Lets get this out of the way. Spare Parts is one of the best Doctor Who stories ever done by Big Finish. The Cybermen has always been held in high regard because they are considered the second best monsters in Doctor Who as well as been the second oldest. Marc Platt also wrote for this story. Having already written Loups-Garoux (2001) this is a much better effort from the writer of Ghostlight (1989).
Spare Parts is a story that looks at the back history of the Cybermen. It’s like hitting the reset button. Like Genesis of the Daleks (1975) set up the story of the Daleks, this story gives us an indication of how the Cybermen were created. The story sees The Doctor and Nyssa arrive on Mondas (though they don’t know that at the time) and the descriptions and the sound that are used in the opening part of this story was done just right. The Hatley family was a nice addition to the story as it gave us an emotional base for the listener. The inhabitants of Mondas are as would be expected like humans because as we learn in The Tenth Planet (1966). I personally liked the Dad (Paul Copley) because I felt that he was sort of a grandfather figure who was just trying to do the best for his kids. The kids themselves were typical brother and sister with Yvonne being the more likeable. Frank was ok but just seemed nothing special. On the other side there was Sisterman Contant (Pamela Binns) who wasn’t really a baddy but was closer to the nastier side than the nicer side.
I loved the idea of a Police in the Cybermen civilisation. I think that the Cybermen that we encounter on Mondas aren’t the evil metal machines that we have all known to grow and love. They are not looking to take over a civilisation but merely to survive. The voice of the Cybermen was the right choice. It’s the one that I have always preferred as I think that it’s the one that is closest between Human and Cyberman. The character of Zheng is a very nice and typical
Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton are on top form in this story. This partnership was my favourite on TV because they are so suited without giving the appearance of smugness. There are some nice nods from Earthshock (1982) where the death of Adric spurns the Doctor on to try and change what is recorded history. Marc Platt has done a very good job in establishing Cyberman history but managing to make it work on the same level as the Daleks back story. Platt does have a tendency of making stories a bit complex and forces you to scratch your head but with Spare Parts. Gary Russell should also be applauded for directing all the cast and moving the story along at a nice pace.
For anyone who is new to Doctor Who this story is the one of the first that should be tried. It’s a great Cyberman story and it is also a great 5th Doctor story.
Spare Parts is a story that looks at the back history of the Cybermen. It’s like hitting the reset button. Like Genesis of the Daleks (1975) set up the story of the Daleks, this story gives us an indication of how the Cybermen were created. The story sees The Doctor and Nyssa arrive on Mondas (though they don’t know that at the time) and the descriptions and the sound that are used in the opening part of this story was done just right. The Hatley family was a nice addition to the story as it gave us an emotional base for the listener. The inhabitants of Mondas are as would be expected like humans because as we learn in The Tenth Planet (1966). I personally liked the Dad (Paul Copley) because I felt that he was sort of a grandfather figure who was just trying to do the best for his kids. The kids themselves were typical brother and sister with Yvonne being the more likeable. Frank was ok but just seemed nothing special. On the other side there was Sisterman Contant (Pamela Binns) who wasn’t really a baddy but was closer to the nastier side than the nicer side.
I loved the idea of a Police in the Cybermen civilisation. I think that the Cybermen that we encounter on Mondas aren’t the evil metal machines that we have all known to grow and love. They are not looking to take over a civilisation but merely to survive. The voice of the Cybermen was the right choice. It’s the one that I have always preferred as I think that it’s the one that is closest between Human and Cyberman. The character of Zheng is a very nice and typical
Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton are on top form in this story. This partnership was my favourite on TV because they are so suited without giving the appearance of smugness. There are some nice nods from Earthshock (1982) where the death of Adric spurns the Doctor on to try and change what is recorded history. Marc Platt has done a very good job in establishing Cyberman history but managing to make it work on the same level as the Daleks back story. Platt does have a tendency of making stories a bit complex and forces you to scratch your head but with Spare Parts. Gary Russell should also be applauded for directing all the cast and moving the story along at a nice pace.
For anyone who is new to Doctor Who this story is the one of the first that should be tried. It’s a great Cyberman story and it is also a great 5th Doctor story.
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