Last of the Gaderene

"The creatures gradually burrowing into their mouths like fungus."

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Format: Novel

Released: January 2000

Series: PDA 2008

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

The aerodrome in Culverton has new owners, and they promise an era of prosperity for the idyllic village. But former Spitfire pilot Alex Whistler is suspicious – when black-shirted troops appear on the streets, he contacts his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart at UNIT. The Third Doctor is sent to investigate – and soon uncovers a sinister plot to colonise the Earth. The Gaderene are on their way...

Verdict

Last of the Gaderene was a very good novel! I thought this was a great addition to the era of the Third Doctor and it even seemed to go as far as concluding the run of the Roger Delgado incarnation of the Master which I thought was terrific and something I didn't expect. I liked the central premise of the book and the Brigadier and Jo having to deal with the Doctor not being around following his rewards in The Three Doctors was a fun dynamic. Of course, whilst he was away things got interesting on Earth, specifically in the village of Culverton and the Doctor's return to UNIT HQ was just in time to sort things out. The little glimpse at what the Doctor got up to without anyone keeping him in check was a lot of fun and I liked how he was on the escape from overthrowing a dictatorship! That was a good little side-show into the Doctor's life without a companion. I loved the way the Third Doctor era was captured in the novel and it was a fine choice to be reprinted as part of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. I can't quite believe it's taken me eight years to get around to picking this book up after purchasing it as part of a Works sale. It was a great read though and the setting of the 1970s was presented ever so well and the connections to the Second World War with Whistler were fantastic. I liked how the story of his proposal was used and later came to connect events after losing his loved one and taking a lucky charm from the grounds. That charm turned out to be the ninth of nine keys crucial to the Gaderene and their efforts to squat on Earth with their home planet dying. The idea of the embryos coming through in the strange lightning was intriguing and I liked how efforts were made to explain why the elders couldn't travel through as their minds couldn't take it. Bliss was a a really good central villain and head of the Gaderene and I enjoyed the way the Doctor caught her out by testing her geographic knowledge of the Transvaal and its capital. The role of the spitfire in the story was wonderful and it had a really nice nostalgic feel. Jo's reaction when the Doctor stated that he was going to fly it was lovely! I thought the familial ties of the likes of Max and Ted Bishop with Whistler and Noah was excellent and their separate roles in the village despite being related was very good. I thought the Gaderene themselves were a decent enemy but the lack of any elders of the species hindered them slightly and the presence of the Master to oppose the Doctor was definitely needed. His introduction into the book as the inspector was magnificent. I was impressed with the pace of the book and the shorter chapters definitely helped with that in my opinion. I thought the chapter names were great as well with 'Night Takes Bishop' definitely being a highlight. I had a visible and audible reaction to the chapter ending after the Doctor was subjected to a battle with the trooper in the wind tunnel and the description of the blood descending from the engines was brutal. That was savagery at its best. The Doctor preparing to sacrifice himself with the ninth key removal after the system was in place to allow the Gaderene passage was admirable and I loved how the spitfire was used with Whistler firing and getting a somewhat lucky shot to break the chain and send the Gaderene back packing to their own world, and the Master with them who had been shot and seemingly had given up hope of staying in his current body. I thought that was a telling line and a nice way to potentially end his run. Overall, this was a really good read! 

Rating: 8/10

Situation Vacant

"I'm not impressed with any of you."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: July 2010

Series: EDA 4.02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Tamsin

Synopsis

TRAVELLER IN TIME AND SPACE seeks male or female companion with good sense of humour for adventures in the Fourth and Fifth Dimensions.

No experience necessary.

No time wasters, no space wasters please.

Verdict

Situation Vacant was a really fun audio to continue the fourth series of the Eighth Doctor Adventures! After the hugely emotional Death in Blackpool in which Lucie Miller departed as companion, this was a surprisingly upbeat story to get us going. I was surprised to find that this adventure was released some seventh months after the first story in the series which explains a little more about why that opening story felt more like a finale! This definitely had the feeling of a series opener and I guess that is what it ended up being with the introduction of Tamsin now as the companion. I love the premise of there being auditions for the Doctor to see who he wanted as his next companion and the initial conference setting where people were going missing seemed like the perfect place for would-be companions to test their abilities! The Doctor playing along was tremendous and this was a really great performance from Paul McGann as the eighth incarnation. Were they real or actors? Was the situation staged or real? I thought that was great fun. Those showcasing their abilities in the form of Hugh, Asha, Juliet and Theo was a very interesting makeup of characters. They all had their qualities but when it comes to being the Doctor's companion, standards are certainly high! I didn't really think that Theo or Hugh had the qualities required from the off, but I definitely thought Asha and Juliet were good at the start. I thought the premise was terrific and once things got into action I enjoyed how the Doctor was instructing and handling the situation, especially when it later transpired he had no knowledge of placing the advert that they had all answered! He was testing his would-be companions really well and the mystery surrounding Pallister in particular made it clear that he was central to proceedings. Theo being wrong when it came to him believing he found the culprit was very good and I loved how the Doctor wasn't holding back in his criticism. He was essentially running a talent show and his letting Juliet go first was intriguing given how the story finished! The explanation of the disappearances being wormholes forming from the vordium was good and the new afternoon agenda cliffhanger with the emergence of the robot really shifted things. I was glad Pallister still had a role in that threat to link the two parts as I don't think I'd have liked it if they were entirely separate. The sonic screwdriver being the subject of a virus was wonderful as that hasn't happened often and that also being the cause of the giant robot that was rampaging was intriguing. I thought a little more could have been done regarding the little robots that were fixing the big one as that seemed a slightly missed opportunity, but it was full of action which was exciting. I wasn't surprised to find that Asha wasn't all she seemed as someone evil trying to take advantage of travelling with the Doctor is logical, but it was great fun for the Doctor to just instantly repair her recall device and she was in his debt so she turned back to being good in quick fashion. I wasn't such a fan of the other would-be companions all having ulterior motives, especially Hugh after he won, and his short-lived run as a vampire was fun though with the confidence displayed by the Doctor in getting rid of him by depositing him from the TARDIS on Mercury. Finding out that Juliet was just a ruse and that she was actually a somewhat unsuccessful actress called Tamsin was a nice introduction for her as companion and I thought she was really likeable. I probably preferred Asha in this story, but I'm excited for the future to come! Learning of the change of location and that there was another time traveller out there enlisting companions was intriguing and I hope that we get more regarding that as the series goes on! Overall, a really good audio.  

Rating: 8/10

Zone 10

"It was Torchwood who invited the Committee here."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: April 2016

Series: Torchwood Monthly 08

Featuring: Tosh

Synopsis

They call it 'Pulse' – a radio signal which has puzzled the world for 40 years. But now Toshiko Sato has solved it.

She's uncovered a message which leads her to Russia, and into an uneasy alliance with the KVI – the Russian equivalent of Torchwood. Toshiko needs to get into Zone 10 – a frozen wasteland which officially doesn't exist. 

An intergalacitw war was once fought in Zone 10. And it turns out there's a survivor. 

Verdict

Zone 10 was an excellent audio adventure to continue making my way through the monthly releases for Torchwood under the Big Finish banner! For whatever reason I was slightly sceptical prior to listening to this episode purely because it seems like it has been forever and a day since I blogged anything involving Tosh as a main character. Of course, I did mention her in my relatively recent rewatch of Aliens of London but that was a time before even Russell T Davies had conjured up the character we would come to love as part of Torchwood. Any worries I may have had were instantly quelled as I began listening and remembered just how great of a character Tosh is! I think it's wonderful that this series has allowed a full episode where she can shine on her own and I loved that the Torchwood team didn't actually know she had undertaken this mission. I liked how she had been attempting to decode the Pulse that had been emitting 62 miles above a point in Russia for over four decades despite the likes of Russian intelligence and NASA trying to decipher it whilst putting the blame and transmission on the other party. That was quite the show of confidence in her own abilities which I really admired. I liked how everything centred on the mysterious Zone 10 and placing an adventure in modern-day Russia seems perfectly Torchwood and not exactly something Doctor Who itself could do so that was a refreshing change and a nice dose of reality. The influence of the Committee on the audio without actually appearing was excellent and I liked how Russia seemed to be the common feature for a number of those dying around the death of Neil Redmond. I adored how Tosh's time lock was utilised following on from it saving Gwen and Ianto from extermination in Journey's End and it was the perfect device to have in the zone that was ruptured temporally. I loved the idea of Zone 10 having layers of fragmented space and the onion analogy was terrific. The message that Tosh decoded actually being for her was really intriguing and I liked how things came full circle with her and Ana creating the words at the story's conclusion. I thought Volkova was a really good character as the first woman in space – from 1965! – which was a great revelation and the idea of the Russians winning the Space Race was a lot of fun. Maxim was a fantastic character and I really liked his relationship with Tosh before selling her out in order to get to Volkova in order to silence her. Ana initially having no knowledge of the Pulse that she was at the centre of was intriguing but her knowledge of the Committee and her having a gift for Torchwood was brilliant. Learning of the KVI battle with the Committee at the site of Zone 10 was superb and Ana being the last evidence of that was really interesting. A 32-minute war in which the Committee showed their strength and used the time bomb as a small scale warning. I thought the audacity of that said a lot about the mysterious Committee, but their capturing of Ana seven months after conflict as a final message and bargaining chip was cruel. Ana having been conscious of living the same day over and over must have been torment and I liked that she didn't know it had been forty years! The emphatic nature in which Maxim was shot after Tosh orchestrated the getaway to save Ava was extraordinary and a really sudden moment. Tosh being confident in her abilities to repair the ship was wonderful and I loved the use of the dampener to help Ava escape into the stars, as that's where she'd rather go than face what was down here. A line I really liked. Overall, this was a really intriguing and exciting audio adventure, a sheer delight to have Tosh back! 

Rating: 9/10

Decoy

"We sacrifice the lives of the few to ensure the survival of the many!"

Writer: George Mann

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2019

Printed in: The Target Storybook 10

Featuring: War Doctor

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

Decoy was a fantastic little story to continue my reading of The Target Storybook! I seem to be edging closer to the modern era now and having a story set during the Time War was a really good decision as that kind of became the de facto gap between the Classic and revise modern era. That has of course been expanded upon greatly by now with the likes of the Big Finish War Doctor audios as well as Engines of War and the Eleventh Doctor comic strip run from Titan Comics, but getting our own depiction of events during the Time War here was excellent. I was really impressed with this adventure and considering when it was set, I enjoyed the simplicity of it. The interaction between the Doctor and Rassilon was superb and I loved the clear tension there between the pair. Despite being Lord President and a founding father of Gallifrey, it was the Doctor who was respected and provided confidence for those soldiers fighting alongside him. It was good for the Doctor to again push the narrative that he wasn't the Doctor anymore but whatever he wanted to be called in this present, his history had provided him with a large reputation and prized standing on Gallifrey which I thought was excellent. The involvement of the Nestene Consciousness was very good and I liked how Rassilon had made a deal with them to create a dummy Doctor. The idea of having a large sacrifice of Gallifreyan soldiers fighting alongside a fake Doctor was audacious and chilling from Rassilon and the Doctor's abhorrent reaction was excellent. He wasn't having any of that which was completely understandable! I really liked the characterisation of the War Doctor throughout the story with the description of his battered attire and lined face really selling the toll the Time War had on him. The scowls he made to Artarix were brilliant and I loved how it was clear that the Doctor was riddled with regret. His standing amongst the Daleks was something he seemed to be slightly okay with though and the comment about an armada of Daleks being scared of angry man with a box was sensational. I loved that. The description of parts of Gallifrey where those Time Lords were hidden away was great and I was fascinated by just how many were stuck between life and death after semi-failed regenerations. Something for more exploration for sure. The Doctor taking Rassilon's plan of an Auton delicate and using it against him was magnificent and I really liked the President's reaction when he realised what had happened. The Doctor ensuring that he saved thousands of lives and still wiping out the Dalek threat instead of a needless sacrifice was terrific and I loved how he was thinking of those who were due to die and their families. He was not having it. I was a big fan of the confidence other Time Lords had in him and the certainty had that the Doctor had escaped after he'd enacted the Dalek destruction with his own decoy was great stuff. It was an emphatic triumph that only seemed to irritate Rassilon which was a fun dynamic. Overall, I thought this was a really impressive short story and I wouldn't really expect much else from George Mann and extra outing for the War Doctor! 

Rating: 9/10

Death in Blackpool

"Step out of your body."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: December 2009

Series: EDA 4.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Lucie Miller always loved Christmas back home in Blackpool. Her mam running a still-frozen turkey under the hot tap at ten. Great-Grandma Miller half-cut on cooking sherry by eleven. Her dad and her uncle arguing hammer and tongs about who was the best James Bond all through dinner. And in the afternoon, Aunty Pat, haring up to the house on the back of a moped weighted down with ridiculous presents.

Christmas 2009 didn't turn out like that.

Christmas 2009, the Doctor turned up...

Verdict

Death in Blackpool was an excellent start to the fourth series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! I have been very excited to get started on this series and this was quite the start. It felt more of a finale than an opener with the emotional feel and the way a very big story arc was concluded, and that was absolutely fine because it made things feel very big for the series almost immediately! The opening scene with Bille the cab driver and Tasha showcasing her powers seemed odd initially but realising what it meant as the episode rolled on was really good. I liked how the Doctor and Lucie had arrived in familiar surroundings going back to Horror of Glam Rock and the Doctor immediately questioning the meaning of that was terrific. I'm surprised he dismissed it so soon! The quick arrival of Lucie's auntie Pat in the story was interesting and the Doctor clocking on that she had aged considerably was intriguing given the fact she was actually a Zygon of course. The links back to The Zygon Who Fell to Earth were brilliant and Haygoth explaining the predicament and even touching on his life as Pat was very good. The Santa character was a touch annoying in some parts but I did enjoy the realism that brought with him almost sounding drunk and hitching a ride to Blackpool. I thought it was very amusing when he was putting the Doctor and Lucie on the list though! Haygoth describing his condition and how it was a result of a Zygon taking the same form for too long of an extended body print. With 'Pat' feeling like her end was near, she had called upon Lucie for one last Christmas and the dates were all wrong as it was actually 2008 rather 2009 and the moment at the Miller household where Lucie nearly opened the door to her future self was terrific. Haygoth wanting Lucie to have the chance to mourn her aunt property after being denied that opportunity back in Series 2 was emotional, but could the lie stay hidden? With how much it was being mentioned, it was clear that Lucie was going to find out. I was stunned by how suddenly Lucie was hit by the car and the way it was done without us hearing the actual impact was superb. She couldn't hear which was difficult for her to endure and the stepping ou of her body with Billie was excellent. I thought the line about her hearing Pat and that meaning that her aunt was soon going to die was quite chilling. The car that ran Lucie down being at the hospital was a good twist and the revelation that the culprit was actually a Zynog was quite something! I thought the concept of it as a punishment for Zygons who took the body print of other Zygons was brilliant and learning that they were forced into a lowly body for good was really intriguing and something I really enjoyed learning about. Except now this Zynog had salvaged a body print device from Haygoth's ship remains and was on the verge of a return. His being a porter was a very clever euphemism and Lucie cottoning onto that was very good. Lucie thinking that she was hallucinating was magnificent and the Zynog reacting to that by ensuring that Lucie heard the truth about her auntie Pat was sublime. Haygoth entering the other side and sacrificing herself to ensure Lucie went back to her body was brilliant stuff and I loved the reaction of the Zynog to that and the actual audacity of auntie Pat. His plan being to take the body of Lucie and become the companion of a Time Lord was terrific and I loved that Haygoth was one step ahead and had poisoned the body of auntie Pat before the Zynog took it and ultimately was defeated. The calmness of that and the Doctor's conversing was excellent and really add to the feel of the story. The get together between Doctor and companion after Lucie had discharged herself was very emotional and simple and I was a little taken aback by what occurred. Lucie couldn't trust the Doctor anymore and rather than stay travelling in the TARDIS and resent him, she wanted to hold onto the memories she had with the Doctor and remember him positively. She understood why he'd done it, and I thought that was very mature. But it seems we have come to an end of the pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller which is a bit of a shame and unexpected move at the start of a series! Regardless, a very strong start with this being a fantastic audio adventure.

Rating: 9/10

Deleted Scenes

"How did that box get on my stage?"

Writer: Angus Dunican

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: Short Trips 10.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie

Synopsis

For all that Jamie has seen and done in his travels, nothing quite prepared him for the magic of being a film star.

During a Parisian holiday in 1908, he and the Doctor are taken in by film director Celine Tessier and soon find themselves in the world of the silver screen.

However, Jamie will discover that – in show business – where there is delight, one must also expect one's share of tragedy.

Verdict

Deleted Scenes was a great little audio! I thought this was a really solid and just nice listen and keeps up the usually high standard of the Short Trips range that I so often enjoy embarking back into. The paring of the Second Doctor and Jamie is a rare treat that we didn't get a huge amount of on screen so to get an extended adventure here soon after the events of Fury From the Deep was a real delight! Of course, it is also beneficial in not having either Victoria or Zoe alongside them when it comes to Frazer Hines narrating because he can produce a superb performance in reprising the role of Jamie and providing a stellar impression of Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor. It really is uncanny how good he is and the genuine feel Hines brings to Second Doctor tales is tremendous. I really am a big fan of his. I thought the setting of 1908 Paris was very good and I liked how this wasn't the obvious choice for a story centred on film for the obvious reason of a lack of technological capabilities. The arrival of the TARDIS onto a stage was amusing and hearing the Doctor and Jamie try and talk their way out of that was a lot of fun. They are such a goofy pairing and not having a female presence to keep them on their toes and in check allows for such a fun dynamic. They really shouldn't be let free together! It almost felt like a spoof at times which was great. Jamie's confusion over the TARDIS translation circuits was delightful as he couldn't understand why Celine complimented him on his excellent French. He couldn't speak it! Fantastic stuff and I liked how the TARDIS translation was not directly referred to, as I think is right considering the era this story takes place within. Celine as a French director turned out to be an excellent character and her working out of what the TARDIS actually was and even what the Doctor and Jamie got up to on a regular basis was very impressive! Her relationship with Jamie was the focus of much of the audio and it was really interesting for that to develop. Jamie was enamoured with her and the Doctor seeing that and also doing more for him with her because of what happened with Victoria was a powerful moment. Jamie had been fond of Victoria, but it was a bit more than just friendship and hearing him admit that and also the Doctor acknowledge that fact was brilliant. Jamie getting a kiss in the Parisian shadow was really nice and Christophe's jealousy towards him because of his feelings towards Celine was very good and probably could have been more central. Things were perhaps a little too quick when it came to Celine travelling aboard the TARDIS and the Doctor being asleep for a week as a result of the Great Mind, but the idea of allowing her on a trip to film was terrific! It was a shame for her that her film never got shown as the Doctor had confiscated the tape as he couldn't allow its contents to be seen, and the little monologue from Jemima to conclude at the theatre was a really nice touch. The fact that the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane made a cameo appearance with the former showing Jemima her great-great-grandmother's film after all was a really fitting finale! It was a lovely moment and a nice touch for sure. Overall, a really good little audio!

Rating: 8/10

Dalek

"His individuality would be shut away within his metal shell and never again be seen."

Writer: Robert Shearman

Format: Novel

Released: March 2021

Series: Target 161

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

'The entire Dalek race, wiped out in one second. I watched it happen. I made it happen!'

The Doctor and Rose arrive in an underground vault in Utah in the near future. The vault is filled with alien artefacts. Its billionaire owner, Henry van Statten, even has possession of a living alien creature, a mechanical monster in chains that he has named a Metaltron. 

Seeking to help the Metaltron, the Doctor is appalled to find it is in fact a Dalek – one that has survived the horrors of the Time War just as he has. And as the Dalek breaks loose, the Doctor is brought back to the brutality and desperation of his darkest hours spent fighting the creatures of Skaro... this time with the Earth as their battlefield. 

Verdict

Dalek was a sensational novelisation of the televised episode of the same name! As far as Target books go, there are quite a few instant classics with the likes of Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin, Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters and Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken immediately coming to mind, but this honestly might be the best of the bunch. It was perfection. I can't give it any higher compliments because it was just pure brilliance from start to finish. Of course, the episode that it is based on is in its favour and even though it is my favourite Ninth Doctor story, moving formats is such a difficult task and the way this was done was sublime. I was surprised on more than one occasion with some of the commissions of events or dialogue, but that actually ended up only enhancing things and giving this a different feel to the episode of which it is based on. It felt like an entirely new perspective of the story's events and some of the extra depth that are synonymous with a number of Target books was just magnificent. I loved the little inserts of tales for the likes of the genius, the soldier and the collector to name a few. It really was brilliant to learn how Goddard and Simmons came to be in the employ of Henry van Statten with the extra detail on a completely different level to other novelisations in my opinion. It was outstanding. I think my favourite insert was the story for Adam and with him going on to become a short-lived companion, it was interesting to flesh out the detail of his year without speaking whilst aged seven just to see the results. Him hiding his diary under his bed and the comfort he had in that space was fantastic. I thought the revelation that the boy on the hill was actually the soldier that became the Dalek was incredible stuff and I really didn't think that was going to be the case. I had my money on it being van Statten so that was quite something. The description of the Dalek and its Grand Revelation as it fought for the Dalek cause was superb and I loved the idea of it getting a glimpse of the War Doctor before falling through time and not being able to die. The description of the mutation and how it was hacked apart to fit inside the casing was beyond gruesome. I loved the development of van Statten's character and his reputation in America was fantastic to expand upon. His richness was really enhanced and he even had the President in his back pocket which was great! The story of his father and how he received a telescope from Otto as a birthday present was marvellous stuff and that making him realise that profits didn't have to be immediate was wonderful. I thought that was a fine lesson. I liked how we got an extra TARDIS scene with the Doctor and Rose picking up the Dalek signal and I liked their arrival in the museum of alien collections, but I was not expecting the Cyberman to be omitted! It was an interesting shift for the Doctor to go banging on the door to end up in van Statten's company rather than be surrounded by guards as occurred on television. I think the third chapter and it depicting the scene in the cage where the Doctor encounters the Dalek for the third time was phenomenal prose. I really do think it's my favourite chapter in Target book history. Everything was superb. I loved the use of perspective in the novel and learning of events from the point of view of a number of different characters was really enlightening and beneficial. I thought how that pertained to the Dalek in particular was excellent. Bywater and Diana actually being in a relationship and undercover was a nice little twist and I liked how van Statten's dismissal of women allowed her to rise up the ranks unnoticed. The implication that he was gay was also a good logical step. I could go on for a long time here but there's still so much good that I haven't covered. Rose realising that the Doctor was terrified put her in an interesting predicament and I thought the Dalek beckoning her to touch it for her to spark regeneration was a good move. Overall, this was tremendous! One of the very best Target novelisations and it's difficult to see how this can get topped! 

Rating: 10/10

The Mysterious Planet

"The Doctor is an incorrigible meddler in the affairs of other peoples and planets."

Writer: Robert Holmes

Format: TV

Broadcast: 6-27 September 1986

Season: 23a

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The Doctor is on trial for his life. Plucked out of time and space by the Time Lords, he is charged with transgressing the First Law of Time. He must defend himself against the prosecution led by the sinister Valeyard...

The trial begins as the Time Lords review an adventure from the Doctor's recent past. The setting is Ravolox, where the Doctor and Peri find themselves caught in the conflict between a warrior tribe, a pair of intergalactic con-men and a god-like robot. 

But deep below the surface of the mysterious planet lie secrets that threatens the very fabric of the universe. And to protect them, drastic measures have been taken that will shock the Doctor to his very core...

Verdict

The Mysterious Planet was a very good story to kick off the epic that is The Trial of a Time Lord! I've long been a fan of the season-comprising adventure that has the Doctor on trial at the behest of the Valeyard and I've always maintained that despite the Target novelisations splitting it up and the differing writers and format of the season, it should be viewed as one serial. However, in light of judging each segment of its own accord I've decided to go ahead and blog each story within separately. It was a little weird to be honest given the way things start by having the Doctor on trial, well an inquiry to start, and then moving into its own adventure. I like the idea of a story arc overlapping the entire serial and I actually think if this was split by name like the Target books then it would be much better because other than the Key to Time for Season 16, season arcs like this are rare to come by. I thought Colin Baker put on a terrific performance as the Sixth Doctor and it was very refreshing to be watching him in a televised story because it seems so long since I've watched one of his adventures! Of course, there isn't an abundance of material available and I've purposely been putting them off for a while to ensure I have options, but I just felt like today was right. I thought a little more could have bene done regarding Peri's absence at the trial and then just being with the Doctor on Ravolox, but the way her fate is foreshadowed here is really well done. I liked the setting of Ravolox a great deal and the links it had with Earth and the Doctor's confusion of its position in space was very good, but I thought the explanation for that felt a little unfinished and that might have something to do with splitting the segments. I think the way the omnibus versions without the trial scenes that comprise part of The Collection boxset for this season would be an intriguing watch and I'd like to see how this adventure would fare without those interruptions. I love the makeup of the trial with the abrupt Valeyard introduction and the Inquisitor leading proceedings. The relevancy being questioned on more than one occasion was a little funny as the Valeyard's prosecution didn't seem to make a huge amount of sense considering what the Doctor's actions were on Ravolox. I thought Drathro as the Immortal was a lot of fun and even though the design of this robotic god seems a little flawed with the lack of features for emotions and senses, it's a design I can't help but enjoy! I've taken a big fancy lately to the Eaglemoss figurines and the special edition from this episode is something I'd really like now to purchase. I thought Katryca as the Queen was a good character and I really liked her interactions with Glitz. He was a very fun character alongside Dibber as they looked to make a profit. They were a lot of fun and worked really well in the setting as they sought their prize. The cliffhanger at the end of part three was excellent as the Doctor and Peri were in peril and seemed set to be shot, and I also liked the ending of part one before the trial with the Doctor getting stoned! The ultimate fate of Drathro as the black light system destructs is fitting but probably slightly too quick. The reaction of Glitz and Dibber is a lot of fun though. I thought the likes of Merdeen and Balazar were good characters and the books that comprised their texts were hilarious. The Doctor's reactions were fantastic. As a whole, I thought this was a very good little segment to kick off the season and it's good to think of the effect these events had on Peri, whilst they seemed to back up the Doctor's defence as the universe was saved. Overall, a great adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Emancipation

"Death or rescue? And she chose death."

Writer: Lisa McMullin

Format: Audio

Released: 8 March 2019

Series: Eighth of March 1.01

Featuring: River Song, Leela

Synopsis

When River Song crashes a Galactic Heritage convention, posing as the wrong Time Lord, Leela is sent by Gallifrey to investigate.

But before the canapés are cold and the champagne becomes warm, they find themselves embroiled in a royal kidnapping.

Verdict

Emancipation was a fantastically fun way to start The Eighth of March boxset! This really was a terrific adventure to get us going on this celebratory release and it's certainly one that I have been looking to purchase for two years now, and thankfully it was on sale for the last International Women's Day and I just couldn't resist. This opening story is probably the one I was most excited for because the prospect of River Song and Leela meeting was so enticing. They're both such strong characters and pitting them off against each other here was just wonderful. It was such an enjoyable listen. I love the idea of River impersonating Romana as a Gallifreyan delegate at the convention that formed the basis of much of the audio, and Leela arriving to investigate this was a magnificent start. It was delightful. I liked that the story used the Diary of River Song theme music and that's a series I'm very keen to get back into in due course, but there's just so much on my plate at the moment! I thought Princess Myrahla was a very good character and her centrality to the plot worked really well. Her blessing being close and the plan of the Hanovari to kidnap her (or so we thought) was a good introduction to these assassins. I thought the Royal Magnifat as the lead monarch made for a brilliant villain, even if she was just following her people's traditions. The relationship between River and Leela growing throughout the audio was superb and I liked how the former knew of the latter from the Doctor. Her mind reading device was excellent and its use throughout the story was mightily impressive. Once it was mentioned I didn't expect it to be so prominent but it just worked ever so well. River's plan of saving the princess and ensuring she got a reward was exactly what I'd expect of her and she almost seemed intent on taking over the kidnapping! Leela's reaction to River's ability to pilot her TARDIS was great stuff and I also loved how shocked she was by River clicking her fingers to gain entry. The shift in the story when it became clear that the Hanovari were there to rescue the princess rather than kidnap her was fantastic and learning of her planned sacrifice to the Great Creator was intriguing. I liked the history behind that with with the old king offering himself to this Great Creator in return for peace, but it wanted a bigger sacrifice in the form of his daughter so now every first born of the monarchs would be sacrificed for the peace. It was pretty brutal! River likening her own childhood experience to what Myrahla was enduring was very good and a great use of her character and I thought the revelation that there was actually more than one princess – twins! – was a good way to get around the whole losing her in the Vortex situation. Some more elaboration on that would be my only qualm with the episode. I loved how the thought scanner was used to show that Myrahla wanted saving but couldn't speak the truth and having to live that must have ben torment. I liked how the twins along with River and Leela were able to stand up to the Royal Magnifat and ended up being returned home in the TARDIS in a nice little feel-good ending. The pair returning to the convention and seeing no royal presence was very good and the Hanovari paradox after they were scattered amongst the time winds was very good indeed. They were looking for a princess they had already saved which was a line I really enjoyed. River taking matters into her own hands by ensuring that it was the Royal Magnifat that ended up getting sacrificed was a dark moment but it was good to see her enact her own form of justice without the Doctor around. River and Leela realising that events sparked a civil war so they went to the village on the day before it fell to save the princess once and for all. Overall, a fantastic audio adventure!

Rating: 9/10

We Can't Stop What's Coming

"Those creatures they killed are their own ancestors."

Writer: Steve Cole

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2019

Printed in: The Target Storybook 09

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Fitz, Trix

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

We Can't Stop What's Coming was a very good little adventure to continue my reading of The Target Storybook! I must admit that I have somewhat been putting off reading this story from the collection for a little while because I am so far away from the run of the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Trix in the Eighth Doctor Adventures novels and I was worried that I wasn't going to understand a lot of their relationship or what was going on as I figured that this would continue the theme of the book in that it would be some sort of sequel, prequel or extension of an existing story, with this particular case being something similar for one of their EDA novels. After reading, I'm none the wiser as to whether this was the case as I've only read as far as War of the Daleks in the EDAs, but I felt like this served as a really strong standalone adventure! As far as I am aware, this was my first experience of Trix as a companion and I really enjoyed her and whilst I wasn't a massive fan of Fitz in Fitz's Story as part of The Company of Friends, he was more enjoyable here for sure. I already have the sense that when I do eventually come to this trio in my sporadic reading of the EDAs, it will be Trix that I like more. She was an enjoyable character and the way she was playing the likes of Jakarta and her accounts team into thinking she was also a sim was terrific. She felt a bit cheeky and devious and I liked that. Of course, that could be completely misrepresentative of her character from the books and I won't know for a very long time yet. I liked at the start how both Fitz and Trix were almost mocking the Doctor for 'his thing' when it came to landing the TARDIS and having that first walk around outside to take in the new surroundings of what could literally be anywhere and when. That was nice and would pretty much apply for any incarnation of the Doctor. A time scoop being in play was fantastic and I liked how the Doctor deduced that almost immediately and there was a clear sense of distain felt towards that. Part of the planet had actually been picked up and scooped 10,000 years into the future which was intriguing and I immediately wanted to know the answer. What I got was a horrific prospect with a team of hunters out for a bonus actually unknowingly killing their Neanderthal ancestors and turning themselves into time anomalies or paradoxes ready for harvesting as a weapon! That was an audacious plan from the culprits which I very much admired. It was unique and really well done and I have to admit that from a plot perspective I only wish the story was longer and had more pages to develop. The ending being a case of the Doctor only being able to save Jakarta and her ancestor that hadn't been killed in the hunt was pretty grim because her three comrades had perished by virtue of their generations not existing and there was nothing that could be done. It was an impactful statement for sure. My only major qualm with the story was the format of having it in the first person but from both the perspective of Fitz and Jakarta. That was just unnecessary and made it really confusing at the start as I'm not sure that method was established well or just entirely beneficial. I wasn't a fan at all! Thankfully though, the plot was excellent and really intriguing which made for a great read as a whole.

Rating: 8/10

False Coronets

"They promise power but only bring slavery."

Writer: Alice Cavender

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 1.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

On the trail of a temporal anomaly, the Doctor and Clara arrive in a London dungeon, where an unlikely prisoner awaits her execution. This is a 19th Century England where the King has been dethroned, and Republicans bearing false coronets hold sway.

While the Doctor seeks out the source of alien interference in the timelines, Clara recruits some local help – and gets invited to a party. 

History has gone awry, and Jane Austen must help rewrite it.

Verdict

False Coronets was a really fun conclusion to the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! This has been a really good collection of stories for the Eleventh Doctor with him meeting up with a number of familiar characters, but I was glad that we had with a companion this time around and I like that we get an extra outing with the less common pairing of the Eleventh Doctor and Clara. It was a really good outing for them and I thought the writing of their partnership was excellent. Jacob Dudman did a stellar job as eve with his Matt Smith impression and I also enjoyed his calm take on Jenna Coleman's Clara. It was good all around from a narrative and performance aspect. The idea of this pairing going back in time and meeting Jane Austen was really good and I liked how that occurred whilst throwing in the problem of history being off the beaten track. Clara mistaking the execution bell from 1815 for the cloister bell in the TARDIS was great stuff and I loved how it was clear that history was not as it should be by the fact that Britain had been declared a republic. That little anomaly was terrific and I really liked how much Tom craved that for his country which displayed his patriotism. That was a good theme throughout the audio as a whole. Jane Austen being in jail was a contrast to what we might expect and the Doctor and Clara coming across her was a wonderful little moment. Clara being almost overawed by meeting the woman who was almost exactly like her portrait's likeness was brilliant and the links she had with the historical figure from her teaching of English was really nice. I thought the line about Clara reading all of her works only for Austen to state that she hadn't been published yet was marvellous. The Doctor teaming up with Tom was a fun pairing and I liked the hunt for the brain-turning-to-jelly device, even if it could have been referred to something better! Tom being a poor man and wanting to wage war on the politicians and rich who got richer and went to the theatre whilst he struggled for food was very good and a good way to capture the time period. Clara and Jane getting invited to the party was terrific and their relationship together was magnificent. It even appeared that they shared a kiss! Clara being referred to as Jane's new girlfriend was also fantastic and quite modern for the time period which was almost refreshing. The assassination attempt by James Attfield was a good injection of action and excitement with King George nearly taking out and the issue that stemmed from the Doctor's recollection of history and blurting out the would-be assassin's name was magnificent. That seemed really typical of this incarnation of the Doctor. Clumsy brilliance. Rutland taking a shine to Clara was hardly a surprise (I mean who can blame him!) and the dance and mouthy brunette comment that followed were both really good. Adastra actually turning out to be Rutland was an unexpected twist and she was actually an alien female! That was a sudden shift but her and the dodgy vortex manipulators explaining where history went wrong with the attempt to kill Jane by carriage was a greta little explanation. It tied things up very nicely. The Orientation Coronet resulting in things vanishing was nicely done and I enjoyed the snideness of the revelation that Tom was just tracking the Doctor on Adastra's behalf all along. Tom knowing that Adastra was just trying to use him was good and predictable and I liked how she exploited his desire for a republic. She was simply on a gap year which was amusing but she was shot, albeit not fatally and that allowed her inside the TARDIS as the Doctor looked to help her and send her on her way. Overall, a really fun story!

Rating: 8/10

The King of the Dead

"The story goes on around you."

Writer: Ian Atkins

Format: Audio

Released: May 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.05

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan arrive in 1980s London, they find the current hot ticket is The King of the Dead, an interactive theatre experience they've inadvertently become part of. The Doctor settles into his usual role – trying to save the day after discovering an alien presence – but it's Nyssa who finds herself dealing with someone who is working from a different script entirely...

Verdict

The King of the Dead was a very good little Short Trips audio! There was certainly no messing around when it came to this story as there was a frantic pace and sense of action from the start which is probably needed for an audio in this kind of format and whilst things did have a feeling that they were a little rushed, something that was very evident in the first few minutes of the story, it did add to the excitement of the adventure which was of course a big benefit. In saying that, the way the abrupt opening titles even seemed to be shedded for time was a little off-putting and something I didn't recall coming across in the Short Trips range before so that was a little strange. I thought Sarah Sutton did a fine job as the narrator and also in her reprisal of Nyssa. I was also incredibly impressed with her Australian accent when it came to her impression of Tegan. It was actually uncanny and I don't think I would have batted an eyelid had Janet Fielding's name came up in the credits! It was excellently done and really gave the audio a credible feel, something that can be prone to lacking in this range. Her take on the Doctor was good and definitely aided by the writing and I liked the pacy nature of his involvement in the story. The plot behind this audio was a very good one and I liked the use of foresight in the Doctor's aim of taking Nyssa and Tegan to the London 2012 Olympics. Of course, had this story been intended for airing in the 1980s when this trio were the main cast then we couldn't have known where the Olympics would take place in that year, but by the time of release they'd happened so for the Doctor a causal drop of knowledge was excellent. They ended up in the 1980s though and quickly found themselves taking part in an interactive play which was great! The King of the Dead was certainly a catchy title and the initial confusion from Tegan regarding the fact it should be Elizabeth II on the throne was fun. The way some of the characters shifted between the roles they were playing and their real selves was mightily intriguing and a clever ploy, even if it was sometimes a little difficult to fully follow. The Joshua character claiming knowledge of the Doctor was interesting and it was clear that he had a vast amount by referring to Tegan and Nyssa as companions. I thought that was a nice little touch and use of terminology. His character as Patrick was very good and learning how his dad had died whilst fighting for UNIT during the time the Doctor was employed as the scientific advisor was a fantastic dynamic and it was brilliant to hear how he blamed the Doctor and thought he had a disregard for life like the ordinary soldier. Of course, that's very much the opposite of what the Doctor is. The mentions of the UNIT Vault and the Doctor's role in creating the security for that along with the brain print was fun and allowed for Patrick to be found guilty almost instantly. It was his dad who had stolen the alien tech to draw the enemies to the play and the attempt of feeding over 600 attendees in a form of revenge was pretty scary! Nyssa's story of forgiving the Master for what he did to Tremas, her father, during The Keeper of Traken and what that meant for her in the proceeding adventures was really heartfelt. It was a powerful story and showed just how mature and kind of person Nyssa was which was really nice. Overall, a very good little story!

Rating: 8/10

Frontier in Space

"The path you are treading leads only to war."

Writer: Malcolm Hulke

Format: TV

Broadcast: 24 February - 31 March 1973

Season: 10.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

It is the year 2450, and a fragile peace exists between the great empires of Earth and Draconia. The TARDIS materialises aboard an Earth cargo ship which comes under attack. Arrested and accused of espionage, the Doctor is sentenced to life imprisonment on the Moon, but salvation arrives in an unexpected form... 

Can the Doctor and Jo stop the Master's plans to provoke a galactic war and reveal the deadly enemy waiting for the chance to destroy both empires?

Verdict

Frontier in Space was an excellent serial! I probably shouldn't have watched this one long after watching the following serial of Planet of the Daleks as things very much felt like they were not finished by the end, but as a whole this was a fantastic adventure! I really enjoyed the dynamic of the futuristic setting with the empires of Earth and Draconia very much established and with a lot of history that had led to a peace treaty which we saw very much under threat here. I was really impressed with that aspect of the serial and I thought it worked very well to not introduce the Master until around halfway through proceedings. The Doctor and Jo's arrival on the cargo ship established us with a good start and their role in increasing tensions between Earth and Draconia was great stuff. The relationship between the Doctor and Jo throughout was wonderful and it was so much fun for them to just be getting on and enjoying each other's company. I totally forgot that the Ogrons appeared in this serial and it was something that amused me greatly given that I had just read The Romance of Crime a few days ago and that was a novel they were very much prominent in! They didn't actually have a lot to do in this story but they still continue to be amusing and I liked how Jo sold them being the brutes that they are as she was genuinely frightened of them. However, the Doctor didn't seem overly worried given their stupidity and that role playing into their inability to be subjected to the mind probe was great. The Master's arrival into proceedings as the Commissioner was magnificent and a perfectly subtle reveal as he just sauntered onto the screen in his full garb. The music effects that accompanied that were very good and Jo's reaction was marvellous. The explanation as to how the Master knew the Doctor and Jo were involved being that he had been sighted the TARDIS after the Ogrons captured it was brilliant. Jo had a sensational serial and this might be my favourite story for her. The way she was deducing the plan when trapped was a lot of fun with how it was annoying the Doctor as he tried to think and then her keeping talking to consume the Master's ears while the Doctor escaped the cell was wonderful. A highlight for me was the nursery rhymes reciting to prevent the Master from hypnotising her. Magnificent. The political nature of the serial was terrific and something I really liked and works really well. The plot of the Master is superb with him pitting the empires against each other and using the hallucinogenic sound to make each side see their opposition when it was actually the Ogrons who were attacking and taking cargo. Williams in particular not having any of that and his distain towards the Draconians was obvious. I thought the Draconians themselves were brilliant and their design and look is really great. It's an instant classic in terms of their costume and I also enjoyed the Doctor having a history on Draconia where he was granted nobility by the Fifteenth Emperor. With the talk of a space plague that he helped prevent, I'm amazed Big Finish are yet to turn those events into an audio drama! The moment where the Daleks are introduced is very good despite it probably coming a little too late, but it's still an impactful moment and the image of the Master and the Daleks together is sublime. What more of an alliance could you want? The end result is more of a lead into the next serial but that brief partnership is a delight. The Gold Dalek sounded a little strange but its air of authority was very good. I thought the ending of events between the empires was a little rushed as we headed to all things Daleks, but it was good to leave things in a sense of agreement between the empires. Overall, a brilliant serial! 

Rating: 9/10

The Flames of Cadiz

"We are all sinners."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: January 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises in Spain in the late sixteenth century. The country is at war with England – and the travellers find themselves on the wrong side of the battle lines.

When Ian and his new friend Esteban are captured by the Inquisition, the Doctor, Susan and Barbara plan to rescue them.

But these are dark days in human history. And heretics face certain death...

Verdict

The Flames of Cadiz was a decent Companion Chronicles audio! I thought this was a pretty solid adventure for the most part and a welcomed extension of the format for this range in that it was a four-parter spread over two hours rather than usual two-parters. It allowed for some more development the of the plot and one thing that I thought was hugely beneficial with the time was the way the setting was presented and the allowance for the TARDIS crew to interact with its elements. I liked the setting of the sixteenth century and the unique spin of having the TARDIS land in Spain rather than the usual England was terrific. I was a big fan of that and the problem of Ian and Barbara being English but stepping foot in Spain when the two countries were at war was fantastic. That was a really fun dynamic and it was also intriguing for the Doctor and Susan to almost be disassociating themselves with being English. The indication that Ian and Barbara had forgotten that fact was very interesting indeed. As is inevitable with a historical story set during this period, the religious theme worked very well and I liked how Barbara was using her knowledge as a history teacher to try and maintain the safety of herself and her friends. That safety didn't last for too long as we might expect and I thought her reaction to Ian being lost was great. She was devastated because she knew what this era entailed which was very good indeed. I thought the Doctor was a lot of fun during this Chronicle and his continued insistence that the planet's history couldn't be meddled with was terrific. I liked how the historical event at hand was the Spanish Armada which is of course a crucial part of history that almost anyone raised in the four nations of the UK would have learned about to some degree. Ian struggling to recall some of his history lessons at school was really good as well and I enjoyed that he didn't have much more than micro-bits to fall back on. His befriending of Esteban was a nice touch and he was a pretty decent character that served as another voice for the main cast. The cliffhangers were pretty impressive and definitely worked well for the historical fans like myself. I particularly enjoyed part three's where it seemed that the Spanish Armada had been thwarted before it even set sail, only for the Doctor's embarrassment to follow as he'd got the year and his historical facts wrong as we were actually one year prior to that sail and Ian's actions with Francis Drake had actually ensured history took the right path as he caused damage to the Armada enough to delay it a year in its advances. Utilising the First Doctor here was brilliant because at this early stage in his travels, he clearly wasn't so well versed in Earth's history. Despite all of the good, I thought the pace could have been a bit improved and I wasn't a huge fan of Ian going off for three days to fulfil his desire of meeting his hero Francis Drake. I was very surprised that Barbara was so willing for that to happen so soon after he had been freed and that was just something I couldn't buy into happening freely. However, the Doctor's reaction to finding out what he'd done was terrific, although he could have been slightly more chastised once they were reunited. Regardless, this was still a good audio adventure! 

Rating: 7/10

The Romance of Crime

"I will strip the flesh from your bones and bathe myself in your blood!"

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: Novel

Released: January 1995

Series: Missing Adventures 06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K9

Synopsis

'How do you kill someone?' asked the Doctor. 'Eviscerate them, crush, reverse their particles. But do the dead always stay dead?'

The TARDIS brings the Fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 to the Rock of Judgement: a court, prison and place of execution built into a rocket-powered asteroid. There they become embroiled in an investigation by the system's finest lawman.

What connects the macabre gallery of artist Menlove Stockes with the slaughter of a survey team on a distant planet? Why is Margo, chief of security, behaving so strangely? And which old enemies of the Doctor are aboard the unmarked spaceship making its way towards the Rock?

Verdict

The Romance of Crime was an excellent novel! This was a great story from start to finish and it was a perfect example of capturing the era of the Fourth Doctor and Romana during Season 17. The way things started for the TARDIS crew and their game of Monopoly was magnificent and I loved the humour of the Doctor being on the verge of bankruptcy and losing the game. Gemma and myself do enjoy a game of Monopoly and we have quite a few variations so I really loved seeing the likes of the utilities and other streets and property mentioned. This book had an abundance of impressive characters and I think the standout had to be Pyerpoint. His role as the head of the law hierarchy on the Rock of Judgement was excellent and I loved how the initial occurrence of Voltt's rushed execution coming full circle with his plans on Planet Eleven and the mining of helicon. It worked very well and his hiding of the plan throughout was really good. He schemed well and the proposed alliance with Xais was very good, even if it was clear that both personalities were not going to join together and share the spoils. They wanted it all for themselves which made for a fun dynamic of having two separate villains that were also joined at the hip. The extra layer of the brothers Nisbett being thrown in and how Xais was trying to do a double double-cross was brilliant. I thought they were a strange pairing and the references to their mum along with their bickering didn't exactly make them out to be the villains their reputation would have you believe! I thought the return of the Ogron was a lot of fun and even though it was clear from the book's cover and the chapter title in which they emerged, the lack of surprise didn't hurt things. They're a comical race of brutes and I almost get to the point of feeling sorry for them on times because here they were just out to do as they were employed. No compassion was shown to them and the way they were destroyed was pretty harsh and instantaneous. It certainly had a big impact. I thought Stokes was a fun character and whilst it didn't seem entirely logical for an artist to painting portraits of those on death row, the distain he had towards Zy and his ability to sell his work was terrific. He wasn't exactly the bravest of characters though so when his student met a brutal demise, it was obvious that he wasn't responsible. Spiggot was also a really good character and his investigations into the matters on the Rock were intriguing, and the way the Doctor and Romana ended up coupled with him was fantastic. The reaction of Pyerpoint once the full clearance came through for Spiggot was excellent stuff. His initial thoughts that the Doctor was a decoy was great too. I liked learning of the history behind Xais and her execution of three years previous, and the way Stokes was utilised with the helicon mask was a really intriguing way for her to somehow survive through her soul living on. The way she was able to manipulate Margo was really impressive and I thought she made for a brilliant villain. The reaction she had after the Nisbett brothers surveyed Planet 11 and found only a residual trace of helicon was magnificent and it showed the tenacity of Pyerpoint to have already extracted it for himself in the hope of taking the power from Xais and living on. I thought the writing of both the Doctor and Romana was sublime from start to finish with the characterisation of their relationship ever so well presented in prose. Throwing K9 into the mix as well was lovely and I found it amusing how often he needed to be carried! The reveal that Pyerpoint was the Sentinel all along was not the biggest of surprises to say the least, but I liked how it occurred after he had been relatively quiet during events. Xais manipulating him once he got desperate after realising that he had been played and her formula could not be replicated was fantastic and the way he met his demise by the mining robot whilst wearing the mask of Xais was very sudden but a clever way to tie everything up. The Doctor and Romana having to leave and watch on as the mask and helicon devoured Planet Eleven was really powerful and showed just how evil she was for them not to even attempt to help! Overall, this was an excellent read!

Rating: 9/10

The Lights of Skaro

"I wonder if the Daleks were my fault."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: June 2014

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 1.04

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Benny

Synopsis

Bernice Summerfield is on Skaro, and she's very much on her own. The Doctor can't get to her, not this tie. All Benny can do is stay alive for as long as possible. And, in a city full of Daleks, that's not going to be very long.

Verdict

The Lights of Skaro was an outstanding audio adventure to conclude the first series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! It's fair to say that this has been an incredible boxset that has exceeded all of my expectations and was definitely worth the £9.99 price I grabbed the download at in the sale last year at Big Finish! This is honestly right up there with my favourite volumes they have released as not only has each story been to an incredibly high standard, but the series itself has had a fantastic story running through it that led to this wonderful finale. Even though they're both perfect ratings, I probably still slightly preferred Random Ghosts by a very tiny margin but this was honestly so great. The immediate follow on from the previous episode was very good following the announcement from Ace that we were on Skaro and the scene was set immediately with the Daleks exterminating Klinus at close range. Benny was devastated by that and went as far to say that she loved him so her distain towards the Daleks was enhanced immediately. The entire concept of the audio continuing the theme of time being broken and the ghosts we got from that was just tremendous. This was like a venture through Dalek history on Skaro and the contrast between the Daleks familiar to the later eras of Doctor Who compared to those first versions witnessed in The Daleks was just outstanding. The early Dalek who so brilliantly adorns the CD cover discussing with its future version was an incredibly powerful scene and a fine example of showing just how far the Daleks had come. The early version was content with eliminating the Thals and ruling Skaro, but the later version had much bigger ambitions which was very impressive and hugely enlightening. It was a fine use of the Omega Device by Benny to create a paradox by having the earlier version exterminate its future self to break the time lock around Skaro, but that was only after a wonderful visit down memory lane. The cameo appearance by Davros at the start of the episode was superb and he is a terrific villain so anything new with him always seems like a treat. I think it might have actually been a Davros sale that I managed to get this series as part of! Experiencing the Dalek perspective of the events of Remembrance of the Daleks and their sun going supernova was sublime and full of action and panic which we don't associate with the Daleks. Benny conversing with the Dalek Emperor shortly after the events of The Evil of the Daleks civil war was brilliant and I really enjoyed how the voice was reminiscent of the Emperor seen in The Parting of the Ways. The revelation that Klinus was always a ghost and actually a Kaled was fascinating and reminded us of the extensive history of Skaro and the deadly war that ended up creating the Daleks. The idea of the Daleks wanting to destroy the Thals to bear their own survival was incredibly intriguing and the concept of the stranger being responsible for the Daleks – of course meaning the Doctor – was excellent. The Doctor himself having to toy with the idea that he was responsible for the rampaging Daleks that would follow him through his regenerations was excellent. After all, he had armed the Thals whilst telling the Daleks of infinite life and time travel. It's such a fun concept. Finding out that Ace was on a mission to destroy the Daleks with stolen Time Lord technology was a lot of fun and I enjoyed how she was hoping to save Benny's mum amongst a whole load of other people! Varna also being a Kaled and failing to understand that the Daleks were what her people had become was sublime and the Dalek not bearing the sight of a Kaled fully formed and bearing limbs was powerful stuff. So of course she was exterminated. Foster trying to exploit the Daleks developed his character well also and it was good to know he was more than just a documentarian. As a whole though, this was just fantastic from start to finish! Overall, a superb audio adventure to finish the series.

Rating: 10/10

Random Ghosts

"Time doesn't like it when you interfere with it."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: June 2014

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 1.03

Featuring: Benny, Ace

Synopsis

Welcome to the Forbidden World. This world has a secret. The problem is that no-one can remember what it is. Time is broken here. Those trapped here must live the same day over and over – forming alliances, lying to each other, trying to escape. Welcome to the Forbidden World.

Verdict

Random Ghosts was an outstanding audio adventure to continue the first series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This really was sensational from start to finish and just furthers the quality of this boxset. It really is a superb series so far and the way the finale has been set up is just brilliant. I loved the continuity we had from Good Night, Sweet Ladies with Benny en route to finding Ace despite the warning received from her fellow companion and the way everything is tying back to the end of The Revolution and the series as a whole is really impressive. I'm a huge fan. I thought the unique format of this audio was sensational with the time jump and how we weren't always experiencing the audio in the chronological order of events. It was really intriguing and how everything eventually came to circle around and become clear was fantastic. It must have been rather difficult to write but thankfully the end result here was magnificent. It was almost something like Sleep No More with how the cameras recorded everything, except there was a whole time factor slipped in as well which just enhanced the experience. I was looking forward to the meeting between Benny and Ace and whilst I remain none the wiser regarding their run together with the Seventh Doctor in the New Adventures novels, I had listened to them together in the likes of The Shadow of the Scourge and I thought they were really good here. It was obvious that there was some baggage and tension between the pair which was excellent, but for the most part Benny still cared for Ace and wanted to find her. Except she didn't want to be found and didn't wholly appreciate that Benny had come looking at the behest of the Doctor's orders. Kilnus was a very good character and I liked the idea of Benny having a relationship. Although my experiences with her are limited, she definitely has a sense of being more realistic and just more oriented to an older audience when it comes to her engagements. The sexual innuendo and activity was clear and did occur and her comments about the cameras always recording were amusing. She didn't like the idea of her privacy being watched! His hitting on both Benny and Ace at the different points in which they arrived and were experiencing the day said all that was required for his character. The whole concept of the planet recycling the day was great and fascinating but the fact it wasn't quite a time loop was a nice little twist. Everyone getting to see their past recordings stored in the cloud was very good and I loved that Benny was almost flabbergasted that she was in a relationship based on video recordings. Foster and his documentary was fantastic and I thought the little snippet of that was terrific. He was a great character throughout. Varna was another intriguing character and her believing that the ghost planet was her home was really good! Her theory on the planet and how they were caught between planes of existence and differing realities trying to take hold was marvellous. I loved the idea of the planet being time locked and the forbidden world concept being explained as the universe trying to rid itself of a planet was superb. I was a big fan of everything going on in this story, and the reveal that the planet was actually Skaro was sublime. The use of that famed Classic Dalek music effect was just perfect and it has set things up ever so well for the finale! Overall, a wonderful listen.

Rating: 10/10

Good Night, Sweet Ladies

"I never thought I'd grow old."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Audio

Released: June 2014

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 1.02

Featuring: Benny

Synopsis

Bernice has come to the Moon of Adolin on a desperate mission. Instead, she finds an abandoned labyrinth, two confused survivors, and something ancient that needs her help.

Verdict

Good Night, Sweet Ladies was another excellent audio adventure to continue the first series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This is shaping up to be an excellent boxset and I really enjoyed the immediate continuation we got from The Revolution with Benny on board the ship and quickly crash landing on Adolin in her search for Ace. The enigmatic feel of the audio was outstanding and certainly one of the highlights for me, and I loved how the atmosphere was perfect for the story that was being told. The deserted Moon made for a brilliant setting and the fact that there were people there to greet Benny when she was certainly expecting to meet nobody was great. Claire was a hugely intriguing character and right from then off it was clear that there was something more to her than what first appeared. The fact that Steven Day didn't know who she was and she'd only turned up when Benny's ship began to crash land extended that position for me. She also knew Benny's name which was cleverly integrated into the introductions. I wasn't expecting a Dalek to show up and when that did happen it thrust the audio into action in a big and exciting way. It was excellent stuff. I loved how Benny sold the fear sparked by the Dalek but then used her knowledge to ascertain that this particular one was damaged and weak. Steven got to the point of nearly feeling sorry for it which said a lot, but once he was paralysed by one his opinion soon shifted! I thought it was wonderful to have a repeat of what we saw in The Daleks where Ian was paralysed temporarily by a Dalek blast as it's nice to know that this is a somewhat regular occurrence. It also did well in showcasing that the Dalek was weak which I liked. Benny realising that the Dalek had always been blind was terrific and it certainly explained why they hadn't been killed, although the potential emotional thoughts behind why the Dalek wasn't killing them were an interesting prospect! Adolin showing numerous signs that Ace had been present was fantastic and I really loved how Benny recognised her explosives signature. That was a nice touch and the keypad sequence where she opened the door was a lot of fun. Claire explaining that the Dalek was actually her guardian on the way to finding Ace was a great move and the mental torment that came from her with the ghosts and her turning out to be a manifestation of Benny's mother was incredibly powerful. That was audibly difficult for Benny and it was hard to hear the choice she was presented between her mum and Ace. Of course, Ace was real so there was only one option but it was still very difficult. I liked the little recorded message from Ace where she warned off anyone from following her to the eery sounding forbidden world and whilst it was obvious that Benny wouldn't be adhering to that request, Benny's decision to follow her was fun and again sets us up very nicely for the next episode. I'm a huge fan of the direction this series is going in and I'm really interested in finding out just what Ace is up to. Benny being close behind her is great and I'm sure they're going to meet up in the next story before a big finale with the Doctor joining them to bring everything full circle. But for now, this was a brilliant audio to continue the series!

Rating: 9/10

The Revolution

"We don't want to harm you. We want to kill you."

Writer: Nev Fountain

Format: Audio

Released: June 2014

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 1.01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

On the planet of Arviem 2, Bernice Summerfield has a lot of problems. Pursued by robots, maniacs and miracles, she has another issue to contend with. The Doctor's come looking for her – and he's not feeling himself.

Verdict

The Revolution was a brilliant start to the first series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! I didn't really know what to expect from this boxset and whilst it is still very much early days, I thought this was a terrific way to start and it served as a superb little adventure. I am somewhat unfamiliar with Bernice Summerfield when it comes to her as a companion and everything that occurred to her in the New Adventures novels which I am yet to start as well as her own extensive audio range, but I'm sure that one day I will get there! For now, this was a delightful reintroduction to her from my perspective and it was so much fun for her to be drunk in a galactic bar. Lisa Bowerman played that ever so well and her having to hide by taking on the guise of a human in suspended animation hanging from the bar top was hilarious. The fact that the other body in that position was a delightful revelation! That was so much fun and I was really impressed with the chemistry between the Doctor and Benny. They made for a wonderful pairing and I was pleased that this was essentially a standalone episode to start the series. I liked the galactic feel this story had despite not actually venturing far beyond the bar and Renk made for a really good character. I enjoyed his relationship with Benny and the way he was attempting to hit on her was very good and added a nice sense of realism to the series. It's what I'd expect from a character like Benny and showcasing her drunken tendencies at the start was further evidence of these character traits. She was enjoying the attention and why wouldn't she entertain the idea of a hookup? The theme of science of Arviem 2 was magnificent and I loved how literally anything that was spoken that went against scientific law could end in imprisonment or containment. It provided a great dynamic and having what you say looming over you all the time was a terrific proposition. The little moment we got with a local trying to grass up another of his population by her loose use of terminology, only for him to call the falling frogs a miracle was tremendous. Sylvester McCoy had an excellent showing as the Seventh Doctor and whilst this incarnation probably does fall bottom of my list, I loved him here. The confidence he had in the belief that his future self had orchestrated an escape was terrific. Benny's comments about the Doctor use being an annoying man in a hat when he was without the TARDIS seemed a little harsh, but he was annoying her so that seemed fair game. Renk getting knocked unconscious after the Doctor's comical arrival on the ship and changing the coordinates to tackle the probability algorithm that Xavier was using to track Benny was fantastic. I was a big fan of all of the science occurring and the literal word of law worked so well. The mythos of a pink dragon breathing life into the planet was fun to play with and that obviously didn't seem scientific! Renk using all of this to simply set up another bar establishment was fantastic and something that was so silly and yet logical that I didn't see it coming. I thought it was good that the Doctor didn't know why he had come to seek Benny, but then it suddenly hit him at the end as Ace had gone missing and the Doctor needed help finding her. So, she was able to take Renk's ship and hopefully find her which has set up the next instalment in the boxset very well! Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 9/10