Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

The Lost Stories: Lords of the Red Planet
Written by Brian Hayles
Adapted by John Dorney
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Released Nov 2013 by Big Finish

Big Finish has long been the hub for Doctor Who's what-ifs and might-have beens, be it filling in enticing gaps left in the TV canon, or giving the eighth Doctor a whole new lease of life on audio. In more recent years, the remit has widened to take in stories for the first three Doctors, with surviving cast members providing narration - first with Companion Chronicles, then The Lost Stories. Lords of the Red Planet takes this idea to new levels - with its expanded cast and lovingly-crafted sound design, it expertly recaptures the late Troughton era in six pacey episodes.

Lords of the Red Planet is based on another unproduced idea by Brian Hayles, and was to be the original follow-up to The Ice Warriors. It was abandoned in favour of The Seeds of Death, quite possibly because it would have used up an entire series worth of budget trying to create three distinct reptilian species and an underground city, mines, and a rocket on Mars!

As with The Queen of Time, Hayles' original storylines have been adapted into scripts for Big Finish, this time by John Dorney, and with the cast again led by Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury. It's an origin story, a sort of 'Genesis of the Ice Warriors' - which sees the Second Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe arriving on Mars in its distant past, only to be caught up in terrible events that see the fall of one race and the rise of another. Troubled scientist Quendril works around the clock genetically 'sculpting' an army for the cruel dictator Zaadur on pain of death for his people, and the arrival of the TARDIS crew in the subterranean city of Gandor only makes things worse....

The Ice Warriors have traditionally been a bit of a blank slate throughout their history, arguably they've barely been explored beyond The Curse of Peladon's twist of Izlyr and Ssorg being good guys. Some attempt to flesh them out was made more recently by Mark Gatiss in Cold War, but Lords of the Red Planet looks at the bigger picture, and with greater effect.

We meet the reptilian martian race that created the Ice Warriors; the aforementioned Quendril (played by Michael Troughton) as well as the prototype Ice Lord Aslor, and one of Quendril's 'failed' experiments, his assistant Risor - both played by Nick Briggs, also on Ice Warrior duty. Briggs does an excellent job of breathing (hissing?) life into two distinct characters, with the tragic Risor being reminiscent of Condo from The Brain of Morbius. His Ice Lord, Aslor (a dead ringer for Alan Bennion's Ice Lords of the 60s and 70s), bonds with Zoe, and fights against his warlike conditioning, showing great pathos.

Quendril, meanwhile, struggles with the consequences of his work, and is highly distressed at the pain he is forced to put his test subjects through. Michael Troughton excels here, despite the horrific nature of Quendril's work, he comes over as sympathetic, no small feat when you realise he's essentially a Davros figure.

We also get an insight into the society of a dying world dependent on daily doses of 'life drink', with the spoiled, vain, puppet Princess Veltreena, (played by Charlie Hayes, daughter of Wendy Padbury) as its figurehead. Even the villainess of the piece, Zaadur, played by Abigail Thaw, has a brief moment of sympathy, when it's revealed that she too is the product of genetic experimentation and has gone through similar agonies to Aslor and Risor. Thaw is excellent, and gives a very strong performance. Dorney's decision to change Zaadur from male to female is a masterstroke, although, as with The Queen of Time, it does remind you of the Troughton era's lack of female foes.

Hines and Padbury are great as ever, with Hines doubling up again as Jamie and the Doctor. Zoe has a meaty part, acting as Aslor's conscience, and ripping the electrodes from him as he is being agonisingly 'brain-formed' by Quendril's process. Jamie is more involved with the rough stuff, but gets a nice scene with Veltreena, who is clearly flirting with him, despite being unsure of what exactly he is. Hines is as good as ever, and sounds like he's stepped straight out of The War Games. Padbury is excellent as well, but sounds like she's struggling to get Zoe's pitch right at times.

Lastly, Hines' uncannily accurate Second Doctor is present in full effect, and is almost flawless - it's only occasional lines of over-wordy dialogue that don't ring true, but the speech patterns, tone, and attitude are all there, and it's a joy to hear. Lords of the Red Planet is a real treat, and a fine bit of world-building, classic in feel, but quite modern at the same time, with real moral dilemmas nestling alongside sonically perfect hissing Ice Warriors and rumbling tympani straight out of The Seeds of Death.

Even if Big Finish isn't your thing, Troughton fans in particular should snap this up. A triumph.
Sssssssuperb.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

"And I'm not sulking. It just looks like I'm sulking. It's special Time Lord Meditational .. thinky stuff" - The Doctor to Alice.

No sooner have our heroes had one odd and rapid adventure does another come their way in this new offering from Titan Comics. It similarly tells a whole story in the space of one issue, with a proper resolution to the particular scenario. This time round Al Ewing is the sole author, but the core art team comprising Simon Fraser and Gary Caldwell is unchanged. This story clearly establishes that the Doctor and Alice have made their next trip immediately, following the drama that culminated in Westminster in London. The tone is again predominately light; yet with darker undercurrents. The key story is set on the world Rokhandi and revolves around a brightly coloured yet eerie theme park which has its employees seemingly all made to work under some sort of hypnosis. An unseen entity is at work in the shadows, aiming to convert new people to its philosophy that the planet is a 'friendly place for all'. This may be positive terminology but the looks that the converts have in their eyes suggests something rather more amiss. The Doctor's original intent was to arrive on this special planet somewhat earlier on in its history - in the range of ten to thirty years - but perhaps his inaccuracy will end up doing some good - if the reader knows anything about the Gallifreyan wanderer in time and space.

Having found the pilot issue for these brand new adventures with 'Eleven' and Alice to be ideal for an establishing story - and with a simple enough plot, my hopes were that this next instalment would add a bit more 'meat to the bones'. However it falls a bit short of what I anticipated. Nothing is inherently poor or boring, but the story is overly straightforward and does not have a strong enough twist. Admittedly a particular antagonist knows a lot about both the Doctor and Alice - and a mysterious third party (!) - having met them at an earlier point in his life. Of course the 'timey wimey' themes of Steven Moffat's stories - especially those featured in his work as show runner - are more than appropriate for Doctor Who in other forms of media. However this doesn't mask the neglect of good ensemble characterisation, especially compared to 'Afterlife'. Almost all the secondary characters are portrayed simplistically - admittedly many of them have been subsumed and deprived of their own individuality, but there could have still been some more intriguing hints dropped through the reactions of the Doctor and Alice. Witty dialogue is prevalent and often well-done, but also a bit predictable after a while.

Thankfully the story is still more than redeemed by consistently strong artwork and a characteristically potent speech by the Doctor concerning the desecration of Rokhandi. A once perfect and beautiful planet with amazing flora and fauna, that would be many a person's conception of paradise - it has become soulless and corporate with theme parks and mining complexes predominately occupying the surface area of the globe. However this thematic depth which dominates a handful of pages only serves to highlight how routine other story beats are - especially later on. Colours are well used again in this issue, yet ironically the particular contrast of shades that feature in the latter sections are markedly limited compared to the kaleidoscope that preceded them. This arrangement almost compromises some of the overall impact of this being an engaging comic book experience.

Nonetheless there is no doubt that this is an Eleventh Doctor and he is right at home here displaying his inquisitive nature; Matt Smith would certainly have relished reading the dialogue featured. Companion Alice Obiefune is still well drawn and continues to show much promise for future stories. Her confident and patient approach in the face of a sporadically moody and unsettled Doctor, and his affirmation that she detects accurately the unsettling happiness doctrine and unreal lack of blemish in the theme park is a very good writing decision by Ewing. Just as with Donna Noble - easily one of my favourite companions of the entire television run - Alice is someone who is relatively mature and practical but can use her empathy to cope with the bizarre nature of the alien or paranormal aspects around her. However she does not suffer fools gladly or get intimidated by secondary antagonists; and thus comes across as a real person whose flaws are the flip side of her strengths.

The actual nature of the particular threat - maybe a monster of the month, maybe something more relevant in later stories is ultimately not particularly distinguished. Although the reader looks forward to a confident solution by the Doctor it somehow falls on the side of 'too easy' which weaker episodes of Doctor Who usually manage to resign themselves to. I almost could not help thinking even a rather disappointing outing like 'The Rings of Akhaten' at least made the final moments feel like they matter. Here the Doctor is just a bit too safe and smug, and normally those adjectives apply to more generic or two-dimensional fictional heroes. Also Alice is reduced to a backseat role come the end stages after a brief bit of initiative in trying to help rescue her friend. Two issues in it is worth mentioning that open ends from issue one have been set to one side - despite a reference in the opening prose recap of the mysterious figure that seems to be from the doctor's home world. The villains that could be coming after the Doctor and Alice before long may turn out to be well portrayed and memorable. With any luck the best aspects of these opening pair of issues are utilised and amplified further.

So a qualified success as regards this issue. It moves along well, looks very nice and has its good moments of lead character development and arc building. Just don't expect a story to come back to time and again.

**
On this occasion there is just the one bonus strip featuring a very comedic tone: Marc Ellerby's 'Unexpected Enemy In Bagging Area'. Now I personally loathe the automatic checkouts which supermarkets and department stores favour so much, everywhere one goes. The Doctor is much of the same philosophy and even compares these soulless machines to his most dread adversaries of yesteryear. A nice clear art style and interesting range of colours in the background make this both a funny and memorable extra to the main comic.

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

The Lost Stories: The Queen of Time
Written by Brian Hayles
Adapted by Catherine Harvey
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Released Oct 2013 by Big Finish

Poor old Brian Hayles. He gave us some great bad guys in the Celestial Toymaker and the Ice Warriors in six (credited) Doctor Who stories between 1966 and 1974 - but he was often heavily rewritten as his ideas overreached what a TV show could manage, especially on a small budget.

His first effort, The Celestial Toymaker, is credited to him, but the final script was rewritten beyond recognition by first Donald Tosh then Gerry Davis. He had a little more luck from here on, but was still frequently sent back to make changes, or subject to rewrites.

A prolific writer, bursting with ideas, Hayles submitted many stories to Doctor Who over the course of around a decade, but most of his ideas were rejected on grounds of suitability or cost. According to Terrance Dicks, who had to rewrite large chunks of The Seeds of Death and The Monster of Peladon himself, Hayles was an affable man, and was very understanding of the required changes, but it must have been a frustration for him.

The Queen of Time, as presented here by Big Finish as a hybrid Lost Story/Companion Chronicle is one of Hayles' rejected efforts, adapted from a 1968 outline into a full script by Catherine Harvey. Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury take the lead here as Jamie and Zoe, with Hines again on double duty with his uncannily good impression of Patrick Troughton's second Doctor. The cast is completed by Caroline Faber as the eponymous Queen of Time, Hecuba, who gives a great performance - moving effortlessly between flirting and fury. Faber does a great job here, playing Hecuba as a charming yet vicious femme-fatale, playing cat and mouse with the Doctor whilst casually putting Jamie and Zoe through hell. It's a very strong performance, one that reminds you of the lack of strong villainesses in much of the original series. The only slight criticism I have is that there's maybe a little too much of Hecuba's maniacal laughter going on at times. Hines and Padbury are excellent as ever. They occasionally sound older, unavoidable, given the passage of time - but both recapture their characters effortlessly, and the same old chemistry is at work. Hines' take on the second Doctor continues to impress, it's so good that you could easily forget that it isn't Troughton you're listening to.

The Queen of Time begins with Hecuba's beautiful laughing face appearing on the TARDIS scanner, inviting the Doctor to dinner. Hecuba wastes no time in separating the Doctor from his companions, leaving them to complete a variety of sinister trials whilst he squirms over the revolting dinner she provides and tries to find a way out of her realm. This story is surreal, and has some elements in common with The Mind Robber. The sound design is very effective, with inventive use of gramophone records, and ticking clocks. There are also some similarities to Star Trek, with the crew faced against a godlike being capable of terrible things. The story would have been very difficult to pull off in 1968 in this form, being very visual and quite graphic in places - the food really is disgusting, and there are Alice in Wonderland rug-pulls of reality, and slavering dragon creatures. This has the result of making this tale quite narration-heavy, as there's a lot to picture here, and consequently a lot to describe.

Nevertheless, The Queen of Time is great fun, and recaptures the Season Six TARDIS team to great effect. It's also possibly the only Doctor Who story to make a plot point of a thrown brioche.

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Listen
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Premiere, 13 September 2014, BBC One

Occasionally an episode of Doctor Who comes along that makes you think differently about the show’s parameters: what it can do, what it can be, and what it can mean. Described by Steven Moffat as a “chamber piece”, this looks like a money-saving installment, focusing predominantly on the main cast of regulars, with no guest stars to speak of and no (visible) monsters. On paper, it's an odd idea. In fact, this doesn’t sound much like Doctor Who at all (even if it has a kind of precedent going back to 1964’s ‘The Edge of Destruction’).

Yet 'Listen' is a strong candidate for the most intricately structured 50 minutes of Who ever. Near the episode's beginning we see the Doctor in Clara’s mirror, reflected three times over, and it’s an image that prefigures three journeys into characters’ pasts and futures, along with three fragments of childhood or child-like fear. 'Listen' is rammed full of Moffatisms: there are fairytale rhymes, things you can’t look at but can only sense or glimpse, child characters who are given prominent roles, and non-linear storytelling with timelines jumbling, jumping and stuttering. But 'Listen' is much more than a showrunner’s reprise: it isn’t simply this year’s ‘Blink’, for example. For one thing, it doesn’t (quite) deliver a new monster – instead it questions what monsters do, and what functions they can serve, for those who pursue them. Very often in Doctor Who, monsters represent something; they’re allegories or symbols for a range of anxieties. 'Listen' purifies that strategy, boiling Who’s monsters down to their simplest, starkest essence: an experience of fear and a desire for knowledge.

Of course, it’s tempting to see ‘Listen’ as a meditation on childhood; a piece of pop psychoanalysis where our favourite Time Lord can be understood though a very briefly sketched childhood trauma, and where the child is all too obviously the father of the man. But at its crucial moments, ‘Listen’ isn’t about childhood at all: it’s more about parenting. The Doctor shouts at Clara, ordering her to safety as he prepares to confront his own fear and his own need to know: he asserts tough patriarchal authority, positioning Clara as a child who can't evaluate own best interests. But the ‘impossible girl’ is also given a maternal if not matriarchal role, later informing the Doctor that he must do as he is told (something he recognizes and submits to). 'Listen' is, at least partly, about knowing when to heed authority and when to listen to a parent’s protective voice. It is, finally, not the Doctor who’s given an omniscient voice-over; it's Clara who watches over him, as if parentally, and Clara who ties together the episode’s themes as one culminating object is threaded through two different childhoods and a family inheritance. The same image, the same material artefact, seemingly gives rise to “Dan the soldier man” and the Doctor that we know; each becomes a distorted mirror image of the other. Scared may be "a superpower", but that superpower is both metaphorical and literal in the current Doctor Who universe, refracted in different ways through Danny Pink and the Doctor.

Fear and the unseen monster – the “figure”, as closing credits dub it – are equated; each stands as a sort of constant companion. But there are other equations that are more subtle and even more intriguing. What are the two things that this episode refuses to show us clearly? The monsters that must never be seen… and the young Doctor, reduced to a silhouette and a curl of hair. Neither the monsters nor the child-Doctor can be clearly apprehended. The monster’s power – its hold over the imagination – stems from remaining invisible; it is an empty space, a blank Rorschach test onto which anything can be projected. But the proto-Doctor is equally withheld; for all that this story seems to stretch the show’s boundaries and format, it refuses to convert the unseen Doctor into a prosaic face and figure. Resisting realism and refusing representation, the young Doctor is just as mysterious as the perfectly hidden creatures, and hence he remains just as much a space for projection, imagination and fantasy. The Doctor and the monster: both are rendered dream-like and oneiric, shimmering at the edges of perception.

Douglas Mackinnon directs this evocative material with aplomb, having recently been responsible for half of Line of Duty 2, which itself featured a stellar performance from Keeley Hawes (gracing the ‘Next Time’ trailer here). Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson both shine in their Coupling-style flashforwards/flashbackwards romance, with Anderson also convincing in the dual role of Danny/Orson Pink. But for me this episode belongs to Peter Capaldi. He’s mesmerizing when speaking out loud to himself, and looks alarmingly demented at moments, as he seeks to uncover what’s “under your bed”. This is cerebral, provocative Doctor Who at its very finest (where provocative is probably ‘scary’ for deep people). And it features one of the most unusual missions in the series’ long history: this Doctor isn't seeking to overthrow an oppressive regime or repel an alien invasion. No, he wants to engage in the interpretation of dreams, unusually allowing the TARDIS to travel via 'subconscious' means.

To worry about continuity seems to miss all the poetry of this episode. Perhaps some devotees will feel that the Doctor’s early years should have stayed firmly off-screen, or that Clara is being given too much sway over the Doctor’s identity here – she seems to symbolically create “Dan” and the Time Lord: soldiers whose power to protect is rooted in fear. Perhaps others will worry about how the TARDIS can so easily find its way to that barn, and that tearful child. But if 'Listen' plays on certain fan fears (of a Doctor that isn’t quite heroic or mysterious enough), then it does so in order to find new possibilities in the programme’s storytelling engines, and to worry away at fixed images of 'the hero'. In The Inner World of Doctor Who, Iain MacRury and Michael Rustin suggest that the Doctor can often be interpreted as a kind of “inadvertent therapist” (p.290), listening to others and helping them remake and re-order their lives. Here, though, it is the Doctor who is analysed by a script that ranks among the show’s most experimental explorations. What really lurks under the Doctor's bed? This is Doctor Who that demands to be thought about. It’s the programme’s format rewritten and yet perfectly encapsulated at one and the same time. And it leaves us with a beautiful image: the good enough hero as a kind of broken soldier.

The economical, sparse and interlocking structures of 'Listen' – treating continuity as a space for creative play – potentially make this Steven Moffat’s best Who script to date. It’s about striking images rather than spectacular effects; it’s about what it means to be scared, rather than cool and merchandisable monsters; it’s about “real, inter-human” date stuff just as much as the end of time, and it’s about the productive, transformative work that dreaming can sometimes perform. Rupert’s dream which gives rise to his new self may be implanted by the Doctor, in a sense, just as the Doctor’s own 'dream' of himself is seeded by Clara, but these science-fictional suggestions nevertheless stress the importance of our interior lives and dreamscapes. The Doctor’s interest in a seemingly universal dream (and its interpretation) ultimately gives way to dreams of a better self.

On paper, this might not sound quite like Doctor Who. Perhaps this ‘Fear & Monsters’ riff amounts to Moffat’s ‘Love & Monsters’ moment, and may be it’ll prove to be just as divisive. But watch ‘Listen’ without prejudice, and you’ll find series eight of Doctor Who humming with a darkly glittering and serious brilliance. We’re past the fiftieth anniversary, but there are still new things, as raw and energising as childhood fears, to be said and heard through the medium of Who.

There can't really be an 'instant classic': classics take time to settle into fan consensus. But if such an entity existed, and if it could be glimpsed, then 'Listen' would surely deserve the title.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Robot of Sherwood
Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Paul Murphy
Premiere 6 September 2014 BBC One

Back when Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves was bringing in the punters at cinema screens, Doctor Who was looking like a completely finished tv franchise. Few loyal viewers or die-hard fans could imagine it coming back stronger than ever and being confident enough to be more varied in tone and subject matter on a weekly basis than the original run generally aspired to. Time has perhaps not been kind to the blockbuster epic which featured Kevin Costner sound distinctly American, yet the film has also managed to enter the public’s consciousness on quite a deep level. Certainly many adult viewers of this latest episode will almost find it surreally familiar in that special way that Doctor Who can be. Perhaps it is a surprise that our great TV show has never directly featured the heroic outlaw and his ‘merry’ band of men.

This episode from the pen of Mark Gatiss is in some respects refreshingly linear – there is little that requires the viewer to connect the dots on their own initiative, and each scene builds on the next in a straightforward if predictable fashion. Of course there are some revelations as not all is as it appears to be, and notably the Doctor ends up not being proved totally correct, and that is in part due to his rather protective stance towards Clara. A good tribute to the river fight featured in the celebrated story sees the Doctor takes on Robin on a narrow bridge over the river. It is a nice moment that exposes some of the Doctor’s vanity and pride. However much later in the episode it is emulated in a manner that takes away the crucial drama and also feels self-indulgent.

The direction, design, music and acting is mostly solid – although the key role of Robin Hood is just a little under-cooked both in script and performance - if by no means badly done. Although Robin sounds authentic enough, there is perhaps too much obvious effort of him conveying energy and roguish charm, rather than just embodying those qualities. Right from his first appearance where he declares that he has answered the Doctor’s call with a pronounced wink the viewer will not be bored by this Robin, but perhaps will also not focus on what makes him tick either. On the plus side, anytime that Tom Riley interacts with Jenna Coleman, there is a definite sense of chemistry and Robin is more believable. For the most part though he feels like having just one persona of ‘gung ho’, ‘flippant’, ‘romantic’ or ‘agitated’ and there is little complexity that the best guest characters have had in modern Doctor Who.

Peter Capaldi has many of the best lines from Gatiss’ script and at this point in series 8 I have now been able to adjust to his rapid fire diction (that contrasts with Matt Smith's more deliberate manner). He has so many ways to convey emotion and like all strong Doctors has the right bland of humanity and alien detachment. Notably he is somewhat less cold than the preceding week’s adventure with the Daleks but then this story is a decidedly jolly romp and has little pretentions to be something else underneath the surface. There is even some modesty in the early scenes when Clara again reaffirms her belief in the Doctor as the definitive well-meaning person to which he responds that he is just ‘passing the time’ – a nice little pun which is played straight. The Doctor’s cynicism over this forest/castle environment actually being the late 12th century and perhaps something rather more artificial is a brave move and yet just what the new season has been putting forward so far with the lead character. Clearly Steven Moffatt and Peter Capaldi have put a lot of work into making this latest incarnation stand out distinctly from Doctors 10 and 11.

Rather fittingly the gloriously wicked Sheriff of Nottingham also has feelings towards Clara and probably appreciates her more for who she is – a thoroughly capable independent woman who knows her abilities and doesn’t talk around subjects. The way that Ben Miller comes across as a despicable and yet thoroughly charismatic and engaging character is a big plus for this episode, but certainly no surprise given how strong a career this versatile performer has had thus far. The episode also has a very clever variant on the usual background to the Sheriff – his ambitions in general are revealed to be rather bigger than scale than many previous portrayals of the character in yesteryear.The only drawback is that Miller is so strong that when he eventually faces Robin in a key battle towards the end all the attention and excitement seems to centre around him. Of course many villains in film and tv steal the show, but it still feels jarringly lopsided – given how much screen time Robin has as well.

The episode has a lot of snappy elements to enjoy. One of the really funny moments involves a contest to find the best archer in land. The Doctor's marksmanship being top-notch somehow feels right for the Twelfth Doctor, and it is good to see him with a weapon other than sonic screwdriver .. for a few moments anyway. The prize of the golden arrow is tied into plot well, making this sequence not only entertaining but also key to the story. Less positively some dialogue comes off as cod-mediaeval, reminding me of 'The King's Demons' from the early 1980s. Despite the deliberate choice to set the story in the time of King John, I feel that the writer did not mean to pay tribute to a rather mediocre Peter Davison adventure. However the finale to the main story has some sharp dialogue and sharp combat which perhaps ends in a slightly slapstick way but is shot stylishly all the same. The Doctors involvement in final resolution is well done and quite a heart-warming moment that will resonate with many viewers perhaps unused to an older looking Doctor. Following that is a clever coda which pays off the viewer looking for clues over the identity of a supporting character with fairly limited screen time.

The biggest compliment I can give the episode ultimately is that it sets out to achieve its key objectives and it firmly establishes the Doctor/ Clara dynamic as something with a lot of substance. As much as I liked Jenna Coleman’s work from day one, she has really progressed now and Moffatt and his writing team now seem to know how to maximise the character’s effectiveness; something that was not always apparent in episodes like Nightmare of Silver for instance. Also the Doctor's arrogance is skilfully measure by Gatiss and it is also good to see him clearly concerned for Clara's safety having been rather casual about her in the second episode.

Finally -all fans of classic make sure you don't miss the ship's database scene as a clever cameo by one of the early Doctors ties in neatly with the main story.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

'New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor' -- Issue 2 - Revolutions of Terror (2)

" I just have a knack of turning up when weird things start happening. That's sort of.. what I do" - The Tenth Doctor

The second instalment of this new run of Tenth Doctor stories continues to be written by Nick Abadzis , visualised by art from Elena Casagrande and enlivened by colours from Arianna Florean . The story picks up directly from the initial 'cliff-hanger' with frenetic action as Gabby and the Doctor are quickly acquainted with each other. As with many opening stories this union ties in with the need for the Doctor to deal with a crisis; namely the threat of monsters that have created havoc with the astral plane and with solid matter in 'real world'.

Initial success is achieved as the demonic entity that threatened the Doctor and his new friend is returned back into its original human form with no lasting ill effects. Perhaps this was through nothing more than just blind chance but it would appear that mirrors are not only useful against the likes of Medusa (!). Later Gabby spies on the Doctor's TARDIS; but only the physical outer 'shell'. She quite logically assumes he is some kind of policeman but as events progress and the duo bond further more is made clear about the kind of deep knowledge the Doctor actually possesses and just how dangerous things really are. The potential crisis is not just local to New York but almost certainly the entire world itself. The Doctor is determined to help the benign Pranavores, who normally benefit the world(s) they inhabit, but whose powers are being distorted to evil designs. As the story reaches its latest agonising pause in action for another month, it becomes apparent that something crucial located back in the Laundromat might provide positive answers.

If part one was slow paced and notably focused on characterisation then this second chapter is a big step up in terms of pace and exposition. The Doctor again is not always present in every panel, but nonetheless there is no mistaking the electric, hyperactive.. and yet quiet and contemplative incarnation which David Tennant portrayed so ably. Gabby is every bit as interesting as Doctor Who fans could wish in this modern age of emotional believability.

It is just as well that Part One did such an efficient job at introducing the immediate people in Gabby's life as there is very little direct focus on them this time. The reader will be able to remember enough and share the anxiety that Gabby has over both her own future and those of her loved ones. There is a good tie-in with her fears over feeling pressured to get more out of life with the cruel abilities of the malignant Cerebravores. The new companion even has some exposition of her own to contribute that reinforces the weighty explanations that the Tenth Doctor provides for much of the middle sections. I certainly feel that the character of Gabriella Gonzalez has plenty of staying power to remain as a lead character in this series of comics, and look forward to more character development for her in forthcoming issues.

Also commendable is Gabby's reticence in actually believing in the weird world of the Doctor and that events that are right before her are even genuine. It would seem that the Doctor is quite conscious of this issue and may not even want to subject another new companion to the intense highs and lows - which was especially poignant in Donna Noble's case.

The artwork is just as good if not better than the last issue, as the story can progress and allow for more exciting emotions to be conveyed. Clearly writer Abadzis - being an artist himself on occasion - absolutely knows what he wants out of his visionary material and Casagrande is comfortable with the eventual translation of the concepts and visual motifs. The story feels well-paced but also has its quiet moments which make the difference between a decent story and a good or outstanding one in any media format and era of Doctor Who's narrative.

Also there is enough of a distinctive comic flavour to make this feel like an authentic and distinct spin on the Doctor Who formula. Dialogue can be a little more exaggerated and yet feel believable given the visuals. The only small nit pick I have with this instalment is the Doctor's explanation of some of the Cerebravores' and Pranavores' influences on one another and the world around them. These gets a little 'technobabbly' and convoluted and slow down the liveliness of this comic book format. Yet a delightful pop culture reference to Ghostbusters - perhaps put in due to the 30th anniversary year for that film - helps make such dialogue choices a minimal concern.


Bonus material for this issue comes in the form of numerous alternative covers in nail thumb sizes for issue one, a promotional offer for Alice X Zhang's collectible cover art replicas, and different cover versions for issue two. The humorous mini strips that were in both opening issues for the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor lines are absent this time but hopefully return soon.

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Catherine Tate has said that before she joined the series that she thought the Daleks were in every episode of Doctor Who; viewers who have joined the show since the 50th Anniversary might well think the same, as the Doctor's greatest foe return for their third appearance in four episodes! I've never been a great fan of the ranting exterminators so yet another encounter so early in the series was not on my priority list of things to look forward to; it would need a good 'gimmick' to draw me in, which in this case was the Doctor encountering a lone, 'good' Dalek.

The story already has one good thing going for it, of course, Peter Capaldi. His portrayal of this plain-spoken, focussed but also easily side-tracked Doctor never ceases to be fascinating on screen; his coffee-run has a diversion in saving a life, yet having no other interest until there's something less 'boring' to get involved in; his practical but insensitive solution to escaping the Dalek antibodies (not to mention tasteless comments a little later), but then followed by an impassioned argument to regain Rusty's sense of 'goodness' once more; and of course his final 'dismissal' of Journey as a soldier when he departs. Donna had pointed out to the Doctor that he needed someone to temper him over a thousand years before, and this new 'reset' Doctor certainly needs a moral compass to guide him, the job of which of course falls to Clara. This possibly does weigh on his mind, and as the pre-publicity forewarned us, he asks her if he is a good man, to which she replies that she honestly doesn't know. He is aware that he isn't so "feely" as in previous lives, as the (also heavily publicised) "She's my carer - she cares so I don't have to" comment re-iterates. I'm not entirely sure how long this 'alien' Doctor can continue throughout the twelve episodes before a lack of softening becomes mundane to watch, but I somehow suspect that with someone like Capaldi in command of the character this isn't something we need worry about.

So, that 'good' Dalek, what's that all about? It seems that the captured survivor from a battle can see the Daleks for what they really are, and doesn't like what it sees; however, it has also been badly damaged and thus piques the Doctor's interest to help 'heal' it. It was probably pretty obvious that by doing so the Doctor would also restore the its "Dalek Factor", too, but I was sufficiently drawn into the tale not to think of that, beforehand. For a long-term fan such as myself there are the parallels with The Evil of the Daleks to draw upon, and the memory conditioning sits neatly with that former story's realisation - not that this is important to the casual viewer, and it seems the Doctor had forgotten too as he seems to feel vindicated when Rusty reverts to type once repaired. However, this is his prejudice for the Dalek race coming through, and that ultimately bites him on the bum when Rusty perceives and draws upon that hatred as its emotions are re-enabled by Clara.

It's probably safe to say that Rusty is a balanced individual, unlike our previous Dalek-turning-good that was so excellently realised in Dalek back in 2005. In that story the Dalek saw itself as impure and so sought self-destruction; no such sign from Rusty, and as it heads off to rejoin the Dalek fleet it seems very likely that we will see the repurcusions of this 'infiltration' at a later date. There's also the other hark back to that former episode too: there, the (then) lone survivor from the Time War suggests that the Doctor would make a good Dalek; here, Rusty informs the Doctor that he isn't a good Dalek, the Time Lord is himself - maybe Clara won't be the sole source of guidance to the Doctor as he subconsciously struggles out of darkness...

Being this is modern Doctor Who, as well as the 'sci-fi' excitement there's also the back-on-Earth 'domestic' to consider, too. Where would we be without some form of love interest in Doctor Who (shh!), and in this series this takes the form of new teacher at Clara's school, Danny Pink. Being that we only have a few minutes to set-up a new character, so in moments we know he's an ex-soldier whose had a bad encounter that continues to cast a shadow over him, and it's also pretty obvious that this will be a cause of friction with the Doctor after another not-too-subtle signpost from the Doctor's comment to Journey about her profession. Considering his 'crash-entry' into the series, Samuel Anderson does a good job of introducing the conflicted Danny, and it'll be interesting to see how he develops over the next few weeks.

The big Dalek battle at the end was okay, but the plethora of explosions didn't hide their inability to hit targets (maybe they just feel that overwhelming numbers win out extermination-wise rather than being more accurate). The battle cries were fun to hear, though a little frustrating in not being quite the same as those from the classic era they were mimicking (or is that just the memory cheating again?!!). The spaceship crew were pretty unmemorable though, and main girl Journey was herself a bit bland (but why do I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of her, either?). The internals of Rusty were handled well, though I wasn't too sure of the miniturisation scale at times (not to mention them having a handy minituriser to hand, too, shades of The Invisible Enemy come to mind).

Looking at the story as whole, Into The Dalek was a reasonable tale, and certainly more watch-worthy than the ratings juggernaut on ITV, but I think it safely falls into the "average" category of story. Capaldi, excepted!

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Reviewed by Ben Breen

The Evil One
Written and Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Released Apr 2014 by Big Finish

This Fourth Doctor Adventures story begins with Leela demanding that her father takes "the test of the horda" in her place, which, judging by the scream that follows, is a rather painful ordeal. However, this scene is soon shattered by the fourth Doctor’s entrance, creating a moment of palpable unease in the mind of our favourite Time Lord, which never quite seems to leave throughout most of the story.

When the TARDIS lands in the cargo hold of a giant spacecraft, that is inexplicably empty, we are introduced to three characters in rapid succession. Calvert, a rather aggressive man; Arthley, at this point in the story, a rather official type; along with Inspector Efendi, by far the most mysterious character of the trio.

Leela continues to see what might loosely be called "visions" and hears strange noises as her and The Doctor explore a luxury space cruiser, identified as the Moray Rose, attempting to discover what grizzly and troubling fate befell the crew and the myriad of rich passengers.

When they stumble upon a man who is strangely unresponsive, the time travellers are confronted by Calvert. Things then take a turn for the worse as they are subjected to interrogation, with the Time Lord and his companion quickly progressing the plot and background rather than beating about the bush. This means that the story, despite being only two episodes long, can include an enemy encounter within the first 10 to 15 minutes. The metallic insectoid enemies, known as the Salonu, without speaking or negotiation, choose to fire on the unsuspecting Doctor, Leela and Calvert. This scene does present a running gag that is referred to remarkably often in parodies and the main series itself. This is the simple fact that the Doctor doesn’t have a plan formed as he should do with his centuries of experience. His procrastinations actually lead him to make a remark about Leela’s father, creating a moment of tension similar to the opening scene, as the aliens attempt to break down the heavily armoured door.

While this could have definitely made a good end to the first episode, it does continue on with important plot points that are used in a reasonably good substitute.

There are a cluster of new and old series references as you would expect from any Big Finish production. Passing references to the idea of the TARDIS being "bigger on the inside" further cements the remark’s place in canon and the minds of Doctor Who fans, whilst the idea of the Doctor’s fate being in the hands of a companion, now relatively commonplace to fans of the new era, makes its return. Speaking of returns, Nicholas Briggs makes yet another monster come to life with his most well-known piece of equipment, the ring modulator. Although the voice is relatively easy to get used to, I could not shake off the fact that the result sounded like a parallel earth Cyberman that had its voice unit set to a slightly more hyperactive setting than normal.

Past episodes of the series are also alluded to, the most noticeable of these call-backs being to The Face Of Evil, the first story to feature Leela as a character, as well as the infamous Janus thorn.

The "state of temporal grace" in the TARDIS is also brought to light when Calvert attempts to shoot the Doctor. Additionally, the score fits very well with the classic style of the original Doctor Who musical cues, albeit in somewhat of a more updated fashion.

The first episode cliff-hanger does provide a reason as to the story’s title, although it is unclear at that point how relevant it will become.

The return of The Master, a villain reappearing most recently in the David Tennant era, was not as much of a shock to me as it could’ve been, due to two things. The first is that the trailer acknowledges his appearance along with the cast list, with the second reason being to do with the research I conducted to complete this review, I have attempted to leave as many things untouched as possible so that new readers/listeners can enjoy everything there is to offer here.

The entire cast deliver performances that definitely do their characters justice. Louise Jameson’s Leela and Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor share a chemistry that shifts and changes throughout, whilst the Master is very much the villain that he has always been. Geoffrey Beevers, at once, portrays the age of the Time Lord villain, whilst also showing his cunning and skill with the abilities he possesses.

All in all, this story fits in well with the era it attempts to recreate, in addition to allowing the return of a villain that doesn’t get quite as much attention as foes like the Daleks or Cybermen. As to how that comes about and the schemes that the villain in question has in store, to use the words of a certain Professor River Song, "Spoilers..."

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Afterlife
New Adventures with the Eleventh Doctor
Issue 1
Written by Al Ewing and Rob Williams
Illustrated by Simon Fraser
Coloured by Gary Caldwell
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

"Listen.. How do you feel about helping me catch a rainbow dog? Because I think that might be fun".

And so the Doctor recruits yet another budding travel companion in this tale from Titan Comics. The writing is a combined effort from Al Ewing (Loki: Agent of Asgard, Mighty Avengers, Trifecta) and Rob Williams (Revolutionary War, Ordinary, Miss Fury, The Royals: Masters of War, Trifecta) The artwork comes from Simon Fraser (Nikolai Dante, Grindhouse, Doctor Who) with colour finishing from Gary Caldwell.


Thanks to the flexibility of the Matt Smith era, new companions can slot into the time periods between when the Doctor said goodbye to Amy and Rory and when he 're-acquires' them later. This particular story has just taken place after series 5 finale 'The Big Bang' and uses London as its main setting. Alice Obiefune is the key new character to be introduced in Afterlife. Alice has had a tough time first caring for her severely ill mother and then having to mourn her death. Being made redundant from her assistant librarian job and then having to find a new home as her building was bought for new flats instead just add to her woes. The final insult? Her best friend moving far away to another country altogether.

However the sheer despair gives way to panic and exhilaration. as Alice encounters a beast causing havoc on a busy main road; a simultaneously terrifying and adorable life form with many hues - 'Rainbow Dog'. And not far behind is the Doctor! Humour and exposition are mixed together as the Doctor and Alice establish that they must stop the tail of the creature from performing its natural function - absorbing the environment immediately around it. Eventually things come to a head when the giant creature reaches the Houses of Parliament, where seemingly Prime Minister's Questions is being conducted. Suitably there is a swift interruption and an end to the political debates of the day. Amusingly the desperation from different ministers to make it to the exit before the beast can reach them shows a very firm 'survival of the fittest' mindset.


The Prime Minister - characterised in rather broad brush strokes - comes across as a fair-middling political leader. However his terror in the face of adversity brings into sharp relief the true bravery of Alice. She might be scared, maybe even more than other people. Yet she uses ironic wit (at her own expense!) to alleviate the pressure and to end up helping the Doctor. Beforehand the two had bonded somewhat in the Tardis in a wonderful interlude sequence as she explained her troubled life to the sympathetic 'mad man in a box'. There is a clear chemistry between the two - markedly different however to the Ponds' or Clara's dynamic(s) with him.

Ultimately the solution to stopping the giant multi-coloured dog is simple and elegant - although the Doctor's supposed allies at UNIT almost mess things up by threatening to blow the alien away with their firearms. Thankfully the rainbow dog ends up being reunited with its best friend - a walking squid! Thus the dog/'Kharitite' fits into the Tardis and is allocated a place in the ship's swimming pool. And once again the power of love - so familiar from Matt Smith's run - ends up being the savior of the day. This situation is also rather familiar for any one who has seen 'Hide' from Smith's last full season on TV.

This is a fun story more than not, but a touch confused in tone if read in one go especially. On one hand the sadness Alice must have dealt with to the extremes makes this a downbeat story but there are moments with a lightness of touch as well. The most obvious are the reactions by various people to the Kharitite, and the scenes in Westminster towards the end have a satirical bite For now I will reserve judgement if this a deliberate style choice by the creators,or more of an 'early try' that will be more focused as they pen other stores.
Otherwise Ewing and Williams flesh out the main players in this story quite well although a lot of secondary characters do feel just like window dressing. But importantly the Doctor/ Alice team feels solid from the get-go. And also promising is the apparent set-up for an intriguing arc involving someone from the Doctor's own race - who can appear just about anywhere. I would hope that it is someone else than already familiar renegades from Doctor Who's long history. The artwork from Fraser is excellent here as well, with Gary Caldwell assisting by using both boisterous colour and also shades of grey -to denote Alice's sad life story).

** Two bonus strips feature in this issue:

The first - 'Service with a Shhhh' - explores a banking market opening for the Silence where the Doctor helps out with the marketing side of things. The conceit rests on people forgetting they have money to waste. It is a little less clear just why too great enemies seemingly come together and do something with the same desired end result, but still amusing enough. 'AJ' has fashioned a similar visual style to his Sontaran piece in the Tenth Doctor comic; with computer generated benign-looking 3D Lego type figures. The colours literally leap off the page and add to the overall experience.

The second story - 'Pond Life' (reminding keen fans of Rory and Amy's own mini-series that was on TV) is a rather more traditional and engrossing piece. Both written and drawn by Marc Ellerby it involves the main River Song incarnation we know and love being treated as a young girl by her parents, and despite being physically older than them. Doctor Eleven features briefly as the boy who takes River out for the night - much to Amy and Rory's concern. This more traditional pencil style look is very different from Afterlife but fits the tone of the mini story more than well enough.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Revolutions of Terror
New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor
Issue 1
Written by Nick Abadzis
Illustrated by Elena Casagrande
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

This brand new series from Titan Comics allows all devotees of the Tenth Doctor to have some fresh adventures with the massively popular character that David Tennant brought to life. It is written by Eisner Award-winning Nick Abadzis (Laika) and visualised by fan-favourite artist Elena Casagrande (Angel, Suicide Risk, Star Trek) with colours by Arianna Florean.

Any newcomers to Doctor Who in general are provided with an introductory text on what the Doctor, the TARDIS and the sonic screwdriver are all about. There is also a brief reminder of the Doctor now being alone again, having had to sacrifice his friendship with Donna to save her.

Gabriella Gonzalez is the focus of this opening issue, along with various other residents of New York city looking forward to Halloween. She is a bright and lively young lady with clear potential in the real world. However Miss Gonzalez is rather weighed down by the inescapably tedious work that she must do for her family's restaurant business, along with a post in a Laundromat. Although she still determinedly goes to night school for accountancy training, something has got to give in her life. And it is anything but what she would expect.

The most notable of Gabby's family is arguably the irascible Hector, who at one point looks to pay the price for being brusque and dismissive. However Abadzis wrong foots the reader and you are left wondering what perhaps instead will occur in terms of this character's arc. A distinctive character outside of the main family unit is Councillor Ricardo Mendoza - who is allowing a ceremony to take place on the day of the dead and may possibly play a larger role in future instalments, perhaps as a villain or perhaps something else that is rather more 'grey' in nature.

Tennant's doctor is sidelined to the extent that we see the cheery and almost too careless persona that he habitually assumes in the initial stages of his adventures. Of course long-term fans of the show can trust that the sterner and more imposing side of the tenth Doctor is not far away and hints are given by his response to the monsters who begin to appear suddenly on the subway. Since the Doctor and Gabriella only meet at the very end - despite being in the same building somwhat earlier on - we will have to see how this latest addition to the doctor/companion dynamic will be.

This story understandably chooses to follow the formula that former TV producer Russell T Davies adhered to - when introducing a new companion in a season's opening episode. There is a considerable amount of story devoted to the Gonzalez family, their issues and some of the past deeds which perhaps should now be hidden - except that supernatural forces have other ideas. Despite the Tenth Doctor being a 'supporting act' he is still magnetic and engaging. There appears to be no surface pain despite his sadness over Rose being now with a mortal clone of himself, and Donna's cruel fate.

The themes of American history and sociology through the context of earlier generations of working classes labouring makes the overall story more substantial. In terms of there actually being 'Revolutions of Terror' - there is the backdrop of the 'Day of the Dead' festival that Mexicans around the world partake in. Given how Gabriella is scared early on by a flood in the Laundromat, and how her family past may tie in directly with the paranormal forces, there is a really effective creepy atmosphere. Having Halloween be taking place co-incidentally is a smart move by Abadzis who clearly appreciates Doctor Who's long-standing remit to be frightening.

The art is certainly striking and easy on the eye, serving the tone of the story well. Casagrande's past experience with Doctor Who comics shows and all the new characters that are involved are easily distinguished from one another. It is also believable that the large Mexican family are all related by sharing certain facial and behavioural traits. There is little immediate threat in terms of any characters being killed off, the closest we get to it being random bystanders being transformed into the various monsters instead.

Indeed the very authentic struggles of a young person trying to establish herself as a self-sufficient adult form the real heart of the story that we get so far. The comic reads well throughout, doesn't try to be too clever or deep but feels like a lot of time and attention has been put into it. I can only hope it will go from strength to strength.

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Featuring at the end is an extra bonus with a Sontaran stand up comic performing an act to a full audience of his fellow clones. This comedian is rather less friendly to the Doctor than Strax, but still amusing. A smart reference to the Rutan in Horror of Fang Rock pops up for fans of the classic series, and indeed this one page extra would be perfectly at home with similar comedic pieces that feature in daily newspapers.

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Series openers have always got a lot to contend with; they have to balance between welcoming back older viewers who are expecting more of what they watched the show previously for, and also welcoming new viewers to the fold who may not know what the show is about. With Doctor Who that can be even harder, with nigh on ten years of new adventures continuing a show now literally in its golden years, under unabated media scrutiny and audience expectation. Then, throw a new Doctor into the mix ...

Unlike the arrival of Christopher Eccleston's version, which the production team took great care to identify as a continuation of the 20th Century series in naming him the - ahem - ninth incarnation, at Christmas The Time of the Doctor actually pulled the reset switch in 'killing' off the Doctor as he reached the end of his final regeneration ... and then like a phoenix rising from the ashes brought forth a renewed Doctor as he is granted a whole new life cycle by the Time Lords. In doing so, it also gave the production team carte-blanche to radically change the Doctor's personality, unburdened by his previous forms, and take the show in a new direction. But would they take that chance to potentially alienate an audience?

Well, of course not. After the disaster that was the sixth Doctor's introduction back in 1984, such a radical alteration was never going to be on the cards. However, as demonstrated in last night's Deep Breath, the character can certainly be massaged into a much more ambigious personality who the audience themselves are unsure of, let alone those on screen. We have the moment where the Doctor apparently abandons Clara to the "Half Face Man" ("no point in catching us both"), and then later his look from the restaurant-turned-balloon after the aforementioned robot falls to its (his?) impalation on the top of St Stephens Tower (this is a Victorian story, pedants (grin)) leaves us in total doubt as to whether he pushed or not. However, considering the way the (original) first Doctor behaved over his first adventures we aren't exactly in virgin territory, and he is essentially still the same being that we've known over the last 2000+ years - as hammered home rather unsubtly during the course of the story by Vastra and the Doctor himself.

Pulling it off is a skill, both in performance and direction, and as the new Doctor Peter Capaldi easily succeeds, ably introduced by Ben Wheatley, whose horror credentials certainly are in play in a number of scenes in the latter half of the story. However, it is the latter half where things properly kick off, with the earlier scenes are perhaps being a little too lengthy and slowing the story down somewhat. This is of course one of the problems with exposition, and as I mentioned when starting this review, there's a fair bit to expose! Writer Steven Moffat allowing some 80 minutes for the plot threads to 'breathe' (sorry!) was a good move, but perhaps it could have been shaved down a little just to make it a little pacier.

Anyway, to the story itself!

Prehistoric creatures have come a long way with Walking with Dinosaurs, and our inadvertent visitor to Victorian London was a remarkable creation (please give Invasion of the Dinosaurs a special edition...). Of course real science might not be in play here (see the New Scientist review) but it is catered for in the story universe (thanks, Vastra). It's a shame that it was a macguffin rather than anything more important in the story, but strangely you do feel empathy for it, courtesy of the Doctor (amazing how the TARDIS selectively translates language for its prefered inhabitants) and its sad demise does contribute to moving the story along - though the indication that the robots have been around since the creature's own era in time is an area of plot that, like the ship's location underground, shouldn't be dug into too deeply! Come to think of it, why bring back clockwork droids at all, their inclusion felt a bit like the Autons back in Rose, feeling more of a "historical" enemy's return for its own sake rather than serving the narrative. Mind you, Wheatley skillfully creates some genuinely disturbing moments that eclipse their previous appearance in The Girl in the Fireplace, so I'm not going to worry about that so much!

Jenna Coleman, Neve McIntosh, Catrin Stewart and Dan Starkey continue to perform strongly, with the latter's portrayal one of the highlights of the episode. The fan in me frowns a bit at how Moffat has seemingly turned the Sontarans into the Ferengi of Doctor Who, but he does get some of the best lines and Starkey never quites takes his performance into farce, so I end up looking forward to his scenes. ("The Doctor is still missing, but he will always come looking for his box. By bringing it here, he will be lured from the dangers of London into this place of safety and we will melt him with acid ... We will not melt him with acid.", followed by his 'special' delivery of the Times to Clara win the prize!). Peter Ferdinando was especially chilling with his portrayal of the "Half Face Man", and again the effects did not let down in animating his clockwork half. Whether we've actually seen the last of him remains to be seen after that ending, and like with Rose in Partners in Crime, the appearance of Michelle Gomez's Missy was delightfully unexpected - I really hope the Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere isn't going to turn out to be the Rani or a female Master as quite a few have speculated and that she is a new original character for us to enjoy in the same way as Madame Kovarian in the 2011 series.

As for that other cameo, I did know it was coming from filming reports but fortunately had forgotten about it until the phone rang. Watching it live evoked the same kind of nostalgic emotion that the final scenes of The End of Time did, though in hindsight I'm not so sure it really served the story so well - it might have been nicer as one of those online/red button extras to enjoy separately rather than in the story proper. Still, its purpose was to remind us (again) that we are watching a continuation of a fifty year tradition!

I can't finish without mentioning the new titles of course. The graphics looked great, and the reflection of the 'clock' theme within the opening bars of the theme was a nice touch (presumably weekly and not just for this clockwork-themed episode), but the main theme sounded very tinny, at least in a non-5.1 environment - I almost had a "Delaware" moment listening to it again! It doesn't seem to quite provide the majesty that I've come to expect from the series theme tune, but I suppose it'll grow on me in time!

All-in-all, Capaldi's debut story was enjoyable, if perhaps a little longer than it needed to be (though it certainly wasn't a clock-watching episode). There was nothing that made me tut at the screen either, so that is always a good sign. It will be interesting to see if this Doctor continues to be 'alien' or becomes more 'human' as with the first Doctor over the next eleven weeks.

Finally, Capaldi himself delivered all my expectations of him as the Doctor, so I'm looking forward to the next 7+ years of him in the role (grin).

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Reviewed by Tim Hunter

On the whirlwind visit to Sydney as part of the Doctor Who World Tour, Peter Capaldi made time for a chat with Julia Zemiro for ABC TV, and When Julia Met The Doctor, which aired in Australia Wednesday 20 August, was the result.

Just quickly, Julia Zemiro is an Australian TV presenter, known for Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery series of interviews with local comedians on ABC TV, and as a co-presenter of Australia’s Eurovision Song Contest broadcast for SBS TV. She’s an intelligent, relaxed presenter with a good eye for the absurd and camp, and a good choice to interview Capaldi.

She immediately puts Peter at ease as she ushers him into a big room with a view of Sydney Harbour, and manages to engage him in some fun, frank and often irreverent chat. And it is a chat, rather than a formal interview. They chat about his early years as a Doctor Who fan, his childhood in Glasgow, his time in a punk rock band, a stab at stand-up comedy, the short film he directed, the Oscar he won for that, and of course his casting in Local Hero and The Thick of It. She even manages to unearth some previously unknown stories of Peter putting on puppet shows in primary school, which he seems surprised and somewhat embarrassed about her revealing. But then he follows up with a story about making a model TV studio out of a shoe box for cut-out Beatles to perform in, which is just one of a number of lovely moments.

When he gets to talking about being cast as the Doctor, nearly 20 minutes in to the show, he’s hit his stride, and in amongst the candid observations, the now-common anecdote about his first day of shooting in the TARDIS prop comes out, not any less funny, of course. His dry humour and self-deprecating demeanour is lovely to watch, and his passion for the Doctor and the responsibility he’s taking on is intense and a little bit fierce – a hint of what the Twelfth Doctor will actually be like.

Peter also has some interesting insights into Clara as his companion, and then when Julia asks if he can still hear the voice of young Peter Capaldi in his head when he’s on set, he stops to really think before answering, and when he does, he talks about how he knows who the Doctor is, and uses that knowledge rather than any acting ability to inform his performance. And in that moment, we see a lovely emotional and slightly vulnerable side to Peter, and how much playing the Doctor means to him.

The interview is only 25 minutes long, but thanks to Zemiro’s disarming charm and interviewing skills, we get a really solid understanding of who Peter Capaldi is, and what he’ll bring to Doctor Who. And I for one can’t wait to see.

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Reviewed by Tim Hunter

An email from BBC Worldwide inviting me to a screening of Deep Breath and press conference with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman as part of the Australian leg of the Doctor Who World Tour is hard to refuse – even if it is in Sydney. I’m a Melbourne boy, about 900kms (and an hour and a half flight or 12-hour train trip away – further than the 240kms Cardiff is from London) south of Sydney, but how could I say no? So I booked a cheap flight to Sydney, arranged to stay with an old friend the night before, and I was set.

I’ve met, and done an interview in person with one other Doctor, Peter Davison, when he was here hosting the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular earlier this year, and I’ve done phone interviews with previous Doctors David Tennant and Matt Smith (as well as quite a few companion actors), but this was going to be the first time I would be in the same space as a current Doctor and companion. Capaldi and Coleman are the first 21st century TARDIS team to visit Australia, so of course, there was lots of excitement and anticipation.

I wasn’t the only one travelling to Sydney for this event; a fellow Melbourne journalist was also flying up, Doctor Who news contributor Adam Kirk was travelling across from Canberra, and on my flight was a couple, one dressed in an outfit resembling the Seventh Doctor’s TV Movie ensemble, and one wearing a Tom Baker scarf. Now that’s showing your true colours.

The press screening and Q&A were taking place at a cinema on Circular Quay, not far from the Sydney Opera House and across from the Harbour Bridge. Kick-off time was 9.15am, but I arrived early to catch up with Adam for a coffee and a chat. The café we chose had a great view of the Harbour, and as a result the price of the coffee was inflated, and the coffee not that great – very Parisian. But I’m a true Melbourne boy, and we take our coffee seriously.

Once coffee was done, we headed into the cinema foyer, and were greeted with the TARDIS – or at least a travelling TARDIS prop. After signing a confidentiality agreement (so no spoilers, I’m afraid Sweetie), we were given a press kit, complete with a press-out mini TARDIS to assemble at home, and then ushered into the cinema.

Local ABC Radio presenter Adam Spencer introduced the screening, and then it was time for a ‘Deep Breath’. It’s always fun watching a brand new episode with an audience; observing their reactions, laughing along with them, feeling the anticipation and sharing in the joy. And of course I won’t be giving anything away, but it does involve a dinosaur in Victorian London, the Paternoster Gang and a newspaper.

The episode was well received – of course, and as Adam returned to the stage and asked for comments from the crowd, it was like everyone was still processing it and not yet ready to articulate their thoughts. Then Peter and Jenna arrived, and soon they settled in for a chat with Adam. They covered a lot of ground, from casting to their first day filming together.

Q&A press conferences can be curious beasts. It’s kicking it off that’s always awkward and Adam did a good job launching straight into the questions, but when it was time for questions from the audience, everyone was a bit hesitant – no one likes to be the first, and there’s always the fear that you’ll ask a stupid question and make a dick of yourself. Once the audience got going though, there was a sudden flood of questions, mostly intelligent and thoughtful. There’s always one out of left field though, and someone asked Peter if he was going to follow in Christopher Eccleston’s steps and just do one season. Peter, Jenna and Adam looked a little taken aback, and you could feel the rest of the audience shift uncomfortably. Peter confirmed he was doing the Christmas Special, of course, and remained enigmatic beyond that, if a little mystified by the question himself.

Then it was time for Peter and Jenna to head out for the photo shoot. The TARDIS had been moved outside, and with the Harbour Bridge as a backdrop, Peter and Jenna posed for a tight and demanding group of photographers, a mix of professional paparazzi and amateur snappers. They were of course accommodating and graceful, responding to calls to turn this way or that, to go inside the TARDIS, outside the TARDIS, you get the idea. And of course, the commotion attracted a lot of passers-by and tourists all wondering what was going on. Some recognised Peter and the TARDIS; others had no idea. But the iPhones and cameras clicked away.

Adam and I managed to squeeze in for some good shots, but couldn’t get close enough to actually talk to Peter or Jenna. And then they were whisked away by a phalanx of publicists and minders, leaving the TARDIS available for a few selfies. We also managed to get interviewed ourselves about our thoughts on ‘Deep Breath’ and the Twelfth Doctor. And then the TARDIS disappeared and it was all over – as if if had never been there. But we will always remember that it was.

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Reviewed by Nick Joy

Deep Breath red carpet world première
Cardiff
7th August 2014
Pictures by Nick Joy and Andy Smith

Cardiff has been the production base for Doctor Who since 2004 and perhaps in recognition of this its residents were treated to the red carpet treatment for Series 8's world première 16 days before its TV screening.

As part of the wider world tour to promote the new season and Peter Capaldi's arrival as the new Doctor, the Cardiff première was held at St David's Hall, a concert venue in the heart of the city's shopping precinct and ideally located for a West End-style première event.

Tickets for the screening and Q&A sold out pretty much instantly amongst scenes of the website crashing and demand far exceeding supply. To help manage the disappointment, a free fan meet was arranged for the morning of the première, with Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat and new guy Samuel Anderson traversing the 1/4 mile from Cardiff Central Library to the front of St David's Hall.

Having such a long "catwalk" was a double-edged sword. It meant that more people had the chance to see the stars up close and personal (at no point was it more than two or three deep), but it also meant they had further to walk in a short period of time. And while free publicity cards of Capaldi, Coleman and Anderson were given out to all, the chances of getting an autograph or two were really down to pot luck. Capaldi was particularly attentive - chatting, personalising autographs, posing for "selfies" and generally soaking up the rock star attention he was receiving.

All the while, Daleks patrolled the runway, stopping to terrorise the occasional delighted child, and Cybermen stomped up and down. BBC execs with clipboards scurried the barrier's length, prepping Capaldi for his next interview or soundbite, while presenters Lizo Mzimba and Jason Mohammad earnestly interviewed another group of delirious cosplayers. Even the TARDIS was in attendance, sitting outside the department stores.

After the screening, the cast set off for the London leg of the tour, hosted at the BFI. But back in Cardiff, as the carpet was rolled up, the railings stacked back on to the trucks and the visitors trooped off to the Doctor Who Experience in the Bay, the magic still hung in the air.

This was the same street that featured in the very same season opener being promoted that day (though it pretends to be elsewhere) and it's the same street that doubles as St Paul's district in the season finale. Two roads over and it's where Rose witnessed Autons smashing out of a shop window, and isn't that where Kylie and Doctor Tennant wandered around one Christmas?

And that's why Doctor Who premières happen here - they're a fixed point in time and space.

• To see more photos of the event, go to Nick's Photobucket album.

Related Articles: Doctor Who World Tour Begins (7 Aug 2014)

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Reviewed by Ben Breen

The Crooked Man
Released by Big Finish
Written by John Dorney
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Released: Mar 2014

Tom Baker's fourth Doctor has, in recent years, returned to the mainstream in not only the 50th anniversary special audio and television adventures, but also with the help of Big Finish Productions. This particular story in the Fourth Doctor Adventures range sees the Time Lord and his companion Leela, who always seems to be getting the customs and elements of other cultures confused, land on earth for what they describe as a “holiday”.

But as is nearly always the case with Doctor Who stories, something is terribly amiss in what should be an idyllic seaside town, albeit a small one.

The story opens with a man who, we discover, is a dealer in second-hand books completing a purchase with a customer, one of the crucial characters in the story. This shop also proves to be the scene of the first rather gruesome murder, one of several committed by an unknown killer using unconventional methods. This leads into a story that I obviously do not wish to spoil, but does involve some rather new twists, turning this two-episode adventure into a story that is part investigation, part dark suspense. This story does have remarkably good character development, considering the amount of episodes and limited running time. However, this could possibly be down to having a full cast to work with as well as their enthralling performances.

The fourth Doctor is portrayed with an ominous sense of foreboding by Baker, with Louise Jameson's Leela offering a pleasant and surprisingly quick method of plot progression. Even though Leela is commonly befuddled by the Doctor's mentioning of things like "enjoying some rock", it isn't just the tribal warrior who presumes a lot about the people or places they discover. One particularly fine example of the stories humorous writing style, seen at scattered points throughout, occurs when the Doctor enters into a relative monologue about autograph signing. The outcome is, to say the least, expected and a good light hearted moment.

Every member of the cast does a remarkably good job here, considering the story takes several possibly unexpected twists and turns. The main villain of the piece, the Crooked Man, is a sinister character who we learn relatively little about, but we understand that he will use any means necessary to achieve his own ends. The voice is well chosen and with this being an audio only adventure, the listener is forced to conjure up their own version of this mysterious foe.

The atmosphere carved out by the drama itself is chilling, the suspenseful piano and string-based score continuing to fill the reader/listener with a sense of unease. This is further enhanced by the appearance of shadows and hallucinations, which seem to be a common theme in this story, with Laura Corbett, returning from her visit to the second-hand book shop, seeing a door that did not previously exist in the house before. This theme of shadows and strange sights helps to intensify the emotional tension that persists throughout.

The Crooked Man is a seemingly new, time sensitive villain, with his suspicious companion in the form of Lesley King, a rather rude and forceful television personality. Although all is not what it seems as an old scenario, the land of fiction, once again returns to menace the Doctor, his companion and potentially the whole world with monsters and foes the likes of which humanity has never seen.

To conclude, this story was a gripping one with the entire cast working collaboratively to produce an experience that will hopefully keep you guessing right until the end. Additionally, those who haven't encountered the land of fiction before shouldn't need any prior knowledge. However, those who are interested can discover more about this mysterious place in City of Spires, The Wreck of the Titan, Legend of the Cybermen and The Claws of Santa in the Big Finish audio range.

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