Old Friends

Fond Farewell by David K. Barnes: I can remember when I first heard Ravagers and being quite appalled that Big Finish should introduce Christopher Eccleston to the world of original Doctor Who audio drama with such an uninvolving script. As a result I ducked out the range immediately and didn't return until almost a year later with this set. Had things began with something as weird and witty as Fond Farewell I would have been much more interested. This is a really tight bit of storytelling with a glorious premise; the deceased being able to attend their own wake and it milks that idea for every drop of humour and poignancy that it can. It's a murder mystery too boot and a has a lovely thread of character drama running through it too, just as you might expect from a story that is aping series one. I'm not sure about the 'old friends' premise because this is one of those acquaintances that the Doctor has met off screen (of the sort that was so prevalent in season 22) that we are visiting but it does give the set a hook to hang itself on I suppose. Helen Goldwyn is one of the safest pair of hands that Big Finish has directed stories these days and I do not mean that in a derogatory way at all. She has a lightness of touch that means her stories are bouncy and easy to listen to but she casts brilliantly too and so the words come alive in unexpected, memorable ways. I thought this rattled along at a hell of a pace and not even the prolonged flashback to explain the whodunnit reveal ruined the momentum. I can remember turning to Mark at the end of this and saying 'more please.' Best of all, Eccleston is every bit as a brilliant as he was during his TV run. Without a companion at his side he is funny, charismatic and impossible to ignore. A breath of fresh air for being short and very sweet: 8/10

The Way of the Burryman/The Forth Generation: I don't think Roy Gill is discussed nearly enough as a Doctor Who writer and he is quietly one of the more assured and creative people that Big Finish has on its staff. He's one of those writers that can dive into any series and get the tone and the feel of the range just right, and characterise the regulars brilliantly too. I especially loved his take on the tenth Doctor and Donna and thought the vinyl release of The Creeping Death was more than justified. This, however, is his best story yet, and perfectly illustrates why he isn't just your regular Doctor Who hack. It takes two of the most cliched ideas (the Doctor meeting the Brigadier and the return of the Cybermen) and conjures up a story that is ghoulish, emotionally stirring and beautifully characterised. Bringing in Warren Brown's character from the UNIT series is a lovely touch and giving him a meeting with the Doctor before his great adventure sets off (and a justification for it too) adds a lot of depth to the character. The Scottish setting that is seeped in myths and legends and atmosphere is a superbly evoked in both the writing and the direction, and Gill does something that is truly chilling with the Cybermen (leaning into the idea that people who have suffered so terribly would welcome the chance to be converted) that tapped into my fear. The first episode takes its time to get to know the characters (and it isn't a massive guest cast) and to establish the setting and ideas, but come the cliff-hanger we are in horror/tragedy territory with the Cybermen on the march in what would some of the most frightening scenes had this been on the telly. I'm not the biggest fan of the Cybermen at the best of times (all too often writers tap into the idea of them being scary robots rather than the walking dead) and Gill gets them just right. Real body horror and unsettlingly tragic. Eccleston is on fire here. He has mastered the humour in the role at this point but he was always going to be a wonderful dramatic actor in the part and he dances through relationship drama, exposition and reunions here with real aplomb. I listened to this story sitting outside in the sunshine but every time I shut my eyes I could see the shattered zombie Cybermen coming out of the fog. Kudos to Jon Culshaw who has really embraced the part of the Brigadier despite any fan resistance there might be and Gill taps into just how effective this pairing can be professionally as well as personally. There's no doubting they adore each other but they have a job to do and lives to save. There wasn't one part of this that I didn't think wasn't firing on all cylinders. This walks that delicate line between nostalgia and delivering something fresh and atmospheric: 9/10