The Sirens of Time: As an opening story this is probably a little too ambitious, especially since Big Finish were still finding their legs. I’m certain had they tried this story around the time of Zagreus when both the company and Nick Briggs had had much more practice at this sort of thing it would have been more dramatic and much more of an impact. It’s a nice idea to have three separate episodes with individual stories and then tie them all together in the final episode but everything feels oddly disjointed, that fourth episode is a long time coming and ending each episode on a cliffhanger that we don’t get to see resolved is frustrating and hard to move onto the next story. Saying that the story boasts some lovely ideas, some crude but still atmospheric audio landscapes and a good pace that never flags. Baker and Davison are surprise highlights whilst McCoy sounds oddly amateurish in places. It doesn’t help that the individual stories aren’t that interesting; episode two stands out and gives me hope that Big Finish will attempt more grand Historicals in the future. The final episode is okay but muted considering it is about 3 Doctors saving Gallifrey from invading conquerors. There is enough here to promise better things for the future but Nick Briggs will write and direct far better stories in the future: 5/10Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/01/sirens-of-time-written-and-directed-by.html
Buy it from Bigh Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/01-Doctor-Who-The-Sirens-of-Time
Phantasmagoria: A far more assured and confident production than The Sirens of Time with Nick Briggs grabbing hold of Mark Gatiss’ atmospheric and opportunistic script and bleeding it for every laugh and scare. This is traditional Doctor Who to the core and it revels in the fact, the Doctor is clever and amusing, the guest cast colourful and enjoyable and the villain is despicably hissable. There is nothing here that is especially fresh but the pieces are put together with such gusto and as an example of how agreeable and visual these audios can be it is still a fantastic adventure. Davison seems to enjoy the material, although Strickson feels a little forced. There is an extremely impressive guest cast, an abundance of witty lines and the whole thing moves along at a fair lick. Because I can’t keep listing standout performers I want to put a word in for Steve Wickham who puts in a very sweet performance as Samuel and would go on to play a character utterly different in The Fires of Vulcan. Phantasmagoria would probably flounder later on in the range where we expect things to be constantly innovative but as a positive first step in to producing adventures these Doctors could never have on the TV this story gets a huge thumbs up: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/01/phantasmagoria-by-mark-gatiss-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/02-Doctor-Who-Phantasmagoria
Land of the Dead: I can see what Cole was going for; a frosty, atmospheric character drama with monsters and he may have succeeded if this was a McGann and Lucie 50 minute episode but Land of the Dead is far too long and very poorly executed so it is perhaps the perfect representation of season 20! There doesn’t feel like there is an evolving plot or any meat to the story, there are just a lot of scenes that would probably look really cool on the telly with a big budget. The first episode is unspeakably boring, talky and uninvolving with dull characters saying dreary things and things only get worse. Brett goes from charming host to ranting villain with no motivation and Monica Lewis should have died a horrible death at the hands of the lacklustre monsters. When you have a cast this small you have to make sure and get the dynamics right but everything feels awkward. Davison tries his best with the material he is given, Sutton makes a positive return to the series but they are the only plus points in this stinker of an audio adventure. The worst crime is the missed opportunity; a snowy wasteland could make an atmospheric story…oddly Gary Russell would make a far better job of it in Winter for the Adept: 3/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/01/land-of-dead-by-stephen-cole-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/04-Doctor-Who-The-Land-of-the-Dead
Red Dawn: Considering its subject (a manned mission to Mars wakes up the Ice Warriors) this is one of the most uneventful and unhurried audios yet. With their great rasping voices you would think that the Ice Warriors would make an excellent audio monster but you have to give the something interesting to do make that work and here they merely strut about questioning everybody’s honour and getting captured. Big woo. The fifth Doctor and Peri make an engaging pair but are separated for most of the story so I’m yet to be convinced that stabbing continuity in the gut was worthwhile. Gary Russell needs to find a way to make these science fiction tales as dynamic and pleasing on the ear as the earthbound adventures; Red Dawn has a pretty unimpressive sound design and is only enlivened by its fantastic music. Not very fun to listen to: 4/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/02/red-dawn-written-by-justin-richards-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/08-Doctor-Who-Red-Dawn
Winter for the Adept: Beautifully scored, Winter for the Adept is a damn good stab at a ghost story. The first episode is a treat; the location, the talk of spirits, the howling wind and the evocative music all combine to create a feeling of quiet menace. When the Doctor shows up (in one of his best materialisations ever) the explanations come with him so the rest of the story doesn’t really live up to its early promise. Andrew Cartmel writes a surprisingly good fifth Doctor but fudges Nyssa by making her too spiky and his guest characters all have good dialogue and motives. The last episode disappoints because the ghostly happenings vanish and it all becomes about a (frankly) pathetic alien race who want to take over the Earth, like we haven’t seen that before. All the same the direction is constantly fresh and the events (their execution and the acting) really involve the listener. Nobody seems to want to write a ghost story for Doctor Who that is just a ghost story (Empire of Death) but this is the nearest we have come to a successful attempt: 7/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/02/winter-for-adept-written-by-andrew.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/10-Doctor-Who-Winter-for-the-Adept
The Mutant Phase: I used to hate The Mutant Phase and never got past episode two. Oh what a fool I am. This is an expertly crafted tale that takes its time giving you the answers you want and uses its early episodes to set up some great revelations in the latter ones. The very nature of the story – what makes the Daleks scared – is worth the admission price alone but if you can work your way through the low incident level of episodes one and two you are suddenly treated to some innovative and remarkable concepts. The Doctor and Nyssa discuss the intricacies of time travel, the Dalek Emperor is murdered, Skaro is destroyed and the Doctor goes back in time to save their metal hides. The script gives Davison and Sutton some great moments and as a result their give their best performances to date, especially Davison who has never seemed more commanding. The ending is a little abrupt but this is an exciting and complicated tale that will please the high concept fans who enjoy their Doctor Who loaded with clever ideas: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/03/mutant-phase-written-and-directed-by.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/15-Doctor-Who-The-Mutant-Phase
Loups-Garoux: Simply a gorgeous piece of writing that is brought to life with spectacular style by Nick Pegg. The delayed script of Loups-Garoux is a work of art with some complex characterisation, evocative scene setting and a moving story. The unusual pairing of the fifth Doctor and Turlough works wonderfully and like two bachelors travelling through time and space they both get two very different romances. The howls of wolves terrify throughout the story whether they are stalking through the desert, raiding the streets of Rio or rounding on the Doctor. It is rather magnificent how Platt fails to use any of the werewolf clichés and instead portrays them as an ancient and noble race trapped in a bestial form. It is another terrific performance by Peter Davison who makes a great pairing with Eleanor Bron and together you wonder for a few moments if the Doctor will finally settle down. It is hard to explain how powerful the story is without experiencing it but this is one of those Doctor Who stories that doesn’t feel like a Doctor Who story at all but a piece of drama that the Doctor happens to turn up in. Different in all the best ways: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/04/loups-garoux-by-marc-platt-and-directed.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/20-Doctor-Who-Loups-Garoux
Eye of the Scorpion: History brought to life at its finest in a rip roaring tale that sees Peri take centre stage, the Doctor dazzle in politics and introduces a fascinating new companion. Debut writer Iain McLaughlin brings a fresh approach to his storytelling and injects action adventure, history, politics and horror into his script and Gary Russell brings it to life with his usual skill. We finally see the advantages of writing Peri as an upbeat character and Nicola Bryant grabs the chance to bring some warmth and wit to the character and she genuinely impresses. Whilst I usually complain about alien influences intruding on historical stories I feel this is one tale that is enhance by its science fiction elements and the two combine to make a potent brew. An impressive piece, all the more delightful because it was so unexpected: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/05/eye-of-scorpion-by-iain-mclaughlin-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/24-Doctor-Who-The-Eye-of-the-Scorpion
Primeval: This story isn’t simply a retread of The Keeper of Traken but an exploration of the planets history and a powerful look at superstition, religion and morality. The first two episodes are quiet and uneventful and almost lethargic with their developments but re-introduce Traken with some style. Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton grab hold of this grab and milk for every bit of pathos it is worth and the Doctor and Nyssa leave the story as the ideal Doctor and companion combination. Russell Stone’s music imbues the story with a seductive quality and makes the whole thing easy on the ear and the developments in the last episode, especially the revelation of who Kwundaar is makes the story very polished and rewarding. A nice story in every sense of the word with some lovely dialogue and character touches: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/05/primeval-written-by-lance-parkin-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/26-Doctor-Who-Primeval
Spare Parts: Spare Parts is often cited as the ultimate Big Finish experience and whilst it is a very good production there is something lacking that prevents it from being one of my all time favourites. Don’t get me wrong this is a superb script which utilises the horror of the Cybermen better than most of the other stories they have appeared in and provides a clever and dramatic lead in to The Tenth Planet. Both Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton are very well served by this story, turning their performances up a notch and providing a standout moment in episode two where they argue over the right to wipe out the Cybermen. There is a feeling of foreboding throughout the story but there is something a little too clinical about it all, not enough emotional beats for me to really care about what is happening to these people. It doesn’t help that both Dodd and Frank are utterly unsympathetic characters that I couldn’t give a fig whether they lived or died. What this story needed was the hellish vision of Armageddon of Inferno but it never quite reaches that level of discomfort. However, it is still a strong piece of drama and is one of the strongest Cybermen stories: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/08/spare-parts-written-by-marc-platt-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/34-Doctor-Who-Spare-Parts
The Church and the Crown: Extremely likable, The Church and the Crown is a very amusing dabble into historical politics that strikes just the right note of fun. The three episodes build up the discord between the church and the crown, which then climaxes in triumph as they unite and kick the shit out of the English! With Nicola Bryant wowing us with her turn as Queen Anne, a cast that relishes the amusing dialogue and turn out excellent performances and a TARDIS crew that makes you want to dive in there with them this story has just about everything you could ask from a story. It’s a fresh approach to telling a historical because it never takes itself too seriously and as a result you get swept away in the swashbuckling adventure of it all. More like this please: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/08/church-and-crown-written-by-mark-wright.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/38-Doctor-Who-The-Church-and-the-Crown
Nekromenteia: With Bang Bang a Boom just gone and The Dark Flame to come, Nekromenteia makes for the heart of a trilogy of terrible stories that makes you wonder if Big Finish are running out of steam. The first episode is too fractured, with your attention divided a million ways with lots going on but nothing to follow and the story quickly becomes a bunch of unpleasant people betraying each other. John Ainsworth’s decent direction is lost because the story is unbearably dull and treats the regulars like bit players and gives the guest cast far more time than any of them deserve. The witches are among the most irritating Doctor Who aliens ever. This feels like a love letter to Eric Saward’s gritty approach to Doctor Who without any of the charm. It’s all oddly distant, unlovable and uninvolving: 3/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/08/nekromenteia-written-by-austen-atkinson.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/41-Doctor-Who-Nekromanteia
Creatures of Beauty: A forgotten masterpiece and a stunning experiment in fractured narration that results in grit your teeth suspense. It’s a piece which opens up some disturbing questions about the Doctor’s effect on the places he visits that wisely leaves you to come to your own conclusions. I love how the story’s climax is the end of part three and its beginning is at the start of part four, Briggs has clearly put a lot of thought into making this experiment work and manages to save a whoop-ass twist until the final few seconds which demands you give the story a second listen. David Daker gives the performance of a lifetime as Gilbrook; he is sinister, sadistic and yet rather wonderfully departs the story on a moment of pure poetry. Creatures of Beauty is not afraid to make its audience feel uncomfortable and in doing so it manages to be one of the most thought provoking stories yet. I cannot fault this story: 10/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/08/creatures-of-beauty-written-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/44-Doctor-Who-Creatures-of-Beauty
Omega: Its hard to know what to think of Omega because at verges between being brilliant, shocking on the one hand and highly imaginative and bland, expository and irritatingly theatrical on the other. The first three episodes are mostly useless; they plod along harmlessly enough with some sluggish direction but its episode four where all the meat is. For that half an hour you are treated to revelations, a conclusion bursting with ideas and some really fun moments. Peter Davison has rarely been better and it is a shame because he deserves a far more dramatic story to hang his performance on. His scenes with Ian Collier lack tension and chemistry though, which blunts the potentially terrifying idea of a duel personality inside Omega’s head. Fountain would jettison a lot of the pretension in his next script and really go for the comic jugular but it feels as though he is trying a little too hard here and the result is an patchy story with possibly Gary Russell’s weakest direction to date: 6/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/08/omega-written-by-nev-fountain-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/47-Doctor-Who-Omega
The Axis of Insanity: A nice return to form for Big Finish and the most Who-ish story since The Wormery. The Axis of Insanity is by no means perfect but here we have four episodes of fun and frolics, some tasty ideas being bandied about, a strong immersive production and some lovely moments for the Doctor and Erimem. Jarra is not the strongest villainess we have ever seen because she verges on the wrong side of hysterical cackling too often but she does make sure that the Doctor and co have a thoroughly unpleasant time and after all isn’t that what its all about. I loved the touch of the TARDIS graveyard but I do think the Axis could have been explored with some more depth. It would be nice to see some of the mistakes that Time Lords have cut out of reality. The Axis of Insanity promises good things from Big Finish still to come and I have never need that reassurance more than now: 7/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/10/axis-of-insanity-written-by-simon.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/56-Doctor-Who-The-Axis-of-Insanity
The Roof of the World: Halfway through I wondered if I had been too harsh on The Roof of the World since the story seemed to be progressing quite nicely but honestly nothing happens in the second half! As an exercise in prevarication and running on the spot whilst filling the story with pointless character moments those two episodes are second to none. That might be an ignominious reaction to this story, especially since the production itself is very strong and the performances are all quite subtle and nuanced but when the script lets you down there really is nothing that can salvage a story. I would recommend that any fan of Big Finish gives episode two a listen, a touch of atmosphere and insanity in all this blandness but otherwise there is nothing new to discover here. Inconsequential: 5/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2010/10/roof-of-world-written-by-adrian.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/59-Doctor-Who-The-Roof-of-the-World
The Game: Another strong story with a great blood pumping idea at the heart of the drama with the sports commentary is another great way to tell a story on audio. The episodes are short and punchy, exactly how a six parter should be and each instalment twists the story in a new direction. The fifth Doctor rails against a morally bankrupt system and Nyssa almost leaves him
in a fascinating turn for her character and both of them enjoy an intriguing relationship with William Russell’s Lord Carlisle. What a shame it becomes less interesting when Morian takes centre stage, a two bit gambling bully with little charm and a clichéd motivation. Still the story manages to keep up its swift pace for the two hour running time and there are plenty of exciting moments to keep things dramatic. A fun commentary on football hooliganism with lots of interesting moments: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/01/game-written-by-darin-henry-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/66-Doctor-Who-The-Game
Three’s a Crowd: Not so much slow paced as no paced, Three’s a Crowd is the epitome of dullness. It features a colourless location, characters who are either as irritating as pubic lice or unbelievably thick, banal dialogue and a lifeless narrative. Some people might rate it because Deborah Watling guest stars but she gives a mechanical performance and is playing a wretched character, it is simply another disappointment. No more stories from Colin Brake please, he cannot structure a story and his scripting is so plain there’s nary a good line for anybody. We’ve seen Davison, Bryant and Morris produce wonders together (The Church and the Crown) but this and Nekromenteia is making me wonder if they have already outlived their value: 3/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/01/threes-crowd-written-by-colin-brake-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish: http://www.bigfinish.com/69-Doctor-Who-Threes-a-Crowd
The Council of Nicaea: A powerful story that draws its drama from the characters by asking some powerful questions about religion and beliefs. The script is the most thoughtful and exciting we have had in an age and there isn’t a monster or corridor chase in sight. I have always loved the pure historicals and Caroline Symcox paints a gripping picture of Nicaea and gives an opinion to everybody from the lowest trader to the Emperor. It’s a superb story for the regulars as well, the Doctor fights to try and keep history on track and Erimem follows her heart despite who she might upset whilst Peri is desperately trying to keep them all together. Caroline Morris gives a dominant performance making Erimem’s righteousness a convincing condemnation of the Doctor being Time’s bitch. A welcome reminder of what Big Finish can achieve at its finest, ditching science fiction for gripping historical drama: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/01/council-of-nicaea-written-by-caroline.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/71-Doctor-Who-The-Council-of-Nicaea
Singularity: Often overlooked, Singularity has a substantial script and a top-notch production and is one of the strongest stories of late. James Swallow deserves kudos for not only providing a fresh new setting but also a cast of interesting, sympathetic guest characters and a wealth of deft concepts to play about with. There is some sublime material for both the Doctor and Turlough and Davison and Strickson once again make an intriguing all male team. The concept of the last of humanity heading into the past and changing their future is one that has been borrowed in the new series but it is not handled with half the audacity or conviction that it is here. This is precisely the sort of layered, confident storytelling Big Finish told far more regularly in its first 50 releases, these days it has to be a huge lurch from the norm to produce something this good. A welcome reminder of how good these audio dramas can be: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/02/singularity-written-by-james-swallow.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/76-Doctor-Who-Singularity
The Kingmaker: The last time I had this much fun with history and time travelling antics was City of Death and I don’t exaggerate when I hold this ingenious story in exactly the same league. Nev Fountain has written a fantastic script, which juggles passionate ideas, belly laughs, moments of genius and great character drama. No aliens in sight and yet this is still Doctor Who through and through, the guest cast are phenomenal and the direction keeps the story skipping along energetically. Fountain’s handling of the regulars is perfect, giving the usually colourless fifth Doctor some witty and wonderful moments, touching on Erimem’s ancestry and best of all pushing Peri into the limelight and have her go off like an emotional rocket. Two of the best Big Finish moments come with the revelation of who the Master really is and the identity of the real Princes – this story is beautifully thought through and has some delicious answers. Even the title is on the subterfuge. After an inconsistent run of stories that verged from ball squeezingly awful to tickle my fancies sublime, The Kingmaker is the first out and out classic in an age: 10/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/03/kingmaker-written-by-nev-fountain-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/81-Doctor-Who-The-Kingmaker
The Gathering: The antithesis of The Reaping so it is astonishing that both stories came from the same writer – a barely plotted (you don’t discover there is a plot until the second episode) Cyberman story with nothing interesting to say about the creatures and some truly horrible characterisation of the guest cast to add salt to the wound. None of the characters are remotely likable and hardly any of them have any depth beyond bolshie Australian, misguided Doctor and jilted ex lover. This was a chance to bring Tegan back to life with some real sparkle but it turns out she left the Doctor and denied her previous lifestyle, turned away friends, lost herself in her boring job and resented pretty much her entire life – I never thought they could have made Tegan even more obnoxious and unfriendly than she was during her three year run and I have never been more displeased to be proven wrong. The Gathering suggests that travelling with the Doctor can poison your mind and that’s a concept so disgusting I don’t even want to consider it. As much as the last scene tries to suggest she is happy the proof of her dull, repulsive, miserable lifestyle wafts from every scene in this play. A very hard story to like and a huge disappointment after the sterling effort in The Reaping. What’s that? Tegan’s coming back again? Really looking forward to that: 3/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/03/gathering-written-by-joseph-lidster-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/87-Doctor-Who-The-Gathering
Circular Time: Despite his New Adventures and Human Nature television masterpiece it is Circular Time that feels like Paul Cornell’s most personal opus. His favourite Doctor and ideal companion, the theme of the seasons, romance and regeneration – all of Cornell’s strengths burst into life within this story. Mike Maddox proves an excellent collaborator and together they produce four very strong, distinct, evocative stories. Circular Time is a superb first innings for the Nick Briggs’ produced audio dramas and kicked off the anthologies that would turn up sporadically and already raises the bar that none of the subsequent attempts have quite matched. A top quality release, superbly put together by John Ainsworth and one that turns evolves Nyssa’s character beautifully, this is highly recommended: 9/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/04/circular-time-written-by-paul-cornell.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/91-Doctor-Who-Circular-Time
Renaissance of the Daleks: Vietnam, Crusades, alternative realities, deadly toy Daleks, the Omniverse junction, wormholes to different times, a City made of Daleks, conditioned human Daleks – you certainly cannot accuse Renaissance of the Daleks of not being ambitious! I honestly don’t see what is so confusing about this story since everything (the time tracks, the toy Daleks, the whispering voices) is explained and tied up in the last episode and with some swagger I might say! Is this much criticised story as bad as people say it is? Not at all and I would go as far as to say it is worth seeking out because of its piss poor reputation – the ideas are incredible, there is some really fun imagery, the Doctor is on form and the story builds a threat that is unusually bloodless and fascinating. I even really enjoyed the hoping about from place to place, beautifully brought to life by John Ainsworth who is back on form. There are problems – Alice is the most irritating creation since Monica Lewis in Land of the Dead, the story feels top heavy with concepts at times and there is a massive gap in the middle of the story where all the characters hang out in the TARDIS for half an hour. Plus the conclusion isn’t quite as spectacular as I would have hoped for, it reminds me of one of those Star Trek style endings where Captain Kirk convinces the living bomb to kill itself. However I went into Renaissance of the Daleks expecting pain and was hugely surprised to find such a wealth of goodies – I haven’t even mentioned the terrific musical score which really adds to the drama. There’s about four stories going on at once here and they aren’t all given adequate time but as a quirky, labyrinthine bit of madness that genuinely gives the Daleks a new spin I give this story a thumbs up: 7/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/05/renaissance-of-daleks-written-by-who.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/93-Doctor-Who-Renaissance-of-the-Daleks
Exotron: The fact that I have spent much of this review discussing its chronology, the quality of cliff-hangers and plot similarities to other stories goes to show just how much interest I had in the actual story. Not a lot. Poor Barnaby Edwards, such a skilled audio director and lumbered with this uninspiring script from the usually reliable Paul Sutton. I’m not sure why Peri was included in this story, she really doesn’t contribute anything at all and it would have worked just as well if we had had three solo Doctor stories in a row. I read recently an opinion that every Doctor Who story should feel special – the person who wrote that seemed to be suggesting that every story until the current administration of Big Finish was special which I disagree with whole heartedly – but I do agree with the sentiment as in its most basic form. Exotron doesn’t feel special, it doesn’t even feel remotely interesting, it’s a cobbled together story of ideas I have seen better elsewhere and has the feel of mid season padding than an important part of the opening salvo of a spanking new era of audio storytelling. It doesn’t inspire great performances, there wasn’t any memorable dialogue and it doesn’t leave the debut director any chance to show his mettle…its just sort of there: 3/10
Urban Myths: I have seen this sort of thing done before (The X-Files was probably the most successful attempt with its comedy gem Bad Blood) but this is another delightful burst of sunshine that wont take up too much of your time. I’m not sure if the writers have got this quite the right way round as they seem to be injecting their one part stories with the shits and giggles that their main stories are lacking! This is a nicely constructed little comedy, written with some flair and with two bright central performances from Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant. What more could you ask for: 8/10
Full review here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/05/exotron-written-by-paul-sutton-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/95-Doctor-Who-Exotron
Son of the Dragon: The third gripping historical in a row for the team of the Doctor, Peri and Erimem and one of the most effective Big Finish adventures I have heard, The Son of the Dragon is a shocking reminder of what we have been missing from the main range of late. I am more convinced now than ever that Steve Lyons is one of the most effective audio writers and he understands the medium and how to exploit the lack of pictures and yet still paint some effective imagery, stir up the emotions and teach the audience something about his chosen period of history. This powerful script coupled with some dramatic direction from Barnaby Edwards and a gorgeous cinematic score leaves you with a story that aims high and scores big. Vlad makes for a startlingly effective villain, stripping away all the myths that surround the character but making him no less bloody and the performance by James Purefoy had me on edge throughout the production. It’s a fantastic story for the three regulars too with the Doctor being punished by history, Peri struggling to cope with the morality of the period and Erimem once again every bit as spellbinding and as alien (at least to Peri) as she has ever been. This isn’t just ‘I’ve been waiting for a great story for ages’ good, this is bloody brilliant: 10/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/05/son-of-dragon-written-by-steve-lyons.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/99-Doctor-Who-Son-of-the-Dragon
The Mind’s Eye: With the news of Erimem’s impending departure how clever to open a story with her already having left the Doctor and setting up shop on a colony in the future. Maybe it is cutting him down an episode and forcing a tighter script or perhaps the writer has learnt from past mistakes but The Mind’s Eye is hugely superior to Colin Brake’s previous audio - Three’s a Crowd. He throws so many ideas into the script that the audience doesn’t have time to get bored and whereas the regulars were handled dreadfully in his debut script all the Doctor, Peri & Erimem get some superb material here that once proves that it is one of the finest TARDIS teams Big Finish have produced. Several things stop this from being a complete success however; Brake’s plotting is too linear for its own good (simplistically so) and he fails to play about with the nature of reality in a way that is usually a given in these stories preferring instead to ultimately tell a far more traditional Doctor Who story. However there is a pace and sense of drama about this story that keeps it interesting and the direction has a drive and atmosphere to it that makes this story well worth a listen. Whilst this is a good story I honestly think Barnaby Edwards could direct the ass of anything (a shopping list) and make it work: 8/10
Mission of the Viyrans: Mission of the Viyrans is like one of those specially written scenes you get for comic relief which bridges the gap between stories like The Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion. It is in no way a satisfying story within its own right but more a teaser for what is to come. It scores points over 100 Days of the Doctor for not looking to the past for its inspiration but the future and hints of the Viyrans abilities and Erimem’s departure would both bear fruit before long. There’s some nice technical jiggery pokery and Nicola Bryant (as ever) gives it her all but there is nothing especially memorable about this interlude and it is the first one parter that doesn’t feel like a story in its own right: 5/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/06/minds-eye-written-by-colin-brake-and.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/102-Doctor-Who-The-Minds-Eye
The Bride of Peladon: Barnaby Edwards’ first script for the main range is an exciting reminiscence of past adventures on Peladon but with a darkly intelligent new take on the planet. The script is remarkably clear and full of incident and Edwards matches the quality of the dialogue and plotting with a futuristic gothic atmosphere that pervades the entire production. There is plenty here that will remind you of the seventies Peladon adventures but this is not simply a nostalgia fest because it continues the legacy of those tales by bringing it bang up to date and marrying it to some fascinating mythology from Earth. Of course this is where we wave goodbye to Erimem and it feels like it is too soon to say goodbye to such a strong character but at least she goes out on a high with her fans wanting more. Her decision to leave is perfectly understandable (and well built up in a number of her previous adventures) but that doesn’t mean that saying goodbye is any less upsetting. Another very strong story in what is turning into a splendid run of adventures: 9/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/06/bride-of-peladon-written-and-directed.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/104-Doctor-Who-The-Bride-of-Peladon
The Haunting of Thomas Brewster: In sharp contrast to The Dark Husband which featured probably the worst first episode to a release since Big Finish have begun, The Haunting of Thomas Brewster opens on the most attention grabbing, moody and exciting first episode in many years. Set over Brewster’s miserable childhood with the TARDIS is a beacon of hope appearing many times across his youth, I was dragged straight into this opening instalment thanks to its focus on the strong guest cast over the regulars. Just when you think episode two is going to tell the same tale from the Doctor and Nyssa’s point of view Morris trumps your expectations again with a brilliant conceit of the Doctor spending twelve months in Victorian London waiting for Nyssa to arrive. A hint of Dickens, a splash of Holmes, scares, action and innovation and even room for a sweet unrequited gay romance, this is a story that never stops giving. Haunting has all of the atmosphere and chills of the New Series’ The Unquiet Dead but wins out with its stronger cast of characters, more intelligent narrative and the host of surprises that get more insanely engaging as the story progresses. Even the brisker running time works in its favour because the story never feels as though it outstays its welcome and finishing flourish of the Doctor and Nyssa losing the TARDIS caps off an ingenious and practically flawless puzzle. Again in contrast with The Dark Husband (where it was the best thing about it) the really distracting music is probably the only thing preventing this story getting full marks: 9.5/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/06/haunting-of-thomas-brewster-written-by.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/107-Doctor-Who-The-Haunting-of-Thomas-Brewster
The Boy That Time Forgot: Sometimes I think Paul Magrs has gone stark staring mad and I’m often extremely glad that he has because he adds a welcome touch of the fantastic to a series that can so often get bogged down in the formulaic. You certainly couldn’t say that The Boy That Time Forgot conforms to any of the rules; it has a unique setting, a disparate bunch of characters, it shits all over continuity and it writes the TARDIS out of the equation completely in a way that feels rather permanent. For the most part these innovations conjure up a feeling of originality that is very refreshing and I found my enjoyment fuelled by the thought of fan boys weeping into their Tom Baker underpants and stamping their feet at the thought of continuing Adric’s story. That alone makes the exercise worthwhile. This is easily the darkest of Magrs’ plays by some stretch and benefits because of it, all the evocative fantasy elements are as you would expect but skewed by a sense of the macabre which makes the experience pleasingly disquieting. On the strength of some heated viewpoints I didn’t expect to like this very much and to my delight it turned out to be far more agreeable than the button pushing failure some of repute. It just goes to show – don’t read to reviews before you have heard something. Not even this one. Make up your own mind and mine says this is a worthy coda for Adric with some real bite: 8/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/06/boy-that-time-forgot-written-by-paul.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/110-Doctor-Who-The-Boy-That-Time-Forgot
The Judgement of Isskar: Result: The first half of The Judgement of Isskar is a bizarre hotchpotch of other stories that have been done better elsewhere. We visited Mars in Red Dawn (whilst the story wasn’t up to much the evocation of the Red Planet was more atmospheric and references her, encouraging the comparison), the panic of a natural disaster was brought to life more intimidatingly in The Last and as an introductory story to the Key to Time its no Ribos Operation. The one thing that The Judgement of Isskar manages to cling onto is the sense of epic; with the decaying Key to Time having to be discovered in a hurry across diverse cultures to prevent the collapse of the universe. It’s a rather gripping scenario for a trilogy of stories to be built around but its shame that it doesn’t come into play until around halfway through the story. The Key to Time season worked so well because it allowed for the time to tell its individual stories as well as exploring the umbrella theme but since we only have three slots to tell this quest in the opener takes in a myriad of locations and times. Even with two and a half episodes taking place on Safeplace I never connected with any of the characters or the situation that was unfolding. The direction is another weakness that hampers its success, with some very awkward jump cuts, a generally flat atmosphere and some awkwardly blended sound effects that rarely sound naturalistic. The last episode seems to devolved into lots of running around on tippy toes trying to avoid Martians and Tracers. I don’t want to say that I lost all interest but it had waned severely by the conclusion. For a Simon Guerrier script this feels messy and undisciplined but I think that was the quality he was aiming for in this whirlwind of ideas and locations to kick start the Key to Time trilogy. I just don’t think it was pulled off particularly well here. Even the last minute appearance of the Black Guardian failed to rouse me: 4/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-judgement-of-isskar-written-by.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-key-2-time---the-judgement-of-isskar-283
The Destroyer of Delights: Given that it is written by one of my favourite Bernice
Summerfield writers and directed by Benny herself (and also the person
responsible for the best of the companion chronicles range), I was expecting
great things of the middle segment of the Key2Time trilogy (see what I did
there?). This wasn’t quite I was expecting. Kick starting the trilogy format
for Big Finish, these stories seem to be going out of their way to be as busy
as possible as if they are trying to distract the audience from the fact that
they really aren’t particularly good. I always thought that they missed a trick
in season sixteen (one of my favourites, incidentally, so must have done quite
a lot right as well) by not allowing the Guardians to have a larger presence
(especially with actors of the like of Cyril Shaps and Valentine Dyall to play
them) but The Destroyer of Delights proves that I should be careful what I wish
for. Mis-characterised horribly, they indulge in an overly theatrical version
of some Arabian soap opera in what I can only assume is supposed to be a really
bad joke. There’s plenty of scenes of people standing around jabbering, issuing
threats and insulting each other but not a lot actually seems to happen.
Episode four seems to consist of all the characters indulging in a bizarre
amount of technobabble. At least the direction is more fluid this week with
Lisa Bowerman giving the extra an extra layer of polish but it feels in parts
that she has lost all control over both the actors and the musician which makes
the sound design its only salvation. Once Russell T Davies said that you needed
a recognisable element to every story (hence why so many of his were set on
contemporary Earth) to give the audience something to recognise and invest in.
I often thought that was hogwash because alien environments when done well can
be just as involving but with the past two releases my faith in that belief has
been sorely tried. There has been so little to grasp hold of that is either
something I can buy into or even give a damn about its almost as if they are
making this trilogy for somebody from another planet. The trouble is it felt as
though nothing mattered; the situation felt contrived, the characters one
dimensional, the consequences irrelevant and the Doctor’s involvement little
more than shouting to be heard. In all these cases it was really hard to give a
damn. Apparently every story has its champion but surely this isn’t anybody’s
favourite: 3/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-destroyer-of-delights-written-by.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-key-2-time---the-destroyer-of-delights-284
The Chaos Pool: Pluses to The Chaos Pool; the best direction of
the trilogy with Lisa Bowerman upping her game from The Destroyer of Delights,
a fabulous debut score from Jamie Robertson (just listen to the cinematic
bluster towards the end of episode one) and the decent twist about the identity
of Lalla Ward’s character. Already that is more pluses than the first two
stories combined. Minuses include more aimless storytelling that fails to go
anywhere, more ridiculous alien races that make no impact, more incoherent
technobabble that replaces actual plot twists to navigate the plot (‘your
singularity Matrix is amplifying the effect of the second Teuthoidian attack!’ and
similar such nonsense) and a conclusion to this trilogy that fails to cohere
into anything remotely plausible or satisfying. And as for Romana being the
sixth segment…where the hell is the script editor? Its rare to
find three such inept scripts in close proximity from Big Finish since their
run of form is usually pretty consistent (even the first Divergent Universe
season had The Natural History of Fear wedged between The Creed of the Kromon
and The Twilight Kingdom) and as an indicator of how well these trilogies are
going to play out I am surprised that they continued with the format after this
disastrous first attempt. I was desperately hoping that this trilogy would not
only do something pioneering with the Key to Time itself (it’s a device that can
turn itself into anything, there has to be more imaginative storytelling
possibilities with something as malleable as that) and show the
Guardians at their powerful best, juggling with universes to bend reality to
their will. Beyond the suggestion that the White Guardian is far more amoral
than we might have appeared (and I would question whether that was a good move
– why can’t they be as black and white as they were clearly set up to be?)
there is very little worthwhile exploration of these beings of any kind. What a
waste of time and of three stories; why did we need 360 odd minutes of poor
storytelling to reach exactly the same conclusion as the series did the last
time this situation played out? I despair: 4/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-chaos-pool-written-by-peter.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-key-2-time---the-chaos-pool-285
Castle of Fear: This is massively enjoyable but I beg of you not to give up on this story on the evidence of the first episode because it is a plotless half an hour of inexplicable mummery and setting up clues but the plot kicks in mere seconds after the second episode has begun and the story gets better and better and better. Big Finish have this uncanny ability of adding detail to televised stories without touching the continuity established on screen and this 12th century escapade offers a great explanation for why Linx was trapped on medieval Britain in The Time Warrior. I really appreciate the continuing use of Nyssa in the audios because they are giving more weight to Peter Davison’s assertion that she would have been an ideal solo companion for his Doctor and Sarah Sutton is ablaze with vigour throughout. Davison is no slouch either, clearly delighted to be back in cahoots with his favourite. I love the idea of a Rutan story where all of the characters aren’t who they claim to be but aren’t the Rutan either, it’s a deceptive concept that gives the third episode a real boost (everybody is putting on a duff accents because the characters are putting on a duff accents!). The comic tone of the piece is so unlike anything we have had from the main range for a while it has to be commended and once I had cleared the hurdle of the introductory episode I had a oodles of fun as the story uncoiled and all the characters dropped their masks. There are some great gags in there and the performances are all sublime and I desperately want to mark this story higher. A terrifically energetic start to the Stockbridge trilogy and like authentic mid eighties Who ends on an explosive cliffhanger: 8/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/12/castle-of-fear-written-by-alan-barnes.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/127-Doctor-Who-Castle-of-Fear
The Eternal Summer: Spellbinding, a story that continually evolves as it continues but feels skilfully structured throughout, juggles all manner of clever plot devices but ties everything together satisfactorily at the end. Scripts of this quality don’t come along every day and we’re fortunate that Barnaby Edwards was the director chosen to bring it to life because it has the same glorious mixture of genuine sentiment and splintered plot games that made his earlier masterpiece, The Chimes of Midnight, such a success. Edwards puts the puzzle together with real dexterity, capitalising on the choking moments of emotion whilst ensuring the mystery keeps you guessing and excited. There is an energy to the piece that is easy to be swept up in and the atmospherics of an English village make this adventure easy to conjure before your eyes. My favourite scenes where with the rancid old Doctor and Nyssa as they greedily fed on the villagers pain and love – it was such a gloriously macabre spin on the characters we know I was lapping it up. Jonathan Morris deserves a huge round of applause for continually coming up with the goods for Big Finish – his work has been of such a consistent high standard I fail to understand why the new series hasn’t snapped him up. I’ve always been fond of conundrum tales like this and enjoy working at solving a complicated plot and when it reaps rewards as much as The Eternal Summer I couldn’t be happier. A top notch fifth Doctor release of the type that is quite a rarity these days – this really was a phenomenal year of Big Finish adventures: 9/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/12/eternal-summer-written-by-jonathan.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/128-Doctor-Who-The-Eternal-Summer
Plague of the Daleks: The Daleks are in this story why exactly? One of the most sloppily written Big Finish stories for an age, Plague of the Daleks will strain your patience until it is worn away and you are left with angry frown lines etched into your face. Episode one is an irritating composite of unanswered questions, episode two is a zombie tale interlaced with some surreal moments of melodrama, episode three introduces the Daleks but fails to integrate them into the plot and the last episode has to catch up and try and explain everything that has been introduced in the story so far and fails spectacularly to bring the story to satisfying close. If you listen to the interviews on the disc you realise that the writer and the script editor both came to this story with different ideas (Barnes: the heritage Stockbridge and the Daleks, Morris: the zombies turned by rain) and the resulting story feels like a discordant clash of concepts that don’t belong together. What this story needs is a script editor who can tie all the disparate strands together into a satisfyingly coherent whole but what we are left with is a slapdash first draft. Proof that even the best of directors can have their off days because Plague of the Daleks feels as though it has been assembled without much care almost as if Edwards knows he is onto a stinker. Even the performances lack the usual conviction of a solid Big Finish cast with Liza Tarbuck and Keith Baron failing to make any impression at all. Forgettable roles for both the Doctor and Nyssa means Davison and Sutton’s contributions are pretty workmanlike too which is unthinkable after the last two scripts afforded them such luxurious opportunities. I considered turning this story off at the end of episode three and coming back to it later but I knew that if I did that I would never listen to the end so I forced myself to endure the conclusion. That is never a good a sign: 2/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/12/plague-of-daleks-written-by-mark-morris.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/129-Doctor-Who-Plague-of-the-Daleks
Cobwebs: The first episode of Cobwebs is purely designed to get everybody in a state about the return of Tegan and Turlough, re-introduce Nyssa as an older character and enjoy that 1980s atmosphere of exploring a derelict location (Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment feature similar explorations in their first episodes). For the most part this succeeds admirably and with some fine Jonny Morris dialogue steering the action its probably the most energised Davison adventure for some time (although your reaction will be determined on your opinion of Tegan, as exemplified above and below). The central mystery is a good one (if not entirely original to anybody who has put themselves through The Space Museum) although there are times when the script is seriously lacking incident and seems to allow too much time for characters to stand around arguing with each other. Barnaby Edwards’ direction is as stellar as ever, he builds up a terrific atmosphere in the early episodes and he gives the more animated moments of the script a real sense of urgency (aided by a superb Steve Foxon score). The second half improves with the pace picking up as the future catches up with our friends and Morris mines the morally bankrupt economy of the time to provide some tense scenes. Unfortunately the nuts and bolts of the story are a little too close to Morris’ earlier Festival of Death for my liking. Terrance Dicks has been mining his own oeuvre for ages now…I just expect something more original from Morris. My one serious complaint about Cobwebs is a personal one. I don’t like Tegan and I find Janet Fielding’s approach overly hysterical and unpersuasive. At times I desperately wanted to skip to the next track just to get away from the characters horrific, unceasing wailing (‘you might want to stick around and get killed but I’d rather not if its all the same to you!’). For Cobwebs and me that is a bit of a problem because Tegan is specifically spotlighted here and she poisons great swathes of the story. Somehow this is even worse than her appearance in The Gathering. Without this dermatological (she made me want to itch all over) hindrance it would score an easy 8 but as it is: 6/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/cobwebs-written-by-jonathan-morris-and.html
By it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/cobwebs-302
The Whispering Forest: I’m coming to the conclusion that achingly traditional stories simply aren’t my cup of tea because I found my mind wanting to wander throughout much of The Whispering Forest and I had to force myself to keep it on track. It’s not a bad story, per se, it’s just commonplace with very little that you wouldn’t have seen elsewhere in Doctor Who done with a great deal more oomph. It’s not even that indicative of season 20 which, for all its flaws, is a time of the thematic exploration of some quite weighty scientific ideas for the show. Beyond The Kings’ Demons there is little that year which is as conventional, plot wise, as this story. Whilst the story plays out along familiar lines (monsters in the forest – Nightmare of Eden, Planet of the Daleks, a colony that has been seeded by a crashed spaceship – The Face of Evil, Frontios, cod SF politics – Meglos, Arc of Infinity) it’s weighed down further by unbelievable dialogue (everybody talks as though they are imparting notifications all the time – ‘we must deal with my step-daughter and the strangers!’ or ‘so this is how the Takers keep taking!’) and weak characterisation (not so much the regulars because even Tegan is well handled for the most part here, but the guest cast fail to inspire) and a resolution which fails to bounce (the nature of the Shades is easily guessed). Valiantly trying to breathe some life into all of this is director Barnaby Edwards and Fox and Yason taking care of the sound design and music but it’s not their best work by a long chalk and adds to the feeling of dissatisfaction. The Whispering Forest has some pretty hefty credentials propping up what is a very suspect script and like many an episode in series six of the new series it tries to convince you with a riveting cliffhanger that it is a lot better than it actually is: 4/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-whispering-forest-written-by.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-whispering-forest-303
The Cradle of the Snake: I wasn’t sure what to expect from Cradle of the Snake. Looking at opinions online (something I rarely do before listening to something) seems to find this tale caught in a state of marmite flux, some love it and others loathe it. I’m not so enamoured with the Mara tales on television as everybody else seems to be (Snakedance is very good but I could pick many holes in Kinda) and if anybody was going to be brave enough to step into Christopher Bailey’s shoes then I too would have suggested Marc Platt. One of the things that made the best parts of Kinda and Snakedance so special was that they handled their themes and ideas subtly but that seems to be entirely absent here. The Mara is less of a conceptual horror and more of a tenapenny villain that can hop from one mind to another (dream imagery aside, its no different from Cassandra in New Earth) and the melodramatic performances from the regulars merely support the idea that this is a bog standard nasty that revels in carnage but has little depth beyond that. Big Finish have been known to innovate elements from the TV series (the Daleks, Davros, the Master) and they’ve occasionally taken something that did work and fudge it (the Metebelies Spiders, the Krynoid, the Kraals). Platt seems to have fundamentally misunderstood what that Mara is all about and as such perhaps this was one sacred element (that might sound like hyperbole but this villain really is revered) of the show that should have been left alone. What I really took from this adventure was that Revenge of the Sith feeling of all the elements dovetailing together, the story of the Mara’s emergence and Empire building as spoken of in Snakedance is recounted here and there is something quite stimulating about having the foreknowledge that things aren’t going to turn out well for this civilisation. Its unfortunate that the early promise devolves into what is little more than turbulent shouting in the last episode – it really does feel that Marc Platt and Barnaby Edwards (two of the most competent staffers at Big Finish) have bought into the Eastenders school of thought that histrionics equals drama when it so often has the reverse effect. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, there are some elements that are worth highlighting (particularly the performances of the regulars, especially Davison) but taken as a whole this fails to live up its potential and squanders an opportunity and I’m not sure which is more disappointing. Marc Platt is one of the most involving and intelligent writers to have ever worked on Doctor Who but he seems to have lost his way with this script, plumping for standard action adventure rather than engaging with the (potentially interesting) ideas in a penetrating fashion. I don’t want to say that this trilogy has been entirely without merit because that would be disingenuous (Cobwebs paints an ugly picture of the future, The Whispering Forest eventually gets Tegan right and Snake plays about with some weighty ideas) but each story has been weighed down by some pretty hefty flaws. I sometimes feel that when a character/actor returns to the fold the audience gets so wrapped up in the excitement and freshness of that and that is blinds people from the deficiencies inherent in their opening stories. The first season of fourth Doctor adventures was given a reprieve in that regard and this trilogy is another example. Tegan and Turlough are back and it is refreshing to have the fifth Doctor stories re-animated because of this but this isn’t the strongest run of tales to greet their return: 4/10
Full Review Here: http://www.docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-cradle-of-snake-written-by-marc.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-cradle-of-the-snake-304
Heroes of Sontar: The worst first episode for a release in many years…Heroes of Sontar had to get better as it went along and thankfully it does. The biggest problem is that the humour fails more than it hits the spot and there is nothing more painful than something that is trying too hard to be funny and failing. It’s in its moments of pathos that the story scores its biggest triumphs; the trooper who cannot admit he is afraid, questioning his people’s warlike attitude and refusing to commit suicide because of who he is are all great moments that actually mean something. Tegan and Turlough are a fantastic pair and work far better on audio than they ever did on TV and the story at least skips along a fair old pace. But the narrative itself is pretty mediocre, the ideas tired and beyond the few moments that I smirked and overall it felt more like filler material than the impressive reintroduction of one the Doctor’s greatest enemies. An energetic failiure: 5/10
Full Review Here: http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2011/07/heroes-of-sontar-written-by-alan-barnes.html
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://bigfinish.com/146-Doctor-Who-Heroes-of-Sontar
Kiss of Death: To give Steve Cole his credit he has written a perfectly authentic season 20 story. The Doctor is as dull as dishwater, Nyssa is sidelined, the plotting is slack, the dialogue is banal and lifeless and the guest cast lack any character whatsoever. The only noticeable difference I could find from stories such as Arc of Infinity, Terminus and The Kings Demons was that Tegan seemed to be extremely complimentary about everything but that wierded me out too much to be effective. There are two massive issues with this story and the first is that it opens with a wham bang thank you ma’am opening of kidnapping and pursuit but then 15 minutes into the story we arrive on the winter planet and where the plot yawns to a halt for the rest of the story. To term this story as a run-around actually insults that particular genre of Doctor Who so lets call it a stand still-around. Secondly the Turlough/Deela relationship fails to convince on any level, the writing keeps them at arms length and the actors sound awkward together which results in a flat subplot and highlighting the most predictable cliffhanger in yonks. Add to this a general lack of enthusiasm from the cast and a dearth of original ideas (oh look…doppelgangers!) and it actually makes me yearn for the comedy Sontarans to return. An excellent musical score aside, Kiss of Death is extremely forgettable stuff: 4/10
Full Review Here:
Buy it from Big Finish here: http://bigfinish.com/147-Doctor-Who-Kiss-of-Death
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