Hunters of Earth (2013)

In Doctor Who’s 50^th Year, it was always going to be interesting to see how it would be celebrated. We are obviously/hopefully going to some epic on TV and so the audio side has to do something that feels just as epic. What has been decided is an eleven part series which tells a story from EVERY Doctor from the first up to the eleventh. This is a Big Finish production for Audiogo and you can either by this from the Audiogo or Big Finish website. I purchased the whole series from Big Finish for £40 which I must say is incredible value which works out at just under £4 per story. The first story is read by Carole Ann Ford and is set before An Unearthly Child, the story sees the youngsters in the surrounding area acting a bit unruly. There is a wonderful sense of gluminess which is how I imagine that period of time, the whole vibe of the story from start to finish was comforting and helped create a wonderful atmosphere.

The story is set when the Doctor and Susan have been on earth for just a couple of months so there is no sign of Barbara or Ian which considering there are scenes set at Coal Hill School is a shame because it would have been nice if there were just a mention such as ‘Teacher A was talking to Mr Chesterton’ or something along those lines but it’s a minor quibble.  What the story does do is put fear into the centre of the story which is something that doesn’t get used often as a plot device. Fear of the unknown is something that occurs in real life so its good when its put into a story.

Carole Ann Ford was really good in this. I felt that she gave a softer style in terms of how she was telling the story. Considering this was set before the TV adventures when the character of Susan was more child than adult and I thought that this story suited that era. Her impression of the Doctor is the only that lets it down. Her co-star was very good as well. Tam Williams played the character Cedric at the perfect level which complimented Susan. Together the characters had some good scenes and helped make this feel just like a companion chronicle.

Hunters of Earth is an enjoyable adventure. It was 85 minutes long but didn’t feel that long. As a standalone adventure it managed to have a different vibe to it even though it is identical to the companion chronicles that Big Finish also do.  I thought that the story was nice and straightforward which managed to have a nice plot to it and the final bit which reminds the listener that this is the first in a series of stories that have a theme. What that theme is I have no idea but I cant wait to find out. But the way that the premonition that Susan has and the way its introduced into the story was something that made me wish I had part two in my possession (which now I do).

Rating - 8/10