Flip-Flop (2003)

Flip Flop is a unique story. It’s a story that is told over two discs and can be listened to in either order. Each disc has two episodes and the events on the Black Disc and the White Disc take place at the same time in the same place. It’s a brave attempt by Big Finish as it is a complicated story however it doesn’t quite work.

I am glad that they have done another Mel story because I think that she has really developed over the last few years. I don’t think that Flip Flop particularly helped this because it just doesn’t advance the characters appeal which is a shame. By the end of the episode I just felt that there was no real conclusion to it.

Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford put in good performances but unfortunately don’t have a great deal to do. It seems like they are just going through the motions and there is no real menace to the story. The Slithergees are not particularly impressive and they don’t sound great.

Jonathan Morris should be praised for making this story even make sense. To have to stories can be listened to in either order is quite a challenge and would have made a lesser persons’ head bleed. Gary Russell does an ok job as director but you feel that he is not really having to put much effort into it. This is definitely not one of his best.

Its better to have tried than not at all and whilst the story wont be remembered as a good story it will be remembered for being one the bravest stories of all time. The next four releases will be some of the most important in Big Finish’s history to coincide with Doctor Who’s 40th Birthday.

The Chimes of Midnight (2003)

2009 TOMS TARDIS AWARD WINNER

• Story of the Decade (1999-2009)

Every so often there comes a story that just leaves you feeling like you have listened to the best Doctor Who story ever. Well I had that feeling but except it was the best I heard from Big Finish. This story has got everything that you could possibly want. Great setting, great writing, and some fantastically chilling scenes. This is only the sixth outing for the Eighth Doctor and Charley but it could be their best.

The story is very good. The story starts off as a bit of a mystery. You know something is wrong when the Doctor and Charley are walking around this Edwardian house yet we know there are people in the house who work there as maids and butlers. Yet neither groups actually meet. The emotional link between Charley and Edith was a very well acted and written one. The Doctor and Charley spend first part just wondering and don’t realise what’s going on. Once they do they use Edith to help put things right.

Paul McGann is simply superb as the Doctor. The best thing about these series of adventures is that it shows us what McGann’s Doctor would have been like had the TV Movie turned into a full blown series. India Fisher also puts in a very good performance. The character of Charley is really interesting who’s very existence is having a detrimental effect on time.

Robert Shearman has written a truly classic story. He manages to use every element that there is to help create a eerie atmosphere that has some wonderful science fiction. This was only his second contribution to the series but it will be very difficult for him (or anyone) to beat this. Praise should also go to the music and sound effects. Russell Stone did a great job with the music that helped create the setting and then Andy Hardwick at ERS.

This is the ultimate story. The Genesis of the Daleks of Big Finish plays. This is what all writers for future stories will need to try and match.

Patient Zero (2009)

2009 TOMS TARDIS AWARD WINNER

• Best Cover Design (Ian Robertson)
• Best Music/Sound Design (Howard Carter)

It’s been eight months since we last heard from the Sixth Doctor and Charley and the anticipation has been building ever since. This story also sees the return of the Daleks. This is their second adventure in three months and the third since October 2008. This story also marks the full story debut of the Viyrans. They first appeared in Mission of the Viyrans back in November 2007 so why its taken so long to get to this position is a mystery. Nicholas Briggs has decided to write this story and as the Executive Producer of the Doctor Who range he was perhaps the best person to start this final series of adventures for Charley. I can’t remember much about the Mission of the Viyrans story as it was so long ago but from what I can remember the Viyrans were very impressive.

The story itself is a very good one with the Doctor trying to find a cure to a disease that Charley has contracted. It was a clever trick to try and prolong the true story about Charley. The Fratalin were well thought off and I liked how despite the fact they were all likely to be killed by the Daleks that they never even entertained the idea of abandoning the station. The Daleks purpose in this story was possibly the best thought of for quite some time. I thought that the Viyrans were fantastic in this story. Their arrival was well handled and deliberately left until as late in the story as possible. When they did arrive they were everything that I had hoped. They stood up to the Daleks and were fearless. Plus there was the added bonus of being indestructible.

The most interesting element of this story was the role of Mila. It appears that this person is someone who has travelled with the Doctor since his first incarnation. She is Patient Zero and goes from goodie to baddie in a second when she steals Charley’s look and pretends to be her with the Doctor. By the end of the story Mila is still pretending to be her and Charley is stuck in nothing.

India Fisher was the star of the show. She gets to play two versions of Charley and seems to revel in both. I personally think that the character of Charley has worked better with the Sixth Doctor than with the Eighth. I don’t know why but it seems this way. Colin Baker is on fine form again and its seems his determination to know the truth about Charley is still strong but he is starting to take a shine to her. Michael Maloney was very good as the Fratalin. His voice was very good for the creature and worked very well opposite the Doctor. Jess Robinson puts in a good performance as Mila and no doubt we will hear more from her in future stories.

Nicholas Briggs has a very good track record as a writer. Previous contributions include The Nowhere Place (2006) and Frozen Time (2007). I don’t think that this is quite on par with those two however it’s a thoroughly enjoyable four part story. I thought that the whole story had a nice pace to it and all the characters worked very well.

Bodes well for the other two stories.

Project Lazarus (2003)

Multi Doctor stories are a strange beast. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. This is only the fifth Multi-Doctor story following The Three Doctors (1973), The Five Doctor (1983), The Two Doctors (1985) and The Sirens of Time (1999). I am a big fan of Project: Twilight (2001) which I thought was a Top 10 story. I thought that it was an interesting to add the Seventh Doctor to this story which is a sequel for the Sixth Doctor.

The first half of this story featured just the sixth Doctor and it felt like Twilight. There are some truly horrific moments in this part as Nimrod plans to kill the Doctor again and again. This is so he can work out how the Doctor regenerates and harness that power. The role of Cassie was one of the highlights of Twilight Evelyn’s emotional distress at leaving her was very sad and I really liked her in this story. The role of Nimrod is one of best developed and acted in the Big Finish range.

When the Seventh Doctor does appear in Part Three this is when the story really shifts into top gear. The Seventh Doctor is companionless so his part is set sometime before the TV Movie. I liked how he was surprised to discover that his previous incarnation is already at the forge. The question is how come he doesn’t remember? This was quite cleverly resolved as it isn’t really the Sixth Doctor. It is a clone, this then elevates the Seventh Doctor from being just a visitor to being the fighter and trying to destroy the clones.

As the story progresses the gore increases and the action and excitement increases. I thought that the ending was very good and didn’t disappoint. Cavan Scott and Mark Wright have done a great job in writing a sequel that manages to be just as good as the first play. Everyone in this story did a superb acting job and everyone in production also managed to do that rare thing and make a radio play seem quite gruesome.

Superb.

The Land of the Dead (2000)

The Land of the Dead is a story that unfortunately starts off well but doesn’t quite make it. I like the fact that it has Nyssa as played by Sarah Sutton who was on TV between 1981 and 1983. This is also the third story so far to feature the Fifth Doctor. Stephen Cole is the author of this story and is also the Executive Producer for the BBC. Gary Russell takes the directors chair and tries to do his best with what is given.

The story just seems to go through the motions and there is no real essence to the story. Sure The Doctor and Nyssa get on with each other just like they did all those years ago but it’s the rest of the story and the characters that leave me slightly disappointed. The only thing I loved about it was how Sarah Sutton glides effortlessly back into the role of Nyssa. I think that Nyssa was the best companion of the 1980’s and worked best when she was without Tegan or Adric hogging all the action.

I must admit that I did like the isolation setting. It’s a classic Doctor Who element as it has worked so many times over the years. The Shaun Brett character (played by Christopher Scott) is your typical millionaire who has desires to become infamous but ends up unleashing terror.

At the end of the day it’s not a terrible story by any means but hopefully when the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa get another outing it will be in a slightly stronger story. Stephen Cole had all the elements in this story but just seem to have difficulty in making it click into place.

The Drowned World (2009)

The Drowned World is the sequel to Home Truths (2008). Home Truths was a truly superb story and is the best Companion Chronicles. Its not a real surprise that they have done a sequel but what worried me is whether it would live up to the first story and whether being the first story of the series would it suffer from that first story weakness.

There are two plots going on through this story. The first is obviously Robert and Sara and then the second is the story with Sara, The Doctor and Steven. Now personally I didn’t really care for this which is probably why Simon Guerrier didn’t really put much emotional effort into it. The idea that the Doctor, Sara and Steven arrive on a meteorite that has a mining area that has been affected by an earthquake (or meteorquake). I liked the idea that as well as the water that can burn which was rising there is also the matter of what is in the water because that kills and comes close several times. I found the ending of Part 1 to be quite a shock. There were essentially two endings. The first being that Sara says quite heroically that no one else will die. Then when the story telling ends we have a monologue where Robert discovers that the recordings are silent. Robert was really annoyed by this and so asked Sara to disperse, this was a mistake because she was called back in Part 2.

I felt the ending of Part 2 was only good if there would be a third part. In the extras it seemed to be suggested that this story will be part of a trilogy. As the theme played I thought that it was all over and that left me feeling a bit let down but by the end of the extras I changed my opinion.

Whilst I enjoyed parts of this story it wasn’t quite up to the standard of Home Truths. There just wasn’t enough dialogue with Sara and Robert for my likening. I think that they have a great chemistry and that is down to Niall McGregor and Jean Marsh. In particular Marsh who is just mesmerising and gives a different sort of performance than she did back in Home Truths. There seems to be desire for redemption and at times I felt sorry for her. This did change at the end of the episode when she said that she would help Robert’s daughter if they stayed with her. This was an ending that I just didn’t expect.

Normally first stories of a series tend to be a bit weak. Frostfire, Mother Russia & Here There Be Monsters were good in their own way but this story is by far the best opener so far. I would have liked this to come later in the run but as it is I found this story to be enjoyable and bodes well for the rest of the series. Simon Guerrier has written a great story that takes the great elements of Home Truths (the house, Sara and Robert) and builds on that. Lisa Bowerman has directed a really good story and has managed to make it feel exactly the same as Home Truths which is quite a tough thing for a director but Bowerman manages it brilliantly.

At the end of the day and despite this being the first story of 12, it could potentially be the best story of the series. You never know!

Phantasmagoria (1999)

Phantasmagoria is the second regular release from Big Finish and it’s the first to have a companion from the TV series. Turlough becomes the first companion from the TV series to appear on audio. Turlough travelled with the Doctor from Mawdryn Undead (1983) until Planet of Fire (1984). Turlough isn’t the first character I would have chosen but having said that it would be have been annoying if they had chosen Mel. This story was written by Mark Gatiss who is best known for being a quarter of The League of Gentleman.

The setting for the story is a curious choice for the writer. I would have expected a story set on a planet in the year 5 million where a race of beings are being wiped out. Not set in London 1702 with ghosts. This story doesn’t rely on the actual plot but the lively characters. The story is only four episodes but there is enough room for Gatiss to set the scene and put in a lot of historical information which I found quite interesting.

Peter Davison and Mark Strickson are simply superb as the Doctor and Turlough. Whilst Turlough wasn’t my favourite companion on TV he has the potential to be a brilliant companion. He has a good relationship with Davison and it shows in this story. I wonder whether the dynamic feel of this relationship would have been changed had this been set when Tegan was on board. The supporting cast all do a good job with Mark Gatiss performing well as Jasper Jeake and David Walliams as Quincy Flowers. It is actually Walliams’ performance that seems to be the more natural. Other supporting roles including Julia Dalkin as Hannah Fry which was a nice rounded character.

The music and sound effects also deserve some praise. They help create a wonderful atmosphere which makes you believe that this all takes place in 18th Century London. It’s quite an important part of any show to have music and sound effects that help move along the story and especially on audio.

The story whilst does have some good things going for it I found that it lacked something. There wasn’t a proper sense of danger and by the end of I felt slightly ever so disappointed. As a release it is very good, there is a lot of positive things to take a way from this story. This was the first story to have a Doctor/Companion combination and it shows in this story that they don’t have to change the structure of the show for these audios because it would wreck the feeling of these stories.

This story shows that there is going to be a steady improvement in future stories.

Loups-Garoux (2001)

It’s been 18 months (roughly) since Turlough last featured in a Big Finish play, here we have a story that features Werewolf’s. It amazing to note that in the 26 seasons of TV Who that a werewolf never appeared. This is also the first Big Finish play to be written by Marc Platt who is the first person to have written for both the TV series and Big Finish (not including Andrew Cartmel as he was a script editor and never contributed a story!). Platt wrote Ghost Light (1989) which was a story that I still don’t understand to this very day. However, I was hoping that this story would be different. I was hoping that Platt would deliver a story that had a nice mix of confusing elements like Ghostlight yet had bits of what made a lot of the previous Big Finish such as success.

This story doesn’t quite work for me. I felt that it dragged on quite a bit and there were times when I was actually a little bored. I think that the story is slightly confused in what it wants to be. Part of me thinks that Platt was trying to do a spooky Werewolf story but in fact got replaced with a mixture of other things that just bemused me. The Doctor and Turlough are very good in this story however they deserved better. It just felt like they were going through the motions and you could have plonked any Doctor/Companion combination into this story and it wouldn’t have made an impact on the writing. The characters were also a bit flat with the exception being Burt Kwok as Doctor Hyashi. Kwok had appeared in Four To Doomsday (1982) and actually is quite entertaining in this. Other people who appeared in TV Who include as well Eleanor Bron who previously starred in Revelation of the Daleks (1985). Her character was a wealthy Ileana de Santos who was a ok character elevated by Bron.

It’s a shame that this story followed four really good stories from the Eighth Doctor. I think that had this been released a few months later then it perhaps would be had a better chance to succeed. Actually that point is mute because the problems with this story are littered throughout. Marc Platt has written a terrible story but unfortunately it wont be remembered as his best work. Nicholas Pegg didn’t do a great job as director, the plot was let down a bit by the confusing way it moved. Pegg is a good director as he has shown in The Spectre of Lanyon Moor but on this occasion he wasn’t a great story.

Singularity (2005)

Singularity is only the third story in 6 years to feature the Fifth Doctor and Turlough after Phantasmagoria (1999) and Loups-Garoux (2001). The latter story wasn’t a total success but hopefully things would have improved greatly. James Swallow has written this story which is his first for the series. This is a different type of story because it is set in Russia and instead of falling for the easier job of hiring English actors and getting them to do Russian accents, they actually went to the trouble of getting Russian actors.

The thing that I like about this story is how much of an improvement it is for the character of Turlough. I think that Swallow has captured the essence of Turlough brilliantly. I liked how a bit more of his home planet was discussed and it showed how far he has come since his first tried to murder the Doctor back in Mawdryn Undead.

The story itself is a nice one that has a lot of mystery about it and it keeps the listener glued to want to know what is going on. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Somnus Foundation who are some sort of corporation that don’t like people meddling in their affairs. Obviously they are up to something and its not long before we learn that they are trying to change their own past. Its not the most ludicrous plan ever devised by an alien force but its close.

Peter Davison is very good in this story. Its nice to see him have a story with someone that isn’t Nyssa, Peri or Erimem. It would be nice to have more Turlough stories because he is such an interesting character and has been shown by Big Finish since 1999, the companions we have in these stories are so much better than what we got on TV. Mark Strickson is given so great dialogue and I found it a joy to listen to. Turlough was given a purpose and worked well with the other characters.

This isn’t a straight forward story and may require a second listen from some people. I however found it quite a interesting story that confused me slightly but never spoilt my enjoyment. James Swallow has written a smart and clever play that uses different elements and the great combination of the Doctor and Turlough to produce a play that could work in the TV series.

The Mists of Time (2009)

Free releases with Doctor Who Magazine have become a regular thing. The last release was Cuddlesome (2008) and previously The Veiled Leopold. This freebie is somewhat different as it is the first to be a download from the Big Finish website. This is also the first that is a companion chronicle. The Mists of Time features Katy Manning as Jo Grant. Having already starred in The Doll of Death last year I was familiar with what style Katy Manning would use to tell this story. Jonathan Morris pens this story and has a difficult job in trying to remain loyal to the format of the other 18 Companion Chronicles (not including The Drowned World!) and also structure it in a way that newcomers to the series would understand.

The atmosphere of the story was quite eerie and reminded me a bit of Home Truths (2008). The music and the descriptions given help set up the setting of this planet that is depressing and would be the last place you would want to visit. There are several curious moments such as how does Jo not remember she got to the point of time that we join the story at? There is also the matter of how can someone who has died a long time ago and on another planet. We get this with Jo's Uncle who died when she was only a child. Then there are the visions of the Brigadier and Mike Yates. This is revealed as being ghosts from the minds of people on the planet. They cant be touched and only visible for a short time. This is a wonderful idea because then you could bring family members who have passed away.

Katy Manning is a joy to listen to. She sounds different to how she did in The Doll of Death but still manages to sound like Jo Grant from 1973. I thought that she gave a superb performance and still manages to retain some of the innocence of the character on TV. She also does a good impression of Jon Pertwee, it wasn't Rory Bremner standard but it was a good shot. The other actor in this play was Andrew Whipp who plays Calder. He doesn't try and steal the limelight from Manning and only interjects to perhaps give Katy a chance to catch her breath. The character is the last on the planet and the final reveal that Jo is actually a ghost is the last chilling moment acted brilliantly by Whipp.

I think that Jonathan Morris has written a superb script. It is structured in a way that keeps the tension going but doesn't drag it out. I think that the explanations were believable and didn't spoil my enjoyment. My only issue is with the editing of this story. There was the first part which was expected but then there seemed to be a smaller second part followed by a third part. Surely it would have made more sense to edit the second and third part together. Apart from that I really enjoyed this story and found to be a highly enjoyable adventure and for a freebie I think that if I had to pay for it, I wouldn't grumble.

The Whispers of Terror (2000)

The third release from Big Finish sees the Sixth Doctor finally get his own adventure. This story sees the Sixth Doctor and Peri travel sometime after Revelation of the Daleks. This was at a the time in their relationship when they were still a bickering couple. This wasn’t a particularly golden period in Doctor Who history and unfortunately this story was perhaps too early in Big Finish’s time.

First of all the idea of using sound as an enemy is quite original and has potential. The story of a politician who was murdered is then re-born as sound. However I sound found myself looking at the track number and seeing how much was left because beside Baker and Bryant’s acting there is very little to enjoy from this release.

The story isn’t a total washout. There are some interesting characters in this story such as Beth Pernell (played by Lisa Bowerman). I think maybe more of the fact that it is Bowerman’s acting than the character she plays. Bowerman can always be relied to put in a enthusiastic performance and she doesn’t let the side down in this story. Colin Baker puts in a good performance just like he did in The Sirens of Time. This being Nicola Bryant’s first performance she does a good job. She doesn’t sound any different than she did back on TV.

Justin Richards sees to set up the stall for this story and then sits back and hopes the story carries it home whereas in reality what we are left with is a story that does nothing to help make people think differently of this pairing. I have always thought that Colin Baker was very good as the Doctor but was let down y the outfit and also the outfit. Hopefully future stories will help people revaluate their impression of the Doctor. Gary Russell seems to do the best of a bad situation and directs the actors very well and makes the story bearable.

As this is only the third release its too early to tell what future releases will be like. But future authors will need to look at what they need to do to avoid writing a lacklustre adventure. I hope that Justin Richards is allowed to write another story because I think that there were some elements in this story that have good points to it.

The Council of Nicaea (2005)

The Council of Nicaea is one of those rare stories in Doctor Who which are historical in setting but doesn’t have any alien or modern day threat. This story comes from Caroline Symcox who is flying solo after co-writing Seasons of Fear (2002) with her husband Paul Cornell. Two months ago saw Three’s A Crowd which was quite good but I have to admit it wasn’t the greatest story for the Fifth Doctor. I listened to this story with no knowledge of Nicaea and to be honest there is no real knowledge needed.

The thing about this story is that Erimem takes the lead and puts her relationship with The Doctor and Peri to the test. Caroline Morris really shines in this story and seems to cement her place in Doctor Who history. She stands up to the Doctor which is something that I thought wouldn’t happen. She stands up to the Doctor in such a way that seems in line with her character. She doesn’t devalue herself but still seems strong and noble.

It’s the classic thing about Doctor Who. Whenever you go into a historical setting you are faced with the line about changing history. There is the infamous quote from The Aztecs (1964) when the First Doctor tells Barbara “You can’t change history, not one line!”. This of course is true but you have the feeling of whether being there automatically changes history because these strange clothed visitors will be mentioned somewhere in the history books.

Everything just works in this story. Its not any one thing, yes of course Erimem’s defiance of the Doctor is a high point but everything about this story is enjoyable. The music and sound effects helps create the right impression in the listeners mind. One thing that made it seem that bit more realistic was the beliefs of the people from that time. The main view that people has are religion and at the time of this story the debate of Arius and Athanasius. It shows that proper thought was given to making this seem as realistic as possible instead of a comedy. Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant give good strong performances. They are united in their belief that they shouldn’t meddle in history (they have travelled together for long enough to know the do’s and don’t’s).

At the end of the day I found this to be a superb story. This follows the run of good stories to come in 2005 which with the return of the TV series has to have stories with strong characters and more importantly a fun feel to it. This is one wouldn’t sit well with a modern TV audience but for those who are familiar with the older Who stories will find this a nice straight forward adventure.

The Company of Friends (2009)

The Company of Friends is unofficially Big Finish’s 10th Anniversary story. They don’t acknowledge this anywhere in the release. Back with the 100th release they did 100 which saw four single part stories, then in November 2008 to celebrate the shows 45th Anniversary they did Forty-Five which again was four single part stories so it’s a logical conclusion to see this as a special. This is also the first Eighth Doctor adventure since The Girl Who Never Was back in December 2007. This release involved four companions who have at some point travelled with the Eighth Doctor. For those who have read the books with the Eighth Doctor will know who Fitz and Izzy are but for me I had no idea who they were but what writers have done is to start each episode with a monologue that explains their live and their involvement with the Doctor.

The first part was Benny’s Story. Everyone who has listened to Big Finish over the last 10 years will know of Bernice Summerfield. The thing that struck me about this story was how it felt like a Bernice play. It had the same quirky pace to it and it actually felt like the Doctor was a guest and it was Bernice who was the star not the other way round. The story was a relatively straight forward one which had nice characters in it. I particularly liked the role of Venhella who was your typical rich heiress who used her wealth to get what she wanted. Su Douglas was very good in this role as was Richard Earl who played Klarner. It was just a shame that he was killed off. Lisa Bowerman played Bernice like she normally does and by that I mean with a enthusiasm. She still seems to enjoy playing her even though she’s being soing it for over 10 years. Highly enjoyable story.

The second story was Fitz’s story. This one was ok but wasn’t anything to write home about. I think it might have had something to do with the role of Fitz being a cockney jack the lad. Its not very original and it just didn’t seem to be as strong as perhaps Bernice or Evelyn. The story itself was another enjoyable piece of 25 minutes. I thought that Matt Di Angelo was particularly good. I think that he made it a likeable character that worked well with the Doctor. Fenella Woolgar was the second big name of this story having appeared in The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008) and in this she gave a solid performance as Commander Hellan Femor.

The third story was my favourite. It was Izzy’s story that featured Jemima Rooper in the lead role. I though it was the best because it just had the best plot of the four. The idea that someone wants to go back in time to find out what happens in a missing comic is such a ludicrous idea that it actually makes sense. I noticed the mention of Stockbridge (which will be visited late in the year) but it was the second half of this story that I liked because it was that the comic was based on real life and the creatures were all real and had been censored off their own planet. Jemima Rooper was just superb as Izzy and I pray that she the character is bought back because she played it like a geeky version of Lucie Miller or even Rose.

The final story was perhaps the most intriguing as I wondered how a real person would figure in a science fiction show in a companion basis. The story itself was relatively simple and saw two versions of the Eighth Doctor. What I did like was how we learnt about the sadness of Mary Shelley’s life and how she took the offer of travelling with the Doctor without even thinking about it. Julie Cox plays Mary Shelley with the sense of the time she was in but willing to accept this extrodinary situation that she found herself in.

Paul McGann was superb in this story. This is the best performance that he has given for quite sometime and it was a chance for him to be put in a different situation. He seems to enjoy himself in all four episodes and does well creating a different relationship with each companion. Top stuff.

The writers all deserve praise. Lance Parkin wrote the Benny story and hopefully will write a full story in the future. Parkin previously wrote Primeval (2001) and also Davros (2003). Stephen Cole wrote a nice story that unfortunately falls down the list of enjoyment. Cole wrote The Land of the Dead (2000), The Apocalypse Element (2000) and The Wormery (2003) and only the second story was what I would consider to be a quality story. Alan Barnes is the best writer in this story. Unlike Brotherhood of the Daleks (2008) I understood Izzy’s story and so enjoyed it immensely. Finally Jonathan Morris wrote another good story like he did with The Haunting of Thomas Brewster (2008) and more recently Hothouse (2009). Nicholas Briggs was in the directors chair this time and he did a fantastic job and managed to make all the story flow and let seem alone at the same time.

I was very against single 25 minute stories when they first became normal back in 2007. I just found that they didn’t work however recently that has changed and I hope that they do more of these stories in the future because they are highly enjoyable and offer the listener something different. I wrote at the beginning that I though this story was the celebrate Big Finish’s 10th anniversary of doing Doctor Who stories. What a brilliant way of celebrating.

Red (2006)

Well what can I say about this story. Every so often Big Finish give us a story that confuses me and doesn’t quite fall into the traditional Doctor Who story. Its quite an unusual title but then again its an unusual story. Written by a newcomer Stewart Sheargold. What he has written is a story that could never be described as dull. This is the first Seventh Doctor and Mel story since Unregenerate! (2005). The big name of this story is Sandi Toksvig from BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz. She plays Vi Yulqueen (fantastic name) who is a sort of Del Boy in space. This character is an entertaining one that you know could be trusted if not fully.

The story seems (on second listening) that there are those on the planet called Needle who are chipped and anyone who isn’t chipped are considered to be a threat. The Doctor has been chipped and like Unregenerate is the one who finds himself for the second Mel story running as a mentally weaker person. Mel on the other hand is the one who takes the driving seat of this story. As she hasn’t got a chip she is free to cause trouble where she can. Its good that Mel is given more than one chance to take charge. It shows us what the character can do apart from wearing god awful outfits and screaming all the time. In shows like this and Unregenerate! She becomes the companion she should have been on TV.

An issue I do have with this story is that McCoy does nothing effectively in the majority of this story. I know that it’s good for Mel to be in a bigger slice of the action but not the whole bloody pie. Hopefully this isn’t a trend that will continue because otherwise all the hard work that has been done to restore the seventh Doctor to the level of the other will be have been a waste of time.

For a first script, Stewart Sheargold wrote an unusual story that was a bit lob sided in the companions favour. I don’t think it was a bad story but needed to show the Doctor in a better way than what he was. Gary Russell did another good job. I’ve lost count of the number of main range stories he has directed but it’s a lot and I mean this is a nice way but it was a standard job for him. Red is the sort of story that will go down a storm with some people and not so well with others. I think I am in the latter but when put alongside with the stories from Season 24 it is one of the best stories of that time.

The Marian Conspiracy (2000)

The Marian Conspiracy is an important story in this series so far as it is the first character to have only appeared in the audio range and not on TV. This story is written by Jacqueline Rayner, who is also the Executive Producer for the BBC. This story is Colin Baker's second Doctor story, his previous story was Whispers of Terror and wasn’t a great success. This one is also different because it is a proper historical adventure which doesn’t have an alien threat to it.

This is the debut story for Evelyn Smythe, Evelyn is played by Maggie Stables who previously appeared in the first story 'The Sirens of Time', she is very good in the role. The plot is very good and the way that the Doctor and Evelyn are bought together is not the usual way for Doctor Who. The idea that Evelyn is instrumental to the story and that her very existence is a different and yet thoroughly enthralling. She is written in such a caring way that is used as a good emotional point. Jacqueline Rayner has written a script that moves at a steady pace and characters that are of all ranges.

Colin Baker is good as the Doctor and Maggie Stables is brilliant as a new companion its unusual that Doctor Who would have a companion that isn’t the typical mid 20's screaming woman and so the addition of Evelyn is a great creative move. By creating a new companion that hasn’t been seen on TV means that there will be no preconceptions of the character and that means that we can get to know the character like those who watched Peri or Mel when they first appeared in the TV series. Other characters in the story also work well in this story, Anah Ruddin was very good as the Queen. She played the role with sympathy and care. Sean Jackson and Jez Fielder are a good double act as George Crow and William Leaf and add a bit of comedy relief to the tension at the beginning of episode 2 as the story starts to pick up on the pace.

Overall this is a very good story with a good script and a good direction. It is a fine start for the character of Evelyn and bodes well for the future.

Red Dawn (2000)

Red Dawn is the second story to feature a monster from the classic series. The Ice Warriors were first used in their self titled story along with another appearance in 1969 before being devalued in comedical performances in The Curse of Peladon and Monster of Peladon. In Red Dawn they are restored to their former glory. It’s quite fitting that they are back on Mars because that is where they came from even though they never go there on TV. Justin Richards has written this story which sees the Fifth Doctor teams up with Peri for the first time since The Caves of Androzani. This relationship was never given much time because Peri joined the show at the beginning of the previous story (Planet of Fire) and so its stories like this that will show us what this pairing can do.

The Doctor and Peri are very good in this story. This story follows in the glorious tradition of Doctor Who by having the Doctor and Peri separated fairly early on. As the first episode unfolds the first thing that comes to mind was how mysterious it was. There was also the sense of waiting for the Ice Warriors to finally appear. This predictably comes at the end of the first episode and forms the best cliffhanger from this range so far. But once they are in then the action never slows down. The menace of their previous/earlier stories really shines in this story. The character of Zzaal is perfect as lord of the Ice Warriors. The best moment was when the Doctor and Lee Forbes are accused by Zzaal of keeping him occupied and gets angry and then sends some Ice Warriors to rescue Stast from Ares One. The Doctor/Forbes relationship worked well as I thought that Forbes was well acted by Robert Jezek. They have all the action in the building with the Ice Warriors whereas Peri and Tanya are lumbered with staying on Argosy. I have to say that it was a good combination. This was partly due to the good acting of Nicola Bryant and Gerogia Moffet. Moffet who incidentally is actually Peter Davison’s daughter. Now I don’t know whether Davison pulled any strings but to me that’s irrelevant because she is very good as Tanya Webster. But it is the character of Paul Webster that I found the most interesting. It is because of his actions that the story is unravelling. By Part 3 he has started to go a little bit crazy. As Peri and Tanya are letting Sstas loose Paul pulls out a gun. A brother pointing a gun at his sister is quite a shocking and dramatic moment. By the end of the third episode he was pointing a laser gun at the Doctor’s head so if that’s not a sign of instability then I don’t know what is.

The final episode is a nice one because it feels like a lot is going on. We have the big revelation also in this episode that Tanya is actually a clone. By the end we have a nice climax that humanity is safe and the Ice Warriors are remaining on Mars. It’s the two forces battling and then calling a truce, not quite best friends but are willing to stay out of each others way which I found as a satisfactory conclusion.

Justin Richards has written a very good story. Its starting to feel like Big Finish are developing a good way of storytelling. Richards has written good strong characters that only become stronger when we learn the truth about Tanya. Gary Russell has done a good job as director making all the action come to the fore front at just the right moment.

Davros (2003)

This story is the second story to form part of a trilogy of adventures featuring aliens that have featured in the Doctor’s past. Last month it was Omega and this time it is Davros, the genius/evil creator of the Daleks. Having appeared between 1975 and 1988 there is always room for bringing him back. This story was written by Lance Parkin who’s previous work for Doctor Who was Primeval (2001). This is by far a superior piece of work that unites one of the most iconic characters from the series.

This story centres around a corporation called Trans-Allied Ink. It is run by Arnold Baynes and his wife Lorraine Baynes. Both characters are very well written and well acted by Bernard Horsfall (who has appeared in several TV adventures during the 60’s and 70’s) and former companion Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot). Together they just gelled and acted like a couple. It was in particular Lorraine that interested me as she was a historian who was just asking for trouble by trying to put a sympathetic slant on the Daleks. As a couple they were both greedy and don’t care how or who they use to get results.

To say that Colin Baker and Terry Molloy are superb with each other would be understatement of the century. Truly they are superb and seem to revel in one ups-man ship. The Doctor seems to enjoy winding up Davros which is entertaining to listen to. They had previously appeared together in Revelation of the Daleks (1985). In that the scenes that they were on screen together were some of the best of the story. The story is a very good one that slowly unravels and over the course of the story we are lead to believe that Davros is a changed being. There was something in my mind that says this was an act because characters like Davros don’t change their spots. No matter what may have happened before there is no way someone like Davros would change and it was only a matter of time before he showed his true colours.

If there is a fault with this story it is the length. Episode 1 is nearly 74 minutes long and Episode 2 is 78 minutes long. To me there were moments that I felt it needed a break. As much as I loved hearing the Doctor and Davros bicker I just felt that it perhaps would have been even better as 4 x 45 minute episodes.

What Lance Parkin has done is to Davros doesn’t need Daleks to prop him up and that the character itself is strong enough to be able to cause menace on his own. The role of Davros kind of got a bit insane in the 1980’s but that sort of got pulled back a bit in this story but it was essentially the same Davros. Gary Russell does his usual very good job as director I think he does have to share the blame for the length of each episode. That aside I think that all the scenes that mattered and the actual flow of the story is very well done.

Aside from the slight issue with the duration, I think that this is a thumping good story with characters that enjoyable and a plot that is structured well that is executed in the correct manner. I think that the following story will have to do something pretty big to outshine this story.