Tag Archive: Big Finish

Episode 452 – Lovely Judoon Poetry

In this week’s episode of the podcast, we review two stories from Big Finish’s Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 1. First up it’s the Fifth Doctor meeting the Weeping Angels in Fallen Angels by Phil Mulryne. Then we examine the Sixth Doctor paring with the Judoon in Judoon in Chains by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris.

Plus, as always, we look at some of the news happening this past week,

And, of course, your feedback!

Enjoy!

 

Episode 448 – Forgotten Preludes

In this week’s episode, we revisit the cast of Torchwood with two reviews.  First, it’s the Titan Comics ongoing series featuring Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper in the issues collected in Torchwood Volume 3: The Culling, Then, the adventure continues for Gwen and husband Rhys Williams in the Big Finish story Torchwood: Forgotten Lives. Hear what we think of these two offerings.

Plus, some news of the week.

And, of course, feedback.

Enjoy!

Episode 441 – Happiness is a Good Multi-Doctor Story

In this week’s episode of the podcast, we tackle the second half of the Big Finish 20th Anniversary celebration, Doctor Who – The Legacy of Time. This week we review Relative Time by Matt Fitton, The Avenues of Possibility by Jonathan Morris, and Collision Course by Guy Adams. Hear what we thought of the epic conclusion.

Also, a small bit of news from our friends over at Candy Jar Books.

And FEEDBACK RETURNS!

Enjoy!

 

 

Scheduling The Return of Podcast Mysterio

Well, we’re done with our hiatus. We’re back, we’re tan, and we’re raring to go. Without further ado, here’s a look at what’s coming up in the vortex…

Our soon-to-be-released episode #441 will conclude our look at Big Finish “The Legacy of Time” with episodes 4.1 “Relative Time”, 5.1 “The Avenues of Possibility”, and 6.1 “Collision Course”. 

Returning to a fun theme from the 50th anniversary, we go BEYOND THE DOCTOR, but with a twist as we are coming up on spooky time. So we’re focusing on all horror/thriller and suspense films starring your favorite actors.

TTV #442 features the fourth Doctor Tom Baker in the tales from the crypt Esq. “The Vault of Horror” (free on Shudder) and Christopher Eccleston in the zombie flick “28 Days Later”.

 

TTV #443 checks out the War Doctor John Hurt in “The Ghoul” (free on Amazon Prime), and current Doctor Jodie Whitaker in “Attack The Block”.

October opens with Jon Pertwee in “The House That Dripped Blood” and Peter Capaldi in “Lair of the White Worm” (both streaming free on Amazon Prime) feature in our Beyond the Doctor 3 for TTV #444.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TTV #445 brings us a triple threat, with Doctors 5, 6, and 7 (Peter Davidson, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy all staring in “The AirZone Solution” (streaming free on Amazon Prime) and David Tennant in “Fright Night”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TTV #446 showcases Patrick Troughton in the classic “The Omen”, and Matt Smith in “Patient Zero”.

Beyond The Doctor concludes with our Halloween special (TTV #447) and a twist, with the first Doctor Richard Hurndall in “I, Monster” (Free on Daily Motion), and Paul McGann in “Afraid of the Dark”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(We are trying to locate Midnight at Madame Tussaud’s (also known as Midnight at the Wax Museum in the states) for William Hartnell, but as of yet cannot find a copy.

Moving into November, we get a book review of “The Pirate Planet” by Douglas Adams and James Goss for TTV #448.

More Torchwood in TTV #449 with Titan Comics Torchwood Vol. 3, and Big Finish Torchwood “Forgotten Lives”.

and speaking of Big Finish, we continue our celebration of their 20th anniversary by starting Gallifrey with series 1 “Weapon of Choice” and “Square One” in TTV #450

Gallifrey continues in TTV #451, with “The Inquiry” and “A Blind Eye”.

And that takes us all the way into December with our look back at The Macra Terror, (Now with Animation!) for TTV #452.

As always, the schedule is subject to change, but we’ll keep you in the loop if it does.

 

 

Big Finish Reviews – Main Range 21 – 30

Welcome back travelers of the Time Vortex,

 

My name is Jamie and I will be your guide through the Worlds of Big Finish. In this letter I will give my thoughts on releases 21-30 in the Doctor Who Monthly Range from Big Finish Productions. These are all available from the Big Finish website for download only at $2.99.

The stories that follow are full cast Doctor Who audio dramas featuring the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors as played by Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann respectively. The companions featured that are returning from the TV series are played by the original actors.

 

On a side note, I consider Big Finish to be on the same level of canon as the TV series. Especially since Moffat had the Eighth Doctor mention all his Big Finish companions (or at least all he’d had at time of filming) during his regeneration scene in Night of the Doctor.

Disclaimer: All of the opinions expressed hereafter are my own. There are stories that I love that others may hate, and vice versa. I am not responsible for any reactions others might have to my comments and opinions.

 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

21 Dust Breeding

Written by: Mike Tucker
Featuring: 7th & Ace + Bev Tarrent & The Master
Released: June 2001
TTV Episode: 104

My Thoughts: Dust Breeding is a standalone story that brings in several previously established elements from older stories. The biggest return is… SPOILERS!!! …the Master as played by Geoffrey Beevers. Also returning are Bev Tarrent (from The Genocide Machine – Main Range #7) and the Krill (from the BBC Past Doctors novel Storm Harvest).

This story seems to be a critique of art and artists as that’s at least part of the main plot. Several of the names in this are art/artist names: Salvadori, Klemp, Duchamp, Dust Breeding, etc.

The story starts with artist Edvard Munch going mad and painting the Scream. Later, in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Ace prepare to “rescue” the painting from destruction by unknown circumstances. Responding to a distress call, they arrive on Duchamp 311, a planet of dust which is home to refueling depots and an eccentric artists colony.

Here they meet the long-time resident Guthrie (who may be a little crazy) and Bev, who are currently stranded on the planet. Meanwhile, a ship of super-rich art lovers is on way to Duchamp to see the unveiling of a new one-of-a-kind piece of art being created at the artist colony. The ship and its expedition are headed by Madame Salvadori (played by the unrecognizable Caroline John) and is being backed by the mysterious Mr. Seta.

It’s a good story that comes down to a battle between the two superweapons. Taking place after Survival, there’s a reason given in-story as to why it’s the Beevers Master from Keeper of Traken and not the Anthony Ainley Master that the Doctor and Ace last met in Survival. Overall, enjoyable with a really good second half.

Rating: 7/10

22 Bloodtide

Written by: Jonathan Morris
Featuring: 6th & Evelyn + Silurians
Released: July 2001
TTV Episode: 68

My Thoughts: Bloodtide brings us back to the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn. The Doctor has a surprise for Evelyn and takes her to the Galapagos Islands to meet Charles Darwin (played by Miles Richardson who would later play Irving Braxiatel in the Gallifrey and Bernice Summerfield audio series.)

It’s a relatively straight-forward plot featuring the Silurians. Back before the Silurians went into hibernation, a scientist named Tulock was found guilty of crimes and exiled to the surface along with his creations. He is let back into the hive by a friend where he secretly sabotages the hibernation equipment.

In the present (relative present), Tulock is the leader of the colony. The governor of the islands is in his thrall, delivering humans to the Silurians as meat and specimens. Meanwhile, throughout the story, Darwin struggles with his beliefs and his theories.

There’s a lot of catch and escape, and catch and release. It turns out that the creatures that Tulock had created were humans. In places, it feels like a retread of the Pertwee story complete with a devastating virus while the “evolution of man” bits feel fresh. There’s also a Myrka that rises to prominence in Part 3 and plays a part in the conclusion.

Overall it a good story, if you like what they’ve done with the Silurians in the past you’ll probably enjoy this. Darwin’s ramblings can get a little boring at times, but not terrible. The softer Sixth Doctor is apparent here, comforting a young woman who has lost her brother. Nice to see the Myrka get so much love. Looking forward to seeing where Six and Evelyn go next.

Rating: 7/10

23 Project: Twilight

Written by: Cavan Scott and Mark Wright
Featuring: 6th & Evelyn + Nimrod & the Forge
Released: August 2001
TTV Episode: 145

My Thoughts: Dark, creepy, a bit adult. Project: Twilight is the first of the “Project” stories and sets up a story arc that spans the Main Range up through #140. This is the story that introduces the Forge, Nimrod and Cassie Schofield, who is tied to someone important down the road.

The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn arrive in the Bermondsey region in southeast London for the best Chinese takeaway the Doctor knows. Here they stumble into mysterious goings-on in the Dusk, a casino on the Thames owned the gangster Reggie Mead and the mysterious Amelia Doory.

This story features genetic study, vampires and the Forge. It is also the first mention of Zagreus. The Forge ran super-soldier experiments during World War I headed by a Dr. William Abberton. The Forge is a secret organization that feels like a dark cross between UNIT and Torchwood. Reggie and Amelia were among Abberton’s subjects and were hosts of the Twilight virus. After their escape, Abberton injected himself with the virus and became the vampire hunter and leader of the Forge named Nimrod, one of the best original villains we’ve had from Big Finish.

This is one of the darkest, most adult Big Finish Doctor Whos I’ve listened to. It’s violent and creepy that borders on the cusp of PG-13 and R. And yet, the story is tightly written, the acting is top-notch, the production is really well done. I’m not a fan of vampires, and yet, this is one of my favorites. The plotline started here continues to affect both the Sixth Doctor and the Seventh Doctor for quite a while down the road. I will remind you as we come across more of this thread because the next piece is a ways off yet.

This is one of Big Finish’s best. Dark, adult storytelling at it’s best. It’s gruesome in places created using only dialogue and sound effects. Colin Baker shines as the Sixth Doctor. In short, a masterpiece. Not necessarily for kids, but still a contender for one of the best early Main Range releases.

Rating: 10/10

24 The Eye of the Scorpion

Written by: Iain McLaughlin
Featuring: 5th, Peri & Erimem
Released: September 2001
TTV Episode: 128

My Thoughts: The Fifth Doctor and Peri in Ancient Egypt. I love this story, it’s one of my early favorites. After unusual tremors rock the TARDIS while the Doctor is taking Peri on a tour, the two land in Ancient Egypt where they rescue a young woman from a runaway chariot. The woman is known as Erimem and she is to be crowned Pharaoh within the next few days.

It is in this political environment that we find our TARDIS team. A mercenary force preparing for a siege of Thebes, poisonings, intrigue in the court. It’s very interesting and well-realized. There’s also an alien prison stasis container that lies within the enemy camp and Peter Davison goes on holiday for an episode. We even get the Hall of Records beneath the Sphinx.

Yanis, the leader of the mercenaries, is wonderfully acted all gruff and menacing, a big highlight. Every scene with him is a delight. He reminds me a little of Vinnie Jones. The real highlight though is Erimem. She’s well-written and well-acted. The strong leader, intelligent and cunning, but also the vulnerable 18-year-old who has recently lost a father and doesn’t really want the position that’s been thrust upon her.

It seems that so far, Big Finish has done really well in their original companions. Evelyn Smythe with the Sixth Doctor, Charlotte “Charley” Pollard with the Eighth Doctor and now Erimem and the Fifth Doctor. They’re all wonderful, engaging, lovable characters.

If you didn’t think that there were any Fifth Doctor/Peri stories in between Planet of Fire and Caves of Androzani, then you were mistaken. I don’t know if this helps or hurts the impact of the Doctor’s sacrifice in Caves, but I’m enjoying the ride that Big Finish is taking us on in between the TV stories.

This is a story that’s worth picking up. If you like Ancient Egypt or the Fifth Doctor and Peri, you’ll probably enjoy this one. I definitely did. It has a tight, well-written script, it’s well-acting, the sound design is very good. It’s really, quite good.

Rating: 10/10

25 Colditz

Written by: Steve Lyons
Featuring: 7th & Ace + Klein
Released: October 2001
TTV Episode: 109

My Thoughts: Colditz was one of my early forays into Big Finish and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s got Seven and Ace, one of my favorite Tardis Teams, it’s got excellent characters, it introduces us to Elizabeth Klein and gives a pre-Doctor David Tennant as a Nazi.

It’s a relatively simple story. The Doctor and Ace arrive in Colditz Castle and are soon captured by the Nazis. Colditz is the “escaper’s prison”, the place where the Nazis send high-value targets and those who have escaped from other prisons. David Tennant plays Sergeant Kurtz, a soldier who is the epitome of Nazi Scum. He’s very entrenched in Nazi philosophy, he knows all the rules and regulations, he even borders on a sexual predator. Tennant plays him well, hysterical at times but also cold and manipulative at others.

The other main German, Captain Schäfer, is much more resigned. A kind human being who just wants to survive the war. There’s also flying officer Bill Gower who’s the leader of the allies in the camp, the Colonel Hogan of the group. Well played, Hogan if Hogan’s Heroes were a serious drama.

Into this mix is thrown Elizabeth Klein, a Nazi scientist from an alternate timeline. Klein, played by Tracey Childs (Metella, the mother in Fires of Pompeii), is cold, cunning and an excellent character. She plays well against the Doctor, even giving him a good reason for an excellent speech in Episode 3.

This is a good World War II story, it’s also a good alternate history/fixing history/future tech causes problems story. It’s fun, well-acted and enjoyable with good music and sound design.

Rating: 9/10

26 Primeval

Written by: Lance Parkin
Featuring: 5th & Nyssa + Trakenites
Released: November 2001
TTV Episode: 115

My Thoughts: When Nyssa falls ill, the Doctor takes her to the one place where she might be healed: Traken. However, this 3,000 years in Nyssa’s past, when the Source and Traken had no Keeper. It’s very much a story about reason and science versus religion.

So, I’m not really finding much to comment on. It’s an enjoyable story and, having watched Keeper of Traken about the same time as listening to this, doesn’t require having seen Keeper of Traken to enjoy. Yes, you might get a bit more out of it, such as knowing Nyssa’s backstory and learning that the Doctor was the first Keeper. But the story doesn’t need Keeper of Traken to work as a story.

The themes of religion versus science and the nature of evil are present. On its own, it tells the story of Kwundaar the god of Traken who helped build the Source and his quest to use the Doctor and Nyssa to gain control of it. Very much of a Garden of Eden parallel with sci-fi overtones.

Kwundaar is from the Primeval times, the pre-universe possibly. He summoned more of his kind to our current universe and it is revealed that he “marked” the Doctor for them. These may include some of the Old/Elder Gods such as Fenric and the Great Intelligence and may be a precursor to the Seventh Doctor’s war with Fenric in both the TV series and audios from Big Finish. (More on that in later installments.)

Overall, a good story. A bit of a slow start, but it picks up well in the second half. A definite prequel to the Keeper of Traken, though a sequel for the Doctor and Nyssa. The TV story isn’t necessary, but it helps give the audio more depth and supply visuals for some of the locations.

Rating: 7/10

27 The One Doctor

Written by: Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman
Featuring: 6th & Mel
Released: December 2001
TTV Episode: 108

My Thoughts: This is the first of two official Big Finish Doctor Who Christmas Specials. These were more light-hearted stories that were parodies of other series. This was, in essence, a comedic look at Doctor Who and its various tropes. It starts with the Sixth Doctor and Mel playing Monopoly in the TARDIS before receiving a distress call from the very far future.

They answer the distress call to discover that the threat has already been neutralized by the Doctor. But it’s a con job. Then, a new threat arrives and gives them three hours to complete a quest for tribute. These first two episodes, I found okay, just kinda on the boring side.

Episode Three is where things start to pick up. I found this episode rather enjoyable and funny. After getting the ultimatum of system-wide obliteration, the four main characters split up. Mel goes with the false Doctor, whose name is Banto Zame, to retrieve the Shelves of Infinity from an Ikea-like warehouse populated by the Assemblers.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and the false companion, Sally-Anne Stubbins, go to retrieve a supercomputer known as the Mentos who is the final contestant in The Feeblest Contestant, a game similar to the Weakest Link or Jeopardy. He has been competing for the past 33,000 years.

This episode was highly entertaining and fun. The final episode while not as fun, was still enjoyable. Overall, a decent light-hearted story. While not overly impressive, it wasn’t awful and if you’re looking for a way to pass a couple of hours, this will work.

Rating: 6/10

28 Invaders from Mars

Written by: Mark Gatiss
Featuring: 8th & Charley
Released: January 2002
TTV Episode: 64

My Thoughts: This is essentially Doctor Who meets 1930s crime drama and Sci-fi. It starts out in 1938 New York with Gangsters killing a Private Investigator with an alien weapon. The Doctor and Charley arrive shortly after and discover the body, prompting the Doctor to assume the dead man’s identity and investigate.

While snooping around Haliday’s (the dead guy) office, they meet Glory Bee (played by Jessica Hynes who appeared as Joan Redfern in the Family of Blood two-parter) who’s looking for her scientist uncle. In this mix is also crime boss Don Chaney (played by Simon Pegg), Nazi Sympathizer and Fifth Columnist Cosmo Devine and Orson Welles as he prepares for his famous broadcast of War of the Worlds. Charley gets captured early on by Devine while the Doctor and Glory look for her Uncle who is a soviet scientist working for Chaney and Glory herself a Soviet agent.

There are little things that play into the ongoing Web of Time arc, like mentions of the CIA (which didn’t exist until 1947), someone mentions mentions getting somewhere in a new Lamborghini (which didn’t exist until 1963) and Orson Welles not knowing who Shakespeare is. Shakespeare will be very important later.

Chaney has an alien pod and other tech hidden in a base that’s in the heart of the Brooklyn Bridge. Chaney is actually working with the CIA and is planning to hand it all over to them.

Finally, there are the aliens who all the tech belongs to who is running a Slitheen-like con – this time, a protection racket. Finding a balance between catalog/preserving life and destroying it, they remind me of the Dominators in a way. You’ve got the brains who is running the con, and then his partner who just wants to destroy. The Doctor uses the War of the Worlds broadcast to then trick the aliens into leaving.

Overall, this is just a fun 1930s alien invasion with gangsters, Nazis, Soviets, and the Doctor and Charley just kinda thrown in there. Yes, there is very little development in here for Charley who takes a back seat for most of the story, but the Doctor is front and center and McGann shines throughout. The War of the Worlds broadcast simply provides a nice background woven through the play. Great stuff.

Rating: 9/10

29 The Chimes of Midnight

Written by: Robert Shearman
Featuring: 8th & Charley
Released: February 2002
TTV Episode: 64

My Thoughts: This is one of the masterpieces of the first few years of Big Finish. This is possibly Rob Shearman at his finest as well as being the best Doctor Who Christmas story hands down. It’s also the first story since Storm Warning to really further the Web of Time arc and flesh out Charley’s backstory more than a few lines scattered about.

The Doctor and Charley land in the lower levels of an English manor house in 1906. But things are amiss. Time is frozen around them and there is no one around. And yet, there are. Intermixed with the scenes of the Doctor and Charley are scenes with the manor’s staff, the butler, the cook, the chauffeur, the lady’s maid and the scullery maid whose name is Edith Thompson.

As the story progresses, the Doctor and Charley become involved as people start dying. This is a brilliant murder mystery with time travel undertones. I can’t really say anymore because you really need to listen to this one for yourself. Paul McGann shines, as does India Fisher. The rest of the cast does well also. This is one of the best. Really, really worth it.

Rating: 10/10

30 Seasons of Fear

Written by: Paul Cornell and Caroline Symcox
Featuring: 8th & Charley + Nimon
Released:
March 2002
TTV Episode: 83

My Thoughts: Another favorite of mine, Seasons of Fear is a fun romp through time that lays threads for the future and continues the current ongoing arc for the Eighth Doctor. Back in Storm Warning, Charley stowed away on the R-101 with the goal of reaching Singapore. Well, after five more stories, we finally arrive.

While Charley is off with Alex (the reason for her presence on the R-101), the Doctor is approached by Sebastian Grayle, a man who says he’s killed the Doctor in future and his Masters have graciously allowed him to come and gloat. The Doctor and Charley then embark on a mad chase through time in an attempt to discover the truth and stop Grayle and his Masters.

First stop, is a British-Roman fort in 305 AD. Here, Grayle, or Decurion Sebastius Gralae as he is called, is a member of the Cult of Mithras, Slayer of the Demon Bull, and is preparing the first step in his quest for immortality, angry that his older brother inherited the family estate. The Doctor and Charley manage to thwart his plans and the Doctor traces the coordinates the signal Grayle was receiving to a planet with a black hole on its doorstep.

The next stop is the Court of Edward the Confessor and his queen Edith in 1055. Here, Grayle has taken a Saxon name, Bishop Leofric of Exeter and preparing for another go at immortality. His plan involves the mining of Plutonium as a form of power for his Masters’ device, a sort of single person transmat. But the Doctor manages to thwart him again before following him to Buckinghamshire in 1815

Here, it is Sir Sebastian and the Hellfire Club (used much better than in Minuet in Hell) is his replacement to the Cult of Mithras. Grayle is trying to woo a Miss Lucy Martin, whose Father is Colonel Richard Martin, while the Doctor and Charley arrive in the subterranean cave system, the Hellfire Club’s base the Doctor and Charley are discovered by Col. Martin and end up having dinner with Grayle where after a bit of conversation, Grayle challenges the Doctor to a duel.

The Doctor wins the duel with a rustless weapon the saps Grayle’s power. Grayle then flees with Lucy as his hostage/sacrifice and though the Doctor catches up, succeeds in summoning his Masters who finally reveal themselves to be the Nimon. Note that the clues of the Nimons’ identity have been scattered through the story so far for those paying close attention, even the Doctor wonders why he didn’t put it together sooner.

The Doctor manages to block the Nimon invasion by putting the TARDIS in their way. But Grayle manages to get on board. The Doctor tricks the Nimon on the TARDIS into the vortex with himself as bait. With instructions for Charley and a bit of technobabble, they arrive in the Roman fort before the Doctor and Charley had arrived previously. The Nimon are defeated by the soldiers and Gralae kills Grayle upon seeing the monster he has become.

In a short epilogue, the Martins encounter a creature that seems to have Charley’s form. The creature can sense the temporal energies that surround them, Chronon energy on Lucy who traveled in the TARDIS and the fact that Richard should be dead, and devours them before preparing to chase the Doctor and Charley.

There are few things of note in this story that will play into upcoming stories. First, there is a cameo from a Dalek near the end of Part 1 as the cult members flee the temple. This is, for this story at least, an easter egg. However, it does have an impact on another story down the line. Second, near the beginning of Part 2, the Doctor quotes the Zagreus nursery rhyme again. This will also be important further down the line. Also, take note that the Doctor and Charley talk briefly about the American statesman Benjamin Franklin in Part 3. Finally, the Doctor narrates parts of the story to an unnamed individual. This person will reappear later so keep an ear out.

Overall, another really enjoyable outing for the Eighth Doctor and Charley. The return of the Nimon is handled really well especially since we don’t have the dodgy visuals. The Eighth Doctor shines, Garyle is well-acted and even Charley is handled well. An enjoyable story that keeps up at a brisk pace and doesn’t get bogged down.

Rating: 9/10

So, that’s my assessment of releases 21-30 from Big Finish’s Doctor Who Monthly Range. At some point, I’ll have another ten listened to, and can supply another guide for those interested in dipping their toes into Big Finish. Again, this is not a fast process so the next installment might be a while.

Happy travels,

Jamie.

Episode 439 – Hiatus

In this week’s show, we delve into another Companion Archive, something we haven’t done in some time. This time we look at short-lived companion Sara Kingdom. We examine some rarer appearances of her character, outside of Doctor Who proper, at this point in her past during her time with the Space Security Service. First a couple of nuggets from 1966’s The Dalek Outer Space Book, with the short story, The Outlaw Planet and the comic, Sara Kingdom: Space Security Agent. Then a review of the Terry Nation television script-turned Big Finish lost story, The Destroyers.

And of course, your feedback.

Enjoy!

Episode 438 – With Special Guest…

In this week’s episode, we are joined by our co-host on TARDIS Sauce, SciFi4Me’s Tim Harvey. He joins us for reviews of Big Finish’s Companion Chronicles 1.1 “Frostfire” and Titan Comics 13th Doctor Vol. 1. Hear what the four of us thought of these stories this week.

Plus, our reactions to the latest news in the Doctor Who universe.

And, of course, feedback!

Enjoy!

 

Episode 437 – Let the River Run

In this week’s episode, we review the second half of the Big Finish The Diary of River Song Volume 1 boxset. This time hear what we thought of  1.3 “Signs”, 1.4 “The Rules of the Universe”.

Plus we discuss rumors and news.

And, of course, feedback.

Enjoy!

 

 

Episode 436 – Crossing a River

In this week’s show, we dive into some reviews of Big Finish’s Diary of River Song Volume 1. First, it’s 1.1 The Boundless Sea by Jenny T Colgan. Next, we review 1.2 I Went to a Marvellous Party by Justin Richards. Find out what we thought of both of these stories.

Plus, your feedback.

Enjoy!

 

 

Episode 433 – Goritanian Underwear

In this episode, we review Big Finish’s Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume 1 #2 “Time Reaver” and #3 “Death and the Queen”. Hear what we thought of these two Tenth Doctor and Donna Stories.

Plus, some video release news.

And, of course, your feedback.

Enjoy!

 

 

Big Finish Reviews – Main Range 11-20

Welcome back travelers of the Time Vortex,

My name is Jamie and I will be your guide through the Worlds of Big Finish. In this letter I will give my thoughts on the second ten releases in the Doctor Who Monthly Range from Big Finish Productions. These are all available from the Big Finish website for download only at $2.99.

The stories that follow are full cast Doctor Who audio dramas featuring the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors as played by Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann respectively. The companions featured that are returning from the TV series are played by the original actors.

On a side note, I consider Big Finish to be on the same level of canon as the TV series. Especially since Moffat had the Eighth Doctor mention all his Big Finish companions (or at least all he’d had at time of filming) during his regeneration scene in Night of the Doctor.

Disclaimer: All of the opinions expressed hereafter are my own. There are stories that I love that others may hate, and vice versa. I am not responsible for any reactions others might have to my comments and opinions.

 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

11 The Apocalypse Element (Dalek Empire: Part Two)
Written by: Stephen Cole
Featuring: 6th, Evelyn & Romana II + Time Lords & Daleks
Released: August 2000 TTV Episode: 82

My Thoughts: This is the third story with Evelyn Smythe and the Sixth Doctor and the second with the Daleks. Already, the Dalek voices are much better and more in line with Nick Briggs’ New Who work then their previous Big Finish outing.

Though this is a four-episode story, it is similar to the Invasion of Time in that it has two distinct sections. Disc 1 is the Etra Prime Incident and Disc 2 is a Dalek Invasion of Gallifrey. I’ve read that RTD considers this to be part of the Time War or at least part of the lead-up to the Time War.

This is one of my favorite Big Finish Dalek stories. It’s well written and doesn’t drag in the middle. We start out with a temporal treaty being signed by Gallifrey and the other temporal powers on the planet Archetryx. The Doctor and Evelyn arrive in the midst of this.

Twenty years prior, a delegation was on the nearby planet of Etra Prime when it disappeared. Among these delegates is a newly elected President Romanavoradtrelundar. Over the course of the first disc, the Daleks attack the treaty and Etra Prime reappears.

The Daleks are pushed back enough for the delegates to escape and Romana manages to escape and reunite with the Doctor. The Daleks have been mining an element from Etra Prime and synthesizing it in the bowels of Archetryx. The element (of which the story’s title comes from) is highly destructive and unstable.

The survivors of the treaty delegation flee to Gallifrey, followed closely by the Daleks. The Daleks trick CIA coordinator Vansell (returning after his appearance in The Sirens of Time) into letting them into Gallifrey by showing him tech that he wants to get his hands on. Meanwhile, the element has been released in a neighboring galaxy.

What follows is a race against time to contain the element’s destructive force. Colin Baker shines in this story and using Evelyn’s retina print as a slowing measure on the Daleks gives an explanation for the human eye lock and key from the TV Movie.

Overall, a fun exciting story that continues Big Finish’s trend of giving the Sixth Doctor great stories. Evelyn continues to shine, the Daleks are done well and Romana II is given good material that doesn’t sideline her. If you plan to listen to the Gallifrey audio series, I would recommend listening to the Gallifrey arc in the Main Range first. That being: The Sirens of Time, The Apocalypse Element, Neverland and Zagreus.

Rating: 10/10

12 The Fires of Vulcan
Written by: Steve Lyons
Featuring: 7th & Mel
Released: September 2000
TTV Episode: 146

My Thoughts: Fires of Vulcan is a slow burn, especially in Part 1. It’s very good, but it’s a slow, character-driven story. Featuring the Seventh Doctor and Mel, you’d expect a jokey doctor who mixes his metaphors and plays the spoons. Instead, we get a dark, melancholy, introspective Doctor.

The story starts with archaeologists finding a Police Box in the ruins of Pompeii which is hushed up by UNIT. The Doctor was told of this in his Fifth incarnation and since been dreading the next time he visits the doomed city.

This presents the main conflict of the story with the Doctor resigned to his fate while Mel brims with hope and tries everything she can to avoid that fate. Everything else spirals out from this as the Doctor and Mel interact with the locals. The Doctor angering a gladiator when attempting to gather some funds, their arrival being witnessed by a slave that takes them for servants of Isis, etc.

This really is a good story, it’s not a big action story with galactic importance, but instead a quiet historical with an underlying tone of hope and escaping fate. It’s slow, and has some really good ideas, though it picks up by Part 4 with the actual eruption. Maybe it’s just the pure historical aspect that bores me here. Overall though, a really good story.

Rating: 8.5/10

13 The Shadow of the Scourge (Side Step)
Written by: Paul Cornell Featuring:
7th, Ace & Bernice
Released: October 2000
TTV Episode: 231

My Thoughts: This is one of three Main Range “Side Steps” that took a look at other mediums of Doctor Who, namely using characters from the Virgin New Adventures and the Doctor Who Magazine comic strips.

This release takes us into the world of the Virgin New Adventures line of novels that continued the Seventh Doctor’s story after Survival. This story is set between the novels All-Consuming Fire and Blood Harvest. The general idea of this story is that there are several different conventions happening at the same time in a hotel in Kent. These being a cross-stitch convention, an experiment in time travel and a spiritual retreat. The spiritual retreat becomes the main focus of an extra-dimensional race of conquerors known as the Scourge who feed on fear, grief, sadness and other negative emotions.

This story sees the dark, scheming, plan-within-a-plan Seventh Doctor from the New Adventures. I’ve only read a handful of this series and don’t really remember more than vague plot-points and general ideas. However, it has a slight feel of Invasion of Time in as which the Doctor claims to be aiding the monsters in their invasion in order to defeat them.

As the story progresses though, things begin to fall apart as the Doctor’s schemes starting failing. There are also several mindscape scenes with Doctor, Benny and a Scourge. Very dark, if you like the New Adventures novels or just like dark stories with a fallible Doctor, you’ll probably enjoy this. It’s a decent story that does focus on hope at the end, just not one of my favorites.

Rating: 6/10

14 The Holy Terror (Side Step)
Written by: Robert Shearman
Featuring: 6th & Frobisher
Released: November 2000
TTV Episode: 203

My Thoughts: The Holy Terror is an interesting tale. Essentially, the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher arrive in a castle where the Emperor/God has died and his son is about to succeed him after the TARDIS goes on strike. I could talk about the plot, but I won’t.

This is a tale about religion, the nature of tradition, free will, fathers and sons, guilt. It’s rather quite brilliant. And, it gets deep, very deep. By the end, you might find yourself tearing up a bit.

Robert Shearman, who would go on to write The Chimes of Midnight, Jubilee and Scherzo for Big Finish and Dalek for TV, is a writer who can really build layers to his stories. Sometimes it takes a second or third listen to really appreciate his stories.

As to the companion, Frobisher is a shape-shifting Wifferdill who takes the form of a penguin. He first appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comics. A really good story with depth and emotional payoff. Good acting really continues the softer Sixth Doctor arc that Big Finish gave us. If you haven’t already, go listen to it.

Rating: 10/10

15 The Mutant Phase (Dalek Empire: Part Three)
Written by: Nicholas Briggs Featuring: 5th & Nyssa + Thals & Daleks
Released: December 2000
TTV Episode: 82

My Thoughts: The Mutant Phase is Big Finish’s third Dalek story and features the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa. After the patient Daleks and Dalek Duplicates of the Genocide Machine, and the Dalek Invasion of Apocalypse Element, we have scared Daleks and time corridors. Essentially, the Daleks are mutating into something new and they are afraid. Moving between the Dalek Invasion in 2158 and the 43 rd century, we encounter Daleks, Thals and the last surviving humans after some major cataclysm that decimated the earth.

It is a bit slow, especially the first half as we slowly set into place all the puzzle pieces. It’s interesting and well-acted, and the inclusion of a reference to Alaska from Land of the Dead help ground in context with other Big Finish releases.

This is story ripe with paradoxes and alternate timelines. Starting in Part 3 and then especially in Part 4, the puzzle pieces come together. This is a thinking man’s story where you have to pay attention in order to understand what’s going as things are revealed.

A good story. The performances are well done, the Doctor and Nyssa in particular. Originally this was an Audio Visual play, so it has it’s origins there. A good listen for those who enjoy a more technical-based story about time travel and its hazards. Rating: 8/10

16 Storm Warning
Written by: Alan Barnes
Featuring: 8th & Charley
Released: January 2001
TTV Episode: 53

My Thoughts: Welcome back, Paul McGann! Though the Stones of Venice was recorded first and the Mary Shelly trilogy (Main Range 153-155) occurs before this one, this was the first we’d heard from the Eighth Doctor since the TV movie. Yes, there was the BBC book line and the Doctor Who Magazine comics, but this was the first time we’d had Paul McGann back, and with a new version of the main theme (by Sherlock composer David Arnold).

We start with a prologue that features McGann giving a monologue as the Doctor encounters a crashed timeship stuck in the vortex that’s being swarmed by Vortisaurs (think space Pterodactyls).

We then move to the R-101, an airship (zeppelin) that is departing on its maiden voyage from England to India in October 1930. However, there’s more here than meets the eye. The R-101 is on a secret mission to return a mysterious passenger to its people, there are two stowaways: the Doctor, who lands in a ballast tank and soon after loses the TARDIS, and Charlotte “Charley” Pollard, Edwardian adventuress and soon-to-be companion.

The story just flies by. It’s fun, enjoyable and doesn’t seem to drag anywhere. The characters are enjoyable, the acting is excellent, the sound design works. This is one of my favorites and a good jumping off point for Big Finish. Both companions that Big Finish has created thus far, Charley and Evelyn, are both excellent. Be aware that there is an ongoing story arc to the Eighth Doctor stories, as there is with Evelyn. Most of the stories so far have been ones where you can jump in without having heard previous ones. The Eight/Charley stories are best listened to in order.

Rating: 10/10

17 Sword of Orion
Written by: Nicholas Briggs
Featuring: 8th & Charley + Cybermen
Released: February 2001
TTV Episode: 53

My Thoughts: Close on the heels of Storm Warning, Sword of Orion finds the Doctor and Charley trying to take care of Ramsey the Vortisaur and release him back into the vortex. Ramsey is sick and so the Doctor takes Charley to the Garazone Bazaar to find a cure.

The Bazaar is excellently realized. It’s got a great soundscape that really brings it to life. Anyway, the Doctor and Charley find a book at a booth that might help them and head back to the TARDIS, which is being loaded onto a junk scavenging ship. They sneak in and find the TARDIS.

In the meantime, the junkers find an abandoned star destroyer that no one has bothered to claim for salvage because of its size. The salvagers send over a recon team at the same time the Doctor and Charley have landed on the destroyer in the TARDIS. Circumstances force the Doctor and Charley out of the TARDIS and one of salvage crew is murdered.

After initial accusations, the two groups end up joining forces against the Cybermen who inhabit the destroyer. I really enjoy this one because as soon as they reach the cybership and join forces, it becomes a typical Cybermen base-under-siege story.

The acting is good though, and the music is superb. While other reviewers I’ve read have hated this story because it’s a very paint-by-numbers Cyberman story, I still really enjoy it. Be aware that this also sort of sets up and acts as a prequel to Big Finish’s Cyberman series.

Rating: 9.5/10

18 The Stones of Venice
Written by: Paul Magrs
Featuring: 8th & Charley
Released: March 2001
TTV Episode: 53

My Thoughts: So, a little background on this one. First, this is one of a handful of stories whose synopses were used for trying to bring Tom Baker into the Big Finish family in 2001 (along with Spectre of Lanyon Moor and the Holy Terror). Second, although Storm Warning was released first and takes place first, this story was the first story that Paul McGann recorded upon his return to the Eighth Doctor.

I’ve found that I’ve appreciated and enjoyed this story more on each subsequent listen. At its core, Stones of Venice is a love story. The atmosphere of future Venice is well done and feels like nothing much has changed since the Renaissance.

The story opens with a cold open (as all these first four Eight and Charley stories do) where the Doctor and Charley are escaping a revolution of their own making. Kinda would’ve liked to hear this adventure instead of Minuet in Hell. Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor puts the kettle on and decides to take Charley to Venice for a vacation of sorts.

Arriving in Venice, we find not the Renaissance but instead the future where the city is poised to finally sink into the swamps from which it sprung. In the first episode, we are introduced to all the main characters. There’s Duke Orsino (played by Michael Sheard) whose love, Duchess Estella, cursed the city and him to remain unchanged for a century before disappearing after he gambled her away on their wedding night. There’s the mysterious old woman, Eleanor Lavish who is more than she seems. There’s Pietro the Gondolier, a member of the amphibious underclass who can’t wait for the city to fall. There’s Churchwell, Orsino’s curator who wants nothing else than to save the art at the main gallery. And finally, there’s Vincenzo, the leader of the cult of Estella (played by Mark Gatiss) who skulk around the city in hopes of bringing about the return of the Duchess. It is into this rich atmosphere that the Doctor and Charley find themselves.

After being separated, the Doctor and Churchwell find themselves at the mercy of the cult while Charley finds herself at the mercy of Pietro and the Gondoliers as both groups vie for power over the return of Estella. The Gondoliers trying to speed up the fall of Venice so they can reclaim it while the cultists eagerly awaiting the resurrection of Estella. As the story progresses though everyone is reunited for a powerful, emotional finish.

At its heart, Stones of Venice is a love story. Both between the Duke and Estella and just for Venice as a whole. It’s interesting, having listened to parts of McGann’s recent releases to hear how young he sounds in this. And yet, it’s still McGann. This is the romantic, eager, fun Eighth Doctor before tragedy struck and before the darker, more serious tone of the boxsets and the Time War. I didn’t care for this one that much when I first heard it, but subsequent listenings have increased my appreciation for this story. Rating: 7.5/10

19 Minuet in Hell
Written by: Alan W. Lear and Gary Russell
Featuring: 8th , Charley & the Brigadier
Released: April 2001
TTV Episode: 64

My Thoughts: So, Minuet in Hell. I’m sure if you’ve been following me on these reviews or heard my feedback on the show, you know that I have a supreme dislike for this story. Really, it’s kinda hard to say why. As a concept, it’s not terrible and it has some good ideas. It’s necessary for completists, both from a collecting standpoint and an Eighth Doctor’s Big Finish run standpoint. I guess there’s just so much little stuff, that I really have a hard time overlooking and therefore enjoying this story.

I guess the biggest complaint with this is the subject matter. I’m not a fan of supernatural stories. The Hellfire Club just rubs me the wrong way. Even though the “demons” turn out not to be “demons”, it’s getting there that I don’t like. There are the institute and brain experiments, I don’t mind that. If they’d focused solely on that, I might’ve found this more enjoyable.

The accents are questionable at best, downright offensive at worst. They sound like a cross between Deep South and Texas. The main villain, Brigham Elisha Dashwood III, is played by Robert Jezek (who is better known as the voice of Frobisher) and is a politician gunning for the governorship of the fifty-first state of the union and then hopefully President. While at the same time, feeling like an exaggerated caricature of a Televangelist who’s secretly a devil worshipper. Maybe that’s the most offensive.

The Eighth Doctor gets to meet the Brigadier. Yay! The Brig is really the only saving grace of this story. And it’s a shame that this is the only true meeting between the characters on audio. Yes, both actors will appear in Zagreus, but Nicholas Courtney isn’t really playing the Brig, and the Eighth Doctor is barely himself.

Speaking of the Doctor. He spends most of his screentime whimpering with amnesia, a trope that had kinda been overdone with the Eighth Doctor by this point. Meanwhile, Nick Briggs plays Gideon Crane, an unfortunate man who happens to run afoul of the TARDIS and fall under Jackson Lake (see The Next Doctor) syndrome where he thinks he’s the Doctor.

I read the summary found in the Big Finish Companion Volume 1 for this story. It’s not that bad of an idea. The way the plot summary is written makes it sound like something interesting that I’d like to listen to. And yet, actually listening to it, I struggle to get into it. I think that the accents are the biggest offender here. They’re British people trying to be Texan, or southern, or something. The biggest offenders are Dashwood, Becky Lee and the worst being Senator Pickering/Marchosias.

I think this is a story that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. A political story, a supernatural story, a scientific experiment story, an Eight meets Brig story. It just kinda throws them all into the pot and stirs. Oh, and they close out the Ramsey the Vortisaur storyline that’s been hanging around in the background of these first four Eighth Doctor plays and there are a few lines about Charley being dead to further the Web of Time arc. I’ll admit, I didn’t even finish the story this time around. I just couldn’t get into it. It tries so hard and then fails in so many ways.

Rating: 1/10

20 Loups-Garoux
Written by: Marc Platt
Featuring: 5th & Turlough
Released: May 2001
TTV Episode: 106

My Thoughts: Loups-Garoux (pronounced Loo Gar-oo) is the second Big Finish story featuring the Fifth Doctor traveling alone with Turlough between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire. At its core, it’s a Doctor Who Werewolf story.

The Doctor and Turlough arrive in Rio de Janeiro in 2080. The Amazon is a desert and Carnival is about to begin. As the story progresses they are drawn into a battle for dominance over who is to be the leader of the werewolves, the vicious, ancient murderer Pieter Stubbe, or the kind, weary Ileana de Santos (played by Eleanor Bron).

What plays out is a typical Fifth Doctor story. Ileana and her entourage flee Rio by private monorail across the desert heading to the Santos cattle ranch out in the middle of the desert for a big meeting with all the other werewolves. The Doctor and Turlough follow. Ileana’s son Victor is ill and stuck in the form of a wolf. Also, there’s Rosa who descended from Shamans of a lost tribe of the region who plays into things when Turlough gets thrown off the train and later in the conclusion.

It’s an enjoyable story, the acting and sound design works well. The accents are fine (as opposed to the previous story) and for fans of the werewolf genera, this is a good story. As I’m not a fan of the genre, then it gets a slightly lower rating because I’m not overly fond of the subject matter. That said, an enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours.

Rating: 7/10

So, that’s my assessment of the second ten releases from Big Finish’s Doctor Who Main Range. At some point, I’ll have another ten listened to, and can supply another guide for those interested in dipping their toes into Big Finish. Again, this is not a fast process so the next installment might be a while.

Happy travels,

Jamie.

Episode 430 – It Always Comes Down To Money

In this week’s show, we review Big Finish #105 The Condemned featuring Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor and the return of India Fisher as Charlotte Pollard. Hear what we thought of this story and the return of a much-loved companion.

No news to speak of this week, but we do have a bit of feedback.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Episode 426 – Look Who’s Back!

In this week’s show, we return after a little unintended break to review two stories written by friend-of-the-show, Andy Frankham-Allen. First, it’s Big Finish’s Short Trip, featuring Leela, The Brig, and the Fourth Doctor, The Revisionists. Next, we examine a story in ‘The New Counter-Measure – Series 2’, Time of the Intelligence. Hear what we thought of these two stories.

Also, we catch up on a little news.

And, of course, feedback.

Enjoy!

Episode 421 – It’s Nobody

In this week’s show we review Big Finish’s Doctor Who Monthly Range story #115, Forty-Five featuring the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex in an anthology of stories. Hear what we thought.

Plus, in news, another once-lost story gets new life on video.

And, of course, your feedback

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Episode 420 – Are You a Spy?

This week we return to the world of Torchwood with Titan Comics Torchwood Volume 2: Station Zero, by John Barrowman and Carole Barrowman. Plus we review Big Finish Torchwood: Fall to Earth written by James Goss.

Also, we look at some news of the week.

And Jamie sends more feedback from more of his trip through our back catalog of episodes.

Enjoy!