The Sensorites

"We must contain our emotions."

Writer: Nigel Robinson
Format: Novel
Released: July 1987
Series: Target 118

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises on board a dark and silent spaceship. As the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara penetrate the craft's eerie gloom they come across what appear to be the bodies of two dead astronauts.

But the astronauts are far from dead, and are living in mortal fear of the Sensorites, a race of telepathic creatures from the Sense-Sphere.

When the lock of the TARDIS is stolen the Doctor is forced into an uneasy alliance with the aliens. And when arrives on the Sensorites' planet he discovers that it is not only the humans who have cause to be afraid...

Verdict

The Sensorites was a very good novelisation of the televised story of the same name. This is an adventure I know really well from several stop-start marathon views back in my younger years, but it's one I haven't seen for around six years so the novelisation brought back a lot of memories and I really liked when I remembered what was going to happen before reading it. I think it might actually be a slightly better story in prose and reading in this format made me realise just how little of the action actually takes place on the Sense-Sphere. It's quite incredible really that more than half of the story takes place on the spaceship! That's a very contained setting for what is a very long period of time without much of an alien threat. We don't even get to see the Sensorites take the TARDIS lock as in the televised format of the story which was an interesting deviation and I liked the Doctor and Susan's differing reactions to that having occurred. It's quite a mad concept really and you can tell that this would just have no place in the modern era. I like that though as it shows how experimental things could be in these very early days of the first season with very little being off the table. Carol was a lovely character and it was really nice that she had a large role for pretty much the entire story. Her relationship with John and how he was eventually cured was a terrific aspect of the book. One humorous thing that was so much more obvious than in the televised story was the lack of Barbara for about a third of the content. I'm sure it was something like a holiday or illness for Jacqueline Hill during the filming of what I think would be parts four and five, but then she just reemerges out of nowhere towards the end as if she's always been there! That was quite funny. The First Elder was a somewhat frustrating character with his inability to believe that any Sensorite could do wrong. That was good to play on and I loved the lightbulb moment that went off in the Administrator's head when Carol joked how she wouldn't even notice if any of their sashes of office changed. That set the evil Sensorite's plan into motion and he was very clever about. The way he ended up manipulating the Doctor and his companions into promoting him to Second Elder following the murder he'd committed. The political nature of Sensorite society was very intriguing and quite different to any that has been seen in Doctor Who before, and I thought it was great how Susan remarked that Barbara would not have approved if she wasn't left as a hostage in the ship. I do think this book could have deviated further from the televised story with regards to the fate of the Administrator. I think it's a little weak that amending a map in his handwriting has him banished. There could have been some further elaboration there or we could have read the moment where he was found out and how he reacted. That was my only qualm really. I really enjoyed the story and it was paced very well. The use of two chapters per TV part worked very well and I liked that the book finished within itself, rather than leading into The Reign of Terror as the televised format would have. Overall, a lovely little read.

Rating: 8/10

Picnic at Asgard

"Don't anger the Gods!"

Writer: Jenny T. Colgan

Format: Short Story

Released: February 2016

Printed in: The Legends of River Song 01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

"Hello, sweetie!"

Melody Pond, Melody Malone, River Song... She has had many names. Whoever she really is, this archaeologist and time traveller has had more adventures (and got into more trouble) than most people in the universe.

And she's written a lot of it down. Well, when you're married to a Time Lord (or possibly not), you have to keep track of what you did and when. Especially as it may not actually have happened to both of you yet.

These are just a few of River Song's exploits, extracted from her journals. Sometimes, she is with the Doctor. Sometimes she's on her own. But wherever and whenever she may be, she is never far from danger and excitement.

This is just a tiny portion of her impossible life. But it will reveal more than you've ever known about the legend that is River Song.

Verdict

Picnic at Asgard was a good start to The Legends of River Song collection of stories! It feels a little weird to actually be starting a volume of adventures in a book that I actually own rather than a library copy, and who better to base a series of stories around than River Song? Her Diary of River Song audios from Big Finish have been wonderful in having her meet other incarnations of the Doctor from the Classic series, but here we got a bonus story with the Eleventh Doctor and her! This picnic at Asgard, although we didn't really see anything of the picnic despite the story's title, obviously came from a mention in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and I am sure I will watch that story again in the future and I do hope I am able to recall this short story when it gets mentioned. It really is just fantastic to have an Eleventh Doctor and River story together on their own in the TARDIS. It is something I always wanted on screen and I guess I technically got it with Rain Gods but that barely lasted five minutes so I'm not counting it. They were wonderful together but I thought it was probably a mistake to have River narrate the adventure. I do hope the rest of the book doesn't follow in that vain with it being extracts from her journal. It wasn't bad at all but I think intermingling speech of a character who is also narrating can get a little messy and it didn't quite work for me. That's intriguing on a personal level as when I started reading and saw that River would be narrating, I was very excited but I actually turned out changing my mind. The Doctor and River going to Asgard was an incredibly good concept and obviously it wouldn't be the realm of Thor and Odin but instead was a giant theme park. You can just imagine how excited this incarnation of the Doctor would be in this environment and that definitely permeated across the pages which was positive. I found it really interesting that this particular tale certainly took place late in River Song's life as she was putting things into perspective and wanted to bring up the possibility of having children with the Doctor. I thought that was pretty extraordinary to be honest. I just wish they could have had the conversation instead of having to deal with a young hacker! I must admit, I wasn't a huge fan of that being the reason for the park's malfunctions and after a shaky moment in the middle where the story went a bit mad, I thought this was very good and initially well paced. The Doctor and River's reactions when the robot wiped out a row of the crowd was fantastic and I liked how even at short notice, the Doctor was always one pace ahead at minimum. That's exactly where he should be. His convincing in getting Caius a job at the park in the security department and patching up the faults that he broke through was a nice way to end things, but I do think Posthumus should have been killed when the cart went over him to make things more impactful. I am always in favour of characters dying/staying dead rather than being given a happy resurrection. It's happened far too often. Overall though, a fun little tale that was just delightful to have the Doctor and River travelling together. It just needed a bit more consistency in the middle for my liking to improve.

Rating: 7/10

The Way Forwards

"The future is the winner."

Writer: Steve Case
Format: Audio
Released: February 2011
Series: Short Trips 2.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Victoria

Synopsis

Chaos ensues when a young boy called Sherman discovers time travel for a science project.

Verdict

The Way Forwards was a very good little audio adventure to continue my sporadic and roundabout listening of the Short Trips series. The Doctor didn't feature a great deal but I have come to expect that in these short adventures and it really is okay. I think it's important to have that expectation going in, especially in these volume series where the stories really don't go much longer than fifteen minutes, as he doesn't really become the focus or have as much importance as he would in a traditional tale. That's absolutely fine as well. I liked the idea of playing time travel and I think it's quite intriguing how things work out for me personally after reading Touched by an Angel yesterday where time travel was very prominent! It was so again here but in a very different way whilst having an ordinary person travel through time. I loved the idea of Sherman having a time travel theory for a science project and he was determined to win first place at the fair with his proposals. He was worried though because he knew that it was too clever and complex for the judges to understand so winning may become unlikely. What I would like to know about the Doctor during this story is just why he was attending a science fair. That never came up but I can just picture the Doctor, particularly in his second incarnation as was the case here, fitting perfectly well in that type of environment. I really liked that we had a rare outing for just the Doctor and Victoria and whilst she didn't have a great deal to do in the companion role, it was just nice for there to be a slightly different dynamic. However, I do think Jamie's absence should have been addressed though as it doesn't fit in with any established chronology that he wouldn't be with the Doctor and Victoria. Her inability to fully grasp a paradox was great and it meant the Doctor could just say she was right by explaining everything she didn't understand. Sherman changing history once the Doctor gave him the right formula came out of nowhere and the surprise of our hero once Sherman vanished and the landscapes surrounding them were in flux was very good. I wasn't sure about the constant change in setting though as surely time should have rewrote itself so the TARDIS wouldn't still be there in the new surroundings? Or am I just reading a bit too much into things? Who knows. What I did like was that Sherman didn't have any evil intentions and he was trying to put things right himself. He was just way out of his depth and that showed when the Doctor showed up again to put things right. He was delighted to no longer be alone and needed the help to put things back on track. His reaction to the TARDIS interior, or rather lack of it, was unexpected as he didn't comment on it being bigger which was a shame. The ending kind of fizzled out a little bit but it was a nice little story. Overall, a very enjoyable little story!

Rating: 7/10

Touched by an Angel

"They're waiting for a paradox to happen."

Writer: Jonathan Morris
Format: Novel
Released: June 2011
Series: NSA 46

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

'The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn't want to live there.'

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: "You can save her."

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it's up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.

Verdict

Touched by an Angel was a sublime novel! This was an absolute joy to read from start to finish and was probably my favourite Eleventh Doctor book so far, eclipsing The King's Dragon. I knew from the start that things were going to be good given that the Weeping Angels featured and whilst the presence of a famed monster or enemy is by no means a recipe for success, I just had a really good feeling and I wasn't left disappointed. The story was based around Mark and you couldn't help but feel so incredibly sorry for everything he had to endure. Hearing how he lost his wife was saddening enough, but then he was thrown back in time by a Weeping Angel and would have to wait nine years for it all to happen again. Except this time he wanted to save her and was told that he couldn't. The jumping around of timeframes ranging from 1994 to 2011 was excellent and I loved the idea of the Doctor, Amy and Rory checking in on Mark from time to time. His interactions with his younger self were frequent and initially it seemed like he just couldn't help himself! The Doctor's reaction when he found out that Mark had already visited his mum was wonderful. The characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor throughout was really great and I loved how he was able to use a Fez to distinguish between the two Rorys that came to be in his TARDIS. Mark's letter was a big focal point of the story and his failure to disclose to the Doctor the final message from his future self, or so we thought, regarding saving his wife was intriguing. He knew about the ramifications of changing history now that he'd met the Doctor, yet he was going to do it anyway. He was kind of justified though as if he didn't, then the letter wouldn't be true and that would mean history would be changed. I liked the use of the Weeping Angels in this book as there needed to be something more to them than just being scary as that's pretty difficult to do in prose as compared to a televised episode. Their being weak was a good thing to play on and I liked that they were drawn to Mark because of the paradox potential. That was their plan all along and the fact that they had engineered the whole letter on psychic paper was quite something. It was definitely a revelation I didn't see coming which is always good! Amy was a little quiet in this book which is unusual for her and I liked how she was taken out of her comfort zone at the end with Fez Rory and the Doctor knowing exactly what was going on with the Weeping Angel trap that they'd lured them into. Rory had been thrown back into 2001 and had set up a circular video package that would ensure the Angels were always observing themselves. They lost their corporeal forms and were erased for good. I thought it was magnificent that we got to follow the important life events in Mark and Rebecca's relationship and I really loved her character. She was just fantastic. Whether it was on top of the SU, their wedding day or speaking to old Mark after he told her everything, she was just marvellous. Mark getting to be with her for her last moments was a poignant way to end her chapter in his life and he would move on now at her command. But if anything, it was more moments he got with his wife that he didn't have. He'd wanted more and more memories, but he got just one. I was feeling very emotional reading those final moments after following the pair's life together and the journey of Mark through his past with the end goal being to save her. That was taken away, but the Weeping Angels were not fed and paradoxes were avoided. Overall, a superb novel!

Rating: 10/10

The Cats of New Cairo

"I'm here to tell you about the Lux."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: March 2018

Series: Tales From New Earth 1.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Devon, Hame

Synopsis

Senator Hame is summoned to New Cairo by the spiritual leader of Catkind: the Most Exalted High Persian – a personage of great power and wisdom – to report on her investigations.

Here, the camel-like Dromedans still worship Catkind, in the shadows of vast Octahedrons and temples of light. But Hame and Devon have uncovered a conspiracy that threatens the future of everyone on the planet.

The battle for control of New Earth is about to begin...

Verdict

The Cats of New Cairo was a very good conclusion to what has been a consistently great Tales From New Earth boxset! I really liked this ending as it brought everything and everyone full circle after four adventures battling the Lux in very different scenarios and capacities. I liked that we finished how we started with Devon and Senator Hame as the lead characters and they worked well together once again. Hame coming to New Cairo was intriguing and I was really excited to learn about a totally different area of New Earth, but one that we can assume we know a little about based on the present day city. The take on the Great Pyramids was unexpected with them actually being Octahedrons but I liked how this city was clearly far expanded upon from the version of 21st century Earth. The Dromedans were also pretty interesting as an intelligent camel species and I find it very interesting and just a concept full of potential that species we know today could be so much more far into the future. New Cairo being a place for the Catkind was good and it was nice to get some backstory on Hame and how she came to New Earth and rose up the ranks to Novice and now Senator. Sister Jara was a very good character but I was quite surprised that she tried to defend the work of the Sisters of Plenitude in New Earth when we first met her. She obviously must not have garnered the whole story of what truly went down. Her character development over the course of the hour was good though and that was down to The Most Exalted High Persian. He was a good character and enemy and his determination to work with the Lux was unexpected, but I liked it a lot. I thought it was good that we never got to hear him being on the good side so to speak and from the get go was against Hame's investigation into the Lux. He was fully buying into what they were offering which provided a good and conflicting dynamic. The use of the light shield covering New Earth to keep the TARDIS out was excellent and I think it was great that for most of the story, the presence of the Doctor was there without him physically being so. That's a brilliant way to work around the lack of David Tennant. The return of Oscar from The Skies of New Earth for a cameo and helping reflect the light and get the Doctor through was excellent and a terrific moment as I really liked his character. Devon being affected by the Lux was another good plot development and one I was surprised by. There didn't really seem to be one character that led the way in this story and even when the Doctor arrived, it was too late to make an impact and that's far from being a negative. I liked how he was used in this audio. My only little qualm is that the fate of the Lux seemed as definitive as any other of the three stories in which they were defeated, so I question why this is the end for them. I think something a little more impactful and clear-cut was needed based on the rest of the boxset, but I still very much enjoyed the story and the finale of a great series! Overall, a very positive listen and set of adventures.

Rating: 8/10

The Skies of New Earth

"The light blinds itself."

Writer: Paul Morris
Format: Audio
Released: March 2018
Series: Tales From New Earth 1.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Devon

Synopsis

Devon's work takes him into the skies of New Earth and the great floating city of New Caelum.

Here, a new energy project is exploited by alien powers, and a terrible catastrophe looms. Helped once again by the Doctor, Devon calls on the Bird People of Nest City, as well as the great Solar Bears on their Ice Clouds to stop disaster.

But can the people of the skies put aside their rivalries long enough to make a difference?

Verdict

The Skies of New Earth was yet another really good little adventure to continue the Tales From New Earth boxset along very nicely. There was a noticeable shift in the way things proceeded and it definitely felt refreshing which was very positive. It took a little bit of time for the Doctor to arrive and he definitely felt like more of a leading presence in this story as opposed to Death in the New Forest. I liked how Devon was still on his mission for Senator Hame but she failed to appear again and I was absolutely fine with that because the Doctor provided the authority figure. I do hope they get to be reunited again in the finale though! I'll be a tad disappointed if they don't to be honest given their history in New Earth and Gridlock. I was really impressed with Kieran Hodgson's impression of the Tenth Doctor in this story as it really made it feel like David Tennant was voicing in some instances which is a big compliment. The mannerisms and little traits of his incarnation were on show throughout which was very impressive. I think this was probably the least enjoyable story of the series so far, albeit by an incredibly small margin, but that impression may be responsible for ensuring that the ratings have remained consistent. I absolutely loved Oscar as a guest character and whilst Loba was also wonderful, there was just something about the Solar Bear that stood out for me. Maybe it was the very fact of what his species was? I'm not sure but he was brilliant. A lot of humour came from him which I'm always all for in sporadic amounts. It works perfectly for the Tenth Doctor era as well. Speaking of which, I'd like to get a companion reference to know when exactly these stories take place in the Doctor's timeline. One would assume that it would be towards the end of his incarnation following Donna's departure, but you can't be too sure. He definitely hasn't seemed like he's heading towards his end in the two stories so far. His use of the sonic screwdriver was once again fully utilised in this adventure which was decent and I liked how he was determined to find out about the Lux and how they couldn't quite infest the Nest City. That being invisible was a good dynamic as well. The Lux using a telepathic method to try and convert the population into Luman was very good and I liked the Eureka moment when the Doctor worked out that this was their plan. He put things into place to ensure that he could prevent such a terrible situation coming into being and was somewhat successful. One thing I have to say is that I really appreciated the detailed level of descriptions at the start of the audio concerning New Earth and the skies. The cities were very interesting and I liked the exploration. I would love to see another incarnation of the Doctor go somewhere else amongst those cities and meet some more Solar Bears. The conclusion was pacy and perhaps a tad predictable, or not exactly much of a surprise shall we say, but apart from the weird rock music that carried the story forward, it was an entertaining finish. It seemed to bring about a definitive end to the Lux and the Doctor's involvement on New Earth, but Devon's comments at the end suggested that the finale will be just that and not a standalone story. Overall, another great tale!

Rating: 8/10

Death in the New Forest

"I've witnessed trees praying to New Gods."

Writer: Roland Moore
Format: Audio
Released: March 2018
Series: Tales From New Earth 1.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Devon

Synopsis

On his first mission for Senator Hame, Devon crosses continents to arrive in the New Forest and meet its people.

Trees are dying of unnatural causes, Sapling Vale, a cutting of the noble Jabe of the Forest of Cheem, will help Devon investigate the threat to her people.

So too will an alien, an old friend of New Earth... a time traveller known as the Doctor!

Verdict

Death in the New Forest was another really good audio adventure! I am really liking the Tales From New Earth boxset and I would certainly encourage any fans who were like me and very sceptical about the release to give it a try! It really is quite different with the futuristic setting and mingling of different natural species which gives it a unique dynamic. It's definitely one that works and I liked the story that was told here. We followed on from Escape From New New York with Devon seeking out Thorn's family to tell them of his sacrifice and death, but it turned out that there was something horrific going on in the New Forest and Thorn's family had fallen victim. They were dead. Where Senator Hame played a big role in the previous audio, I was delighted that Sapling Vale accompanied Devon for this one. She was a great character and I thought it was fantastic that she was a cutting from Jabe of the Forest of Cheem. It was really nice to hear how much she was revered on New Earth, even amongst the new humans, and the Doctor was also there because of her and what she did for him in The End of the World. It was very good to mention that story and the Doctor's previous incarnation, and it was just good to have the Tenth Doctor feature. I would have preferred it if Jacob Dudman was able to provide his skills as David Tennant's incarnation as there were a few moments where Kieran Hodgson didn't quite sound different to his main character of Devon. But then on the other hand, there were some phrases and moments where he sounded exactly like the Tenth Doctor! It was a weird little character performance. I think it has something to do with the fact that it wasn't Tennant himself performing, but I was a little surprised that the presence of the Doctor didn't really take the focus off of Devon. He is a very likeable character and his role in everything that is going on with the Lux and New Earth is great with him being a new human. I like what he brings to the overall story. The Termitons proved to be good enemies and a conflict regarding the land of the New Forest and continent was excellent. Billions of years into the future and there would still be disagreements and murders over who owned what and who could go where. Devon's struggles to get across the border were good and I liked that there was a whole Termiton mound. One left. They were voiced terrifically and I was a big fan of the fact they were not subsidiary to the Lux in this story. They actually used them and their technology for their own plan and were so close to wiping out the Tree-kind and their religion. Touching upon a religious theme was good but I was glad that it wasn't the primary focus. Xylem Maple Dorm being identified as the next target for the Termitons and their Light was good but I was surprised that the Doctor had a history with him. The ending was quite shocking though with Vale having no other choice but to use the Lux technology against the Termitons and destroy the mound and taking them with it. It saved an entire planet and species, but it was not something she wanted to do. She simply had to do it. The Doctor was surprisingly sympathetic so he really must have believed there was no other way and he understands the choice she made and will have to live with. The promise at the end that he will be keeping an eye on New Earth was great as I hope he will appear in at least one more adventure. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10

Escape From New New York

"You will ascend and join us."

Writer: Roy Gill
Format: Audio
Released: March 2018
Series: Tales From New Earth 1.01

Featuring: Hame, Devon

Synopsis

Devon Pryce has lived all his life in the high rises of New New York. A child of the Elevator Guild, he now receives a new calling – from a cat.

Senator Hame is trying to rebuild society, to make it stronger for future generations, but there are those who would stand in her way.

There is a new danger on New Earth, and Devon's work is only just beginning

Verdict

Escape From New New York was a really good start to Tales From New Earth! I really didn't know what to expect from this audio and if I'm being totally honest, I don't think I would ever have purchased it as I was rather shocked when I found out the news that it was going to be a thing. However, when it was released as part of a deluxe edition of Doctor Who Magazine, I strove to find the access code to the free download and thankfully Big Finish pretty much gave it away so I was able to get it. I still think it's pretty ridiculous that DWM subscribers didn't get this, but alas we go on. New Earth is certainly a setting with a great deal of potential and it was nice to have things a little removed from Gridlock. It seems to be a theme of a number of stories I am blogging lately where the impact of the Doctor's reactions are being explored and I love that. Yes, he did incredible things in Ne Earth and Gridlock for New Earth and New New York but there were not easy consequences to deal with. There was a whole generation of new humans and the city itself required a lot of energy to keep alive. It was a thriving metropolis, but an expensive one and this is where the President was at fault. I thought the main characters of Senator (now) Hame and Devon were really good and I'm keen for their relationship to develop to the point we heard at the start of the audio. I think I'm going to quite like them. I liked the little references to the Doctor and the Face of Boe and I'm very excited for the Tenth Doctor to pop up in at least one story (given that he's featured on the artwork!). But the first meeting of the main characters was really intriguing as Devon was bordering racism when it came to how he saw Catkind. People going missing from New New York was an interesting plot and the use of the word 'ascended' was excellent. I really enjoyed the character of the Duke of Brooklyn and I thought his investigative qualities were quite brilliant. I am not sure why I was quite surprised that I enjoyed this story as much as I did but it was just a really simple plot which made for a fantastic start. It wasn't flashy by any means. It just told a good story and you can't really ask for more than that. Simplicity is sometimes the best route to go down. Finding out that the President's numerous private elevators were actually being used to power the metropolis of New New York by converting its occupants into Lux was shocking I must say. It seemed a little weird that in essence the story was about deadly elevators, but that can go back a little to New Earth which is a nice touch. The sacrifice of Thorn to save the city and rid it of the Luman infestation was commendable and I'm interested to see how Devon will react with losing someone who was obviously a little more than just a friend. For a first outing, I was very impressed with how quickly I was engrossed in the story and characters and I think a familiar and good setting that is far from the norm was very helpful in that regard. Overall, a really great start to the series!

Rating: 8/10

Keepsake

"I prefer the more refined lines of a classic model."

Writer: James Swallow
Format: Audio
Released: September 2008
Series: Main Range 112b

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Sifting through the technological junk of Reclaim Platform Juliet-November-Kilo, the Doctor discovers evidence of a personal tragedy involving some friends of his. Where will the story of their fate lead?

Verdict

Keepsake was a tidy little audio adventure but it was just a little too short to be worthy of getting a higher rating and one that I would consider to be in the category of 'good'. There wasn't anything wrong with it per say, but it just wasn't all that enthralling and I don't think it was helped by the absence of the Doctor for its majority. I was really intrigued at the start with the Doctor conversing with an examiner regarding the TARDIS and his need for a fluid link. I thought we were just going to get a whole story about the Doctor's love for the TARDIS and his affection for the outdated Type-40 model which just sounds fantastic. Sadly, that was not to be the case as we actually went right back into the world of the Orion War and we heard a recording of Temeter and Sara following from the events of Kingdom of Silver. Where one-part stories are concerned on a release alongside another three-part adventure, I think it is definitely positive to go with a linked adventure as the memory will obviously be fresh and there is already a big basis to work with. It's so hard to captivate a listener in just twenty-five minutes or so and create a great story, as the early Short Trips audios go to show. Whilst I agree with the logic, I really would have just much preferred a four-part adventure! I cannot comprehend the desire for a release being formatted in this way, but I always try and make sure that doesn't have any bearing on my rating and enjoyment for the story. It was good to hear some aftermath from what was an eventful story and getting some empathy for the androids was really enjoyable, if that can said for a subject that turned out to be rather emotional. I think some more interluding comments from the Doctor would have been beneficial, but it was just nice to hear Temeter and Sara again as I never thought I would after their first appearance. But here they were! The interrogation was interesting and I'm always a fan of the Doctor's negative impact on the aftermath of a story being explored, and there was a lot of potential for a full sequel here if time allowed. I think it would be interesting to explore, but then I do think that could be said for pretty much any adventure from any format! Imagine going back to Androzani or Skaro after the Doctor's involvements in The Caves of Androzani and The Daleks, for example. It would be sublime. The Doctor wasn't actually involved with Temeter and Sara which was a shame, but I was intrigued that where he was now was 2,000 years after those events so the Orion War was long gone. I also found it interesting that things had clearly moved on for the Doctor despite the release chronology, and I loved that the gothic TARDIS theme was mentioned! I almost forgot that it was actually the Seventh Doctor's design because I just always associate it and The Movie with the Eighth Doctor. I liked that a lot and it shows that the Seventh Doctor really does have a lot of room for story development. This was another addition to that, and whilst it wasn't incredible, it wasn't bad at all and filled its time adequately. Overall, a decent little listen.

Rating: 6/10

Kingdom of Silver

"We truly live in a Silver Age."

Writer: James Swallow

Format: Audio

Released: September 2008

Series: Main Range 112a

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor arrives on Tasak in search of refreshment, armed with nothing more than a kettle. But this is a time of crisis for a civilisation about to enter an industrial age.

Mindful that a devastating war is only recently over, the wise and revered Magus Riga will do almost anything to save his people from the follies of the past. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And the planet Tasak is host to ancient powers buried deep and long forgotten. Can visitors from another world avert disaster or will their intervention drag this innocent world into the Orion War?

Verdict

Kingdom of Silver was a very good story to continue my listening of the Main Range of Big Finish audio adventures! I am a little frustrated that the persistence of releases comprising of a three-part and one-part story continues as I don't think that format helps anything at all, and it also makes it difficult when it comes to finding artwork and a synopsis for the one-parter! Whilst I'm on little negatives, I have been quite surprised that we have had so many stories in a row now where the Seventh Doctor is travelling alone and I'm not sure if Sophie Aldred or Bonnie Langford were unavailable in 2008, but the lack of companion is becoming quite noticeable now. I think an Ace or Mel would have worked really well here where Temeter and Sara were concerned. I thought the Doctor's relationships with both of them was terrific throughout and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor performance. If pressed on which is my least favourite incarnation, I always think of the seventh and it's a shame but he just doesn't always work for me but I loved him here! It was fantastic to have him battling the Cybermen and there was a lot of familiarity with the Orion War dating back to Sword of Orion which was great given that the Cybermen also featured in that adventure. The little homages to The Tomb of the Cybermen were splendid and I liked that there was finally some recognition that Telos wasn't the only planet where the Cybermen had gone into hibernation. There were thousands and now the Doctor had come across another one in the form of Tasak. I loved that the planet's whole civilisation was based upon the presence of the Cybermen and the mythology that stemmed from their arrival. The explanation of all that was a brilliant scene and the worry was evident in the Doctor's voice and tone. The Cybermen could break out and that would spell doom for all. They could not be woken up, but obviously that was exactly what was happening. I thought the cliffhanger to part one was a little predictable wit the arrival of a Cybermen, but I did like the uniqueness of it actually being thought of as a statue. That was a fresh take which is usually a positive. Where I felt this adventure could have benefitted was with some more backstory on the guest cast and I think a fourth part would really have helped and would almost certainly have cemented this story as an even better one. I think there needed to be a tad more clarity and involvement concerning the Heart and how pivotal that was, as I always felt like I was waiting for some further details that never came. I'm being harsh there though as I did really like the audio a lot. I'm a big fan of the Cybermen and getting the Seventh Doctor to encounter a design reminiscent of The Invasion is really good and the beauty of audio. Nicholas Briggs did a splendid job voicing them and I would love to get them in a more prominent villainous role as it has been a little while now. The ending was predictable with the explosion and sacrifice, but I still enjoyed it and I think it worked really well. Overall, a great audio!

Rating: 8/10

The First Wave

"Our actions are like a wave."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: November 2011
Series: Companion Chronicles 6.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Oliver

Synopsis

Caught in the inevitable path of its own history, the TARDIS arrives on the planetoid Grace Alone, where the Doctor, Steven and Oliver expect to face their fate. What they don't expect to find is a massacred crew – and a race of alien invaders known as the Vardans.

When the Doctor is apparently killed, his companions attempt to survive against the odds. But those odds are narrowing. Their borrowed time has expired.

Verdict

The First Wave was a very good conclusion to Oliver Harper's trio of adventures alongside the First Doctor and Steven! I must admit that I was not expecting him to depart in a sacrificial way and I was a little surprised that this occurred. It just adds to the loss that surrounds the Doctor and Steven at this point in chronology following on from The Daleks' Master Plan, but now that can be firmly put into the rearview and they can move forward together. They will soon meet Dodo and happier times are ahead, but for now we said goodbye to a short-lived companion in the TARDIS. Whilst I liked the story as a whole, I felt that Guerrier went a bit overboard with the jumping around from different parts of the story. I think the flow was hurt here by going back and forth from differing events and maybe my listening of these stories in such quick succession made that more noticeable, but I just didn't think it was really necessary. It worked really well in The Cold Equations with Oliver pondering over telling Steven his secret, but even with the apparent death of the Doctor, it just wasn't required. In saying that, I still really enjoyed the adventure and the fact that this was the Doctor's first chronological encounter with the Vardans. They're an underrated enemy in my view and I have loved the two stories they have featured in with the Fourth Doctor that I've blogged. The Invasion of Time and Wave of Destruction are superb and whilst this one was a good addition, it didn't quite live up to those expectations, but that was absolutely fine. I still very much enjoyed the story! I was surprised by the apparent death of the Doctor and I must say it did seem pretty definitive. That was a big shock, but I liked thinking about how he could survive. He was the Doctor though, and he would always come back! Steven's reaction to losing the Doctor, or so he thought, was quite heartfelt. Oliver was intriguing in this story and I was quite surprised that he seemed tempted by the offer from the Vardans for immortality! I didn't see that coming but that showed how little time he had spent travelling in the TARDIS. The Doctor may not have rubbed off on him just yet! I loved the moment where Steven requested a TARDIS key from the Doctor, and our hero didn't seem so willing to provide him with one. That was a nice little moment. The pace of the story was decent and whilst the cliffhanger could have been much improved, the big shock factor came from Oliver sacrificing himself to take out the Vardans and save the Doctor and Steven. His becoming a non-physical entity was an intriguing move and I like how he held onto the TARDIS and was able to see Steven move on in The Savages. I must quickly mention the moments discussed concerning events prior to The Chase with Steven confident he could always escape the Mechanoids, but until the Doctor he had nowhere to escape to. I liked that a lot. The story ending during the events of The Tenth Planet with the Doctor on the verge of regeneration and seeing his old companion was a little surprising and I would have liked it mentioned that Katarina and Sara were there too given the theme of loss that has accompanied these three stories. Alas, it was not to be. Overall though, still a great little story!

Rating: 8/10

The Cold Equations

"We're all on borrowed time."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: June 2011
Series: Companion Chronicles 5.12

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Oliver

Synopsis

In the remnant of a shattered satellite, far above the ruined planet Earth, Steven Taylor and Oliver Harper are dying. As time runs out, they face their pasts... and a secret long kept is revealed.

The borrowed time is elapsing, and they realise they are facing an enemy that cannot be defeated. The cold, hard facts of science.

Verdict

The Cold Equations was another great little Companion Chronicle audio! It was nice to continue on from The Perpetual Bond with the trio of the First Doctor, Steven and Oliver and I was intrigued from the get go to see how this new team would fare in their first trip in the TARDIS. I was glad, first of all, that this was actually their first trip and that there was no skipping ahead in the timeline for these characters. This was Oliver's first trip, but things started well into the adventure as we heard Steven and Oliver in space and they were trapped. There was nobody coming to rescue them and no hope of salvation. To all intents and purposes, they were doomed. I'm not sure how I feel about a pre-titles sequence in a First Doctor era story but it worked well and let us build towards that moment occurring in the story as it was then told. We also got what I'm sure will be a bit of a spoiler for The First Wave regarding the trio's future and how they were arrested in the past from the perspective of Earth in this adventure, but in their own personal future. Peter Purves was magnificent pulling double duty as both Steven and the First Doctor and Oliver definitely helped filling in alongside him. They made a good pairing of companions and I thought it was a humorous moment where the Doctor called Oliver primitive because of the time from whence he came. His reaction to that was also comical! It was good again to learn more about Steven's upbringing in space far into the future from now, and it obviously worked out well for the TARDIS that he had with the six-dimensional thinking required. My favourite element of this audio was probably the selling of how dangerous space is. Steven did not hold back when it came to making Oliver realise that this was no laughing place and that mathematics were the law. If the equations didn't match up then that was that, you were at the mercy of space and the vacuum that it was. There would be no going back. The revelation that the doomed planet below was actually Earth would probably have been more effectual if it wasn't stated in the synopsis, but I still liked both of the companions reactions to that bit of information. The mention again of galactic law was interesting for a story of this era and I liked how Oliver was used to identify some of the ancient relics from the Earth Empire that could be valuable and traded. One of them was as simple as a bed frame. Steven's disbelief at the Doctor being able to save he and Oliver from total doom was a lovely moment and I actually quite liked that how he was able to do so wasn't really explained. Some things are good when used ambiguously and how the First Doctor was able to defy mathematics is unknown, but I quite like that. I think this an exception though so I wouldn't like it to be a regular occurrence! Finding out Oliver's secret was a little bit of a letdown to be honest, but I do think that was the point. It was highlighting how terrible and different the 1960s were for homosexuals. I was expecting something that was actually bad and would have an impact on the Doctor and Steven, but that was not to be the case. I'm intrigued to see where things go from here with the trio though and just how they end up with mugshots! Overall, a very good listen.

Rating: 8/10

The Perpetual Bond

"This is where it all began."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: February 2011
Series: Companion Chronicles 5.08

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis 

When the TARDIS materialises in a familiar junkyard in the 1960s, the Doctor and Steven are soon embroiled in a mystery in the City of London. Who are the mysterious bowler-hatted businessmen with their deadly umbrellas? And what secret is young Oliver Harper desperately trying to conceal?

Contracts have beeb signed. A deal is in place. And the Doctor discovers that perhaps not even he can stop a terrible business...

Verdict

The Perpetual Bond was a very good Companion Chronicle audio! I really liked how this one continued on from where The Daleks' Master Plan left off and that is obviously an incredibly difficult time for the Doctor and Steven after all they lost in that story. Steven mentions how hard it was to lose close friends like Katarina, Brett and Sara in such quick succession and now the TARDIS had brought them to a very familiar junkyard in the 1960s. I thought a little more could have been made of the significance of the landing in 76 Totter's Lane but I did enjoy how happy the Doctor seemed to be at where they had arrived. Steven reflecting on briefly meeting Ian and Barbara in The Chase was a nice touch and I loved the idea of he and the Doctor going to visit them. Their reaction if he just rocked up and had actually landed in an era where he could have taken them home would have been something very special indeed. Instead, the pair got broiled up in galactic trade and some of it involved slavery! The revelation that the Fulgurites were actually in a contractual agreement with the British Government was startling but that's such a good concept to play with. The Doctor was actually in a position where his hands were tied because of galactic law and I liked how this was used in a First Doctor story for the first time, at least when it comes to what I have gone through from his era. This would never have occurred on television in the 1960s, but the beauty of audios and writing in hindsight means we can get new things from the First Doctor which is just wonderful. Peter Purves narrated the story very well as both Steven and the Doctor and I always enjoy his William Hartnell impression. It really is impressive. I thought the addition of Oliver having a full part and featuring heavily was good and I liked how quickly he was incorporated into the Doctor and Steven's parts of the story. They got on early and it was nice that they shared the link of being able to see the Fulgurite when they should not have been able to. I always find it interesting when the First Doctor is forced to tackle the issue of him being from a planet that isn't Earth and while he doesn't really dodge the bullet here, he doesn't exactly answer it either which is the right way to go I think. It's said that he's from another planet. Steven dealing with going into his past and referring to some of the technology and even the city of London as ancient is good as I think it can often be forgotten that he was a companion from the far future. The cliffhanger was good and quite a heartless comment from the Doctor in telling him that his time to go was now! I was a little taken aback to be honest. Oliver joining the TARDIS pairing at the end of the adventure was an intriguing move and I like how he is on the run and holding a secret from the Doctor and Steven. I'm sure it's going to come out at some point and probably cost him his place travelling time and space, but for now it adds a good dynamic to the TARDIS at a very interesting and difficult time. The ending of the Fulgurites and the Doctor using contracts against them was decent, but even though they were the enemy I didn't feel that they were the focus of the story. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10

The Hounds of Artemis

"This is a mystery. A beautiful mystery."

Writer: James Goss
Format: Audio
Released: May 2011
Series: NSA 09

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis

When Lord Woolcroft and his team break open the fabled Tomb of Artemis, sealed for thousands of years, they are astonished by what they find inside...

The Doctor and Amy have come to Smyrna in 1929 to investigate a mystery. The Doctor knows something very bad happened there: something caused a lot of people to die and an entire, magnificent Temple to be found and then immediately lost again.

But he doesn't know what is picking off the archaeologists one by one, or how it is connected to the terrifying howling in the night. And as he as and Amy get closer to the terrible truth behind an ancient evil, he begins to wish he'd never found out.

Verdict

The Hounds of Artemis was a decent little audio adventure and a good continuation of my listening through the Eleventh Doctor Tales of original stories. I think after this one my listening chronology will sort of start to make sense as the stories should actually be in release order on the collection I am listening to the audios through on BorrowBox and I have no caught up with my very minimal previous listening after skipping over The Jade Pyramid. I think you can expect my listening of this series to last quite a while as due to the nature of the format, it is rather difficult to do these audio adventures more than one at a time (meaning in consecutive days) unlike it is for a Big Finish full cast series or boxset. It's just the nature of the format and there's nothing at all wrong with it, but it's just a personal preference and I will admit that today probably was not the best day for me to do a story of this nature with the concentration levels required. We recently had to say goodbye to our pet hamster after two-and-a-half wonderful years so times are quite tough at the moment, but I managed to get through this and I quite enjoyed it where possible. I thought it was interesting to have two different readers and I liked the unique approach, even if it didn't always work for me. Things would obviously have been much improved if we had Karen Gillan reading alongside Matt Smith instead of Clare Corbett. That is not a knock in the slightest to Corbett but it just would have been something special to have Smith and Gillan together because of their chemistry and the fact that they are the actors who play the two main characters in this adventure. Instead we had Corbett voicing the entries in Amy's diary concerning the events of this story and whilst I liked that prospect and the different feel it brought to the telling of the adventure, I struggled to believe that Amy would actually have kept such a thing at a time like was told. It was a little uncharacteristic of the character in my opinion which was a shame. The two readers not really interacting was a big mistake in my view as instead of adding to the dialogue scenes, it just felt like we were bouncing around. In a story where Matt Smith actually reads, I shouldn't have to hear Corbett's impression of the Eleventh Doctor! That makes no sense at all to me. The actual plot was pretty good and I liked the theme of Artemis and the history that was associated with her. The arrival of the Doctor and Amy being on the other side of the tomb was wonderful and I really loved the former's mentioning of almost being able to see Vortis. I do wonder how a return there would fare nowadays. Bradley Stapleton was a good character and it was nice of his granddaughter to be the one that had hold of Amy's diary. I was a little surprised to find that the Doctor succumbed to the beauty of Sophia but that was good in selling how powerful she was. Van-Der Cass was another pretty good character but one element of the story I actually wasn't so keen on was the titular hounds. I didn't really think they were all that necessary as I think they could have been something on more supernatural lines but it wasn't to be. The ending was pacy and exciting which is needed in stories of this format for me and as a whole it was just a solid audio. Overall, a good little adventure.

Rating: 7/10

The Stones of Blood

"I wouldn't want you to miss my execution."

Writer: David Fisher

Format: TV

Broadcast: 28th October - 18th November 1978

Season: 16.03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, K9

Synopsis

The search for the third segment of the Key to Time leads the Doctor, Romana and K9 to Boscombe Moor on Earth in the late 20th century. Here they encounter Professor Amelia Rumford and Vivien Fay, who are surveying an ancient stone circle called the Nine Travellers. What is the link between an ancient Celtic goddess, an alien criminal and a transporter ship concealed in hyperspace? And can the Doctor escape the Druidic sacrifice of blood to uncover the mystery of the moving stones?

Verdict

The Stones of Blood was not the best of Doctor Who stories if I'm being perfectly honest. I went into this one with a pretty clean slate in terms of memory as I had only watched the story once before and that was over seven years ago, so other than the Doctor and Romana locating the third segment of the Key to Time, I didn't know what to expect. It was inevitable that there would be a segment hidden on Earth but the story that came with the home setting was pretty horrible for the most part. I'll start positively though and say that Professor Rumford was a wonderful character and definitely the highlight of this adventure! I really liked her a lot and her refusal to say that she would cover all of the events she witnessed in this story because of her publishing reputation was delightful, the Doctor was always going to stay hidden. Now, the plot. Well, it jumps all over the place really and doesn't seem to have a main focus outside of the Nine Travellers. Those in itself were an intriguing focus and exploring their history could have been done in such a better and more exciting way. This was just all over the place for much of proceedings which was a shame and how we went from there to the inclusion of the Megara and a pathetic courtroom trial in part four is beyond me. It's a real shame as there was the basis there for a very interesting story there and it seems that David Fisher just went on one hell of a tangent! I wasn't a fan of them at all and the very fact that they were justice seems just hilarious given how the Doctor's trial went. He would of course use anything to his advantage and did brilliantly to turn the tables on who we knew as Vivien Fay. She had always seemed more mysterious than Rumford which was against the norm given the pair of friends' ages, but when it was revealed that she was the subject of the missing portraits and that she was in fact the Cailleach, it was just painfully obvious. I had no idea why she needed to dress up in that ridiculous costume and it was not even mentioned again once the Doctor told her he knew of her identity. There were just a lot of flaws which was a shame. Right, let's get onto the Ogri. I hated them. I thought they were really bad and just the image of them smashing doors and what have you was just silly. A silicon based life-form? No thank you. Romana was actually pretty good in this story though which was good and I definitely enjoyed her more here than I did in The Pirate Planet so that's a positive. K9 is always fantastic and this was no exception with his power circuits overloading and in needed of regeneration. The cliffhangers were a real mixed bag with part one's being one of the very worst ever in my opinion. It made no sense and I think it would have been so much more powerful if we actually saw the image of the Doctor pushing her towards the cliff edge. Even in scenes afterwards when she was hanging on for her life, supposedly, Mary Tamm played that with no urgency or desperation which I was flabbergasted by. I wasn't a fan of a lot of the direction for this story either which is something I rarely mention so that tells you how much I disliked it. I think there needed to be more elaboration on the concept of the Black Guardian becoming basically anything and his presence was felt in this adventure, but it could have been in a more direct and lengthy way. But I fully appreciate that there was still half of a season to go after this one concluded. But I was glad for it to finish, especially when the Doctor very easily got rid of the Megara at the end very easily. Overall, this one was pretty bad. My rating is incredibly low for a personal perspective but it honestly could have been lower. For me, this is up there with the likes of The Gunfighters and Fear Her when it comes to all-time awful adventures. Overall, not good. 

Rating: 5/10

Mistress of Chaos Part 2

"I'm going to take away everything you've ever owned."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 17th October 2019
Printed in: DWM 544

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Thirteenth Doctor is on a mission of vengeance. She is bidding to clear her name after the slander spread by Berakka Dogbolter resulted in a man she was trying to save dying. The Doctor is being blamed for the chaos she stops, and she wants to put an end to that. The Doctor is going to be more ruthless than we've ever seen her before...

Verdict

Mistress of Chaos continued in very decent fashion with a great second part of the comic strip story! But first, my attentions must turn to the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine and amazingly it is celebrating forty years as a publication! That's quite the feat and even though I've only been collecting for around five or so years and am now a subscriber, I look forward to the celebrations with interviews from all three modern era show-runners bound to be fantastic reads. I always enjoy the passion that Russell T Davies has in particular so I look forward to that one. I have to say, I think the bonuses alongside this issue are pretty naff on a personal note as I have no interest in the index (why would anyone?) and I think I would rather wait for the Blu-Ray DVDs myself before watching any of the special features that were partially released with this issue. An extended edition of the Daft Dimension should be brilliant as that's just such a barmy feature and always funny. Of course, this issue is also celebrating the wonderful Terrance Dicks and I am really looking forward to reading the magazine's tribute to the historic writer. I have just started the Target Books special edition of DWM and his presence is already so prominent there so having other writers reminisce on their favourite Dicks' books will be terrific. I'm sure the magazine will give him a fitting finale. The feature of When Dez Met Jez looks good and whilst I'm unfamiliar with the first days of DWM, reading a discussion between those at the forefront of its creation should be excellent. The Survey Team is possibly the feature I'm most looking forward to based on an initial flick through the pages as I do like the results of a good survey as I am always interested to read how my opinions differ to the general consensus amongst other fans. It's usually quite different indeed! I say that might be my most excited for feature, but then I just remembered that there's some new extracts from The Eight Doctors! That is a sublime novel so I am very intrigued to see how things might have been different to kick off the EDA books. Anyway, onto the comic strip now and I liked how ruthless the Doctor was here after the events of part one. I think the plan of Dogbolter is excellent in spinning the truth and it can't really be denied that chaos follows the Doctor wherever she goes. The reference to The Warmonger again was very good and I liked how angry the Doctor visibly was for what Dogbolter had done. She was going to take away everything she owned and that meant starting with her precious robot servants. The Doctor wasn't messing around and that was clear in how worried her companions were. They of course disobeyed her instructions and didn't remain in the TARDIS as asked (when do they ever?) but I think that was needed. The links back to Herald of Madness with the Catastrophia and the mad emergence of Krizanthia was fantastic. I liked her immediately and the fact that she saw the Doctor as her Mistress was very unexpected but I was a big fan. This was obviously not what the Doctor would want and she had to be careful not to initiate any wrongs. She ended up being transported with Graham and their destination was the Catastrophia and nobody has ever come back alive. Overall, a terrific continuation of the story!

Mission to the Unknown

"I suppose you've heard of the Daleks."

Writer: Terry Nation
Format: Webisode
Broadcast: 9th October 2019
Season: 3.02

Featuring: The Daleks

Synopsis

On the planet Kembel, Space Security Service agent Marc Cory is investigating a recent sighting of a Dalek spaceship. His suspicion that the creatures may have established a base proves well-founded. He learns of a Dalek plot to invade and destroy the Solar System, but is discovered and exterminated. The Daleks and their alleys vow to conquer the universe, beginning with the planet Earth. Could Cory leave a warning message in time?

Verdict

Mission to the Unknown was a wonderful reconstruction of the long lost missing episode from 1965! I remember being hugely intrigued by the announcement and the features in DWM a few months back and I'll admit I was a little sceptical about the remake due to the fact that there were none of the original cast featuring. That was obviously impossible and I think in one of my comic strip blog entries where I give my thoughts on the current issue of Doctor Who Magazine, I stated that I would rather there be an animated reconstruction. Well, how wrong I was! This was absolutely delightful and huge credit must go to everyone involved at the University of Central Lancaster. It was just wonderful from start to finish and a real addition to the Doctor Who catalogue. This will absolutely fall in place instead of the missing episode as there will be no real recognisable differences worthy of an irk, at least in my opinion, because none of the regular cast featured. It's a unique episode and probably the only one of the fifty-four year history where a remake like this would get the backing of the BBC and the YouTube publicity. It was really was just magical. I was hugely impressed with how much the atmosphere felt like a genuine 1960s episode which is about as big of a compliment that I can give. I found myself smiling almost immediately and even the acting and directing, which was not perfect, felt like it had taken place when the original episode was first broadcast. I'm sure that must have been a big aim of the team behind it as evoking that feeling was just sublime. It really was. The story itself is a good one and a great prequel for The Daleks' Master Plan with Marc Cory getting his message out there of the Dalek plan for the Doctor and co to pick up five weeks later following the broadcast of The Myth Makers. The Daleks used here were intriguing with their little design differences and it was nice to have Nicholas Briggs voice them for a First Doctor-era adventure. I think the limitations were a little obvious when it came to the Daleks suddenly halting their movement, but that was the only noticeable slip. Marc Cory was played very well and I liked how he sold the threat of the Varga plants. His killing of both Garvey and Lowery was sudden and it showed that he was ruthless in the desire to stay alive. He knew the Daleks were present on Kembal and needed to know what they were up to after a millennium of invisible activity in the Solar System. Now they had conjured up an alliance to take over the entire system, starting with Earth of course. I liked the introduction of the Space Security Service and the ending with the Daleks and their new alliance was just terrific. There is no Doctor in this one, and even though it's just setting things up, we end with the bad guys quite victorious which is an unusual but great move. Overall, this was just a fascinating little watch and a joy to have available to us to fill in one of Doctor Who's most obscure gaps in the archives. I am delighted to have been able to watch it and I congratulate the university team behind it for a resounding success!

Rating: 9/10

The Wasting

"It's as if they're decomposing while they're still alive."

Writers: Iain McLaughlin & Claire Bartlett

Format: Audio

Released: June 2005

Series: UNIT 1.04

Featuring: Brigadier, Emily

Synopsis

A deadly flu-like infection is sweeping the planet. Its first cases appeared in Britain, but now millions are infected worldwide and there is no sign of a cure. The emergency services can't cope with what the press have dubbed a plague...

Under attack from all sides, UNIT in Britain is in disarray. It faces a stark choice – to close its doors and concede defeat, or to fight back, whatever the cost... and the injured Colonel Emily Chaudhry knows UNIT has never backed down from a battle.

If UNIT is to fight back, it's going to need the services of its missing commander, Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood, and the experience of the Brigadier, who can never refuse when duty calls...

Verdict

The Wasting was a good conclusion to what was in the end a pretty decent spinoff series for UNIT! I was glad that the Brigadier returned for the finale and set things up for what could have been a second season of stories featuring Emily and a new team, but I guess sales weren't there to demand it so this is what we finished with. There are a few loose ends that sadly did not get tied up like the Silurian presence, but I was glad that the new affiliation we witnessed in The Coup was used as a way of dealing with the plague virus that broke out across the globe. My favourite aspect of this audio was probably the reveal that the man the Brigadier was talking to over the phone was Harry Sullivan. That was a really lovely touch and a nice tribute to Ian Marter. I was a big fan of Harry getting involved and even though we obviously would not hear him, his presence was more than enough and it was good that he was aiding with strains of a virus. He obviously had experience of that resulting from Terror of the Zygons that we learned in The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion, and whilst those episodes were not broadcast for over a decade after this audio, was nice to be able to draw those connections across a wide range of Who chronology. There's so much of it so for things to make sense across differing incarnations of the Doctor and wide-ranging versions of UNIT was really great. The aftermath of The Longest Night was really felt here and I was quite stunned to find that Dalton had in fact died at the hands of Kirby's bomb that was the cliffhanger finish. It was nice to know that the Brigadier attended his funeral but Emily was unable to, owing to the fact she had only just awoken from a fortnight coma. I liked how keen she was to get back into action though and it was a really nice relationship between her and the Brigadier. The moment at the end they shared was wonderful with her getting a promotion and then she stating that the Brigadier should actually be their scientific advisor! I would love to get the Doctor's reaction to that. I imagine he would be smiling greatly, whichever of him found out the news. The threat of ICIS was good but I was a little confused by Whittington's role as it seemed she'd turned sides in the previous story but I guess I must have missed something there. Currie was very good and I liked how when he was witness to the UNIT setup where there was cold-blooded murder, he came to UNIT itself and warned them they were being set up. Brimmicombe-Wood turning out to be one of the top dogs at ICIS didn't really take me by surprise which was a shame and I think it would've worked out better if he had actually featured in all of the previous stories within the series. The fact that he was played by David Tennant was terrific though and it was strange to hear a recognisable voice with a different accent. It's also a nice coincidence that the story was released in the same month that he would appear on screen as the Tenth Doctor in The Parting of the Ways. The ending with the Brigadier actually shooting Whittington in the hand was humorous and I liked how Brimmicombe-Wood was dealt with and sent to custody. Overall, a good end for what was a decent little series!

Rating: 8/10

The Longest Night

"We're all the same to you."

Writer: Joseph Lidster
Format: Audio
Released: March 2005
Series: UNIT 1.03

Featuring: Emily, Dalton

Synopsis

'We interrupt this broadcast...'

Having survived a day at the seaside, Robert Dalton and Emily Chaudhry are enjoying a few pints...

Having spent the day answering the phone and praying for some action, Will Hoffman is enjoying a night out...

Having signed a controversial new European treaty, the Prime Minister is on his way back to Downing Street...

Having survived yet another day, the people of Britain are settling down to eat dinner, stay in, go out, spend time with their friends... '...we're receiving reports that...'

It's just another ordinary evening in the United Kingdom... '...a bomb has exploded in Central London...'

Verdict

The Longest Night was another superb audio adventure from the UNIT spinoff series! Well, after a somewhat poor start we really are onto bigger and better things with another brilliant story. I really liked the feel of this one and placing it in the modern day with real life issues was fantastic and gave it a unique feel in the Doctor Who universe. There was not quite any alien threat or supernatural being, nor anything to do with time travel, this was just your normal modern day adventure and that is why it worked so well. I really liked Emily and Dalton together again as I think they really do make a good and impressive pairing and I was keen for their relationship to develop further in the finale. His presumed death was a big shock and it shows just how creditable a threat ICIS are. The use of terrorism was very strong in this story and the idea behind getting Muslims blamed for London bombings is quite controversial, but I guess this was broadcast at a time before the 7/7 Bombings so they probably got away with it quite easily. A story based around racial tension and hatred is a touchy subject though, and I did feel that they dealt with things well here considering the issue at hand. The politics involved with the inclusions of several top ranking politicians was very good and the moment where the Deputy Prime Minister shot herself was shocking! It was live camera and she was doing it for 'her people', a phrase brought up on a number of occasions in this story, and I was interested to know more about why ordinary British people were blowing themselves up and taking their immediate surroundings with them. It was quite unexpected and a little bit mind-blowing for a Doctor Who universe story, especially considering this came before Torchwood. The news coverage this got was extensive and one thing that did intrigue me was how the chronology would fit with Aliens of London/World War Three given that this must have been set somewhere before those events but in 2005. There is not a lot of room at all for leeway and whilst in a universe as extensive as the Doctor Who one, trying to make everything fit is impossible and there are many contradictions, but I do think there was something of an effort to keep things in line here. It just about worked with a little bit of leeway so that was a positive. The return of Andrea Whittington was very good and a nice throwback to The Coup where all this started and learning of her past with Kirby was terrific. Finding out that she was his daughter and he'd used her as a sleeper agent in ICIS was fantastic and a really good twist. Her reaction to finding out was great but he maintained his cool and calm demeanour even when in UNIT custody, and we found out at the cliffhanger finish why. He was hiding and bomb that was on the verge of detonation. We'd already experienced the damage possible by one with Hoffman perishing in emotional circumstances and the moment he had to watch his date get killed was just horrid. I'm sure his death will be felt in the next episode and I look forward to seeing how the Prime Minister's directive for Marshall Law and ICIS being on the streets is handled. Overall, another brilliant story!

Rating: 9/10

Snake Head

"There's no such thing as a Varkolak."

Writer: Jonathan Clements
Format: Audio
Released: January 2005
Series: UNIT 1.02

Featuring: Emily, Dalton

Synopsis

A mobile phone call to the emergency services, a body found on Government land and an ancient burial site unearthed at an archaeological dig all point toward an odd mystery by the coast...

UNIT's new commander, Colonel Robert Dalton, and its political officer, Colonel Emily Chaudhry, investigate strange goings-on in Southend. What is out there on the beach? What happened to the recently found savaged body? And what of the man who's just been smuggled into the country?

Is this just a simple case for the local police or, as Chaudhry suspects, is there more to it than meets the eye...?

Verdict

Snake Head was an unexpectedly superb audio adventure! I was absolutely delighted listening to this one on a cramped train home from a job interview - it really perked me up after quite a draining day. I still haven't really recovered from a football trip to Slovakia, but I'm slowly getting there and I was really pleased with this story. The structure was so much better than Time Heals and the story was just modern with a neat twist. There wasn't exactly alien invasions or time travel, but we played off real life events and mythology and that worked fantastically. It's exactly what should happen in this UNIT spinoff series and I think things will be hard pressed to be topped from the remaining two stories. The Southend setting was new and refreshing and I thought Emily and Dalton getting the main character treatment with no sign of the Brigadier worked very well. I thought I was going to miss his presence as I knew in advance that he would not feature but I was pleasantly proved wrong. They have a great relationship and I think it's only natural that questions would now be asked of their potential relationship. Emily was reiterating on numerous occasions that he was not her boyfriend. I have expectations that the series will not quite end with them not being together, but I don't really mind either way. Continuing on the theme of Dalton not being fully invested in the whole extraterrestrial or supernatural involvement in UNIT matters was really good and I liked the frustration coming out in Emily because of his continued sentiments. I do hope that continues in the next story, even if we did have confirmation of the Varkolok for Dalton here. The mythology behind that was really good and I loved that the tensions involving the political situation of Kosovo were combined with the British issue of immigration. I found that quite intriguing nearly fifteen years since the audio was released and with it being set in 2005, presumably, a 2019 head looking back makes this a story of further interest in my opinion. When it comes to having a 2019 head, hearing the term ICIS being exactly resemblant of the current terrorist group is quite something. I guess their attempts to keep things internal might ring true of the real life organisation though! I really enjoyed the reference to The Coup and whilst I think things could've been expanded upon concerning the whole Silurians living in peace with humanity aspect of the plot, I do hope that will come later as it is a pretty monumental event. It's something the Doctor tried to achieve in The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood in 2020 so for it to be in effect is staggering really. The guest cast in this one were excellent and I thought Goran and Kevin were the obvious standouts. They were really good and interesting to learn about. The Albanian 999 call was another good element of the story, but I couldn't help thinking that UNIT must have some translation software - even if it was 2005! The ending was full of action which I enjoyed and the pace was good, and I liked how it seemed that there was no Varkolok after all with Dalton going on one hell of a rant was a superb false finish. Then came the real killing and even though the Varkolok did truly disappear once killed, Dalton had seen it in action to convince him of its existence. Its being invisible to anything that was not a Varkolok was great and I thought the ending with there being no evidence to clear up was very neat. Overall, a fine adventure to get this series well up and running!

Rating: 9/10

Time Heals

"All the watches stopped at the same time."

Writers: Iain McLaughlin & Claire Bartlett

Format: Audio

Released: December 2004

Series: UNIT 1.01

Featuring: Brigadier

Synopsis

The UK branch of UNIT is under threat. The Government wants its own military investigative organisation, one under its sole control. The public want answers to the strange things that have been happening recently.

When the division's commanding officer goes missing whilst transporting a dangerous cargo, Colonel Emily Chaudhry, UNIT's political officer, is thrown in at the deep end. Things are not helped when a series of accidents show a bizarre pattern. 

The Brigadier, meanwhile, is trying to enjoy his retirement but it seems it is time again for him to come to the rescue.

Verdict

Time Heals was not the greatest of starts to the full series of the UNIT spinoff series. I really didn't understand the direction of the adventure and I think there needed to be a greater deal of familiarity. That is specifically true of it being a first because the Brigadier is always wonderful and he was actually terrific, but he really should have been more involved in this story in my opinion. He could have been used predominantly as a way to introduce us and pass the torch if you like to the new characters that were the main cast for this story. They just weren't interesting and it wasn't the fault of the characters but more so the writing and the general direction of this series because I don't know anything about them! Why they decided to jump straight into things without any introductory work is just beyond me. It was so different to the likes of the main characters in Dalek Empire or the new regular characters in the modern UNIT series alongside Kate and Osgood. It just didn't make sense and that made getting interested in the story rather difficult. I was also incredibly frustrated that there was no continuation from The Coup! What was the bloody point of that story then? It left on something of a cliffhanger with the Brigadier introducing the Silurians to the press and revealing all about UNIT's past, and then here there was just one passing comment about a rubber mask? So what did happen to the Silurian Ambassador? I was not a fan of that at all. Now, as my rating reflects, this wasn't all bad despite being very low for my standards. I did like some elements and I thought the first half an hour or so was actually really great. I liked the idea of the train crash quite a lot, especially when things began to get timey-wimey with the watches all stopping. What was good about that was the intrigue of them all stopping half an hour after the crash had occurred. That peaked my interest but then things soon shifted away from that and became more concerned with the submarine and chase for the package. I think when something so catastrophic as trains clashing is established, there shouldn't be too much deviation. The chase seemed to drag on too much and whilst the Brigadier was experiencing the time glitches, he needed to be more prominent. Dalton was a pretty good character and probably my favourite of the new cast because of his lack of involvement with UNIT up until now. The ending where he sees the files of historical alien invasions and the like being signed off by the Prime Minister was fantastic considering he'd dismissed the idea of extraterrestrial involvement throughout the story. That was a nice way to come full circle, it's just a shame that the journey to get there was not thrilling. There was so much potential with the playing of a terrorist threat and feeling very much like the real world, but the likes of Aliens Among Us from Torchwood dealt with those factors so much better. This just didn't feel like it knew what was going on and I need something to get me more invested in the main cast. Hoffman was pretty good but for Chaudry to be something of the main character, I'm going to need a lot more from her character to get invested. Overall, some good elements but a disappointing full start to the spinoff series.

Rating: 5/10