It’s been 26 years since the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough travelled together. It’s the only combination that has never appeared on a Big Finish release (except for Adric but no one really to see him back). Sarah Sutton has appeared in loads of adventures over the last decade with Mark Strickson appearing in three adventures with an additional two companion chronicles. Janet Fielding has only appeared in one which was back in 2006. This series was perhaps more anticipated by me than the Sixth Doctor/Jamie adventure. The story takes place roughly two days after Enlightenment but for Nyssa it’s been 50 years since she left in Terminus. The story is quite a strange one. Essentially what happened was that they were trying to find the cure for a disease, found the cure and then went about trying to create a more variant strain that could only be cured from something created by ‘The Company’. However as it would turn out there is a traitor in the group and he is trying to get away so he can help his real group to make money out of it. As stories go it’s something that you would find in a murder drama.
The whole thing about this story is clever. The way that Nyssa was bought into the story even though due to the chronological placement of the story she had left was done in such a way that was believable and made sense. The biggest mystery in this story was how the TARDIS crew ended up as the skeletons. whilst it wasn’t the most simple of explanations it wasn’t as complicated as I feared. The explanation was something that made sense. It was the base’s computer that genetically created the four characters but was unable to complete them due to power failure. All the characters in this adventure were well written. I was particularly impressed with Bragg who sounded like Simon Williams (Captain Gilmore in Remembrance of the Daleks) but was actually played by Adrian Lukis. Admittedly the character only became interesting when it was revealed his true identity was revealed, by himself. The main cast were just a joy to listen to. The relationship between all four actors felt exactly like it did back in 1983. Even though they only had two adventures as a foursome it was still like watching Mawdryn Undead or Terminus. Whilst Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton sound exactly like they did all those years ago and Mark Strickson sounds a little different it was slightly disappointing that Janet Fielding didn’t make more of an effort to sound like 1980’s Tegan. That said, Fielding did a great job acting like the Tegan we all know and love to be irritated by. It seems a credit to Jonathan Morris that he made it seem like all four actors got the same amount of air time and perhaps got more of the action than they ever did on TV. Morris stated in the extras that he found it more of a challenge writing for three companions whereas in Big Finish plays the most you have to write for is two. Morris is one of those writers that sometimes I think is a good writer and then other times I think he’s just ok. This time Morris did a very good writer.
I’m not sure where the other two adventures will lead but with news that there will be a second series of adventures in 2011, it seems that the wait was worth it.
The whole thing about this story is clever. The way that Nyssa was bought into the story even though due to the chronological placement of the story she had left was done in such a way that was believable and made sense. The biggest mystery in this story was how the TARDIS crew ended up as the skeletons. whilst it wasn’t the most simple of explanations it wasn’t as complicated as I feared. The explanation was something that made sense. It was the base’s computer that genetically created the four characters but was unable to complete them due to power failure. All the characters in this adventure were well written. I was particularly impressed with Bragg who sounded like Simon Williams (Captain Gilmore in Remembrance of the Daleks) but was actually played by Adrian Lukis. Admittedly the character only became interesting when it was revealed his true identity was revealed, by himself. The main cast were just a joy to listen to. The relationship between all four actors felt exactly like it did back in 1983. Even though they only had two adventures as a foursome it was still like watching Mawdryn Undead or Terminus. Whilst Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton sound exactly like they did all those years ago and Mark Strickson sounds a little different it was slightly disappointing that Janet Fielding didn’t make more of an effort to sound like 1980’s Tegan. That said, Fielding did a great job acting like the Tegan we all know and love to be irritated by. It seems a credit to Jonathan Morris that he made it seem like all four actors got the same amount of air time and perhaps got more of the action than they ever did on TV. Morris stated in the extras that he found it more of a challenge writing for three companions whereas in Big Finish plays the most you have to write for is two. Morris is one of those writers that sometimes I think is a good writer and then other times I think he’s just ok. This time Morris did a very good writer.
I’m not sure where the other two adventures will lead but with news that there will be a second series of adventures in 2011, it seems that the wait was worth it.
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