The Doctor (David Tennant, as the Tenth Doctor) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) arrive on Coldstar, a storage facility in space, which provides frozen supplies for a nearby planet.

Meanwhile, another pair of visitors have just arrived, with Bert (Anthony Stuart-Hicks) and Lorna (Keziah Joseph) turning up to recycle the station’s rubbish.

Unbeknownst to either pair of visitors, two other humans are also in the station – a mother and son duo (Maureen Beatrice and Sean Biggerstaff), who’ve broken in to rob the facility.

None of the three sets of humans know that the ice in the station is cracking, however – or that some very old enemies of the Doctor are planning revenge as they thaw.

Given that they appear on the cover, it’s no secret to the listener that the Ice Warriors are onboard – but how did they get there, how long have they been waiting and what exactly is it that they’re looking to avenge?

It’s always great to spend more time with one of the most popular TARDIS teams of the modern era, with Tennant and Piper slipping nicely back into their roles as the Doctor and Rose.

Piper’s accent is a little off, sounding a little too well spoken than she used to as Rose, but after being a little jarring at first, soon enough it barely registers.

I did find that Kezia Joseph’s Lorna sounded a little too much like Piper, however, which caused a bit of confusion in a few scenes.

Everyone else does great work in their respective roles, with Stuart-Hicks on double duty, providing the voice of both Bert and Coldstar’s robotic assistant, Management.

Nicholas Briggs turns in his usual strong work as multiple hissing, vengeful Ice Warriors.

Matt Fitton’s script is as straightforward as they come; Cold Vengeance feels as if it could easily fit into the middle of any one of the Tenth Doctor’s seasons and not feel out of place.

That isn’t necessarily the highest of accolades, however. Cold Vengeance is a fun, one off adventure, but it doesn’t really have anything to really make it stand out and no spectacular or particularly memorable plot developments.

It’s one for fans of the Tennant/Piper era, for sure.

There’s no denying that it’s great to hear them together in a ‘new’ adventure and this, as part of the Tenth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish, is one of several one off episodes featuring the pair. 

So if you’re looking for some simple, no nonsense Doctor Who stories that feel like classic NuWho, these (Cold Vengeance included) will definitely scratch that particular itch for you.

For me, I must admit it did feel a little lacking – ‘safe’ and inconsequential, perhaps – but then I’ve been spoiled by some genuinely brilliant Torchwood dramas from Big Finish recently, which have far exceeded my expectations.

Perhaps I expected too much; there’s nothing wrong with Tennant/Piper era stories of course, and Cold Vengeance does a great job of feeling exactly like one.

Not only that, but if you’ve yet to discover the joys of Big Finish audio dramas, starting with material that’s straightforward and covers such familiar territory, most certainly not a bad way to ease yourself in.

You can buy Doctor Who: Cold Vengeance directly from Big Finish here, either as a CD (plus digital download) or just as a digital download.