Seasons of Fear (2002)

We are halfway through the second series of Eighth Doctor adventures. Seasons of Fear is written by husband and wife couple Paul Cornell & Caroline Symcox. This is Cornell’s second contribution to the Big Finish world. After a terrible opening story and a classic in the form of The Chimes of Midnight it was going to be interesting to see how Seasons of Fear would go. The story sees the Doctor finally take Charley to Singapore in 1930 where she was originally going when she stowed away on the R101 in Storm Warning.

The Doctor encounters a man by the name of Sebastian Grayle, who claims to have met the Doctor despite the fact that the Doctor has no recollection of him. This in itself is quite a mystery especially as it transpires that Grayle kills the Doctor in his future. This now leads the Doctor and Charley to travel through time to find out just how he does this. Each episode is a bit like an episode of QI where we learn something. There is a shocking moment when Grayle meets his future self and his original self is shocked with what he becomes kills himself ultimately resetting things. In the closing moments we are treated to a massive twist. The Doctor has spent the whole story narrating the adventure. What’s most surprising is that he is narrating this story to someone else. It’s this mysterious third person that states that the Doctor must take some of the responsibility.

Paul McGann and India Fisher are very good in this story. McGann in particular is very good. His scenes with Grayle were very good and there was a sense of urgency for the Doctor to try and find out how Grayle has managed to kill the Doctor. Fisher plays the companion very well as Charley shows an urgency to find out how to stop Grayle. However it is Stephen Perring that steals the show. Grayle has to be one of the most interesting characters that Doctor Who has come up with in quite sometime. Perring gives the character an interesting slant to it that perhaps another actor would have failed to do.

Whilst this story isn’t as good as The Chimes of Midnight its still a very good offering. The Doctor and Charley relationship has gone to full strength in this story and with three other stories in this series its shaping up to be a good series. Only time would tell. The Cornells have written a very strong story that has a fair bit amount of paradox’s but still manages to be fun and engaging.

Memory Lane (2006)

Memory Lane marks the first contribution of Eddie Robson. Memory Lane is quite a complex story as you would expect. Ever since the Doctor, Charley and C’Rizz left the divergent universe at the end of 2004. The type of stories that McGann has had over the last two or three years could be defined as more complex than other Doctor’s adventures. The story sees the TARDIS land in the living room of Mrs Braudy who quite surprising thinks nothing of a 1960’s Police Box landing in her living room. What also is quite surprising is that she treats them as friends. When the Doctor goes out onto the streets he discovers that every house is the same with an identical Mrs Braudy inside with her grandson Tom who appears on TV. There is something quite eerie about Tom because he is much older physically than mentally.

The characters are something that Robson should be praised for. The Doctor and his companions are given some got lines to act against each other. Paul McGann has some good moments and Charley and C’Rizz are on equal good form. Mrs Braudy was a likeable and warm character that you just could fault and was brilliantly played by Nina Baden-Semper. She is the beginning of a long list of good supporting actors. In particular Sara Carver was who played Kim. Its always good when a character who’s a bit sharp gets put into a Doctor Who story. However for big names it was Anneke Wills who wins the prize. Wills previously appeared as Lady Louisa Pollard in Zagreus and she has such a great voice that it doesn’t matter who she plays she adds something to a story.

I have to admit that I found Memory Lane to be a bit dull. It seemed to just plod along at times and not really feel dramatic. Sad to say that for a first time writer, Eddie Robson hasn’t hit the right notes with this story. In the year when Doctor Who comes back on TV it is now more important than ever to have stories that hit the right mark. Memory Lane wont go down as my Top 5 but I sense than I might be in a minority on this one.

Leviathan (2009)

The third release is one that I don’t know anything about. Leviathan was originally written by Brian Finch and adapted for by his son Paul Finch. Whereas The Nightmare Fair and Mission to Magnus were ones that I knew because they had been talked about in the DVD about the 1986 series on the Trial of a Timelord.

The relationship between the Doctor and Peri was more like the one on TV than their Big Finish one. This is the thing about these Lost Stories is trying to find the right balance of how the Doctor and Peri’s relationship should be pitched. The TV version was more of a biting one where they didn’t necersarily get on, forward 25 years to the Big Finish plays and they are friendlier and get on better. This story pitches it just right.

The first episode is really a bit dull. There’s a lot of the Doctor and Peri being captured by the villagers thinking they were for the Baron. It’s not until the massive cliffhanger at the end of Episode one which shows that the village is actually in a spaceship. I thought that the story took way too long to get going. I understood that the villagers are culled when they get to a certain age but it just got a bit stagnant after about 20 minutes. I think the first part was close to an hour so it’s a shame that it was only the last 30 seconds that I will remember. Zeron turns out to be a computer system that controls everything on the ship. It’s not the most original idea as it’s a common staple agreement in science fiction of a computer system designed to look after humans ends up turning on them. It was even done during the Trial of a Timelord series. The Baron was a character that always had something about him and you just knew that he wasn’t the top man.

The village was created on a spaceship was created to try and create an atmosphere where people could live whilst the leviathan ship goes to a new planet. However it turns out that the conditions are worse than they should be. I found that the explanation of the culling was grim but also quite good. When the villagers get to a certain age then their bodies chemicals are broken down and then effectively the reset button is hit on them and they start again. This is done when they start to question authority and work out what’s going on. This cycle is kept going until the ship gets to where it’s going.

Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant do their best with the script they are given. Admittedly they are really allowed to explore the story in Part two but it’s a shame that they are not really given anything interesting to do. The only nice scene they had together was at the beginning in the TARDIS. With the knowledge that there are five more stories with Baker and Bryant I am more willing to overlook the fact that there isn’t as much for the leading stars as there should be. I think that Howard Gossington was the best or strongest of the guest stars as Gurth. The character seemed like the sort that could become a good companion as he is not as intelligent as others but would soon grow.

When I conduct my series review, I will probably rate this story as one of the weakest offerings. When I listened to The Nightmare Fair and Mission to Magnus I still felt they should have been made for TV but with Leviathan I don’t think we particularly missed anything. It’s a story that only really got going in Part Two. The first half was just padding of this most extreme. Definitely one of the weakest releases so far.

Omega (2003)

This release marks the first of the Baddies Trilogy to lead us into Zagreus the 50th Big Finish release and the 40th Anniversary of Doctor Who in November. Omega has appeared twice in Doctor Who before. First was back in 1973 for the 10th Anniversary story The Three Doctors and the next time was 10 years later in Arc of Infinity. I have a slight problem with the character of Omega and that is I don’t really think he is as important as other people make out.

Bearing my opinions of Omega in mind I ploughed on with this story which is more of a character piece than about any invasion plot or something. This story is set almost immediately after the events of Arc of Infinity and ‘Omega’ explores what happened after Omega had left Earth in a copy of the Doctor’s body. What we get is an insight into the life of Omega. We get to learn about the young Omega and his experiments of time travel. There was a genuine shock at the end of Part three when we learn that the character that we thought of as the Doctor was infact Omega. Genuinely had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Its refreshing to have a Fifth Doctor adventure without a companion, in fact I think you have to go back to The Sirens of Time to have a companionless Fifth Doctor story. I think that Davison benefits from such a change of circumstances. In effect though Ian Collier is Davison’s companion. Collier played Omega in 1983 and his voice is absolutely perfect for radio. The scenes that the two have together are brilliant to listen to and its hard not to compare them to Arc of Infinity. Caroline Munro was another good piece of casting as Senita and helps add something to the story.

Nev Fountain has done a great job with this story. I came out of listening to Omega having a different opinion than when I started to it. As Fountain has written for the BBC Comedy show Dead Ringers there are moments of comedy in it but they are few and far between. Despite my enjoyment of this story it is followed by Davros and Master and fear that this one will fall third in terms of enjoyment. That said this story still has a lot going for it.

The Rapture (2002)

Now I have to admit that I was dreading this story when I realised that it was set in Ibiza which is where people go for drugs and head banging music before throwing up again. What is Doctor Who doing here? The story isn’t quite what you would expect and that starts with the cover. It’s not the traditional cover that you would expect but at the end of the day this isn’t a traditional story. This is the first story to come from Joseph Lidster and as with first time writers in this range I think it will turn out to be his best story.

Joseph Lidster has done a brilliant job writing a story that has two plots going for it. The first and most important is the story of Ace. At this point she is now called herself Dorothy McShane and is far more grown up due to the events that took place during the end of Colditz. During this story she meets her long-lost brother. Now this is perhaps her most emotional story since The Curse of Fenric. The ‘B’ plot is about two ‘angels’ called Gabriel and Jude who have chosen Ibiza to build their rapture because as we all known that it is a terrible place. It turns out that they are refugees from another dimension with the intention of taking all the selfish people of Ibiza back to their dimension. This may as well have not taken place because it was just in the way of the Ace/Liam story.

Sophie Aldred steals the show as she take the character of Ace that she has been playing in various forms for over 10 years and taken it into a new direction. You could argue that it was Lidster’s writing that helped with this but or me it was Aldred that helped make the play what it is. David John had a really important part to play as Ace’s brother. He manages to make the storyline really emotional and John is a credit to the story. Sylvester McCoy doesn’t really have much to do in this story and very much takes a back seat in this story. That said he is still does have some nice scenes and his relationship with Sophie Aldred continues to impress me how it’s developed over the years. Another good piece of casting was Anne Bird who played Caitriona which I found to be a thoroughly interesting character. Tony Blackburn is not a name that I would ever have thought would appear in a Doctor Who play. It’s not an important part (The DJ) but it’s an impressive piece of casting.

The Rapture isn’t a story that should be judged based on the front cover or the blub. It’s a story that has a lot going for it and is possibly the strongest Seventh Doctor/Ace story that there has been on Big Finish. Jason Haigh-Ellery has done a very good job in directing and not allowing the nightclub Ibiza part take over the story and make this a forgettable adventure. The Rapture is an enjoyable piece.

A Thousand Tiny Wings (2010)

Way back in 2001, the Seventh Doctor and Ace visited Colditz and also met Klein. Since then there have been fans on loads of forums asking for the return of Klein. Well those fans have got their wish as the next three stories that make the Seventh Doctor series will feature the Nazi Scientist. I’ll be honest and say that whilst it peaked my interest when I heard that Klein was coming back I will say that I would rather have had another Ace and Hex story than Klein.

The story is set in Kenya in 1950 during the time of the Mau Mau uprising. Not a particular moment in history that I am familiar with but as it isn’t instrumental in the plot of the story it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The story revolves around a house in the jungle, they are cut of from civilisation and are under attack from a strange creature. The first strange thing is the discovery of a double jointed creature found near the house and being unable to speak is the first person to be blamed when something happens.

The character of Abraham is quite a strange one. He doesn’t say anything until Part four and nothing is really learnt about him. He is naked when he is found and it’s not until the flock cover him that we understand how important the character is. Abraham sacrifices himself to try and stop the control that the flock have had on him. The flock that have been heard throughout were trying to find Abraham because he is the host that they feed off. They are conducting a research about the Earth with perhaps the intention of invading. They in fact want to creature diseases so that they sell it to other civilisations that are involved in war. In the process they become wealthy.

The banter between the Doctor and Klein was enjoyable. There was a nice battle of morals as Klein tries to justify what she was doing in Colditz and what she was trying to do. She wants to set up a Fourth Reich which is ambitious. Even when Klein is on the verge of death, the Doctor still wants to help Klein and Klein is not thankful. Though the Doctor is quite willing to get in verbal attacks on Klein which I got the distinct feeling he was enjoying. But he is still willing to make sure that Klein survives being poisoned.

All the characters in this are very good and feel like they have come straight out of the 1950’s. Mrs O’Donnell made some comments that are a stark reminder how ignorant people were with their comments especially how they thought that Britain had a right to rule over others. They were gushing over Ann Bell in the extras but I had never heard of her before. That said she was very good and stood out as the matriarch of the group. Not being trusting of the Doctor and Joshua. My favourite character was actually Joshua Sembeke as played by Chuk Iwuji. I thought that he would make a very good companion for the Doctor but then the character turns in part four when it turns out he is actually working for the Mau Mau. He is angry at the way the British have treated the Mau Mau.

It’s not very often that I give credit to the music and sound effects in these stories which is something that I should start to redress but in this story I found the sound effects to be brilliant. The sound effects give the impression of being in the jungle. Richard Fox & Lauren Yason have contributed on countless stories but this time they have excelled.

Just Mrs O’Donnell is left at the end of the story. She is more sensitive than she has been after seeing Lucy attack Joshua before collapsing and dyeing. I had the feeling that this story was going to be Horror of Fang Rock on radio but thankfully Lane didn’t do that and decided to give her a change of heart. Despite what Klein has planned, the Doctor does an unusual thing and allow Klein to travel with him. I can only assume that this is reverse psychology. By spending some time with him, he can get Klein to change her ways and stop her plans for a Fourth Reich.

I’m developing a new found respect for the Seventh Doctor. After his series last year it’s great that the good stories have continued in this series. My concerns that I had about how Klein and the Doctor were going to work out disappeared after listening to this story. The next two stories are ones that I am looking forward to now. Andy Lane has written a superb story with great characters, a great setting and Lisa Bowerman directed her best story to date. A Thousand Tiny Wings is the perfect start to the new year.

The Creed of the Kromon (2004)

It’s been a long time since we have had a new companion story. In fact it’s been about 3 ½ years since Erimem first appeared. This is the second story since the epic Zagreus and it’s now that the Eighth Doctor’s stories start to calm down. It’s good that a writer from the TV series is given the chance to write for Big Finish. Philip Martin wrote the 1984 story Vengeance of Varos and also the Terror of the Vervoids part of The Trial of a Timelord season.

The Kromon are a very well thought of creature. There was a moment in this story that had me thinking of the scene where Peri gets turned into a bird in Vengeance. Charley’s transformation into a breeding queen for the Kromon was quite horrific. But for all the horrific moments that Martin introduces it is the creation of C’Rizz that is what this story will be remembered for. The idea of a character that has chameleonic skin is not something that would never have worked on TV but due to the imagination of people who listen to these stories it’s a wonderful idea. By the end of the story I got the feeling that C’Rizz’s emotional state is going to form a very interesting story arc. You know that a character is going to be more than normal when they kill their partner to avoid them becoming a breeding Queen.

Paul McGann and India Fisher were on great form in this story. Their relationship has taken a battering in recent adventures but is starting to go in a new direction. Now that C’Rizz has joined the TARDIS team it’s going to be interesting to see how he affects the balance. The Creed and the Kromon is a nice little story. If you take out the stuff with C’Rizz then what you are left with is a normal middle of the road stuff but Conrad Westmaas has done a great job creating a character that has loads of issues to deal with and potential. The Creed of the Kromon is a good start to thi

The Dark Flame (2003)

The Dark Flame is the second story to feature Bernice Summerfield in the main range. Following on from The Shadow of the Scourge I had high hopes of this one. Trevor Baxendale pens his first script. Like The Shadow of the Scourge this story has links to the Virgin New Adventures and as a result this story feels like a special as it doesn’t have the natural tone of a regular story.

The story would sit very well in the last season as it has dark tones throughout create a grim feel to the whole thing. The relationship between the Doctor, Ace and Benny seems better structured that in Scourge. Lisa Bowerman is wasted in my opinion in her own series and should do more in the main range. The way she is with the other two actors is a joy to listen to.

Thankfully the story is helped due to the strong performances that Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Lisa Bowerman give. In particular Aldred’s Ace is more grown up than we have ever witnessed. She always seemed to be more grown-up than previous companions and that has continued with Big Finish. The whole feel of the story isn’t quite right. There are loads of things going for it such as the dark feel to it. There are some great pieces of dialogue which help carry the story along. Michael Praed was also very good as Slyde and was another good piece of casting.

When the whole thing had ended I felt that it was a far better effort than Scourge. The characters, the plot and more importantly the feel of the whole product was far better. Baxendale should be given the opportunity to write another story at some point down the road.

Bang-Bang-A-Boom (2002)

Now despite my reservations about the cover looking like a rubbish 1970’s Eurovision album cover and also the title of the story. I actually quite liked it. This is written by the same duo that wrote the One Doctor which was like this story a comedy and also I quite liked. The setting is a spaceship where the Intergalactic Song Contest is taking place. This story is Agatha Christie in space.

I do think that the casting in this was spot on. Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford were on top form and performed as I remember them doing on TV. It’s a very natural relationship that they have which was a benefit to this story. Nickolas Grace is the best of the guest stars as Loozly. Graeme Garden was also a joy to listen to as Professor Ivor Fassbiner. David Tughan has to be applauded as he does a near as damn it impression of Sir Terry Wogan. The rest of the actors do an ok job with ludicrously OTT voices.

Predictably there are several Star Trek jokes which despite their being a few don’t become too tedious. I could see how they might to some people but as this is setting itself up as a comedy then it’s completely understandable. Putting the comedy to one side this is still a who-dun nit. There are plenty of candidates of who did it and then also there are several herrings which only serve to make the story more enjoyable.

The main problem that there is a problem with pace. Sometimes it goes quite quickly and then also it goes quite slowly. It’s quite difficult to get a grip but I did find myself getting use to it (almost) by the second episode. Out of the three Mel stories that there have been (The Fires of Vulcan and The One Doctor). This isn’t the best of the three but it’s still an enjoyable effort. The plot is quite a good one but is let down slightly due to pace. I don’t think that it’s quite up there with other

The Roof of the World (2004)

The last two stories to feature the Fifth Doctor, Erimem and Peri have been very poor. I don’t know what’s going on but The Eye of the Scorpion seems like a lifetime ago. I think out of all the combinations this is one of the weakest, especially in terms of quality. The Roof of the World was coincidentally the title of the first episode of Marco Polo (1964), though that is where the coincidence ends. Adrian Rigelsford has written his first story and as with everything the first impression is important.

I could tell instantly that this story was going to be better than Axis of Insanity. The story slowly builds up as the Doctor and co are on a train in Tibet for a game of cricket. As the story progresses through this cricket game there are some wonderful scenes with Erimem who is starting to develop into a very good companion. There is a slight blip in part two but this is very slight which stops as Lord Davey tries to convince Erimem that she is in fact dead. This isn’t a quick thing but is done slowly which is good.

This is Erimem’s story. In fact this is her best story since her debut which is a relieve because due to the poor quality of the stories recently (bar the Church and the Crown) was in danger of rendering the character as a poor companion. Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant are still just as good together as they were for those two stories towards the end of Davison’s tenure. In fact the best story featuring these two was Red Dawn (2000). Edward de Souza was a particularly good as Lord Davey, William Franklyn served a great purpose as Pharaoh Amenhotep II. Both these actors were vital to the enjoyment of this story.

Thankfully The Roof of the World has done a little bit to restore my faith in this combination. It needs a couple more stories like this to get it to Seventh/Ace or Sixth/Evelyn levels of enjoyment. What it does manage to do is to make up for Nekromanteia.

Minuet in Hell (2001)

Minuet in Hell is the final story in Paul McGann’s first season as the Doctor. This is perhaps the epic story that it should. The stories that have formed this season have been mixed in terms of quality. Alan W.Lear & Gary Russell have shared responsibilities for writing this story that sees the return of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart after his initial appearance in The Spectre of Lanyon Moor in 2000. The story is set in the US sometime in the near future and the Eighth Doctor finds himself in a medical institute which is technically a mental institute. Charley also has troubles of her own. She is suffering from amnesia.

When you ask fans to list 10 things about Doctor Who then the Brigadier is usually in there. The charming appeal of the character as played by Nicholas Courtney since 1968 is a main reason why I enjoyed The Spectre of Lanyon Moor so much. Likewise in this story its one of the few plus points going. He has a better story in this one than Spectre. Without the Doctor it’s left to the Brigadier to move the plot forward. I’m glad that Lear decided that it should be an older wiser Brigadier that we encounter here as opposed to a soldier that we would expect during the Pertwee years.

McGann and Fisher are ok in this story. Unfortunately they suffer from a weak script that seems to go too far into dark and gothic storytelling for my likening. Both do a good job in their respective plots. However it is Nicholas Courtney who steals the show because he has more to do and is just a joy to listen to. I have an issue with this story and it is where did the inspiration come from for the idea of Charley being forced to don leather fetish gear and work in a whorehouse! I don’t wish to sound like a prude but I don’t think this sort of thing belongs in a Doctor Who story.

The story unfortunately is a bit dull for my liking. After great stories like Storm Warning and Sword of Orion it was a shame that this story was allowed to make it into production. Whilst there was slightly more going on than in The Stones of Venice I don’t think that Minuet is a fitting season finale. Here's hoping that when the Eighth Doctor returns that it will get back to the standards and dizzy heights of Sword of Orion or Storm Warning.

The Shadow of the Scourge (2000)

Two McCoy adventures in quick succession might be a bit too much for some people. The previous story was a first because it had the return of Mel, this one was equally unique as it was the first story to feature Bernice Summerfield in the main range. The character of Bernice Summerfield has been in the Big Finish world since Oh No It Isn’t was released in September 1998. I had never heard a Bernice play before listening to this story and also not knowing about the stories the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Benny had had in the New Adventure books.

Now due to the introduction of Benny, this isn’t a Seventh Doctor story that I was particularly fond of. I think that the beginning of the story put me off a bit. Another thing was Ace sounded a bit odd in this one. In previous Seventh Doctor plays she sounded like she did on TV but in this story it was not the Ace that I knew. As this is my first encounter with Benny I have to say that I thought that the character was quite a well written one and actually well acted by Lisa Bowerman. The thing I liked about Benny was there was a modern cynicism that you just don’t get to this degree with any other characters. There was quite a weird moment and by weird I mean WEIRD!!! It happens when Bernice goes inside the Doctor’s head and meets all thirteen of the Doctors’ incarnations. She seems quite keen on the eighth Doctor. Sylvester McCoy was his usual good self. His Doctor hasn’t really changed much in these Big Finish stories compared to say the Sixth Doctor. McCoy still puts in a good performance and seems to revel in the story.

Due to the way that the story went I actually found myself enjoying this story. Its not the best story that I have every heard but then considering how there are elements that are not original Doctor Who then I find it unfair to really compare it against any of the first 11 stories. Paul Cornell has written a story that doesn’t seem like a normal Doctor Who stories. McCoy and Aldred were good on TV and have potential to do be the same in Big Finish.

Extinction (2006)

This series has been such a pleasure to listen to and I was really looking forward to this story but just as I pressed play I was wondering whether my expectations were too high. They weren’t. The plot sees Liam being returned to Earth to be executed but those plans are smashed to pieces by Yan, Hazel and co. Hunt was becoming more and more unstable. This is slightly deflected by Janice Webb (Hunt’s Assistant) who is starting to become disloyal to Hunt or so he thinks. I thought that Paul Hunt got an exit that was befitting of him. Having lauding around the place like a proper president, he finally got his comeuppance when the Cybermen converted him after they thought he was going to be assassinated. As he was trying to get the Cybermen to spare him I was actually feeling quite sorry for him. This made the Chessman character more horrid and less likeable than the Hunt character ever was. For Hazel’s character there was one of two ways her story was going to end. Either she was going to encounter her sister unharmed or she was going to be a Cyberman. Rather grimly the latter was the case. This seemed to unhinge the usually nice as apple pie style that we have known. However seeing her sister change along with the death of Yan was too much.

The conclusion of this story was quite unexpected. Essentially the Cybermen have been told that there a meteor that is heading to earth that will destroy them and working out that there is no way of stopping it decided that it would be better to retreat and go to another planet. They realise that they have been too focused on destroying the twin planet of their home planet Mondas. There were a few false ends when I had thought that Sam had executed her plan of releasing a virus in the Cyber-system. Her death was expected because once she announced her plan. The character of Sam was one of the unexpected highlights, well played by Hannah Smith. She was well supported by Mark McDonnell who has been brilliant throughout this series. During the scenes when he was been held by Hunt he was almost resigned to the fact that he was going to die.

As an episode it was brilliant. It was actioned packed from start to finish with some wonderfully emotional scenes. Some of which were the most dramatic that I have encounted. All the characters throughout were all sensible and all had links with each other which was unusual to find in a play. As a series its hard to praise this one without sounding like I’m rubbishing Series 1. This series has had an epic feel to it and whilst at times it has felt a little grim and darker than what you would expect from a normal Doctor Who story. The pace of all four parts felt a lot more structured than series 1 and as a result it had a faster feel and it felt like the story was heading to something whereas with Series 1 the ending sort of jumped out at me.

There was a near four year gap between series 1 and 2. Hopefully due to the success that this series should get it wont be 2013 before series 3. James Swallow has done a superb job and will get another crack at writing the next series.

Caerdroia (2004)

Caerdroia was the third Big Finish story I ever listened to. It is a very strange story a new starter to go for. The story is the first one to be written by Lloyd Rose and this story is at quite a pivotal moment in the divergent universe story arc. After a poor Faith Stealer and a good The Last I had hopes that this would be better than those two.

This is the story where the Kro’ka really starts to shine. I have found this character very entertaining. It’s almost very much like the Master as played by Roger Delgado not the pantomime version of Anthony Ainley. The Kro’ka has been manipulating the Doctor, Charley & C’Rizz for several stories but this is where things start going weird. The Doctor is asleep and won’t go into the next zone.

In this story we have three Doctors for the price of one. The thing about this story is that normally a multi Doctor would be confusing and hard to understand but thanks to McGann giving each Doctor a slightly different edge to it. McGann really seems to be enjoying himself in this one. Conrad Westmaas and India Fisher also put in superb performances and this is one of the best stories that these three feature in for some time. Stephen Perring is brilliant as the Kro’ka.

For me the biggest thing to come out of this story was the revelation that Rassilon is actually the master of the Kro’ka. Did not see that coming.

The Divergent Universe story arc feels like it reaching its conclusion. Thankfully so. The sooner that they get back to doing traditional adventures the better. I have to say that this is the best of the recent Eighth Doctor stories. It’s an enjoyable four part adventure. The images that I conjured up in my head from listening to this were a bit like Alice in Wonderland.

Project Infinity (2001)

After the shocking ending of the last part. This final instalment has a lot to try and live up to in 70 minutes. With Suz dead it was going to be interesting how they could carry on without her. Alby is devastated over the death of Suz and Kalendorf is also grieving but knows that he has to carry on to try and defeat the Daleks. There are some things that don’t quite make sense. For one the notion that the Seers of Yaldos have a mental link with Suz so if the link is still there then it means that she is still alive. Confusing?? Well yes if you’re like me. The character of Mirana becomes more central to the story. She is finally uncovered as a Dalek agent and coincidences above coincidences it turns out she has a link to the Dalek Emperor.

The story is all about Project Infinity and that is what is driving the Daleks. Alby, Kalendorf get to the Lopra system where they find Tanlee where he turns out to be a Dalek agent. Is there anyone in the universe who isn’t a Dalek agent? We find out what Project Infinity is, it turns out that it opens up a window into alternative realities. The Earth Alliance figure that if they can work out the coordinates of a reality where the Daleks have been defeated then they can learn how to defeat the Daleks. As plans go it is quite a good one. It was what I was hoping it would be.

The ending of the story was perfect conclusion to a very good series. The characters have all been well maintained and despite some highly unlikely revelations they still are very good characters. The plot was well structured to develop at the right pace and give the pay off in this episode. The series have been a joy to listen to and here’s hoping that there is a second series.

Machines (2009)

The next instalment sees the story start to make a bit more sense. Now that we are in the business end of the series it is now that the series has to start making sense. Start to tie up all the loose ends that have been hanging around such as what is Paul Hunt upto? Will Hazel ever get to be reunited with Becca? The opening of this episode saw the resolution of what Hazel saw in the containers. We all know what it was but the reaction was well handled and acted out by Jo Castleton. Sam becomes involved with Yan and Hazel. Yet again she tries to hide the fact that she is an android. It was clever how she managed to deflect any interest in her by trying to help Yan. It was fairly obvious that this wasn’t going to last because it was Hazel that discovered Sam’s secret. However she (Hazel) decided not to tell the others. It was probably best that it was Hazel that discovered them because if it was one of the other then everyone would have known and that would wreck the story.

The spy was finally revealed and to me it was a nice surprise when it turned out to be Chessman. The moment that it was revealed the actor seemed to change, he was more like Paul Hunt. Speaking of Hunt, his involvement is starting to become more clear. He is trying to dispel the unrest at his administration and thinks that by setting Barnaby up as a war criminal and executing him on Earth he will become more popular. If he can make this work then he the Cybermen will be able to continue with their plan. Its nice now that they have finally started putting some meat on the character of Hunt in this series. So far it was only the Sam/Hazel and Barnaby/Richter stories that seemed to be going somewhere.

James Swallow yet again should be praised for what he has done in this series. The whole feeling of this series has really impressed me as it feels like some of the other spin-off series that Big Finish produces and that is a compliment because the standard feel is one where you can press play on your CD player or iPod and actually get to the end and not realise that 70 minutes or whatever has passed. For the first time in this series I have felt that things were really starting to make sense. I have to mention again how the monologues are really getting on my nerves. You could probably justify them at the beginning but by now they are really irrelevant. Apart from that what Machines did was to set up the final part brilliantly. I really don’t know what I will do when this series has finished.

Death to the Daleks (2001)

The third part of Dalek Empire is quite outstanding. The first thing that I realised (obviously being a fan for over a decade) was that this is the same title as the 1973 Jon Pertwee story. Thankfully, this story is a lot better. Pellan is a Dalek agent. These words might sound hollow now but I knew there was something odd about him. Alby now has to find Suz and see if she knows anything about this Project: Infinity. You just know that Alby is only going along with it to get to Suz again. Tanlee who is played by David Sax (despite my initial thoughts that it was Nick Briggs) tells Alby that he has to kill Suz but when he refuses Tanlee gives the grim statement that if the Daleks find out about Project Infinity then he might as well kill himself because it will be the end of human kind.

The characters in this are all top stuff. Especially Mirana, who is a space policewoman who wont take no for an answer. What we know and everyone in the story doesn’t know is that she is a Dalek agent just like Pellan. Darn those agents. Suz is slowly becoming more and more unnerved because as time goes by she thinks that she has power over the Daleks when everyone including two year olds know that it is Daleks who have the power – always. It has to be said that Kalendorf is a truly wonderful character, he manages to stay in that position of being Suz’s hope and strength but at the same time. His relationship with Suz is starting to get worse because he sees that she is changing and becoming more delusional. Which she is.

The conclusion of this part is quite a feat of drama. Earth has fallen to the Daleks and the four words that have been mentioned throughout the series so far and is the title of this story is finally mentioned. DEATH TO THE DALEKS. The last bit sees the Daleks exterminate Suz.

This is the best part so far. The final part is going to be a treat and hopefully there will be an immediate conclusion to find out what the fallout of Suz’s death will be. Top stuff.

Terror (2009)

Terror is the name of the second part of this new second series and I have to admit that I am very impressed with this series so far. The problem that I had with the first series was that it did seemed a bit rigid and there wasn’t much scope to develop the story and allow any different characters or stories to come. Whereas in this series that’s all changed. There are now three different plot strands. The first features Liam and the crew of the Novograd. Then there is Sam trying to get to Earth before its destroyed by the androids and then there is the third strand which is with Hazel and Yan. The bits with Sam were a bit redundant after a while. She communicates with someone (probably played by Nick Briggs) and discovers that they are going to destroy all life on Earth. This horrifies Sam and she then decides to get to Earth to try and stop it. I think that it was perhaps a mistake to separate Sam and Liam because they worked so well together. Time will tell whether this separation was worth it but at the moment I am not so sure.

After being abandoned by Sam, Liam seems to have hit a dead end. He is put in the brig of the Novograd as a traitor for helping an android on board. Its not long before he’s being released just to help over throw Louis Richter. Its clear that Liam wants to help but doesn’t like the way that evidence is being fabricated to get him out. I found this story to be the most interesting as this seemed to be the closest that we were getting to the main thrust of the story. I thought that the story took a decidedly adult tone when Richter either committed suicide or was murdered. If it was the former then its quite a departure for Big Finish to take this 24 style approach.

The story with Hazel and Yan sees them travel to Norway where the Cybermen have been keeping something secret. By the end of the story all we know is its something that is horrific judging by Hazel’s response. I’m not sure about this part of the story as it doesn’t really seem to be heading anywhere. Sure there is the emotional part of Hazel wanting to be reunited with Becca but I cant see how its going to tie in with the other strands.

I do have one issue with this series so far and it’s the monologue speeches that pop up ever so often. I really don’t like them and don’t care about them. For me they slow the action down and distract me from the main flow of the story. I lost count of how many exactly there were in this story but there were at least four or five such monologues. Hopefully as the story progresses they will be reduced in frequency. That said it’s the only problem that I have. The writing is really solid with characters that are very rounded and have I feel that they are likeable characters. Mark McDonnell and Hannah Smith continue their superb performances. Especially McDonnell’s Liam Barnaby is becoming a greater and greater character and I think this is slowly starting to become his series. Jo Castleton is also a great as Hazel. There is a dogged determination about her character that replaced a cheery personality. Toby Hadoke is another great piece of casting as Louis Richter. Hadoke doesn’t try and go over board with his voice and for that there is a desperation tone to the character. Sadly he came a cropper in this episode. Maybe he has twin or will come back in flashbacks. Who knows.

At the end of this story I was totally engrossed. The story is moving along at a great pace and bodes well for the second half of this series. Roll on part three.

Primeval (2001)

I have to say right now that I loved Primeval. It pushes Nyssa to the centre of the story and as this character is one of my favourites. It also sees the Doctor taking Nyssa back to Traken obviously some time before it was destroyed in Logopolis. Now the thing about Nyssa was that her potential was never met. She got trapped in the three companion system and only got her breath of fresh air in Arc of Infinity.

Nyssa’s life is in peril and according to the blurb on the back of the CD will die at dawn. This is due to her exposed to too much evil. However despite this fact it has very little to do with the actual story itself. The story is actually about Kwandaar Rebels who are trying to take control of the source. They may be Nyssa’s only hope of survival. The Traken is not the one that we saw in The Keeper of Traken but its actually quite darker. Almost like it was made for the new series. In fact there are several references to older TV stories but not to obvious to make the listener loose track of what is going on.

Peter Davison is very good in this story. There is genuine desire to try and get things going quickly enough to try and help his friend. I cant think off too many time when Davison’s Doctor is put in this kind of situation. Sarah Sutton is brilliant and gives the best performance for Big Finish. I think that this combination should have been given longer on TV. Its just as good if not better than the Third Doctor and Liz Shaw.

When I finished listening to this story I found myself loving it. Lance Parkin has written a story that is highly enjoyable. The characters were all really good and the pace of it wasn’t too fast but just right considering the plot. A story that should be listened to on a nice slow Sunday afternoon.

The Mutant Phase (2000)

The Mutant Phase is the best of the Dalek stories that Big Finish have produced since they started. This story is the third part of Dalek Empire after The Genocide Machine and The Apocalypse Element. However I think that the problem with those two stories are that they never really felt like a proper Dalek story whereas with The Mutant Phase it’s a perfect example of what can be done with the Daleks on radio.

The Daleks are different in this story, they are ill and being killed of by a disease not surprisingly called the Mutant Phase. The Emperor Dalek tries to capture the Doctor to help him out by capturing him in a time corridor (like Ressurection of the Daleks). One problem there has been in the two previous Dalek stories is how they didn’t really sound like the Daleks on TV. So as a result it slightly distracts from the main story. In this one though they have finally got the hang of it and it’s good to hear.

Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton were very good in this story. Davison in particular was different from what we are use to. He does his normal thing of putting all the different bits and pieces managing to stay ahead of everyone else but then unusually and almost unnerving he stands by as Delores is exterminated by the Daleks. The characters that Nicholas Briggs has written in this story are very interesting and it is the Doctor and Nyssa who have to take a back seat. Mark Gatiss who wrote Phantasmagoria was very good in this story, he did a Roboman voice and then also was Professor Karl Hendryk which was a nice character.

If I do have to pick problems out of this story then I think that it has a disappointing ending. I don’t know why but from a Dalek story I was expecting something grander. I think because for 99% of the story it had been enjoyable stuff, anything else would have been poorer. Nicholas Briggs has written a very good story and also managed to direct it in an enjoyable way.

The Fires of Vulcan (2000)

The Fires of Vulcan is the first story to feature Melanie ‘Mel’ Bush since Dragonfire in 1987. The companion isnt held in high regard by a large majority of Doctor Who fans and at times I understand why. The level of resentment that was aimed at her was almost unfair. So it was quite a surprise to hear that she came back to reprise her role. What also was something of note is that this is a historical story and despite my misgivings about historical stories ever since The Marian Conspiracy I have found a new love for stories set in the past.

There is a mystery as soon as the theme music stops. The TARDIS has been found buried in the ruins of Pompeii by UNIT. The Doctor and Mel land in Pompeii just one day before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (and probably just avoiding the tenth Doctor and Donna). But he knows (thanks to his fifth incarnation) what will happen and because these events are set it means he cant go back and change his own timeline.

Sylvester McCoy gives a more solum performance in this story as he knows he is trapped in Pompeii. This is by far his best story to date and its largely due to his performance. Bonnie Langford is brilliant as Mel. I found her more engaging and likeable in this four part story than I ever did when she was on TV. This is effectively the rebirth of Mel. Together they are on fine form and it just about erases memories of series 24 which was woeful. All the other actors in this are very good and help create the impression of their surroundings. In particular Gemma Bissix (formerly of Hollyoaks and Eastenders) was very good as Aglae. I felt she was one of the few characters that could have been a companion had things being different.

I thought that the story itself was a nice story. Its not the crash bang wallop type of story that you would expect from this Doctor but its still an entertaining adventure which I thoroughly felt was surprising. A historical story with Mel that I liked. This was the first story to be written by Steve Lyons and hopefully it wont be the last. It was informative and it moved at a good steady pace. Its stories like this that show what the Seventh Doctor could have achieved had he being given the right stories.

Scaredy Cat (2005)

Scaredy Cat is the second story since the Eighth Doctor left the Divergent Universe. This story is quite an eerie story with some creepy moments in it. This story is the second to come from Will Shindler who wrote The Twilight Kingdom (2004) which I was a big fan of. The story sees the Doctor, Charley and C’Rizz arrive on the planet Endarra. The first thing that struck me was how short it was compared to most stories. The story runs at around 1 hour and 20 minutes which is around 20 minutes shorter than normal. That’s nearly a full episode they could have fitted in which leads me to wonder if they could not have found something to fill this gap.

Despite the short amount of time this story is forced to move at a fast pace. The idea that that a planet and a child could become one is something that I found quite interesting. The story does take quite a while to get started but by episode two. The story between the Doctor and C’Rizz seemed to step up a gear with a relationship that isnt your normal Doctor/Companion one.

The story is an interesting one, besides that it gives McGann’s Doctor a new lease of life and this reflects in his performance. But it is in many ways Conrad Westmaas’ story as C’Rizz is given a lot of time. Westmaas is very good and uses his time brilliantly, I loved the different side of his character. He seems to have developed an attitude almost bitchy since he left the divergent universe. India Fisher seems to suffer from the lack of air time, she hardly has anything to do throughout which is a shame because she is a really good character.

Unfortunately this story will stick in my memory due to the shortness. This story does have some good points but the most important is that it’s the fresh start that the Eighth Doctor stories need. After too long in the Divergent Universe we can final get back to a more traditional DW story.

Outsiders (2009)

It was January 2006 that the first Cybermen series concluded. Ever since then I feared that this second series would never come. Nicholas Briggs has decided not to write this series but hand this responsibility over to James Swallow who wrote Keepsake in 2008. How would he deal with the high level of expectation that I and countless other will have had. Its surprising that they decided to release all four episodes in one go instead of doing over four months. I personally think that this might be a mistake but only time will tell. This story is split into two parts. The first being about Liam and Sam who are trying to survive and then there is Becca and Hazel Trahan who are on Earth which is being run by Cybermen though no-one thinks that they are anything but soldiers dressing up. The Liam and Sam story seemed to start exactly where it left off in Telos, I found that this only worked because I listened to Telos the night before. Anyone else would probably struggle to remember why they are there. As soon as that problem is resolved then another arose and it created for me the impression that they were a team just trying to do the simple thing and get back to Earth. Mark McDonnell and Hannah Smith are brilliant as Liam and Sam. Smith in particular is a character that I have grown to like over the previous four parts and in this one she stepped up a gear trying to prolong the revelation that she is an android.

The other half of this was a nice new addition to the series. I found these two particularly interesting because they seemed to have a natural chemistry (being sisters that’s not a surprise), there was no bravado about them. Hazel was a taxi driver and Becca seemed to work in an office whilst being blind. With everything that is going on with Liam and Sam I found that these two gave a more human spin to things. Their story is not as developed as the other story but something tells me their story will be told. I thought that the best scene and also the most eerie was when Hazel caught by a group of Cybermen who were calling out a general speech but it started off quieter and got louder and louder. I thought that this was well played by Jo Castleton.

I recently listened to the last series and its amazing how this series is different to the last. The story seems to have a more traditional Big Finish main range feel to it. I liked how they mixed two strands together and continued the series one plot with Liam and Sam and introducing the new one with Hazel and Becca. James Swallow has done a good job starting this series after a near four year gap. The characters and pace seem fresh and gave me fresh incentive to start listening to the next instalment immediately, well the next day anyway.

The Fearmonger (2000)

The Fearmonger is the first story to feature the Seventh Doctor and Ace since Survival in 1989. It is also the first story to be written by Jonathan Blum. Unusually in this story we join them in the middle of an adventure. They are battling an entity that latches onto humans and draws on their fears. I like the idea of joining the story at a late stage because you feel like you’re hitting the ground running and this adds a new dimension to the story.

Unfortunately the story is a bit dull. It just didn’t grab me the way I was expecting. When I think of the McCoy adventures on TV I think that whilst the first series was a bit of a disappointment the next two series were much better and were what the Seventh Doctor should be remembered for.

Jacqueline Pearce quite a big name in science fiction circles. She plays Sherilyn Harper who is the leader of New Britannia. She is supported by Hugh Walters (Roderick), Vince Henderson was quite a surprise as Mick Thompson. At times I did find the situation of being a radio DJ annoying but when he was up against the Doctor I found him enjoyable.

It’s nice to see that the Doctor and Ace relationship has developed in the intervening years. As it has been 11 years since Survival it would have been odd if there relationship. They always seemed to have a relationship that was different from other Doctors and Companions. Despite this being in the early days of Big Finish, this story shows an upwards improvement in stories. The story was dark and eerie and was a great first story from Jonathan Blum. Can’t wait for the next story from this combination.

Thicker Than Water (2005)

Thicker Than Water is the sequel to the 2004 story Arrangements for War. Three years after the events of Arrangements. This is Evelyn’s last story in terms of chronology. So when her last story actually takes place you know that it’s the one before this one. As sequels go it wouldn’t quite match Project: Lazarus.

The story does have an unexpected appearance from the Seventh Doctor and its revealed that his companion Hex was the son of Cassie from Project Twilight (2001) and Project Lazarus (2003) which was worth listening to this on its own. It has a massive effect on the Doctor. The Seventh Doctor crosses his own timeline (which were told thousands of time that he cant do) to inform his former companion. Evelyn has always felt a bit of resentment at the Doctor and the Seventh Doctor coming back to tell her that Cassie’s son becomes his companion is something that was unexpected in a story that I felt was going a bit flat.

It was good to have Gabriel Woolf and Rachel Pickup back in this as I thought that they were very good in Arrangements for War. Colin Baker was very good in this. You could genuinely sense the sadness at having been separated from his former companion. Bonnie Langford didn’t really have much of an impact in this story and seemed to be there only to emphasise where in the Doctor’s timeline this story is set. That said its good to hear Bonnie Langford reprise her role of Mel as the Big Finish version of Mel is a lot better than what we saw on TV. Maggie Stables is absolutely brilliant in this story. Stables gives a different Evelyn and is my favourite of the newly created companions for Big Finish.

After all is said and done, its not the big guns blazing ending that I was hoping for but then again at least things were resolved between the Doctor and Evelyn, Even if Mel was there to get in the way, three’s a crowd remember.

The Stones of Venice (2001)

The third eighth Doctor adventure was actually the first to be recorded by Paul McGann making this the first story that he had done since the TV Movie. The Doctor takes Charley back to Earth but this time to Venice. I was hoping that this story would be as enjoyable as Storm Warning and Sword of Orion. This is the first story to be written by Paul Magrs for Big Finish.

The thing that struck me about this story was the acting in this. Paul McGann was brilliant and shows what he could have done had the TV movie in 1996 led to a full season. India Fisher was also on good form, her character is starting to settle and her relationship with McGann is proving to be a strong one. Michael Sheard is a name from the TV series than any long-term Doctor Who fan would recognise. For that the role took on a different meaning from what writer Paul Magrs perhaps intended. Another big name was Mark Gatiss who is one of the League of Gentleman. Also he wrote the 2000 story Phantasmagoria. In this he played a very average Vincenzo.

Unfortunately this story is somewhat poor compared to Storm Warning and Sword of Orion. Both these stories had something about them, Storm Warning had the appeal that it was McGann’s first story and Sword of Orion’s appeal was that it was the first Cyberman story by Big Finish. The thing that I would take away from this story was that the acting was very good but ultimately the plot itself was a bit below par.

Like Meatloaf once said, 2 out 3 aint bad!

Winter for the Adept (2000)

The second Big Finish story to feature the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa is an improvement on the previous story. This story was written by Andrew Cartmel who was the Script Editor on Doctor Who during the Sylvester McCoy era on the show. I was hoping that Cartmel would do what happened during his time as Script Editor and that is tell a good story with interesting aliens and a Doctor that wasn’t what he appeared to be which for the Fifth Doctor was going to be tricky.

What I did like about this story as well as in Land of the Dead is that the story is set in a isolated place. I really really like this type of story because it means that everyone is trapped and there is no escape (until the end of Part Four). This story has a lot of spooky stuff going on. This story is the first to feature India Fisher who would come back as a full-tme companion Charley Pollard. In this story she played Peri who was a cheeky character that I actually quite liked. Its amazing how similar Peril sounds like Charley. I also thought the character of Miss Tremayne was quite an interesting one and well played by Sally Faulkner. Peter Davison was very good in this story giving a nice strong performance as well as Sarah Sutton who is one of my favourite companions so its always a delight when she stars in a story.

Normally poltergeist themed stories are ones that I dislike because I don’t really believe in all that type of thing however the setting was what made the story. At the end of the day this story is much better than Land of the Dead. The characters were all well written and also gives the Fifth Doctor his best outing so far on audio and it shows why I think that the Fifth Doctor/Nyssa combination is so good.

A very good story.

Telos (2006)

The fourth and final part is where it counts. After all the things that have happened over the course of the three stories it was important that the pay off was what was expected. It’s a position that Nicholas Briggs (writer) has been in before. Having to end the first season of Dalek Empire: Infinity in the write was done well enough so I had high hopes the same could happen here. By now Karen Brett has been converted but only sounds slightly different., you can tell that it is still her. This might be to try and evoke an emotional response from the listener. Paul Hunt has (as expected) being appointed Emergency executive-in-chief. This means effectively that the Cybermen can take over the Earth and get on with their plan The character of Reorden is push into the centre of proceedings. He is the leader of the Android ship and is initially negative to Liam. However as with anyone who has a grudge or doesn’t like someone, they slowly warm to that other person and the two characters had some nice scenes together. This story does seem to be more about Liam and Karen than Paul and Karen.

What I like about this story is how fast everything moves. The story is set over the space of a few hours and this adds a certain amount of tension to the proceedings. However I was disappointed with the ending of Karen. I felt she deserved a slightly better ending than the one she got. Considering she was the main character she wasn’t exactly given a brilliant ending.

Overall this story was very good but there were something’s that I thought could have been improved upon. The series as a hold was everything that I could have wanted. It was a nicely built plot (even with some weaknesses) and the characters were all well rounded and superbly acted. I don’t think that it can be compared to Dalek Empire because the two serials have different things to offer the listener. For me it built on the imagery of the Cybermen as creatures that can infiltrate a race like the humans and even though the plan was slightly over done can manipulate whoever they like to get what they want.

Conversion (2005)

The third part of this series is where it starts hotting up. The story does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s all about Conversion. We are not treated to a cliffhanger reprisal like in a normal Doctor Who adventure but instead a flashback which sees Paul Hunt breaking out of the processing unit. Then the story moves a bit when Karen uses the teleportation unit to travel to the Scorpius base. Finally it moves back to the present. The beginning scene with Paul Hunt was quite an important one. It mans that the listener goes from despising him to actually warming to him. This may have been the intention because when we go to present day Paul Hunt I had a different opinion of him. The Cybermen become more and more involved in this story as their plan is starting to take shape. Paul Hunt is manipulating Karen more and more and it even gets to the stage where Karen knows something is dodgy is going on. I really like the Hunt/Brett combination. I think that Barnaby Edwards is superb as Paul Hunt. It’s a credit to him that he can sound like a Bond villain without going overboard. Also Sarah Mowatt is brilliant as President Karen Brett, she is slowly starting to become more and more unbalanced.

Unfortunately this episode does show massive flaws in the plan. I can’t quite understand why the Cybermen went through all the trouble of forming an alliance with the Earth Alliance in the Orion Wars. Why didn’t they just go in and wipe the human race out? All these do slightly weaken the story but it’s not until I finished listening to this story that these points came to mind. The story has been put together so that you don’t really have time to take in properly what’s happened.

It all leads to a fascinating conclusion. As the saying goes “We Have Nothing to Fear!”

Vengeance of Morbius (2008)

Vengeance of Morbius is a story that ticks all the right boxes to create a fantastic finale. Following on from the events of Sisters of the Flame, this story slowly builds up to the first appearance of Morbius. The purpose of the story is made clear. Zarodnix has bought Karn with the intention of resurrecting Morbius and needs Time Lord DNA along with a piece of Morbius’ brain stem to bring the renegade Time Lord back.

There is one negative point I feel I should make and that is despite being mentioned in the title and also appearance on the cover, Morbius doesn’t really feature in it as much as I was hoping. I think it would have been better for him to appear at some point in Sisters in the Flame. Having mentioned that his involvement in this story was brilliant. Going back to Gallifrey and defeat the Time Lords was a big moment in the story and would have looked good on television.

We are treated to one of the most shocking endings that I have ever known in all the years that I have been listening to Doctor Who stories on CD. Mirroring scenes (of sorts) in The Brain of Morbius, the Doctor and Morbius are fighting on the edge of the cliff that Morbius fell from in the story. Both of them fell to their death, due to the actions of the Time Lords rewriting Morbius’ history means that they cant save the Doctor so he is left in limbo. With Lucie traumatised by the events (as you imagine she would be) she is taken back to Earth to try and resume her life. However after the theme tune has finished we are treated by Mr Briggs with the shocking return of the Headhunter who fires a gun and then we are left with a scream from Lucie so we don’t know what the hell is going on.

Paul McGann put in his best performance for quite sometime. There was intensity in his performance and he was given the dialogue to really show why he would have been a great Doctor had the US TV Movie worked. Sheridan Smith also gave a superb performance as her character was at her finest when the Doctor had fallen off the cliff and facing the Headhunter again. Samuel West deserves some praise for playing Morbius. The character had a lot of menace about him and would have given the Master a run for his money.

As a single story it’s a brilliantly paced and has loads of action. As a two-parter its even better. All the things that were going on in Sisters of Flame paid off and what we were left with a fantastic piece of drama. Nicholas Briggs has done a superb job with this story and giving a fitting conclusion to this series. McGann and Smith will obviously be back but in what form? Bravo.

The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (2008)

When the Autons returned in Brave New Town it was a surprise because Big Finish didn’t put the word Auton in the title. In The Zygon Who Fell to Earth, can you guess which classic monster returned in this one?. You’ve got it! The Zygons. The Zygons made their one and only appearance in 1975 in Terror of the Zygons. Its becoming a good habit for Big Finish of bringing back aliens that made only one appearance and giving them a fresh angle and making people ask “Why didn’t the TV producers do more stories with these aliens?”. Paul Magrs has written some interesting stories such as The Stones of Venice (2001), The Wishing Beast/Vanity Box (2007) and from the first series of Eighth Doctor and Lucie adventures Horror of Glam Rock.

The thing that we have in this story is one lone Zygon who has hidden himself as a human. He’s not a normal Zygon but a nice one and he’s shacked up with Lucie’s Aunt Pat. It was nice that she came back as it adds a bit of continuity to Lucie’s story. Unlike the Rose Tyler family we only have one relative of Lucie’s not the whole bloody litter.

The story is essentially the fact that there are people after the Zygon. There is a an obvious sense that the person pretending to be Trevor is in fact a Zygon but there is a surprise when Pat says she knew that Trevor is a Zygon. There was a shocking twist towards the end with the sudden death of Aunt Pat. This lead to a moral dilemma for the Doctor. Trevor decides to take the place of Aunt Pat using the last of the Zygon ship energy. This is a good dilemma because even though Lucie knows that her Aunt Pat is dead but not at this time .

Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith are brilliant in this story. In particular Smith who has some nice scenes at the end. Lynsey Hardwick was very good as Pat. This is only her second story but it feels like she’s been in more. She’s a well acted character. Steven Pacey is also very good as Trevor who give some good scenes.

This story is perhaps the most emotional story of the series and also the best. Paul Magrs has done a grand job with the characters and story. I think it will take a lot for this story to be beaten but there is a two parter coming up so who knows!!!

The Skull of Sobek (2008)

The Skull of Sobek is typically Marc Platt. This is the guy who wrote the very complicated stories such as Ghostlight and Loups-Garoux. Unfortunately this story is very slow and dull. With this being the 10th story featuring the Doctor and Lucie its nice that their relationship is starting to move on. After the unusual Brave New Town story the previous month it was unfortunate that this story ruins the good start that the series made.

The story setting of a sanctuary of imperfect symmetry might sound like a good place to base a story but unfortunately nothing of any note happens. Sure there are some interesting themes like focusing on balance and symmetry and also the Crocodillians are a nice creation but at the end of the day there’s nothing fantastic about them. After 50 minutes I was rather disappointed with what this story produced. It was the same feeling that I had with Valhalla which was the last story that Platt wrote.

Despite the poor story the actors do manage to make it half enjoyable. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith do their best and it was nice to see a bit more fear from Lucie. Sean Biggerstaff (who previously appeared in Shada) was quite good as Crocodillian Snabb and Barbara Flynn was another good casting decision as Sister Chalice. That character was one of the best characters in the story. The only good thing about this story was the use of At Malik. The guy has a very good voice for radio and he’s been in a ton of things like Inspector Morse and more recently Holby City.

Unfortunately as you can probably gather I am not fond of this story. Maybe in a few years time I might grow to start liking it. It’s definitely weaker than the other weak story from series 1 Immoral Beloved.

Sisters of the Flame (2008)

At the end of the first series. The Cybermen were bought back in an epic two parter. This year there is another epic story that brings back someone who like the Zygons earlier in the series only made one appearance on the television. Morbius and the Sisterhood of Karn made their only contribution to the series back in The Brain of Morbius back in 1976. Unlike Human Resources in series one, the final two episodes had their own title which makes things mirror the new series where two parters are given individual title names.

The first part Sisters of the Flame is quite short on the Doctor. Lucie is paired up with Rosto who is quite amusingly a very tall centipede. This combination actually worked quite well and it was surprisingly enjoyable to see Lucie paired up with someone else. This story also sees the return of Time Lord Straxus who appeared in Human Resources last year. The character of Straxus is what you would expect a Time Lord to be like. He is added to this story presumably for comedy effect. We are given a new spin on the whole Morbius/Karn story by being introduced to Zarodnix who is the leader of the Cult of Morbius who has just bought Karn which has got the Time Lords worry. The cliffhanger isnt the best that Big Finish have done. Essentially the Doctor and Lucie are placed inside a dispersal chamber. Now even a new fan would recognise that neither the Doctor or Lucie are going to come a cropper because of this so why bother.

Sheridan Smith was very good in this story, she was better than in the previous story. Being separated from the Doctor was a something that the character was needed and Smith worked very well with Alexander Siddig. Alexander Siddig was a master choice as Rosto. Having seen him recently in 24 it was quite surprising to see him appear in a Big Finish play. Nikolas Grace is someone that has a fine voice for radio and being the TV junkie that I am recognise him from his stint in House of Cards. Paul McGann was good in this story, his involvement of this story was limited but one does suspect that he might make up for it in the next story.

As the first in a two part story it is clearly a plot builder with the pay-off coming in the next story. If you view it as a single story then it certainly lacks a bit of pace and not much really get sorted. However it shouldn’t be reviewed as a single story so as far as I am concerned this is a good story.

Grand Theft Cosmos

This story continues the good start that this second series has had. It’s at this point of a series where the novelty of a new series has warn off and the story has to stand on its own merits. Grand Theft Cosmos is written by Eddie Robson who has developed a reputation of writing good sound stories. This one is no exception. Admittedly it’s not one of his best efforts but is still a good effort. This story sees the return of two characters from the first season in the form of the Headhunter (Katarina Olsson) and Karen (Louise Fullerton).

As the story suggests there is a lot of chasing around in this story. Its not a normal Doctor Who story and leans quite a lot to the comedy side of things but not too much. The Doctor, Lucie, Karen and the Headhunter are searching for the Black Diamond of Claudio Tardelli. We are given a bit of a back story to Tardelli who was actually in the Black Diamond. Hopefully we will get a future adventure where we look back at their previous encounter. Fingers Crossed!

The use of the Headhunter and Karen was a nice. The Headhunter has slightly lost some of her menace after the first season but she is given a more free reign and Katarina Olsson is now given more freedom. Louise Fullerton does seem slightly lost in the flow of the story but does interact with Lucie well. This story is Sheridan Smith’s best performance so far. Its nice to have the character move on from the events of series one. Paul McGann was very good also in this story, he had some good scenes with Tardelli and also with the Headhunter. It was nice to have McGann’s Doctor do something a bit light hearted this time. He is too often given something that is very complex and serious so this was a nice change from the norm. This story also boasts an actor who appeared in ‘classic’ who and that was Christopher Benjamin who appeared in the Talons of Weng-Chiang. He was highly enjoyable in this as Tardelli. Colin Spaull should also get a mentioned as he was Henrik. Both actors should do more radio work because their voices are ideal for this medium.

When I finished listening to this story I thought that it wasn’t going to top the best stories of the season awards but it was still better than most comedy laden stories that Big Finish have produced over the years. Eddie Robson has written another enjoyable story and Barnaby Edwards should be applauded for giving this story a pace to it that is normally reserved for a more traditional story.

The Tomfiles: #8 - Big Finish Review of 2009

Has this been a good year for Big Finish? This year seems to have seen a high output that ever before. It was major milestone for the company as it celebrated its 10th Birthday in July. This year saw Doctor Who split into 3 part series. This was partly because the Thomas Brewster story was spread over several months which meant the story lost some of its flow. So in 2009 there was going to be three sets of three series and a single release. Also in 2009 there was the continuation of the Companion Chronicles series which saw the third series end in June and the Fourth begin straight away in July. Also after over a year of waiting the Lost Stories began with The Nightmare Fair but I getting ahead of myself. The Eight Doctor and Lucie adventures returned for a third series but it was different from the previous two.

THE MAIN RANGE
JANUARY – MARCH: THE KEY 2 TIME
THE JUDGEMENT OF ISSKAR, THE DESTROYER OF DELIGHTS & THE CHAOS POOL

The first series saw the return of the Key 2 Time. Back in the 1970’s Tom Baker spent 26 episodes looking for the segments only for him to destroy them. This time the Fifth Doctor had the task of looking for them. He didn’t have Peri (who seemed to be frozen in time) but was given a new companion in the form of Amy (played by ex-Hollyoaks star Ciara Janson). The first story was The Judgement of Isskar which was a bit of a mixed bag. The Ice Warriors returned for this one and at the end of it we were finally treated to one of the best cliffhangers that Big Finish have produced for quite a long time. The return of the Black Guardian. David Troughton won a Best Guest Star Award for his portrayal of the Black Guardian. In The Destroyer of Delights we were again treated to a weird story which seemed slightly more structured than the previous story. The final story of the series saw the return of Lalla Ward. Instead of playing Romana like we (ok I) thought she ended up playing Princess Astra like she did back in the Armageddon Factor. The thing about The Chaos Pool was that it was a slightly complicated story that did seem to drag at times. Overall the series wasn’t bad but neither was it anything to write home about.

SERIES AVERAGE RATING: 71%

APRIL – JUNE:
THE MAGIC MOUSETRAP, ENEMY OF THE DALEKS & THE ANGEL OF SCUTARI

The second series saw the Seventh Doctor reunited with Ace and Hex. The first adventure was voted Story of the Year by Toms Tardis Fans. This story saw the return of the Celestial Toymaker, his first appearance in over 40 years. This was a very good story with a great setting and the use of the Toymaker was original and enjoyable. The second story was what I would consider to be story of the year and that was Enemy of the Daleks. This story saw the Doctor and company arrive at a point of time where the Doctor knew that something bad happened there and he had to make sure that it happened. The Daleks were returning because the research being done on this base would have destroyed them. This meant that the Daleks were doing their invade and conquer bit but were just trying to survive. The final story of this series was never going to be as good as the previous two stories but was more of a character piece. Hex has never really had much of a push since he joined the TARDIS back in 2004 and this one allowed him to use abilities and to help. This story was set during the Crimean War and saw the appearance of Florence Nightengale. The side of Hex we saw was one that sneaking about behind the Doctor’s back. Whilst this was a good story it was the weakest in terms of adventure. Overall this series was the best so far and showed that this way of distributing the releases has some merit to it.

SERIES AVERAGE RATING: 81%

JULY: THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS

The only single release story of the main range in 2009 saw the Eighth Doctor return from the Lucie adventures. This story was effectively the 10th Anniversary story and saw four companions that the Eighth Doctor had in different forms. There was Fitz (Matt di Angelo), Izzy (Jemmima Rooper), Bernice (Lisa Bowerman) and Mary Shelley (Julie Cox). Apart from Bernice we never heard any of the other characters before in Big Finish and this story was a superb effort. Each episode was well structured and thoroughly enjoyable.

RATING: 84%

AUGUST – SEPTEMBER: THE CHARLEY TRILOGY
PATIENT ZERO, PAPER CUTS & BLUE FORGOTTEN PLANET

This was the most anticipated series of adventures of the year. We were finally going to see what was going to happen to Charlotte Pollard. The first story saw the second appearance of the Daleks this year. It also saw the return of the Viyrans who first appeared in Mission of the Viyrans back in 2007. This story saw Charley been trapped thanks to a character called Mila who was someone who has been infected with a disease and called Patient Zero. This story was very good from start to finish and the moment that Mila became Charley and there was the possibility that Charley might leave like this was horrific. Then there was Paper Cuts which saw the Draconians make their first appearance in Big Finish. The story wasn’t as good as Patient Zero but was better than I thought and considering it was by Marc Platt actually made a lot of sense. The final story of this trilogy was the story that I rated the highest. Blue Forgotten Planet was well and truly the final story featuring Charley and the explanation as to how the Eighth Doctor doesn’t remember anything that has happened between his sixth incarnation and Charley was explained in a very clever way. Overall this series was as good as it could have been considering it had so much expectation piled on to it. After eight years it was really sad to see the end of Charley.

SERIES AVERAGE RATING: 83%

OCTOBER – DECEMBER: THE STOCKBRIDGE TRILOGY
CASTLE OF FEAR, THE ETERNAL SUMMER & PLAGUE OF THE DALEKS

The final series of 2009 saw the Fifth Doctor get a second series and sees the Doctor return to Stockbridge which was a setting that was used many times in the comic strips in Doctor Who Magazine. The first story was set in the past, the second was in the present and the third was set in the future.

The first story was Castle of Fear which spent the first half of its life in comedy and then became deadly serious in the second half. The story saw the Rutan’s return to the series and set up and interesting link to the 1974 adventure The Time Warrior. Overall it was due to the comedic first half that put me off from enjoying this story. The second story was one that for most of the voting period was the favourite to win the Best Story gong. To be honest I found it very impressive. There was a lot of shifting about times and also things happening again and again. The final story of the year was the third story of 2009 to feature the Daleks and also the fourth in 15 months. This story was set in the future and was a slightly disappointing adventure and let down the Stockbridge Trilogy a little bit. Overall these stories were enjoyable and better than the Key 2 Time at the beginning of the year.

SERIES AVERAGE RATING: 76%

Overall the main range in 2009 has been a superb year. The three story series has been a fantastic success. In fact it’s the best year in terms of average ratings. It’s the best year since 2001 and was nearly 4.5% better than last year. The only stories that were weakest were the Key 2 Time series but on the whole its been a great year in the main range.

Now its time to look at the other ranges that have been released in 2009.


THE LOST STORIES

In November the Lost Stories were released with the Nightmare Fair and in December Mission to Magnus. These two stories were supposed to be the first two stories of the 23rd series back in 1986. Due to the high level of expectation the Nightmare Fair for me fell a bit below expectation and only got 81% whereas Mission to Magnus was a more enjoyable story and was paced at a better level which is why it got slightly better rating of 82%. The rest of the series is due to be released in the first half of 2010.

COMPANION CHRONICLES

SERIES 3
The last five stories of the third series saw Ian Chesterton, Polly, Mike Yates, Jago and Litefoot and also the First Romana tell stories of their adventures with their Doctors. It was the Jago and Litefoot one that was the best received and got 88% which was the second highest rating for this series only behind the brilliant Home Truths which got 90%. The final story was quite impressive, the first Romana tells a story where she is the only person in the story. Normally the actor playing the companion has someone else to act against whereas Mary Tamm was acting solo.

SERIES 4
The fourth series started the following month after Stealers from Saiph was released. The first story of this series saw the first sequel in the Companion Chronicles range. Home Truths was so well received that Sara Kingdom came back in The Drowned World. Also during the course of the first half of the series we had another adventure from Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines), King Peladon (played by David Troughton) told a third Doctor story. Romana II (Lalla Ward) was returning after her only other appearance in the first series. This start to the series was the best that I recall. Hopefully the second half in 2010 carries on this strong start.

EIGHTH DOCTOR AND LUCIE

With their being no TV series to speak of. The clever chaps at Big Finish decided to get the eight episodes they normally do and split each of them into two so we get 16 x 25 minute episodes which were available to download every Saturday.

The stories were all very good with particular notice to be drawn to Hothouse which saw the Krynoids return after their only appearance in the Seeds of Doom (1976). Also Wirrn Dawn saw the Wirrn make their first appearance in audio. Another return was the dreaded (quite literally) Eight Legs. This two part story saw the Eight Truths take over earth only to be foiled by the Doctor.

This third series was certainly different however I think that it didn’t quite have the same impact that I felt the second series had. That said it was the Christmas Special that was the most eagerly awaited release. Death in Blackpool won the Best Spin-Off award. This story saw the departure of Lucie. Lucie was the audio version of Rose Tyler but was more manageable. Her departure was very emotional and was the best ending for the companion.

AN EARTHLY CHILD

The subscribers special saw the return of Susan Foreman to a proper adventure (previously she was in Here There Be Monsters in 2008). The Eighth Doctor was the one that met his granddaughter some 30 years after the events of The Dalek Invasion of Earth. It wasn’t about the plot but more about the emotional reunion between the Doctor and Susan. For anyone who doesn’t subscribe to the main range will have to wait until December 2010 before they can buy it and they will be in for a treat.

December saw the release of the second Cyberman series. I haven’t actually listened to this so this will probably be part of the 2010 review.

2009 has as mentioned been a fantastic year for all the different areas of Doctor Who. I have spent a small fortune buying the different series and I have to say that at no point during the course of the year have I regretted buying anything.

2010 has a lot to live up to!!!

Fear (2005)

The second part of the Cyberman series steps up a gear. After the first part was spent developing the characters and the setting we finally learn a bit more about some of the characters and what their motives are. It was important to make sure that this moves things along because otherwise the rest of the series was going to be a failure. The story pushes the character of Samantha Thorne. She was someone who was portrayed as a bit of a throw away character but in this she is given some character development. It was development in quite an unusual way. We also get a bit more information on the character of Karen and Liam. Liam's relationship is starting to break down as he spends most of this story separated from Karen. She is now working more and more closely with Paul Hunt who's motives are becoming more and more suspicious. Liam’s usefulness becomes less and less and his concerns about how the war is going doesn’t help matters.

The story takes an usual turn when Samantha is bought back. We learn that she has been working in the White House and has been abusing her power. This forms the beginning of a new strong relationship. This has potential to be something quite impressive but of course that could change. The cliffhanger is totally out of left field and totally thrilling. It’s the best cliffhanger so far sets a high standard.

This story did exactly what I expected them to. They moved the story along sufficiently enough to keep me interested in knowing the outcome of this series. All the different groups all have their own distinct characteristics. The second half of this series proves to be a fine ending. Nicholas Briggs has done a great job of writing and directing this series.

2009 Tomstardis Awards

BEST DOCTOR - Colin Baker
BEST COMPANION - Sheridan Smith (Lucie Miller)

BEST MAIN RANGE STORY - The Magic Mousetrap
BEST MAIN RANGE WRITER - Nicholas Briggs (Blue Forgotten Planet)
BEST MAIN RANGE DIRECTOR - Barnaby Edwards (The Eternal Summer)
BEST MAIN RANGE COVER DESIGNER - Howard Carter (Patient Zero)
BEST MAIN RANGE MUSIC & SOUND DESIGNER - Ian Robertson (Patient Zero)
BEST SERIES - Seventh (The Magic Mousetrap/Enemy of the Daleks/The Angel of Scutari)
BEST GUEST STAR - David Troughton (The Black Guardian – Destroyer of Delights)

BEST EIGHTH DOCTOR ADVENTURE - Death in Blackpool

BEST COMPANION CHRONICLES STORY - The Mahogany Murderers

BEST LOST STORY - The Nightmare Fair

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - India Fisher

Scorpius (2005)

Well it was bound to happen. After the Daleks got their own series it was the turn for the Silver Giants to get their turn. This was structured slightly different to what we got with Dalek Empire. This story is very much a set up episode. There isnt to much of the Cybermen in this one as this is a four part series its not a problem. What we know is that there is a war between the Humans and the Androids. The Androids have turned on their masters (very Battlestar Galatica) and this story sees how some help could be at hand for the humans. There are four characters that we are introduced to. There’s Paul Hunt, Samantha, Karen and Liam. The character of Karen is portrayed as a military leader who finds herself in a position where she is manipulated. She starts the story as a particularly nasty character who tortures someone to get information in one of the most disturbing scenes that I have ever heard from Big Finish, to be honest I found it unnecessary partly due to the length of that scene. She leads the military force and lost all of her men and she was portrayed as a hero. Apart from the torture scene she was quite a likeable character and I found her to being a character that was unsure about herself. The character of Paul Hunt was perhaps the most interesting as in every scene he was like someone who knew everything. The character was totally unlikeable but was still enthralling in every way.

As a first episode it was good. All the main characters were well laid out and the actors playing them are all likeable in different ways. Nicholas Briggs has done a great job with this story and did that classic trick in Doctor Who of holding out the monster until the last possible moment. It bodes well for the rest of the series.