

Bidmead’s contribution to the Lost Stories range is a difficult one to quantify. It’s a story that often leaves me wondering why I never seem to rate it very highly, despite an interesting premise on paper and a competently written story.  On listening to the story again for this series, however, I think I’ve finally managed to nail down why.

The adventure starts on solid-enough ground. Landing the TARDIS crew in the village of Hollowdean in what would’ve been, at the time of conception, present-day Earth, the story presents an engaging mystery during its first 60 minutes. The people of Hollowdean have fallen under the malign influence of a celebrity guru named Professor Stream. Meanwhile, the village’s beachside caves are showing signs of strange sand creatures, forcing The Doctor and Peri to place all the pieces together to uncover the truth of what’s happening.  

The story also features a host of strong cast performances throughout its runtime. While Colin and Nicola are on fine form as usual, it’s Garfield’s performance as Professor Stream that stands out as a memorable highlight. Playing the “not the Master for copyright reasons” Master, there is a tangible edge to his voice as his character grows in sinisterness as the plot demands. Hywel John also puts in a good delivery as Steel Specs, whose villainous foil does the job to take attention away from the story’s real mastermind.

However, as The Hollows of Time reaches its closing minutes, the reasons behind my original mixed feelings for the story become clearer and clearer. For a two-hour-long adventure, it’s surprising how little happens to move the plot forward. Shockingly, the Tractators and Professor Stream’s relevance to the story only becomes apparent during the story’s final quarter, which creates a disconnect from the overarching conflict. For the most part, the plot chooses to focus on Stream’s henchmen and a slew of technobabble. While this is enough to steer the story away from the trappings of escaping prison cells or endless corridor walking, it still doesn’t warrant such a long portion of the story.