Reviewed by Richard Brinck-Johnsen

Written By: David Llewellyn
Directed By: Scott Handcock
Starring: Ciara Janson (Abby), Laura Doddington (Zara), Nicholas Briggs (Sherlock Holmes), Alexander Vlahos (Dorian Gray), Katy Manning (Iris Wildthyme), Chase Masterson (Vienna Salvatore), Lisa Bowerman (Bernice Summerfield)
Released: May 2015

Last year’s celebratory release The Worlds of Doctor Who weaved a linking story through various spin-offs from the Big Finish Doctor Who range. The Worlds of Big Finish follows a similar premise, this time telling a story linked by six half-hour episodes of Big Finish’s original ranges. It is not the first time some of these characters have interacted given that despite their status as original series, several of these characters made their debuts within the Doctor Who universe. Dorian Gray first appeared in the Bernice Summerfield play Shades of Gray and went on to interact with Sherlock Holmes in the 2012 release Ghosts of Christmas Past. Each episode is presented as a standalone with its own unique title theme and all a very much in keeping with the series they are part of.

All six episodes have been written by David Llewellyn who manages the overall continuity extremely effectively. He also captures the widely varying styles of the six ranges very well.

The set begins with Graceless: The Archive, there are some very obvious continuity pointers which place this story during the third (and until recently seemingly final) series featuring Abby and Zara. Any listeners who have not heard Graceless before may find themselves feeling initially confused however once the story proper gets going it proves to be an enjoyable murder mystery set in a vast library of the distant future. Janson and Doddington reprising their lead roles have a great rapport so despite the series having appeared to reach a definitive ending in 2013, this listener is pleased to learn that Graceless IV has been commissioned to be released next year. The story ends with an important book being transported back to Earth in the mid-nineteenth century, thus setting the scene neatly for the next episode.

Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Bloomsbury Bomber is a neat little adventure in which the world famous consulting detective comes out of retirement in 1911 to assist his brother Mycroft by investigating a series of bookshop bombings in Bloomsbury. A neat continuity touch is the casting as Mycroft of David Warner, who had previously played the character in the 2008 Bernice Summerfield play The Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel. The initial scene between Nicholas Briggs and Warner as the two sparring brothers is possibly one of the highlights of this boxset. The outcome of the adventure is not entirely satisfactory for Holmes but it dovetails very neatly into the next episode.

Dorian Gray: The Feast of Magog picks up the ongoing story in 1927 and relocates the action to Tredegar House near Newport, which will be familiar to filming location savvy Doctor Who fans. A character from the previous episode returns, still intent on recovering a certain book which has terrible consequences. However, like Sherlock Holmes before him, Dorian remains in the dark as to the truth behind the ongoing mystery.

If anyone from the worlds of Big Finish were to save the Earth from a mysterious threat from another universe, the last person you would expect to fulfil that task would be the trans-temporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme. However, despite a lighter, more comedic tone than the three darker episodes that have preceeded it, Kronos Vad’s History of Earth (Vol. 36,379) proved to be possibly the most enjoyable of all the six episodes. Katy Manning’s Iris gets some genuinely funny lines and whilst the plot may seem a little linear it does serve to tie up a notable loose end from an earlier episode and set events in motion that will be picked up in the remaining two parts.

And so we reach the penultimate episode, Vienna: The Lady from Callisto Rhys. This listener has not encountered Vienna before so this means nothing to me. However, Chase Masterson’s bounty hunter character was likeable enough that I may consider reviewing her previous adventures in the near future. A few hundred years into the future on an inhabited Mars, Vienna is hired to track down a woman who has fled taking with her a certain rather important book. Typically there is an element of double-cross and a neat surprise appearance by a familiar voice to set the scene for the final part of the story.

The story finds its conclusion in Bernice Summerfield: The Phantom Wreck. I’ve listened to all of Bernice’s many audio adventures that have been released since 1998 and so Lisa Bowerman’s presence is naturally reassuring. This final episode very much belongs to her and to Terry Molloy’s Captain Quinn. As an individual episode this makes for an enjoyable listen but without wanting to spoil the ending for the whole boxset this listener found the denouement to be slightly disappointing. A small consolation is to be found by the story concluding with an extended version of a new arrangement of the Bernice Summerfield theme tune which is a definite improvement on the most recent of its many iterations.

Overall, The Worlds of Big Finish fulfils its brief cleverly and avoids causing any headaches by keeping all the main characters within their respective continuities, rather than having period based characters such as Sherlock Holmes travel to other worlds. Each of the standalone episodes works well as an advert for the six ranges they represent and the linking story provides a satisfying listen for Big Finish fans.

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Written and Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, and John Leeson
with Hugh Ross, Jacqueline King, and Daisy Dunlop
Released January 2015

Big Finish love stories. They also love to join the dots and play 'What If'. The urge to revisit a half-developed idea which might briefly have played upon the mind of a harassed TV writer before finding its way into one of your favourite stories can be irresistible.  

And who can blame them? They have the entire canon of Classic Doctor Who as their sandbox. You'd probably do the same, the only restrictions are availability of cast, mostly through mortality - and for some characters death is not proving an end, as heard in the Lost Stories, Early Adventures, and the forthcoming Third Doctor Box Set.

In this, the opener of the latest series of Fourth Doctor Adventures, self-proclaimed biggest fan of Death to the Daleks Nick Briggs decides to put some flesh on the bones of the Exxilons, a race that we know slipped into savagery after building their great city. We know that the friendly ones live underground and glow a bit in the right light. We know that the unfriendly ones are grunting, spear-wielding primitives. And, we know that their great city, in the grand tradition of deserted great cities of Doctor Who, is a bit of a swine.

Arriving on a developing planet, the Doctor, Leela, and K9 find themselves in the middle of a conflict between outwardly civilised humanoids, and some grunting, spear-wielding primitives who have been put to work building a mysterious structure. The Doctor and his companions are separated - he ends up with the primitives, meanwhile, Leela and K9 fall foul of the alien visitors and the malign power of their structure.

However, just as you think you know where this is going, Writer/Director Briggs pulls the rug. The race with the spears aren't who you think they are, they're called the Tarl. The advanced civilisation who had the 'deal' with them (effectively ended by the death of the Tarl leader's son) are the race that will one day end up smashing up a Dalek with rudimentary weapons in a quarry.

The Exxilons are using the Tarl to build a beacon to transmit across the stars and power their great city, a sentient city that they serve. It fills their heads, and gives them orders. It also attacks the minds of all that aren't Exxilons, and drains them, even the brains of Time Lords aren't safe. Aside from this though, they're a long way off the race depicted in Death to the Daleks, they sound nothing like the Exxilons from that story, and clearly look nothing like them either, as it takes a while for the Doctor to put two and two together, and tribe leader Ergu (Tim Treloar) has to do the name-dropping. How the Exxilons we meet in this story become that race is hinted at, but largely left to the imagination when one of their number, Trexa (Daisy Dunlop) rebels against the city, having bonded with the late son of the tribe leader.

Dunlop is the strongest of the guest cast, giving a spirited performance as the spirited junior overseer who develops a conscience. Treloar is also good as Ergu, given the tough gig of having to portray a monosyllabic tribe leader he manages to strike up a good rapport with the Doctor, who he dubs "Everywhere Man". Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are both very good here, their performances are pitched just right. Several series and a few box sets in, one of the best Doctor and Companion pairings ever are quite possibly better than they ever were together on TV.

The rest of the small cast are more of a mixed bag. Jacqueline King as Calura is perfectly good, but is unrecognisable behind a puzzling American accent, and Hugh Ross as villain Gethal is a bit all over the place - one minute coolly officious, the next he's chewing the scenery like a Drashig. Maybe Briggs will bring back the Exxilons to bridge the gap. Their loss of identity should feel tragic, but instead it feels like they deserve to fall as a civilisation and that's that - a little unfair for a species ruled by their evil city, who will one day end up as frog-eyed, bark-skinned savages when the city rejects them. The Exxilons aren't the nicest people, but there's surely a pay-off in the waiting. Still, minor quibbles aside, this is a strong season opener, both well-executed and pacey.

Tweet

Reviewed by Ben Breen

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs
Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Michael Maloney (Gregor Saraton), Gillian Kearney (Mina Challis), James George (Knight Commander Elunas), Steven Alexander (Knight Commander Ollerie), Nicholas Briggs (Baragor/Zygons/Knights)
Released August 2014

To someone who is only a casual Doctor Who fan, the Zygons may not be the most familiar of The Doctor’s proverbial rogue’s gallery.  For over 3 decades, their sole appearance was during a single story, 1975’s ‘Terror of the Zygons’.  However, with the simulcast event that was The Day of The Doctor, this particular foe has made a rather remarkable comeback.

The opening scene of Zygon Hunt, from Season 3 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures, is something reminiscent of Jurassic Park, aside from the otherworldly setting and the lack of actual dinosaurs.  A team of big game hunters move through the jungles of the unnamed planet, shooting for sport any beast that they deem worth having a crack at. However, as the scene changes, we see what looks like a radar screen, with what can only be described as a large animal moving across it accompanied by a steady blipping noise.

The Doctor and Leela land on the planet, with the usual spell of comedic dialogue, remarking that the weather is better this time round.  As they move off into the jungle, Leela shows her Sevateem heritage by applying moss to a wound they find on an injured, pterodactyl-like creature.  As Leela tells the creature to “rest a while”, it becomes apparent that her and The Doctor are being watched.  A hunting party suddenly emerges and Mena, an engineer, points a gun at the time travellers.  It is revealed that the “Solar Knights”, with Mena as their Commander’s Adjutant, are on the planet Garros on shore leave.  While The Doctor and Leela converse with Mina, it appears as if they are being observed or listened to from an undefined location.

The Doctor remarks that the reptilian species they just helped are “the largest inhabitants of Garros”.   However, upon hearing a loud roar in the distance, they realise that this might not be the case.  The Solar Knights pursue the large creature they are “hunting for sport” and it dives into a lagoon, so they take up positions to be ready when it surfaces.

Mina takes The Doctor and Leela back to the lodge, whilst Saraton, the Knight Commander, arrives after a conversation showing the relationship he shares with his “little helper”.  Saraton’s interrogation of The Doctor and Leela turns sour when the “savage” reveals what Mina recounted earlier, much to the Knight Commander’s derision.  His moment of anger is cut short when Elunas, one of the officers, falls from a balcony.  The fall, The Doctor believes, is not what killed him, but Saraton refuses to listen and the actual cause of death is almost glossed over.

While The Doctor and Leela escape from Saraton’s guards, we see unidentified individuals watching over proceedings, seeming interested in the use of The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.  As The Doctor and Leela attempt to return to the TARDIS, they see Mina with one of the large creatures being hunted earlier.  The beasts are seen to be feeding smaller creatures, which The Doctor identifies as Zygons.  The Doctor and Leela watch the scene unfold, with a Zygon remarking that it is only a matter of time before they capture Saraton.

The second episode opens with the attempted massacre of the Zygons, with Saraton believing they have hired The Doctor and Leela to kill him.  Saraton is suspicious of Mina, but isn’t entirely sure of the underlying facts.  The Doctor, meanwhile, has a “change of heart” and decides to solve the various mysteries that plague the planet after all, whilst making his way with Leela back to the lodge.  They are halted in their progress by a Knight, who is promptly killed by a Zygon – demonstrating the Doctor’s revelation that they are “deadly at close quarters”.  Leela is unsure why The Doctor then wishes to speak to Mina, considering the events that have transpired, but is eventually convinced.

It emerges that Gregor is a war criminal and the Zygon plan is to destroy the human race for the sake of preservation.  However, Mina experiences a crisis of conscience but still attempts to kill the time travellers as part of her mission.  The Doctor and Leela are observed discussing their next move, as Leela states that she has a “cunning plan”.

The revelations that make up the rest of the episode are well written and detailed, including a reference to the Loch Ness Monster!  The final confrontation and negotiation attempts are intense, with Gregor not realising his end is nigh until it’s too late.

The conclusion to the episode is heart-warming; with the Zygons realising that Earth is not the only place capable of settling Zygon life.  With that, the time travellers depart the planet Garros, The Doctor and Leela realising that their companionship is of great importance to one another.  The Doctor pushes a control on the Tardis console, landing them in their next adventure, unsure of when or where they have ended up.

The vocal casting, as for the previously reviewed Season 3 Fourth Doctor Adventures, is well-suited.  The Zygons are clearly distinct from the rest of the cast by their almost ice warrior like whisper with the planet’s own jungle life also being part of the immersive atmosphere.   As for the Solar Knights, Ollerie and Elunas are acted well, with the Knight Commander encompassing every inch of the power hungry “mankind patriot”.

The Doctor and Leela work well together, playing off of each other as has become customary, with the comedic misunderstandings and misinterpretations keeping the story flowing.  The score fits the era well and whilst it is ever present, it makes itself known only when it wishes to, paralleling the Zygons themselves.

In conclusion, this story is well crafted and leaves many questions unanswered for a reasonable length of time.  In spite of the relative lack of action, the acting from all sides be it the Solar Knights, The Doctor and Leela, or the Zygons, is more than enough to make this adventure worth a listen.  With or without prior knowledge of the Zygons this adventure should be an interesting new listen for any fan.  However, background may be needed to make the principles explained easier to understand.

Tweet

The long awaited Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular has begun its week long tour of the UK in stunning style, with two magnificent shows at the SSE Wembley Arena in London.

The show gives fans a chance to hear the amazing music Murray Gold has written for the series, played live by a full orchestra, and its an experience no fan should miss.

The music is performed brilliantly by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, who have been playing the music on the Doctor Who soundtrack since Christmas 2005, and certainly know their stuff. Their very existence is a tribute to the diversity of the BBC and one which should be celebrated. The orchestra are once more under the sonic baton of Ben Foster, who has orchestrated many of the pieces for the series and who, as well leading the musicians, gets to battle a Dalek on stage.

Peter Davison makes for an affable host, witty and entertaining as he guides the audience through the programme of events. He obviously enjoys the feedback from the live audience as he keeps the show bubbling along. Davison is in a unique position, being not only the fifth Doctor, but the father-in-law of the Tenth, a situation he uses for comic effect.

The music is drawn from the past ten years of the show, with the various suites evoking powerful memories. The show starts with the Twelfth Doctor's theme A Good Man? before recalling the breadth of the series in Wherever, Whenever. The Companions features the themes written for Rose, Martha, Donna and Amy and the first act comes to a stunning climax with Last Christmas.

Part Two kicks off with All the Strange Strange Creatures and The Impossible Girl before 66 Seconds gives the audience a chance to be frightened as a Foretold lurches its way around the arena. The Pandorica Suite is followed by the haunting Abigail's Song from A Christmas Carol which gives soloist Elin Manahan Thomas a chance to shine. The show concludes with This is Gallifrey from The Day of the Doctor and the Death in Heaven Suite.

Of course, there is an encore, and it really is a case of saving the best until last when one of the most evocative, most moving pieces Gold has written for the series, Vale Decem, gets a well deserved outing, complete with images from the entire history of the show.

The tingles really do flow down the spine at the climax of the show, when Foster leads the orchestra, conducting that iconic theme tune, first heard in 1963, and never sounding better than when played by a talented orchestra, in front of an arena full of adoring fans.

The show continues at Wembley on Sunday, with performances following throughout the week in Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Ticket information is on the BBC Events Website.

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Series 8 Original Television Soundtrack (Music CD)
Available 18 May 2015

With just a few months left before Series 9 of Doctor Who hits our screens in Britain and across the globe, there is a new soundtrack release once again from musician-veteran Murray Gold. This covers the many exciting stories of Series 8 (along with the last Christmas special).This release certainly offers quantity, with 68 tracks spread out on the  3 CDs, and for the very most part also is one of quality.

Having enjoyed Matt Smith's tenure for the most part - but finding it a small step down from the days of David Tennant - I often found myself tapping my feet to the pleasant harmonies Gold would come up with, but wondering if more scope could have been employed. This new collection certainly offers quite a bit more variety and is a great barometer of just how eclectic Series 8 has been. 'A Good Man?' is the new theme for the latest Doctor and is ebullient; seeming to represent the phase that 'Twelve' is going through as he comes to terms with his new identity and markedly older look for many a regeneration. It recurs throughout various other tracks in the collection and always feels like a 'punch-the-air' moment. My personal favourite variation on the theme is the shrill 'Free Fall' which reaffirms the Doctor's bond with the TARDIS and also has him performing a Superman-eque fall without batting an eye.

There is a generous allotment of music for the Series 8 premiere Deep Breath - an episode which I found watchable but forgettable compared to its bedfellows in the first third of the television run. However as we all now know the identity of the antagonist who presided over a surreal 'heaven' domain, it is quite rewarding to have her theme be established, then somewhat cast aside, only to be authoritively echoed much later on. Clearly Gold was clued into the Moffat Masterplan and such bonds amongst the production team are part of the reason Capaldi's debut worked so well.

Several episodes well enough but don't stand out from their music - perhaps the sign of a smooth integration, which was actually intended -- including Into the Dalek and Flatline. For the most part though each section of tracks has something to offer, and can go from the darkest of moods to the most frivolous. As regards the latter, I particularly enjoyed the Robin Hood escapade themes again on their own. That episode will never go down in the Who hall of fame, but it stands up better than I thought it would, so all credit to Gold and his associates there.

Listen is probably the most cerebral of all the episodes Moffat was credite with writing onscreen, and often had some eerie silences and a bleak sense of foreboding. But once again Gold knew just when to flip the switch and give some more immediate atmosphere with gentle instrumental pieces. But when a bit of bombast and sheer electricity is the order of the day, then look no further than the music for Mummy On The Orient Express and the Series 8 multi-part finale. As for the Last Christmas sections - representing a Yuletide episode I much preferred to the 2012 and 2013 efforts - then Gold is very much at his peak level, relishing the twisty-turny narrative and disturbing themes that story so adeptly conveyed. As a result the third CD contains almost all the 'top 10' of the sixty-and-eight total.

Almost all the tracks deserve multiple listens to do them justice and they are easily recalled in a person's 'inner ear' without straying into the irritatingly catchy type of music.

This whole awareness and care/attention is commendable indeed, but probably no less than one would expect given the composer's pedigree and substantial experience on Doctor Who, a show so full of versatility nowadays, that I myself hesitate to use sc-fi/fantasy to label it.  

I would hazard a guess that the many Who aficionados out there confidently expect more excellence from team 'Moffat-and-co', as they to add more layers to the onion that is Capaldi's Time Lord. The soundtrack once again will likely rise to the occasion. .

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Written by Gareth Roberts
Adapted by John Dorney
Starring Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and John Leeson 
 with Michael Troughton, Tim McInnerny, Jon Glover,
Jane Slavin, and David Troughton
Directed by Ken Bentley
Released April 2015

The last of Gareth Roberts' trilogy of Fourth Doctor novels to be adapted for audio by Big Finish is great fun. It's rather a lot of great fun though, like a seven-course meal shared with friends. It's slow-burning, filled with good ingredients and fine conversation, but also a little hard to digest in one go.

In Roberts' earlier efforts, The Romance of Crime and The English Way of Death he gave us first a fine trad-Who story, then something a little more out-there. This is a Season Finale story turned up to eleven, it's a lot of story to fit into the four episodes here. The cliffhangers in the book are preserved by John Dorney, rather than reorganising into an easier six-parter. It's all good stuff, with an excellent cast, but the episodes are rather long.

The Well-Mannered War opens with the Doctor, Romana, and K9 landing in the middle of a war between humans and the tortoise-like Chelonians -  a conflict that is taking rather a long time to get going, over a century in. As wars go, it's more like a mild inter-office dispute. The opposing sides get on well, they go for dinner together. The war even has its own tea-trolley.

Being Doctor Who, of course this can't last - suspicious deaths on both sides lead to the war escalating into actual conflict, and the TARDIS crew are quickly separated and flung into variously investigating just who or what is behind this, and election campaigning, as K9 suddenly becomes rosette material. There are sinister carrion-flies, well-meaning robots, a fake civilisation, and an old foe to deal with. The overall effect is somewhat like a drastic rewiring of The Armageddon Factor, such is the amount of shared DNA. The dose of black humour is a little less than in The English Way of Death, this is more of a space-opera.

The Doctor, in truth, takes a bit of a backseat for the middle episodes, whilst Romana and K9 take centre-stage. Both are flung full-pelt into proceedings with cowardly artist Menlove Stokes (Michael Troughton, reprising his role from The Romance of Crime) in tow, whilst the Doctor plays sleuth with the Chelonians. That said, although they're separated for so much of the story, the three leads are all on fine form. Tom Baker is rarely better than here, his slightly moodier performance recalling the Hinchcliffe years in places. Lalla Ward and John Leeson are simply a delight, their rapport carries the story through some complex exposition, but most of all it's the character work that stands out for all three. Dorney's skilful adaptation of Roberts' story perfectly recaptures that spirit of '79.

With a fine guest cast, and some strong direction, music, and sound design - The Well-Mannered War is a fine tasting menu of a Doctor Who story. As with the original, it ends on a cliffhanger, as the Doctor pulls the TARDIS out of reality to escape the Black Guardian. We never found out how this was resolved, but Big Finish have recently announced that The Fourth Doctor, Romana, and K9 are due to return for more adventures. Perhaps we'll finally find out what happened next.

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Writer Rob Williams
Artist Simon Fraser
Designer Rob Farmer,Colorist Gary Caldwell
Letterer Richard Starkings And Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt

Covers - Regular: Blair Shedd,
Subscription Incentive: Rob Farmer

Editor Andrew James
Assistant Editor Kirsten Murray
Released - March 2015

*Spoilers for this issue, which features many final events in the ongoing story-arc.*


"Hello,you are now owned by SERVEyouinc. Congratulations You" - The Doctor in a 'welcoming' mood.


No longer going by the moniker of the 'Doctor', is a man in charge of the insidious SERVEYOUinc who functions as an underhanded Chief Executive. Now fully involved with the corporation's plan to spread its state of monochrome hypnosis far and wide across time and space, this individual's former allies must do their best to fight a losing battle. The trio of Alice, Jones and the ARC creature show a real bond and a sense of justice which was not always apparent before. But will it be enough? Perhaps a very familiar apparition will play its part in steadying the ship before all chaos breaks loose for good...

Suitably building on the various oddball elements of issues gone by, this pivotal entry in the Eleventh Doctor line is as surreal as they come, and none the poorer for it. It evokes some of the themes found in such TV stories as 'Human Nature' and 'The Next Doctor' and explores the need for the genuine article present in order for problems to be resolved. By the same token the role of those closest to the Doctor is just as vital; the two human and one alien characters must constantly remind the Doctor just why he can never let self-pity and resignation take him over, even if many negative emotions are inevitable from being the last survivor of a powerful race. It has always been the TARDIS crew* that can prevent checkmate falling in favour of the enemy, and in this case an enemy so soulless that it is arguably not even in the 'evil' category.

This also is an issue that blends all the elements that have impressed in other stories - be they ones that followed the arc closely or were more standalone. They include: good character development, revelation, action set pieces, and some suspense over what a particular choice will entail.

Another big plus for me was the way that there was a constant sense of jeopardy, and an engaging element that puts the reader firmly in the same boat as the small team who somehow must find a solution with limited resources. Right until the dénouement nothing feels safe or guaranteed.

Granted, the coda does veer a little into sentimentality, with an almost overly utopia environment for those who appeared to be condemned victims. But ultimately the previously established themes and concepts of enforced joy and satisfaction being a curse, and the ability to manage 'ups and downs' as part of living life properly are what impress most. No Helen A, Fifi or Kandyman reprising their roles from the polarising 1988 TV story 'The Happiness Patrol' here, but nonetheless this provides a good evocation for the modern Doctor Who follower.


Alice continues to be written supremely well, and her major role in figuring out how to reach out to the Doctor enthrals the reader throughout. She also has help from an 'external hard drive program'; perhaps somewhat predictably, given all the set up of previous issues. But the story has real heart and soul to it, as we continue to observe the journey for the ex-librarian who has learnt life lessons most of her fellow Earthlings will never have the chance to.

This is also a very strong outing for Jones, with yet another new look which is both laughable and sublime, and evocative of the true uniqueness that is David Bowie. Even ARC isn't just there to make up the numbers and look amusing in any given panel, and even at one point performs a rescue manoeuvre which few others could conceive of.

Artwork is more than up to the ambition and objectives of the narrative. Simon Fraser did a stand out job in the brilliant 'timey wimey' issue 6, and this latest effort of his is almost up to that magnitude of composition and energy. Colour schemes are used with a real purpose, demonstrating a strong unison of effort between Fraser and Gary Caldwell.

Also pleasing is the portrayal of the very different Doctor-antagonist, the striking attire of Jones, the grey-purple backdrops of the city asteroid and most notably the symbolic Alice-as-the-Doctor front cover.

So in conclusion, we have various dangling story arc elements seemingly resolved with impressive finality. The story works as an ending, where so many conclusions to 2 parters on screen do somewhat falter and end up being the weaker link. And despite all the heaviness of mood and the sense of loss, the key aim of Doctor Who being fun escapism is not forgotten in the narrative.


BONUS COMIC SKETCH:

' We Love Titans' is a nice little bit of self-indulgence, which also ties into the main story's basic plot. A pony, a genie and a sinfully caloric hot drink are some of the elements of the deliberately thin story here.

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Written by Russell T. Davies, 
Adapted by Jonathan Morris
StarringSylvester McCoy, Travis Oliver, Yasmin Bannerman, with Denise Black, Michelle Collins, and Peter Barrett
Directed by Ken Bentley
Released April 2015

Revivals are a funny old thing. In popular culture, they tend to happen because something happened, say, twenty years ago. These revivals tend to take the form of TV specials or talking head documentaries detailing trends or fashion crimes of the time - or, in music, themed anniversary gigs or 'special editions' of albums. 

Big Finish is having its very own 90s revival at the moment. Thankfully, it's chosen to leave out the dodgy fashions and the Macarena. 

The 1990s were, arguably, not a brilliant time to be a Doctor Who fan. The TV series was effectively dead for the entire decade, barring around fourteen minutes in '93 and ninety in '96 when it briefly stirred from its slumber. However, Who enjoyed an extended afterlife in print through most of the 90s, where old hands and hungry young writers were given practical carte blanche to bend the rules, and take the TARDIS to new, more grown up places. 

Having successfully adapted a slew of the New Adventures and Missing Adventures novels, Big Finish have now moved on to one of the big hitters, Damaged Goods, a 1996 novel by one Russell T. Davies, expertly adapted here by Jonathan Morris.

Damaged Goods is an interesting beast, looking both forwards and backwards. It's very much a New Adventure in that we have a mysterious chess-player of a Seventh Doctor, new companions, adult content, Gallifreyan super-weapons, and grisly death everywhere. However, there's also a germ of the sort of Doctor Who that Davies would bring us nine years later, with its late-80s council estate setting, strong female characters, and that instantly recognisable dialogue. In fact, the only person not talking like a character in an RTD episode of Who is the Doctor himself. Sylvester McCoy is in a mellow mood here, rrrrrrrolling his rrrrrrs, and clearly very much enjoying himself.

He's not the snappy Doctor of 2005 - instead his dialogue is mysterious and florid, much more the Cartmel Masterplan than the Bad Wolf scenario, but it's a refreshing look at what might have been if the likes of RTD had got their hands on the series earlier.

He's joined here by Travis Oliver and Yasmin Bannerman as NA Companions Chris Cwej and Roz Forrester. Both are already established by the time of the original novel, and Morris wisely doesn't waste much time introducing them, instead choosing to write them in by basically having them arrive with the Doctor and that's that. Oliver is gung-ho and likeable throughout, playing up nicely to the coded sexual come-ons he receives. Bannerman is equally good, but in truth doesn't have as much to do, being basically back-up whilst the Doctor solves mysteries and Chris.....gets involved.

The story isn't quite a straight adaptation, instead this is more the sort of rewrite that Davies himself would later perform on Paul Cornell's Human Nature - faithful, but retooled for audio with hindsight and a few changes made with Davies' blessing. There's still sex and drugs, but the famous same-sex fumble between Chris and David is now a little less explicit, and the cocaine being dealt by the Capper in the novel is now, a 'made-up drug' - Smile, perhaps in tribute to Chris Morris's 'Cake' episode of Brass Eye.

This doesn't mean the story's been in any way neutered. This feels more like the darker moments of The Second Coming and Cucumber. The dialogue sings, but it's dark as hell, with perhaps the only concession to a family audience being a note of hope at the end.

The real heart of the tale is the terrible bargain that Winnie Tyler (Michelle Collins) strikes in the 1977-set prologue. The moment where she gives away one of her twin babies, through a third party, to rich, childless Mrs Jericho (Denise Black). Collins plays a troubled everywoman, driven to do the unthinkable by desperation. Black's Mrs Jericho is utterly chilling, appearing initially meek and grief-stricken, before she literally transforms before your ears into a very prim and proper murderer, who calmly visits the vendor to announce that she has been sold a faulty child and wants an exchange, whilst all hell breaks loose around them. In fact, she's almost oblivious to it. Further darkness is added by the creepy Capper, a reanimated grinning corpse full of tentacles, played by Peter Barrett. Barrett has a tough gig, having to convey undead malevolence purely through a low, gravelly voice and gritted teeth. He pulls it off, but is overshadowed slightly by the more human menace of Mrs Jericho.

The sound design and Ken Bentley's direction are both first-rate. The cast and crew rise to the material brilliantly, and Morris brilliantly re-weaves RTD's story for audio. Morris also surprisingly drops in one or two very on-the-nose new series references which I won't bring up here. One is definitely a portent of things to come, considering Big Finish's recent announcements about a certain institute based in Cardiff. The other could be something. I'll leave you to decide. New series links or not, this is another excellent offering from Big Finish. it's perhaps the only time we'll hear a Davies story on audio, but, you never know.......

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Doctor Who News has conducted another interview with a writer for one of the Titan Comics series; this time meeting Cavan Scott - who is behind the brand new Ninth Doctor mini-series.

Which other sci-fi or fantasy shows do you regard in the same league as Doctor Who and why?

That’s a tough question. For sheer longevity, I guess you have to talk about Star Trek, which re-invents itself for each passing generation. For engaging characters, it’s Buffy and Angel, even after all this time. But there’s nothing like Who. The old cliché about the format being infinitely flexible is only a cliché because it works. Nothing is as adaptable as Doctor Who. Nothing at all.

What has made you such a huge fan and eventual contributor to the comic strip medium? 

The comics actually helped me become a fan of Doctor Who. I'd watched the show since Tom Baker was the Doctor but started to read Doctor Who Monthly around the time of the Fifth Doctor. I immediately fell in love with the strip, an obsession that only grew during the Sixth Doctor's tenure. I adored the Sixth Doctor's comic run. Frobisher. Voyager. Sheer brilliance. I was already a comic fan, so they really helped cement my love for Who. And then there was the Marvel US reprints of the Four Doctor strips. I became obsessed with collecting back issues, which lead me into the wonderful world of Doctor Who merchandise and books and underpants and... Basically I was doomed. As soon as I started to write Doctor Who professionally, I knew I wanted to write Who comics, and eventually I've got there.

How did you get involved in this mini-series project for Titan?

I was working with Titan on Adventure Time strips for their UK comic when the news came through that they'd won the licence, so I started asking around until I got hold of Andrew James the editor. He'd read Who-ology so we got talking and it went from there.

What do you regard as the Ninth Doctor's 3 biggest strengths?

Enthusiasm. Renewed hope. Straight-talking.

And his 3 biggest weaknesses?

His temper. Intolerance, at times. Women (seriously, he is such a flirt)

When Doctor Who was first brought back in 2005 could you really have imagined what a colossal hit it has gone on to become?

I hoped, but had no idea it would be so popular. But I'm very glad it is. One of the best moments of 2005 was doing a signing and seeing so many children at the event. Finally, Doctor Who was back and where it belonged - in the heart of families!

Does the Ninth Doctor regard Rose as anymore than a really close friend - (the TV show could be quite ambiguous at times)?

That's a good question. I think he desperately needed someone like Rose, someone to hold his hand and run. She reminded him of what it was like before the Time War, and I think that, yes, there was something more there, but he was wary of letting himself get too close. And then of course, he regenerated into someone who suited her more, changing himself to become something that might be more appealing to her. How many of us have done that for someone we fancy?

You have Captain Jack on the TARDIS crew in your story. Do you enjoy the slightly uneasy relationship that he has had with the Doctor, and why do you think the tension is there?

I love it! I think Jack and the Doctor see much of themselves in each other. That's why there's so much teasing and banter. They're slightly jealous of each other, not so much over Rose, but about who the other person is.

What was the main inspiration for the mini-series (apart from the lone TV season that featured Christopher Eccleston)?

The Time War. Ever since the show’s return I wondered why no one tried to fill the Time Lords shows. Nature abhors a vacuum and all that. This is the story of someone who tries - and what happens when the Doctor crosses their path.

Why do you think Doctor Who has endured for over half a century, and what makes it so suitable for other mediums than just the television?

It’s the flexibility I mentioned earlier. It can be hard science fiction one minute, whimsy the next. Horror? No problem. Comedy? All in a day’s work. If you don't like stories set in the Victorian age, don’t worry, the TARDIS will be in space next week. Want a silly runaround? An intense character piece? A farce? A thriller? Doctor Who can be all these things and more.

Are the Daleks your favourite monsters, and if not which are// and if so why (delete as applicable)

They are. I know, I know, how predictable, right? It’s because they're the ultimate foil for the Doctor. He's about freedom and self-destiny, they're about control and domination. But the Zygons come a close second in my eyes, because, well, they're awesome. I mean look at them. Suckers. Teeth. Control panels that look like pizza toppings.

Apart from your considerable fictional body of work, you have done some non-fiction. Which of these projects has been the most rewarding for you?

Fiction and non-fiction are different kinds of story-telling. Your job is to take the reader or viewer on a journey, to hook them in, whether its fact or fiction. Working on both keeps me fresh, I hope! 

Related Articles: Review - The Ninth Doctor Mini-Series - Issue One

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Written by Jonathan Morris
Directed by Ken Bentley
Starring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, and Mark Strickson, with Robert Duncan and Catherine Skinner

Sometimes, Doctor Who is slightly dark. Sometimes that darkness is offset by black humour. Other times it's not, and it's just plain bleak. This is one of those times.

The Entropy Plague wraps up both Big Finish's new E-Space Trilogy, and the story of the older Nyssa. Rather than picking straight up from Equilibrium's cliffhanger, it does something different. It opens with the Doctor sombrely visiting Nyssa's son Adric to deliver some bad news, and the story unfolds in flashback, with all four members of the TARDIS crew 'narrating' in turn. We know right from the off that something has gone terribly wrong, and that Nyssa isn't coming back.

The TARDIS crew, in pursuit of the kidnapped Tegan, arrives on Apollyon, a world that knows it is dying, a world with no power, wracked with entropy - patrolled by steam-powered robots and menaced by horrifying 'Sandmen'.

Here, fruit rots within minutes, and desperate citizens offer themselves up as 'tributes' to amoral scientist Pallister (Robert Duncan) in an attempt to get off-world. Pallister guards a portal - a way out of the CVE and back into N-Space, but it's powered by human life-force. The tributes are quite literally sacrifices, procured for Pallister by a group of space pirates led by one Captain Branarack.

The pirates are quite cartoonish, with their broad West Country accents and constant leering they just don't quite sit right with the rest of the story - which is so bleak that they don't even provide any form of light relief. The sneaky Pallister, on the other hand, is excellently played by Duncan. There's not a lot to him as a villain apart from standard-issue amorality and self-preservation, but Duncan runs with it and makes him compelling. Catherine Skinner also does well as the plucky Cherryanne.

The episodic flashback format is unusual, but works pretty well. Ken Bentley does a fine job of directing as always, and the sound design is superb with its hissing Sandmen and steam-driven Sentinels.

Writer Jonathan Morris really excels on two fronts. The first is a fine bit of world-building - vividly binding together not only themes from the rest of the trilogy but nods to Warriors Gate, The Keeper of Traken, and Logopolis, with a soupcon of the mexican day of the dead thrown in against a backdrop of dying stars. The second is in some fine material for both the Doctor and Nyssa, with the former starting off on rattling form - charming and cunning, until he realises how hopeless their situation is, and attempts to sacrifice himself by staying behind in E-Space. Peter Davison makes this all sound effortless, his Doctor is lining himself up here to do basically the same as his much older self will one day volunteer for on Trenzalore, he sells it well with a tiny hint of regret, and a sense of responsibility for dragging everyone into this.

Meanwhile, Sarah Sutton quietly steals the show - as wise, gentle Nyssa calmly and gracefully steps into the breach to save E-Space, at the expense of her freedom, leaving her friends and family bereft. This looks to be her final bow, her final speech is beautifully written and tear-jerking. Although it ends with a slight note of hope, this looks like more of a full stop than a comma. Nyssa has had more character development on audio than she ever did on TV, and her character has really grown.

Tegan and Turlough slightly fall by the wayside for parts of the story due to various collapses and captures, but have valuable contributions to make, with Tegan the angry voice of humanity and reason, while Turlough's trademark selfish nature twists well into upset frustration when his friends try to sacrifice themselves. It's a nice added dimension to his character, and it really adds to the story. 

Knowing Big Finish, this might not necessarily be goodbye for Nyssa, but if it is, it's a beautiful, sad send-off for an underrated companion - one of the Doctor's best friends. The Entropy Plague isn't always an easy ride, but goodbyes aren't always easy.

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

STORY - Robbie Morrison
ART - Brian Williamson, COLORS - Hi-Fi
LETTERS - Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
COVER - Blair Shedd, DESIGNER - Rob Farmer
EDITOR - Andrew James, ASSISTANT EDITOR - Kirsten Murray
PUBLISHER -Titan Comics - 2015

Mysteries and paranormal events are unleashed in this new arc for the current TARDIS crew. With a rather brutal enemy overcome, the way is open for the Doctor to grapple with a rather more elusive entity which has some pretty radical methods for achieving its goal. A goal whose exact nature remains to be seen.

With Coal Hill School once again in the foreground for the confrontations to come, as well as the presence of old allies ' UNIT', there is an element of 'been there, done that'. But will something nasty rear its head?

This story is as complex in its own way as 'Swords of Kali', but reads in a more immediately accessible way that is also less demanding of the general reader. It remains to be seen if the concluding sections work as well as the set up that is presented here.

Rather interestingly we join the Doctor and Clara as they contend with a very large but also rather stupid adversary who barely makes the duo break sweat in achieving victory. In the process the Judoon (one of the RTD era's best creations) get a name check but don't manage to actually appear.

The adventure proper for the duo then begins, although relevant events have already been presented to the reader in the story's initial pages which certainly set a mysterious and unpredictable tone.

This story notably picks up quite a while after issue 5's conclusion as Danny Pink has gone to the great place in the sky - both literally and metaphorically - following TV Series 8's finale.

Clara at this point in her life is truly enjoying her travels with the Scottish-accented Gallifreyan. Yet she wants another spell at the comfortable (by comparison) day job of teaching. Before the wish can be granted, they must both respond to a problem at UNIT where a reality gate has run amok. Paul Foster, who happens to be the late father of one of Clara's pupils, was killed in a car accident, but had been working on the projects with the gate; scientific work that the Doctor is very critical of as he once again meets Kate Stewart.

By having key Who settings and supporting players recur, this is really the first in this Twelfth Doctor range to reflect the general make-up of the TV series featuring the current Doctor and his companion. 

Writer Robbie Morrison continues to impress me following his earlier work in the preceding set of issues. He is a great portrayer of individuals who have a certain identity and powerful emotions that flow from the trials and tribulations of their life choices. The key theme of loss and family ties is well conveyed and gives some weight to what could have potentially been a mere romp, - 'Swords' already set a standard for a lot of moving players but also telling more than just a plot heavy narrative. Hopefully Morrison maintains this quality for a good while yet.

Also welcome is some respite from the more outlandish settings and multiple time zones with the threat being focused on contemporary Earth, barring that rarely used practice of having a finale to a mostly un-told story.

I would rate, Brian Williamson, as a  competent artist for the line, maybe favouring a rather literal style, with little of the quirks or artistic licence of some other contributors to other Doctor Who titles of late. Perhaps less commendable is the choice of limited colour -- the story jumps around more than enough here but the colours don't quite match this diversity.

Nonetheless any weaknesses almost get eliminated by the end as the actual cliffhanger with the major villains revealed is striking and memorable. At the very least I hope for this story to match 'TerrorFormer's quality on the basis of the potential so far displayed, if 'Swords of Kali's level would prove a step too far.

**

Bonus Comedic Strips:

"Sewer Monster" has a clever use of the Doctor and Clara in conversation but only one of them actually appearing. Yet another creature from the RTD era is brought back by writer/artist AJ, but perhaps not necessarily the most fearsome one, despite the piece's title.

"The Partying of the Ways" is also nostalgic, whilst managing to be very strong in its principal role as a comedic mini-story. It again shows the fruits of the Colin Bell/ Neil Slorance partnership. Clara's relationship with her centuries old friend is explored to an extent, whilst also organically growing out of the somewhat chaotic scenario they find themselves in.

Tweet

Reviewed by Reviewed by Damian Christie

Written by Scott Handcock & David Llewellyn Produced and directed by Scott Handcock Big Finish Productions, 2015

“Tell me Lukas, what do you know about the Adherents of Ohm?”

President Romana, Gallifrey: Intervention Earth  

Gallifrey was originally conceived by long-time Big Finish and Doctor Who alumnus Gary Russell as BF’s answer to The West Wing, combining the power plays and politicking of Gallifrey’s inner halls of power with extraterrestrial and temporal threats from beyond the Time Lord capital. The mainstays of the series – Romana, Leela and Co-ordinator Narvin (Seán Carlsen), head of the Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA) – began as bitter rivals before remarkably becoming close allies.

Unlike its parent program Doctor Who, Gallifrey’s first 24 chapters across six series were generally complete stories of roughly one hour’s duration each, with numerous story arcs flowing over into subsequent episodes, and for the most part set on Gallifrey (or in later boxsets, variations of the Time Lords’ home world).

The latest instalment of Gallifrey is a departure from the norm in several ways. Intervention Earth is a single story which eschews the one-hour format for a structure more like a classic Doctor Who four-parter (each episode of 30 minutes duration). The overall serial is also intended to be broader and faster-paced, focusing on a conspiracy that is not only confined to Gallifrey but which (as the title obviously implies) encompasses Earth as well. Indeed producer, director and writer Scott Handcock in early publicity for this title described it as “Time Lords meets 24”, an evolution on the Time Lords/West Wing analogy, although that is really an exaggeration. The pace of this serial is very, very different from the urgency and tension of 24. In fact, it strays little from Russell’s original concept.

Of the veterans of earlier series, only Carlsen reprises the role of Narvin. President Romana is also back but in this story the role is not portrayed by veteran Lalla Ward. Instead, the honour falls to former Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumnus Juliet Landau, who portrayed the Time Lady’s third incarnation in Gallifrey VI as well as the Doctor Who Companion Chronicle Luna Romana. Landau portrays a regenerated Romana sometime after the events of Gallifrey VI, when she is in the last term of her presidency. Leela’s role in this drama is ably filled by the Seventh Doctor’s long-running companion Ace (Sophie Aldred). Now a CIA agent, Ace is equipped with her own TARDIS (with functioning chameleon circuit!) but her bolshiness has definitely not been tempered by life and education on the Time Lord home world.

It is hard to judge exactly how good this new “team” is to the “trio” of Gallifrey’s first six series. This is mainly because they are split up across the four episodes and do not unite until the climactic episode. Indeed, each of the four episodes focuses on key characters. Ace is primarily the focus of part one as she is reluctantly paired with Rexx (Gyles Brandreth), an agent of the Time Lord High Council, on a mission to Earth (“Oh no, no, no, I don’t do companions!” Ace protests, much to the listener’s amusement). In part two, the limelight is shifted to Romana’s presidential aide Lukas (Scott Arthur) as he uncovers an age-old conspiracy on Gallifrey (long-time listeners of the Gallifrey saga will recognise that Arthur played an alternate version of Lukas in Gallifrey V and VI). Part three sees Narvin journey to Stone Age Earth to recover Ace and uncover a cult with links to the conspiracy occurring on Gallifrey. In the process, Narvin becomes aligned with huntress Sol (Rachel Atkins) and boatman Min (Toby Longworth). Considering he ought to have gained a better understanding of primitives from his adventures with Leela, it is amusing to hear that Narvin is equally out of his depth with Sol and Min!

The gang comes together in the last episode as Romana takes charge and she and Lukas are reunited with Narvin and Ace in a confrontation with an ancient Time Lord foe whose machinations threaten the universe itself. Until this point, Juliet Landau’s portrayal of Romana is rather dull and underwhelming, restricted to the character’s presidential duties and diplomacy. Indeed, whether it is down simply to Handcock and Llewellyn’s dialogue or simply that this version of Romana is meant to be more cautious than her previous selves, Landau’s performance is at times almost monotonous. There is certainly none of the humour and mischief that she exhibited as Romana III in banter with Romana II in Gallifrey VI or indeed the naivety and haughtiness she displayed in relating Romana I’s story in Luna Romana. It is a surprisingly flat portrayal. It is only when faced with the serial’s antagonist that President Romana (and Landau herself) really rises to the moment.

If you’re still uncertain who or what the menace of Intervention Earth is, then read no further. However, if you’ve spied the cover artwork for the release, then the helmeted figure in chainmail armour and flowing robes will be unmistakably familiar to 99.9 per cent of long-time Doctor Who fans and BF listeners. The villainous Time Lord pioneer Omega only made two appearances in Doctor Who on television but left an indelible mark on the mythology of the TV series. From the picture book K9 and the Time Trap in 1980 (which called him Omegon!) to children’s and adult novels (Search for the Doctor, The Infinity Doctors), and from comic strips to Big Finish’s own audio range, which released the self-titled Omega in 2003, the character’s life outside the TV series is as seemingly infinite as his ego. Despite the masterstroke casting of the original actor Stephen Thorne (who is himself a Doctor Who monster alumnus, dating back to 1971), Omega’s involvement in this story is less overt than expected. Considering what a magnificent voice Thorne has for Omega (his commanding voice reminds you why in The Three Doctors it was so pivotal to an entity whose will was all that remained of his being), it is disappointing that his encore performance is so limited and wasted. However, as you discover in the closing moments of the serial, Omega’s role in the plot has been subtly and cleverly all-pervading – and we haven’t seen the last of him ... Whether we will hear Thorne’s booming and authoritative tones again, though ... I guess watch BF’s space. At the very least, Thorne deserves another opportunity to shine.

The conclusion to Intervention Earth is open-ended and the listener is literally left hanging. With the serial’s chief antagonist on the loose, the serial ends on another twist, as another familiar figure (missing since the events of Gallifrey IV) makes a surprise entrance. Whether this figure’s return is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. What is also not equally clear is whether the next instalment – Gallifrey: Enemy Lines – will address some of the ramifications of Intervention Earth. With further details scarce at the time of writing, Enemy Lines appears to predate Intervention Earth, as Lalla Ward and Louise Jameson will reprise their roles as Romana II and Leela, supported by Narvin and Ace. Of course, perhaps there may be a link – or the cliffhanger to Intervention Earth will be resolved in an entirely different serial at a later date.

That said, perhaps Enemy Lines will address some of the other hints that are dropped in Intervention Earth about both Leela and Ace. Dialogue in the serial implies that Romana and Leela will have a falling out while Ace remarks that she cannot remember any more how, when and why she came to Gallifrey. While various other BF Doctor Who audios (such as Thin Ice) and the New Adventure novel Lungbarrow have previously provided explanations of how and why Ace may have settled on Gallifrey, perhaps there is a fertile plotline here for future chapters of the saga. Ace certainly proves to be susceptible in Intervention Earth ...

If you overlook Handcock’s imprecise comparison to 24, Gallifrey: Intervention Earth maintains the high production values, artiste performances and scripting of its predecessors in the Gallifrey series. While the “regenerated” format and structure are hardly revolutionary, and the decision to set the story later in Romana’s life and presidency is not as intriguing or refreshing as it initially seemed in all the pre-release publicity, there are still signs that the Gallifrey saga is heading in the right direction and that there may still be some interesting twists in future releases.

Tweet

Reviewed by Richard Brinck-Johnsen

Written by Nev Fountain, Una McCormack, Guy Adams, and James Goss Directed by Scott Handcock Starring: Lisa Bowerman (Professor Bernice Summerfield), Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks), Sheila Reid (Claire), and Terry Molloy (Davros) Big Finish Productions – June 2014

The release of the box set Missing Persons in December 2013 seemed to bring the long-running audio adventures of former Virgin New Adventures companion Professor Bernice Summerfield to something of a conclusion, albeit a not entirely satisfying one for this listener. However this new boxset of four episodes which each dovetail neatly to form a very satisfying overall arc is very much a start of a new phase for Bernice or Benny as she prefers her friends to call her. Unlike the previous range of Boxsets which still carried a large amount of continuity baggage which Benny had accumulated over the course of the previous decade of audios, this set has dumped the other regular characters and presents us simply with an older version of Bernice who we are occasionally reminded has a family and friends. Unlike 2011’s Epoch, this really can be recommended as an ideal jumping on point for anyone who hasn’t heard any of the previous audio adventures. This set also sees her reunited with the Seventh Doctor and Ace with whom she travelled in the Virgin New Adventures novels two decades ago. However, it is Bernice who is the main protagonist throughout this box set with her erstwhile companions only making their presence felt at key intervals. Kudos then is due to Lisa Bowerman, who has been playing Benny on audio for 16 years now for making her such a continued joy to listen to.

The set opens with The Revolution by Nev Fountain. This is very much a comedic piece in the mould of some of the more whimsical of Benny’s past adventures opening with her getting drunk in a bar on the planet Arviem 2. The introduction into the preceedings of Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor, who has apparently lost track of both his TARDIS and mind leads to a number of comic mishaps which may grate a little on first hearing. Fountain later observes in the CD extras that even the Doctor has the capability to just be an annoying man in a hat sometimes although those who are not fans of McCoy’s more season 24-esque performances are duly warned to expect occasional over the top silliness. However the conclusion to the story seems to justify the means to which it is arrived at and so Benny is duly dispatched to search for Ace.

Goodnight Sweet Ladies by Una McCormack is possibly the highlight of this whole boxset. Pitching Benny into a situation where she ought to be at home and yet the reality of what’s really going on reminds just out of sight until it’s too late. The two guest stars for this story add to the atmosphere. John Finnemore is a genuinely likeable if somewhat useless companion but just as she has done on TV as Clara Oswald’s Gran, Sheila Reid steals every scene she’s in as the mysterious Claire whose role is central to this story.

Next up is Random Ghosts by Guy Adams. This changes the pace quite dramatically as Benny is reunited with Ace on the Forbidden World where time is not running correctly. The device of events jumping around in time is not a new one for audio plays but it certainly seems some time since Big Finish last produced a play that did so this memorably (The examples of 2003’s Creatures of Beauty and 2004’s The Natural History of Fear come to mind). Some listeners may find the continual jump cuts between scenes and varying outcomes of conversations slightly hard work but the conclusion is a worthwhile one and despite seeming obvious given the clues we’ve had previously still manages to seem surprising at the same time.

The set concludes with The Lights of Skaro by James Goss. Whilst this set has been very much centred on Benny, this final story pitches her firmly back into the world of Doctor Who with Daleks around every corner and even a fleeting cameo from Davros. There are some clever revelations and if you’ve survived some of the topsy-turvier moments of the first three stories you’ll be well rewarded in this finale. Possibly the best thing about this set is that is has allowed some fresh storytelling from writers who are not regulars at the Big Finish stable. It is to be hoped that this new phase of Benny’s return to the worlds of Doctor Who will continue for the foreseeable future under new range producer James Goss (whose track record includes having produced some great audios for the BBC Doctor Who and Torchwood ranges). This listener is very much looking forward to The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield Volume 2: The Triumph of Sutekh.

Tweet

Reviewed by Richard Brinck-Johnsen

  Written by Matt Fitton                                  Directed by Ken Bentley Starring: Paul McGann (The Doctor), Nicola Walker (Liv Chenka), Ruth Bradley (Molly O’Sullivan), Alex Macqueen (The Master), Natalie Burt (Dr Sally Armstrong), David Sibley (Professor Schriver and The Eminence), and Sean Carlsen (Narvin). Big Finish Productions – November 2014  

The third boxset in the Dark Eyes series is something of a departure from the first two releases. Rather surprisingly Nick Briggs has taken a back seat from being involved in this release and some fans may have been relieved that the four episodes of Dark Eyes 3 are a Dalek-free zone. Instead, these episodes focus instead on the mysterious origins of the Eminence and its Fifty Year War against humanity plus a goodly helping of Alex Macqueen’s delightfully camp yet utterly sinister incarnation of the Master. In Briggs’ absence, all four episodes are written by Big Finish stalwart Matt Fitton and whilst there may not always be the same flair of originality which made the first Dark Eyes such as success this is a consistently solid sequence of stories which sows together various elements neatly in preparation for the fourth and final instalment of the saga.

The opening episode, The Death of Hope, picks up fairly directly from the cliffhanger coda to Dark Eyes 2 which saw Molly abruptly kidnapped by the Master and his accomplice Dr Sally Armstrong. The Doctor’s quest to save his companion finds him united with the Coordinator Narvin of the Celestial Intervention Agency. Sean Carlsen reprises this character who has previously only appeared in the spin-off series Gallifrey and it is fun to hear a character who has been at times both an enemy and an ally to Romana and Leela finally cross paths with the Doctor. This story makes clever use of the narrative device of the Doctor and Narvin witnessing a matrix projection of the Master’s activities, in which he appears to be offering salvation to a planet under threat of invasion by the Eminence. It certainly gives Alex Macqueen’s Master and Natalie Burt as Dr Armstrong a chance to shine as the main protagonists for this episode.

The second episode pitches the Doctor and his newest companion, Nicola Walker as Liv Chenka firmly back into the action on the planet Ramossa where tensions are rife between human colonists and the indigenous insect-like Ramossans. Particularly notable is an unrecognisable Sacha Dhawan (An Adventure in Space and Time) as Ramossan General Jaldam. The final scenes feature Paul McGann’s Doctor at his best. Believing himself to have been outmanoeuvred by both the Master and the Time Lords and learning with some dismay of his companion Liv’s terminal illness,  the Doctor resolves to take drastic action.

Masterplan finally delivers on the promise of this boxset’s unofficial subtitle “Doctor vs Master” as the two Time Lords finally come face to face in a scenario where they are given some enjoyable verbal sparring which will call to mind their future encounters in the TV series guises of Tennant and Simm. Meanwhile, Liv is working under-cover as a research assistant to Professor Markus Schriver, the mentally unstable scientist destined to create the Eminence (nicely played with a lighter contrast to his sinister Eminence voice by David Sibley). Here she is confronted by the Master’s companion Sally Armstrong in a nice mirroring of the stories main confrontation between the Doctor and the Master. Considering Sally was originally a potential companion to the Doctor in Dark Eyes, the outcome of this story will be disappointing to some listeners.

The boxset concludes with a suitably large-scale finale. The Rule of the Eminence sees the Master attempt to take control of the human race using the Eminence’s controlling gas combined with Molly’s progenitor particles. Whilst this story is reminiscent of Last of the Time Lords, it does have enough originality to stand on its own. Having only appeared peripherally in the first three episodes, it is a joy to hear Ruth Bradley as Molly, playing such a central role in the action. Knowing that there is a further final Dark Eyes box set to follow, Molly’s apparent exit in this story is a surprise but it seems Big Finish made good plot expediency of Ruth Bradley’s limited availability for recording in what has proved to be her final audio appearance. This listener is a fan of the character of Liv Chenka, so her continuing as a regular companion into Dark Eyes 4 and the forthcoming Doom Coalition series is welcome. However the magical cure bestowed on her in this story to enable this to happen was rather convenient and could have warranted further development. Overall, this is a worthy conclusion to this boxset which makes particularly good use of the Macqueen incarnation of the Master (who sadly only features in one of the four episodes of Dark Eyes 4).  Hopefully Macqueen’s Master will be have another chance to spar against the Doctor in the not too distant future.

It seems a fitting addendum to mention that the fifth CD in this set, featuring the usual round of interviews with members of the cast and crew, reminds listeners that this set of stories was recorded in the immediate aftermath of the untimely death of Paul Spragg in May 2014. Paul was a much loved member of the Big Finish production staff who worked on numerous releases across many audio ranges over the preceding five years. He continues to be missed both by those who had the pleasure of working with him and by many  fans who either met him or just heard him on Big Finish podcasts and extras. This set features well-deserved and at times deeply poignant tributes to him, led by actors Paul McGann and Nicola Walker. 

Tweet

Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Writer - Cavan Scott, Artist - Blair Shedd, Color Flats - Jesse Durona Letterer - Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt Editor - Andrew James Assistant editor - Kirsten Murray Designer - Rob Farmer

Weapons Of Past Destruction - Part One

This brand-new adventure directly follows the Doctor's cathartic experience of ensuring that "Everybody Lives" despite the terrors of Blitz-torn London and some misguided nanogenes. Now he intends to show his younger friends the wonders of planet Excroth, at a time of 'enlightenment' and 'artistic freedom'.

But things are very much not to plan, as is often the way for the Last Of The Time Lords. And it would appear that powerful technology that once belonged to the Doctor's people has somehow emerged from the Time War and into the galaxies' black market instead. And this could mean that another major war could end in the most disastrous of ways...

This mini series will be with us for a number of months, and starts so strongly that I dearly wish we had a fully-fledged monthly title to join the others in the range. But some is better than none, and given Christopher Eccleston's determination to stay away from any Doctor Who projects this is one of the easier ways to get some new visual material that will remind people just why the very first series of modern Doctor Who was such a firm success.

Having the trio of the Doctor, Rose Tyler and Captain Jack Harkness was a smart move as onscreen they only had three adventures together before the sudden regeneration into Tennant's Doctor, and the abandonment of the 'un-killable' Jack,

This storyline really could not be any easier to follow, but that is quite welcome in an opening issue. In any case the characterisation and dialogue more than make up for the rather basic plot, and show a dynamic where the Doctor and Jack are clearly not comfortable with one another and both feel they offer more to Rose than the other. This story is designed to be read with the recent events of 'The Doctor Dances' in mind, so the 'chummy' camaraderie seen in 'Boom Town' is yet to be the order of the day.

Whilst the heady banter between the two seasoned time travellers works fine, there is room for improvement. Perhaps the wonderfully relatable Rose has been left with material that is a bit too 'old-school' in style, as she just asks questions relating to the oddness around her, with the odd pithy line thrown in to bring some levity to the drama. As many recall, she has by this point in the show proven herself to the Doctor unquestionably. Hopefully she gets to be more positively proactive in later events to come.

The ending sequence is believable enough given the characterisation that has been presented to the reader, and no doubt many will speculate just how apparent disaster can be overcome as the cliff-hanger ending throws a real game changer into play.

As Cavan Scott elegantly manoeuvres events and no doubt has a number of ways to bolster the story arc over the course of a generous helping of five instalments. There is a scattering of material which only leaves us with more questions, such as the effect of time on events, and why the technology of Gallifrey has come to be in this location and point in history.

The visual work from Blair Shedd is very strong indeed, with Jesse Durona's colours helping create a visual treat. I would venture that the end product is even more impressive than the sterling work done on the Twelfth Doctor line. As can be hoped for, these protagonists look and 'feel' very much like the wonderfully lively people presented on the small screen a decade ago. I almost forgot I was reading something that is trying to get noticed on the very competitive comic book market; instead I had  flashbacks to those Saturday nights when Doctor Who was finally back on UK TV screens and seemingly for the long term as well. All thanks to the brilliant efforts of Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson and many others.

What worked especially well for this reviewer was the decision to have a number of silhouette panels; a technique that I have seen sparingly in the past from various comic book lines. To me they fit the tone and themes of this story handsomely. Also the variety of panels, size of images, and use of different scales as required for establishing events and characters also manages to work most effectively.

BONUS HUMOUR STRIPS:

On offer is just the one story this time - entitled 'TARDIS Holiday'. This is notable in being done as two linked episodes that occupy the latter pages of the comic. AJ writes and draws another amusing piece, where his distinctive 3D artwork stands out in a comparatively simple story. The TARDIS crew - identical to that in the main story - have decided to go somewhere special to break up the usual fare of monsters and/or political intrigue. However achieving an end result that will please all three of them is far easier said than done. 

Tweet