The Smugglers

"The distractions... I really thought I was going to be alone again."

Writer: Brian Hayles

Format: TV

Broadcast: 10th September - 1st October 1966

Season: 4.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis 

The TARDIS arrives on the coast of seventeenth century Cornwall - much to the astonishment of Polly and Ben. Pirates led by Captain Samuel Pike and his henchman Cherub are searching for a hidden treasure, while a smuggling ring masterminded by the local squire is trying to offload contraband. 

Verdict 

The Smugglers was a very good serial and was a strong start to both the new fourth season and the first adventure for Polly and Ben in the TARDIS. I must, again, send my upmost thanks to Loose Cannon for creating the brilliant reconstruction of all four missing episodes of this lost serial! Without them I wouldn't have been able to fully visualise the story as it was intended. And a good one it was! Following straight on from The War Machines where Polly and Ben enter the TARDIS, the reaction of the Doctor was very good! He was at first shocked and displeased but because they'd been of such good help in fighting WOTAN, he soon accepted their presence as companions and explained how things and life in the TARDIS worked. It was intriguing how Polly and Ben, two companions associated together like Ian and Barbara, had very different thoughts. Granted they'd only met each other for the first time in the last serial but the differences were clear here, and I think that's exactly how it should be. Ben took his time to believe that the Doctor in fact had a time machine at his disposal and after arrival in Cornwall Polly didn't question the Doctor whilst Ben remained skeptical. I was very intrigued at the Doctor's comment of how he thought he was going to be alone "again." Not since An Unearthly Child has he not had a companion and after it was implied he left his home planet with Susan, just when exactly has the First Doctor travelled alone? I'll believe what he said though! I did like how he intended to travel places alone but surely even he, despite his stubbornness, knew he needed people with him and I think he realised that in this story. Polly and Ben were ideal companions! I loved the humour portrayed by the Doctor when his new acquisitions thought they could easily be returned to 1966. It's not so simple in the early days of the TARDIS! The murder of churchwarden Longfoot was a good focal point for much of the story and I was surprised an incident of such significance occurred as early as it did. The conspiracy behind it and the accusations against Polly and Ben, and also the Doctor! The references to Captain Avery and his treasure were good and I liked how in turn, as this was my first viewing of the serial, this became a loose prequel to The Curse of the Black Spot! The 17th century Cornwall setting was fantastic but I think the plot could have had an extra oomph of pace. Episode two in particular was a bit slow. The violence and bloodshed in this serial was actually terrific and at times you do need to get bloody in Doctor Who! It's not all fun and games. I liked the smuggling that was occuring and it allowed us many guest cast who were mostly very good! Cherub and Squire the standouts. I was surprised that Polly was mistaken as a "lad" for all of this story. I don't care what place or time period you're in, how can you fail to recognise the beauty Polly has in abundance? Her luscious looks, beautifully blonde hair and superb sense of humour have already cemented her place as a wonderful companion. Ben was good as the cockney sailor here and somehow fitted into the time period and location! The plot itself was good but could have been paced a bit more efficiently. But Polly was a shining light and for the first time I noticed how old the Doctor was being a problem. Still, a great start to the season! 

Rating: 8/10

The War Machines

"Machines cannot govern man."

Writer: Ian Stuart Black

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25th June - 16th July 1966

Season: 3.10

Featuring: First Doctor, Dodo, Polly, Ben

Synopsis 

The TARDIS arrives in London, 1966, where the Doctor and Dodo visit the recently opened Post Office Tower. At its top they discover a brilliant new problem-solving computer - the Will Operating Thought ANalogue. 

But when WOTAN decides that it should rule the world, the Doctor is the only person who can stop the rampaging War Machines from destroying London. Luckily, he has the help of a young secretary called Polly and a sailor called Ben...

Verdict 

The War Machines is a wonderful serial and is a favourite classic of mine. It holds a special place in my heart as it was one of my first classic stories and only my second ever William Hartnell serial and watching it again today has brought back my original thoughts some years ago and now I've matured I could appreciate the story aspects a lot more. It was brilliant to have a 'present day' setting, even if now it's 48 years ago, the premise remains. It was home for Dodo so I still got the feel of a present setting. After Steven's emotional departure in The Savages, it seemed quite sad that he didn't make this trip. It was perfect for him! But with Dodo leaving and a big cast shake up occurring, planning on what's to come, the introduction of Polly and Ben was flawless. What better way to introduce the new companions to the viewer than in a city and time they live in? The landmarks of the story worked excellently with the Post Office Tower and Covent Garden the obvious standouts. I adored how immediately upon arrival the Doctor felt something alien about the new building. The same feeling he got when the Daleks were around. Beautiful. WOTAN was a terrific villain and the concept, in the 1960s, of a computer that can think for itself and know absolutely everything (including what TARDIS is an acronym for!) was superb! Dodo's role in the story, well the first two parts, was actually really good. The hypnotism worked well and if you're going with that angle then the Doctor has to be a bit gullible, and with the first incarnation it's probably the easiest to portray the gullibility. The guest cast were all very strong and I really liked Sir Charles, Professor Brett and Major Green. A fabulous trio, not that they worked together in the serial, far from it! But for me the highlights of this serial were the Doctor, Polly and the War Machines. William Hartnell's performance was absolutely brilliant. For the first time the Doctor was involved with present day occurrences and everyday life. Something he was involved in made the news and was discussed at 10 Downing St. The meddling on Earth has begun... And then there was Polly who from the get go was immediately likeable. Smart, stunning and dazzlingly blonde! Her humour in cheering up Ben in the Inferno nightclub was lovely and throughout she was just a joy. She's going to make an outstanding companion! The War Machines, who the story is named after, looked very impressive and their concept was excellent too. Their destructive abilities were awesome and the fact that they were easily manipulated by the Doctor highlighted how great our hero is! The way the Doctor manipulated a War Machine against WOTAN, the nucleus of the constructed machines, was tremendous! A fantastic climax to a terrific story. I do love this story but the way the departure of Dodo was dealt with is what prevents this story from getting full marks from me. Yes, she hadn't been travelling for too long and her look and accent was always changing, but she had a lovely relationship with Steven and was companion for her fair share of adventures! She deserved a much better sendoff than simply disappearing with a message via Polly. But her departure allowed for Polly and Ben, two characters who'd been intelligently introduced, to board the TARDIS and become companions. I look very forward to their adventures! 

Rating: 9/10

Golden Age

"We're taking the whole Earth back to 1924. We're going to start all over again!"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Broadcast: 2nd July 2009

Series: BBC Radio #3

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto

Synopsis 

On the trail of a dangerous energy field, Torchwood are led to Delhi. There they witness the simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people, and Jack discovers that the field centres on an old colonial mansion - Torchwood India.

Jack is shocked to find that Torchwood India is still going strong - he shut it down himself over 80 years ago. He's even more surprised to find that its members, including his old flame the Duchess, haven't aged a day.

What is the secret of their eternal youth, and how is it linked to the deadly energy field? The team must find out - and they haven't a moment to lose, for all the time the field is expanding...

Verdict 

Golden Age was a very good Torchwood story and thus far with this following Lost Souls and Asylum, I'm enjoying the audio format for the superb spinoff. The setting for this story was brilliant with India and just highlighted how terrific the audio format is as I think this would have been rather difficult to portray on television due to the location variety. I loved the idea of an Indian Torchwood team especially with the added twist that this was the team from 1924 of which no members have aged in the 85 years since. The Duchess was a wonderful character and her history with Jack was tremendous. I love how despite Jack appearing alongside the Ninth and Tenth Doctor on more than one occassion and two full series of Torchwood, the spinoff he's the main character of, we still don't actually know that much about him. Yet he's ever so familiar. Gwen and Ianto didn't have as great a role in this story as I would've liked but in turn that allowed Jack and Eleanor's relationship to be explored further which was fantastic. I was pleasantly shocked to find out that she was an old flame of Jack's. It just didn't seem right that he'd had a significant relationship with a women! Now, it's clear in the first two TV series' of Torchwood that Jack has feelings for Gwen but with his fun with Ianto a relationship never could, or should, occur. I think this audio highlighted how good the character of Captain Jack Harkness is, he can never die and so has lived for centuries which gives massive potential. Even without Torchwood, a story of his could be told. Hell, one depicting how he shutdown Torchwood India in 1924 would be an awesome start. I really liked the Tooth and Claw reference and it's strange to think how significant that TV story is. It was just a filler episode really paving the beginning of things to come for the season finale but it escalated into the origin of a whole spinoff! I also liked the Yeti reference that cropped up in this audio, definitely unexpected! The plot of Torchwood India, led by Eleanor, was particularly interesting as she seemed to spike revenge on those who broke up the Empire 85 years prior to the story's setting of 2009. Can she really be angry at natural expansion and progression? The bubble idea of which preserved the Indian Torchwood's dewatered and age was really good, however I would have liked a more clear explanation. The overall plot was good as I said but I think the lengthy absence of Gwen and Ianto hurt things a tad, especially as the climax could have been more intense and climatic. But still, overall it was a very enjoyable audio!

Rating: 8/10

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

"That is not your concern. Your job, Nurse Pond, is to tidy away the effects of the deceased."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 10th March 2011

Printed in: DWM 432

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

Amy dons a nurse's outfit as she and the Doctor investigate a series of mysterious disappearances at an old folks' home. But what lurks in the laundry closet? And who are the faceless children who come visiting after dark?

Verdict 

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night was a brilliant comic strip adventure! Despite it only being one part long it managed to a significant amount and also cause intrigue into the ongoing comic strip arc. The title, which I thought was strangely long, fitted really well with the plot. The Doctor was utterly brilliant in his one sided conversation with Miss Bruce! Exactly how I would imagine Matt Smith donning the speech of answering his own questions. He knew he had the right person but was going to give her chance to lie anyway! The Doctor wasn't happy about what Fiona was upto, the elderly deserve the upmost respect! You can't just do what you like with them and their bodies! The horror of holding a funeral ceremony with an empty casket was just outrageous. A complete lack of any shred of dignity. Amy was also absolutely wonderful in this story! In comic strip format, the art was superb as in her incredibly appealing nurse's outfit she just looked staggeringly hot! This comic strip should have been adapted just to see Karen Gillan in the outfit with her luscious red hair making her even more beautiful. The idea of a children perception filter to the local fauna was very intriguing and the plan of the Vorlax Regeneration Drone was of extreme interest. Just as the elderly died their consciousness was transferred into a child clone of themselves! Now that's rather unique I would say! I don't know if I'm right but the little incident with Margaret and the TARDIS was so easy to miss but I spotted it and was very intrigued. Was she swallowed up by the TARDIS?! I guess if that's true then I'll find out the impact in future comics. The fact that the elderly chose to become young again on an alien planet was lovely and I thought it was uncharacteristic, and ironic, that the Doctor was letting them cheat death. Even if the excuse to all the  disappearances was pretty poor! But overall, for a short story it was tremendous! 

Rating: 9/10

The Screams of Death

"Blimey... talk about tonsil tennis! Nothing holds back you French, does it?"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 13th January 2011

Printed in: DWM 430-431

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Amy for a visit to the opera in Paris, 1858, where young women become magnificent singers under the tutoring of Monsieur Valdemar. In the shadows, screams mean only one thing - death.

Verdict 

The Screams of Death was a very good comic strip and I really was pleased with the representation of the 11th Doctor and Amy, they were exactly how they were on television which was terrific! The previous stories for this Doctor's incarnation, which I have been reading in The Child of Time graphic novel, didn't quite grasp the pairing as they were seen on TV. However, it seems things have taken a good turn now with this comic strip which was very good. The French 16th century setting was wonderful especially as it was during the Second Empire and with it the opera. An operatic theme was very intriguing and adding the danger of death to the opera singers' voices made it even better! Amy was my favourite part of this story I think and I loved how she played "tonsil tennis" with a French women, even if it was without her consent. Amy's ability to pick handcuffs was fantastic and when questioned on her acquired knowledge I love that we see Amy has a kinky side to her! She'd gotten a bit adventurous with handcuffs it seemed. Amy Pond definitely is the most sexually innuendoes companion there's been with her introduction in that infamous police attire and her immediate flirting with the Doctor when she entered the TARDIS. Hell, she and Rory even created River Song on board the TARDIS! And all her brilliant qualities were on display in this story. The reference to The Vampires of Venice was very good and cleverly placed. I liked Monsieur Valdemar as villain and his plan was fantastic! Sentenced to death in the future, miraculously escaped and in doing so decided to plot against those who convicted him from ever being born! A frightening plan but one very fitting for an excellent villain. I liked the cliffhanger but the resolution was extremely poor sadly. The major let down of this comic story. Jonathan Morris just seems to be a bit of a clumsy writer. His stories are very good and the ideas are certainly there but when you don't explain how the villain escaped death and travelled back in time, well, a mark or two will certainly be lost on my rating (Not that he'll be reading this post!). Cosette was a good character, well the backdrop to her, as for  the majority of this comic she was controlled by Valdemar and was contaminated with all that icky green stuff used to determine DNA. But the revelation at the climax that she was in fact Chiyoko, the mysterious girl we saw in The Golden Ones, was tremendous! Just who is the Japanese girl and why and how is she following the Doctor and Amy wherever they may go. Overall, a decent plot with great ideas and they were played out very well to be fair. The climax was excellent with the Doctor using the trusty sonic to cancel out the control with the help of the giant bell but there were just a few clumsy elements. 

Rating: 8/10

The Shakespeare Code

"Made me question everything, the futility of this fleeting existence, to be or not to be."

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7th April 2007

Series: 3.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

As a reward for her help in tackling the Judoon, Martha Jones gets a trip in the TARDIS and the Doctor takes her to 1599 England. After viewing a performance of Shakespeare's latest play, the time travellers are beset by apparent sorcery. Under threat of annihilation from a species from the Dark Times, the TARDIS team have to establish whether there is a connection between a witch they've met and Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Won - a play that was legendarily lost to time. 

Verdict 

The Shakespeare Code is a brilliant episode and has continued the magnificent start to the third series of the revived Doctor Who. With the big casting change that occurred in Doomsday with the departure of popular companion Rose, this series needed to begin strong for Martha's introduction, and with this episode following the fantastic Smith and Jones, I haven't been disappointed as of yet. The 1599 setting was superb with the Globe Theatre having just opened and after a glimpse of the genius playwright in The Chase, Shakespeare finally had a full television story appearance. I thought he was portrayed terrifically and you could just tell he oozed literary intelligence. His affection of Martha backed up by his racist comments were a highlight. Martha's first trip into the past in the TARDIS and she gets hit on by William Shakespeare! Not a shabby start. However, I felt so sorry for the new companion in this episode! The Doctor was still obviously mourning the departure of Rose in a strong way and the scene where the Doctor and Martha were lying on the bed and the Doctor just said Rose would know what to do and called Martha a novice, I felt so sorry for her! The attire of Martha was somewhat questionable I thought, she needs something more recognisable than jeans, a vest top and a leather jacket! The way the Doctor derived the Carrionite's 'witchcraft' into simple science was marvellous. So utterly Doctor. I loved how he dismissed the existence of magic! The fact that he compared the human race to using mathematics to split the atom as our methods of advancement to the way the Carrionites used words was wonderful. What a uniquely superb concept! Words certainly do have power. I liked the idea that the Carrionites influenced the architecture of the Globe Theatre to suit their energy converter, which the Doctor worked out after a delay. The fact that this story depicted the Whoniverse's take on the disappearance of Love's Labour's Won, the historically missing play of Shakespeare was fantastic! I liked how all the scripts of the play were trapped with the Carrionites in the crystal ball which the Doctor would keep handy. Lilith was a beautiful witch (when in her human form) and it's clear why anyone would be seduced by her! Mother Doomfinger and Bloodtide were very intriguing witches and with the power the Carrionites had, despite being trapped by the Eternals, a species I'd like the Doctor to meet, I do wonder whether they had an influence on the word and myth of witches. The plot itself was superb and the way it was resolved by the words of Shakespeare (and a little from J.K. Rowling!) was extremely fitting. I also liked how Shakespeare worked out that Freedonia was basically the future. Shakespeare had worked out the Doctor. The constant throw ins of quotes from Shakespeare's plays was brilliant and added great comedic value to a tremendous episode! The Doctor failed his TARDIS flying lesson, no surprise there! The climax with Elizabeth I was excellent and I liked how all isn't revealed until the Matt Smith era with The Day of the Doctor. Very good! 

Rating: 9/10

Mission to Magnus

"Doctor, you have thwarted our plans before, have you not?"

Writer: Philip Martin

Format: Audio

Released: December 2009

Series: Lost Stories 1.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Peri face enemies at every turn on the planet Magnus. There's the Time Lord bully Anzor, who made the Doctor's life hell during his time at the Academy. There's also Rana Zandusia, the matriarchal ruler of the planet, who seeks to prise the secret of time travel from these alien visitors. Also on Magnus is the slug-like Sil, still bitter from his defeat on the planet Varos and seeking to make his fortune from the most potentially destructive ends. And, deep within the planet, there is something else. Another old enemy of the Doctor's. And the future is looking decidedly colder...

Verdict

Mission to Magnus was a tremendous audio adventure! A brilliant plot, three major villains of which two were making returns and the wonderful pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Peri. I loved the audacity of Philip Martin to submit a script of such villain volume! Not only do you have the devious Sil and the major return of the Ice Warriors, but a brand new Time Lord enemy is also introduced in the form of Anzor! I loved the backdrop of the new Gallifreyan enemy and I was extremely intrigued that even in the Time Lord academies school bullying occurred. And the Doctor was a victim! I suppose it's not a surprise as how many times has our hero seemed so different and minuscule in the presence of other Time Lords? The War Games and The Infinity Doctors come to mind. I was intrigued how this story almost seemed split into three sections spreading across the two parts. Anzor dominated the first third with his continued intimidation of the Doctor causing the TARDIS to be stuck in a force field on Magnus. I loved how Peri was shocked and outraged at how easily the Doctor gave in to Anzor. She'd seen him defeat Cybermen, Daleks and the Master but a different Time Lord and the Doctor so easily gave up? That wasn't the Doctor we know, especially in this incarnation! Once the Doctor had expertly dealt with Anzor, Sil along with the dominating women of Magnus lead by Rana were next on the agenda. Sil was tremendous in this audio and just seemed like a great nuisance. His lack of loyalty was brilliant and I liked how he'd bargained with Rana and the Ice Warriors, as the Doctor pointed out he strives to back both sides against the middle. Sil and the women were ever present and the fact that Rana constructed a TARDIS key to the Doctor's type-40 on the basis of mathematics was special. Never has that been attempted! Superb. But it was tremendous how the Doctor anticipated their entry and even the TARDIS was working against the intruders. The arrival of the Ice Warriors could have been a little more astounding but I guess the intention on television would have made it very grand! I'm a big fan of the Ice Warriors when they have evil intentions like in The Ice Warriors and The Seeds of Death, but I despise them when they're 'good' like in The Curse of Peladon and Red Dawn. And in this audio, I wasn't disappointed! The magnificent Martians were back to their very best and with Mars heating they were in need of a cold planet to be their new home. So they'd ventured to Magnus and planned a chain of explosions to shift the planet entirely off its axis and propel it away from the sun! Staggeringly good! The Ice Warriors, at the command of the Grand Marshall, were destroying a planet to create a perpetual winter. Now that's the kind of plan I want to see the Ice Warriors engaged with! The sexist theme against women in this audio was very intriguing and I wonder how it would have been accepted by the 1980s television audience this story was intended for. Vion was a good young character and I liked how he aided the Doctor and Peri rather significantly at the age of just 10! Once all was settled and the Doctor had sent Anzor to the beginning of time, left Sil on his own and reverted Magnus' axis back to normal rendering the Ice Warriors to death due to the heat, the sexual innuendo between the men captured by the Ice Warriors and Rana and her women was terrific. Overall, an excellent story but I didn't see why Anzor had to briefly return at the end, even if he was dealt with rather early in the story.

Rating: 9/10

The Nightmare Fair

"I detest caging even the wildest beast, Toymaker, but for you there is no other answer."

Writer: Graham Williams

Format: Audio

Released: November 2009

Series: Lost Stories 1.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has been drawn to Blackpool in the year 1985, where the Doctor intends to investigate a dangerous space/time vortex... while enjoying some local attractions along the way. But an old enemy is watching from his base deep within the amusement park, a timeless being who craves revenge. 

The Celestial Toymaker has returned. The game is on. And, should he lose, the Doctor will pay the ultimate forfeit...

Verdict 

The Nightmare Fun was a good, dangerous and intriguing audio adventure. It kicks off the Lost Stories range in style and I'm glad that the Doctor's promise to Peri at the end of Revelation of the Daleks is fulfilled here with a visit to Blackpool. The start of the story was fun with the Doctor and Peri overlooking the famous seaside town from the landmark that is Blackpool Tower. As the Doctor states, you can't visit Blackpool without going up the tower! I enjoyed the location as during my youth I often holidayed in Blackpool with my grandparents so the descriptions and depictions of the golden mile, the pleasure beach and the tower were terrific. But now let's get to the major talking point of this audio - the return of the Celestial Toymaker. David Baile did a good job but at first I was a bit skeptical as the voice and persona of the character, last seen encountering the First Doctor in The Celestial Toymaker, was much changed. But then as the story unfolded the change was reasoned for fantastically. I loved the idea of the Toymaker having waited for and aged millions of years to get revenge on the Doctor after his first incarnation defeated him. The revelation regarding the Toymaker was a big shock. He was from a whole other universe, a completely different space-time! So the laws of this universe didn't apply, similarly to Omega and anti-matter, to the Toymaker so his power source was revealed. I liked the Doctor's dismay at the Time Lords for not completing their research on the Toymaker as he was around long before them! Had they found out about the Toymaker's origins then things might have been a bit easier for the Doctor during the pair's encounters. Peri was wonderful in this story, as always. I really love her as a companion and she's absolutely perfect for the Sixth Doctor. She's a hundred times better than the boring Evelyn and is considerably better than Mel with the Sixth Doctor. I really like Mel but I think she suits the Seventh Doctor much more efficiently. The Blackpool, predominately Pleasure Beach, setting was very good although I don't think it was as perfect for the Toymaker as you might think. We've seen the Toymaker be famous for playing games (dice, backgammon and the trilogic game etc.) but is an amusement park really the place for him? I wasn't convinced. The galactic ride was a good name to cover up the Toymaker's new domain however and I liked how the Doctor and Peri were split up. Kevin was a very good character and I liked the time he spent with Peri and the relationship that grew between them during the story. The scenes where Kevin had been replaced by a holographic doppelgänger were tremendous! The cliffhanger of the story was pretty good with the Doctor, despite being ahead in victories over the Toymaker, agreed to partake in the ultimate game. Yet, the so called 'ultimate game' was a bit of a let down, it was just your basic arcade game! And the Doctor won with no trouble really. A little bit of an anti-climax. That was the trouble with the audio. However, the rest was superb and the scenes in the cell with a holographic wall and door were very good. The Doctor was using bits from a portable games console and an android to get rid of the hologram which was intriguing. Stefan proved to be a good henchman of sorts to the Toymaker and I liked how his specialty was backgammon. I really liked the clever references to City of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang and I adored the Jamie reference also! The anger shown by the Doctor here was bloody brilliant and he was disgusted with the Toymaker's actions of keeping people as basically his slave for hundreds of years just because they lost one game. But then that disgust turned to pity. He worked out who the Toymaker was and how his universe was receding which meant he had lived for millions of years and would live for millions more. He'd come to Earth, long before the Roman war games, waiting for the Doctor. But the Doctor was angry and sorry as he trapped the Toymaker in a holographic cell that was powered by his own thoughts on a loop. As long as the Toymaker was alive, the looped cell would remain. He was powering his own defeat. Sensational by the Doctor! Overall, a good plot with little ifs and buts, but a whole lot of good to compensate! I only think there's so much you can do with the Celestial Toymaker and with him appearing in two other unexplored audios, I think his recurrence should end there otherwise the quality of the villain could become stale. 

Rating: 8/10

Primeval

"Evil is relative."

Writer: Lance Parkin

Format: Audio

Released: November 2001

Series: Main Range 26

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

Nyssa will die at dawn, and the Doctor doesn't even know why.

To save her life, he must make a desperate journey to the only place in the universe where a cure might exist to heal her. 

When even that fails, the Doctor has a choice - let Nyssa die, or make a deal with the devil. 

After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions...

Verdict 

Primeval was a very good audio story and I really liked how it explored the history of Traken, a well known planet in the Whoniverse. Famous for the Master gaining a new body from there, for it being Nyssa's home planet and for it being destroyed. I liked the start of the audio with Nyssa on death's door, that's not what you expect just seconds into the story! The setting of Traken was wonderful and even more so with it being set in the past, as it had to be obviously, sometime before the events of The Keeper of Traken. The exploration of the Traken Union was really good and I just liked the knowledge that was fed to us about the history of the 'perfect' planet. I admired how the Doctor refused to believe the society was perfect as it had the death penalty and that perfection should just be something strived for, never achieved. Nyssa was great as always and the more audios I listen to her in the more I'm liking her (not that I didn't like her in the first place, I think she's terrific!). I've noticed with the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa pairings that the atmosphere always seems to be similar, which is a good thing. I found it not too dissimilar to that of The Land of the Dead and Winter for the Adept. Kwundaar was a really intriguing figure! I didn't like his voice as at times it was a little difficult to hear what he was fully saying, but overall I did like the character. The way his followers worshipped him unquestionable was particularly intriguing! Does religion exist in a perfect society? Are there really gods? I would argue not. Shayla was a good character also and I liked her a lot. The other guest cast were great also with Anona and Sabian standing out. I found it particularly intriguing that Traken had a space port! The history of the source was a magnificent part of the story and I liked the revelation regarding how it was Kwundaar who created the source and was then overpowered from it. The simplicity in how he tricked the Doctor into blacking out Traken's sun was brilliant! The reference to Nyssa's attire after swimming was quite comical and I thought it was hilarious that the Doctor still managed to keep on his attire. It's quite rare that we'll see the Doctor out of familiar clothing! The way the Doctor defeated Kwundaar was very clever and the climax was great. I was intrigued to have a setting on Traken with no Keeper, but I think it's quite fitting that the Doctor was there when the first Keeper was established! I was quite surprised by the Doctor when he seemed to be edging towards leaving Nyssa behind to remain on her home planet, but she declined. She was moving forward not going back and I admired that. 

Rating: 8/10

The Savages

"Do you not realise that all progress is based on exploitation?"

Writer: Ian Stuart Black

Format: Audio

Broadcast: 28th May - 18th June 1966

Season: 3.09

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has arrived on a far-distant and seemingly idyllic world. Yet the Doctor, Steven and Dodo learn it hides a terrible secret: the apparently civilised Elders maintain their advanced soviet by draining and transferring to themselves the life-force of the defenceless savages. 

Verdict 

The Savages was a brilliant serial and served as a fantastic farewell to Steven! Significant for it being the first TV story to acquire an umbrella title on screen for all the episodes contributing to a story, I'm surprised it took them nearly three years to do so. The beginning of the first episode, after the lead in from The Gunfighters, was very intriguing. The Doctor was utterly convinced that the TARDIS had landed in an age of peace and prosperity in the far future. But upon arrival it was reminiscent of An Unearthly Child with humans seen in animal skins and using weapons such as spears. Could this really be the future? The arrival of the city guards confirmed that the Doctor was right and from the get go I was delved into the story with mighty intrigue. If the Doctor was right, which seemed so, about them being in a peaceful future then why were there savages? As the story unfolded the awful truth was revealed. But before that I really liked how the Doctor was honoured by the city elders. I loved the fact that they had tracked the TARDIS through time and space for many a year and had even estimated his arrival! This was definitely an advanced society, which made the nearby savages all the more questionable. Dodo was terrific in this story and after an edgy start she's more than at home as companion and her relationship with Steven has made her run fantastic so far! The guest cast in this serial were very good. Chal, Jano and Nanina particularly stood out for me. The scenes in episode three where it seemed momentarily that Jano had mentally switched places with the Doctor were very good! I was pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by such an occurrence. However, the fact that Jano had just absorbed some of the Doctor's thinking which provided the story's resolution was still superb! Avon and Flower, two very clever names, were magnificent characters and the aura they brought really was unique! The conflict between the Elders & city natives and the savages was a great focal point for the story and naturally the TARDIS trio sided with the savages. Their treatment was horrific! The elders using them simply as a source of energy for themselves and scientific advancement was just awful. The horror displayed by the Doctor was terrific and so brilliantly typical of our hero. Outrage is an understatement! I admired how the Doctor, when prompted by Dodo to return to the TARDIS and leave safely, refused to leave the savages to be continually undermined. And so he took on a plan and with the help of Jano the influence and machinery that was the source of power was demolished. The Doctor took great pleasure in destroying something evil which was very good to see! The farewell to Steven was a lovely moment. He would stay to be a mediator between the savages and elders and restore the planet to democracy and equality. I really liked how the Doctor took pride in Steven's decision to stay. He'd come a long way on his travels with the Doctor. A brilliant companion who will be missed! 

Rating: 9/10

The Gunfighters

"You can't walk into the middle of a western town and say you're from outer space!"

Writer: Donald Cotton

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30th April - 21st May 1966

Season: 3.08

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo 

Synopsis 

Arriving in the town of Tombstone, the Doctor, Steven and Dodo find themselves involved with the gunmen out to kill Doc Holliday...

Verdict 

Ahh so I've come to The Gunfighters. My least favourite classic serial ever and after this viewing my opinion has not changed. For the majority of the story it was pretty boring. The plot isn't disastrous and actually kind of works well but it just didn't entertain me at all. I didn't like the follow on from the ending of The Celestial Toymaker with the deadly thought of the Doctor suffering from the sweet from the Toymaker's domain but in fact it was just toothace. Ridiculous. The fact that the Doctor had no means of relieving the pain of toothache was something that I refused to believe was true! I think, or at least I've convinced myself, that it was the curiosity of the Time Lord to explore is why we got to see scenes outside of the TARDIS. The setting was dire. I really don't see the appeal of the Wild West. Cowboys and violence and no abidance to law? What's so good about that? I think the Wild West  is a big reason why I so disliked this story along with Back to the Future III. The guest cast were actually very good and I really liked Doc Holliday. A saviour of some sorts. The Clanton brothers were not favourites of mine but then I did like Charley the barman. The cliffhangers were really mixed with episode two's making up for the poor endings of episodes one and three. Overall, this serial was difficult to get through after the halfway point. The first two parts were okay with some humour and kind of decent outlays of a plot. The song did my head in. 'The ballad of the last chance saloon' is a song I never ever want to hear again! It drove me nuts throughout the serial and it was used way too much. There's overkill and then there's what occurred here. For every brief interval or major scene location change, the song was played! I think we knew what was happening and didn't need a terrible song's lyrics telling us. Johnny Ringo wasn't the best historical figure ever to have. For the first American set Doctor Who story I think there's plenty of better figures to base a story around, and even name after, than Johnny Ringo. The 'Doctor Who' name reference throw in was a brilliant few seconds. Effortlessly and subtly ignored yet referenced by the Doctor. I thought Steven was pretty poor in this serial which was a let down as he's been very good since entering the fray in The Chase. A changing accent and being pretty useless. However, Dodo was again very good here! I really liked how she stood up for herself against Doc Holliday and threatened him at gunpoint to return her to Tombstone. The sheriff was good but again, the plot just didn't work for me. It all lead to an anti climax with a poor gunfight ending that should have been more action packed and dramatic. The hasty departure of the Doctor and co just showed that this serial wasn't great at all. The low viewing figures and audience appreciation scores don't lie. A big let down sadly. I now look very forward to what I hope is a big improvement with The Savages which was lead into very intriguingly and not too dissimilar to the very first cliffhanger, way back in An Unearthly Child. It has to be better than this serial, which I feel I have awarded generously too. 

Rating: 5/10

Smith and Jones

"Have you seen? There are these... things. These... great, big space rhino things! I mean rhinos from space! And we're on the moon! Great big space rhinos, with guns, on the moon!

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: Audio

Broadcast: 31st March 2007

Series: 3.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

Just when it seemed it would be yet another chaotic day managing her family's disputes, Martha Jones finds trouble waiting for her at work. Trapped on the Moon with space rhinos looking for a criminal and the air running out, she will have to come to trust a seemingly mad stranger calling himself the Doctor. But can the man who claims to be an alien save the day before the air runs out?

Verdict 

Welcome aboard Martha Jones! Smith and Jones was a tremendous debut for the new, beautiful companion. Not that I'm complaining with RTD, but he sure does pick staggeringly beautiful women to fill the companion role. First we had the stunning Billie Piper and now we have the lovely Freema Agyeman. Smart, sexy and sophisticated. What more do you want from your new companion? Her arrival was extremely clever as within the first couple of minutes, all at once, we were introduced to Martha's entire immediate family. Her split up parents and her two siblings. I admired the simple brilliance and effectiveness of it. The hospital setting, let alone what was on the outside, was fantastic! The Doctor admitting himself in was tremendous and David Tennant was at his very best here. Quirky, funny and flirtatious. The scene where he'd absorbed the radiation into his shoe didn't seem necessary but the comedic value was very much welcomed. The early relationship between the Doctor and Martha was excellent throughout, as one might expect from the episode title. I thought the Judoon were superb and the idea of galactic policemen is so simple yet so good! Although I was surprised to find out they looked like rhinos. The assimilation and scanning process was intriguing and I liked the danger it posed to the Doctor. The Judoon were looking for a non human and that was bad news for the Doctor! He wasn't the criminal of course, that was the Plasmavore in human, internally, disguise. An old lady as the antagonist might fail miserably on paper but placing her alongside the Slabs and giving her the straw accessory made it succeed very well! My only problem with the episode was the fact that the Judoon didn't have their scaners on the highest possible setting. If you took the effort to use a H2O scoop to transport a hospital to the moon, surely you'd put your scanners to maximum effectiveness? Anyway, there was still plenty of good to overshadow the one negative. The scene in the MRI room where the Doctor acted dumb and as human was just staggeringly good! Sublime from Tennant. And so Doctor in giving his life to ensure the Plasmavore didn't register as human. After the kiss that meant 'nothing', Martha was on a role in saving the day and ultimately sentencing the Plasmavore to her execution. She rescued the Doctor's life and without his sonic screwdriver, adding to the humour, he still managed to save the Earth. The fact that it was raining on the moon at the end was lovely, all was well. I particularly liked how the Doctor wanted to reward Martha for helping him. Still clearly missing Rose, he promised his new associate one trip. But, would that ever work? He'd immediately grown fond of Martha in the hospital, gave her a hell of a kiss and then travelled through time to thank her. It seems she'll be sticking around a lot longer. The birth of a terrific TARDIS pairing in a great episode to open series three! 

Rating: 9/10

Father's Day

"I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly."

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: TV

Broadcast: 14th May 2005

Series: 1.08

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis 

Peter Alan Tyler, the father of Rose and husband of Jackie, died on November 7th 1987, the day of Stuart Hoskins and Sarah Clark's wedding. Rose was just a bang at the time, Jackie told the young Rose that nobody was there for Pete when he died and that the hit-and-run driver was never found...

Now grown up, Rose asks the Doctor to take her to see him alive, but on a whim, ends up changing his fate, not realising the consequences of such a paradox. After all, the Doctor has saved so many lives... what could the real consequences be over a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before?

Verdict 

Like much of Doctor Who's first season following the revival, Father's Day is a bit of a mixed bag. There's plenty of good things and sadly, there're some negatives which being its rating down to the mark I have awarded. The idea is brilliant on paper but it wasn't executed as brilliantly as it could have been. I loved how the Doctor granted Rose her wish of seeing Pete, her father whom she had no memory of, on the day he died. He was more than happy to help Rose gain her wish of not letting her Dad die alone. But she was, understandably, letting emotions get in her way. She just stood and watched her father die first time around and I was very surprised the Doctor gave her another chance to rectify the situation, in turn cancelling out his past self. The fact that there were two sets of the TARDIS pairing was very intriguing and I'd have loved for them to just meet for a brief conversation. I don't see any reason why that couldn't have been thrown in. The anger of the Doctor at Rose's actions was staggeringly good and showed Christopher Eccleston at his highest heights of brilliance as the Ninth Doctor. A scorned look. He'd seen his planet decimated but the one person he'd trusted the most had gone against his number one rule. History cannot be changed. The concept of the Reapers was very good, consuming everything in sight where time had gone wrong. But I really didn't approve of how they weren't referenced by name in the episode. How can you not name the enemies of a story?! A big no. I also disliked how they were obviously prancing about the sky preying for their victims, yet seemed to go unnoticed. Upon their arrival, they were pretty darn hard to miss! The highlight of the episode was obviously the relationship between Rose and Pete. I loved how he immediately trusted his daughter, all grown up, despite not knowing the truth and inadvertently hitting on her. Rose's reaction to that was particularly amusing. Jackie was terrific in this episode and despite the production team failing to make her look 18 years younger, the relationship between her and Pete was nothing like Rose had imagined. Bickering, conflict and argument. That's certainly not the recipe for a successful relationship! Once all was made up though the emotional forgiveness was lovely. I liked the idea of an older building being stronger than anything built new but I didn't quite buy into the fact that the 'unstoppable' Reapers could be thwarted by a church. It would only be a maximum of 1,000 years old and for the Reapers, is that really a lot? The scene where the Doctor entered the TARDIS to find it was just an ordinary telephone box was terrific. Imagine the horror he was thinking! His previous TARDIS was just a box. The Reaper engulfment of the Doctor was a big shock which is always good. Just how would things be resolved with the Doctor no more? Pete knew the answer. He'd worked it out. He had to die. I was surprised that the Doctor was planning on fixing the time distortion of the Reapers by ridding them yet keeping history changed. It was clear the Time War had a massive burden on his back and Rose was the shining light he'd needed. He was so pleased to have a friend like her, and although that wasn't explicitly stated/referenced, it was wonderful to see it shine through. The climax was good with Pete dying after running out in front of the car. The production error of the car coming from one direction at the beginning of the episode and then another at the end was obviously disappointing. But I liked how Rose went to him at his death. The Doctor was back and everything was restored. History remained. 

Rating: 7/10

Winner Takes All

"Just because it was the Doctor's time machine, that didn't mean she had to play entirely by his rules."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Novel

Released: 19th May 2005

Series: NSA 03

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Mickey

Synopsis 

Rose and the Doctor return to present-day Earth, and become intrigued by the latest craze - the video game, Death to Mantodeans. Is it as harmless as it seems? And why are so many local people going on holiday and never returning?

Meanwhile, on another world, an alien war is raging. The Quevvils need to find a new means of attacking the ruthless Mantodeans. Searching the galaxy for cunning, warlike but gullible allies, they find the ideal soldiers - on Earth. 

Will Rose be able to save her family and friends from the alien threat? And can the Doctor play the game to the end - and win? 

Verdict 

Jacqueline Rayner has pulled off the best New Series Adventures novel yet (chronological release date) with the gem that is Winner Takes All. She effortlessly provided the Ninth Doctor and Rose with a quite brilliant concept and tied it in with modern society fantastically. The concept of a games console that was actually real was frightening and with the surge of modern technology and the height of gaming in 2005, it was definitely the right time and period for a story of its kind to take place. The relationship between the Ninth Doctor and Rose in this novel was at its greatest height so far. Still in their early days together in The Clockwise Man and The Monsters Inside, it wasn't so noticeable there. But here, it was in abundance. And it was wonderful. The Doctor actually talked to others of how great Rose was and how she was more than just his 'assistant'. I thought that was really nice, especially with it coming from the more sinister Ninth Doctor. The Quevvils were a gruesome species and despite their technological advancements, I liked how they couldn't physically enter the Mantodean stronghold so recruited the perfect slaves. Humans. I was particularly intrigued how the Quevvils developed the games console to comply with 'carriers'. The amount of work they must have put in to develop the game, link it to humans on Toop and set up the whole scratch card prize game in which they gained their victims. I really liked how Mickey played a prominent role in the story and saving the day. He didn't really join the whole save the day agenda until School Reunion with the Tenth Doctor so for him to be of great help to the Ninth Doctor instead. I liked the banter the Doctor shared with Mickey, particularly about the high score on Death to Mantodeans. Once all was revealed about the truth of the game the way the Doctor was horrified was brilliant. His anger and frustration at the fact that humans were being controlled. Darren Pye was a good, nasty character. He's basically the perfect character of a human being I despise. A typical, thick bully thinking he can get what he wants through violence. I loved how Rose stood up to him and actually challenged him physically! She was just wonderful throughout the novel. And somehow, in words, she became even more beautiful. Her dismay towards Darren for beating her mother, Jackie, was fantastic and I actually liked how she secretly relished in what she thought was his death on Toop. The description of the Quivvels reminded me somewhat of the Quarks and I like to think the two are robotic cousins. The references to The Unquiet Dead and Aliens of London were excellent and I adored the inclusion of the Bad Wolf season arc! You wouldn't think anything of it if you read in 2005 but now reading back the reference is lovely placed. Robert, who's thoughts were marvellous throughout the novel, was a terrific character. I loved how he immediately fell in love with Rose upon first sight. She is rather beautiful. The way the Doctor saved the day was very clever. Atomising the Quevvils in the middle of their teleportation just as they thought they'd defeated the Mantodeans and thwarted the stronghold. His controlling of Rose was beautifully depicted and the threat and danger of it was just excitingly good! Game over=death. It doesn't get more extreme than that! The closing scenes when Robert was reunited with his mother, who he apparently hated (don't we all at some point?) was a wonderful scene. Overall, a fantastic novel by a tremendous writer. A great read.

Rating: 9/10

The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop

"It can travel into the pages of any book ever written! We could be in any story, anywhere in the universe of imagination!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: 16th December 2010

Printed in: DWM 429

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Amy present C.S. Lewis with a book, The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop, not unlike a piece of his future works..

Verdict 

The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop was a massively fun and intriguing comic strip! Full of irony, hints and references it really was entertaining! Even in the comic strips, just how good is the Eleventh Doctor?! Staggeringly wonderful. Quirkiness, seriousness and intelligence in abundance. Do you need more from our Time Lord hero? I loved how this story was released a full year before the TV story The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe and although based on the same classic story, both were completely different! The irony of this comic strip was magnificent and I like to think that the Doctor of a parallel universe is like the one we saw here. Instead of a police box, the Doctor's TARDIS was a bookshop. But not just any old library of books. Any page you opened from any book would be the destination. A quite wonderful concept! The play on the TARDIS housing books of lost or incomplete Doctor Who stories was really terrific with Shada notably standing out as the destination. The White Queen was a wonderful villain and I do like to think that she was the Rani in disguise - there certainly was a resemblance in looks! The Gallifreyan link was particularly pleasing as we haven't had that much in the revived who with the exception of The End of Time and The Time of the Doctor. The visuals of what would be Shada were really frightening. A dead planet. A tremendous description of Douglas Adams' long and incomplete serial. I really liked the idea of the Doctor having an adventure with the young Amelia and Rory, and although I've never read the comic strip, it reminded me of The Klepton Parasites with the Doctor having children as his companions. I really liked the simplicity and unoriginal idea of what is written down occurs. It's been used tiresomely in hundreds of stories in a whole range of genres and now it's found its way into Doctor Who and resurrected the Doctor himself! Young Amelia was magnificent and I thought the humour of young Rory was excellent, he so obviously fancied her even at a young age! Overall, a fantastic comic strip! The bookshop TARDIS interior was very clever and the revelation at the end that the comic strip was just the visual of a story written by C.S. Lewis was brilliant as the story could never be considered canonical, but now it can! Could the enemy be a cross between the Rani and a Weeping Angel? And would the Doctor openly call himself the Professor? I can't see it! But it certainly made for lovely reading. 

Rating: 9/10

The First Sontarans

"Do you intend the genocide of the Sontaran race?"

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: July 2012

Series: Lost Stories 3.06

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis 

1872. After finding a strange signalling device on the moon, the Doctor and Peri travel to the depths of the English countryside to track down the source if its transmissions. But they're not the first aliens to arrive on the scene. 

Old enemies of the Doctor are drawing their battle lines in the forest and the local humans will be lucky to escape the conflagration unscathed.  

For hidden within this village is a deadly secret - a secret that could destroy the entire Sontaran race.. and reveal the terrible mystery of their creation. 

Verdict 

Wow! The First Sontarans was a mightily impressive Lost Story audio adventure. This was wonderful from starr to finish and with each episode the brilliance and scale of the story just escalated. I've always massively adored the TARDIS pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Peri and here they were at their very best. The scenes at the start with the Doctor showing Peri a wonder of the universe on the moon in the 19th century were just pleasantry. I really admired the banter and how Peri jokingly almost persuaded the Doctor to have them create footsteps where the Apollo would land a century later. The transmission device found on the moon particularly intrigued me with it being 1872. Judging by the title of the story, I presumed it was the Sontarans' doing. But with a message of 'we are here' I wasn't so sure. With an extremely bold title, you'd expect the Sontarans to be the highlight of this audio - it is their origin story after all! - but in actual fact it was the Kaveetch. Roath and Leandra were undoubtedly the stars, a divorced couple still on extremely good terms but the revelation of their history had my jaw dropped. When it was revealed that the Kaveetch's home planet was Sontar I was very shocked as I couldn't envisage the Sontarans co-existing with any species. But then the major bombshell was dropped. The Kaveetch were there first! Sontar was there world and the Sontarans took it from them. I loved the approach of an origin story here, I was expecting something similar to Genesis of the Daleks with the Doctor actually there at the Sontarans' creation. Instead, we had a full adventure dealing with the aftermath of their creation and the huge impact on its creator. I was mightily stunned to discover how the Sontaran-Rutan war had began. There were mentions of it in Lords of the Storm and The Infinity Doctors but nothing was definitive. Here, it was announced that the Rutan attacked Sontar, before the Sontarans were created, and Roach needed to be victorious. So he made a prototype cloned species absolutely bread for war and nothing else. That's the Sontarans. That's how they were created and that's how the war began with the Rutan. The Sontarans literally took the place of the Kaveetch in all matters of the term. The planet, the war opposition and expunged their very existence! A quite staggering origin story. The story was full of references and I liked the ones towards The Chase and The Time Warrior. The Sontaran cellular collapse gun was very impressive and it was obvious the Rutan would want something of the sort! The appearance of the Rutan Host was an unexpected delight as I've not done anything performed featuring them since watching Horror of Fang Rock quite some time ago. The character of the Gentleman was very fearsome and frightful. A terrific bonus. The relationship between Roach and Leandra was wonderful to see and using it allowed the wrath of the Sontarans to be escalated beautifully. Thanks to the Sontarans, the Kaveetch had nearly been wiped out and the children of the divorced couple were killed. How could Leandra ever forgive her husband for leaving them behind? But as the destruction in the adventure continued and the love between the pair was shown, the climax was very heartwarming. Leandra was on the brink of death but using the zero room of the TARDIS the Doctor saved her. It was lovely seeing the softer side of the Sixth Doctor, and along with Peri, Colin Baker is definitely my favourite audio Doctor! Overall, just magnificent. A sublime story, some memorable moments and revelations and outstanding emotion. Perfect.

Rating: 10/10

The Celestial Toymaker

"The beings who call here have no minds, and so they become my toys. But you will become my perpetual opponent. We shall play endless games together, your brain against mine."

Writer: Brian Hayles

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd-23rd April 1966

Season: 3.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

The travellers arrive in a strange domain presided over by the Celestial Toymaker - an enigmatic, immortal entity who forces them to play a series of games, failure at which will render them his playthings for all eternity.

Verdict 

The Celestial Toymaker was a good, uniquely weird serial! I loved the concept from the get go due it's potential and simplicity. Make the regulars play rigged games, if they win then the bad guy is destroyed but should they lose then the TARDIS is lost forever. The problem with this kind of script though is its predictability. At no point are Steven and Dodo not going to win their games, but I greatly appreciated Hayles' attempts to keep the viewer's interest and he did excellently. With the absence of the Doctor for most of the serial, this was almost like a TV Companion Chronicle for Steven and Dodo. They were the ones saving the day and ultimately the Doctor. As I mentioned in my blog of The Ark, I wasn't all that keen on Dodo and I commented my wishes for my opinion to change. And boy has it ever! I loved Dodo in this serial and thought her attire change was very favourable and with her speaking correct English she was wonderful! A breath of fresh air after her abrupt arrival and first story. The Toymaker proved to be a very good villain and I really liked the presence Michael Gough portrayed in his role. All the demanding tone that you'd expect from an immortal. I thought his power was incredible and I enjoyed how despite this, the Doctor could still outwit him. I was particularly intrigued that the Doctor, in his first incarnation, had previously encountered the Toymaker before. I'd love for that meeting to be shown in audio or novel format. The continuation at the start of the serial from The Ark was terrific with the references to the Refusians and the Doctor's invisibility. The references and visuals of The Daleks' Master Plan and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve deployed by the Toymaker was a pleasant moment. I love any mention of continuity! Each part being home to a different game was a clever concept and I liked the games a lot, especially with the added humour. Blind man's buff, the chair game, the dancing game and the 3D board game were all brilliant and I liked the characters of the playing cards and Cyril as big highlights. The way Steven and Dodo managed to be victorious with the odds stacked against them was fantastic! The Doctor playing the trilogic game for most of the serial was particularly intriguing as I think he actually enjoyed the challenge! 1,023 moves to return the blocks to the correct position as when started. Upon research, I was intrigued to discover that this serial at one point was considered to see William Hartnell written out of the series. Had he left in this fashion, I think the arrival of the new Doctor would have been a momentous occassion but for Hartnell it wouldn't quite have been the sendoff he'd deserve. The use of the riddles at the end of each episode was something I really thought fondly of and at times they had me thinking! The unravelling of each one in the following episode was fantastic. I liked the climax with Cyril killing himself by his own gagged plans and then the Doctor discovered what the Toymaker was up to. If the Doctor made the 1,023rd move then the game would be complete but the Toymaker's world would be destroyed, including everything inside it. The Toymaker, immortal, would just create a new world to play with but the Doctor would be defeated. The imitation of the Toymaker's voice to defeat him wasn't a great resolution in my eyes, it was too easy. The Doctor couldn't impersonate his nemesis that easy! Overall, a weak climax but a tremendous serial! 

Rating: 8/10

The Golden Ones

"Of course! How could I be so stupid?! The tonic increases the number of links between neurons - and what are the links between neurons called? Axons!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 18th August 2010

Printed in: DWM 425-428

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

In Japan, children are addicted to the new drink and TV show Goruda. A drink that makes them telepathic... and strangely golden!

Verdict 

After some twitching and adjustment with a new Doctor, with The Golden Ones it seems like this Doctor's comic strip era has finally kicked off in full with this sublime adventure! I'm not going to wait to talk about the main talking point of the story, but Axos returned! For whatever reason, I didn't collect DWM back in 2010 (that has by now changed) so the return of a great classic villain had eluded me. And to add to my transparency, I somehow failed to read the blurb of my The Child of Time graphic novel collection, something I did after reading this story, which revealed the return of the Axons. I'm so grateful to my carelessness for not having found out about the return as I literally shouted 'WHAT?! NO WAY!' upon the cliffhanger of part one. I was absolutely thrilled to see the Axons return as the return of a classic villain in new who is always a special occassion, even more so when it's kept a surprise! The plan of Axos was tremendous in this story and I loved the use of Goruda in promoting the brain tonic. The way the drink, thought to be water, connected children telepathically (I didn't understand why adults weren't affected) and gave Axos a private army to help his aim in consuming Earth. He'd previously attempted before but was defeated by the Doctor and trapped in a time loop, something that was nicely referenced, even if they somehow bypassed the explanation of how the Axons escaped the time loop put on them in The Claws of Axos. The references to that TV serial were very good, and expected, with it being the enemy's first appearance since it's original story. The artwork of Axos was just majestic and brought back a memorable classic villain in superb fashion. I absolutely adored how the Doctor was working for UNIT once again and despite his usual intention not to, I loved how he took on the mission because Martha called. A new body but the same compassion for those he cherished. Just the fact that the Eleventh Doctor and Martha have had interaction is incredible and momentous, why couldn't we have seen that phone call at the start of the comic strip! Had it occurred then I think I'd have had no hesitation in giving this adventure the extra rating mark it needs. The references to Martha's remarks about the Doctor being prone to causing trouble was fully shown with the subway incident in comical fashion. I really liked the use of Axonite throughout the four parts and how it was used to animate nearly everybody if it wanted. The Axon army of children was a daunting idea and the amount of death in the story was quite surprising but it just showed how evil these aliens were, especially to the new viewers of Doctor Who who may not have explored the classic series in great depth. Chiyoko was an extremely intriguing character! So many questions about her were not answered. Just who is she? What was her relationship with Axos and Mr Kin? And how did she have the power to promise Earth to the Axons? After her prophecy of sorts at the Axon demise, I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of her. She seems innocent and to the Doctor she has the potential to be incredibly dangerous. Mr Kin was a terrific character and I liked his affiliation with Axos and how he was used to threaten the Doctor by the giant alien squid, out of his true form. I'd also like to complement Morris on throwing in lyrics from a Mika song, very clever! It put a smile on my face for sure. Now, here's where I have to talk about some negatives. I don't think it's actually to do with the blogged story but maybe the Eleventh Doctor comic era thus far. I noticed it in Supernature which I could let slide but now two stories later I'm not impressed with the apparent misrepresentation of Amy. The dialect just isn't what Karen Gillan portrays superbly on screen and I don't even think the illustrators are getting Amy's hair or clothing correct! I hope things improve in future 11th/Amy stories. The additional characters were all tremendous and I liked the contrast of Japanese and UNIT. The Tokyo setting was marvellous and it's something I don't think has been done before when it certainly should have been! The climax was enjoyable and I thought the rising of Goruda slightly resembled Last of the Time Lords. The demise of Axos was brilliantly executed by the Doctor. I can't see Axos making a comeback anytime soon after the devastating destruction here! 

Rating: 9/10

Body Snatcher

"Oh my god, Sarah! They've vanished!"

Writer: Glenn Rix

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1976

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1977

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah, Harry

Synopsis 

The TARDIS takes a detour, a dangerous one that results in the Doctor losing his body...

Verdict 

Body Snatcher was a very entertaining comic strip! The Annual comic strips are a decent length for my liking as they can be done relatively quickly and allow for a nice amount of entertainment and still a great story. This is where the Doctor Who Adventures comic strips could do with being a few pages longer, it does make such a big difference! I love the TARDIS trio of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah and Harry and despite them not really appearing together in the story, it was great to have them reunited! The adventure is pretty much exactly what it says in the name. The Doctor had his body stolen! Rascla was a fantastic villain and I just loved the simplicity of why he brought the Doctor to Torm, to kill him! As simple as that which was terrific. I really liked the climax with the Doctor emerging from defeat and engaging in a battle of wills with Rascla who thought victory was achieved. I thought it was hilarious how the Doctor used Sarah's body to rise again! A very intriguing route of victory. The artwork of the comic strip was very intriguing and despite it being messy it somehow worked and fitted in with the story! I really liked it's effectiveness, whether it was intended or not. The absence of the companions for the majority of the story was a tad disappointing as I think they could still have offered something instead of just being hypnotised. Nonetheless, overall a really good comic strip! Short but sweet.

Rating: 8/10