Though Torchwood have come up against some incredibly deadly threats over the years, they’re about to take on their biggest challenge yet:

Roger Pugh, Planning Officer for Cardiff City Council.

When Gwen Cooper (the always brilliant Eve Myles) submits a request for planning permission to the council (cutting a long story short, a new base of operations is needed for Torchwood), meticulous, uptight jobsworth Pugh (Richard Nichols) is determined to do everything by the book; dotting every i and crossing every t, with no end in sight for poor Gwen.

Which leads Gwen to take matters into her own hands – coming face to face with the somewhat inflexible Pugh.

Can she help speed up the process and get Torchwood Three rebuilt in Cardiff?

One thing’s for sure: by the time the night is through, Roger Pugh is going to wish he’d bent over backwards to approve that planning request.

More Than This starts off as a fun, action packed and amusing odd couple style comedy – with Nichols absolutely brilliant in the role of the rule abiding civil servant; he and Myles playing off each other beautifully – yet it turns into something much more poignant and affecting by the time the story ends.

In fact, Nichols is so good as the uptight Pugh – with this really being his story, and one in which we really get to know him – that I’m not ashamed to admit that I was a bit emotional by the time the surprisingly touching ending came around.

Guy Adams, on scripting duties, really pulls the rug from underneath the listener over the course of More Than This, in a really good way.

I initially came to listen to Big Finish audio dramas to satisfy my need for more Doctor Who; of course, that’s their flagship range and the one they’re most known for.

Yet I’ve been slowly realising that perhaps their most interesting, daring and clever stuff is happening over in their monthly Torchwood releases; one off adventures that aren’t afraid to go to some odd places, showcasing new characters, shorn of the continuity baggage and even weight of expectation that can sometimes hamper the Doctor Who stories.

More Than This is another fantastic example of the brilliant stories Big Finish are producing under the Torchwood umbrella – and may have just taken the top spot as my favourite one so far.

In some ways, I feel like I’d really like to encounter Roger Pugh again, but I wouldn’t be upset if he doesn’t return; he’s definitely earned a rest.

You can buy Torchwood: More Than This directly from Big Finish (as a CD plus digital download, or slightly cheaper without the CD) here.