ACE, played by Sophie Aldred, was the second companion of the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and was a bit of a ‘Marmite’ character, you either loved or hated her.

She was a tomboy with a particular talent for explosives, especially Nitro Nine, and had an annoying habit of calling the Doctor ‘professor’.

During her tenure, she revealed many aspects of her personality – not least during The Curse of Fenric.

This box-set contains two stories.

The first, Dragonfire, was a three-part story in which we are introduced to Ace (and say goodbye to Mel, played by Bonnie Langford), and was the final story of the twenty-fourth season shown in the autumn of 1987.

On Iceworld, the Doctor teams up with Sabalom Glitz (Tony Selby) who we had previously seen during Trial of a Time Lord, in order to search for a legendary dragon.

At the end of this- Dr Who’s 150th story, Mel decides to travel with Glitz and Ace goes with the Doctor.

The second story- again a three-parter, is from a year later and is set on Terra Alpha, where it is a crime to be unhappy, punishable by death.

The planet is ruled by Helan A (Sheila Hancock) and the whole story is a thinly veiled attack on Thatcherism.

Also featured is Emmerdale’s Lesley Dunlop, and the most ridiculous looking villain – the Kandy Man.

Both stories have excellent ‘making of’ documentaries, but Dragonfire has another The Doctor’s Strange Love, a discussion programme.

There’s also a look at Doctor Who explosions through the ages, and When Worlds Collide looks at politics within the Who storylines.

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