The Eternity Trap

"This house has a long history of psychic activity."

Writer: Phil Ford
Format: TV
Broadcast: 5th-6th November 2009
Series: SJA 3.04

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis

A haunted house, mysterious whispers and secrets in the shadows attract Sarah Jane's attention. When Professor Rivers and the gang investigate an old legend, a monstrous creature appears in the night. The terrifying grasp of Erasmus Darkening reaches out, from centuries past...

Verdict

The Eternity Trap was a brilliant story from the Sarah Jane Adventures! I must admit I haven't been a great fan of my decision to watch the third series sporadically and I think I will be amending that viewing pattern for series four and five but for now, as a standalone and following on from my most recent viewing of Class's The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did, it was interesting to see just how different these two spinoff series are. However, I won't be talking about that despite the depth I could probably go into. I must also say though that I have been quite saddened that my lengthy run of daily blogs is over but unfortunately university work has just gotten too much and that of course has to take priority. I will still be trying my best to blog as often as I can but now that the streak is over I think I will be less inclined to blog with my never ending spell of deadlines. Anyway, onto the story itself and it was certainly unique in not featuring Luke or Mr Smith who, for the first time, did not feature at all in the story. The absence of K9 was not felt as much as he only just returned to being a main character but it was certainly an intriguing dynamic to not have him. I liked the excuse for why he wasn't there and that was because he thought the whole ghost thing was ridiculous. Instead, we got to see a great development of the relationship between Clyde and Rani which I thought was great and having a whole haunted house story is something I am a fan of. I loved the episode of The Chase that was set in one and I just like it when things are strange and shouldn't happen. There was a lot that needed explaining here and Sarah Jane was determined to find out the answer. Echoing words of the Doctor, she refused to believe in an afterlife and that ghosts existed. I believe the same way but I was a fan of the ambiguity surrounding their existence as firm believers could have perhaps been offended. I thought the references to Eye of the Gorgon and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith were excellent and I also liked that Professor Rivers returned again. She's been a great little recurring character and her relationship with Sarah Jane is wonderful to see. The legend of the house concerning Lord Marchwood and Erasmus Darkening was terrific and I liked how we got to see the moment the latter separated the former from his children. The revelation that Erasmus was actually an alien and not a ghost was good and I liked how surprised Toby was. I thought he himself was a very good character and the fact that he continued studying his passion despite his father's disapproval was brilliant. Clyde's joke about a ghoul-friend made me laugh far more than it should have and I liked how he continued to try to not act scared when around Rani. The moment they realised they were holding each other was also wonderful. More and more being revealed about the legend of the house as the story unfolded was excellent and I liked how Clyde and Rani provided the catalyst for Sarah Jane and Marchwood to rid the house of Erasmus once and for all and also save Rivers and reunited Marchwood with his children. Just when Darkening thought he'd won, Sarah Jane defeated him and I loved that. The ambiguity continued though at the end with the image of Marchwood and his children in the house. Overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did

"You really will either end today dead or with your freedom." 

Writer: Patrick Ness
Format: TV
Broadcast: 26th November 2016
Series: Class 1.07

Featuring: Miss Quill

Synopsis

Miss Quill embarks on an extraordinary mission to remove the Arn from her had and reclaim her freedom, travelling to astonishing and dangerous worlds...

Verdict

The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did was another very good episode of Class and appears to have set up the series finale very nicely, even though it ended in pretty much the exact same way as Detained did. That's the one thing that really bothered me about this story and that was the fact that we had seen the ending before the episode had even began. I mean, we got to see Miss Quill detain the other four main characters in detention while she went off to Dorothea to try and get the creature that prevented her from using weapons and forced her to protect Charlie out of her head. I liked how she didn't believe it was possible at first but as the events of the episode advanced, her belief in the possibility of the Arn getting removed grew and so did the pain inside her head as the creature realised what was happening. The idea of metaphysics being explored was very intriguing and Dorothea having the power to take Miss Quill and Ballon to places that existed because of pure belief was quite an incredible concept. It was actually quite difficult to comprehend but I think that was actually part of its appeal in being a good plot. I think we might have gone a place or two too many but it actually took me a little while to realise just what was going on which, without trying to be too modest, is rather unusual. The idea is just brilliantly confusing and I was left wondering whether the places that the trio visited in the story actually existed. I guess the ambiguity was a large part of the appeal and I was certainly hooked by it! Ballon was a great character and I liked how with him being a shapeshifter, reference was made to The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion and even Quill knew how the Zygons were protected on Earth. Despite not being happy with her punishment and what she considers to be a slave status, she knew a great deal about the planet she was now stuck on. Or was she? The idea of beliefs being questioned seems to be an unintentional theme during my blogging this week and I liked how challenges were made to the main characters once again. We saw Ballon's idea of hell and then we got to see Miss Quill's idea of heaven, a belief that she and her people had given up long ago. The contrasts were very different and I liked how protective they both were when it came to defending their own religion or belief. Dorothea manipulating events and bringing everything down to percentages of probabilities was good but the choice left for Miss Quill and Ballon was horrible. The Arn had been removed from Quill in quite a hideous way and the glance we got at the gash that replaced her eye following the creature's removal was quite awful I must say. That was quickly repaired though with just a scar to show. She didn't mind that though as no soldier should have scarless features. Ballon would get more than he bargained for though as after winning the battle for the gun that was left and with it the trip home, he fired and it was a trick. The gun fired invertedly and he was dead. Quill was drained and now inside the Cabinet of Souls of all places, but she was free. Things were certainly going to change and after a return to the school, I do wonder if her intentions were to kill Charlie before fainting and after saving him. I think the episode was partially hurt by the absence of April, Ram and co but the fact that it was not completely shows just how strong a character Miss Quill is. Katherine Kelly was wonderful and even though we knew the ending, it was still a very good episode! Overall, a great set up for the series finale.

Rating: 8/10

The Satan Pit

"Maybe we opened the prison and not the cell..."

Writer: Matt Jones
Format: TV
Broadcast: 10th June 2006
Series: 2.09

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The Doctor faces an impossible enemy, but can he save the entire universe from the Beast? His beliefs will be questioned and his compassion for Rose will be tested to the limits. And with the TARDIS lost, the Ood possessed and oxygen running out, will this be one battle he doesn't walk away victorious?

Verdict

The Satan Pit was a superb episode that concluded the story already started in The Impossible Planet in an incredible way! It continued off from the excellent cliffhanger and the action did not seem to stop for the forty-five minutes or so that followed. The pace was perfect and there was just so much going on but, importantly, there was never too much. The events of the story were easy to follow and the plot itself advanced considerably. The idea of Doctor Who tackling a religious figure is very ambitious and could actually have backfired and even though I'm stubbornly not religious, I thought the way they tackled the issue was fantastic. It really was sublime. We had the beliefs of the Doctor being questioned which was something I was very interested in and his refusal to believe that the Beast was trapped before the universe even began, before, was great. The Doctor was stumped and it really isn't often that happens. Obviously, once he got to the bottom of the impossibly bottomless pit and came face to face with the Beast, he had to accept the physical existence of the creature but was he willing to accept that this monstrosity was the Devil? Could Satan actually exist? I categorically refuse to believe any question of its existence and until someone provides me with evidence that Satan exists, I don't need to prove them otherwise. But I thought the inclusion of the idea of the Devil stemming from this rock in orbit of a black hole was excellent and the Beast actually saying that he was all of the amalgamations derived from the Devil. In every religion on every planet. I loved that the Doctor discussed why he keeps travelling and even at this relatively late stage in his life, he still firmly believes that he has yet to see everything. But it's not only discovery, he keeps travelling to be proven wrong. I really liked that. I was quite surprised that even when he realised he might die and never see Rose again when falling into the depths of the chasm that he couldn't find the words to tell Rose his true feelings. She probably did know but there is nothing like the words themselves being spoken. The mad dash through the shafts to Ood habitation to scramble their brains was good and exciting and the comments about particular viewpoints were quite funny. Toby wasn't complaining. The Doctor mentioning Draconia and Dæmos when talking about religion was great and I also liked the inclusion of the Torchwood story arc which was done in what wasn't really a subtle way. The death of Jefferson was quite a commendable sacrifice and Zack having to rid the room of oxygen must have been a tough task. Ida enjoying the civilisation as the last thing that she would do was very good and I liked how Rose was forced onto the rocket ship that was heading back for Earth. She seemed to accept that the Doctor was dead when she killed off Toby and the Beast with it and just when all seemed lost and the planet had plunged into the black hole with the rocket on its way to following suit, the Doctor came to the rescue. The scene where he stumbles across the TARDIS is one of my favourites and he uses it to guide the rocket to safety. Ida and Rose did a trade and the stuff of legend were reunited. Even if it wouldn't be for very long, as envisaged by the Beast. Overall, a stunning episode to conclude a quite brilliant story!

Rating: 10/10

The Impossible Planet

"Don't turn around... one look and you will die."

Writer: Matt Jones
Format: TV
Broadcast: 3rd June 2006
Series: 2.08

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

Rose finds herself further away from home than ever before, in the orbit of a Black Hole. That should be impossible. Not only that, but there is written language that even the TARDIS can't translate. Everything seems impossible, and something is awake...

Verdict

The Impossible Planet was an excellent episode and a brilliant way to start this two parter story! Right from the word go it set the tone for the rest of the story and the slow reveal of everything was perfectly paced and the timing just allowed that tense atmosphere to be built which I think is very important in the opening episode of a two parter. This story is often used in drawing contrasts between the Classic era and this side of the wilderness years following the 2005 revival. There is no disputing that the modern episodes are a lot faster and usually include a great deal more action than the original series but I think the beauty of the Classic era is in its often slow build in the opening parts of some stories. Had this story featured between 1963-1989, the cliffhanger that we see at the pre-titles sequence would more than likely have been built on a lot more and had a twenty-two minute or so build but instead here, we get a quick fast forward through to the Doctor and Rose establishing that they are on a sanctuary base but they get a rushed introduction to the Ood. The resolution about their "we must feed" line was quite humorous and I loved the look of shock on the crew's faces after seeing that the Doctor and Rose were very much alive and very much real. They had quite a shaky start to their time on the base with a quake hitting and it would appear to have lasting consequences for the Doctor as the area that the TARDIS had landed in had been obliterated and sent tumbling down to the planet's surface. The planet itself was nameless which was harrowing enough on its own but chuck in the fact it was orbiting a black hole and immediately you had the Doctor's interest. His reaction to just how impossible things were was excellent and I loved how the crew reignited his love for the human race. A time funnel gave them access to this impossible planet and did they follow it? Of course they did. Why? To have a look. It was as simple as that which was fantastic. The TARDIS translation circuits not being able to translate the language written inside the base was mightily intriguing and just the mention of it being beyond the depths of the TARDIS was an outrageously strong statement. It meant that it was impossibly old and I liked how the Doctor was worried. The relationship between the Doctor and Rose was wonderful but I did like the awkwardness between their mortgage discussion. The Doctor really was helpless without the TARDIS but could he really settle down? The transformation of Toby was quite substantial in the episode and the way he was possessed was very frightening which made it great. The same thing happened with the Ood after some not so subtle hints about them being possessed and their telepathic nature and slave status of a race made it easy for them to be taken over. The Doctor and Ida embarking on the mission below into the planet was terrific and the scale of the civilisation was quite incredibly beautiful. But then came the cliffhanger and with something stirring above and waking up, the Doctor and Ida were about to see what as an entrance to even deeper into the planet opened. The Ood were possessed, Toby was made and whatever was causing it was ready to meet the Doctor. Not too shabby a cliffhanger at all! Overall, a fantastic start to the story and I look forward to the second episode very much! Oh, and happy birthday Doctor Who!

Playing House Part 2

"Everything you know will be destroyed."

Writer: George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 17th November 2016
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 13

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Hattie

Synopsis

The Doctor and his new companion are trapped in a dying, mysterious maz of a house where the laws of physics have broken down. As the Doctor fights to save a family cashing in on an ancient promise, the secrets of the house battle to overwhelm him!

Verdict

Playing House concluded in excellent style with this terrific second part of the story! It brought to an end another hugely successful month of adventures from Doctor Who Comic's Tales from the TARDIS and I do hope that there's a treat in store when it comes to the next issue which will be released just ten days before Christmas. That makes it feel very close indeed which means it won't be long at all before the Twelfth Doctor is back on our screens! Of course, he made an appearance in Class and for me personally, I will be rewatching Series 9 very soon but it is now starting to feel like quite some time since the last time we saw him in Doctor Who in The Husbands of River Song. Thankfully though, these comic strips have filled some of the gap along with Doctor Who Magazine's monthly adventure and the quality of this one was once again excellent. I loved the cliffhanger to part one, even if I did see it coming, and I thought its continuation here was very good. Here we were inside another TARDIS... that had been bought at an antique's fair! That is just ludicrously wonderful and Holly would obviously have no idea about the true nature behind her recent purchase. It was dying though and that was dangerous as the Spyrillites were lurking and with the TARDIS leaking artron energy, they would stop at nothing until it was all absorbed which meant danger for the entire planet. The Doctor was very serious in explaining just how deadly a situation they were in and I thought the characterisation of Peter Capaldi's incarnation was once again fantastic. Hattie played the role of companion well and I liked how she was keen to ask questions. I bet the Doctor enjoyed that deep down, even if he didn't want to admit it. I really enjoyed Hattie thinking the Doctor's TARDIS was the only one and she was even more perplexed by the fact that they didn't all look like a police box. The Doctor was understandably reluctant to recall the events of An Unearthly Child in explaining his own machine's appearance which was great. The search for the console room was terrific with Holly's children, who had finally been located along with her husband, leading the way. The artwork surrounding the search and the depiction of the console room itself was superb I must say. I really was impressed. I liked how it bore similarities to the first console room of the Eleventh Doctor but it really just did look good. I was leaning towards giving this story a perfect rating, which would have been my third in succession, but I thought the ending was a tad too easy. I mean it was good and the image of the TARDIS burning up was impressive, but the Doctor just adjusting a few controls doesn't quite completely satisfy me. I was surprised he dropped Hattie back off at the Twist and I now do wonder if we'll see her again. Overall though, a great conclusion to a brilliant story!

Rating: 9/10

Detained

"You shouldn't avenge genocide with genocide."

Writer: Patrick Ness
Format: TV
Broadcast: 19th November 2016
Series: Class 1.06

Featuring: April, Ram, Tanya, Charlie, Miss Quill

Synopsis

Thrown into detention, the gang find themselves trapped in a prison that forces them to confess their secrets. Will they escape before the alien power tears them apart forever?

Verdict

Detained was yet another incredible episode of Class and I must say that this spinoff series is seriously impressing me! I am already very hopeful of a second series as I am just loving what's going on. It goes some way in saying that of the six episodes broadcast thus far, I have given full marks to half of them. Now, I am also in the midst of blogging the Sarah Jane Adventures and to give some indication of just how good this particular spinoff is, it took until the midway point of the third series to get three perfect scores from the SJA, it took just six episodes with Class. Patrick Ness has been doing a stunning job in developing these characters after the Doctor left them to it in For Tonight We Might Die. This episode was extremely powerful and I just loved how the youth of the main cast were the only characters that featured for most of the story. Miss Quill giving the team detention was quite humorous in itself but what they all went through was certainly not what they expected! I feel like I've been a little harsh in not including Matteusz as part of my 'Featuring' in the story information but despite him playing pretty much an equal role to his other four counterparts, I still don't see him as a main character. That might be because he wouldn't be around if it wasn't for his relationship with Charlie but I actually thought he was very good here. The premise of the story was excellent and I like how the tares in time and space continue to be visible. Here we were in nowhere with the main characters isolated in a classroom with nothing but each other's company. They had been taken out of time completely which meant that they wouldn't age or go hungry. But given time, with the forces at work they might just end up destroying each other. And it nearly did get to that point which was quite a surprise. The meteor, or asteroid as Ram was keen to point out, turning out to be the basis of a prison of an intelligence was brilliant and I liked how the holder was forced to confess and couldn't help but tell the truth. That provided a lot of interesting dynamics and showed just how frail this little team were. Each character felt the effects of something one of the others said and the episode really was incredibly powerful emotionally which is something I always like. Charlie and Matteusz shared their true thoughts about one another, as did April and Ram which was quite sad for the latter as he had fallen for April and she just didn't quite feel the same way. Tanya's confession was quite a sad one but did make sense and after four turns had been used up holding the asteroid, Charlie's turn was the most powerful of the lot. He didn't need to be prompted to confess the truth, he spilled it out anyway. He was going to show them that he wasn't just a Prince and didn't ask the wrong questions. He challenged the intelligence to confess and the guilt inside of him eventually would murder the prisoner and send the classroom home. But then the unthinkable happened, as if it hadn't already. Miss Quill fired a gun and her hair was suspiciously longer. Then after preventing Charlie from becoming the new prisoner by shooting a gun, she handed him the creature from inside her head. She was a slave no more and I can't wait to see how that changes the dynamic of the series. But for now, another simply stunning episode!

Rating: 10/10

First Rule

"Saved... by my companions as ever."

Writer: Rob Williams
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 17th November 2016
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 13

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Squire, Abslom Daak, River

Synopsis

Badly wounded by the Then and the Now, the Squire must deal with the fallout of Alice's deadly decision, as Abslom's fury rounds on the Doctor in full force. Death, devastation, and the aftermath of the Time War... this one has it all! Can the Doctor still find the truth and save his friends?

Verdict

First Rule was an incredible comic strip adventure and was one of the best stories to come out of the Eleventh Doctor's segment of Doctor Who Comic for a very long time! I was reading with absolute joy as the power behind some of the emotions that featured was incredible. Each character had a different story to tell and all felt very differently about current events but the journey that this TARDIS team has been on since The Then and the Now really is quite something when I come to think about it. This comic story continued where Running to Stay Still left off and that was incredibly with Alice in the Master's TARDIS. As if that wasn't enough, her destination was the Time War! That is quite the recipe and I liked how we first got to see her nightmare that she suffered at the hands of her migraine. Once again, the words of the Doctor were echoing even in her subconscious and she was really worried about whether she was actually good enough to be a companion. It has taken some time as I wasn't an initial fan of her as companion but now I really like her and the courage she has shown in recent stories has been excellent. The fact that she made light of her situation whilst plummeting into the Time War was really quite commendable. The Doctor seems to have had all this planned out for quite some time which is actually quite horrifying when you think about. But Alice was no longer with him so the Then and the Now wouldn't be showing up anytime soon. At least not for the Doctor. I do wonder if it has access to the Time War though, and if so Alice could be in even more trouble. The characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor was outstanding in this story and I think that was achieved with how desperate the Doctor was in the current situation. River was infected by the Malignant and the Squire was dying. We still don't know a great deal about the latter but the Doctor had already seen River Song die once, I'm not sure he would be able to go through it again. The encounter between the Doctor and Abslom Daak was initially a shock when the latter punched the former but the verbal battle that ensued saw the Doctor ridicule his would-be companion. Although he is a part of my 'Featuring' in the story information, I wouldn't necessarily consider him to be a companion. The jury is still out on the Squire but I am sure we'll learn the truth in due course. The Doctor acting as the narrator of the story was brilliant and I really liked how one of his top rules was that the companions do not die. Of course, that hasn't always been adhered to but he does point out that the problem with first rules is that they are the first to be broken. His efforts to save both River and the Squire here really were not going well and I must say I was very shocked to find the Squire pronounced dead at the story's close. Could she really be dead? I'm inclined to say yes as I now think that Alice's venture into the Time War will answer the question of her identity. However, the Doctor seems to have been planning things for a long time when it comes to Alice judging from a picture he has of her, disturbingly with a gun. Her crash landing in the Master's TARDIS and being greeted by the War Doctor was excellent and after the relatively recent audio boxset featuring the lost incarnation, I'm glad these comics can try and boost the number of stories the War Doctor features in and also gives us some more details about the Time War which is something I always welcome. Immediately, the War Doctor and Alice had their problems with the Volatix Tendrils but one thing that struck me was the Doctor threatening to atomise Alice, in the name of peace and sanity of course. That reminded us why this incarnation of the Doctor buried his name. But this story was all about the companions, and whilst one was being very brave in the Time War and another was standing up to the Doctor in the TARDIS, it appeared that we had lost one and were on the way to losing another. Overall, a simply stunning story!

Rating: 10/10

The Infinite Corridor

"It's having an effect on both the TARDIS' internal and external dimensions!"

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 17th November 2016
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 13

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy

Synopsis

With the Tenth Doctor still reeling from the revelation of the TARDIS team's previous adventure, impossible forces are at work inside the TARDIS and Cindy ends up trapped in a bubble universe, with no escape from the infinite corridor in sight...

Verdict

The Infinite Corridor was another excellent comic strip from the Tenth Doctor segment of the wonderful Doctor Who Comic! I have been very impressed with the recent quality of stories from this part of the comic and every single month they just seem to keep things fresh and I think that's the appeal of the comic strip format in having new companions that we did not see during David Tennant's time as the Tenth Doctor on television. Not only that, but considering we're well into the second year of adventures by now, these companions have a great deal of backstory which makes them feel a lot more familiar and having had Cindy join the team after featuring in a few previous stories has just been brilliant. I like how this story saw her take the limelight and I thought the moment where she angrily shouted her annoyance at the Doctor's constant failure to agree with her was superb. She's really coming into her own now and settling as companion and that can only help the story quality. Gabby was in a bit of a backseat position for this story which was absolutely fine as she still managed to interject her excellence. She's still my favourite character to come out of these comics and I think it's going to take someone special to top her! The Doctor still feeling the effects of the recent events in The Wishing Well Witch was very good as it not only added credibility to that story but it's not often we see the Doctor handling his emotions in the way that he did here. The idea of the innards of the TARDIS being attacked is brilliant as it's not something we expect to happen. I mean it happened from time to time in the show's early days with The Mind Robber coming to mind but we've heard the Tenth Doctor describe the TARDIS as indestructible on more than one occasion. The dimensions, both inside and out, being effected was terrific and it obviously did cause a great deal of problem. The cloister bell sounding in a comic strip is a very rare feat so I really enjoyed that here and the danger really was quite imminent! Cindy had actually ended up being thrown into her own little bubble universe and I thought it was mightily intriguing to see the concept of a bubble universe up close and personal. The TARDIS was sustaining many of them and the pressure on her was extortionate. The means of contact between the Doctor, Gabby and Cindy throughout the ship was good and I liked how the latter was seemingly trapped in a corridor full of endless doors. She saw a whole load of horrors, apparently just figments of her imagination, including a dragon! That was quite unexpected. Speaking of which, what came after the immediate story's resolution was most unexpected. The Doctor instructed Gabby to take a huge risk in order to save Cindy and it paid off. But mentions of Anubis were made and we actually saw him feature in some very interesting final few pages. His conversing with Dorothy just didn't seem fitting for the son of Sutekh and why he kept coming to the statue of his father was interesting, but I loved how the eyes of that statue lit up to close the story. Could Sutekh make a return in a modern era story? It sure looks like that could be the case and I am very excited by that prospect! The change of tone from Anubis was very noticeable though and I'm intrigued to see what role he plays in future stories. Overall, a fantastic comic strip that even featured a nice homage to the Fifth Doctor and Tegan's relationship. Very good!

Rating: 9/10

Bloodsport Part 2

"The greatest hunting empire in the universe, reduced to bleeding-heart hand-wringers within a generation..."

Writer: Mark Wright

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 17th November 2016

Printed in: DWM 506

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Jess

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor is in trouble as Skadi has taken both Jess and Max Collins aboard her grotesque spaceship. Jess has been given a terrifying proposition but will she accept? The Doctor will need to work fast and use his persuasion skills like never before if he is able to save her from becoming part of the hunt...

Verdict

Bloodsport concluded in great style with this very good second and final part of the story! I must admit I've been quite surprised with the absence of four part stories from Doctor Who Magazine but I'll get to the comic itself in a little while. As per usual for each DWM comic strip, I like to give my thoughts on the magazine itself and this is quite a big one as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Doctor! Arguably the most important incarnation we've had in the history of Doctor Who as not only did Patrick Troughton reinvent the show but the concept surrounding his arrival would allow this wonderful show to continuously reinvent itself and last for as long as it has. And not just last, but it's simply thriving. It's nearly time for its return to our screens and I'm sure it won't be long before our Christmas special magazine. But for now this issue is all about the cosmic hobo which is just wonderful. I can't wait to see what's said as I haven't yet read the details but I'm sure there'll be more than one mention to The Power of the Daleks and it's upcoming animated release. I really can't wait for that and I do hope to buy it quite soon after it's released and get it blogged. I've already had a sneaky read of Gallifrey Guardian and I must say that I'm thrilled that Jamie Mathieson is back writing another episode for the tenth series. His previous episodes have been nothing short of brilliant and I do hope he continues to pen a story in upcoming years. It's also going to be interesting to have a Classic era writer penning a script for the modern series with Rona Munro returning. The Art of the Director continuation should also be a good read and I'm always intrigued to read what Steven Moffat has to say in his somewhat not too serious monthly column. I'm also looking forward to some of the interviews this issue has to offer as well as the always brilliant DWM Review. Now, back to the comic strip itself and I thought it was pretty good considering the first part didn't have too much of a cliffhanger. A preposition is never the best of ways to end a part of a story on in my opinion but I was quite surprised that Jess was willing to give herself up for the sake of some aliens she had no idea about. That said a lot about her character and why the Doctor likes her so much. Max was also terrific in this story and the moment he stood up and threatened to kill Tarquel was superb and probably the highlight of the story for me. I really enjoyed it as I just didn't expect it. Skadi really came into her own here which was wonderful and she really was quite the badass villain. She didn't care much for her husband which just added to her credentials. Broteas giving up the whereabouts of his wife's ship was quite a surprise though I must say and I did find it funny with just how much the Doctor managed to convince him about. Jess was also very impressed which was good to see. There was a lot of action which I liked but I wasn't massively struck on the ending with Tarquel taking his parents back to their homeworld to answer for their crimes. Hunting wouldn't occur anymore, and that pleased the Doctor. Overall, a very good story!  

Rating: 8/10

World War Three

"You want aliens? You've got them. They're inside Downing Street."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23rd April 2005

Series: 1.05

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

Downing Street announces mankind's first Interplanetary War. But the real danger is much closer to home. The Doctor, Rose and Harriet Jones race against time to unmask the villainous Slitheen, but only Rose's boyfriend and mum hold the key to salvation. Can the missiles be stopped?

Verdict

World War Three was an excellent conclusion to the story already started in Aliens of London. After a steady build in the first episode things really step up a notch here and we get a great deal of action which is always good! I think action works best in a two parter because once you establish the plot of the story in the first episode, you can have a lot of time spent on pace and action packed scenes which just add to the excitement of the overall story. There isn't always enough time in a single episode and considering this was the first attempt at doing a double episode in the newly revived series, it isn't half a great example. It works excellently as now that the Slitheen have been revealed we don't have the mystery of who they might be and we can see them in action instead which is fantastic. The scene of them waiting for the call regarding the nuclear codes was hilarious, especially with the added humour of the interruption. The plan of the Slitheen was pretty simple but very cruel. They were willing to see the entire population of Earth killed and the planet destroyed if it meant they could make a profit. That was pretty heartless but around the silly humour of the farting, it made them ruthless and instantly gave them credit as monsters. Intentions often do that. Once they were revealed the whole mood of the story changed. I love the setting of 10 Downing Street in a Doctor Who story and it's just brilliant that Russell T Davies got to launch a missile at it! I bet he really enjoyed writing that into the script. The resolution of the immediate cliffhanger occurring before the opening titles hit is probably the wrong move but at least we still had the danger concerning Rose and Jackie with their respective battles against individual Slitheen. Harriet Jones was wonderful and it's no surprise that she made more than one return in the series' future. The Doctor immediately took a liking to her and along with Rose the trio worked excellently as a team. The moment that the Slitheen returned to pray on Jackie and Mickey was probably my favourite scene of the entire story (first episode included). The Doctor working out where the Slitheen were from was brilliant and after all of the planets were whittled down to just one, Mickey's comment about writing them a letter had me in absolute hysterics. It caught me off guard and I was laughing so much that I nearly had to pause the DVD. It's often a joke in Doctor Who does that to me but I absolutely adored it here. Christopher Eccleston was at his very best as the Ninth Doctor and I think that definitely helped with that quality of the story, and this episode in particular. The title is brilliant enough and that should get anybody interested in the story and the way the Slitheen attempted to get the planet to go to war was very good. The Doctor talking Mickey through putting a stop to that by inviting a missile into the very building he was in was fantastic. The Slitheen were obliterated (almost, as we'd seen later in the series) and Downing Street destroyed, but the planet was safe. A great ending to an excellent story. Rose was back off travelling in time and space in the TARDIS and Jackie wasn't best pleased but she was pretty helpless. The bad wolf paint being scrubbed off was a nice touch too. Overall, a brilliant story!

Rating: 9/10

Aliens of London

"Aliens faking aliens. Why would they do that?"

Writer: Russell T Davies
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th April 2005
Series: 1.04

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Rose home. But when a spaceship crash lands in the Thames, London is closed off and the whole world is on red alert. While the Doctor investigates the alien survivor, Rose discovers that her home is no longer a safe haven. Who are the Slitheen?

Verdict

Aliens of London was a very good episode which kicked off this two-part story in terrific style. This was the revival era's first take at a double episode and they really do an excellent job in setting things up for the next episode while this first part itself being brilliant. We have the Doctor bringing Rose back home after her endeavours in time and space but he gets the timing a little wrong. Instead of Rose being returned to her life twelve hours after the events of Rose, it'd actually been twelve months which I thought was a good twist to open the story with. The effects of that in Rose's family were obviously going to be hard felt and Jackie's reaction to seeing her daughter for the first time in a year was obviously understandable. Rose couldn't tell Jackie where she'd actually been and the relationship between the pair was completely bittersweet. The Doctor getting a slap though was not too much of a surprise but his reaction, along with Rose's, was excellent. The TARDIS pair getting to see firsthand the spaceship crash land and destroy Big Ben was fantastic and I absolutely loved the Doctor's reaction. He was absolutely overjoyed to be witnessing history first hand and for once he was just as surprised as everyone else. He didn't seem too pleased that he had to watch it on television like the rest of the human race though. Mickey arriving in the flat to see Rose, his girlfriend prior to the Doctor coming into her life, was intriguing and it presented an interesting dynamic as he knew where Rose had gone and why she'd been gone for so long. I really liked how Mickey had read up on the Doctor and the references to his previously working for UNIT was brilliant, especially this early into the revived series. Whilst being brand new, it still acknowledged the Classic series which was good. In hindsight, we now know that Tosh was Doctor Sato which was wonderful and the legacy of the Space Pig would live on in Torchwood which is superb. I also enjoyed the reference to The End of the World. I loved the banter between the Doctor and Mickey with the former continually calling the latter Ricky. Harriet Jones making her first appearance was great and she really did have quite an eventful time! She was also very good at making a nuisance of herself and reminding everyone who she was. Some of the humour was a little questionable I must say with gay being used as an insult as well as continuous farting, which just seemed a bit childish. I didn't have a serious problem as I know the younger fans would have found it funny and it did indicate who the aliens were, but what they were was a mystery up until the fantastic cliffhanger. The Slitheen emerged just as all the experts were gathered at Downing Street and attempted to kill them through what looked like electrocution. Rose was trapped in the Cabinet Room with Margaret, a Slitheen we'd become more common with in the future and Jackie was also in trouble with a Slitheen disguised as a policeman. It was a brilliant cliffhanger which had a very good build up. I look forward to seeing how things develop in the next episode, but for now this story is looking good!

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

"We are here today to witness the marriage of Sarah Jane Smith..."

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29th-30th October 2009

Series: SJA 3.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, K9

Synopsis

After Sarah Jane starts acting suspiciously, Luke, Clyde and Rani investigate. They discover she has a boyfriend, Peter Dalton, and they are going to get married. Clyde suspects Peter may be an alien and at the wedding, an old enemy returns, As the gang find themselves trapped in a time trap, can a very special friend from Sarah Jane's past save her and her friends, as well as the entire planet from the wrath of the Trickster?

Verdict

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith is a superb story in the third series of the Sarah Jane Adventures and not only does it finally see the Doctor star in one of the spinoff shows, but it was just all round brilliant! It was easily the best of this series so far and that's not just because the Tenth Doctor made an appearance. The events of this story were foreshadowed in The Mad Women in the Attic and they came true here. The idea of Sarah Jane falling in love was excellent and it's not something that has even been hinted at during the spinoff show's existence up to this point so for her to not only fall in love but to agree to get married, all in part one, was quite a shock I must say! Everything was just so quick and I was surprised that she wasn't even a little bit suspicious but I really enjoyed how Clyde was remaining sceptical. He even brought K9 to the wedding! I think it's terrific that the infamous robot dog is back as a regular character in the series and I'm already loving the competition between him and Mr Smith. That humour is surely going to be a running theme which I think is great. Peter seemed like a decent guy and Sarah Jane could be forgiven for not suspecting anything about him. She'd even scanned him so that would just confirm that he wasn't hostile. Sarah Jane was admittedly getting old and didn't want to waste her time which I could understand but I was a little shocked that she kept her endeavours a secret from the rest of the gang. Them using Mr Smith to track her was good but the way their cover was blown was hilarious. Things escalated quickly and we were soon at a wedding where everything seemed normal. That remained the case until about one minute before the closing titles hit where an incredible cliffhanger occurred. I think it's my favourite SJA cliffhanger yet as not only did the Trickster return but the Doctor emerged! It was just pulsating and what was a relatively calm story was immediately thrown into action. It was just terrific to see David Tennant starring as the Tenth Doctor in something other than Doctor Who and I think it just added credit to the spinoff show as a whole. He formally got to meet Luke after their brier glimpse in The Stolen Earth/Journey's End and I also liked his rushed hellos to Rani and Clyde. The former looked dazzling while the latter wasn't too impressed by the police box but Luke had full trust in the Doctor to fix things which I thought was excellent. Seeing the Trickster in white really was quite contrasting and the way it'd tricked Peter by pretending to be an angel was interesting. The face to face conversation between the Doctor and the Trickster was superb and I loved how The Armageddon Factor was referenced in mentioning the Key to Time. The story also had good references to Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith and Prisoner of the Judoon. Foreshadowing future stories isn't a new thing but the referral to The End of Time was very good indeed. The idea of a time trap was terrific and I liked how although the Doctor featured, it was actually Sarah Jane who saved the day thanks to his pointing her in the right direction. Peter did love Sarah Jane and broke off his agreement with the Trickster which reverted things to normal but one of the highlights of the story for me was the gang getting to see inside the TARDIS and the brief goodbye between the Doctor and Sarah Jane. It mirrored The Hand of Fear with a role reversal which was just beautiful. Overall, a simply brilliant story!

Rating: 10/10

The Mad Women in the Attic

"You wanted to meet the mad old women at Bannermen Road..."

Writer: Joseph Lidster
Format: TV
Broadcast: 22nd-23rd October 2009
Series: SJA 3.02

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, K9

Synopsis

The year is 2059. In the derelict attic of 13 Bannermen Road, an elderly Rani Chandra tells the story of the day she met the alien Eve and her life went wrong...

Verdict

The Mad Women in the Attic was a very good story and a great little continuation of the third series of the Sarah Jane Adventures. As I've previously mentioned, I will not be blogging this series daily as I have done with the first two series and after watching this today, I didn't find any problem with not having watched the previous story the day before I was watching this. This is the first time I'm watching this series since it was first broadcast seven years ago but I was quite surprised with how much of this story I remembered. I kind of hope that isn't the case for the rest of my unblogged stories for this spinoff as I have purposely waited until now to start watching them again. The story started off very interestingly and one could be forgiven for not expecting the attic mentioned in the title to be referring to the familiar setting of Sarah Jane's house. Perhaps also unexpectedly, when we could see just exactly where the attic was situated, Sarah Jane was not the mad women that the story's name referred to. It actually turned out to be Rani as we were taken ahead in time to 2059, a very rare feat in this spinoff show. Rani being questioned by Adam, seemingly a lad from just across the road, was good as we got an immediate insight into what kind of life Rani had as she entered adulthood. It was quite sad that she was alone, mad and didn't even know what year it was. She claimed that it was all because of one wish that she had made out of anger back in the present day and we would soon see those events unfold. I was quite surprised to learn that Rani had told her old friend Sam about everything that she does with her newfound gang and Sarah Jane wasn't best pleased either, which certainly didn't surprise me. I did like how she acknowledged that she might have been in the wrong when she just shunned Rani's finding aside as simple lightning. This was quite an insightful episode for Rani and we learned quite a lot about her. Not only was the story predominantly set in her hometown but her thoughts on Sarah Jane and the gang were fully explored. All the talk of Maria was obviously making her uncomfortable but I did like how she wasn't being forgotten following her departure in The Last Sontaran. The references in the story were also great with excellent mentions of Army of Ghosts/Doomsday and The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. I also liked the sheer volume of flashbacks that came in this story and we even saw scenes from the Classic era of Doctor Who and Sarah Jane's time with the Third and Fourth Doctors which was just marvellous. The conversation between Clyde and Sarah Jane about her being old now was a lovely little moment and I liked how it highlighted the humorous understand that the pair shared. Eve was a brilliant character and the care Harry had for her was good but also a little strange I must say. The deserted fairground acted as a good setting and I liked how Ship was able to show people their past and future. Sarah Jane seeing a glimpse of the Doctor was a sign of things to come and I liked how Rani was horrified by the prospect of living alone. She would rectify that though thanks to Adam who turned out to be Eve and Sam's child. Ship granted Rani a New wish and she would be the mad women in the attic no more. There was no real villain and I liked how everybody got away pretty much unharmed. That doesn't often happen in a Doctor Who universe story. Overall, a very good story! 

Rating: 8/10

Scaredy Cat

"In the beginning there was... what?"

Writer: Will Schindler

Format: Audio

Released: October 2005

Series: Main Range 75

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, C'rizz

Synopsis

"Yaranaa - it means literally, 'the soul of the vengeful' - those whose lives have been cut short early and died with empty hearts."

Millennia ago, the people of the planet Caludaar pledged never to set foot on their sister planet Endarra. But what secrets does the planet hold? There are laws even the Doctor won't break. And while C'rizz learns that some tragedies can't be averted, Charley must decide who the enemy actually is.

For death walks on Endarra, and this time she won't be denied. 

Verdict

Scaredy Cat was a very good little audio adventure and I do use little as the correct term as this story was only 73 minutes long which for a Big Finish audio in the Main Range is quite strange it has to be said. I can only recall Scherzo as being anywhere near as short of a story and if my memory serves me correctly I think that was around the 90 minutes mark. It was interesting to be listening to a story that was so short split into four parts and I think it almost did seem a little too quick. Maybe that was down to my listening to it on yet another train journey but I'm not so sure that was the case. At the time of writing, I'm still on the train and I've also done some university reading in between finishing the audio and blogging it (and this journey is a short one for me!) which is quite strange but I am a little saddened that I just can't find it in me to do a novel. Well, I guess I've just got to accept that during my second year of university the only books I'll be reading will be to do with my degree. I guess that's not entirely a bad thing and I can try and push on with these audios in the meantime. I was glad to be listening to another Eighth Doctor audio in this range after the excellent Terror Firma and I'm really enjoying that this TARDIS trio can just have an isolated story now and not be concerned with the happenings of the Divergent Universe. I think we get to know characters best that way and whilst they're all now very familiar, all three main characters are still relatively new. Each part being around 17 minutes long meant that there was quite a fast pace which, in a story that didn't include a whole lot of action, was very interesting indeed. I thought Paul McGann gave a brilliant performance as the Eighth Doctor and the novelty of being able to listen to stories with this incarnation has not worn off, and I'm not sure that it ever will. Everything we get from Big Finish with this Doctor is absolutely a bonus and I'm just delighted to be able to listen to them. Charley and C'rizz both had pretty solid stories with the latter probably overshadowing the former for arguably the first time. Towards the end, the way he tried to tell Flood that the pair were similar because they were both killers was really quite unexpected. There was a good reference to The Creed of the Kromon and that was earlier followed by two fantastic references. The Doctor being questioned about the nature of evil was good but his answer was truly great. He made superb references to Genesis of the Daleks and Spare Parts in describing the Daleks and Cybermen and the power behind his words was excellent. I also liked his comments about how he's spent most of his travels seeking out evil and defeating it, although I think the TARDIS has helped him out a bit there. The cliffhangers were nothing special to be honest and I think that's to be expected in a story devoid of action. They're not so important in an audio though as the listener would usually listen in one sitting. C'rizz wanting to see a planet that was newly formed was quite a bizarre request I must say but what he described Charley noticed was the Garden of Eden. The Doctor didn't quite take him there but the destination was probably more intriguing. The story behind the planets of Caludaar and Endarra was very good and I liked how tradition had been upheld for millennia as a result of a deadly war. Endarra being the prominent setting was a little surprising but I did like how we travelled back over four million years into the planet's history for the Doctor to try and gain some sort of advantageous knowledge for what was going on. The nursery rhyme theme was excellent and I liked how children's laughter was used as a means of fear. I've never found it scary but I am aware of people who are. Flood was a good villain and I liked how completely deranged and mad he was. His control over the planet came as a surprise though but the planet itself would soon fight back and overpower him. The concept behind Galayana was mightily intriguing which is always a good thing and I liked how she appeared, all be it in different forms, at both ends of the wide-stretching timescale that this story took place. She was almost the conscience of the planet and Flood was no match for her. She just continued with her childish laughter when the threat was gone and that really was terrific. Arken and Bronik were great characters and the latter's death did take me by surprise I must admit. I also thought Charley and Niah shared a wonderful relationship. The Doctor didn't have a great deal to do for the resolution which made a change but the climax still managed to be exciting. Overall, a very good and solid story that probably would have been even better with an extension of time.

Rating: 8/10

Brave-ish Heart

" I got us here... but I can't get us back."

Writer: Patrick Ness
Format: TV
Broadcast: 12th November 2016
Series: Class 1.05

Featuring: April, Ram, Tanya, Charlie, Miss Quill

Synopsis

April must face the terrifying consequences of her actions and confront Corakinus in his alien realm. Meanwhile, the invasion is overwhelming as the gang try to save Earth.

Verdict

Brave-ish Heart was an incredible episode of Class that continued the Doctor Who spinoff series in quite some style! It's probably just eclipsed Nightvisiting as my favourite story yet from the series and I really must say that I'm absolutely loving the direction of this series. Obviously, we're five episodes in now so all of the characters are familiar but with just three episodes remaining of the series, there are still quite a lot of questions that need answering. This episode continued pretty much immediately where Co-Owner of a Broken Heart finished off and I'm actually not too sure if this is considered a second part but for now I'm just going to go on the assumption that every story is individual and that is why I'll give a rating to each one. This episode was once again filled with emotion and that is certainly a theme that is concurrent throughout the spinoff series. The four teenagers are all undergoing their own personal battles, whether big or small, and we can quite clearly see the effect it is having on them. I would argue that April has been put through the most emotional turmoil thus far but it's not exactly a competition. Her route to the Underneath, the realm of the Shadow Kin, was excellent and I really admired her for going despite knowing she had no way back to Earth. Ram didn't seem overly happy with that revelation and I liked how he didn't really have an explanation for why he followed her through. Obviously, despite them knowing each other for only a month and seeing quite a lot, as well as engaging in a physical relationship, I think it was quite clear that the pair are in love. They might not want to admit it or may not even know it but I'm pretty convinced they are. April knowing a great deal about the Underneath was great and I loved how Ram was continually shocked by everything she was saying. The connection between her and Corakinus was strong and I imagine that with her arrival on his planet, that connection only strengthened. The graphics of the Underneath were absolutely superb I must say and I also liked the prominence of the palace which was obviously the home of the Shadow King. April wanted to engage in battle and at what first appeared to be a mismatch, she seemed to be using her connection with Corakinus against the Shadow King and eventually slayed him in battle. She couldn't kill him though because of the connection she shared with the Shadow King but that didn't matter. Before the entire Shadow Kin, April had won the battle and defeated their ruler which meant that she now became Shadow King. I thought it was pretty harsh that her title wasn't Shadow Queen as that just sounds a sublime title but she now controlled the Shadow Kin. That would help things on Earth as while she was off fighting on alien planet, Earth was on the verge of being submerged by killer petals. They don't sound too threatening but the more they multiplied, the deadlier they got and their method of just attacking flesh was absolutely horrific. The images of some their victims were actually quite graphic and almost disturbing at times. Now, I have no problem with that as it escalated their threat brilliantly but with no sign of the Doctor, the situation seemed helpless. Charlie was pretty much being forced into using the Cabinet of Souls as a weapon and I was intrigued by Miss Quill throughout the episode. It was pretty interesting to see how much emotion she showed which was somewhat unusual but I would still very much like to know the agenda of Dorothea and the Governors. Their expectancy of April to save the day was a surprise I must say but I really liked how they were happy with the day's events as they learned a lot more about the Cabinet of Souls. How they know so much about Rhodea we don't yet know, but I look very forward to finding out. April helping her mother get back on the right track by healing her spine was good and the first step was taken and that's always the most difficult. She also ordered her father away which I didn't blame her for at all despite his emotional speech on the Underneath. Tanya added her usual humour with a comical line about her parents not being anywhere near the episode's events but overall, this story really was fantastic. An absolute joy to watch and I already look forward to next week!

Rating: 10/10

LIVE 34

"This isn't a rebellion, it's... a resistance."

Writers: James Parsons & Andrew Stirling-Brown
Format: Audio
Released: September 2005
Series: Main Range 74

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex

Synopsis

"You're listening to LIVE 34."

"LIVE 34 | News on the hour every hour | LIVE 34 | Broadcasting to Colony 34 all day every day | LIVE 34 |- Constantly updated every minute of every hour LIVE 34 | Sport, weather, business, local news, interplanetary affairs | LIVE 34 | Live, independent, accurate, comprehensive | LIVE 34 all news, all day, every day | LIVE 34..."

"Reports are coming in of an explosion..."

"On the line now is the leader of the FDP..."

"The President is about to begin his address..."

"We can see bodies in the wreckage..."

Verdict

LIVE 34 was an excellent audio adventure that continued my listening of the Main Range of Big Finish stories in great style! I had no idea what to expect before listening as I didn't even read the synopsis but other than a slight break to change trains, I listened to the whole story in one go which is a very rare feat on my behalf. I actually think it helped with the listening as I was using the train journey as a well deserved break from university work and whilst I usually save books for my travels, I've had just about enough of reading for the time being. An audio was exactly what I needed and it was just nice to relax, sit back and enjoy the story. The format of the audio was absolutely brilliant as the whole thing was told through a live news broadcast which I thought was terrific. Although it took me until the end of part two to realise that the story was actually split into four separate parts, I liked the style of everything, including the synopsis, being done as a news bulletin. It was unique and that's actually quite a rarity in Doctor Who stories. Everything just felt fresh and there was a bit of serendipity surrounding my timing of listening to the audio. The story was centred around an election and all I have been reading about and studying lately is the 1918 general election in Britain and I could actually draw some similarities between past and fiction which gave me an intriguing insight into the story. Things really did make me smile, especially some of the comments surrounding the timing of the election. I liked how each of the first three parts predominantly featured a different member of the TARDIS team before everything was brought together in the final part. We had the Doctor acting as opposition to the current Premier Jaeger, a name I loved because I like the alcoholic drink far too much. Ace was wonderfully titled as the Rebel Queen and then we had Hex acting as a paramedic. The election being held in the aftermath of an apparent terrorist attack was interesting and I thought the whole setting of Colony 34 was brilliant. Drew Shahan acted as a fantastic narrator for the story as the news presenter and he was full of enthusiasm which I think was very important considering how often he featured. Charlotte Singh was also a terrific character and her live interview with Hex whilst he was on the go as a paramedic was very good. Ace's censored interview peaked my interest in things and I liked how we got to learn a little about her past in the meantime. How the TARDIS came to land on Colony 34 is something we didn't get to find out but given the dedication to telling the whole story through a news broadcast, that's something I can happily let slide. Ace did tough upon arriving by accident so I guess it was just your typical TARDIS arrival. They must have been on the Colony for some time though to have gained such advanced reputations. Jaeger was a pretty dark character and the revelation that he was not actually who he said he was actually caught me by surprise. It was logical though and actually helped tie the story's events together. Part four was superb as everything came nearly together and whilst it wasn't quite perfect, it honestly was not too far away. The Doctor was obviously not dead but the shock of his locals when he reemerged to reveal that the election was rendered invalid was fantastic. Overall, a brilliant audio adventure and I must say that I'm really enjoying this TARDIS trio!

Rating: 9/10

Castrovalva

"I'm the Doctor. Or will be, if this regeneration works out."

Writer: Christopher H. Bidmead
Format: TV
Broadcast: 4th-12th January 1982
Season: 19.01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Doctor defeats the Master's plans to hold the Universe to ransom, but at a high cost to himself - plummeting from the Pharos Project radio telescope, the Doctor regenerates. The time travellers escape the Master's clutches, but the Doctor's regeneration is failing, and Adric goes missing in the depths of the TARDIS. Only Nyssa and Tegan can save the day, steering the timeship towards the city of Castrovalva, renowned for its healing powers. But evil lurks at the heart of this rural paradise...

Verdict

Castrovalva was a wonderful story and served as a brilliant debut for Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. It continued right where Logopolis left off as one might expect and it also concluded the Master trilogy that started with The Keeper of Traken. Both of those stories were expectedly referenced and I have really liked that despite the Master being the villain in all three stories, he's acted very differently in each. Here, we didn't see him doing much outside of his TARDIS but that was because the groundwork for his latest dastardly scheme was well under fruition. Following on from the chaos of the Doctor's regeneration, the Master used the confusion surrounding the Pharos Project to gain an ally of sorts in the form of Adric. This obviously gave him great bargaining power over the Doctor but he was in no position to barter with the way his regeneration was going. It was  anything but a smooth process and he really was feeling the effects of his change more than we've seen on previous occasions. I thought Peter Davison gave a stunning performance for his debut, although I think that might have been helped by the fact it wasn't his first story to be filmed. That would seem to explain the sudden hair colour change of our heroic Time Lord. I liked how the regeneration scene acted as a pre-titles sequence and that's obviously something that would become a lot more common in the modern episodes of the series. The Doctor having to deal with the effects of regeneration was excellent and I absolutely loved the temporary moment where he took on the persona of the First Doctor. That really was a terrific moment and a superb throwback to William Hartnell, the man who started this whole thing nearly twenty years prior to this story's broadcast. The Doctor also paid homage to Patrick Troughton which was terrific as he took on the trait of the Second Doctor in playing the recorder. I also liked how he coined the oh so familiar catchphrase of the Third Doctor at one point in the serial. The regeneration was also having an adverse effect on the Doctor's memory and he was clearly getting his current companions mixed up with those of the past by wonderfully mentioning Vicki, Jo, K9 and Jamie. As well as that he seemed to be thrown back to an old meeting with the Ice Warriors that involved the Brigadier and in trying to place some hold on his recent memories, Full Circle and Warriors' Gate were nicely referenced. The Doctor's need for the zero room was good and I liked how noticeably different he was when in the confines of the room where he could even levitate. Tegan thinking she had piloted the TARDIS was good and she actually seemed so proud of herself, despite the slanted landing. The plan of the Master though was excellent and his efforts to send the TARDIS back to event one were brilliant. That revelation provided a superb cliffhanger I must say. His control over Adric was also very good and the Master really was too powerful for the companion's fightback. Nyssa and Tegan's relationship grew during this story which was nice and I liked the former's new costume. There was quite a lot of humour around their efforts to get the Doctor from place to place. Castrovalva folding in on itself provided a good platform for the climax and I loved how the Master had pulled off another ludicrous disguise. He would end up trapped in his own collapsing creation though with the TARDIS team just about escaped. Overall, an excellent story and great way to debut the Fifth Doctor!

Rating: 10/10

Prisoner of the Judoon

"You destroyed them because you were jealous?"

Writer: Phil Ford
Format: TV
Broadcast: 15th-16th October 2009
Series: SJA 3.01

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis

Sarah and the gang face the most dangerous day of their lives as the Judoon return. When prisoner Androvax the Annihalator crash-lands on Earth, the Veil is set free to turn Earth's technology against itself. His next intended victim is Sarah. As the Judoon fleet approaches Earth, it's a race against time to stop Androvax. With Genetec Systems' technology on the rampage and Rani's parents taken prisoner, can anything stop the Army of the Infinitesmal?

Verdict

Prisoner of the Judoon was a brilliant story and a great way to kick off the third series of the Sarah Jane Adventures! We're well into the spinoff by this point in the show's history but unlike my blogging of the first two series, I will not be posting entries back to back for the adventures in this third series. That's partly down to the latest spinoff of Class being ongoing but also due to travel arrangements and university deadlines so the timing just wouldn't be right to do six SJA serials in a row. With that being said though, I just couldn't resist the urge to start the series which I had actually been putting off for a few weeks since purchasing the DVD for a steal of a price at just over £3. That's ludicrously low to be honest but I am not going to complain! Today, I managed another absolute steal on eBay but I'm not sure when that will be getting the blog treatment. Anyway, on to the story itself and I liked how another familiar monster from Doctor Who got another televised appearance in the spinoff series here. We've seen the Slitheen, Sontarans and now the Judoon were back on our screens! They're slowly becoming quite a familiar monster for me now and that's absolutely fine as I do like the concept behind them of being intergalactic police. Ironically though, they're quite dum and I was intrigued by how much Sarah Jane knew about them. She's obviously had a conversation with the Doctor about them at some point. Captain Tybo had crash landed on Earth and in the process had allowed his prisoner to escape into the planet's civilisation. Androvax wasn't just any prisoner though. He was known as Androvax the Annihilator and was top of the Judoon's most wanted list. Considering the area of space that the Judoon must cover, that says quite a lot about what kind of criminal he was. He'd destroyed worlds but the reason behind it wasn't revealed until late in the story and it was quite harrowing to hear that he destroyed all those planets because he was jealous. His own planet had been destroyed and now he was trying to put others in his position, or even worse kill them.  I found it interesting that in the opening story of a series, Sarah Jane spent the majority under the influence of Androvax. Now, I thought Elisabeth Sladen was absolutely terrific in her changed role and the fact that she was embodied by the Veil alien put all the focus on saving the day on Luke, Clyde and Rani. That trio really is terrific and the time they spent with Tybo was hilarious. The fact that the Judoon adhered to the laws of the land they walked on was fantastic and the scene in the police car next to the man playing loud music was terrific. Tybo managed to threaten people with execution but in a polite way if that's possible. It really was quite the trait to have. The cliffhanger was absolutely superb and I thought the resolution was pretty good too with Luke talking Mr Smith out of self destructing. The references to The Hand of Fear, Invasion of the Bane and Enemy of the Bane were excellent and I thought the nanoform element of the story was a real highlight. The connection with Dreamland was unexpected but welcomed and I liked the way that Androvax was finally back in Judoon hands. Rani's parents seeing more than they bargained for was also a great part of the story. Overall, a fantastic story and a terrific way to kick off the series!

Rating: 9/10