Lady Christina Series One

It Takes a Thief by John Dorney: I wasn't the biggest fan of either Planet of the Dead or Lady Christina on television so I was wondering if this would be for me at all. These are spin offs I probable wouldn't have touched had my partner not brought an entire set of Big Finishes with him when he moved in...and after listening to the first release of this set I am so glad he did because I would have missed out on some top quality Big Finishes because I was wrong. This is really perky and fun, always waiting to spring a twist on who is who and at the halfway point I thought I had called it and thought that Ivo was the villain of the piece but John Dorney is a much smarter writer than to leave his central twist in plain sight. I was wondering if the series would be bold enough to take the one element of Planet of the Dead that I loved the most (the flying bus) and Dorney waits until the stakes are high to re-introduce Lady Christina's bizarre and brilliant form of transport in a delightful sequence. Big Finish's Running Man (Warren Brown as Sam Bishop) turns up again - this the third spin off that I have heard him in in as many weeks and he is moving up the list of favourite returning characters. He's so earthy and resourceful and fun to be around and has slipped in next the ninth Doctor, Kate Stewart and Lady Christina effortlessly. This is a globe-trotting, fast paced, witty story that flew by as I was listening. I think I was expecting glamorous parties and Lady Christina's appallingly rich family to turn up in this opening story but instead what I got was Bond at its most effervescent with alien artefacts thrown in for good measure. A delightful beginning: 8/10 

Skin Deep by James Goss: A brilliant piece of character work that does unexpected things with both Lady Christina and Sylvia Noble whilst keeping them precisely in character with how they were portrayed on screen. I especially liked the use of Sylvia, because she is portrayed as an absolute monster of a mother and yet this is the most touching exploration of her aspirations to improve on her social status and meeting her match with people that are far more monstrous than she could ever be. It's a very clever piece of writing that manages to make a character fairly loathsome and thoroughly sympathetic at the same time. That's not to skip over the work that is done with Michelle Ryan, whose Christina has her own stakes in manipulating Sylvia, embarrassing her even, and then recognising what a force of nature she is. Her father proves to be the biggest monster of all, which throws sympathetic light on Christina. The finale scene between Alfred and Sylvia where she talks about her own relationship with Donna and asking him to repair his relationship with his daughter is superbly written and acted. That's not to take away from the wry satire on the beauty industry and and how this is an icky and fun monster story too. It has something for everyone. But the characters shine through the brightest. I wasn't counting on this range having much to say. I was wrong: 9/10

Portrait of a Lady by Tim Dawson: There are definite plusses to this tale. More Sam Bishop is a bonus because with every appearance I am liking him more and more, the brother and sister art theft duo with a warm motive for their crime is a lovely idea, the action is relentless and well scored, and Jenny Lee gives an unforgettable performance as the villainess of the piece - strait out of the Graham Williams era! But this is a pretty standard tale that feels like a mediocre Doctor Who story that has been beaten into a Lady Christina tale. About halfway through I was struggling to care about what was going on because I was zipping from location to location, and it wasn't until we went underwater (brilliantly realised) that I perked up again. This was okay. I've certainly heard far worse Big Finishes but it felt like a first draft of a script rather than a polished final version: 5/10

Death on the Mile by Donald McLeary: Again this is pretty good, if unspectacular proving that the most worth is in the first half of this set. I am a massive fan of the Slitheen but even I thought they were a little bit overdone here (and I loved the farting in Aliens of London). There's gas exchange and death by vinegar and nothing is particularly fresh about the race. Boom Town shocked by offering an empathetic look at the race but this isn't looking to redeem or explore the race. This is like a Big Finish reunion because it brings in both Sam Bishop but also Jacqui McGee from the UNIT range. She's no Sarah Jane Smith, but this bothersome reporter proves to be more resourceful than you might think. Helen Goldwyn directs with her usual energy and panache so it is a smooth listen but I can't say I remember much about it other than it was an agreeable, if unmemorable way to spend an hour. Not exactly the note you want to go out on: 5/10