Ace Is Back And Its About Time: A Brief History

After 20 years out of the TARDIS, Dorothy Ace McShane makes a superb return to Doctor Who in a novel.

What is so good about this novel its written by Sophie Aldred herself. Sophie has played Ace since the serial Dragonfire. The serial ended in 1989 and since the 1990s Ace has been seen in Virgins New Adventures, Past Doctor Who Adventures and has been reprising her role as Ace in Big Finish Productions monthly Doctor Who Adventures.

Ace's fate has never been televised however in Virgins New Adventures she was last seen on a motorbike and settling into 1887 Paris.

Ground Zero she was killed off but these were only a couple of alternatives. If the series had gone ahead, Ace would have been enrolled in Galifrey University to be trained as a Timelord.

In the Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah Jane made brief comments about companions that the Doctor had been travelling and what they were up to in Season 4 Death of the Doctor where she teamed up with Jo Grant. "There was a Dorothy something you know runs that charity 'A Charitable Earth' she raised billions"

The character was to appear later in series 6 but to the sad passing of Elisabeth Sladen, it never happened.

ACE NOW

AT CHILDHOODS END

Ace now runs the company in the story At Childhoods End. I think the story could be a televised series or a series of books. Ace is now much older and wiser and has seen and done plenty of things since her time travelling with the Doctor.

I think that Sophie has done a tremendous job in sparking off this character in a new light. She sets up the story using brilliant point of view from Ace's character and introducing her team. I don't want to spoil it for you but this proves that this character can have its own spin off and have brand new adventures of her own.

In some ways Ace is still very much Ace in the book. As you can see she is still the young girl we met all those years ago on Ice world in the serial Dragonfire.

There are also great throwbacks and you can definitely see that not only Ace has been running a company, she has been saving the universe.

If you are a fan of this character as much as I am then this book is for you. Sophie's writing has you hooked right from start to finish and brilliant dialogue. Its action packed that so that it want you to keep turning page to page right to the end.

I do hope the BBC take this as a chance to relive this popular companion in either book form or a series in the future as we have never seen Ace return and it will be a fitting tribute to the character, actress and to her many, many fans.