The Infinity Doctors

"For thirty thousand years, on a thousand planets, we fought the Time Wars. The devastation would have destroyed the universe had it not been for the intervention of certain higher powers. Since that time, time has been stabilised. It is impossible to change Gallifrey's past, or to know its future."

Author: Lance Parkin
Format: Novel
Released: 16th November 1998
Series: PDA 17

Featuring: The Doctor

Synopsis

"Sing about the past again, and sing that same old song. Tell me what you know, so I can tell you that you're wrong."

Gallifrey. The Doctor's home planet. For twenty thousand centuries the Gallifreyans have been the most powerful race in the cosmos. They have circumnavigated infinity and eternity, harnessed science and conquered death. They are the Lords of Time, and have used their powers carefully.

But now a new force is unleashed, one that is literally capable of anything. It is enough to give even the Time Lords nightmares. More than that: it is enough to destroy them.

It is one of their own. Waiting for them at the end of the universe.

Featuring the Doctor, this adventure celebrates the thirty-fifth anniversary of Doctor Who.

Verdict

Well, The Infinity Doctors was certainly an extremely intriguing read. A story featuring the Doctor, something that's not so ironically common, yet we are never told which incarnation of our favourite Time Lord is the Doctor and where in the Doctor's life the story takes place. I personally like to think that the Doctor in this novel is an incarnation far into the future of the current Doctor (Peter Capaldi, no.12) where he has grown tired of exploring the universe, saving Earth and showing humans the wonders of time and space. I wouldn't think it possible for the Doctor to ever get bored of travelling, but even one day the Doctor has to return home. I liked the description of the Doctor's room on Gallifrey, all full of clutter, books and Earth relics. Just how anyone would have imagined. The story revealed, from my perspective at least having not read any PDA novels previously, much information regarding the Doctor. He was born in the House of Lungbarrow and his mother's name was Penelope. Any information about the Doctor's family is certainly welcomed, but a huge shock to me was that the Doctor had a wife! Not the TARDIS (The Doctor's Wife) or River Song (The Wedding of River Song), but the former wife of Omega! The relationship they had in Part Three of the novel was lovely but it shocked me how compassionate, affectionate and admiring the Doctor was of his unnamed wife. The novel told a lot of the history of Gallifrey which was outstanding, explaining how the Gallifreyans became Time Lords and harnessed the Eye of Harmony. Rassilon being in the novel, although not really part of the story, was great. Omega as the villain proved to be just as sinister and brilliant as he was in The Three Doctors and Arc of Infinity. His description was very similar and I loved how he was trapped in the anti-matter universe where he ruled purely by will. But thanks to Savar (a terrific character) crashing his TARDIS and creating the Needle which in effect was the Effect, his influence was growing on the Matter universe. His almighty conquering will was intriguing as it seemed at one point that he wanted to be like the Doctor. Omega wanted freedom as a man. The sub-plot of the Doctor trying to bring peace to the age old war between the Sontarans and the Rutans was excellent and provided some good comedy and ultimately an end to the war! So, we learn that the war does come to an end, the question TV narratively is, when? I adored the character of Larna, the stand out character of the book by far! Almost like a companion, she was the most promising student of the Doctor which was a nice touch but she felt something a bit more for him. I was utterly shocked by the fact the Doctor killed her at the end of part two to reach the Needle. But he got her restored to life thanks to Omega. But still it wasn't expected! The many past story references were good and the climax was great! A tremendous book but it doesn't quite get full marks from me because with an unspecified incarnation of the Doctor it hurts the imagination needed when reading. I also wish the Doctor's (and Omega's) wife was named. Overall, a story well worthy of the 35th anniversary!

Rating: 9/10

Last of the Titans

"You better not have come to blow me up."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs
Format: Audio
Released: January 2001
Series: DWM Bonus 01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Once again, the TARDIS displays its preference for the grimy, the odious and the dangerous - and, finding himself lost and alone in the dark heart of a gigantic spacecraft, the Doctor has no way of knowing that a cosmic catastrophe is waiting to happen...

Verdict

Last of the Titans is an enjoyable audio and takes on a format which I was very surprised with but adored. At times during the story, the Doctor himself would narrate! Now I don't mean Sylvester McCoy, I mean the character of the Doctor! It was unique, clever and brilliant! The story itself was very good and I liked how the Seventh Doctor was alone and companion-less and allowed some good humour for the Time Lord with the TARDIS. You'd think by now that the Doctor, in his seventh incarnation, would've fully fixed the TARDIS navigation system? Of course not, and we don't want it any other way. Vilgreth was a good character and the Titanthrope species was very good and I liked how he was created from ancient DNA strands on Earth in Devon. Vilgreth sounded pretty large and monstrous which was good but I really disliked the Devon accent of the Titanthrope, it took away a large proportion of fear factor. Stelpor was great and I liked his explaining of the truth behind Vilgreth, how he was a planet eater and that one of the Doctor's favourite planets, Ormelia, a regular planet the Doctor visited in his younger days, was next for the monster. The climax was great and overall I really enjoyed the Seventh Doctor being alone! It allowed for some humour and I loved the narration from the Doctor himself!

Rating: 8/10

The Crusade

"There's something new in you, yet something older than the sky itself. I sense that I can trust you."

Writer: David Whitaker
Format: TV
Broadcast: 27th March - 17th April 1965
Season: 2.06

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in 12th century Palestine where a holy war is in progress between the forces of King Richard the Lionheart and the Saracen ruler Saladin. Barbara is abducted in a Saracen ambush and the Doctor, Ian and Vicki make their way to King Richard's palace in the city of Jaffa, but will they rescue Barbara in time?

Verdict

The Crusade is a bit of a mixed bag and although the good outweighs the bad by a decent amount, this serial never quite lives up to what it could have been on paper. It starts off well with an action packed opening few minutes in which Barbara gets separated from the crew and is led away with the Saracens. From there on though the story always seemed to be slipping between sides of the scale, somewhat inconsistently. I enjoyed Barbara's references to past stories; The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Romans and The Web Planet, that was great. I adored how Ian was knighted by King Richard in episode 2 and caused a terrific pun by the Doctor in the final moments when safely back inside the TARDIS. El Akir was a good villainous character, and other members of the guest cast were also excellent such as Saladin, Joanna and Haroun whereas there were some guest cast that I wasn't fond of such as Luigi and Chamberlain. I think that's where this story lacks in going from quite good to great; wherever there's a lot of good there's also a few bad things that knock the good down a bit. The cliffhangers were average, episode 1's being the best and the climax of the story was good. I really liked Ian's performance into talking the Saracen's to giving him the honour of administering the execution of the Doctor! A clever finale! I'd also like to add that the relationship between the Doctor and Vicki was once again tremendous, although I disliked the companion having to pretend she was a boy - it doesn't make sense seeing as she's a beautiful young women.

Rating: 7/10

Walls of Confinement

"Whatever you do, you mustn't panic. The animal will sense your fear."

Writer: Lawrence Conquest
Format: Audio
Released: February 2011
Series: Short Trips Volume 2.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz, Brigadier

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Liz take a visit to the zoo. However, a young boy's life is in danger as the Doctor comes face to face with a deadly predator...

Verdict

Walls of Confinement was an excellent Short Trip audio adventure! The tone was great throughout and the story fitted in perfectly with Season 7 and the Doctor's displeasure at being stranded on Earth without his TARDIS. The banter between the Third Doctor and the Brigadier was at an ever high peak and that's always a great bonus to any Pertwee story. Liz had a somewhat minimal role, but she was still great and remains one of my favourite companions in Who history! Katy Manning performed the story admirably and her impressions of both the Doctor and Liz were very well done. The story itself was clever with the Doctor likening himself to the animals of the zoo, trapped out of their own domain. Him rescuing a young boy, the Brigadier's godson Albert in actual fact, from being savaged by a tiger was clever. He'd pick-pocketed the Time Lord and taken part of the dematerialisation circuit of the TARDIS allowing direct entry into the zoo cages. Quite funny. Overall, a good story! Short Trips don't seem to be quite long enough to gain the very high marks, barring an exception or two, but this was still fantastic!

Rating: 8/10

The Stones of Venice

"What do you know, Doctor? Ever since you turned up, there's been nothing but disaster."

Writer: Paul Magrs
Format: Audio
Released: March 2001
Series: Main Range 18

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

The Doctor and Charley decide to take a well-deserved break from the monotony of being chased, shot and generally suffering anti-social behaviour at the hands of others.

And so they end up in Venice, well into Charley's future, as the great city prepares to sink beneath the water for the last time...

Which would be a momentous, if rather dispiriting, event to witness in itself. However, the machinations of a love-sick aristocrat, a proud art historian and a rabid High Priest of a really quite dodgy cult combine to make Venice's swan song a night to remember.

And then there's the rebellion by the web-footed amphibious underclass, the mystery of a disappearing corpse and the truth behind a curse going back further than curses usually do.

The Doctor and Charley are forced to wonder just what they have got themselves involved with this time...

Verdict

Another very strong Eighth Doctor and Charley audio adventure! The Stones of Venice took a little while to get going, albeit after an unrelated fast-paced pre-credit scene. Once it got going the story was excellently done and certainly enjoyable. The futuristic Venice setting was great and the depictions of the Underclass were very good. The character of Pietro was fantastic throughout and I also really liked Orsino. The love story, of sorts, behind Orsina and the thought-decesead Estella was very intriguing especially as it seemed responsible for the imminent sinking of the Venetian city itself. Churchwell was terrific also and I liked the relationship he had with the Doctor during the story. Paul McGann has done an amazing job reprising his brief role as the Eighth Doctor on audio and its so good to get classic adventures set prior to The Movie! Charley was outstanding in this adventure and although I don't actually get to see India Fisher portraying her, sound is more than enough and she's slowly climbing my list of favourite companions. I loved her pretending to be Estella against her own will, though she was very convincing! The cliffhangers were all pretty good which is a bonus to any story. The climax, or rather revelation of the plot-threads, was great and the way that Ms Lavish actually turned out to be Estella was definitely not expected, though the Doctor wasn't surprised! Charley, in her short time inside the TARDIS so far, already is getting annoyed at the common danger of death or imprisonment. Well, that's not what she signed up for! A great audio, that could've been a bit improved with a little less conversation, but still fantastic nonetheless. Long live the Eighth Doctor audios!

Rating: 8/10

The Immortal Emperor

"I ask you to show me the Great Wall of China and when we get there... they've still got the scaffolding up!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor and Donna arrive in China during the Qin Dynasty. "A couple of centuries BC." The Great Wall of China is still being built. Before the Doctor can stop her, Donna takes photos with her mobile phone. The pair are captured and thrown into a pit where they battle a robot made of pottery...

Verdict

The Immortal Emperor was a good comic strip and, despite being quite short in length, was entertaining and told a good story! I really liked Donna's reaction to arriving at the Great Wall of China but the scaffolding was still up! Hilarious. The pottery robots in ancient China was a tremendous idea and one I feel can be expanded upon in a future story. Meng Tian was a good enemy and looked tremendous with the excellent artwork done by Rob Davis. The Doctor's use of quickly talking himself out of trouble, as seen countless times, was once again great. His genius of leading Donna to use her mobile phone to ring Wilf, her granddad, causing a break up in signals of the 'pot-bots.' The Emperor actually being a pot-bot was unexpected and very unique! The climax was cleverly done and everything was left for history to do as it should be. A short, but very good comic strip, there just needed to be a bit more to happen!

Rating: 7/10

Return to the Web Planet

"Blundering into things is what the Doctor does for a living."

Writer: Daniel O'Mahony
Format: Audio
Released: December 2007
Series: Subscriber Exclusive 05

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

"It's an ancient name. From the dark time..."

It's been hundreds of years and several regenerations since the Doctor last visited the insect world of Vortis. Mycg has changed during his absence, but not necessarily for the better.

This now green and pleasant land isn't the paradise it first appears. Something malevolent is living out in The Desolation... And the Doctor and Nyssa must solve the mystery before the City of Light is overrun...

Verdict

So after completing The Web Planet yesterday, I thought today was a good time to listen to the audio sequel; Return to the Web Planet was a very enjoyable audio to listen to and certainly a mass improvement from its TV predecessor. I really liked the pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa, as per usual, and was probably their best combined performance that I have listened to so far, though I have a whole load of Main Range audios to get through yet! The description of a much changed Vortis, since the Doctor was last there at least, was great. The action packed start was very good with the Doctor and Nyssa fleeing from a Zarbi stampede! The Zarbi, who were pretty bad in The Web Planet, worked a whole lot better in audio. The format definitely suited them and I wouldn't be against a return in the future! The Zarbi were pretty useless without the Animus controlling them, they just seemed to get in the way in a humorous fashion, which was more than enough for their role. The main story centred around Yanesh and Xanthe, who were sent from Earth as part of a biological test to adapt to the planet of Vortis. I liked what had happened to Xanthe in becoming the Speaker for Mother Life, and arguably playing the enemy. The way she was reunited with Yanesh and then ultimately created a cocoon with him, to breed Zarbi-human children was quite disturbing but yet intriguing. The Doctor allowing it occur was of further intrigue. The Menoptera characters of Hedyla and Acheron were brilliant and I liked how through them a lot of history about the Zarbi and Vortis itself was told. The many references to The Web Planet, despite that being a poor TV story, were great and overall, a great story! I just thought the ending was a little abrupt but still fantastic nonetheless!

Rating: 8/10

The Web Planet

"My ship... my TARDIS..."

Writer: Bill Strutton
Format: TV
Broadcast: 13th February - 20th March 1965
Season: 2.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

On the planet Vortis, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are swept up in the struggles of the butterfly-like Menoptera, the original denizens of Vortis who were forced to flee the planet for the moon Pictos to escape the encroaching web of the Animus and its mind-controlled minions, the ant-like Zarbi and their living weapons, the larvae guns...

Verdict

Ahh, The Web Planet. This is one of the few points I was desperately not looking forward to when it comes to re-watching Doctor Who from the very beginning. I was hoping that my already poor opinion on the serial would change, but it didn't really. It seemed a slight improvement on my last viewing which was back in July 2012, but nonetheless, the plot wasn't great. There were quite a few highlights however. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the Doctor and Ian once more, this time regarding Ian's Coal Hill school tie, a nice reference to An Unearthly Child. The cliffhanger at the end of part one was by far the best of the serial for one reason only. The Doctor's heartbreaking reaction to losing his ship. His TARDIS. I continued to enjoy the relationship between the Doctor and Vicki continuing on from The Romans, and also the humour between Barbara and Vicki over who met Nero in the previous story. Well, that was the highlights but the story as a whole was poor and the plot was average at best. The Zarbi and the Menoptera were really bad. The props and costume were horrendous and the movement was pretty poor also. At times the serial was just boring with not much actually happening. The thing that saved this serial from absolute disaster and actually improved it was the Animus. I liked the mystery behind the being and also the appearance once entering the story physically in the final part. The way the Animus was defeated wasn't all that great. I think more could've been done! Things were just a bit silly, but the highlights gave the story my probably generous rating.

Rating: 6/10

Adrift

"We've always believed that things can only come through the Rift one way. What if we're wrong? What if the Rift doesn't just leave stuff behind? What if it also takes?"

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 19th March 2008
Series: Torchwood 2.11

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a local teenager disappears, Gwen is drawn into an investigation that reveals a darker side of Torchwood. Hundreds of people have disappeared without a trace, but Jack is obstructing attempts to find them. The answer seems to lie in the rift - literally - and as Gwen follows the trail, she makes a shocking discovery...

Verdict

Adrift was a good and emotional episode of Torchwood and was very much one where Gwen, by far my favourite character of the series, was the centre of attention. I liked how she seemingly had forgotten her old self that we saw before joining Torchwood in Everything Changes. Although she doesn't like to admit, Gwen is beyond the police and somebody going missing is none of her concern. She now deals with the extraterrestrial. It's not her fault, it's her job now. I didn't like how this episode, for some time, didn't have the Torchwood feel. But Gwen being as brilliant as she is still made it an excellent watch! Nikki was a great character played by the wonderful Ruth Jones. The way that Andy was asking Gwen to help, seemingly afterwards because he fancied her, with Nikki's missing son, Jonah. The way in which Jonah disappeared though would certainly have Torchwood's involvement, and despite Jack denying anything of the incident, he was there. Gwen's determination in this episode was outstanding and portrayed perfectly why I love her character so much. She wasn't going to give up! I also liked how Tosh helped Gwen with her case and worked out a pivotal fact about the Rift. It not only deposits things in Cardiff, it takes as well. And that's what the negative spikes were. It made perfect sense. Jack's involvement in this episode was great and once everything was revealed about the mysterious island in the Bristol Channel, the Rift depositors' health centre of sort, he could explain to Gwen. When she found out she wasn't satisfied by the unknowing that these people's loved ones had. So much so that she brought Nikki to the island, against Jack's wishes though Gwen has a way of getting what she wants from him, to meet her now very much changed son. Jonah's alteration was horrific. In 7 months he'd aged enormously, became a grotesque looker and was mentally scarred. Nikki's reaction to him at first was one of denial and mockery but after Jonah talked of his childhood memories, an emotional hug was felt. But the whole ideal about the bad phase, a horrific scream lasting 20 hours was a bit far fetched. The effect it had in the episode and on Nikki though was great. But for me, the clear highlight of the episode was Gwen. Her antics with Andy and her hilarious comedy with Rhys as well as her gutsy determination was just terrific and probably explains my somewhat generous mark!

Rating: 8/10

Sword of Orion

"It's a Cyberman, a rogue Cyberman!" 

Writer: Nicholas Briggs
Format: Audio
Released: February 2001
Series: Main Range 17

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

The human race is locked in deadly combat with the 'Android Hordes' in the Orion System. Light years from the front line, the Eighth Doctor and Charley arrive to sample the dubious delights of a galactic backwater, little suspecting that the consequences of the Orion War might reach them there. But High Command's lust for victory knows no bound.

Trapped aboard a mysterious, derelict star destroyer, the Doctor and Charley find themselves facing summary execution. But this is only the beginning of their troubles. The real danger has yet to awaken.

Until, somewhere in the dark recesses of the Garazone System, the Cybermen receive the signal for reactivation...

Verdict

Sword of Orion is another fine example of a Classic Doctor Who audio story. Continuing on from Storm Warning, there's the now familiarised pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Charley, who together are just outstanding. They work tremendously well together and it's already easy to see after just 2 adventures together! I liked how Ramsay, the Vortisaur, still remained with them on board the TARDIS but wasn't feeling well! I particularly liked this adventure as it pitted the Eighth Doctor against his second of what I consider the 'three ultimate enemies.' Battling with the Master in his debut in The Movie, now the Eighth Doctor pits his wits against the Cybermen. Just the Daleks to tackle now, from my perspective at least. And a design he's very familiar with from 6 bodies earlier. The references to The Tomb of the Cybermen and The Invasion were terrific and I really liked what the Cybermen were up to here. Exhausted and in hibernation, they were soon waking up. But it was Deeva who seemed to be the evil one, not suspected at first (although the Doctor could tell something was up), she wanted to make an alliance with the Cybermen to defeat the Androids! Or so we thought. The mystery behind her was excellent and when it was revealed that she actually was an android and a double agent, I applauded! A fantastic twist. The plot itself was never dull and a superb guest cast made it all the more enjoyable! I particularly liked the characters of Ike and Chev. The cliffhangers were all very good which is always a bonus! The Cybermats having an effective appearance in audio was very cleverly written! Deeva wanting to master the art of Cyber conversion though was a shocker, a brilliant one. A sickening concept! The Doctor, in his eighth incarnation - something I'm extremely glad to be exploring more of, was tremendous and showed some perfect traits that are everlasting in all incarnations. Wondering off and curiosity to name a few! Charley was wonderful and I can tell I'm really going to love her as companion. If only these audios were visual! But I have absolutely no complaints with the format! It's a wonderful and allows brand new Classic ventures with no intention of stopping. And they've certainly benefitted the Eighth Doctor. The climax of the story wasn't as exciting as I expected but still quite good nonetheless. But overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

Cold

"But then I saw another shape. A tall shape that didn't fit in. It was already covered in snow but when I went over to it and rubbed at the snow it was blue underneath and made of wood! I tried to see more but the storm really closed in and I had to get back to the Hut. The strange thing is, Anna, there was no such box there before. And even stranger, the box was humming."

Writer: Mark Gatiss
Format: Short Story
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

Two mountain climbers discover a wounded Ice Warrior who was responsible for the flu pandemic after World War One. But an invasion may now be on the way, some one hundred years later...

Verdict

Cold was an interesting read. I was excited by the prospect of both Mark Gatiss writing the story, and an appearance from the Ice Warriors! Now, the story wasn't bad but it sadly failed to reach my high expectations. I didn't like the format with basically the whole story being narrated by characters and from their own perspectives, although Donna's account was really good as she was writing back to her grandad, Wilf, about the thrills of travelling in the TARDIS. Her description of Issaxyr, the Ice Warrior, was tremendous. For a Short Story, it took far too long to introduce the Doctor and Donna but once they arrived everything was good again! Prior to their appearance, the only good thing was the finding of the TARDIS by one of the excavation team members, as described in my opening quote. The highlight was seeing a sense of evilness returned to the Ice Warriors with many hints of their century old plan to take over Earth. And even once he learned that the Martian plan had been foiled, Issaxyr still planned to take over the planet with an ancient and stored invasion fleet. But the Doctor quickly foiled those plans simply through explanation. The virus that the Ice Warriors had introduced had mutated and defeated the immunity system of the Martians, killing them all. And suddenly, Issaxyr was devasted. The Doctor felt his pain, and returned him home in the TARDIS! Who would of thought the Doctor would be giving a lift to an Ice Warrior? A good story, but again, the Ice Warriors weren't quite evil which isn't good! The Peladon Tales, Red Dawn and Cold War just aren't comparable with the serials where the Ice Warriors were evil villains; The Ice Warriors and The Seeds of Death. The reference to the latter was subtly brilliant! I also liked the Planet of the Ood reference. A good story, with hints of the Ice Warriors returning to their evil, and in my view, intended roots!

Rating: 7/10

The Romans

"Alright? Of course I'm alright, my child. You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the gentle art of fisticuffs."

Writer: Dennis Spooner
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th January - 6th February 1965
Season: 2.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The travellers decide to take a holiday near ancient Rome, but after a month the Doctor gets restless. He and Vicki are determined to visit Rome, and while they are gone Ian and Barbara are abducted by slave traders. All roads lead to Rome, however, and the travellers find themselves at the mercy of the country's petulant emperor, Nero...

Verdict

The Romans is an absolute gem of a Classic Doctor Who story. A marvellous plot with outstanding added humour just makes it a pleasure to watch from start to finish. I really liked how nothing was made of the cliffhanger at the end of The Rescue with the TARDIS falling off a ledge, instead the story jumps ahead a month and sees the TARDIS crew quite used to a new luxurious lifestyle in ancient Rome. I think it was very clever in doing this as it allows Vicki to instantly feel as part of the group, she's familiarised herself with her new compatriots and life. She won't feel obligated to ask questions or anything like that as they've presumably already been asked. I've really liked the early years' historical tales with Marco Polo and The Reign of Terror, but this was the best of the lot! The brilliant figure of Nero was portrayed fantastically well by Derek Francis. The banter between the Doctor and Ian was at an ever-presently high level which was, and always is, terrific. Vicki was magnificent in this story and despite her not having any relation to the Doctor, I actually think she'll offer more than Susan did. Vicki will be more than a screaming girl who turns her ankle (not that that was what Susan was for, not in the slightest!), she just has something enigmatic about her. She got along extremely well with the Doctor, who I can tell obviously likes having her around and it seems to be the first chance the Doctor has gotten to show off his TARDIS and what it can do. A great and strong first post-arrival adventure for Vicki as the new companion, and she looked stunning in the Roman attire! Absolutely beautiful. The way in which Ian and Barbara were split up from the Doctor and Vicki, then from themselves, was excellent and really allowed a lot of exploration of the Romans and the Slave Trade. The Doctor's impersonation of Maximus Pettulian was tremendous and he intelligently got himself out of performing for Nero and his people. The Doctor's relationship with Nero was quite comedic, whilst Barbara's was somewhat hilarious! I adored the way in which the crew were always so close to each other, yet never quite ran into one another! Another wonderful use of humour was shared between Ian and Barbara and the references to things being in the fridge. It was AD64, it was quite a while before the first fridge! But that year is significant. The Great Fire of Rome, and I again adored the way in which the Doctor, after briefing Vicki on not being allowed to meddle with history, gave the idea of setting Rome alight to Nero! And he seemed quite happy about it! All in all, just fantastic. Superbly funny yet always remaining serious!

Rating: 10/10

A Stain of Red in the Sand

                                      

"She recognised the emotions behind those eyes. He was a man that had lost a lot during his lifetime."

Writer: David A. McEwan
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Zoe

Synopsis

Indigo lives in a world without hope on a council estate so gloomy its residents call it 'The Slab'. On the 13th floor lives a sculptor named Roger, a man she'd think of as her boyfriend, were he not so obsessed with his art. She returns to his flat again and again, despite his inattentiveness, to peer out of his kitchen window into another reality, where a man named the Doctor is fighting the Caretakers on a sandy world with two suns. And then Roger decides to sculpt a girl named Zoe...


Verdict

Ahh sadly this Short Trip audio fell short of expectations. It was similar to Blink in being Doctor-lite but this wasn't usual in Classic Who, disregarding the format. It was just boring throughout and hardly anything happened sadly. Indigo seemed a bit of clingy and desperate girlfriend whilst Roger just seemed art-obsessed! But mysteriously, there was a portal in the kitchen window through to another world in which the Doctor was on, fighting the alien Caretakers. The only positive of this story was the revelation that Roger's sculpting with memory meat was of Zoe. How could he know of the Doctor's companion, and why was he trying to save her? Sadly, it was never answered. There wasn't even a mention of Jamie, and for Zoe to be appearing (technically), that's almost impossible! I really disliked how the story ended with nothing confirmed at all! It was revealed that the Doctor had defeated the Caretakers and the red stain left in the sand was obviously not his. But you can't just have the Doctor victorious via saying so! You have to show it. Everything was left open and it was just all a bit sloppy. A bitter disappointment, I hope the next Short Trip, whichever that may be, is a lot better!

Rating: 4/10

Storm Warning

"Geronimo, Lenin's pyjamas, Tiddlywinks with the Tsarina and now you can see the future?"

Writer: Alan Barnes
Format: Audio
Released: January 2001
Series: Main Range 16

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopis

October 1930. His Majesty's Airship, the R101, sets off on her maiden voyage to the farthest-flung reaches of the British Empire, carrying the brightest lights of the Imperial fleet. Carrying the hopes and dreams of a breathless nation.

Not to mention a ruthless spy with a top-secret mission, a mysterious passenger who appears nowhere on the crew list, a would-be adventuress destined for the Singapore Hilton... and a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.

There's a storm coming. There's something unspeakable - something with wings, crawling across the stern. Thousands of feet high in the blackening sky, the crew of the R101 brace themselves. When the storm breaks, their lives won't be all that's at stake...

The future of the galaxy will be hanging by a thread...

Verdict

Cometh the hour, cometh the Eighth Doctor! Paul McGann finally reprises his role as the Eighth Doctor and boy was he good! Now, I've seen where the Eighth Doctor arrived in The Movie and where he regenerated in The Night of the Doctor, but now I get to explore everything in between! Storm Warning was a very strong audio debut and a fantastic second performed adventure for the incarnation. Charley was a tremendous character and it was obvious from the start that she would end up as companion! The chemistry between India Fisher and Paul McGann was magnificent and I could instantly tell that these two were going to be a wonderful TARDIS pairing. The plot of this story was fantastic and had a great guest cast. Charley stowing aboard the R101 to reach a date in Singapore was good and as the plot unravelled I adored the feistiness of her character! The early stages of the Doctor in this story, alone in the TARDIS, was brilliant and I liked how he kept on talking to himself despite telling himself to stop doing so. The guest cast were excellent in this audio with the brilliance of Rathbone and Lord Tamworth. Frayling and Weeks were also very good! The Triskele were outstandingly mysterious and the three parts to their existence was incredible. I really liked the idea of an Uncreator! The Law Maker was fantastic also. Paul McGann showed all the traits of the Doctor, and even squeezed in some familiarity from The Movie which was marvellous! Certainly different, definitely the Doctor. The Vortisaurs were really good and I liked the Doctor's reference to riding the tiem-feasters bareback on Gallifrey. The many Russian history references were great and the speedy climax was excellent! And the Doctor unintentionally saving Charley, taking her as companion seemingly against his wishes at first - along with a Vortisaur called Ramsay, when she should have died on the R101 was so good! It instantly makes Charley a central point and the Doctor isn't quite sure of what, if any, consequences she'll bring him. I look very forward to seeing what effects Charley's existence has on the 'new' Time Lord. A great story - and it's amazing to have, what feels like, a new Classic Doctor!

Rating: 9/10

The Death-Dealer

"Sweets! I wonder if they have any jelly babies..."

Writer: Damian Sawyer
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

On an arid market world, not dissimilar to a middle-eastern bazaar on Earth, the Doctor treats Leela to a day of shopping. But she bargains with a death-dealer, not knowing his area of sale...

Verdict

Now although The Death-Dealer was only 10 minutes long, it was a tremendous little audio adventure! It took the whole 'Short Trip' tag to an extreme limit, but its length was absolutely fine. Louise Jameson was a great narrator and she hasn't seemed to have changed linguistically since the 1970s! It was definitely all about Leela. I really liked how Jameson managed to squeeze in some typical traits of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor into this venture. Leela's confusion at the concept of money in the form of coins was hilarious but so typically excellent of the companion. I adored how of all the things on this alien market planet, the Doctor went straight to the human stand hoping to find some jelly babies, whilst Leela wanted to buy a dagger! But what she failed to realise was that she was actually paying to die! And she did which was shocking! Leela died! The Doctor was outraged at first but the planet's natives were confused - they of course knew what the Death-Dealer sold. Death. But Leela burst back into life, as part of the process. She had felt death, but was resurrected and wasn't happy with her muderer! But things were soon resolved as the Death-Dealer explained the process and how people had changed, or wanted to, after feeling death. The Doctor didn't approve and wanted to leave quickly. Leela was alive, but he just didn't like the way thing occurred. Overall, an intriguing and great audio!

Rating: 9/10

Grand Theft Planet!

                                      

"Another clank. Everyone slowly turned to look at the armour. The museum display had its lights dimmed, and the armour looked sinister in the near darkness. Then one of the suits of the armour clanked again, and turned to face them. The other suits did the same. They raised their swords, and marched forwards to attack."

Writer: James Moran
Format: Short Story
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Donna to see a famous floating city but as vehicles roll and buildings start to shatter, the Doctor and Donna try to find their way to the city's gravity compensators...

Verdict

Grand Theft Planet! was a massive improvement from the previous short story I read. Hello Children, Everywhere was awful but this story was excellent! The pairing of the Tenth Doctor and Donna was absolutely fantastic and the banter between them was a particular highlight of the story. Never lacking was the humour! I liked the character of Jellop a lot, taking pride in Coral City, what seemed to be the capital of the floating planet! The illustrations from the story were outstanding and I loved the idea of a floating planet! The Sarriflex were intriguing, seeming to be extremely stupid yet conjuring up a genius plan trying to literally steal a planet for its metal and usage in a war of their own. But the best villain was the 'middle man' so to speak. Trefgar was callous and fantastic. A really good villain. I liked how once the explanation of the planet floating was given to the Doctor, he knew things weren't right. Spoiling the party. But it's a good job he did! The climax was good and the dangers sparked from the city being tilted at an angle of 45º was great! The brilliance of the Doctor in solving the problem, bringing the city back from afloat and sending the evil Trefgar and Sarriflex floating into the sun! The Doctor saved the day, and although she didn't like to admit it, Donna was mightily impressed. A wonderful little story!

Rating: 8/10

John Smith and the Common Men

                                         

"I am the Eternal Ordeal - the Guardian of Sorrow... I am the God of the worst days."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 2013

Printed in: DWM #467

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The Doctor has forgotten who he is and believes he is just an ordinary man called John Smith who works in the Department of Commonality. But is everything as it seems?

Verdict

John Smith and the Common Men was my first full Doctor Who comic strip story, and it was certainly intriguing! I really enjoyed this though, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration magazine, it was very clever! The Doctor was a coward who worked in an office. He feared being noticed and doing things out of the ordinary. He was just John Smith, a man who'd a strict routine which he followed rigidly. I loved how the Doctor feared a promotion and even turned in a friend, Harry (Yes, the companion of the Fourth Doctor!) into the authorities to return to his original post, a demotion of sorts. He just didn't like his job for the public, the bearer of bad news. He turned away an elderly Brigadier, Jamie and a young Ace! But of course, knowing the insane amount of time differences between the three, things weren't right. The Doctor had such a strict and precision based life, that he was extremely angered that the clock outside, a large Big Ben-esque one of that, was five minutes too slow. So he took a huge risk, stepped out of the office and attempted to manually fix the clock face himself! But, he snapped the hand and fell to the ground some feet below... And woke up with a giant blob creature covered with tendrils! Clara soon awoke and was safe, angered and determined to put an end to the giant blob creature known as Mr. Waites. The ending was clever, putting the monster into his own false reality, but seemed a little too quick! I loved the relationship the Eleventh Doctor and Clara share, and the reason Clara knew the world she had dreamed up was fake. Not because she was the Impossible Girl, but because there was no Doctor. Beautiful. 

Rating: 8/10

The Rescue

"You haven't got that sort of face... that kills things."

Writer: David Whitaker
Format: TV
Broadcast: 2nd January - 9th January 1965
Season: 2.03

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

Arriving on the planet Dido in the late 25th century, the time travellers come upon a crashed spaceship from Earth. Its two occupants are living in fear of a creature called Koquillion, but everything is not as it seems...

Verdict

The Rescue was a great little adventure to introduce Vicki as companion. Short and sweet was this two-part adventure. I liked the setting of Dido, with a crashed spaceship and roaming through the caves of the planet. An early reference to Morbius was tremendous! The design of Koquillion was tremendous, something I really liked. Vicki's desperation to be rescued from Dido was obvious and I liked her eagerness throughout - it looks as though she'll be a great companion (not that I haven't seen every adventure of hers before). Her attire was somewhat questionably short but as a young women, it seems as though she's a like-for-like replacement for Susan. Speaking of the Doctor's granddaughter, it was crystal clear in the adventure that the Doctor missed Susan. He forgot she had left, but his companions reminisced on the good reason it was that she left. They liked David. But The Dalek Invasion of Earth is the past now and the TARDIS crew must move on! The banter between the Doctor and Ian was at its peak in this adventure, and it's been a standout of the early seasons since the very beginning in An Unearthly Child. I liked the mystery behind Bennet, although you had no reason to question him - something didn't seem to fit. It was brilliant how the Doctor had been to Dido before - but much has changed now. The revelation of Koquillion actually being Bennet was very good and revealed a selfish plot full of murder. The way he was killed was surprising with Dido residents emerging from hiding, having survived Bennet's vicious scheme, and forcing him to fall to his death. I thought it was a lovely touch having the Doctor, Ian and Barbara all wanting Vicki to join the TARDIS. She had nothing left and she was amazed by the size of the TARDIS on the inside! The beginning of what will become the Doctor's favourite bit for a new companion it seemed.

Rating: 8/10

The Mutant Phase

"Victory for the Mutant creatures will mean the end of history."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs
Format: Audio
Released: December 2000
Series: Main Range 15

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

In the 22nd century, the Daleks have occupied planet Earth. By the 43rd century, only a handful of humans survive. Still further into the distant future, a Thal scientist must choose whether to betray his heritage, or see the universe destroyed.

When the Doctor and Nyssa find themselves trapped in this deadly chain of events, they must decide who their real enemies are. What is certain, however, is that no matter where the Doctor turns... his arch enemies, the Daleks, will be waiting for him.

What could possibly be worse than that? The Mutant Phase...

Verdict

The Mutant Phase was an absolute joy and pleasure to listen to. My favourite audio adventure yet! I just loved everything about it; the plot, the guest cast and the setting! I adored the fact that part of the adventure, and the reason for the rest of it, was heavily based on events that would be concluded in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The fact that the Daleks didn't recognise the Doctor and seemed confused by the word 'TARDIS' was just outstanding. The Doctor knew who the Daleks were, of course, but they'd no idea of who he was. They hadn't met the Doctor prior to their return in the TV series, chronologically that is, and it was a wonderful concept. The usage of the wasp, to both sting Nyssa and ultimately cause the devastating Mutant Phase was extremely clever! There were a lot of shocking moments in the story; you had a Thal working for the Daleks, the Doctor contemplating helping his arch enemies and a point blank extermination of Delores prompting the surrender of the Doctor. Hearing a Roboman once again was just wonderful, even if it was brief. And then came my favourite Dalek - the Emperor! A great little reference to The Evil of the Daleks, I just adore the Dalek Emperor in Classic Who. We didn't get a lot of TV adventures (just the one that I can recall) with the Emperor during the original run but the audios with Classic Doctors allows numerous returns. The superb villain appeared in The Genocide Machine but here he was dominant. He had an incredible plan as well! Using the mind of Ganatus, implanting his own into him to ensure the Doctor carried out his orders was brilliant. The confusion it provided for the first generation Daleks was excellent. He told them, in human form, that he was the Emperor and he was the one who ordered the invasion. He told them their own plans of replacing the Earth's core in Bedfordshire, and that the Doctor would stop him. I loved here how the Daleks referred to time travel as impossible which was just great - although they weren't far from mastering it themselves as the TV run would soon show. Nyssa was a tremendous companion here and her referencing to Earthshock and Adric's death was saddening, as she didn't understand why the Doctor could now change history to prevent the Daleks from mutating into the Mutant Phase. The comical reference to The Land of the Dead was also good. The climax was fantastic and it must've hurt the Doctor though. Yes, he'd defeated the Mutant Phase but would have to depart in the TARDIS leaving the Daleks as occupants of Earth - something he'd defeat four bodies earlier and 9 years later.

Rating: 10/10

The Holy Terror

"All hail Frobisher. All hail the big talking bird!"

Writer: Robert Shearman
Format: Audio
Released: November 2000
Series: Main Range 14

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Frobisher

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in a forbidding castle in a time of religious upheaval. The old god has been otherthrown, and all heretics are to be slaughtered. Obviously, it isn't the sort of thing which would happen there every day - just every few years or so.

Soon after the Doctor ad Frobisher are hailed as messengers from heaven, they become vital to opposing factions in their struggle for power. But will they be merely the acolytes of the new order - or will they be made god themselves?

Evil is growing deep with the crypt. And the pair soon find out that they will be lucky to escape their new immortality with their lives.

Verdict

Well, The Holy Terror was a great audio story but I am not in favour of Big Finish's brief 'side step' audios, exploring characters and TARDIS combinations of other mediums. To me, this takes away the familiarity you expect from a companion and can dampen an adventure. Now, I've not read any of the comic strips in which Frobisher is companion, but on first impression, I really dislike the idea of a shape-shifting penguin as a companion. It's just silly. And throughout this audio, I just didn't like Frobisher. Sole male companions never go down well in my eyes, and the lack of female in the TARDIS certainly affected this story. However, talking of the adventure itself - the story was good! The very religion centred society was unique and the way the castle inhabitants simply obeyed and bowed down to tradition was incredible! People had no care in the world for their children, and once your post was void and passed down to your heir, the new holder of the post would insult, mock and physically abuse their own relatives! And the person being abused welcomed it! The assassination attempts and High Priest turning on the new God being expected was again incredible. The society was unique! The cliffhangers were all good and I really liked the guest cast. Childeric and Pepin VII were particular standouts, as well as Clovis. The Boy was an outstanding character and the eeriness and mystery around him was very good. Looking for his father - so confused. The voice was so chilling! The Doctor working out that he was actually a Torture Machine and that the Castle itself was all fictitious was unexpected and really tied things up! The climax was emotionally fantastic! Overall, a good story but I hope that's the first and last 'side step' audio. Keep things familiar, or introduce new companions for the first time - like with Evelyn - give them an introductory story!

Rating: 8/10

The Dalek Invasion of Earth

"During all the years I've been taking care of you, you in return have been taking care of me. You are still my grandchild and always will be. But now, you're a women too. I want you to belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. With David you will be able to find those roots and live normally like any women should do. Believe me, my dear, your future lies with David and not with a silly old buffer like me. One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear."

Writer: Terry Nation
Format: TV
Broadcast: 21st November - 26th December 1964
Season: 2.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

Arriving in a devastated London in the middle of the 22nd century, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan discover that the Daleks have invaded Earth. Will the human race be enslaved by the evil Daleks, or can the Doctor stop their audacious plans and save mankind from extermination...?

Verdict

The Dalek Invasion of Earth is just sublime. Absolutely tremendous from start to finish. Terry Nation really pulls off a masterpiece which sees the much anticipated return of the Daleks and an emotional farewell to Susan. Throughout the serial it's clear that the Daleks have absolutely annihilated Earth. Silence reigns throughout London as the TARDIS crew arrive there, and to worsen things the TARDIS is in an unreachable position, trapped under a collapsed bridge. The cliffhanger at the end of episode one is just wonderful with the Dalek rising out of the Thames. Pure beauty. With many references to The Daleks, it's clear that what happened in that serial was some time in the Dalek's future and things were different now. They'd invaded Earth taking advantage of meteor strikes. The crew are soon split up and this allows the introduction of some outstanding guest cast. We have Jenny, Tyler and Dortmun who are all courageous and just great! Larry has an emotional story behind him. He stows aboard the Dalek saucer with Ian to get to the now completely devastated and mine-sight of Bedfordshire. And he finds him, but he's been transformed into a chilling Roboman. Larry's death was extremely emotional as he freed his brother of Dalek control but killed his brother - and himself - in doing so. The Robomen were eery throughout, heartless, callous and emotionless. The idea of authoritative ranks for the Daleks was brilliant and the Black Dalek, obviously the one in command, had a terrific design. All of the cliffhangers in this serial were outstanding in my view and really wanted me to make me watch the next episode right away - which is what I look for in a cliffhanger. The aim of the Daleks in the serial was just incredible and indescribable! The Daleks wanted to remove the molten core of Earth, replace it with power of their own so they could pilot the planet through space! An incredibly brave aim! And it certainly made the Daleks fearful - just to even conjure up a plan of that kind! However, the Daleks were thwarted largely by some good thinking from Barbara, orders from the Doctor and a lot of luck! David, who was fantastic throughout and developed a lovely relationship with Susan, put the Daleks out of action by breaking up radio waves and communication with some bombs! And Barbara and the Doctor gave the Daleks' henchman, the Robomen, new orders from within the Dalek saucer! The Robomen smashed the Daleks and all the slaves were freed and a revolution had occurred. Earth was safe, and the planet could now be rebuilt. After hints throughout the serial, Susan longed to belong to a time of her own and she got that wish, not by her own choice but by the Doctor himself. It was very hard for him to say goodbye and holding a broken shoe of Susan's, that seemed to be his farewell relic for his granddaughter. He double-locked the TARDIS doors and gave an incredible farewell speech to Susan. It was emotionally packed but now Susan had departed the TARDIS and would stay on Earth, 200 years in the future of the broadcast audience, with her new lover David. A frightening plan of the Daleks, brilliant plot, cliffhangers and resolutions and a beautiful farewell! This serial has always been an all time favourite of mine and it always will be!

Rating: 10/10

The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance

"Logically I should hate to go back to my world and yet I love Earth, I love its beauty and its ugliness, its golden heart and its insanity. Away from it I find that I love and miss everything about it. I mean you should see England, bright and shining one day, musty, damp and foreboding the next. I can't help it Rhythm, my world is an inferior one to yours and yet I still yearn for it, so I must go back."

Writer: Moris Farhi (adapted by Nigel Robinson)
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Lost Stories 2.01b

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

Fragrance is a paradise world - a utopia that the travellers are loathe to leave after a relaxing stay. But the way of life is different here.

And so is the way of love - as Barbara discovers when the Fragile Yellow Arc is broken...

Verdict

The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance is a thing of beauty. I was intrigued that the story began with the TARDIS team ready to leave the planet of Fragrance. It was obvious that the four members had been on this planet for a long time prior to the beginning of the story, somewhat similar to The Romans, and the relationships that had been developed with the planet's inhabitants and the TARDIS members was clearly in great amount; none more than Rhythm's affection for Barbara. The concept of love on the planet was undoubtedly unique and quite beautiful. Once the person reaches maturity - exiting childhood - he/she falls in love thanks to barriers being built. If these were to fall, then the person who'd been left alone would get in a boat, sail, and ultimately become comet-like and ride straight to the sun. To death. Love is a one time thing according to the fundamentals of Fragrance. And before it was established that this was the case, it was interesting why Harmony and Melody were so desperate to see Barbara stay on the planet. Once everything was understood, even Susan wanted Barbara to stay on the planet! The colourful description of Fragrance was stunning but an even more so quote was Barbara describing her love of Earth! We all know that nothing beats home, no matter how good the places you visit are. And Barbara described that perfectly. I really loved the Doctor in this story - so clearly his first incarnation and for once, he showed people his TARDIS. He invited Rhyme and Iamb in and described in great deal how his time machine worked. And it was brilliant how he continued to impress, gleaming with a grin I imagined. The Doctor also seemed to have gained an element that would fix the navigation of the TARDIS, but as we know from numerous (and there's a lot!) of future stories - it seems the Doctor will never quite fix the navigation system of the TARDIS. But would we want it any other way? With Barbara almost being forced to stay, the TARDIS foursome had made their way into the ship unaccompanied but Barbara was told of what would happen to Rhythm if she left. And it seemed for a moment like she wanted to stay. For the first time there was a sign that Ian had feelings for Barbara. He seemed gutted that Barbara was even thinking of staying and even happy that she didn't love Rhythm! However, the Doctor wasn't going to allow her to make a hasty decision and dematerialised which was very typical of the first incarnation. Obviously, he'd made the right call. Barbara though was saddened and as the TARDIS drifted away from Fragrance - she witnessed Rhythm ascend to the sun. And somehow, he told her he loved her. A heartfelt ending to a beautiful Lost Story.

Rating: 9/10

The Transit of Venus

"What use is knowledge, if there are no men to share it?"

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner
Format: Audio
Released: January 2009
Series: Companion Chronicles 3.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

The year is 1770, and daring explorer Captain James Cook and his crew on the Endeavour are navigating the Pacific Ocean.

Into their midst come strangers: the First Doctor and Ian Chesterton, who are believed to have come from Venus. But the TARDIS is lost to them - along with both Susan and Barbara - and Ian makes an enemy of the ship's chief scientist, Joseph Banks.

Why is Banks acting strangely? Could it be that the travellers are not the only visitors from the stars?

Verdict

The Transit of Venus is a magnificent audio adventure and probably the best Companion Chronicle I have listened to yet. I was really looking forward to William Russell's performance and he certainly did not disappoint providing a wonderful narration and a great trip back to the past in rekindling his days of being Ian Chesterton. I also liked his impersonation of the First Doctor. It wasn't accurate, which is a lot to ask, but all the classic traits of William Hartnell were present. The plot was excellent and I really liked the ship setting at sea. When Ian regained consciousness after being knocked out, I didn't quite understand how the place he remembered was Venus, and that led him to claiming he was from there under grogginess, but other than that the story was sensational. Following on directly from The Sensorites, so a little behind in regards to my TV run, but that was no bother at all. The Doctor was determined to leave Ian and Barbara behind wherever they next landed and he did just that as the climax of the TV adventure showed. But with Ian groggy, we were receiving the story from his perspective and that was brilliant. Barbara was gone, and feared dead. But the Doctor had mysteriously boarded the ship, despite his best wishes, and the only thing he recalled was the TARDIS being thrown overboard! Susan was safely on board, but she couldn't survive on her own with a ship of that magnitude! And the mystery and unknowing whether Barbara was safe was fantastic. I really loved the character of Joseph Banks and how, as we'd later learned from Susan's telepathic doing, was telling of things that hadn't even been created or discovered yet! The length of the story (from the story perspective, not length of the CD) was interesting that it was so long, lasting a considerable amount of weeks. With no TARDIS, Susan or Barbara. The many references to superstition at sea of the 1700s was particularly enjoyable. I also was fond of the numerous references to the TARDIS foursome's adventures of Season One up to the point of The Sensorites. Susan still having some kind of telepathic ability following on from her happenings on the Sense Sphere was brilliant. Jacqueline Rayner, a long time favourite writer of mine, produced a script that had a wonderful plot and certainly the First Season feel! A pleasure to listen to.

Rating: 9/10

The Shadow of the Scourge

"And now, here I am. Just when you've got victory in your grasp. Wondering about in front of you without a care in the universe. Obviously I have something up my sleeve. Obviously you're unaware of the trap I've lured you into. I'm what monsters like you are afraid of. So tell me, are you getting scared yet?"

Writer: Paul Cornell
Format: Audio
Released: October 2000
Series: Main Range 13

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice

Synopsis

The Pinehill Crest Hotel in Kent is host to three very different events: a cross-stitch convention, an experiment in time travel and... the summoning of the Scourge.

The Seventh Doctor, Bernice and Ace find themselves dealing with a dead body that has come back to life, a mystical symbol that possesses its host, and a threat from another universe that is ready for every trick the Doctors' got up his sleeve.

This time, has the Doctor gone too far?

Verdict

The Shadow of the Scourge was a very good audio adventure and definitely one that I enjoyed. This was significant from a personal point of view as it was my first every Bernice Summerfield story and before listening I was unsure how she'd be portrayed. I knew quite a bit about the companion from reading about her but I've never read a Virgin New Adventure novel so I didn't know any traits of her. But I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked her and in this was far superior to Ace! I would've liked a little introduction as to who she was, I mean it was her audio debut and not everybody would've known who she was, but it allowed the story to kick into action right away I guess. The plot was very good, despite being a little difficult to follow at small moments, and things were always changing. The Scourge were good villains and the power they had, forcing humans to do as they said just by the power of their voice was excellent. I loved the comparison of how humans, dealing with 4 dimensions, could do as they wished to a world of one dimensional circles. The Scourge dealt in 8 dimensions, so what power did they hold over the humans and Earth? They were coming from a superior universe and could walk the entity of this one in a single move. It was scary how big their power was and that was really good. However, I didn't like their Zarbi-like appearance/description. I've never been a fan of insects in Doctor Who and that can be seen with my low(ish) ratings of The Web Planet and The Ark in Space. The cliffhangers in this audio were fantastic and each one really did work against the TARDIS trio. The relationship between Bernice and Ace was actually very good but in regards to the latter, this audio is a perfect example of why I dislike Ace's character. I was never a fan during her TV run and her aggressive and boyish style just doesn't work for me. The ridiculousness of her encouraging Michael Penbroke to punch her ears, making her deaf, was poor. Yes, it was great in giving her immunity from the Scourge's control, but if your ear drums were burst/broke or what have you, you wouldn't be alright to fight aliens in such a short space of time (literally seconds) now would you? The best part of the audio was by far the moments set inside the Doctor's mind. The description from Bernice, played fantastically by Lisa Bowerman, was outstanding and humorous. But so Doctor. I was particularly intrigued by Bernice's liking of the Eighth Doctor's appearance. With another hint regarding Bernice's liking to this audio's Doctor's future incarnation, it seems a new adventure with that Doctor is on the way. The climax of this story was fantastic and the speeches by both the Doctor and Bernice, in defeating the Scourge by will and convincing those taken over by the aliens to remember what is to be human, to feel hope and love was sensational. The quote I've used at the start of the entry is one I adored. Sylvester McCoy put in a great performance here and showed the emotion of battling for control over your own mind and body marvellously. Overall, a good audio but Ace wasn't great and I disliked how the Scourge took over the human bodies. But the climax and invasion of the Doctor's mind, and most of the plot in general, more than made up for that.

Rating: 8/10

House of Cards

"The Game of Life is my centrepiece attraction."

Writer: Steve Lyons
Format: Audio
Released: February 2013
Series: Companion Chronicles 7.08

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie

Synopsis

The TARDIS has landed in a futuristic space casino, where the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie find fun, games... and monsters everywhere. There are vicious robot dogs, snake-headed gangsters from the Sidewinder Syndicate and a mysterious masked women called Hope.

In this place, time travellers are to be tracked down and arrested. Yet, as events spiral out of control, time may be Polly's only ally...

Verdict

House of Cards was an extremely enjoyable audio adventure! This was packed full of action, fun and a brilliant plot! This story was rather 'Doctor-lite' but that didn't take anything away from it all. Anneke Wills, along with Frazier Hines, put in a majestic performance. She not only revisited her days in the TARDIS as Polly, but her impersonation of Ben was fantastic! Jamie's role was limited compared to that of Polly, but Hines was again excellent - but I expected nothing less. He always puts in a great performance as Jamie. I really liked the setting of a futuristic casino and the Sidewinder Syndicate were slithering and superb. Their voices were like robotic snake slurps and that was really good, it added a cautiousness to them and it was obvious that other species wanted to avoid them. The robotic dogs were interesting and there was a humorous moment with Jamie pulling out an eye from one of the 'metal beasties.' I thought the mystery behind Hope, who turned out to be the actual time travelling culprit hidden in a mask was excellent. But Polly was undoubtedly the stand out character and the things she went through were just sensational! Taken by the Sidewinder Syndicate to the boss, Fortune, she was in trouble. And with the eeriness of Fortune she was very uncomfortable. Faced with the horrific dilemma at the cliffhanger, having to press a button at random which would either save Ben and kill a cowboy she'd recently been acquainted with. In a clever resolution, Polly instead pressed the button of a time dangle and travelled back in time to her recent past and it wonderfully tied everything up. She prevented Ben from borrowing chips on the casino which lead him to being part of the Game of Life. I also loved the reference by Polly in referring to an action of the Doctor, of course in his second incarnation, 'like the old Doctor used to do.' A nice touch to William Hartnell's Doctor. I also loved the Marco Polo reference! Overall, this audio was lots of fun with a great plot and wonderful impersonations of Ben and the Doctor by the amazing Anneke Wills.

Rating: 9/10

Helicon Prime

"I want to tell you about the Doctor and about travelling in the TARDIS. I want to tell you about Mindy Voir, and about Helicon Prime."

Writer: Jake Elliot

Format: Audio

Released: November 2007

Series: Companion Chronicles 2.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie

Synopsis

It's been a long time since Jamie McCrimmon remembered anything about his travels with the Doctor, but his visit to Helicon Prime just won't stay hidden... but why remember their murder investigation now?

Verdict

Helicon Prime was an enjoyable Companion Chronicle but thanks to Frazier Hines' immaculate impersonation of the late Patrick Troughton, it felt like the Second Doctor was back and it was a late '60s adventure! The story itself was good and the murder investigation was filled with some good twists. The comical relationship between the Doctor and Jamie was brilliant throughout and I loved how the Doctor taught his companion to play table-tennis but refused to play once Jamie had got the hang of it and was in winning ways! That was brilliantly typical of the second incarnation of the Time Lord. The reference to Victoria being absent was cleverly done, though it wasn't exactly needed. The story could easily be set before The Evil of the Daleks, but I did like the reference nonetheless. The description of Helicon Prime itself was good and the goings on of the Doctor were humorous. I really liked the character of Mindy and her relationship in the story with Jamie was fantastic. The cliffhanger was really well done but the resolution wasn't exactly difficult to predict. The Ambassador was good and overall so was the story! I look forward to more masterful impressions of Troughton by Hines himself! It really added to the quality of the audio!

Rating: 8/10