Cold War

"It's an Ice Warrior. A native of the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back."

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13th April 2013

Series: 7.08

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

In 1983, the tensest point of the Cold War, a Soviet submarine discovers a strange creature frozen in the ice of the arctic. When one of the Firebird's crew breaks it free, it starts attacking. As the crew strikes back, the Doctor warns them that the attack could be considered a declaration of war on the entire Ice Warrior race...

Verdict 

Cold War was a bit of a mixed bag, and despite the story being great, what occurred was a bit of shame. I may as well start right away with the landmark return of the Ice Warriors, or rather just a sole member of the species. Whenever a villain from the classic series returns to the revived show it has to be spectacular but more importantly it has to be good and the enemy needs to stick to basics and recognisable to its previous stories. Sadly, this wasn't done here. Not even close. Now I usually really like the stuff of Mark Gatiss but what he's done with the Ice Warriors here is just cruel. Taking Skaldak out of his armour and revealing what's beneath the infamous green shell wasn't a nice surprise, it was a huge letdown. I genuinely was gutted. After such successes with The Ice Warriors, The Seeds of Death and Thin Ice, despite a blip in between, the Martian race remain one of my all time favourite villains. And their originality was just stripped away. I couldn't believe that the armour of the Ice Warrior was just stuck in chains in a heap. I tried to accept that being out of armour made Skaldak more vulnerable and dangerous than ever, and was exaggerated even more by the fact even the Doctor didn't know what to expect. I suppose that aspect was quite good. I liked the similarity to the already mentioned Ice Warrior debut story with the Martian trapped in an ice block. The Russian missile submarine setting was staggeringly good! Now, I really liked the story apart from the obvious flaw I've ranted about. The arrival of the Doctor and the Clara was fantastic and I loved how the Doctor much preferred a sinking submarine owned by the Soviets to the intended destination of Las Vegas. Jenna Coleman, as always, looked absolutely incredible in that dress in the soaking wet! Incredible. And she doesn't just have the looks, she also happens to be absolutely fantastic. I loved how she stepped up to the plate to go into the chamber with Skaldak. The reaction of the Doctor when he found out the name of the Ice Warrior he was up against this time around. It just happened to be the Grand Marshall and finest hero the entire race had produced. No biggy then. The atmosphere of the story was brilliant throughout and the darkness really helped that. I loved that the story was set right at the heart of the Cold War, a period of history I have studied quite in depth at GCSE, with the threat of the Russians firing the missile. The guest cast were all good and I liked the equality each shared in their roles despite the obvious ranks. The moment where Clara obeyed the instructions of the Doctor and she didn't argue was absolutely brilliant. Not many things surprise the Doctor but it is an extremely rare thing for the companions to do as they're told! The climax was really good with the Doctor talking Skaldak out of sending the missile and instead staring into the eyes of the creature beneath the armour, which should never have been revealed. The relationship between the Doctor and Clara is blossoming wonderfully and I adored how Clara loved saving the world. Overall, a decent story but a great shame in taking the armour away from the Ice Warriors. Probably a generous rating on my part.

Rating: 7/10

The Rings of Akhaten

"Take my memories. But I hope you've got a big appetite because I've lived a long life and I have seen a few things. I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked the passing of the Time Lords. I saw the birth of the universe and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment until nothing remained. No time. No space. Just me. I walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a madman. I have watched universes freeze and creations burn. I have seen things you wouldn't believe. I have lost things you will never understand and I know things. Secrets that must never be told, knowledge that must never be spoken, knowledge that would make parasite gods blaze. So come on then! Take it! Take it all baby! Have it! You have it all."

Writer: Neil Cross

Format: TV

Broadcast: 6th April 2013

Series: 7.07

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Clara Oswald wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid and a sacrifice will be demanded. 

Verdict 

The Rings of Akhaten is a fantastic episode. It really is. I can't understand why it received such a low ranking in the latest DWM story poll as for me it's such a beautiful and emotional piece. The pre-titles were splendid as we saw how this version of the Clara came into being with the most important leaf in human history, a lovely concept. I love the fact that the Doctor is checking on Clara in different points in her life, as a child and when her mother died in 2005. It's brilliant to see that the Doctor can't accept not knowing the impossible regarding how his companion has died twice - in a Dalek asylum and in Victorian England. The Doctor's curiosity is getting the better of him, as usual, and he's pulling out all the stops to find out the mystery behind Clara but he's getting nowhere. She is just a normal girl, somehow. And I think it's terrific that the Doctor can't accept that. "She's impossible!" I loved Clara's first request of travel in the TARDIS was to see "something awesome" and it was obvious the Doctor wouldn't disappoint. The location of Akhaten at the time of the Festival of Offerings was lovely and I liked how the Doctor arrived and mingled with the many odd species! It was great to see that Clara was impressed. Mary, the Queen of Years, was a brilliant character and her relationship with Clara was splendid also! The kindness of the Doctor's new companion was inspiring to see. Similarly to Amy in The Beast Below, she was trying to help the young and upset girl. A nice similarity. The story behind the Festival was a good one and I thought the way Mary was scared of getting her song wrong added suspense. She seemed to have sung beautifully but instead it seemed things had gone wrong. Mary was being taken away and I loved how the Doctor and Clara refused to let that happen. A basic rule when you're with the Doctor, you don't walk away. And the acquisition of the space moped thanks to Clara's sentimental ring was very nice to see. Clara was new but her courage was special. The story behind the Mummy, the Vigil and Akhaten itself was of particular intrigue and I loved the idea of a continuous song being sung throughout generations lasting millions of years. Not that I approve or even understand why people worship gods, but the way it was portrayed here (with actual evidence of a physical presence) was tremendous. The fear the locals had was excellent! And that made you believe that the Doctor was scared. Matt Smith gave a sublime performance in this episode and that was before the obvious highlight. The reference to the Doctor coming to Akhaten with Susan was brilliant and I just liked the humour and quirkiness Smith so effortlessly brings to this Doctor's incarnation. But then we come to the speech. The staggeringly sublime speech that just propels the episode to greatness. Easily Matt Smith's finest moment as the Doctor for me. In the short time the speech takes, he puts in every emotion of the long history of the Doctor. The encounters with Omega, the losses of the likes of Katarina, Sara and Adric and seeing time begin and end. The Doctor is still standing after walking away from the Last Great Time War victorious, after destroying his own planet and people to wipe out the Daleks. In just one speech Matt Smith gathers all that hurt and pain and throws straight into the face of the parasite. And the moment where Clara came with the leaf and dealt the final blow was just beautiful. The new TARDIS pairing teamed up to defeat an evil. A brilliant start on Clara's first official venture in the TARDIS. The emotion and power was phenomenal, and Clara was just wonderful. Surrounded by intrigue and mystery yet she's still absolutely brilliant. 

Rating: 9/10  

The Bells of Saint John

"This whole world is swimming in wifi. We're living in a wifi soup. Suppose something got inside it. Suppose there was something living in the wifi..."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30th March 2013

Series: 7.06

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

London, 2013. "Danger. This is a warning. A warning to the whole world. You're looking for wifi. Sometimes you see something, a bit like this. Don't click it. Do not click it. Once you've clicked it, they're in your computer. They can see you. If they can see you, they might choose you. And if they do... you die."

Verdict 

The Bells of Saint John was an absolutely brilliant episode to kick off the second part of series seven. It was one of the best debuts (again) for a companion and the plot itself, whilst introducing the third version of Clara Oswald, was excellent. With the mass of technological advancement in the world today, I loved the idea that someone was using wifi as a means of weaponry! People are constantly looking for wifi wherever they are and if they're given a free one, they won't ask questions. Sadly for the users, they get their souls uploaded to the datacloud, and would have their minds fed to the returning Great Intelligence. I love the idea of the infamous classic villain coming back in two consecutive stories but in two completely different times with extremely different agendas! I liked how his role in the story wasn't revealed until the Doctor had defeated the plan. I didn't quite get why the story was named what it was, seeing as its in story reference was really only one scene. I loved how the Doctor was extremely curious about Clara and was so much so that he retreated to 1207 to try and work oui who she was and how she'd died twice already. The portrait looked absolutely beautiful and I loved how the TARDIS phone was being called by Clara about her internet troubles. I'm extremely curious to find out who the person was that gave Clara the Doctor's phone number, Martha maybe? The 'spoon heads' were very intriguing and their design was tremendous. I adored how once the Doctor had found his Clara and saved her from being uploaded, he would just protect her. 'Under my protection'. A lovely message to Miss Kizlet, who was a terrific villainous character herself. I loved the idea of controlling people via a tablet and the fact that people were actually hacked was fantastic! Once Clara came out of her house to the Doctor I loved the conversation. But danger was at hand and the wifi was turning on the people to get Clara and re-upload her. London was in darkness and a plane was heading straight for the Doctor and Clara! The humour when the Doctor told Clara for her and him to get inside the blue box was brilliant. Clara's reaction to the whole bigger on the inside was absolutely wonderful. She found out in a matter of seconds that the Doctor was an alien and could travel anywhere in time and space in his mysterious box. The new costume of the Doctor is superb and really suits the eleventh incarnation a peach. I love how much fun this Doctor seems to be able to have when he's on his own and happy. The scene with the fez and bow tie was great! The climax of the story was absolutely fantastic I thought with the Doctor controlling his own spoon head to crash the office of Miss Kizlet and then give her all the motivation she needed to download the whole cloud. The Doctor uploaded her! So, being the selfish person she was, she demanded the entire cloud be downloaded so she'd return to normality. The surprise return of the Great Intelligence revealed at the end was wonderful and on broadcast was an excellent surprise! There were many great highlights based on humour with the wonderful moment where the Doctor seemed to invent the quadricycle and I adored how Clara called the TARDIS a "snog box". I loved how once asked if she would travel in the TARDIS, Clara obviously said yes but made the Doctor wait. Just like her other incarnations/versions in Asylum of the Daleks and The Snowmen, Clara was going to push the Doctor and challenge him which I love. Clara's officially on board and her official debut was outstanding. 

Rating: 10/10

1963

"Might I be the first to welcome you to London the 23rd November 1963..."

Writer: Niall Boyce

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Short Trips 2.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis 

The Doctor returns Ian and Barbara home to London on the 23rd November 1963, only to find that the entire city and its inhabitants are frozen in time.

Verdict 

1963 was a fantastic little audio! I say little but that's what the Short Trips are - short adventures. And some of them are really impressing me, the First Doctor ones in particular. To my recollection, Rise and Fall is the only story of the range I've given full marks to that features just the one incarnation of the Doctor and I loved how the First Doctor was the hero of the sensational Seven to One. Now, this story wasn't really about the Doctor. I liked the focus that was mainly on Barbara, and slightly on Ian too. After travelling around endlessly and hopelessly in time and space, the Doctor finally returned the TARDIS to 1963. Ian and Barbara were home. But, a slight problem. The TARDIS had a malfunction and its heartbeat wasn't correct so it couldn't keep up in time with the pace of its owner, something that was delicately and expertly explained in the story. It was extremely intriguing for Barbara and Ian to be standing in their home city with it absolutely still. Literally everything was solid stone, stopped, stationery. This even included the rivers! I really liked the audacious moment where Ian was walking on water, ha! He really did do and see just about everything on his travels with the Doctor. I loved the continued relationship from TV between the Doctor and Vicki, I like to think of them as mischievous and making each other laugh so that was nice to see here. The humorous adding of brown sauce to the food machine was great and I loved how Barbara was still fond of the TARDIS' bacon and eggs. Her sadness of being home but not being able to say was excellently portrayed by William Russell who read the story brilliantly. Fifty years on and he's still and always will be Ian Chesterton. The story behind Barbara's relation and supposed meeting with her aunt was an emotional one and I liked how they were gutted, yet acceptant, at the fact they had to depart 1963. It must have been unimaginably hard for the pair! I liked how the Doctor mentioned the possibility that London was becoming a favourite city of the TARDIS, very clever throw in indeed. Overall, a superb little audio with emotion and great explanation!

Rating: 9/10

Invaders from Mars

"How does it feel to betray your own planet?"

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Format: Audio

Released: January 2002

Series: Main Range 28

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis 

Hallowe'en 1938.

A month after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York State, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did. But what if some of the panicked listeners to the legendary The War of the Worlds broadcast weren't just imagining things?

Attempting to deliver Charley to her rendezvous in Singapore 1930, the Eighth Doctor overshoots a little, arriving in Manhattan just in time to find a dead private detective. Indulging his gumshoe fantasies, the Doctor is soon embroiled in the hunt for a missing Russian scientist whilst Charley finds herself at the mercy of a very dubious Fifth Columnist.

With some genuinely out of this world 'merchandise' at stake, the TARDIS crew are forced into an alliance with a sultry dame called Glory Bee, Orson Welles himself and a monster with half a nose known as 'The Phantom'.

And slowly and surely, something is drawing plans against them. Just not very good ones...

Verdict 

Invaders from Mars was a fun, clever and enjoyable listen to kick off the second set of Eighth Doctor and Charley adventures in Big Finish's Main Range. I really love how the audio format has made sure that Paul McGann's fantastic incarnation has not gone unnoticed and will not be forgotten! And here, with Mark Gatiss writing intrinsically, the Doctor was a whole lot of fun. I think that's the beauty of the Eighth Doctor, he's still relatively new. We saw him debut in The Movie... and that was it. He jumped straight into the novels and despite them being marvellous, it's hard to depict just what the new man with the TARDIS keys is like. Performed Who, as here in the audios, gives us that knowledge. This Doctor can be more adventurous, flirtatious and even dangerous, and that's why he's slowly climbing up the ranks of my favourite Doctor, simply because we're getting more! Sadly, Charley didn't quite get all the limelight here which was a shame as I love her oh so much. She really is an outstanding companion already, this just her fifth adventure, and the moments she did appear were terrific. I loved the setting of 1938 New York on Halloween. Something spooky was bound to go down with the Doctor in town, and the frenzy that caused the city to go into panic was actually hilarious! And it was absolutely wonderful to see the Doctor amused by the happenings. He revelled in the harmless chaos because he knew what was going on. Don't let the audio title fool you, there aren't any Ice Warriors attempting to take over here, it's just the transmission of the adapted The War of the Worlds play! A brilliant concept! I loved the fact that this was actually based on true events, somehow the knowledge of this occurrence had eluded me in seventeen years of life but after some reading up between cliffhangers I was happy at what I was listening to. A clever slant on the event! Despite this being a great story, it was a bit slow to start with. The first cliffhanger didn't really offer much and not a great deal of significance actually took place in the first part. But then business picked up and the story improved by the minute. Glory Bee was a great character and I liked her cover up story and the revelations of her Russian nationality was a surprise I must say. The fact that Orson Welles, not quite infamous in 1938, appeared prominently was a splendid bonus! Simon Pegg's character of Don Chaney was fantastic and I liked the slight comedic element Pegg brought to him. The other guest cast were all mostly excellent too! The actual invasion that occurred, not of Martian origin as the radio broadcast inadvertently was advertising, was comical. Two little hairy aliens, now what were they going to do? They never seemed genuinely threatening which was a shame but I liked the humour they brought to the story. The Doctor's interaction with them was tremendous! The way they were sent packing was genius on the part of the Doctor with him, Charley and co reenacting Wells' play to fend off the Laiderplacker from continuing with their fiendish plans. They stood no chance against Martians and despite a possibly silly part of the climax, overall the story was fantastic after a slow start. Lots of humour, a good take on history and the Eighth Doctor shining!

Rating: 8/10

The Snowmen

"You poured your darkest dreams into a snowman."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25th December 2012

Series: 2012 Christmas Special

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

After losing Amy and Rory, the Doctor has retired to Victorian England, where Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax assist him. The Doctor eventually meets Clara and takes a liking to the young barmaid who leads a double life as a governess. At the same time, a sinister plot is unfolding; snowmen at randomly appearing around London, growing in size and power. All they need to take over the world is some human DNA in ice crystal form, and the frozen body of a drowned governess can give them just that. 

Verdict 

The Snowmen is just an absolutely beautiful episode and for me, by far the best Christmas special yet! We have the return of the magnificent Paternoster Gang (Vastra, Jenny and Strax) who lit the world alight in A Good Man Goes to War. And they were all equally magnificent in this episode, and the prequels leading upto broadcast. I loved Vastra so very much in this with her sensuous and deceiving investigating. Is it weird that I was somewhat attracted by a Silurian? Neve McIntosh just dazzles under all that makeup and prosthetics! And then there's her wife, Jenny, who is so very lovely and sweet. I like how with Jenny she can seem very kind then turn nasty quickly. A good attribute to have! Now that just leaves me to Strax who was absolutely brilliant! His humour is unrivalled by any character prior and although I've previously mentioned about the Ice Warriors being good as being terrible, having one Sontaran on the Doctor's side is more than feasible just for the comic factor alone. The scene with the memory worm was staggeringly funny! Matt Smith's Doctor shines with him. The Doctor here was still mourning the events of The Angels Take Manhattan, and in a big way. He'd lost a companion very close to him in Amy, and he'd also lost Rory who'd been fantastic for him to. I liked how the Doctor kept the former's reading glasses as a momento if you will. The idea of the Doctor going into retirement was a shocking one and because Vastra believed that the Doctor's saving days were over, it meant you as the viewer were actually asking the impossible. Is the Doctor done? No more saving the world? But thanks to the highlight of the episode, by an absolute landslide, he would soon be coming out of retirement. With the departures of Amy and Rory, two long standing companions, would the audience warm to someone new for the Eleventh Doctor? After this episode, the answer is a resounding yes. Clara stole the show, not just with her beautiful looks, stunning dress and cockney lingo, but for her wonderfulness. She really was absolutely divine. As I've mentioned, she looked absolutely spectacular in Victorian dress and her hair being perfectly brunette. The companion changeover was never a big deal in the classic era really, except for the first half of the First Doctor era perhaps, but now it's a massive thing. We saw Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks played by the magnificent Jenna and thanks to her perfect performance we knew the series would be in good hands once the Ponds had gone, but for me they're going to be in better hands. Anyway, the plot of the episode itself was magnificent and I loved how this story brought back, and showed the origins, of the Great Intelligence! The fact that we saw the plans being put in place for The Web of Fear was incredibly clever! I was surprised though that the Doctor only seemed to vaguely recall meeting the intelligence. How can you not remember the puppeteer of the Yetis?! The plan of the Great Intelligence, flanked by Dr Simeon, was fantastic. Your basic take over the planet job, but the way they wanted to achieve it was quite unique! Swap humanity for ice people, literally. The story behind the Ice Governess was extremely intriguing and once she burst into being she looked different to say the least. The fact that the snow was slightly telepathic was a frightening concept but I loved the way it mirrored everything. That was its only capability, and I loved it. The relationship between the Doctor and Clara was incredible throughout. Immediately his presence and aura dazzled Clara into being curious about who this stranger in the top hat was. The scene where Clara discovered the TARDIS atop the cloud was lovely. The second time she went up, with the Doctor's blessing, was even more wonderful. The new TARDIS interior looks spectacular and I absolutely adored the pride the Doctor had when he proclaimed with glee that the TARDIS was his. Retirement was a distant memory. He knew he'd be taking Clara away with him, it was obvious. She was perfect. Not just at the kiss. He wasn't sure why of course, he only knew who. Clara would be the next companion and that meant he'd be able to get a soufflé would it not? The heartbreak for the Doctor when she died though was hard to watch. After all he'd gone through over recent times, with Rose and Donna and now Amy and Rory, so much loss, he'd now found the perfect girl to go away with. She'd accepted the TARDIS key, but was murdered by the Ice Governess. The Doctor was angry and gutted, taking the blame. But as Clara spoke those infamous dying words, he knew she was still alive. Somehow, with something impossible going on, he knew she was still alive... just as someone else. And he was right. Clara's tears had defeated the Great Intelligence, in a beautiful resolution, but now he'd known that soufflé girl in the Dalek Asylum was the same Victorian nanny/barmaid. And he could go find her, and travel with her. His perfectly impossible girl. A quite stunning episode in which we get the official debut of Clara. And for me, it's the best companion debut ever.

Rating: 10/10

The Love Invasion

"He's only one man, a sad lonely man. What can he do against my army?"

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April 2005

Printed in: DWM 355-357

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Rose to London, 1966, where they find beautiful girls wandering the streets, doing good on behalf of a group called Lend-a-Hand. The Doctor notes the girls don't smell humans and becomes concerned when he discovers that someone is preparing to build affordable famt housing on the fields where Rose's council estate is supposed to be built.  

Verdict 

The Love Invasion was a fantastic debut for the Ninth Doctor in comic strip format! The story was excellent and worked very well over the three part format. Although this wasn't my first Ninth Doctor and Rose comic strip (I've previously done Mr Nobody), this was my first full length story with the brilliant pairing and they worked well together with some great humour. The setting of 1966 was very intriguing for many a reason. It's a famous year in Who history as the first regeneration occurred but it's also the setting of The War Machines which was referenced majestically with the reappearance of the Post Office Tower! And inside were Ben and Polly! I couldn't believe that those two superb companions made a brief, speechless, cameo. The Doctor's acknowledgement of his old companions was a nice touch. The plot of the story was very good with the lend-a-hand girls being more than just an aid. At one point I suspected that the Drahvin were making a shock return because of the use of beautiful women but sadly that return, if it ever happens, will have to wait. Not that it's a problem of course! Instead we got Igrix who was a terrific villain and looked quite impressive and monstrous. I liked the suspense behind him after it taking some time to reveal just what the Doctor and Rose were up against. The reference to the score of the 1966 World Cup being changed as a result of match fixing was excellent! The relationship between the Doctor and Charlotte in the story was very good and I liked how the Doctor, even though it seemed inadvertently, was flirting with a human! I guess he likes the scientist kind, especially if she's a big reason in saving the day. Rose was also fantastic with her relationship with Shirley and the humour that brought. I adored how Rose wanted to see her estate prior to it being built and that suited well for the Doctor! The TARDIS is automatically disguised which always sparks a comical comment. The threat of danger throughout was good and I was pleased with the standard of artwork, very graphically represented! The humour with the Doctor riding the motorcycle was tremendous and when he honked at Rose her reaction was just wonderful. Overall, a very impressive debut for Christopher Eccleston in the comic strip format! Rose slotted in with ease. Great humour, a superb plot and wonderful references to The War Machines. A clever climax too!

Rating: 9/10

The Ratings War

"You see, Doctor, I could never control you. That's why I had to cancel you."

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Audio

Released: January 2002

Series: DWM Bonus 02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis 

Beep the Meep is back - and he's found a new channel for his aggression! A brand new series is about to make television history, but can the Doctor prevent his furry for from turning a docu-drama into a crisis, or will the fluffy-wuffy animals get it in the neck? The first shots in the ratings war have been fired, and the next one is aimed at your head...

Verdict 

The Ratings War was a fantastic little bonus audio story! I love the idea of DWM and Big Finish teaming up to provide us with original stories featuring the Doctor travelling on his lonesome. As with last year's bonus, Last of the Titans, we had the Seventh Doctor and now we had the Sixth Doctor! The 35 minute format actually worked really well and allowed for fast paced unravelling of the plot and quick but brilliant solutions to conquering the villain's plans. And what a villain we had! The infamous comic strip foe Beep the Meep was back and making a debut in performed Doctor Who. Now, I sadly haven't done a story featuring the enemy before but I have read a lot and heard a lot of praise so I was looking forward to hearing how things panned out, and I was impressed. The plan of Beep was audacious yet surprisingly logical. This story seemed like it would also suit Sil, another famous villain but exclusive to the Sixth Doctor, due to the money piling in from the 80%+ ratings. But for Beep, money wasn't the aim at all! He was going to broadcast his own television show, 'Beep and Friends', and use it as a mind control signal to enslave over four-fifths of the population and use them to kill the other fifth that wasn't watching! A brilliant plan! I liked the reference to Star Beast II even though I haven't read it but any references to past stories, no matter the format, is welcomed! The Sixth Doctor was fantastic, as usual in the audios, and I really liked his disgust at Beep, particularly that horrendously wonderful song! Never did I think that Doctor Who would encourage feeding hamster fur to kids or putting dogs in blenders but courtesy of Beep the Meep that's what we got here! Very funny. The lack of a companion for Colin Baker's Doctor wasn't at all recognisable as he shone in the duelling conversation with his long time enemy. The fact that he used numerous bluffs to prevent Beep from enslaving the majority of the population was just staggeringly good! How could the Doctor afford to take that much of a risk? Nevertheless, it worked and the reactions were comical. The climax of the story was very good and despite Beep being defeated I liked how it left the door open for a future return. An infamous comic foe, why not become a memorable audio enemy as well? I'm surprised that over 12 years on from the release of this story that we haven't had a return in some form. But, there's still plenty of time and I think Beep deserves a full length audio! He was a tremendous villain to the Sixth Doctor in what was a very good audio. I just wish it went on longer!

Rating: 9/10

The One Doctor

"Time's winged chariot marches on, especially for a Time Lord."

Writer: Gareth Roberts & Clayton Hickman

Format: Audio

Released: December 2001

Series: Main Range 27

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis 

When the evil Skelloids launch an attack upon the seventeen worlds of the Generios system, its peace-loving inhabitants face total destruction. 

So it's lucky that the Doctor, that famous traveller in time and space, is in the area, and that he, along with his pretty young assistant, Sally-Anne, manages to defeat the deadly creatures and save the day. 

But now it looks as though the Doctor's luck has run out. 

Who is the mysterious, curly-haired stranger, intent on causing trouble? What role does the feisty redhead Melanie play in his scheme? And what have they to do with the sinister alien cylinder approaching Generios?

One thing is certain: for the Doctor and Sally-Anne, there's deadly danger ahead...

Verdict 

The One Doctor was a bit of a disappointment sadly. I don't like the idea of doing a humour, gaff-filled story for December's monthly release in the main range. It isn't better than your normal release and a better Christmas present would have been just a brilliant story! But instead what we got was silly and the worst audio in the main range so far. Prior to listening, I was really excited by this one due to the intriguing title and the fact that the pairing was a favourite of mine in the Sixth Doctor and Mel. But what I got was all a bit silly and to some extent stupid. The idea is actually superb with a different slant to what we saw in The Next Doctor. Here, two people were impersonating the now infamous Doctor and his companion. At the furthest reaches of time, when all was discovered and any pleasure could be afforded, the secrets of the Doctor was up and everybody knew everything about him. I didn't understand how they failed to recognise that Banto didn't look like any of the incarnations though. Sally-Anne was actually a great character and her taking to the Sixth Doctor, in a physical way, was a bit of a surprise I must say! There were a lot of things I disliked about this audio though, unfortunately. The impersonator's TARDIS being called a Stardis wasn't good nor funny and the fact that it was disguised as a portaloo was just ridiculous. I didn't find the explanation remotely funny at all. Now, you may be thinking that I'm just a stubborn person but that's not the case! I welcome humour in Doctor Who massively but a whole story shouldn't be based on it. Take The Romans for instant. It tells a wonderful story and the added humour just makes it a remarkable classic. And then you have funny companions like Leela and Donna, who would have been better suited to this story than Mel. The reference to The Invasion was cleverly thrown in though, I must admit I admired that. Mentos was a character I didn't really like and I failed to see the relevance of him just answering random questions for over 330 centuries! At least make things a tad believable and not completely crazy. The plot itself wasn't great and lacked foundation. The threat of the Cylinder just seemed more of a joke and you know that it's not a good enemy when an apology is given for the destruction of a planet! The 'bonus' scenes weren't exactly terrific and the Questioner just asking endless questions grew tiresome. Sally-Anne was probably the saving grace of the story though! I really liked her but was dumbfounded that she loved the Doctor! And I was disgusted that the sixth incarnation passionately kissed her! Even if it was to gain an advantage. That's just not what the Sixth Doctor is about at all. Overall, a good idea but poorly presented in a gag format with clearly the wrong TARDIS pairing. 

Rating: 6/10

The Angels Take Manhattan

"I just went to get coffees for the Doctor and Amy... hello, River."

Writer: Steven Moffatt

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29th September 2012

Series: 7.05

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, River

Synopsis 

A simple trip to 2012 New York goes horribly wrong when Rory is sent back to the 1930s by the Weeping Angels. There, he finds that his daughter, River Song, is investigating the Angels and Manhattan has become their hunting ground. The Doctor and Amy must find Rory before it's too late, but they soon find that not every point in time can be changed. And here, the Doctor must face the one thing he has been dreading - a final farewell to the Ponds. 

Verdict 

The Angels Take Manhattan is just incredible. It's actually a stupendously good sendoff for Amy and Rory. Everything about it is pretty much amazing! Emotions, love and an incredible story. The pre-opening credits scene was tremendous and told a clever little story of its own leading upto the main bulk which was just sensational. I loved how the Doctor was taking the Ponds on a nice little outing to NYC. You'd think after the last two times visiting he would be a bit skeptical but surely just once, in the city that never sleeps, he could just take his friends for a nice coffee and read in Central Park. But of course, there was a small problem that were Weeping Angels were in town. And they just pulled off their best episode yet! Yes, I think this is better than Blink. Amy looked absolutely spectacular in those reading glasses, girls always look better in those type of glasses and wow she just looked sensational! The humour around the glasses with the Doctor too was great! I must say that the makeup team have been doing a stellar job in making Karen Gillan look older to go with the whole Amy and Rory only travelling part time in the TARDIS. But whatever they're doing, I swear Karen is looking hotter! Matt Smith did an outstanding job here as the Doctor and without him saying or even hinting, he was clearly hurting at seeing Amy age. As was evident with him ripping the last page out of the book, our dear Doctor is not a fan of endings. The subject of the book was absolute genius. Really, extremely clever! The book told of the future and once read, it became a fixed point. As seen with River breaking her wrist for instance. The relationship between the Doctor and River was just incredible as always and I'm crying out for River to join him in the TARDIS, even for just one sole adventure! We got a brief hint at what the pair might get upto in Rain Gods but I'm talking a full length episode. The flirting, chemistry and emotion between the pair is more than perfect. I adored how the Doctor wanted to look good for his wife! Winter Quay proved to be a tremendous focal point for the Angels' plan and boy what a plan it was! It's difficult with the Angels being quantum locked to discover their motives but as more adventures come things about the brilliant enemies become clearer. The fact they were using the hotel as a battery farm feeding on the time distortion and life energy of sending people back in time, over and over, until they see their future self die. Now that's the plot of wonderful enemies! I'm khan that in his final episode, Rory was actually relevant! So far this season he's been pretty useless which has been a great shame seeing as it's lead upto his departure here. I liked how he was going to take on the Angels himself after watching himself die. Again. As he said, when doesn't he come back to life? He knew that if he jumped off the building to his death, that a paradox would be created and the Angels would be wiped out. But the emotional scene with Amy was extremely heartfelt and impressively powerful! "Together, or not at all." Superb. The reaction of the Doctor going from horror to happiness at the success was fantastic! I was a little surprised at how he only called out Amy's name when the Ponds were plummeting to their death. It has always seemed he's held Amy in much higher regard. But I can let it slide seeing that hers was the first face his face ever saw. Fabulous continuation from The Eleventh Hour. I bloody loved the scenes where Amy and Rory, then the Doctor and River, named each other husband and wife, literally. A lovely family outing... until the surviving Angel came along with just enough power to zap Rory into the past. Just as the Doctor thought all was well and the Angels had been defeated yet again, one survivor turns up from out of nowhere and throws the TARDIS foursome's lives into turmoil. Rory is gone, Amy's heartbroken, River's parents are split up and the Doctor's going to lose somebody yet again. He ought to know this was coming though by the book's chapter titles. Amelia's final farewell had come. And she emotionally let herself get got by the Angel so she could be with Rory. "Like it should be." Beautiful. An incredible sendoff! I really liked the scenes in the TARDIS after the Ponds were gone with River flying the TARDIS and the Doctor an emotional wreck. Everybody knows he can't go travelling alone, and River mentioning it along with Amy also thanks to the final page, made the departure easier to handle. Long standing companions had gone, but that was okay for the Doctor (and the viewer). Somebody else would soon be a coming. And she'd light the world alight. 

Rating: 10/10

The Auntie Matter

"He could have at least killed us before losing all interest!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: January 2013

Series: FDA 2.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I

Synopsis 

England in the 1920s. 

Whilst K9 is off in the TARDIS leading the Black Guardian on a wild goose chase, the Doctor and Romana are enjoying a leisurely lifestyle as the Lord and Lady of a London townhouse. But trouble never stats away from them for long, and before they know it a chance discovery of alien technology leads them deep into the heart of the English countryside where a malign presence lurks. 

As the Doctor dodges deadly butlers and ferocious gamekeepers, Romana is faced with a malevolent Aunt and an even deadlier peril - marriage. 

Verdict 

Like the first season of Big Finish's range of Fourth Doctor Adventures, The Auntie Matter was entertaining, comical and a very good story! Naturally with Leela in the first season, there was always a bit more room for humour as that's just an attribute she can effortlessly bring but seeing as she's been swapped for the first incarnation of Romana, the Doctor has to take a more central role in the funny side of things and that wasn't a problem at all! Season 16, despite my lack of appetite for it, was a time where the Fourth Doctor had become less serious as seen with the likes Sarah and Harry, and having a fellow Time Lord travel with him on a hunt for the Key to Time seemed to allow him to open up and express himself more directly which was good, and perhaps new, for the Doctor. Anyway, I loved the title of this story prior to listening and after seeing the role of an auntie play pivotal I liked it even more after the hour was up. Lady Bassett played a terrific villain even if she sounded like a friendly old women! Well, I guess in truth that's what she was but it seemed she was trying to prevent that and her scheme set on poor old Reginald was fantastic. She would send him off out into the wilderness to find himself a wife that she can approve of, and then steal her body and take the remaining life force from. And as it would be, Romana I was next on that list. Now, the character of Romana I absolutely love but that's down to Lalla Ward and her absolutely wonderful role as Romana II. Season 16 wasn't great for me and that was partially down to Mary Tamm as companion, I just couldn't get to liking her on screen. But here on audio, I hope my opinions of her change, and there was no problem at all with her in this story! I could have done without her calling K9 "the dog" but I'll nudge. I liked how Jonathan Morris dealt with the absence of chasing the Key to Time in a Fourth Doctor/Romana I story by describing how K9 was left in the TARDIS controlling its safety whilst it bundled around the universe on the randomiser until the Black Guardian got tired of chasing it. A good way of dealing with the obstruction. Lucy Griffiths put in a stellar performance as Mabel, the maid, and her interaction with the Doctor was outstanding! I think she'd have made a very good companion and having someone on the TARDIS with a 1920s background would be good I think. Storm Warning, in which Charley arrived on board with the Eighth Doctor, wasn't set too far ahead of the '20s but India Fisher's magical companion always seems to be a bit ahead of her time. The setting was very good with Bassett House but I would have liked a bit more explanation as to how the Doctor and Romana had acquired the status of Lord and Lady in London. Jonathan Morris has given us some brilliant stories in the form of Bloodtide and The Golden Ones, but to me he doesn't clarify everything that needs to be on times. He's just a bit edgy. But overall this story was actually terrific. The identical android twins were good and despite it not working anywhere near the success that it did in The Romans, the fact that the Doctor and his companion(s) narrowly missed meeting each other was wonderful. It added great humour to an already comical story and the scenes at the end with the pair arguing over who actually thwarted the Aunt's plans were reminiscent of the aforementioned First Doctor TV serial. To me though, it was pretty evident that the Doctor was the reason the threat was thwarted! Nonetheless, a very good start to another series of adventures for the Fourth Doctor!

Rating: 8/10

The Crystal Throne

"The world is a hunting ground, Madame. As Mr Darwin might say, only the strongest and most adaptable have the right to survive."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June 2014

Printed in: DWM 475-476

Featuring: Madame Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis 

Madame Vast, Jenny Flint and Strax, better known as the Paternoster Gang, are dealing with a fresh revolutionary plot to overthrow Queen Victoria, only this time with the help of a relic from Silurian history, the death of a monarch seems likely. Can the gang, whilst battling mutated wasp policemen, prevent the revolution from succeeding?

Verdict 

The Crystal Throne was a very good two part comic strip! I really liked that the guys at Doctor Who Magazine gave the terrific trio of Vastra, Jenny and Strax the chance to shine and take centre stage in the first story that's absolutely their own. For at least a third of The Crimson Horror that was the case until the Doctor arrived in unusual fashion. But no arrival was to occur in this comic strip and was a brilliant spinoff trip from the usual stuff during the transition of Doctor from Matt Smith to Peter Capaldi. The plot itself was very good I thought! The Victorian setting is always magnificent and the crystal palace centre added to the look and story. The plan of the stunning Lady Cornelian Basildon-Stone was both intriguing and borderline insane! She'd transformed hundreds of policemen into half man, half wasp, giving her a crew of controllable creatures following just one order, any order she desired. And in this case it was to bring the downfall of her majesty. I was extremely surprised to discover that she'd actually gone as far as using the gene splicer to convert herself into a half wasp as well! Just why would you want to do that to yourself? I really liked the use of archaic Silurian relics and the story of the scientist who was left to die was heartfelt. Scott Gray did a magnificent job of portraying the Paternoster Gang as they appear on TV. Vastra taking centre stage was terrific although I think better font should have been used for her narration. Jenny was nailed spot on with her speech and dialect perfect. Strax was, as usual, humorous and comical although his language was a bit too good from what we're used to but I can let that slide. The overall plot was fantastic and I liked how the Doctor had left and entrusted Vastra with his sonic screwdriver and she used it in dazzling effect here shattering the palace. The fact that Lady Basildon-Stone just fell despite having wings was a bit edgy and the fact that the wasp effects simply faded after the source being destroyed wasn't quite the climax I hoped for but overall it was very enjoyable! 

Rating: 8/10

The Power of Three

"I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 22nd September 2012

Series: 7.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

There have been ways to invade Earth, and the Doctor has seen them all - or so he always thought. And then the human race wakes up one morning and discovers the world has been overrun by small cubes, which then proceed to do nothing at all. A plan is afoot, humanity is endangered but by what, and how, and above all, when? The Year of the Slow Invasion has thus begun. 

Verdict 

The Power of Three was actually pretty good despite being mixed overall. For about 35 minutes the episode was full of intrigue, mystery and suspense... and then it just seemed to end in a rushed way. The idea and potential of the episode is very good and had this been presented in a two part story I think it would have been far better! When you do an episode that's going to last a calendar year in length, it needs to be done very cleverly as in Last of the Time Lords, but here it wasn't done all that well. To be honest, time-wise this episode was just all over the place. First the Doctor was restless having to take the 'slow path' and just be patient. But then later in the episode he wants to stay with Amy and Rory. Now I understand and liked the fact that the Doctor missed constantly travelling with the first face his face saw, and her husband, but he's experienced companions leaving him before so it shouldn't be too new for him. I'm really not liking how Amy and Rory's departure is being prepared for. They've gone from facing divorce in Asylum of the Daleks to wanting to choose 'real life' over travelling in the TARDIS. It's all a bit quick and muddled for my liking. But back to the episode and its individuality. Brian was great reappearing after his humorous stint in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and I really liked how he followed the instructions of the Doctor by watching the cubes, keeping a log everyday. The introduction of Kate Stewart was done very classy, no emotional or heartfelt entrance, just a UNIT break in and she casually struts in identifying the Doctor. I really liked that. And I liked the Doctor's liking of her and how she didn't want to be known simply as the Brigadier's daughter. She was more than capable of being brilliant on her own and that was evident in this episode. The plot was very good to be fair with cubes just appearing all over the world... and doing absolutely nothing for months on end. It's the perfect plan. Do nothing, conceal the truth and become part of human society and you won't be feared. Once all doubt is erased from that society that the cubes are harmless, that's the time to strike. And it was done well for the most part. After nearly a year of nothingness, the cubes absorbed literally every piece of information and more. They'd soon pounce with an attack wave and once they did, after the countdown was complete, cardiac arrest became common instantaneously across the globe. The Shakri looked very impressive but yet the apparent leader (or is the Shakri just a term for the individual we saw) only appeared for no more than a few minutes. How can the main villain of the story only appear as a hologram for one conversation? I liked how the Doctor was shocked at seeing who was behind the cubes and they must be fearful and calculative if they were used to give Gallifreyan children nightmares. But if a species could cause shivers down the spines of a Time Lord, why were they afraid of human colonisation? Surely they'd have a more straightforward way of prevention than a slow invasion. The brief scenes where seven weeks of adventures between the now part time TARDIS trio were good but again rushed. Why couldn't we have seen the Zygons at the hotel and how Amy ended up marrying Henry VIII?! The fact that this was the anniversary of the Ponds should have been more momentous also. It's just a shame that a plot with so much potential was rushed at the end. Were the flashbacks and narration needed at the start as an expense for more time with the Shakri? I'm also liking Rory less and less as his departure draws near which should not be the case! He just seems inadequate and I'm convinced the Doctor only misses Amy. Overall, great ideas just rushed. The climax was far too quick and simple which was a great shame. 

Rating: 7/10

Forever Dreaming

"You were right, Doctor-man. She's stronger than any of us, just what we need..."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 4th May 2011

Printed in: DWM 433-434

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Amy arrive at a 1960s seaside resort where everything is just a little too stereotypical. As things entail, the Doctor vanishes into thin air and Amy is left all alone, in a dream that lasts forever, hunted by the Dark.

Verdict 

Forever Dreaming was a bit of a let down I must sadly admit. Comic strip stories that go more than one part are usually very good and tell an entertaining and interesting story but for the most part this adventure was bland and extremely average. After reading many Scott Gray comic strips to kick off my delving into this format, I'm yet to be overly impressed by Jonathan Morris. He's just not doing things greatly for the Eleventh Doctor in his first graphic novel. The story arc has just been all over the place really with the mysterious Chiyoko appearing prominently in The Golden Ones but only making a cameo in The Screams of Death since. If you're going with a story arc, at least have something leading upto the climatic conclusion story as seen with the brilliant Hunters of the Burning Stone and The Blood of Azrael. I didn't like the plot of this adventure much at all with the silly Beatles theme and dreary and dreamy atmosphere. It was needless and just far too cliched. I liked the idea of Amy having been to this particular seaside town before with her aunt but the confusing jumps between her being an adult and a child weren't great. I mean, she was wearing the same clothes in both ages of herself, there was a severe lack of explanation. The artwork was pretty awful for this story sadly, it seemed way too rushed and not detailed enough at all. I don't whether the artist was trying to make it suit the dream theme and tone or not, but whatever he'd thought of I didn't like it and to me it just didn't work. The saving grace of the comic strip was the Dark. They looked very Doctor Who and the way they spoke was impressive. The cliffhanger was not great and I did think that Amy conjuring up an ice cream to save the day, making her happy, was extremely silly. The lack of the Doctor is something that hurt the story I think. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Amy when she travels solely with the Doctor and I know she'd be more than capable of holding her own in a spinoff, but here she wasn't allowed the expression and freedom that she should have. Thanks to the dreams she was restricted and the distraction of the ridiculous John Lennon entity or whatever it was didn't help matters. Thank goodness the Dark looked very good and acted like great villains. The rhyming riddles they spoke in were fantastic and the way they were turned against the "physic squid" was actually good. You know a story isn't going well when you're enemy is called a physic squid event though that's not its real name. It was severely lacking in aggression or looking fearful instead it just seemed like a giant squishy toy. The idea of it wanting to get out of psychspace was at least a saving grace. The Doctor's disappearance was a shock but to find him just sitting around with others, still trapped, was poor. I thought it was too away and again not clarified as to how the squid couldn't tap into Amy's mind. The climax with Amy conjuring up the TARDIS to escape was somewhat rushed. I've got nothing else to say really, very average but the excellence of the Dark saved things from disaster and gains what's probably a generous rating. 

Rating: 6/10

Silver Lining

"That's humans for you, never did manage the art of logic."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Audio

Released: 

Series: Bernice Summerfield Special Release 01

Featuring: Bernice

Synopsis 

Verdict 

Silver Lining is an excellent half hour of Doctor Who drama. Despite it being Doctor-less, as is the intention in the Bernice Summerfield range, it was really good and has definitely paved the way for me to look to do more adventures and series' in this range in the future! As in Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code, I really admired the enthusiasm Benny had for her archaeology and adventuring. I was intrigued at how normal a life she'd led since departing the TARDIS. It was very interesting news to discover that Bernice is a mother! I do look forward to seeing the many spinoff series she stars in pan out. I'm really looking forward to a lot of adventures and the chance for a companion to really become big in the Whoniverse, and I like the fact that it's one who didn't appear on television. But back to this cleverly titled story and I really liked the plot and it's similarities to The Tomb of the Cybermen. A cave, metalic doors hidden into moutains (or equivalent) and a unique intelligence test. Plus the would-be accomplice turning out to want to use the Cybermen or their technology for their own use. I really liked the scenes with the door opening attempts and the brilliance of Bernice shone through as she found the correct, analogue, sequence of notes on the keyboard. Just why or how the Cybermen had implanted a keyboard into their entrance I wasn't sure, but I love the absurdity! Lynton was a tremendous character and for a while with its short format, and the Cybermen yet to appear, I was beginning to wonder just what direction things were going in. But then he turned and revealed all. He was just using Bernice to break into the Cyber pit and take things for himself. He wanted the Cyber-Plague to unleash for his own devilish schemes but the revelation that the plague itself was on the outside of the canister rather than inside was brilliant! So scheming of the Cybermen yet utterly fantastic. Their plan was for the capturer of the plague to exit the pit with the can and unleash the disease on all. Bernice questioned my wondering, how would that help conversion? Nevertheless, the Cybermen have been known to partake in strange methods and reasoning so I could easily let it slide here. What mattered was the Cybermen were upto no good yet again and were planning on unleashing a contact-spreading disease. So they needed to be stop. The arrival of the Cybermen wasn't as emphatic as it could have been but I found the design, or rather voice, of this version of the silver rodents of peculiar interest. They didn't sound too ruthless or aggressive even if their agenda seemed to say otherwise. I loved how Bernice quickly friended a Cyberman to prevent the explosives from going off, or rather let her escape before the pit became an inferno. I thought it wwe awesome how she climbed on and up a Cybermen! When has that been done before? Excellent scenes. The climax in which Benny leaves the Cyberman for dead in escaping herself was very good and as I mentioned in a recent blog of Island of Horror, without the Doctor the major villains need to be defeated somewhat climatically and again that was terrifically portrayed here. Overall, despite its short length, this was an outstanding little audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code

"It's a language... and it's illegal."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: 31st January 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 4.06

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Bernice

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Bernice Summerfield are on the planet Shanquis, where the Doctor is trying to negotiate a peace settlement between this world and the neighbouring world of Esoria. The Doctor should be in his element, in an arena where the fighting is done with words, not weapons.

Yet after days of talks, the situation is getting worse. The planets are on a war footing and the Doctor cannot break the deadlock. He'd planned to join Bernice at an archaeology conference on the planet, but she ends up going on her own in an effort to distract herself from the increasingly dismal situation. 

Whilst there, Bernice learns of the Shanquin "forbidden language", which it is illegal to read, speak or even think. As Bernice persues the root of this obscure, archaic law, she finds herself obstructed and threatened - and realises that her investigations may have given her the only hope of stopping this war...

Verdict 

Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code, an interesting title with its resemblance to the Target novelisations, was a fantastic Companion Chronicle audio! Lisa Bowerman narrated the story absolutely brilliantly and with this only being my second story to feature her as companion, I'm impressed with Bernice Summerfield and can see why she's been given numerous spinoffs across different formats. She was a highlight of The Shadow of the Scourge and as it should be in this range, she was the upmost highlight here. I really liked her twist on Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor with the calmness and Scottish slant coming through. Usually in the Chronicle stories the role of the Doctor is limited but here he was acting as the mediator, the "'middle man" as was said in the story and that was really great to see. I liked his attempts at preventing war between the species of Shanquis and Esoria, if there's one thing the Doctor loves to prevent it's death! And he was pulling out all the stops here trying any methods, whether it publicly or not, to negotiate a peace settlement instead of having a needless war. Bernice's relationship with the Doctor was a very good one and I liked the less aggressive theme, or scenes rather, that came with the absence of Ace. Having the Doctor travel with solely Bernice is a bresh of fresh air. I'm not a fan of Ace, she's loudmouthed, over aggressive and just annoying. As referenced, I think I need to delve into some Seventh Doctor and Bernice novels starting with Love and War. The use of a forbidden language was intriguing and I loved how determind Bernice was to discover why it was so feared despite the laws surrounding it being archaic. Something isn't as it seems if people can be prosecuted for just thinking the language! I was also intrigued by the heavy use of the TARDIS translation system in a pre-Ninth Doctor story. I'm not complaining at all, in fact I welcomed that things were made of the TARDIS ability prior to the RTD era. Gatlin was a good little character adding to the cast but as support casts go in the Companion Chronicles, this was a poor effort unfortunately and I think that's because the Doctor's role was unusually prominent in this range. I'd argue that they didn't need to include a second person to the cast members, Lisa Bowerman was so good that she could have done it all! Hell, why didn't they just throw in Sylvester McCoy for a range bonus? Not that it wasn't good, far from that, it really was excellent! The plot throughout was terrific with Bernice set on uncovering the secret language and the Doctor preventing war. The discovery that the language was actually English was very clever and tied in well with the TARDIS translation. Once things were advancing, the discovery of the planet's history with the wormholes and human settlement was tremendous and added to with the ability Bernice had by manipulating nature by the nanobots commanding them with the "forbidden language" that she was fluent in. The Doctor's heavy involvement right through to the climax was fantastic and despite myself being quite critical of the Seventh Doctor, without Ace he might not be so bad. Time to wap out the Seventh and Mel adventures I think... or advance on my knowledge on the brilliant Bernice. She really was superb in this. 

Rating: 9/10

Island of Horror

"How much do you know about our attempts to turn Earth's scientists into savage psychopaths?"

Writer: Terry Nation

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1978

Printed in: Dalek Annual 1979

Synopsis 

When Karl Martin is found in the fishing nets of a Japanese trawler, Mark Seven and Joel Shaw are stunned. What, they wonder, is the pre-eminent scientist doing in the waters off the coast of Japan? Although Martin is not able to communicate his thoughts to the ADF agents, he is concealing a picture of a Dalek in his pocket...

Verdict 

Island of Horror was a fantastic little comic strip! The story really was what it says on the tin, a horror-filled island. Considering this was a Dalek story, with no Doctor, in a Dalek annual, given the shortness of the story I was quite surprised as to how long it took the Skaro-natives to appear but once they did their presence lit up the story! The mystery of Karl having been fished up was intriguing and I loved how he had a Dalek picture concealed on himself. There was a big mystery, an unknown island and a top scientist gone mad, and now the Daleks were involved. Surely something like this was on the Christmas list of the Doctor? I'm sure had he been present during this Dalek plan that he wouldn't be impressed with what his arch enemies were upto this time. Their plan was devious and downright brilliant. It somehow seemed that it would be better suited to something the Rani would get upto in her spare time, but the Daleks attempting to turn the planet's top scientists crazy and against their own kind! Had they succeeded, Earth would be in pieces. The characters of Shaw and Seven were very good, I really liked what they were capable of. The design of the Daleks in the comic strips really was admirable and they just suit the format absolutely tremendously! The way the short comic came to and end was good with your basic explosion. The Daleks stood no chance really against the island of which they were on being blown out of the sea did they? Without the Doctor, the Daleks need to be defeated in a pretty calamitous way and I like how that was shown here. Overall, for a short Doctorless story I was impressed! You had mystery, a great Dalek plan and a good climax! I think this comic strip could form the basis of a fantastic extended story of performed Doctor Who.

Rating: 9/10

A Town Called Mercy

"Violence doesn't end violence. It extends it."

Writer: Toby Whithouse

Format: TV

Broadcast: 15th September 2012

Series: 7.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

Missing Mexico by 200 miles, the Doctor, Amy and Rory end up in Mercy, Nevada, where something isn't quite right. The locals are hostile to strangers and a border of stone and wood surrounds the town. As the Doctor finds out, a gunslinger is behind all this, and he's far from ordinary...

Verdict 

A Town Called Mercy was a very good episode! Full of emotion, this did have a great story and served excellently as a filler episode. With no series arc of such that involves Amy and Rory, this episode just pushed on the inevitable departure of the Ponds that's drawing ever closer. I have to start by mention Amy, she was unbelievably spectacular in this episode, and that was just without speaking! Karen Gillan really did look absolutely incredible. Her hair is just perfect and her dress was wonderful, not to mention her sensational looks! I've always thought she was a beautiful women but for whatever reason I'd never included her at the top of my list of the prettiest, most beautiful (or whatever else you want to call it) list of companions. Clara, Polly and Peri have always been my top 3 but Amy gatecrashes into the medal positions I think after a dazzling episode, in which she stole the show. Rory didn't really do much, as per usual, and it was upto his wife to pull of memorable moments. The Doctor was outraged beyond anything we've ever seen before. He'd seen the atrocities that Kahler-Jex had committed, transforming innocent people into war machine cyborgs. And he seemed proud of his war-hero status, which came at a cost of life in a cruel way. The Doctor was having none of it and Matt Smith just oozed amazement. When the TARDIS trio arrived in Mercy, the Doctor just had that presence of an important man, something extraordinary. And the way he reacted to Kahler-Jex was just outstanding. The Doctor actually contemplated killing Jex in cold blood with a gun. It's time he started putting the victims first, honouring them, and seeing the criminal come to justice. But then Amy stepped in, shocked at the actions of the Doctor. I adored how she told the Doctor that he shouldn't be like Jex, he should be better. A tremendous moment. The Gunslinger was a good character and I liked the fearful presence that he brought. I wasn't struck on the appearance I must admit but to bring out emotion in cyborg is impressive, even if they made him Marshall at the end which just seemed unnecessary in my eyes. Considering my utter distaste for The Gunfighters, the setting wasn't bad at all to be fair. It actually worked very well for the episode! Yes, I'm praising a Wild West setting, don't get used to it. The barrier stopping the Gunslinger from entering the town seemed very poor and unexplained but I did like the town's residents. Some fantastic characters were seen. The Doctor's mentions of the victims of the Master and the Daleks was a lovely moment, so many had died because of the mercy he'd shown and now the Doctor was thinking of change. As Amy pointed out, and as we all know, the Doctor needs companions. So if Amy knew this, why would she leave the Doctor to travel alone again? I know the series is slowly going towards the Ponds' departure, but do they really need to go home after every bloody episode? I think not! But nonetheless, a very good episode with plenty of emotional value. The climax was a good way to end things with Jex facing his crimes himself, and dealing with them honourably. Overall, excellent!

Rating: 8/10

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"Did the Silurians beg you to stop?"

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 8th September 2012

Series: 7.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

In 2367, the Indian Space Agency is on high alert as an unifentifiee spaceship hurtles towards the Earth. The Doctor assembles a team to investigate, including the legendary Queen Nefertiti, a big game hunter named Riddell, Amy, Rory... and Rory's father, Brian. Materialising on board a Silurian Ark with its only inhabitants dinosaurs, an injured rogue trader and two childish robots, the gang have a mystery to solve...

Verdict 

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was a very good episode to continue the game changing seventh series of the revived Doctor Who. The title suggests the story is going to be pretty unique and indeed that was the case! I loved how the Doctor seemingly has a rambunctious side when he's travelling alone, as we've previously seen with River Song, and now here with Queen Nefertiti! Just what was he doing with the historical Egyptian? I'll leave it to speculation. I suppose my annoyance at Amy and Rory not constantly travelling with the Doctor is more critical of the series' direction than this episode itself, but I just really dislike that the companions can come and go with the Doctor as they please. It's a luxury! You shouldn't be able to choose, you just stay or go. After the Doctor had picked up Nefertiti and Riddell, I liked the humorous way in which Brian came aboard the TARDIS with Amy and Rory. Brian was a fantastic character and I liked how being Rory's Dad brought in some humour. The plot of the story was actually fantastic! Dinosaurs on a spaceship is something unique but it actually made so much sense when you threw in the fact that the ship was a Silurian Ark! Somehow, this story seemed to be a mini crossover of The Ark and Invasion of the Dinosaurs. I'd never have thought stories of so much difference could conjoin to become one! But that's the feel I got from it here. Amy was stunningly good in this episode and with her away from Rory she shone ever so brightly. The redhead was, figuratively, on fire! Sexy, smart and superb. A terrific companion performance, pushing buttons to discover just exactly what was going on. The Doctor had taught her well. I loved the Doctor's joy at having his own gang, brilliantly typical of the eleventh incarnation. Although, I don't feel Nefertiti and Riddell actually needed to feature. All Riddell brought was innuendo with the Egyptian Queen whilst the Queen herself just served as market value to Solomon. But surely the TARDIS would have been worth much more than her? Solomon was an excellent villain, utterly spiteful and horrid. He'd ejected every Silurian from their own ship so he could take the cargo of dinosaurs for himself to export. As the Doctor said, piracy and genocide. Something the Doctor would avenge. Matt Smith was again fantastic as the Doctor and showed all the traits of why he's my favourite Doctor superbly here. We saw the comical side with his joyous glee at having a gang and seeing dinosaurs in space. We had his genius side in how he saved the day and rescued Nefertiti. We also got the wonderful quirkiness mixed in with the absolute seriousness that Smith so effortlessly turns on. He'd left the missile signal in Solomon's ship, and uncharacteristically but justly, left the trader to die. Greed isn't a trait the Doctor is fond of, and we found out brilliantly why in this episode. The idea of a wave powered ship was good but I didn't buy a sky on the inside of a spaceship at all. The idea though of the advanced Silurians is extremely clever. And now I have to mention those stupid robots. I just couldn't understand why there were so ridiculously silly! It annoyed me in fact and really hurt the episode. Way too childish for an emotional story. It was obvious they didn't fit the bill, just make them aggressive and it would have been much better! But anyway, overall it was a very good episode and sneaks a very decent rating. 

Rating: 8/10