Reviewed by Damian Christie

The Widow’s Assassin
Written By: Nev Fountain
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Tim Chipping (Constable Wolsey/Mandrake), John Banks (Baron Pteratrark/Guard Two), Andrew Dickens (Reverand Flitamus/Guard One), FIona Sheehan (Princess Dirani), Glynn Sweet (Harcross The Ever-Patient/Pheen-Tu/Flunkey)

Released October 2014

“The thing is, Peri, I always go back ... for my friends. In time, I always go back ...”
The Doctor, The Widow’s Assassin

The Widow’s Assassin seeks to definitively address a question that has gone largely unanswered for nearly 30 years: What really happened to the Sixth Doctor’s erstwhile young American companion Perpugilliam Brown after their visit to Thoros-Beta?

When we last saw Peri (Nicola Bryant) on television in part eight of 1986’s epic, season-long serial The Trial of a Time Lord, it appeared that she had died on Thoros-Beta. In what must have been an even more confusing situation for the young woman, Peri had beforehand been seemingly betrayed and abandoned by the Doctor (Colin Baker). However, in what many fans nearly three decades on still consider a dreadful copout, it was later revealed that Peri’s life had been spared and she had become the queen of the Krontep warrior King Yrcanos. Even comforted by the knowledge Peri was still alive, it seems the Doctor never went back for her on-screen – or at least never attempted to reconcile with her.

Indeed, it has been left up to lots of spin-off and fan fiction over the years to speculate about Peri’s ultimate fate, sometimes ranging from the tragic to the absurd. Baker himself even had a go in his 1994 Doctor Who Magazine graphic novel The Age of Chaos. Writer Nev Fountain, best known for TV’s Dead Ringers and various other Doctor Who audio contributions for Big Finish, offered his own heartbreaking take on Peri in the Doctor Who Companion Chronicle Peri and the Piscon Paradox (2011). However, the most absurd theory came from Philip Martin, the scriptwriter of parts five to eight of Trial, who suggested in the 1989 novelisation of his script that rather than becoming a queen, Peri was safely returned to Earth and became Yrcanos’ manager on the US pro-wrestling circuit!

Now Fountain, who is actually married to Nicola Bryant, has had a go at definitively resolving Peri’s story (presumably with Bryant’s input) with The Widow’s Assassin. After nearly 30 years, has it been worth the wait, you may ask? And is it any better than some of the speculation that we’ve been served up over the years?

Fountain answers these questions by putting to us another: Yes, we know the fair maiden was ultimately rescued and became a queen – but was it ever truly that simple? On one level, Fountain’s tale is plausible, and he draws on the apparent fairy tale aspects of Peri’s fate to illustrate that perhaps it wasn’t all sweetness and wine after all (the opening monologue to the story is especially memorable). On the other hand, there are some elements of the story that just aren’t executed as well as they ought to be and really place a lot of blind faith in the listener’s conviction.

The tale start offs as a relatively straightforward murder mystery in a pseudo-mediaeval setting on Krontep. The Doctor arrives on the day of Peri’s wedding to Yrcanos to beg her forgiveness and to try to understand why she never waited for him on Thoros-Beta after he was whisked away to his trial. However, Peri has him promptly arrested and thrown into prison. Yrcanos is poisoned at his own wedding and dies a week later (fans who still cringe at Brian Blessed’s shouting nearly three decades on can breathe a huge sigh of relief – Yrcanos is only mentioned in dialogue and their sensitive ears are spared Blessed’s booming tones!). Five years later, Queen Peri pardons the Doctor and enlists him on a diplomatic mission to the planet Hurn to observe the suitors for the nuptials of its ruler Princess Dirani (Fiona Sheehan), only for the Time Lord to again fall foul of the law and be accused of regicide ...

The mediaeval flavour of The Widow’s Assassin gives the listener a story that is (much like Fountain’s period drama The Kingmaker) more farce than drama – or more Blackadder than Game of Thrones! It features many colourful, exaggerated characters with ridiculous and snobbish accents such as Baron Pteratrark (John Banks), Reverend Flitamus (Andrew Dickens) and Prince Harcross the Ever Patient (Glynn Sweet), as well as the distinctly Welsh working class intonations of the simply named Guard One and Guard Two (Dickens and Banks again), who fulfil similar roles to the fools of many Shakespearean epics. Indeed, the only no-nonsense character, apart from the Doctor and Peri, is the Queen’s head of security Constable Wolsey (Tim Chipping) – and even he is a genetically modified human-sheep hybrid! Apparently having four stomachs gives Wolsey an extra “gut feeling” when solving crimes!

The story also parodies fairy stories, particularly of the beautiful princess bagging her wonderful prince at the end of the story – although in the case of The Widow’s Curse, we discover that not all royal personages necessarily live happily ever after, nor they know true love either!

In addition to straddling the fairy tale, pseudo-mediaeval and murder mystery genres, The Widow’s Assassin to boot throws in a “wibbly, wobby, timey-wimey” element. This was a strong feature of Fountain’s Peri and the Piscon Paradox and also of The Kingmaker but the “timey-wimey” component in The Widow’s Assassin is subtler and requires not only a lot of exposition but an open mind on the listener’s part to make it credible (something that the author should make work of his own accord, not anticipate the listener to accept). It does, however, explain why the Doctor is supposedly content to spend time in prison rather than investigate Yrcanos’ murder.

While The Widow’s Assassin is mostly satirical, the cliffhanger to part two of this four-part serial takes the story in a more sinister and abstract direction from what you’re expecting and it ceases to be your conventional murder mystery. In fact, the story has a twist within a twist, completely overturning the usual assumptions we have had about Peri’s fate after life in the TARDIS and really testing the story’s plausibility and again the listener’s ability to suspend disbelief. Unfortunately, the antagonist, which is revealed to have as much of a personal connection to the Doctor as Peri herself, is “too grotesque to be real” (as the Sixth Doctor once said of another of his foes) – that is, the adversary is even more two-dimensional and underwhelming than intended (a fact not helped by the over-synthesised voice!). Fountain tries to be a little too clever with his script when he doesn’t need to be.

Nevertheless, the production itself is delivered with all the energy and enthusiasm that we have come to expect from the cast and crew of a BF audio production and, apart from sections which require a lot of ponderous exposition, the story is well paced and well performed by the cast. It is a credit to the likes of Chipping, Banks, Dickens and Sweet that they can deceive the ear with differing voices and inflections and create the impression that there are more actors involved in the production than there actually are. Indeed, all the actors, including the regulars, should be congratulated for fantastic voice work. Baker and Bryant even swap roles in the climactic stages of the story (Bryant’s portrayal of the Doctor is brilliant and Baker’s impersonation of Peri’s American accent is riotously funny!). Baker even lends his voice to other roles; the reason why makes sense as the story progresses (despite again testing the listener’s credulity) but you do not realise it is Baker’s voice until you sit through repeated listenings.

For the most part, The Widow’s Assassin is an entertaining, farcical romp with plenty of black humour but as a definitive resolution to Peri’s fate in the Doctor Who universe, it really should have been a more earnest, darker story – much like the Thoros-Beta story arc of the Trial season which inspired it in the first place. Indeed, you expect the story to be much darker after the great cliffhanger to part two; Fountain sets up what seems to be an intelligent, logical follow-on from events on television but then attempts to be too clever and fancy with it and expects far too much of the listener to accept some of his plot points and join the dots. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of Peri Brown (and Nicola Bryant) and were always disappointed at the uncertainty of her departure, you will now be pleased that the character has effectively been given a new lease of life (pun not necessarily intended!) and that she may yet have more satisfactory closure in BF’s ongoing Doctor Who audio range than she did on television.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Manhunt; The Fifth Citadel; Peshka; Sins of the Fathers
Starring: Simon Williams, Pamela Salem, Karen Gledhill, Hugh Ross Written By: Matt Fitton, James Goss, Mark Wright & Cavan Scott, John Dorney
Director: Ken Bentley
Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Released June 2013

A well-received first series of this spin-off drama ensured another quartet of adventures - which take place in Britain during the 1960s - would arrive in due course. And this second batch is just that bit more assured, well-rounded and cohesive than the previous one. All the main cast had proven their worth - ably helped by good characterisation and some enjoyably sharp witticisms - and they continue their fine work.

'Manhunt' sees immediate fulfilment of producer Richardson's promise (in Series 1's extras features) to build on the elements that proved effective and to limit those that detracted. One welcome aspect is that the story employs a 'beginning-in-the-middle' technique, which means a lot of exposition bringing listeners up to speed but also a change of pace that curbs formulaic repetition. The events and the sense of jeopardy are thankfully strong enough to ensure that this information does not feel unwieldy. A very good twist in the final act gives added dimension to the story. Gilmore is fighting to avoid capture and clear his name, and Simon Williams clearly enjoys having to play a quick-witted 'Bond' rift on his usual army-man persona. Allison notably seems to have a chance to make amends for her notably bad romantic life, but decent drama can often spare little regard for such a likeable character.

'The Fifth Citadel' is deliberately slow at first, allowing suspense. Some nice supporting characters help to get the listener involved in the actual plot, whilst there is plenty of intriguing character development for the main four players. Especially effective is the hitherfore uncommon pairing of Toby/Rachel and Gilmore/Allison. The play ultimately comes to full life and meets its potential thanks to the spellbinding Celie Imrie. The ending is suitably memorable and chilling, and also establishes an undertone of paranoia on whether the Counter-Measures team can really believe in each other's integrity.

Next up is 'Peshka' - a quintessentially Cold War story both in themes and in actual plot. To my mind this entry offers the best mixture of the characterisation and morals of this season with the paranormal events/action focus of the previous one. It is made further enjoyable by lots of good dialogue. Much of the personal interaction features heated argument, but impressively the writers avoid the trap of such repetition becoming ever so tiresome. The storyline of a chess genius wishing to defect again is notable in wrong footing the listener, as a decent twist leads to the real source of trouble in the final act. The two main guest stars (Bo Poraj and Emily Tucker) both impress and have put their homework in to sound authentically from their country of origin.

The season finale has its fundamentals from the unresolved details left hanging from 'Manhunt'. More cutting revelations come thick and fast, and manage to be sustained over whole story. The fate of one returning character is surprising in its fashion and when it happens; yet opens up a whole new can of worms. The brittle trust between Knight Kinsella and his Counter-Measures team is pushed to the limit, but could someone else entirely be the one who pushes things too far? One issue I have with a fair number of radio plays is the reliance on sound effects which may be of a confusing nature, and the lack of accompanying narration or explanatory dialogue. 'Sins of the Fathers' perhaps is the most troubled in the set in those terms, but otherwise the production is quite polished. It is also welcome that this really is designed as a direct sequel to the earlier story, as well as continuing the tension from the middle two. Rather predictably, some plot threads are left loose for Series 3 but at the same time the writing team have demonstrated enough flair to raise hopes of there being even more strong material to come.

As stated above, character development and the evolving dynamics of the core group make this series an improvement on the first. The Rachel/Gilmore relationship which was not so fertile in the first series - with other romances cropping up - now seems to be developing into at least a firm friendship if not something deeper altogether. Allison seems to still be learning the hard knocks of life which her older, somewhat embittered colleagues know just a bit all too well. But just as he stole the show in the first run of stories, Hugh Ross' complex character compels again of the main cast, and it now almost feels irrelevant that he never was in the main frame of action in the original television Dalek story. The latter two adventures especially see Sir Toby Kinsella entrusted with power and responsibility but facing awkward questions from his junior colleagues, and the results certainly live up to the strong premise. Further excitement is evoked through the development of the character Templeton. This is a man who clearly has a lot of depth, and a lot of amorality, allowing him to use means to justify end results. Actor Philip Pope is a very good fit for the role, and hopefully will feature again to a notable degree.

Extras are again very comprehensive and entertaining, conveying the sense that the entire cast and crew are working very well together. Anecdotes abound, including how Simon Williams was key in getting his renowned actress-wife Lucy Fleming to participate as Lady Waverly. Similarly Celie Imrie happened to know Hugh Ross before her being invited to return to Doctor Who - after her turn in the bells of St John - which certainly aids their excellent work together in 'The Fifth Citadel'.

The writing team reveal motivations and objectives including: gender politics and their evolution during the 1960s; being able to use tantalising clues for the uncovered interim period between stories/series; and exploring a twist on the Frasier/Niles family dynamic of the beloved American TV show. The latter method is perhaps odd, but ultimately welcome as realistic characterisation makes a decent audio story a good or great one.

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Reviewed by Ben Breen

The Abandoned
Written By: Nigel Fairs and Louise Jameson
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Cast: Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Stephanie Cole (Marianna), Mandi Symonds (One), Andy Snowball (Two), Nigel Fairs (Three)
Released July 2014

The point this review would normally start at is, in a somewhat mundane fashion, the beginning of the story. But in fact, it’s probably best to start with the rather well put together trailer, appearing at the end of the previous two episode excursion in the Fourth Doctor Adventures range, “Destroy The Infinite”. The trailer itself feels very reminiscent of the revived series, particularly feeling like something from the series 8, 12th Doctor pen of Steven Moffat. With supernatural elements appearing ubiquitously, along with dramatic music and a fairly anxious looking Doctor, the premise, such as it could be understood, looked promising.

The two episode adventure certainly lives up to this, with a production that twists and turns whilst keeping the number of visited locations to a minimum. Moreover, the linear plotline of most stories is replaced by a relative maze of possible angles, with the situation encountered by The Doctor and Leela, played with their usual flair and characteristic quirks by Baker and Jameson, remaining unresolved for a not unreasonable length of time. The use of references to past events and characters, as depicted in previous stories such as The Evil One are not without reason, woven into the tapestry that leads to the dramatic climax. The structure of the adventure could be seen as filmic in places, with the location shifts providing an impression of cause and effect between the actions of individuals or groups.

The most apt descriptions, subjective though they may be, for this story would probably be surreal and ground-breaking. The doctor and Leela’s dialogue, while at points seeming a little tense, conveys the slightly odd student-teacher dynamic well. Stephanie Cole’s Lady Marianna is at once chillingly unsympathetic and unrelenting, the latter trope also being present in the rather unnerving performances of Mandi Symonds, Andy Snowball and Jameson’s co-writer, Nigel Fairs. The score is well suited to the adventure, falling quiet when the need arises for tension and allowing the eerie atmosphere to settle in, complimenting the high quality production that most have come to expect from Big Finish’s various audio ranges. Leela’s part in the story is suitably larger than usual considering the doctor’s deteriorating mental state, as well as the fact that Jameson came up with the original idea and had a large part in the writing process. The additional references to elements like Block Transfer Computation gives opportunities for fans familiar with the classic, pre-revival era to try and spot the others laced throughout which, according to additional research, even include references to audio ranges outside of the Fourth Doctor Adventures.

All in all, while the story itself is very well crafted by Fares and Jameson and is an interesting and thought provoking performance by all members of the cast, it would most likely be confusing to new fans of the range or indeed of Doctor Who in general. This is due, in part, to the fact that the entirety of the adventure is an exception to the classic idea of Doctor Who stories, where the Time Lord is seen saving a planet from some alien race or other. The fact that other previous stories are referenced, if subliminally, also means that fans familiar with a wider portion of the canon will, in theory, be able to get more out of this than those hearing this as an initial entry into Doctor Who audios. This is a good adventure in spite of these minor points and I would urge anyone looking for something new and relatively abstract to give this one a listen if they are fans of the third season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures or the Big Finish ranges in general.

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Last Christmas
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Nick Frost, Dan Starkey, Nathan McMullen, Natalie Gumede
Premiere 25 December, 2014 - BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Ever since the first Christmas special back in 2005, Doctor Who has been a festive fixture, as much a part of the schedule as Morecambe and Wise and Only Fools and Horses once were, and the inevitable Strictly Come Dancing special is now. With all the festive trappings of the last few years, it was surely only a matter of time before Santa Claus himself showed up amidst the snow - but is he real?

In contrast to Robot of Sherwood, which presented a real-life Robin Hood as fact, Steven Moffat wisely leaves it open here. Nick Frost's Santa of course helps save the day, but he's a dream construct....or is he? That tangerine at the end leaves it open. We don't know. Arguably, we should never really know.

Last Christmas could end up going down in history as being one of the oddest things ever to go out on TV on Christmas Day. The tone moves from comedy to full out scares, via off-kilter dream-like moments and a happy ending for nearly everyone. The first ten minutes alone are quite, quite mad - but Moffat knows this, runs with it, and it all pays off over an unusually structured, yet satisfying hour. There are nods to Alien, and The Thing, and even a surprise quote from Die Hard.

Another thing worth pointing out - Doctor Who is now most definitely not for part-timers. Last Christmas acts as a sort of coda to Series Eight, if you've not been paying attention, this isn't for you. While nowhere near as merciless as The Time of the Doctor, context is all, and the fallout from the events of Death in Heaven is dealt with here. Danny's sacrifice and Clara's sense of loss, the Doctor and Clara's lies to each other about Gallifrey and Danny, and the way forward for everyone (except Danny, naturally). Christmas is often a time of change and renewal, and, sometimes, moving on - this is neatly used by Moffat as a metaphor for the Doctor and Clara's relationship.

We open with Clara meeting Santa and his comedy elves on her snow-capped rooftop, before the Doctor sweeps in to whisk her to a polar scientific outpost with a crab problem. The inhabitants of the base are struggling against the Kantrofarri, or, the Dream Crabs. It's Christmas, and the pudding brains are for pudding. The Facehugger-like Dream Crabs, a creation straight out of Alien (Michael Troughton's Professor Albert even explicitly says so, prompting a priceless response from the Doctor) are slowly killing them by inducing a dream state whilst eating their brains. The Crabs are pretty revolting, and their central conceit is grisly. The lumbering 'sleepers' they are attached to are also suitably sinister. Jenna Coleman gets her first true old school scream of terror as a Dream Crab lunges for her. It gets her, but she's unwilling to leave her dream of a perfect Christmas with Danny, with Samuel Anderson giving a strong, sad performance as Dream-Danny, who encourages her to leave him, and by association, to move on.

Moffat's script dines out on the concept of dreams within dreams and nails the skewed logic of a dream state - we're in Inception territory here. Things are ever so slightly off throughout, only the Doctor notices the clues, and even he is up the creek without a paddle until Santa helps everyone wake up, and return to real life, all except the unfortunate Albert, who doesn't make it out.

And what of Santa? Frost is used sparingly, and mostly for comic relief, he has some great moments sparring with Capaldi though. Does he convince as Santa? The hair is white, he looks the part, but there's no getting round the fact that a much younger man is in there. Frost's charisma helps sell it though. Nathan McMullen and Dan Starkey's comedy elves are somewhat less successful, and they don't get much screen time, as if subject to a last minute rewrite when someone upstairs decided they were a bad idea.

Capaldi and Coleman are excellent as always, with Coleman a slightly less dominant presence than in Series Eight, and Capaldi giving perhaps his most Doctorish performance to date, now free of all that ‘Am I a good man’ baggage. Michael Troughton as the unfortunate Professor Albert is good, but doesn’t get a lot to do, but Natalie Gumede as Ashley and in particular Faye Marsay as Shona both shine – Marsay is almost companion material.

Paul Wilmshurst’s direction is superb. He has some slightly dubious CGI to deal with where flying reindeer are involved, but otherwise shines at bringing to life a studio-bound episode that is essentially a dream within a dream within a dream in places. More from him please.

We close with the Doctor and Clara moving past the baggage of the last series, and joyfully running into the TARDIS in search of new adventures. Whether it’ll all end in tears or not, and if this really is the last we see of Danny Pink is up for grabs, but the future looks bright. Roll on 2015, and a very happy Christmas to all of you at home.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Story – Nick Abadzis
Artists – Elena Casagrande & Arianna Florean
Publisher:Titan Comics

The Arts in Space Conclusion

The Doctor is in a very compromising situation, and seemingly outwitted by the trap that has been sprung by the disturbed apprentice of artist supremo Zhe Ikiyuyu - who may be lost now forever, Once again it is up to the latest companion onboard the TARDIS to try and save the situation, and thus protect all those who live on the unusual world of Ouloumos. Will Gabby be able to cope given just how alien the environment is compared to her native New York?

This is a very good story to show the multilayered personality that underlines the Tenth Doctor. Even in comparison with the solid first story in this series ('Revolutions of Terror') this really feels like an authentic portrayal on paper of Tennant's magnetic characterisation. The Time Lord is very assured but also quite concerned about the potential ramifications of the apprentice taking over the art zone. He has a quip or two always to hand, but appreciates that he perhaps was a little too late to help his good friend Zhe - such is the somewhat arbitrary nature of when and where the TARDIS lands.

The team behind this comic continue to chart a course of fine conceptualisation and execution. Abadzis knows how to balance plot, characterisation and overall continuity very well, and clearly has thought through his abundant ideas so that the key skill of firm storytelling is not lost along the way. The constant threat posed by the antagonist is certainly played just right: Zhe has become victim to her own amazing computations, with her apprentice now a creature that is strong enough to form a 'male' and 'female' persona in separate corporeal forms. This two-parter has lots of deliberate confusing moments, almost as if the readers themselves have turned up in an absurdist, surrealist and nightmarish world.

Yet with some solid exposition this state of bewilderment is not over done, and there is a clear sense of what is fundamentally going on as the story reaches a crescendo. Also effective is the gentle set-up for the next adventures to feature the Doctor and Gabby; potentially leaving space for a return to the world of Ouloumos and/or its inhabitants. Art work this time is almost all done in the 'main style', as used in issues 1 to 3 and some of issue 4 - Casagrande and Florea doing some fine work together. One excellent visual device is the variety of odd animated objects - particularly the butterfly lips that perhaps reveal a little too much of characters' inner secrets.

However one especially large panel by Florea does see a brief appearance of the diary sketches that Gabby is able to put down as she makes use of spare time in-between high-risk escapades. This perhaps means that the entire story is best read in a single sitting. The journal is the most overt way of portraying a youngster joie de vivre and relative lack of world weariness, and reflects just what is most needed by the Doctor. He is by this point time-and-space-weary; maybe owing to how late into his original life cycle of regenerations he has progressed. The fine artwork seems to be fully reflective of the heavy themes and topics of the art world in the story, and is arguably at the highest level of the series thus far. Of particular note is how clearly the various characters are drawn - with the apprentices being particularly well-done as sinister and yet somewhat sympathetic living entities. The variety of frame sizes and how much dialogue is utilised also shows the strong harmony the writer and artist for these comic books have generated together.

And there is a lot of subtext at work in this story, making it a lot more memorable and imposing than the somewhat run-around nature of 'Revolutions'. We are made to consider what it is like to see a world and its occupants from another perspective entirely. There are also emotive topics such as lacking belief in oneself and allowing isolation to cause a flawed decision making process. Overall this is another winner in a very consistent series.

**
Bonus strips this time round are following suit with the main features by forming multi-part stories. 'To Heck and Back' by AJ sees the apparent return of the Satan creature (from the 'Impossible Planet' story in Series 2 of the parent TV Show). Although it is quite an imposing figure, we are never in any doubt that the Doctor is up to the challenge of fending it off once again.
The latest entry in the 'Rose by Any Other Name' storyline - courtesy of Rachael Smith - is again quite amusing. The new cat onboard the TARDIS is playing up to the 'prima donna' stereotype, managing to dash the lofty dreams that the Doctor had in mind for it. This is a good mini-story with nice traditional artwork. Composition is solid and there are clear emotions on the faces of the characters which don't feel forced.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Story - Al Ewing,
Artist – Boo Cook,
Colours – Hi-Fi,
Released December 2014 by Titan Comics
Publisher:Titan Comics

Issue 5: The Sound Of Our Voices

As this story comes to a climactic showdown, the TARDIS crew must avoid grave peril abroard the SERVEYOUinc research satellite, and find if possible a peaceful solution to the apparant threat of the ‘ARC' creature. The Doctor is required to put on his thinking cap and deduce the vital clue to this mysterious scenario, but is forced to handle violent Security Chief Officer Hart. Suddenly appearing out of thin air in the middle of a crisis has ended up making the time travellers ideal scapegoats for the nefarious goings on. The new companions of the Doctor meanwhile are themselves forced to use their ingenuity - with Alice stepping to the fore as the decisive one, just as John Jones seems like a rabbit in the headlights.

Those readers wondering if Alice and the Doctor will part ways get their answer promptly enough as the Time Lord shows his considerable nous. In doing so he finds the real truth behind the ARC creature, and ensures that those abroad the station realise just why things have got so perilous. Although Alice is in many ways trying to find herself again after losing everything back in her 'real' home, she is also having a brand new start in life. Like so many before her such as Amy Pond and Rose Tyler she can now avoid having to worry about the mundane aspects of life back on Earth. But learning to understand an individual as deep and complex as the Doctor could still outweigh all the giddy heights that are now coming her way.

John Jones on the other had has not really had much of a detailed journey in this two parter; his intro in issue three still being the standard which needs to be met or exceeded . Nonetheless this character does not in anyway detract from events, and there is still plenty of time for some good material to appear. Male companions can sometimes not quite work in Doctor Who as well as the more traditional female counterpart, but there are enough strong examples to inspire Titan's creative team. Also in all fairness Alice was introduced first, and with enough background that she deserves to have further exploration. And unlike Jones she does not represent a take on an iconic cultural figure, and as such deserves focus.

Al Ewing completes the first multi-part story of this comic series well enough; perhaps a whisker short of fulfilling the promise of the first installment. The Eleventh Doctor really feels like the real article that graced TV screens for four years. When the conclusion unfolds, the Doctor's assertive manner in resolving affairs is spellbinding and uplifting. Of note also is the way he evaluates Dr. Rutherford on her actions and instead chooses a rather surprising companion to join him. Ewing complements the decent characterisation with a brisk pace and lively speech bubbles for the majority of the players involved. Although it could be argued that Jones only really works in the story to explain the comment by Hart that there were 'three' in the doctor's party when they first met him on the world of Rokhandi.

I continue to enjoy the efforts of artist Boo Cook, with him providing a style of artwork that engages and fits in perfectly with the sterile and detached future setting. A fine line is trod between a believable world and a slightly 'out-there' dimension, and this evokes quite well the very distinct style that the Matt Smith/ Steven Moffat stories constituted. The expressions of Jones and indeed Alice to some degree are what one would expect of people who do not belong to this corner of space. in a chapter of history yet to happen from their points of view. Also praiseworthy is how Cook’s artwork becomes more literal and realistic to emphasise fierce emotions - especially when it comes to the distinctive face of the Doctor.

As much as I was engaged by this story on the whole there are some areas to criticise. The plot may have some hooks as far as who is really manipulating affairs, but much of the action resorts to the typical Doctor Who trope of running around and making up a solution on the fly. There is also the obvious overuse of Serve You Inc, with little substantial development to compensate. As this is issue 5, the reader will no doubt wish for a bit of a change up. The story arc has become just that bit too noticeable, and hopefully there will be some strong stand-alones which remind the reader of Doctor Who's unequalled scope for a plethora of bold stories.
Issue 4 did have a bit more thematic depth which does not have quite the pay off here. At the same time even the best stories can have this element of mindless action to and fro. This story does at least reach a conclusion which is able to subvert expectations and as a part of an ongoing series it works well enough.

**
Once again the two bonus strips Are from AJ and Marc Ellerby respectively. 'Stop That' involves the Doctor on a planet that seems uncannily like Mars seemingly ready to find some trouble. But before he can get far, it would appear the TARDIS is trying to aggravate him, as concerns his final destination that was foretold long ago.
The second bonus comic has the TARDIS crew of Amy and Rory and gives the Ood a big starring role. Fun is poked at social media and popularity, with the Doctor clearly insecure that he is not quite the darling with the universe that he used to be. 'An Ood Thing To Say' is pleasant enough, but perhaps not quite as funny a piece as Ellerby is capable of.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Tom Baker at 80

Tom Baker
Interviewed by: Nicholas Briggs
Big Finish Productions 2014
Available from Amazon

Although I first encountered Doctor Who with Sylvester McCoy as the lead, it was Tom Baker's electric portrayal of the Time Lord which made the biggest impression on me ultimately. Such is the amazing legacy of the bohemian, scarf-wearing Fourth official incarnation that he had an extra (and original) cameo in the Day of the Doctor anniversary special. In a scant few seconds of screen time a vaguely-named gentleman - maybe the Doctor, maybe Tom Baker himself - utterly stole the show.
Now Tom has reached his own milestone of 80 years living on this curious old world of ours, and what an eventful life he certainly has had. And he would appear to have only further gained in wisdom and self-awareness with age; a commendably thoughtful and intellectual artist of his craft.

This release - available since mid-autumn - is a chance for Nick Briggs to try and uncover further memories and defining events from Baker's past. The interviewee is more than responsive, helped in no small part to the pair's collaboration on documentaries specially released (when VHS was still the mainstream video format), and of course the 21st century Big Finish productions of 'missing stories' co-starring Louise Jameson and the late Mary Tamm.

The format is one that leads to casual, but not overly lightweight discussion. Recorded back in March of 2014 a lot of material was edited down into the 2 hours plus that fill this double CD release. Although Briggs is an unquestionable expert on Doctor Who, he chooses to play down his role and knowledge, therefore allowing Baker to speak at great length at all sorts of topics and to often throw in a great deal of spontaneous wit.

Some visitors to this site will know a good amount about how Baker fared during his time in Doctor Who, and this production does not retread too much material which is readily available elsewhere in various media. Consequently the listener is able to learn a little more of Tom's thoughts on his Catholic faith growing up, family life in Liverpool, and the status of being poor and unable to live as certain more fortunate individuals could. Discussion involves his markedly different job roles as a monk-in-training, army medic and building site labourer (with emphasis on tea-making over heavy lifting!).

There is also some welcome discussion of three major TV projects - 'Medics', 'Randall and Hopkirk Deceased' (where he was able to assist fellow ghost Vic Reeves) and 'Monarch of the Glen'. And of course Baker was able to use his fine vocals on the narration of 'Little Britain', which elicits his charmingly satisfied observation that the children who grew up with his Doctor in the 70s ended up giving him new work once they were established in the industry themselves.

Perhaps one nit-pick would be that the lack of a robust structure does sometimes lead to certain stream-of-consciousness material which gets in the way of further elaboration on topics that are quite fascinating. Yet Tom Baker is one of those people I would genuinely tolerate reading out endless definitions from a dictionary. His amazing voice is not the only selling point here either. He is warm, humble and supremely spontaneous and witty. There is the often observed point that Baker simply played himself as the Doctor, and he himself seems to go along with this line-of-reasoning. But Doctor Who would have hardly been as iconic and have such a legacy had not such a major charismatic star been involved.

A rather edgy aspect of the interview is Baker's sharp awareness of death and mortality - both his own and peoples in general. But rather than being maudlin he expands on this to explain how he has mellowed and tries to make the most of his time in a positive fashion. Baker also briefly illuminates his deep thoughts on his major romantic partners in life. Thankfully there is no 'Piers Morgan' style push for gossip from Briggs, who knows full well that despite apparent extrovert qualities, Tom Baker is in various aspects quite a private person.

Sometimes the small scale projects with a basic one-to-one dynamic can be as illuminating as a full scale documentary. This is one such example. Considering the many interviews available on the market this stands tall and is a great way to spend a spare afternoon, whether at home or on the go. If you are stuck for ideas this time of year then look no further for this interview as a small gift.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Story - Robbie Morrison,
Artist – Dave Taylor,
Colours – Hi-Fi,
, Letterer: Comicraft,
Publisher:Titan Comics

Carrying on from Issue 1 the Doctor and Clara continue to be front and centre of the main action on planet ISEN VI, where a cutting-edge terraforming has gone awry. The mysterious entity that is behind the violent disturbances is fleshed out via the opening flashback sequence. The reader learns of the core history of the Hyperions - a race of sentient sun-like beings- that have turned vicious and destructive as their natural life cycles ended up coming to an end. Such is their all-consuming lust for energy they had completely forgotten their prior placidness. They were ultimately a threat to the entire comos, and this meant that various other powerful species constituted a Galactic Alliance. One of those in the collective were none other than the Time Lords - with Rassilon himself being involved. Now there seems to be the one sole surviving Hyperion, and it wishes to devour all it can on Isen VI. The Doctor and Clara require the assistance of their current allies, and need to find a solution effective enough to stop this threat once and for all. The Twelth Doctor's wits, sharp tongue and full force of personality end up helping him as much as his technical skills and vast bank of knowledge acquired over the centuries.

The overall quality of this series is reliably consistent. Morrison is a fine hand at using pacing to full effect, and seemingly aware of providing context for any readers who may have missed the previous instalments or are just new to this fictional universe in general. Despite the flashback full of exposition opening things up, the story never really drags. Also there is just enough of a sense of the back-story being necessary for the themes, emotions and plot.

In comparison with the other new comics lines, these stories could end up being the most purely ambitious as they play out on the largest scale. Thankfully characterisation is still a strong priority - the hallmark of Doctor Who on top form. Writing also is strong in providing us a lead character who very conceivably evokes the sharp persona of Peter Capaldi's Time Lord. He is still not quite sure of who he really is, but upon facing an old enemy of his own people he is forced to bring his best efforts to bear; rather than stand about and be passive as he clearly has shown himself to be by now. And his teacher friend Ckara Oswald continues to be fully at ease in an environment fare more dangerous than Coal Hill School, but seemingly less stressful at the same time!

The climactic confrontation scenes between the Doctor and the villainous Hyperion known as Rann-Korr work on both a dramatic level as well as bringing to mind the whole lone survivors dynamic that would crop up on television on occasion (i.e. with Van-Statten's Dalek and the Master). And as with part one there are echoes of television Series 8: Clara has to fence one of the possessed robots in much the same way that the Doctor confronted Robin Hood with cutlery in episode 3.

When it comes to how Clara and the Doctor operate together, there is little overt tension other than the standard superficial bickering which can be seen even with TARDIS crews who are thoroughly comfortable together. However this would presumably change as this comic line seeks to portray stories that were not on-screen from later on in the Series 8 timeline. Dave Taylor is more than equal to the writing, with some evocative pencils here. The action scenes feel real and lively, and the range of reactions to various developments that are ethched on characters' faces is also commendable, Arguably the highlight of both issues 1 and 2 is the fiery visualisation of the Hyperion itself..

Of course we need a sound presentation of the Doctor as well, and the good dialogue provided by the writing is reinforced by familiar expressions that we all know and appreciate from the very talented Capaldi. This is a comic which has been given a lot of attention to detail, and one that is good enough to deserve a re-read later on. For whilst the main story at hand is enticing enough, there are lots of other themes and subplots to engage the reader. I especially enjoyed the contrived wedding -complete with the runaway groom, and the pair of twist codas - one of them revealing just how vicious a supposedly cute group of monkey-like aliens really are.

The next story is only tantalisingly shown but would appear to have an archaelogical aspect to it which evokes such popular stories as 'Tomb of the Cybermen' and 'Pyramids of Mars'. All those who miss their customary fix of police box and sonic screwdriver on the TV can certainly find a more than worthy substitute, thanks to these confident original stories from Titan Comics.

**

The first extra strip 'Me Time' - from AJ- is a simple enough story which reflects just how casual the Doctor/Clara pairing can be, given her whole other life working for a living in London. The jokes are reasonable enough but perhaps this could have been a touch stronger when considering the material that has been offered to us in other editions in the last few months. The second strip - from new team Colin Bell/ Neil Slorance - is both thought-provoking and amusing. The philosophical debate over how each individual senses life in a unique way is made even more interesting by considering how a humanoid alien like the Doctor has his own perception; given his infinite-seeming lifespan. But this is a bonus strip with a twist in the tale. We get a punch line in the final panel which avoids trivialising those deep concepts excessively as well as actually making this one page story sufficiently memorable.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Threshold, Artificial Intelligence. The Pelage Project, State of Emergency

Written By: Paul Finch, Matt Fitton, Ian Potter and Justin Richards
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Producer: David Richardson, Script Editor: John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs Big Finish Productions 2012

Remembrance of the Daleks’ is still for many fans of the classic show one of the very best stories ever, and was a highlight of Sylvester McCoy's era. With wonderfully written characters and strong themes it transcended its humble trappings of low budget and throwaway scheduling as an hour and half of compelling action. There had always much potential for a spin-off owing to the strong triumvirate of characters who get caught up in the pitting of wits between the Doctor and two Dalek factions. Firstly there was Group Captain Gilmore – or ‘Chunky’ to those who know him a bit more personally. Then there was Professor Rachel Jensen – who was forthright and sharply witty, and yet clearly was a loyal friend to those she trusted. Lastly there was fresh faced and mellow, but eminently capable Allison Williams.

In an ideal world the Seventh Doctor’s era would have had the relative ratings that Ecclestone, Tennant, Smith and now Capaldi enjoy on Saturday nights; and the demand would have been for further adventures with these three very human characters in a sister show along the lines of 'Torchwood'. Luckily ‘Big Finish’ is the saviour of many a lost cause and these adventures – now in their third season – have been given a chance at long last.

The actual premise of this series concerns the three colleagues being officially united under the banner of ICMG – the ‘Intrusion Countermeasures Group’ - where their role is to try and find the cause of paranormal or alien phenomena occurring in Britain. Only months after their escapades with Davros, Ratcliffe, countless Daleks, and the eerie girl/battle-computer this functions as their first real test. The man with two hearts is not able to help out. They are therefore thrust into making some difficult decisions and must show their ability to adapt to the wider context that is 1960s Britain.

The three core characters of Gilmore, Allison and Rachel are reprised by the original actors: Simon Williams, Karen Gledhill and Pamela Salem. They definitely are having a fun time revisiting these roles and all manage to give a good account of themselves; with perhaps a little leeway being required with Simon and Pamela sounding a little bit older than their actual characters for obvious reasons. They are joined in the regular cast by Hugh Ross as Toby Kinsella, a somewhat unknown quantity in that while he helps the Countermeasures team to function by liaising with the British government, he has some of his own motivations that skirt the edges of immorality. Alastair Mackenzie also features on a recurring basis as Julian St Stephen - Allison's boyfriend of three years. This character is given a strong arc of his own which wrong foots expectations.

The opening episode is a solid enough beginning if somewhat unoriginal and static as a stand-alone piece. An apparent ghost is at work and an eminent German scientist has suddenly vanished. The villain (or misguided antagonist depending on your parameters) is somewhat broadly sketched as a crazed scientist/ Nazi stereotype. The actor’s performance is pretty arch on top of this, reminding me of a similar stereotype from Lucasarts' PC game 'The Fate of Atlantis'. The attempts to fill in a back story with Rachel’s admiration for his work are a good idea but do not quite get the right pay off when the dust settles at the end of the events. Episode Two already has signs of the show hitting its stride. A Czechoslovakian former flame of Gilmore has found a device of terrifying power but also great potential benefit. This artificial intelligence will end up influencing the behaviour of various characters dramatically. Eventually the dilemma hinges on how to contain such a sentient creation. There is quite a bit of important set up for later in the season – especially with Allison’s beau Julian. The villain of this particular piece is rather more effective here and he is described by Professor Jensen as making her ‘skin crawl’. Even his eventual fate is done in a surprising and shocking fashion and will make listeners reconsider one of the main cast in a wholly different light.

The following story has some memorable concepts of genetic augmentation and is quite satirical in many ways. Within the newly built town of Pelage, a dangerous encounter ensues with Ken Temple, a man with a very novel mindset as regards the future prospects for planet Earth and how mankind will have to adapt to survive. Political party funding is to blame for Temple's progress thus far and the Countermeasures team need to find a way to halt total chaos. This third episode has many good aspects but is slightly ruined by a perfunctory ending which seems overly predictable and also vetoes having a good supporting character return in a future story, By now the regulars are quite fluent in their roles and are still being developed organically as one would hope. Also the majestic Stephen Greif (of Blake's 7 fame) turns in a fine performance as Temple. This man has a tenuous grasp on reality but cannot be faulted for lacking pioneering ambition,

The series finale is a riveting tale - full of revelations, action and strong evocation of the time period. The story builds upon the plot device of 'Threshold'- with Rachel having apparently solved the issues that the matter transporter had previously. Events are set during Harold Wilson's elevation to Prime Minister. Pressure is put on the Countermeasures team as Chancellor Callaghan plans to reduce the budget of the Ministry of Defence. Before long creatures from another plane of existence make their presence felt, just as a group led by a senior military figure looks to stage a coup. How many of the closest friends and colleagues of Ian, Rachel and Allison will turn out to prove rogue? I never was left being distracted with this fourth story, which rewarded the work required to get committed to the previous plays. The villains may have some despicable methods but at the same time are believable and credible up to a certain point, and the character of Toby continues to shine brightly as a fine combination of writing and performance.

Overall 'Countermeasures' has good pacing and distinct atmosphere, and the stories are pretty easy to grasp. The show doesn’t force too many characters or require the listener to visualise too much difficult material. The character development and overall portrayal of individuals is very solid. There are lots of themes that resonate and tie in well to the time period the show is meant to be set in. Sometimes the plot doesn't feel too conspicuous either which is always welcome given how formulaic the Doctor Who fictional universe can inevitably be on occasion. Plenty of scope remains to explore how our three heroes really do feel about being back together on a long-term basis; hooks for the listener are not in short supply.

As for the original theme tune it is of the brand that stays in the head, but not really something I would want to play to myself outside of the show itself. Other music is serviceable enough and conjures up atmosphere without being intrusive. The show has started on a solid footing and the brilliance of Ben Aaronovitch’s creations means that it would take something drastic to deliver a noticeably weak story.

Behind the scenes material is also very good as we get a grasp behind the creative process from the individual writers as well as the producers and directors. Quatermass stories had a huge influence on the source Dalek story, and so its ability to inspire these new stories is an obvious place to start. Much strong discussion ensues over various 'chapters'. A generous run time of well over an hour is very welcome and rounds off the box-set package nicely.

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Reviewed by Phillip Serna

The Day of the Doctor / The Time of the Doctor
Music by Murray Gold
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conducted by Ben Foster
Silva Screen Records
24 November 2014
Available to order now from Amazon UK

On November 23rd 2013, Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary with a stunning array of events culminating in the global simulcast of the much-anticipated story, The Day of the Doctor. In time for the 51st anniversary, Silva Screen Records has released an impressive 2-disc set of Murray Gold’s scores to The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor, the swan-song for Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor. Since Doctor Who’s revival in 2005, Murray Gold’s music has grown as synonymous as the TARDIS and the Daleks – becoming as iconic as the experimental, electronic and chamber music from the show’s rich and varied past. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Crouch End Festival Chorus, and conductor/ orchestrator Ben Foster deserve as much praise as Murray Gold for what can only be described as a thoughtful and outstanding entry into the Doctor Who musical canon. The production on this release delivers nothing short of impressive, and on a purely technical level, this release will not disappoint even the most discriminating listener.

Looking backwards as well as forwards, Murray Gold’s score to The Day of the Doctor represents a culmination of the entirety of the revival-era of the show. Surprised by callbacks in the score, in ‘Nice Horse’ the cue opens with woodwind timbres evocative of Geoffrey Burgon as the Zygons are revealed. With greater use of synthetic elements throughout, there are a few calls back to the Radiophonic Workshop era, especially during ‘We are the Doctors’, ‘The Moment has Come’ and the ‘Song for Four’ that closes the story. For aficionados of leitmotivic film scores, Murray Gold delivers a rich thematic world for the Doctor. As war rages over the second city of Arcadia, strains of Gold’s ‘This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home’ from Series 3 can be heard punctuating the battle by the low brass. In addition to the thematic material representing the 10th and 11th Doctors, John Hurt’s War Doctor is represented by music associated with Christopher Eccleston’s damaged 9th Doctor. The use of U.N.I.T.’s theme from Series 1 is balanced well against music evocative of political espionage films, filled with electronic elements and suspenseful repetitive string ostinati. The theme for the Moment in ‘Who are You’ and ‘The Moment has Come’ incorporates elements from Rose’s piano theme from Series 1 as well as the novel use of reverse delay on piano and clarinet, a technique that Gold used to great effect in the Series 5 stories The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang. The only unsettling or controversial moment in the score is during the pivotal ‘The Moment has Come’ in which the Doctor struggles whether to deploy the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Here, the music is filled with Middle-Eastern timbres, scales and microtonality punctuated by the icy timbre of the hammered dulcimer. A musical association between the story’s subtext of genocide and real-world violence is likely not intended, but does resonate beyond the score and the world of the fiction. Perhaps this encapsulates the strength of this score where popular music elements, electronic timbres, symphonic timbres, and non-Western timbres coexist in a series whose messages are primarily inclusiveness and pacifism.

While the cues ‘He Was There’, ‘No More’ and ‘The War Room’ are among the most exciting cues on the release, it is unusual that ‘He Was There’ differs from the transmission version omitting the choral elements - an interesting album variation. The closing ‘Song for Four/ Home’ is interesting in that it represents Murray Gold’s original intentions differing significantly from the transmission version of The Day of the Doctor. I, for one, would have enjoyed hearing both versions on this release, perhaps including the transmission version as bonus tracks on the second disk. The absence of Gold’s arrangement of Ron Grainer’s theme that closed The Day of the Doctor, however, is puzzling but understandable if there were licensing issues with Ron Grainer’s theme through his publisher Erle Music/Warner Chappell. It is important to note that the Doctor Who theme, existing in various re-orchestrations by Murray Gold, have not been included in Silva Screen releases of Murray Gold’s scores since Series 5. The omitted opening theme, as realized by Delia Derbyshire, is still available on a variety of recent Silva Screen releases.

Despite these relatively minor criticisms, The Day of the Doctor remains an excellent release, if only slightly imperfect. The Time of the Doctor, however, succeeds a great deal in presenting a very different and cohesive musical narrative - marvelously balanced with the transformation of Gold’s ‘I Am the Doctor’ into a Christmas call-to-arms. The inclusion of sleigh bells, glockenspiel and celeste only enhances this magical Christmas-parable, filled with Ben Foster’s lush and cinematic orchestrations, with a sound mix favouring the low strings. The Time of the Doctor‘s score feels more intimate and personal, mirroring its sensitive and sentimental story. The differences between the constancy of The Time of the Doctor and the bolder experimentalism and scope of The Day of the Doctor makes for a multi-layered experience with its contrast set to 11 – offering many rewards upon repeat listens.

Highly Recommended. Rating 10/11

Dr. Phillip Serna is co-host of the Adventures in Time, Space and Music podcast.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Revolutions of Terror, Part Three
New Adventures with the Tenth Doctor
Issue 4
Written by Nick Abadzis
Illustrated by Elena Casagrande & Arianna Florean
Released 2014 by Titan Comics

This new multi-part story takes place almost immediately after the end of 'Revolutions of Terror'. Gabriella Gonzalez has joined the Doctor for a one-off trip in the TARDIS; which of course will not turn out to be the case in practice. The Doctor saw something in Gabby’s courage and resourcefulness, and so allows another companion to join him. This despite the deep trauma of losing perfect pal Donna. The destination is a deliberate one as the Doctor wishes to introduce his New Yorker friend to 'Ouloumous' - a considerably more futuristic art gallery than the likes of the Guggenheim. The Time Lord has many acquaintances across the cosmos, and the visit is designed to lead to a reunion with mega-gifted artist Zhe; a being who can sing her works into existence, using the familiar device of block transfer computation (as seen in 1980s Doctor Who). After a comprehensive tour of the museum proper, a visit to Zhe's retreat is in order, and the real adventure and danger begins to show itself. Zhe appears to not be quite her normal self, and there are other beings present who seem to have a chip on their sculptured shoulders.

As with issues 1-3 artwork is consistently impressive and helps convey the story very well. But there is an added hook here as much of the story is told from Gabby’s point of view through the medium of her diary. Many sketches exist to portray her deepest thoughts and impressions concerning this remarkable change to her lifestyle. This serves the story by both making things refreshing, as well as broadening Gabby's character to include aspirations of being a comic illustrator one day in her own right. Well-judged humour abounds, and since the Tenth Doctor is so magnetic and engaging a new person's reaction to his many quirks is always going to be of interest.

Whilst many of us fans may be now quite familiar with the 'new recruit' on the TARDIS, it is worth remembering that as each person is unique, so their ability to adjust and appreciate the sights and sounds of the cosmos will be unique as well. Gabby is a clearly thoughtful and deep-thinking type and documents her perception of the animals, plant life, topography and even the sensations of an alien world's weather system. And somehow just as spellbinding for her is the Doctor's total relaxation at being somewhere so different to Earth. So what could just have been a gimmick ends up being a wonderfully creative way of adding to an already promising character. She has grown quickly in the short span of time since we saw her in the Laundromat, and is now pretty much outside of being subservient to her family - particularly her domineering patriarch.

The story itself regarding sinister beings using Zhe's shape-altering powers is solid but takes a back seat for much of this issue. Presumably this is to allow for more focus on plot and the requisite twists and turns in next month's installment. I regard Nick Abadzis as a man who really tells a story in an engaging manner, and he is clearly taking full advantage of the possibilities offered by the Doctor's vulnerability from the end of Series 4. Exposition is mostly delivered well, although if one were to be fussy there some self-indulgence with one or two sections of the gallery that the Doctor covers in his role of 'tour-guide' which adds little to proceedings. Tennant's on-screen interpretation shines througjh well, and I really can appreciate how carefully Titan have made sure each of the ongoing lines provides the right stories and material for the particular incarnation of the Doctor. Elena Casagrande’s art again impresses and the eeriness of being on a lunar landscape in the dark is perfect for the autumn release date of the comic. And when it comes to the journal written by Gabby, we can enjoy a rather different style of sketching, courtesy of secondary artist Florean’s own brand of illustration. As the icing on the cake there are some good subtle references to Classic Who - in addition to the strong reminder of Logopolis and Castrovalva's hard-sci-fi concepts. So another very enjoyable entry from Titan, and David Tennant fans will be well-catered for.

**
As with other issues, there are comedic bonus entries. Wardrobe Malfunction by AJ, features the Doctor trying on various costumes inbetween adventures; whilst A Rose by any other name, from Rachael Smith, concerns the iconic first modern day companion and a new spin on well-known Shakespeare text.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

This seventh entry in the Time Trips series of e-books is the work of Joanne Harris, and sees the Third Doctor on the brink of oblivion as he struggles to hold back the deadly radiation he was exposed to on Metebelis Three. The Doctor is the only series regular character to feature, and that is because of his predicament in trying to land back 'home' - i.e. UNIT HQ. After the TARDIS is instead forced down into a Time Paradox ensnared village, with a 'Groundhog Day' style routine questions abound. But soon it is clear that the Doctor must somehow save the day once again - despite his very weak condition.

Although thrown into jeopardy from the very start, the Doctor does gain a 'one-off' assistant in the form of Queen Alice. She must help the Doctor overcome the seemingly deadly Gyre portal, and also mechanical creations with fearsome intentions - including impassive Dolls, Bears and Clowns. There is clearly not much of a breathing space when someone dares to upset the status quo and challenge the mysterious higher being that is apparently looking from above - but then things rarely are straightforward for the alien explorer. If someone were to be successful in reaching the controller of the Gyre and requesting the release of the village, it would appear to be the debonair Third Doctor. But being on death's door, without the help of fellow Time Lord K'anpo Rimpoche to assist him to regenerate, there is more pressure and demands made of him than normal. And there is also the issue of trying to reunite Alice with her beloved daughter. Will there be a happy ending for all concerned?

This is one of the most straightforward but pleasurable reading experiences I have had of any genre in recent times. Description is fulsome without managing to slow the story down, and the regular reminders of the Doctor's terminal condition are all very effective and fit the core themes of the actual story concerned. The Jon Pertwee incarnation is one of the more effortless personas to translate to the written word, but this is still an impressive portrayal. There is a lot of sound psychological insight into someone who might not be so 'all-conquering' in his own mind deep down.

The plot is measured very well and rewards readers for trying to get to the core of the mystery. Characterisation is also well above the average for Doctor Who tie-in novels, almost so much so one wishes this was a full-length work. Whilst perhaps needing readers to have seen 'Planet of Spiders' to have the maximum impact, this is a story that can be read by anyone looking for an engaging and thematically rich diversion.

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Reviewed by Damian Christie

Gallifrey VI
Written by Scott Handcock, James Goss and Justin Richards
Produced and directed by Gary Russell
Big Finish Productions, 2013

“The Daleks are now the masters of Gallifrey! The Daleks are the masters of all Gallifreys!”

Cliffhanger to Gallifrey V: Arbitration

In October 2013, just over a month before they blazed their way through Gallifrey’s second capital city Arcadia in Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor (the first time they were seen invading Gallifrey on-screen), the Daleks attempted an earlier conquest of the Time Lord home world – in the sixth and final season of Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio spin-off saga Gallifrey. Indeed, it isn’t just control of Gallifrey Prime that the Daleks in Gallifrey VI are after but, as we discover early in the boxset, the ambition to invade up to 1000 parallel Gallifreys through the Axis, the interdimensional hub that controls truncated, damaged timelines.

Although the metal meanies (voiced effortlessly as ever by Nicholas Briggs) can be pretty much visualised in any of their past forms by the listener, the intention of Gallifrey VI – comprising the chapters Extermination, Renaissance and Ascension – is that they are the modern, Time War-style Daleks that have (with the exception of the candy-coloured monstrosities in Victory of the Daleks) been a mainstay of the modern TV series of Doctor Who. Indeed, this is not only confirmed by director and producer Gary Russell in the CD extras but is plainly evident in the packaging for the boxset and the internal CD sleeves.

As Russell also acknowledges in the CD extras, Gallifrey VI effectively hails the first shots of the Great Time War. The saga is accordingly retconned to fit the hypothesis mooted by former TV producer Russell T Davies about how the conflict originated.1 The boxset also represents another effort by Big Finish to align itself closer to the modern TV series without explicitly using the modern era Doctors and companions (Big Finish is only contracted to use the first eight Doctors and other companions and characters from the classic series in its Doctor Who audio range). Previous Doctor Who boxsets such as UNIT: Dominion and the first volume of Dark Eyes made satirical allusions to the Time War but Gallifrey VI is the closest that Big Finish has come to postulating how the conflict originated. The trilogy is also not afraid to homage (if not outright steal) moments from the classic and modern eras alike, from serials like Genesis of the Daleks and Logopolis to episodes like Dalek and The Stolen Earth.

Given the conclusion to Gallifrey III strongly contradicted the Davies hypothesis – Gallifrey was in ruins, Time Lord civilisation was on the brink of collapse and the principal protagonists had fled the home world to take refuge in the Axis – Russell and his trio of writers – Scott Handcock, James Goss and Justin Richards – credibly wrap up the Gallifrey saga without the stories bordering on fan fiction or “fanwank”2 (a term I don’t often use lightly!). In addition, they also successfully tie up the various story strands left hanging from the first three seasons of Gallifrey, the loose Axis/parallel worlds story arc of Gallifrey IV and the wobbly political shenanigans of Gallifrey V. And all while delivering some entertaining, albeit mixed and intertwined scripts.

As often happens when an episode is preceded by a strong cliffhanger (the impressive visual of Daleks invading via the Axis at the end of Gallifrey V), the first instalment Extermination fails to live up to its promise. It is more of a character piece that focuses on the reactions of Romana (Lalla Ward), Leela (Louise Jameson) and Time Lord operative Narvin (Seán Carlsen) to the Daleks, not an all guns blazing “tour de force”. In fairness, Scott Handcock has said in interviews that he sought not to write a carbon copy of one of Big Finish’s earliest releases The Apocalypse Element (which also featured a Dalek invasion of Gallifrey) but where he falls down is in his portrayal of Romana who gravitates between being a whinging wreck at one point, bemoaning to Narvin that all she wants to do is return to their Gallifrey, and vengeful, spiteful and almost unhinged when she channels the Ninth Doctor’s rage (á la the episode Dalek) and tortures and kills a Dalek mutant:

And that’s where you’ve made your last mistake, Dalek, because I am not Unit 117! I am not your property, I am not your prisoner! I am the Lady Romanadvoratrelundar, I am President of the High Council of the Time Lords and I will quite happily end your pathetic little life without a moment’s hesitation!

While the ferocity of Ward’s performance in this scene is outstanding, in story terms, it comes so far out of left field to be credible (even allowing for Romana’s two decades of trauma as a prisoner of war on Etra Prime in The Apocalypse Element, this is the first time it’s ever been referenced in the Gallifrey saga). We always knew Romana was a tough and robust character, so I’m not sure why there’s such a need to emphasise that in this story. Leela and Narvin’s portrayals and performances in Extermination are more constant and believable; Jameson is a delight to hear in one scene as Leela takes a knife to a Dalek gunfight but she does so with the subtlety and consistency that we have come to expect of Leela’s character.

In fact, while Romana’s portrayal greatly improves in the subsequent instalments, Ward nevertheless finds herself outperformed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Juliet Landau as the Time Lady’s next incarnation. If Ward’s portrayal of Romana II over the years has been popularly characterised as more relaxed, care-free and playful than Mary Tamm’s cool, intellectual and classy Romana I, then Landau’s Romana III (Trey, for short) is an even more vibrant, mischievous version whose humour, effusiveness and optimism clearly belie the future horrors and traumas that she must have endured. Indeed, James Goss takes a leaf straight out of Steven Moffat’s playbook, with the pair’s initial meeting highly evocative of Amy Pond’s mutual admiration session in the Doctor Who/Red Nose Day shorts Space and Time:

Romana: Hello, me.
Trey: Hello, you. What do you think?
Romana: I’ll get used to it.
Trey: The plan?
Romana: No, my new body.
Trey: Lovely teeth, though.
Romana: Mmmm ... Pearly white!

As a novice to Doctor Who, Landau is confident and superb as Trey (Russell explains in the CD extras that she immersed herself in the character of Romana before recording) and for an American, her English accent is nigh-on flawless (no doubt mastered during her time as English gypsy vampire Drusilla on Buffy!). Landau’s Trey provides an excellent foil for Ward’s Romana and is a worthy successor for the role.3 Indeed, the cheeky cliffhanger to Renaissance (which mimics that of the modern series episode The Stolen Earth) leaves you genuinely wondering if Trey will immediately take charge in the subsequent episode Ascension.

Goss manages the portrayals of Romana and Trey in Renaissance magnificently. Just as it is fascinating to see how the Doctor interacts when he meets his other selves, it is even more absorbing to see how Romana relates and reacts to the enigmatic Trey who appears to have an agenda all her own and even seems to be conspiring against Romana herself! After all, as we’ve seen in the aforementioned UNIT: Dominion and Dark Eyes (and even the classic series’ The Trial of a Time Lord), even a Time Lord’s supposed future incarnations are not above stabbing their former selves in the back! Inevitably, Trey’s influence in the overall story arc proves more pivotal than is immediately evident and it proves difficult to second-guess her.

For the purposes of this review, it is hard to write about the saga’s resolution Ascension without giving away major plot spoilers, even with strong hints that the Time War isn’t so far away. Nevertheless, Justin Richards manages to wrap up the overall story arc in convincing and compelling fashion. In the process, not only do we discover what contributed to Gallifrey’s premature downfall in Gallifrey III but Richards manages to wrap up the arc of a recurring character whose motivations were first hinted at in Gallifrey V but then seemed to evaporate over the course of that season. Although the closing events of Gallifrey III are effectively retconned, Gallifrey VI satisfactorily does this in a way that doesn’t scream “cop-out” and the saga concludes with President Romana back in charge and the principal characters reunited with K9 (again matter of factly voiced by veteran John Leeson) and some of the antagonists of earlier series, such as Valyes (Steven Wickham), Matthias (Stephen Perring) and the oily Castellan Slyne (Peter Sheward).

Naturally, as with long epics like this, there are still some unanswered questions that go unresolved, eg how will former President Matthias react to Romana’s return to office when he and other Time Lords have no memory of his abdication? What happens to Regenerator society on the parallel Gallifrey after the Dalek threat is thwarted and Romana, Leela and Narvin return to the Axis? Do the Regenerators and the Outsiders reconcile, considering they were on the brink of civil war in Gallifrey V: Arbitration? (To some extent, it would have made sense in Extermination if the two factions had reconciled and united against the invading Dalek taskforce but alas this is not even covered.) More to the point, is the Axis closed for good? Or is there still the potential for forces from other Gallifreys to bleed into Gallifrey Prime’s reality? While the saga appears to conclusively end with Gallifrey VI4, perhaps there is still the scope for threats from the other Gallifreys to be explored.

If you’ve followed this series from its beginning back in 2004, then you will definitely get a satisfactory pay-off from the concluding chapters of Gallifrey VI. Barring a couple of hiccoughs in Romana’s characterisation in Extermination, this final trilogy of stories is entertaining and well conceived, thanks to the mostly strong writing and extremely impressive performances of not just the principal but the secondary cast. However, given its serial nature and structure, Gallifrey isn’t a saga you should just enter mid-stream, particularly if you want to better understand the machinations and duplicity of the Time Lords.

“A new dawn!”
“A new beginning!”
“A new start – for the one, true Gallifrey!”
Co-ordinator Narvin, Leela and Lady President Romana, Gallifrey VI: Ascension

ENDNOTES

1. Russell T Davies’ hypothesis about the origins of the Great Time War appeared in an article titled Meet the Doctor, printed in the 2005 Doctor Who Annual, published by Panini UK.
2. Wiktionary defines “fanwank” as “elements added to a television program or similar entertainment that appeal to avid fans but are of little interest to outsiders”. While there are other, less savoury definitions of the word, this is my justification for using the term in the context of this article.
3. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend you check out Doctor Who Companion Chronicles tale Luna Romana, released in January 2014, in which Juliet Landau is equally impressive as Trey and doubles for the late Mary Tamm’s Romana I.
4. Gallifrey VI is not the end of the matter, after all. Big Finish will release Gallifrey: Intervention Earth in February 2015, with Juliet Landau and Seán Carlsen returning as President Romana and Co-ordinator Narvin respectively, Sophie Aldred as Ace and Stephen Thorne reprising the role of Time Lord pioneer and nemesis Omega.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Death in Heaven Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Rachel Talalay Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison, Ingrid Oliver, Jemma Redgrave, Sanjeev Bhaskar Premiere 8 November, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Although not short on giddy action and a twist or two, this concluding episode to both the Missy/Cybermen double-header and Series 8 proper is fundamentally one about characterisation and interpersonal drama. It is not afraid to take risks, and manages to be distinctly memorable - if not the out-and-out classic that the best of modern Doctor Who has to offer the viewer.

Steven Moffat was emphatic in interviews that he and his team would make good use of the Cybermen on this occasion. The creepiness factor for the silver giants was dialled up very high in 'Dark Water', to the extent that many viewers were left quite upset and some even complained to the BBC. The tone alters somewhat here, and it is arguable that the use of some (re-done) voices for these creatures may take just a little edge away. But since Doctor Who was reborn 9 years ago, I cannot name a more solid outing for the Cybermen than this. They are not shown to be overcome by anything mundane or commonplace, and there is a good sense of poetic justice when cyber-converted-Danny commands his troops to end the crisis once and for all. Moffat believes in having these emotionless aliens as a persistent threat but economical in terms of screen-time, and this approach is pretty succesful.

And after all we have another villain who has plenty to offer, and every scene featuring her is an absolute triumph. I was left rather underwhelmed by Missy's previous cameos in Series 8 and felt the arc was not the most intriguing; now I want to go back to earlier stories to try and pick up on the clues that were set in place. Michelle Gomez is someone I myself have seen little of before, but once again casting an actress better known for comedy really works - much as was the case with Catherine Tate.

The main talking point with the audience is the sheer audacity of re-gendering the Master. Yet somehow this fully fledged appearance of a new and very different incarnation is right up there with all the best debut outings for the Doctor himself. Moffat is prepared to stray close to pantomime - especially evident when she channels 'Mary Poppins' by teleporting into a graveyard and falling gently to the ground with her black umbrella - and yet Gomez is able to convince us that there is something very sinister bubbling away underneath the kookiness and spectacle. But most crucially the inter-personal chemistry between Peter Capaldi and Gomez is unquestionable and leaves the strongest after-impression once the final credits flash on the screen.

And in general 'Death In Heaven' works pretty well, even with flaws like 'telling - not showing' - namely when the Doctor is briefed by UNIT on the global situation. Also the 'President' title given to a reluctant Doctor may be a deliberate nod towards long-term fan-favourite 'The Five Doctors', but somehow ends up falling flat. The choice of killing off Osgood conclusively is perhaps a little disappointing, as she has more facets to her than the rather dour Kate Stewart. And further to that, the way Kate is shown to survive is memorable for the wrong reasons entirely; her late father has been converted to a Cyberman, but then breaks free from Missy's control and catches her in mid-air. I do like the intention behind the Doctor's salute to the former Brigadier regardless.

Another talking point, but one that I myself find amusing is the glaring tease over whether Clara is not only a Time Lady, but in fact the show's lead after all. Maybe more humdrum is her fooling of the Cybermen when facing certain death if she were to say the wrong thing. Jenna Coleman is as reliable as ever though - clearly putting in that extra bit of intensity that is needed for a big finish to a year's worth of episodes. Once Clara gets to interact with Danny, the Doctor and Missy, then it becomes abundantly clear just how much of a personal journey this initially plot-oriented lead character has been through. And as of this date it appears there is still some more of her story to be told.

Danny Pink is given some of the strongest material in the script, building on all the foundations laid in place since the beginning of this season. His guilt over his accidental killing of a small boy is a bold theme to tackle for Doctor Who - but given how topical Britain's military presence abroad is, this is a commendable storytelling decision. It also is notable that we last met Danny when he was showing all sorts of panic, fear and apprehension. Now he feels emptiness but appreciates the sacrifice he (and Clara) need to make.
Although I found the Torchwood episode 'Cyberwoman' to be pretty unwatchable, this particular use of Cyber-conversion is both poignant and disturbing. Samuel Anderson seems to be written out now rather conclusively, but he really has made the most of his character's arc in the last cluster of stories. In the end my overall feelings toward this character are positive.

A further big highlight is Clara's brave pretence to her friend that she she has used Missy's techno-bracelet to have the 'normal' Danny restored to her. This scene of two people talking in an unremarkable cafe setting may seem low-key, but is acutely moving. The added dimension of the Doctor also covering his loss by lying that the Master for once told the truth is brilliant. I really doubt that Doctor Twelve will mellow out too much when he still has so much angst and loneliness to process.


Series 8 has been a sound season when taken as a whole, and there have been mostly winning individual entries. Peter Capaldi has proven virtually all doubters wrong and looks ready to raise his average performance yet higher. As fans of the classic series will attest, an actor with a good number of years under his belt is more than compelling enough. Lastly, the 'Santa' epilogue was amusing enough and brought an utterly hilarious bemused reaction from the Doctor. First Robin Hood, and now this? Let's hope the traditional Christmas episode will make strong use of the North Pole setting..

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Reviewed by Richard Watts

Mask of Tragedy
Written By: James Goss
Directed by Ken Bentley
Released September 2014

In his first audio adventure for the Big Finish Main Range, writer James Goss (The Scorchies) takes the seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), Ace (Sophie Aldred) and Hector (Philip Olivier) for a holiday to ancient Greece in the year 421 BC. As holidays go, it’s about as refreshing as a dip in the seas of Marinus.

Outside Athens’ walls the Peloponnesian War rages, and a horde of Spartan warriors (described by the Doctor as "like the Daleks, but with better hair") are preparing to sack the city. Inside the walls, a strange sickness stalks citizens and slaves alike, turning them into mindless zombies; and a winged fury haunts the Tyrant of Athens, the tormented Cleon (Alisdair Simpson).

In the words of the poet Sophocles:

"Ah me! it is a world, a world of woe,
Plague upon the height and plague below!"

Or as Goss puts it, speaking through playwright and comedian Aristophanes (Samuel West), this story’s major supporting character: "Basically, it’s the end of the world.".

Mask of Tragedy is that relatively rare Big Finish release, a comedy; a wry, knowing, bawdy and clever comedy that balances camp quips with dark undercurrents in a way that recalls such classic Doctor Who stories as The Sun Makers and Revelation of the Daleks.

As with the comedies of Aristophanes (c. 446 – c. 386 BC), that humour is sometimes dragged down by the occasional cheap laugh that reminds listeners why everyone from Wilde and Faulkner to Arthur Quiller-Couch urged writers to "kill their darlings" (the most groan-inducing example being the line, "Is it a bird? Is it an astral plane?") but for the most part it’s a smart, even sophisticated script that takes every opportunity to celebrate Goss’ love for Aristophanes’ contributions to the theatrical canon, as well as the foibles of the theatre in general.

Continuing the playfully self-aware approach to storytelling that has become a trademark of Goss’ writing, from Torchwood spin-off novels Almost Perfect and Risk Assessment to his tenth Doctor audio Dead Air, the adventure’s structure reflects classic Greek proscriptions around the need for all plays to have a hero, a villain, and a chorus, with Ace often playing the latter role. Much of the script is presented in extended flashbacks, framed by narrative sections which heighten the listener’s awareness of actively listening to an audio drama. Goss also successfully and meta-theatrically plays with the listener’s awareness of common Doctor Who tropes, such as the Doctor’s exasperation over Ace once again stuffing up his plans by taking action at the wrong moment, or the Time Lord’s sudden realisation that he neglected to listen to one of his companions when they were telling him something important.

Indeed, even the citizens of Athens in Mask of Tragedy seem hyper-aware of the nature of the universe they live in: apparently ancient Greece is a hotspot for temporal tourists. As Aristophanes succinctly notes: "We get visitors all the time. From all of time."

Mask of Tragedy sees a return to the Machiavellian Doctor whose long games were so successfully represented in the Virgin New Adventures, even as Goss leavens his script with jokes that writers in particular will enjoy, such as Aristophanes’ faux-exasperated complaints about the popularity of his base comedies: "Hack work. But alas people do seem to like them."

Supporting characters, ranging from time-travelling theatre-luvvie, Tyrgius (Russell Bentley) to a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Cleon, are well developed, though a cameo from the slave-girl Lysistrata (Emily Tucker) is tantalisingly brief.

Goss also writes Hector well, making the recently changed relationship between the current TARDIS crew feel genuinely fresh – such as an early scene, when in response to Ace telling Hector that she and the Doctor care about him Hector replies, "You don’t even know me!" And indeed they don’t know him well; not his new personality at least.

This new Hector gets a chance to spread his wings in this adventure (as does Tyrgius); certainly more than in the previous month’s lacklustre Revenge of the Swarm. Here Hector tries to become a hero in response to what he sees as the Doctor’s indifference to the plight of Athens – with predictably unfortunate results. That said, for someone whose only known memories are as life as a petty Liverpool gangster, Hector is still a relatively passive character – perhaps suggesting that Hex’s lost memories are not all that lost after all?

Not every aspect of this audio adventure is entirely successful: Ace is written as strangely naïve as she leads the Spartan army into Athens, and some of the line readings – such as Philip Olivier’s Jim Carrey-esque exaggerations when wearing the artefact that is this story’s titular McGuffin – are a trifle grating, though perhaps deliberately so given the Mask in question. Too, Richard Fox and Lauren Yason’s sound design is not always successful; for instance the invading Spartan army’s cheers seem distinctly masculine, despite the fact that said army is written as female. The pair’s score, however, is far more impressive, a convincing pastiche of traditional Greek music that makes excellent use of percussion to ramp up the intensity of the drama.

Though it may be a trifle too light-hearted and self-aware for every taste, for this fan, Mask of Tragedy is one of the strongest Big Finish releases of 2014: a playful, intelligent and engaging homage to the dramatic structures and characters that have made Doctor Who – and Greek drama – a lasting success for so many years.

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