The Sontaran Ordeal

"One Sontaran... on his own."

Writer: Andrew Smith
Format: Audio
Released: 22nd July 2016
Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 1.04

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

An instant of the Time War brings centuries of conflict to the planet Drakkis, and the Eighth Doctor is there to witness the terrible results.

A Sontaran fleet, desperate to join the epic conflict, follows in its wake to take advantage of the fallout. But when Commander Jask is beamed down to the ravaged surface, there is more to his arrival than first appears.

Soon, an unlikely champion forces with the Time Lord to fight for the future of her world, and together they must face the Sontaran Ordeal...

Verdict

The Sontaran Ordeal was an excellent audio adventure that brought an end to what has been a wonderful Classic Doctors, New Monsters boxset! We've seen the Weeping Angels, Judoon and Sycorax all return alongside unfamiliar Doctors in eras that we would not usually expect them to find and as well as just being a bit of a culture shock, the stories have actually been of a very high standard which just makes things even greater. Now in terms of the name of this boxset, I feel like this audio has cheated quite a bit really by featuring the Sontarans. Yes, I know it's the modern show's version that is depicted here but despite the Eighth Doctor appearing, the Time War setting is something I would absolutely not associate with the Classic era of Doctor Who. It now kind of bridges the years between The Movie and Rose but I must admit that I will be hoping for a wholly new monster for the Eighth Doctor's story in next year's boxset, rather than just the modern take on an old villain. That being said, the story itself was actually brilliant and I enjoyed hearing the Eighth Doctor demonstrating his desire not to compete on either side of the Time War. As far as I am aware, this is the first story other than The Night of the Doctor to depict the eighth incarnation of our heroic Time Lord in the Time War and I do think it's about time we got something of the sort. It's such a wide event and from the Eighth Doctor's regeneration story we know that a lot went on before the Doctor gave up his name in his ninth incarnation and went to war. I thought it was very good that we saw directly the effects the Time War had on planets when it was fought in real time. Drakkis had its whole history rewritten from a planet of peace to one of constant war. Sarana was a fantastic little character and I didn't envy her position of being caught between a Time Lord and a Sontaran. Jask was a brilliant villain although he didn't quite turn out to be the enemy by the end of the story which was a really nice move. The Doctor's initial surprise at seeing Jask, stripped off all armour and weaponry, was good and his early scepticism was great. Sarana soon learned all about the Time Lords from the Sontaran though and that would provide quite a powerfully emotional scene at the conclusion of this story. The Doctor, Sarana and Jask working together was really interesting and it was actually quite shocking to see that trust was put into a Sontaran. The truth about Jask and his ordeal was very interesting and I loved the story behind it. General Stenk was seemingly a unique Sontaran as he sought after personal glory. He saw some of his squadron die a needless death and that was a great crime amongst the clone species. His report had actually gotten him eradicated and officially left to die. The trick between the trio back on the Sontaran ship to rekindle the name of Jask was superb and they even faked the Doctor's death! As far as the Sontarans were concerned, a troublesome foe of their past was dead and the General was horrified it had been broadcast! Stenk Sion had the truth about him revealed with his punishment ironically set to be ordeal. Jask had his honour restored which was good but just like in The Eternity Cage, the Time War remained free of Sontarans. The end scene with the Doctor and Sarana was quite sad as she saw what the Time War did and wanted no part with him or his people. Overall though, a brilliant story to conclude the boxset!

Rating: 9/10

Logopolis

"The universe is hanging by a thread..."

Writer: Christopher H. Bidmead
Format: TV
Broadcast: 28th February - 21st March 1981
Season: 18.07

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Doctor and Adric head to Earth to fix the TARDIS' chameleon circuit - hoping to restore the time machine's ability to blend into its surroundings. But once they face danger involving a newly-regenerated Master and a feisty young air hostess called Tegan Jovanka. How can the people of the distant and mysterious planet Logopolis help? And just who is the strange, ghostly figure watching the Doctor's every move...?

Verdict

Logopolis is a wonderful story and will always be remembered as Tom Baker's final adventure as the Fourth Doctor. Of course, before he can go and fall to his demise there's a great big story to get through as well as a return for the Master in his renewed form. There's also the arrival of a new companion in Tegan which, when I come to think of it, seems a little untimely but I guess things were all about setting the show up for its future which would obviously be much changed following Peter Davison's arrival as the Fifth Doctor. But I'll get to that at a later, but not too far away, date. The transition of actors was obviously helped by the return of Nyssa too who was brought to Logopolis by the mysterious Watcher who had been a recurring but silent figure throughout the story. He was almost like a mummy and I liked how Adric initially thought that he was actually the Master. There was good continuation from The Keeper of Traken and after having only watched it a few days ago I thought the timing to blog my goodbye to the Fourth Doctor was pretty much perfect. The story is just a joy and with so much going on it still manages to tell an exciting adventure. The Doctor's sudden urge to fix the chameleon circuit of the TARDIS was interesting but I liked it. It's hard to imagine the Doctor's TARDIS being anything other than a police box but of course we would see it alter shape in Attack of the Cybermen. That wouldn't last long though. We saw the chameleon circuit working wonders for the Master though as he was hopping from place to place ridiculously frequently. I was surprised that we didn't actually see the Master until part three but the suspense that was brought by the knowledge of his presence was terrific. Nyssa didn't arrive until the same time which was good as she thought of him as being her father until the Doctor broke the devastating news. Tegan also lost her aunt to the murdering Time Lord renegade but it would soon get a whole lot worse for Nyssa. Thanks to the Master's meddling on Logopolis, the centrepiece that holds the universe together, Traken was completely destroyed. Nyssa's home planet was gone in an instant thanks to a man who had stolen her father's body. The hatred she must have for him must be enormous. The relationship between the Doctor and Adric was very good at the start and I loved the former trying to explain why they needed to go to Earth and measure a police box's dimensions. There were some wonderful references in this story with the mentions of An Unearthly Child, Full Circle and Warriors' Gate particularly pleasing me. The Doctor mentioning the TARDIS being in repairs on Gallifrey would back up what we saw in The Name of the Doctor with the First Doctor stealing a faulty TARDIS. The Master's plan was cunning and maniacal which was perfect for him and Anthony Ainley certainly resurrected the villain incredibly well. His desire to kill and cause the Doctor chaos and havoc was still as strong as ever which was fantastic. The lead up to the regeneration and the Doctor's almighty fall was good and I liked how the Master wasn't dealt with leaving a return open in the future. The regeneration itself was quite quick and after some terrific flashbacks of all the Fourth Doctor's worst enemies and best friends, the Watcher and Doctor merged and the Fifth Doctor arrived, wordless. Overall, a wonderful way to see the Fourth Doctor and Tom Baker off into the sunset!

Rating: 10/10

Co-Owner of a Broken Heart

"You will be whole again."

Writer: Patrick Ness

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th November 2016
Series: Class 1.04

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

Synopsis

April starts to feel greater effects of sharing her heart with Corakinus, and is troubled by her newfound power. Meanwhile, something sinister is invading the streets.

Verdict

Co-Owner of a Broken Heart was another stunning episode of Class and I must say that at the halfway point of the Doctor Who spinoff series, I am very pleased with how well things have started! I have no idea how well the show is doing in terms of viewing figures but with the availability being limited to online, I do hope that what probably seem relatively low numbers (I assume) are actually good for the service. I really didn't know what to expect from this spinoff as the main character was not familiar to us from the parent programme but I think that's actually helping things. After a nod from the Twelfth Doctor in the first episode, the little gang are slowly learning and dealing with everything that comes with attending Coal Hill Academy. This episode seemed to be pretty much a sequel to For Tonight We Might Die which was good but I must admit I wasn't expecting the aftermath of that story to be felt quite this early on. The return of the Shadow Kin and more prominently Corakinus was excellent though and the palace in which his majesty ruled was quite the spectacle. He certainly did rule from underneath but he was perhaps not quite the feared ruler he once was thought as because he now shared a heart with April. We could see the effects on both quite clearly in this episode with April almost becoming possessed by the Shadow Kin King. On more than one occasion she had to resist the urge to kill her father who unwelcomely had returned to her life after being released from prison. That was an intriguing insight into the story and we certainly did learn a great deal about April as a character. She's still my absolute favourite but the sweet and kind nature was almost non existent in this episode which gave us a good switch in dynamic. Her relationship with Ram developed considerably but I was quite surprised that it was taken to the physical level. She did admit that it wasn't planned but after their kiss in the last episode, things certainly escalated quickly with the timing somewhat questionable considering the discomfort April was in with her heart. Or part lack of. Corakinus instructing the very best of his people to find a way to make his heart whole again was good and we got to see the Shadow Kin being quite brittle which was quite different from their previous appearance in which the Doctor was needed to dispel them. The references to The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo and Nightvisiting were excellent and I also liked how the mystery behind the mysterious Governors and Miss Quill was extended. The name of the former is extremely clever for a school based setting and I'm looking forward to seeing that unfold, especially with the knowledge the new headmistress at the school has about Quill and Charlie. Matteusz pushing Charlie about the Cabinet of Souls was interesting, especially with the revelation about just what it could do as a weapon. It was rather frightening! If Charlie ever decided to turn evil, the human race could be doomed. Tanya had quite a quiet episode but she still managed to interject some humour which was great. April and Ram getting caught in the aftermath of their having sex, when they were supposed to be at school, was also humorous but what followed was not with April going under some immense emotional strain in managing to resist the urge to kill her father and appearing to somehow manage to cure her mother of being paralysed. She would then go one step further and claw a crack in time and space and head to the lair of the Shadow Kin to get her heart back. Ram quickly dived after her but the rip in space closed before anyone else could follow. Overall, a fantastic episode and I can't wait for the rest of the series to see how things unfold!

Rating: 9/10

Harvest of the Sycorax

"Why is it taking me so long to die?"

Writer: James Goss
Format: Audio
Released: 22nd July 2016
Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 1.03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

In the far future, humanity has a remedy for everything. Whatever the problem, Pharma Corps has the answer and a designer disease tailored to every human's blood type. Zanzibar Hashtag has no need to be sad. scared, stressed, or depressed ever again.

That is, until vicious aliens arrive on her space station intent on opening its vault. What will it mean for the human race if the Sycorax take control of what's inside?

And when the Seventh Doctor arrives on the scene, can he convince Zanzibar to care about her life long enough to help him?

Verdict

Harvest of the Sycorax was an excellent audio adventure and another great continuation of the Classic Doctors, New Monsters boxset. I've mentioned in my blog entries of the first two stories how much I love the idea behind this collection of stories and this adventure was no different when it came to my excitement. Eleven years since their only televised appearance in The Christmas Invasion, the Sycorax made their audio debut. Of course, in terms of chronology this story took place quite some time before that one but hearing them alongside the Seventh Doctor was just wonderful. I must admit I'm still surprised that this boxset isn't dealing with the Doctor's first encounters with the monsters we wouldn't see on television until the revival era but I have absolutely no problem with that. I am aware that there are those who are not fans of that but with news of a second boxset coming next year, I'm just looking forward for some great monsters to get a return, even if it takes place chronologically before their first appearance on screen. It's doubtful that many monsters like the Sycorax would get a return on television alongside the Twelfth Doctor so having them on audio is a real treat. I loved the arrival of the Doctor into this story and he even commented how after only being in the Sycorax's life for thirty seconds, he'd made it hell. I must say that the portrayal of the Sycorax was superb and their constant referring to the human race as cattle was excellent. I listened to this story on a ridiculously packed train so I found that quite ironic I must say. There were quite a few similarities to their first appearance on screen which I liked, particularly with the moment that their language could be understood. That would of course be down to the Doctor's arrival and a rare example of the TARDIS translation circuit being utilised in a Classic era story. I absolutely loved that the Doctor showed no fear towards the Sycorax and was just loving to mock them. Sylvester McCoy really was magnificent and it's not often that I say that! That's not to say I'm not a fan of him by any means though. Zanzibar was a terrific character and I really liked the futuristic setting with the human race willingly drugging themselves and not being used to some very common emotions. I imagine the Cybermen of this era would be licking their lips at the prospect of converting them, if they had any that is. Her relationship with the Doctor was fantastic and a real highlight of the story and the way they combined to defeat the Sycorax was excellent. The battle between them was done very cleverly and I liked how with the Doctor being the Sycorax champion, he willingly surrendered. The Sycorax would of course refuse that but the plan for defeat was already well under way. It all came down to that familiar method of blood control. The very idea of it is fantastic but it caused the Sycorax downfall here in a very good way. The revelation surrounding Pharma Corps and Cadwallader was a bit of a surprise I must say but I thought it was great. The only downfall was the quickness in which Shadrak died just as she'd agreed on a date with Zanzibar. That did add a lot to the story though so that was good. Overall, an excellent audio adventure and another great story from the boxset!

Rating: 9/10

Death to the Daleks

"The only alternative to living is dying."

Writer: Terry Nation
Format: TV
Broadcast: 23rd February - 16th March 1974
Season: 11.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, Sarah

Synopsis

A power failure in the TARDIS draws it off course, and the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith end up stranded on the bleak planet of Exxilon. They soon meet members of an Earth expedition in a similar situation. The humans are searching for a rare metal, but first they must find out what is draining their power and avoid what's inside another grounded spaceship - the Doctor's oldest enemies, the Daleks...

Verdict

Death to the Daleks was a very good serial and quite an eventful way to introduce Sarah Jane to life on other planets. Not only did she meet the creepy Exxilons, but she was acquainted with the Doctor's oldest and most deadly enemies in the Daleks. The story starts off in excellent fashion with the TARDIS unprecedentedly being ridded entirely of all its power. It was unlike anything we'd seen before up to this point in the show and when the emergency power supplies also quickly failed, along with a normal torch, something very powerful lay outside the TARDIS doors. Speaking of which, just opening the wretched things was a task in itself without sufficient power. Sarah would later struggle when she was inevitably split from the Doctor. Considering this was only her third story as companion, I thought she was terrific and dealt with being left alone on an alien planet pretty well. She didn't cope too well though as she was almost sacrificed! The Exxilons were very intriguing species and although I wasn't a fan of the cloaked costume design of those faithful to the City, I did really like those who refused to worship it such as the likes of Bellal. He had a very nice relationship with both the Doctor and Sarah which was great to see. Bellal would go on to explain quite a bit about the history on Exxilon and the story behind the city was extremely fascinating I must say. An independent one that could think for itself. It had now outgrown its creators and the planet's inhabitants now lived in fear and awe of it. The Exxilons were on the brink of extinction because of that and the Doctor couldn't just sit back and let them go out of existence. The cliffhanger to part one wasn't exactly a surprise and it just seems to be the general occurrence in nearly every Dalek story of the Classic era. Part there's cliffhanger wasn't too good either which was a little bit of a shame. With that episode setting up the final part, I always expect that to have a good cliffhanger. Now, the details of this story weren't exactly new to me as although I've only watched it once before, over four years ago now, I did read the Target novelisation of this story earlier this year. I absolutely loved the book and would rank as one of my favourite novelisations but sadly, despite remaining very good, the televised story doesn't quite match up which is a bit of a shame. As much as I loved the design of the Daleks in this serial, I thought their voices were a bit whiny and puny which took away a bit of their fear factor. I do feel that it was improved in the stories that came after it though so at least some lessons were learned. The MSC team were good and that's where I picked up on most of the deviations with the novelisation. Well, I'm not sure deviation is the correct word actually as I think it's just natural of the novel format that there will be more explanation and background to the characters. In a television story, we don't tend to care an awful lot about the guest cast but in a book it doesn't seem like there is much choice and I wouldn't have it any other way. Jill and Galloway remained the standouts with the latter's sacrifice still being emotionally felt. I thought part four was probably my favourite as after the Doctor and the Daleks had entered an unlikely alliance, they were now back on opposing sides and taking part in a brilliant intelligence test that would lead to the heart of the city and ultimately bring about its downfall thanks to some ingenuity by the Doctor just in the nick of time. The ending was done very well as well as being excellently paced and whilst I didn't think it quite lived up to the novelisation, it was still a great story. Overall, a very good serial!

Rating: 8/10

The Keeper of Traken

"This Melkur has made you mad!"

Writer: Johnny Byrne
Format: TV
Broadcast: 31st January - 21st February 1981
Season: 18.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa

Synopsis

Traken - a planet ruled by the all powerful Keeper, who rules for a thousand years and ensures that his subjects live a life of tranquility and harmony, free from the forces of evil and corruption. But the Keeper is dying... Summoned by the ailing Keeper, the Doctor and Adric discover that all is not well on Traken. An evil presence threatens the future of the planet. An evil that knows all about the Doctor...

Verdict

The Keeper of Traken is an absolutely wonderful story and holds a special place in my heart as it was actually the first ever serial from the Classic era of Doctor Who that I had watched. At that time, around seven years ago now, I hadn't been a fan for an awful long time but I was ready to delve into the old stuff and I was absolutely thrilled with what I watched. It was simply magnificent and they do say there's nothing quite like your first. There aren't many stories that I'd put above this one as not only is it special to me personally, but it's just superb from start to finish. Traken is a magnificent setting and having a planet that is prided upon being a place of universal harmony is always good because you just know that when the Doctor turns up, that harmony won't last much longer. Quite surprisingly though, he didn't play any part in that occurring and was actually summoned to the planet by the Keeper of Traken himself. The way he just popped into the TARDIS for a chat demonstrated how much power he possessed but his time was wearing thin and things weren't quite the same down on the planet. Seeing Kassia briefly tend to the strange Melkur in the grove when she was young was good as the Doctor would join up with events where she was much older. We witnessed her marriage to Tremas but from there on their relationship wouldn't exactly be a happy one. Over the years it seemed that she had become obsessed by the Melkur and later in the story she would actually be possessed. She did genuinely seem to love Tremas as she tried warning him to not look into her eyes but that message was in vain. I'm not afraid to say that I'm not a fan of Adric but I actually thought this was one of his better stories for the character himself. His intelligence was clearly visible and I liked his relationship with Nyssa very much. Having Nyssa appear in a story prior to officially becoming companion was an interesting move but I think it's great that we got a whole lot of backstory surrounding her upbringing and family. That was pretty rare for companions so I really liked that. The return to N-Space was quite subtly mentioned with barely a reference to Full Circle. The Melkur looked very good and the suspense being built around the revelation of it actually being a TARDIS was terrific. The occupant of that TARDIS wasn't revealed until late in part three which is quite some time and we only really had a brief conversation between the Doctor and the Master which again was an interesting move. Still in his emaciated form following The Deadly Assassin, I loved how the Master would try to utilise the Source on Traken to prevent death. He'd ran out of regenerations as we already know and things were getting very desperate. But this plan was actually fantastic and very nearly paid off. Although it wasn't successful, Tremas touching the Master's TARDIS meant that he would at least get a new body. The anagram hiding the eventual identity of Tremas was brilliantly subtle. Tom Baker was excellent as always and I just loved some of his comments, particularly where he said he never listens to himself. I thought the cliffhangers were very good with parts one and three really standing out to me. I really don't have anything negative to say about the story to be honest. The setting was brilliant, the plot excellent and the guest cast were all fantastic! It's just one of the stories I could never get bored watching and I'm absolutely certain that it will remain one of my absolute favourites for years to come. Overall, personally special to me and just a joy to watch. 

Rating: 10/10

Judoon in Chains

"Your courtroom is now on the planet Mars."

Writers: Simon Barnard & Paul Morris
Format: Audio
Released: 28th July 2016
Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 1.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

The Sixth Doctor is no stranger to coutroom drama, but faces a very different challenge when he prepares to defend the most unusual Judoon.

After an environmental clearance mission goes wrong, Captain Kybo of the Nineteenth Judoon Interplanetary Force is stranded in Victorian England, bound in chains, an exhibit in a circus show. But he has allies: Eliza Jenkins - known to audiences as 'Thomasina Thumb' - and the larger-than-life 'clown' in the colourful coat. Uncovering a trail of injustice and corruption, the Doctor and Kybo soon find themselves on trial for their lives...

Verdict

Judoon in Chains was a very good audio adventure and a great continuation of the terrific Classic Doctors, New Monsters boxset from Big Finish. It's just a wonderful idea to pit the monsters from the revived series up against the Doctors of old and it really does highlight the beauty of this fantastic format. I suppose we could get the meetings that take place in this boxset in a comic strip but, taking nothing away from that format which is brilliant in its own right, there's nothing quite like performed Doctor Who. Of course, I've already blogged a story in which the Judoon met a Classic Doctor in the form of A Rare Gem where they encountered the Fourth Doctor but as that was part of the Prisoners of Time epic, the meeting seemed somewhat brief. It was clear in that comic strip that the Doctor knew all about the Judoon and that was no different in this audio which kept in line with the Fifth Doctor's knowledge of the Weeping Angels in Fallen Angels. I must admit, that wasn't what I was expecting from these audios but I have no problem with it at all. Placing a Sixth Doctor story in a courtroom is always going to be an ironic thing and I loved the inevitable reference to The Trial of a Time Lord. The Doctor, particularly in this incarnation, was certainly no stranger to being inside a court. However, on this occasion he was not being accused but was actually the defence for Captain Kybo. The crime of desertion was a very serious one amongst the Judoon and Kybo had committed it which meant that once he was caught and tried, death would be his punishment. When I come to think of it, there aren't many crimes the Judoon punish the culprit with something other than evaporation. That's how they coined it. The Doctor comically making them abide by the rules of the land on Earth did spark some humorous scenes with the Judoon passing a cakewalk and entering a hall of mirrors at a nineteenth-century fairground. What they saw in the mirrors would soon be revealed as the Aetius and the concept behind them was very intriguing. They made the Judoon see beauty which was very uncharacteristic and I liked how Kybo's politeness and laughing was explained because of them. The Doctor had suspected that something was up almost from the moment they met. Most of the story acting as a flashback was good and I also enjoyed the humorous mention of the Ogrons. Gedge ending up being the main villain of the story was good and it was no real secret and I liked that the Judoon weren't considered to be the enemies, even if one of their captains was on trial. Ever since their broadcast debut in Smith and Jones, I've never considered the Judoon to be evil. As they're the galactic police, I always think of them as a neutral. It shouldn't be too long before I blog another television appearance of theirs but more on that with it comes. Eliza was a good character who had a pretty decent role in the story and I thought the whole court was great. The era in which it was set, or so was thought, was captured very nicely. The Judoon using a H2O scoop to transport the court to Mars was good but that wasn't actually strictly true. The Doctor had altered things and it was all part of his plan to convict Gedge of his crimes and everything was in turn part of a galactic broadcast. Kybo was not convicted of desertion and the Judoon, despite being pretty dull, had helped solve a crime. Overall, a decent plot and surprisingly long at 78 minutes, this was a good continuation of the boxset! 

Rating: 8/10

Playing House Part 1

"Where's your sense of adventure? It's a mystery!"

Writer: George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 20th October 2016
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 12

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Hattie

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor and Hattie receive a strange summons from an impossible source, and finds himself trapped inside a house of infinite dimensions! What is the Doctor's connection to the family that brought him there, and what is the stunning secret of the house itself?

Verdict

Playing House kicked off in tremendous style with this superb first part of the story! It completed my reading of this month's issue of Doctor Who Comic's Tales from the TARDIS and I think it was probably the best segment of the magazine which is quite an impressive feat in its own right. After arriving onboard the TARDIS in The Twist, this was the first full outing for Hattie as companion and she got off to a brilliant start. I loved how she and the Doctor were having a jamming session in the TARDIS and I bet this incarnation of the Doctor was particularly pleased at engaging in some social activity with his latest companion. I'm intrigued to see how long she'll long with Bill's arrival not far away now as she arrives on our screens in the early part of next year but whilst she's here, I'm liking her. George Mann seems to have an incredible idea up his sleeve with this comic strip adventure as this was just pure brilliance as far as an opening part is concerned. There were spooks, thrills and humour as well as a whole lot of intrigue into just what was going on. The TARDIS performing an emergency landing was good and actually something I can't recall occurring too often and the search for the reason behind it was very good. The enormity of the house was pretty impossible and I was surprised that the Doctor didn't pick upon the fact that he was inside a TARDIS. Even if he couldn't see from the visual evidence what he was inside, I thought he might have been able to feel it. However with everything that was going on and the strangeness behind Holly and her search for her children and husband I couldn't really blame him for not working out. The visuals of the TARDIS interior were kept consistent with the depths we saw in Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS which was very good and actually something I think was pretty important. The characterisation of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor was excellent which is something I always hold in high regard and it definitely does help with the quality of a story. Hattie was very good and it was fantastic to see how quickly she was learning about life alongside the Doctor. He quite enjoyed that which was good to see. The pace of the story was great and things were fed to us in drips which I liked. We saw the Doctor and Hattie going into impossible places. We would see them go from outside to inside and vice versa and then we'd see them meet Holly. The fact she had lost her kids and husband because of a game of hide and seek was something I couldn't help but find a little humorous but her description how rooms just seemed to be randomly added to the house really has me thinking. With the reveal that the house was actually a TARDIS serving as a wonderful cliffhanger, just what the hell is going on? That's a great feeling to have in my opinion as I now really want to read what happens next and I'm greatly anticipating the next DWC issue. Overall, a sublime start to the adventure!

Nightvisiting

"You died two years ago today."

Writer: Patrick Ness

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29th October 2016

Series: Class 1.03

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

Synopsis

When London is infiltrated by a powerful alien, an unexpected visitor comes to Tanya's window. The team must battle this strange new threat to stop Tanya from being lost forever.

Verdict

Nightvisiting was an outstanding episode of Class! This third story of the spinoff series to Doctor Who has instantly become my favourite and I honestly will be very surprised if any of the five remaining episodes in the series can beat it. From start to finish, it was just absolutely brilliant. The plot was excellent but that isn't all that makes a story and I really liked how we got some superb character development of each member of the main cast. We started off with a little bit of a family history for Tanya and the effects the anniversary of her father's death was having on. Of course, I don't think she expected him to return through her window attached to some horrific alien vine. April and Ram seem to have an interesting relationship and I'm just loving the former more and more as the series goes on. She's simply wonderful and I love how nice and just intelligent she is. I wasn't a fan of Ram mocking her for playing the keyboard but the way she stood up to that when they met in person was terrific. We learned a lot about her past as well as she opened up to Ram about how her mother was paralysed and why her father was imprisoned. The emotion behind her reveal was striking and the conversation ended with a kiss between April and Ram that she instigated but seemed quite surprised about. It was a great moment. This series is right up my street in terms of the target audience and Patrick Ness captures the issues of modern society for late teens very well indeed. Charlie didn't really do much in this episode other than engage in a physical relationship with Matteusz. Miss Quill meanwhile was downstairs and calmly conversing with her deceased sister. Well, the human image of her. She never once considered that it was actually her and I must say that the comedy Miss Quill brings to the story is just magnificent. Her reaction to having to answer the door was fantastic. The Lan Kin was quite a horribly brilliant enemy and the concept behind it was deeply disturbing. It brought the dead back to those who missed them most. It was feeding on the souls of humanity but it was intriguing how it couldn't force someone to join with it but could only persuade. Ram saw the full effect of that. The references to The Eleventh Hour, For Tonight We Might Die and The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo were excellent and the resolution behind the Lan Kin being defeated was fantastic. We had Tanya effectively poison the main root branch of the alien that was actually a person rather than a species and then Miss Quill superbly found herself a double decker bus and snapped the branch into pieces. The moment the whole main cast came together at the end to celebrate the achievement, Miss Quill wanting to vomit at their embraces was fantastic. Katherine Kelly really is a wonderful actress and an absolute asset to the show. Overall though, an incredible episode that was easily the best yet.

Rating: 10/10

Thicker Than Water

"If the Doctor's not here, it means he's found something..."

Writer: Paul Sutton
Format: Audio
Released: September 2005
Series: Main Range 73

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel, Evelyn

Synopsis

Three years after Vilag was all but laid waste by the Killorans, the Doctor is back alongside a different companion. And a lot has changed,

Now elected Principal Triumvir, head of tripartite government, Rossiter is working to secure a peaceful future for the planet by researching the technology the Killorans left behind. But he has to contend with opposition from his daughter, Sofia, who heads a public campaign demanding the destruction of all alien artefacts.

Politics has caused a rift between father and daughter, and as if that wasn't enough, Sofia doesn't approve of her new stepmother either. Emotions soon boil over into violence - violence that seems to have gripped the entire city.

Friendships bind people close, but they say blood is...

Verdict

Thicker Than Water was a very good audio adventure from the Main Range of Big Finish audios. It wasn't quite what I was expecting from the cover but the story was quite a significant one for me personally as it was my 900th blog entry! It's been a lengthy period of dishing out my verdicts on all kinds of Doctor Who stories ranging from television and comic strip to audio and novel but I'm now only 100 blog entries away from what will be a hugely impressive landmark if I do say so myself. After coming this far, I can't ever imagine not blogging any story I do and even though I'm not at all far away from the four figure mark, I still have a quite ridiculous amount of content to get through. And that starts right here with these audios and this range in particular. I'm so determined to catch up but there's also so much other content that I want to do and as I'm in the middle of studying for my degree, time and money is the issue. This though was a very good story and I must admit I didn't think we'd be hearing a sequel to Arrangements to War. That story was quite powerful with the interactions between the Doctor and Evelyn and this was a very interesting take on the aftermath of that. She actually started off the story not as companion which was strange but it explained how Mel would fit into things. We got a brief flashback of how Evelyn said her goodbyes to the Doctor and decided to stay with Rossiter but I think doing that farewell as a full story would have made more sense. The Doctor wasn't surprised by her decision to leave but you could hear in his voice that he was actually rather sad. I was happy to hear though that he told Mel all about his former companion. I didn't start out as a massive fan of Evelyn but she had grown on me recently but now I do think that's she simply become too old to be a companion. In the Doctor's world, she just isn't up to scratch anymore which sounds incredibly harsh but I just think that's the case. If this is the last we hear of her then I think she'll have left in a good way and the closing scene with the cameo from the Seventh Doctor was absolutely wonderful. She knew right away who he was but the future incarnation of the Doctor seemed so joyful to be seeing his old companion. It was terrific that he was there to tell her of Hex and how he was now all grown up from being "little Tommy" and was travelling the universe in the TARDIS. The events of Project: Lazarus had a huge effect on Evelyn but she could afford a smile on this occasion. She was thrilled with the news which was great. The aftermath of the Killorans causing havoc on Vilag was good and I liked how three years on there were still debates about the incident. People, such as Evelyn, wanted to use the technology and learn from it but the more popular opinion was on the side of Sofia who wanted to get rid of it all. The fact that the pair were stepmother and daughter made family feelings very intense and Rossiter was almost stuck in the middle! The kidnapping of Evelyn was intriguing and unexpected and I liked how it did appear to be orchestrated by Sofia but that wouldn't turn out to be the case. It was actually the work of Szabo who was a good villainous character although I was a little surprised by his motive. There were good references to The Trial of a Time Lord, The Marian Conspiracy and The Harvest and I also really liked how the Sixth Doctor acknowledged how aggressively natured he was at the start of his incarnation. The ending was pretty calm considering some elements of the story and the one it was a sequel to but it was all about Evelyn really and how her days in the TARDIS seemed over. The meeting with the Seventh Doctor was a marvellous finish though and I really did enjoy the story. Overall, a great audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Bloodsport Part 1

"The blood-right of this kill belongs to us!"

Writer: Mark Wright
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 20th October 2016
Printed in: DWM 505

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Jess

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor takes Jessica and Max Collins to look at some impressive artwork but a peaceful visit to a gallery soon turns sinister as it becomes the central location of a quite barbaric alien hunt. Jess and Max soon get captured and when people start getting killed, the Doctor has his work cut out for him...

Verdict

Bloodsport kicked off in excellent style with this fantastic first part of the story! It was pretty much everything you could ask for in the opening part of a comic strip adventure but I'll get to some of the details shortly. As is usual in my blogging of the comic stories from Doctor Who Magazine, I like to talk about the magazine itself and I must start off by saying that I'm pretty disappointed in the permanent increase of price to £5.99. For a magazine, that seems quite hefty I must say and I must admit that I have questioned whether I will continue to purchase the magazine. I mean, I surely will as with Doctor Who Comic being released on the same day now the pair come to a tenner and that doesn't make things seem so bad as DWC is incredible value for money in my opinion. There's nothing extra to warrant the price change though and that's slightly annoying. But despite that, this looks set to be an excellent issue once again and with it being released nine days ago, I have already read some of it. I'm thrilled to see that there will be more BBC original audios with the Twelfth Doctor coming early next year as I really enjoyed the Winter story arc and I'm intrigued to see how things will pan out with Clara a thing of the past now. I mentioned in my blogging of The Green Death that I really was fascinated by Steven Moffat's column and I thought Galaxy Forum was good but I was surprised to see a lot of positivity about Jonathan Morris and his feature on the Cybermen in the previous issue. I thought it was horrific and really just made a mockery of the excellent villains. This issue seems to be quite centred on the tenth anniversary of Torchwood which is an anniversary absolutely worth celebrating and I'm just glad that Big Finish is able to give us a celebratory story. I remain hopeful that it will one day return to television but as much as I'm excited about Class, I think that only hinders a possible return. The preview for the spinoff was good but I did think it would get more coverage in the magazine as a whole. Another preview I'm looking very forward to reading is that of The Power of the Daleks. I still can't quite believe that this story is getting a DVD release and has had all six parts animated. It's going to be a joyous watch. Now, back to the comic strip itself and I'm gonna go ahead and say that Jess has now become the companion for the Twelfth Doctor in the gap between television series. She's a very good character and I liked how Max also made an appearance here and absolutely loved what was going on! The story was full of action after starting off with the Doctor's love of art and things really did escalate quickly. The characterisation of Peter Capaldi's incarnation was fantastic I must say. The concept behind the Kolothos Hunt was pretty barbaric but I just loved how Skadi oozed confidence when it came to the natives. They killed easily and their hunt was soon complete without much resistant. They just seemed to be playing a game and the Doctor would be having none of it. Jess and Max managed to get themselves captured aboard the impressive alien ship but the latter just seemed to be enjoying himself which was a change from the norm. The cliffhanger was excellent with a horrifying proposal put forward to Jessica and whilst she'll surely decline, I get the feeling she might not have much choice. Overall, a brilliant start to the story!

Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment

"Man traps... on an uninhabited planet?"

Writer: Ian Marter
Format: Novel
Released: December 1978
Series: Target 56

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah, Harry

Synopsis 

Landing on Earth, now a barren, desolate planet, Sarah, Harry and the Doctor are unaware of the large, watching robot. The robot is the work of Styre, a Sontaran warrior, who uses all humans landing here for his experimental programmes.

What has happened to the other space explorers who have come here? Why is the Sontaran scout so interested in Earth and in brutally torturing humans, including Sarah Jane? Will the Doctor be able to prevent an invasion and certain disaster, and save both Earth and his companions?

Verdict 

Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment was an excellent novelisation! I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish and I was quite impressed by the fact that although the televised story was only two parts long, Ian Marter did a superb job of extending things so that it felt just like a normal Target novelisation of a televised story. I liked that there were quite a few deviations from the original adventure that was shown on screen and it was actually quite necessary to see things reach the 120+ page count. However, despite the extensions the novel didn't at all feel like it was being drawn out which was a big positive and the story wasn't suffering from any effects in the slightest. The Sontarans are a favoured enemy of mine and this is a story I know well having watched it on three different occasions so I was confident going in prior to reading that this would be good. I most definitely wasn't disappointed. Although Sontaran is in the story title, we didn't see Styr appear until a third of the way through the novelisation but the first forty odd pages prior to that reveal, that didn't actually reveal much at all now I come to think of it, were fantastic in setting the scene for the rest of the story to come. I thought this would be a good choice of story to read as I recently watched The Ark in Space and this adventure immediately follows it. The references to that story were good, although I'm not sure why Space Station Nerva was constantly referred to as Terror Nova. I'll have to read the novelisation of that story, which I do own, at some point to see if things are consistent in the books. Speaking of consistency, a comment by the Doctor regarding the activity of the Sontarans not being recorded since the Middle Ages would seem to conflict The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky but given the time between stories, I'm sure I can let things pass. Sarah's reaction to seeing the Sontaran for the first time was brilliant and I liked how she referenced The Time Warrior in thinking that it was actually Linx. That would obviously take some doing given what happened to him in the aforementioned story and how far this story is set into the future. I thought the Scavenger robot was utilised much more effectively in this novel than it was on television and I guess that's down to the beauty of having no budget restrictions when writing a novelisation. The characterisation of the Fourth Doctor was magnificent with Tom Baker's likeness effortlessly captured. The relationship between Sarah and Harry was also beautifully presented with the latter constantly referring to the former as 'old girl'. She didn't like that very much. The expansion on some of Styr's experiments were very good and I thought the difference in the ending was also great. The Sontaran Controller was told of Styr's failure by the Doctor and their hopes for galactic conquest were severely damaged. Styr was dealt with in a quite horrific way. Overall, a brilliant novelisation! 

Rating: 9/10

The Wishing Well Witch Part 2

"It's pulling her back, even as she's trying to claw her way further in..."

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 20th October 2016
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy

Synopsis

The Doctor, Gabby and Cindy investigate 'the Wishing Well Witch' in the town of Dewbury... only to find what lurks in the well is something far worse, and more strange, than the legend! It's an unearthly terror, cast through a schism in the universe... and it's tearing the town apart!

Verdict

The Wishing Well Witch concluded in excellent style with this brilliant second and final part of the story! I really was impressed with what I read and I was very close to giving it the perfect rating and whilst it ultimately wasn't quite worthy of it, I think it was definitely one of the better comic strip adventures from the Tenth Doctor's run with Titan Comics. Of the three that are currently printed in Doctor Who Comic's Tales from the TARDIS, I would say that this segment has consistently been the strongest and I ultimately do think that's down to having a wonderful companion and just keeping things simple when it comes to a story arc. With the addition of Cindy to the TARDIS team, the adventures have been refreshed and we now see a different side of Gabby now she's the senior companion of the pairing. That was evident here and I liked how when Cindy had made contact with the Witch, that wasn't actually a Witch, she was so concerned for her friend. The way she kept herself focused was good and I liked her determination to fix things and realised that she was needed to aid the Doctor. As per usual with a multi-part comic strip, I reread the first part a couple of hours prior to reading the second part continuation and I liked how things just carried on immediately from the previous comic strip's cliffhanger. I thought that was an effective part of the storytelling and I thought the whole pace of this second part in particular was fantastic. The characterisation of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor was very good and I liked how disappointed he was with Cindy's condition when it came to him showing off in the TARDIS. The reveal of the time trace that he had picked up upon in the last issue was great and the Doctor being thrust back to what he thought might have been the Dark Times on Gallifrey was magnificent. The truth behind the Witch was superb and I loved how it was seven children, possibly Time Lords, that had become one but arrived on Earth in different times after an unprotected trip through the vortex. The Doctor seeing the untempered schism was a big shock I must say but I was absolutely thrilled by it! The reaction the Doctor had was intriguing and with the mention of Sutekh in the previous part, I think there could be a connection. I look forward to seeing things pan out but for now I'm happy to just sit back and watch them unfold. Cindy not being able to get her words out was good but like Randall, she kept some of her wits about her when the Witch had taken something she thought was needed to repair. The Witch telling the Doctor to "regenerate me" was very powerful and a line that I just loved. I think that was heightened by the Doctor's reaction as once that was mentioned there was obviously some kind of Time Lord involvement or connection. I liked the ambiguity surrounding the Witch and it did look pretty impressive when in its horrifying form. Cindy feeling herself again after returning to the TARDIS was good and I absolutely loved that she coined Gabby's phrase of gizmo when it came to referring to some of the Doctor's wacky tech. He'd added a filter to the time scope so everything would revert back to normal, which was obviously something so simple for a Time Lord like the Doctor, and Cindy and Gabby's reaction to things being put back to normal was very good. The whole village was safe once again and Randall was rather joyous but the Doctor was anything but. He had saved the day yet again but had seen something that horrified him, Could things really be connected to Ancient Gallifrey? I sincerely hope they are as any exploration of the Time Lord's home planet in the new series is most welcomed by me. Overall, an excellent comic strip adventure!

Rating: 9/10

Running to Stay Still

"Answers are in the Time War..."

Writer: Si Spurrier

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 20th October 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 12

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

Synopsis 

The attacks on the TARDIS reach fever pitch. The Doctor's only hope for survival is to track down the mysterious 'Cabal' who have been haunting his steps. Were they active in the Time War? Do they still exist? Meanwhile, Alice is forced to make a decision that could wipe her from the timeline forever!

Verdict 

Running to Stay Still was a great little comic strip and a very good continuation of the Eleventh Doctor's comic strip series. Things have been very complicated and perplexed as of late and it's interesting that whilst each comic strip stands alone in name, they're all going in the same direction and that's to clear the Doctor's name of the crimes he was accused of way back in The Then and the Now. The menace of the same name has been following them through time and space and we recently learned that Alice was the reason behind that. I thought she had one of her best stories here as she finally stood up for herself and acted independently. The Doctor's treatment of her continued to be derogatory which has hugely surprised me in this and the last comic strip but judging from the cliffhanger lead in to the next story, I think it's all just been part of his plan. I think he had worked out what Alice revealed in this comic strip quite a while back and with his attitude and comments towards his librarian companion he's just been pushing her in the right direction. It's rather surprising though that he's okay with sending her in the Master's severely tampered with TARDIS, which was screaming, and apparently right back into the Time War. I'm sure that in due course we'll get to learn a lot about the truth behind the Cyclors and the Malignant and get the evidence required to clear the Doctor's name. I still think it'll be quite a lengthy process yet but it'll be very interesting to see how Alice copes. She took matters into her own hands to prevent Abslom Daak from being the one to go back which must have annoyed him greatly as he was so looking forward to being able to kill a Dalek again. His enthusiasm for that is quite staggering and I love the irony behind his sadness that the Daleks are no more. River didn't have an awful lot of print time in this story and that's because she was in a pretty bad way thanks to the Then and the Now and was placed in a similar chamber to Daak's late wife. The maniacal companion wasn't best pleased by that as the Doctor seemed to know where she'd been the whole time. The emergence of the Squire was not a huge surprise but it was still a good moment in the story and the Doctor's reaction to the return of his companion was excellent. I was intrigued by some of the portraits of past companions especially because one of them was Clara. Given that this was set between the fifth and sixth series, that shouldn't really be possible but my own personal explanation would be that it's something to do with the TARDIS knowing the future and the past. I was also intrigued by the images of the Doctor seemingly splitting into his former incarnations. We also saw the Twelfth Doctor's face as part of that which was intriguing because as far as the Doctor is concerned at this point in his timeline, he's used up all of his regenerations. Once that was revealed it place a whole different dynamic on Eleventh Doctor stories and this was no different. The story was exciting and leads us to more answers and the ending was quite a surprise. The Doctor was presumably watching what went down between Alice and Daak and had seemingly got what he wanted with Alice going back into the Time War. His companion was proving her worth and that she belonged and I think the Doctor was secretly happy his plan had worked out. Overall, more intrigue to the story arch and another good comic strip adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo

"What are we supposed to do? We're not superheroes."

Writer: Patrick Ness

Format: TV

Broadcast: 22nd October 2016

Series: Class 1.02

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

Synopsis

Ram struggles to cope following events the Prom, isolating himself from the others. But when the school is faced with a dreadful new threat, the gang must unite to fight it.

Verdict 

The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo was a very good and solid second episode of the brand new Doctor Who spinoff series of Class. We see the four main young characters having to deal with an alien threat for the first time without the help of the Doctor and I think we got to know these characters better now the focus was solely on them. That can be particularly said for Ram who was the main focus of this story. He initially didn't want any part in the whole save the universe gang and even went as far as being a stereotypical bully to Charlie but dumping his textbooks on the floor in the school corridor. But with his footballing ability now severely declined due to his prosthetic leg, Ram was having all sorts of problems and it must be said that football was the least of them. He was still feeling the effects of watching his girlfriend die right in front of him and he really wasn't dealing well with everything that went on in For Tonight We Might Die. I can't say I blame him and I liked how the others comforted him. The name of the episode was quite clever and an obvious play on a famous film/novel and the idea of the tattoo was very intriguing. It wasn't anything like what we saw in Face the Raven but I was surprised by the revelation that the Dragon that was going around and doing the killing was not the same as that tattooed on Coach Dawson. Miss Quill had her own little agenda in this story with an inspection and I'm just loving her character. The moment she tried to hook up with the silent inspector was good but her reaction to him being a robot was hilarious. When she learned of the Dragon involvement I thought it was brilliant that she was trying to get a reaction out of her actions. The mystery behind the Governors looks most intriguing too. I was quite surprised that April didn't have much to do in this episode but her comment about being mischievous was bloody wonderful. I still think she's terrific and the way she's not happy about the deaths is excellent. Tanya had another good episode and her understanding of what Ram was going through was really great to see. Their video messages will become a common theme I imagine but I'm still struggling to buy into her being a fourteen year old. For the second episode in a row I was surprised by the gruesome nature of a death and Ram getting sprayed in blood again really made me sympathetic. He had to watch the cleaner die but I was more so surprised that Mr Armitage was killed after his appearances in Doctor Who itself. The resolution with Ram speaking his way out of trouble, to a Dragon of all things, was pretty impressive. Overall, whilst the story wasn't quite as good as the first episode I thought it was still very enjoyable and just a very solid continuation of the spinoff series.

Rating: 8/10

For Tonight We Might Die

"The shadow is attacking her!"

Writer: Patrick Ness

Format: TV

Broadcast: 22nd October 2016

Series: Class 1.01

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

Synopsis 

When Coal Hill School comes under attack from deadly monsters, four alienated students must form an unlikely alliance to defeat them. But this incursion is only the beginning.

Verdict 

For Tonight We Might Die was an excellent episode to kick off the brand new spinoff series that is Class. This really did start on the right track and I'm already looking forward to watching the next episode tomorrow! I have only positive things to say about this debut as I think Patrick Ness ticked all of the boxes when it comes to debuting a series set in the wacky and wonderful Doctor Who universe. The feel of it was right up my street and I guess that's not a surprise considering the target audience was for young adults. I'm nineteen so I could relate to a lot of the stuff that was going on at the prom. Coal Hill Academy (no longer a school following a redevelopment) is a brilliant setting for a spinoff and I liked how we even got an explanation for why there would be more extraterrestrial activity in the area. That would be revealed to us by the Doctor himself but I'll get to his appearance in a little bit. The main characters for the spinoff look like they're going to be very good and I must say that I already love the character of April. She was just wonderful and the fact that she hadn't gained a date to prom was very surprising to me. Her kind nature was great and she looked mightily impressive in her prom dress. Ram was good and I liked how he had a sport ego but his conversing with Tanya soon brought him down to Earth. She seemed a little out of place at the Academy and just seemed desperate for friends and the humour her mother brought when it came to boys was terrific. They were the human characters of the main cast but next comes Charlie and Miss Quill. The flashback history of their experience on Rhodia was very enlightening and the special connection they shared should make for an interesting dynamic. He was a Rhodian whilst she was a Quill and I liked how they didn't seem to share too much animosity because of what the Shadow Kin had done to their planet. They wiped everyone out within a day. It was only because of the Doctor that they survived but now they were here on Earth in search of the Cabinet of Skulls. The Shadow Kin looked pretty awesome I must say and their ruthless nature was quite shocking with the death of Rachel really catching me by surprise! It wouldn't have been out of place in Game of Thrones and once Ram had his leg severed, it was clear that these were no villains to be messed with. They could exist as pure shadow and that was pretty frightening. Everybody seemed pretty helpless, that was until the Doctor arrived in brilliant style. As soon as he came on the scene you just knew everything was going to be okay and because I'm still yet to rewatch Series 9, it was fantastic to see Peter Capaldi on screen again as the Twelfth Doctor. His reference to The Caretaker was great and I also loved his Ikea comment and praise for darts. I'm a keen dartist so I very much enjoyed that. Whilst the Shadow Kin weren't defeated, I liked how the Doctor sent them away and saw the team assembled. He couldn't be everywhere and as he ensured Miss Quill would be staying to give her assistance, Coal Hill seemed in good stead. The Doctor noticing 'C. Oswald' being written on the list of the dead was good. It'll be interesting to see how April copes with the situation surrounding her heart but overall, a hugely impressive start to the spinoff series!

Rating: 9/10

The Green Death

"I am the only ever computer to be linked to a human brain."

Writer: Robert Sloman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19th May-23rd June 1973

Season: 10.06

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo, Brigadier

Synopsis 

The Doctor and UNIT are called in to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at a disused mine in South Wales, where all the victims were found with their skin glowing green... As the Doctor becomes suspicious of the nearby Global Chemicals factory and its mysterious 'Boss', his assistant, Jo Grant, becomes trapped underground - in an abandoned mine infested with deadly giant maggots!

Verdict 

The Green Death was an excellent Doctor Who serial and one that is remembered for quite a few reasons! It's historically known as 'the one with the giant maggots' and whilst it's not an episode of Friends, it will be more prominently remembered by me as Jo Grant's departing story as companion. After three seasons alongside the Third Doctor and UNIT she finally decided to say her farewell. The story itself was terrific which I think was obviously important and the departure of Jo didn't really get hinted at until the moment she revealed she'd be staying with Cliff and accompanying him on his trip to the Amazon. This story will also be remembered fondly by me as a rare occasion in which a Classic era story was set in Wales. The mine setting of Llanfairfach was fantastic and hearing the accent was wonderful for me as that is something I strangely miss whilst I'm attending university here in England, even if I was in Wales yesterday watching the football. I thought the Welsh representation was good and although I thought one or two stereotypes were thrown in, I was not offended so that was good. It was intriguing to see the Brigadier without the rest of UNIT for the first half of the story but it was clear that when the likes of Benton and Yates arrived, business was picking up. Part one was a bit all over the place with the Doctor jumping off to Metebelis III and he had quite the eventful time there! He did manage to eventually retrieve a blue crystal and we would later learn that would have devastating effects in Planet of the Spiders. Once he was back on Earth, the Doctor quickly made his way to Wales and delved straight into the problems going on at Global Chemicals. The company as a whole was good and I liked how useless the Brigadier was made due to their powerful friends but the truth about who their boss was very interesting. BOSS was a computer with inabilities making it almost a machine with humanity. The problem the Doctor fed it was excellent but its control and plan for Stevens was equally as good. The machine was just downright evil and that's always a good thing in Doctor Who. The giant maggots were brilliant and they've obviously given the story something to be remembered by because it's just so unique! Their mouths were pretty horrifying and Cliff stumbling upon an antidote thanks to Jo's serendipity was great. That would heal Cliff from the infection and the fungus food was also killing off the maggot infestation. The special effects in this story were good and the effort that went into them, considering this story was broadcast forty-three years ago, was fantastic. The farewell between the Doctor and Jo was quite the emotional one and after reading Steven Moffat's column in the latest DWM (blog to come in the next few days), I was mightily intrigued by the Doctor's reaction. Could he really have had feelings for her? It's something I've never really considered but now I think he might have. Overall though, an excellent story and a terrific farewell for Jo!

Rating: 9/10