The Ashes of Eternity

"This is not your solar system anymore."

Writer: Niel Bushnell

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: BBC Audio 12

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

When the Doctor diverts an asteroid from its collision course with Earth, the TARDIS is invaded by an ancient menace: a Solonite. Racing to save her friend's life, Rose lands the TARDIS in Northumberland, Earth in 1986, and they find shelter in an isolated farmhouse.

Teaming up with Peggy, a grieving artist, the travellers realise th terrible truth: the Solonite has accompanied them to Earth, and is now at large. As the terrifying entity seeks to possess them, its fearful purpose becomes clear – and it involves the TARDIS...

Verdict

The Ashes of Eternity was a great little BBC Audio adventure! It's not often that we get new content with the pairing of the Ninth Doctor and Rose so having this little treat inserted between series of the Ninth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish, set prior to Rose, was a delight and a brilliant use of an Audible free trial if I do say so! I was intrigued from the preview in Doctor Who Magazine about this story's idea and it certainly didn't disappoint. I liked that it was established it was still relatively early on for the Doctor and Rose and their travels with her recognising that he was burdened with grief, but she wasn't sure why just yet. I thought the choice of narrator for this one was a somewhat surprising one given that Francine Jones was a character of the Tenth Doctor era so I felt it would have made more sense for her to feature in a Tenth Doctor and Martha story perhaps, but she did a decent job despite barely average impressions of the Ninth Doctor and Rose. Her narrative style was great though. The Doctor taking it upon himself to name an asteroid Gavin was fun and the story of it shifting path and being destined to hit Earth in 900 years was intriguing as Rose didn't seem too worried. The Doctor ensured it would fall into the sun instead, but that would come back to bite him in a big way! The light represented as an electronic plasma entering the TARDIS was excellent and it lunging at the Doctor and enveloping served as a good little chapter cliffhanger. He wasn't completely out of it though as he could help Rose to an emergency landing in Northumberland of November 1986. It was nice that this was the year Rose was born and I thought that might play more of a role but that wasn't to be the case. The Doctor needed potassium to recover from the plasma ordeal and they'd arrived on a farm with some good quiche that did the job. Peggy as the owner was a fun little character and I felt sorry for her that the Phoenix destroyed her home. The idea of the Doctor's brain being burned was intriguing and we soon learned of the ancient race of the Solonite that the Doctor had inadvertently awoken. They were from five billion years ago and were based in the firebird mythology Benu that created the world which was terrific. Peggy having a wife in the past by the name of Dawn was a touching story and I liked that this didn't seem odd for Rose given the time she was from. The Doctor knowing of Peggy as a famous artist was good and I liked that it was revealed the Phoenix was scared of dying and couldn't survive without a native host. It had been inside the Doctor so now he knew what it wanted which was fun. Ed Dunne being taken over and quickly burned to ashes was an effective demonstration before it took on Peggy's form and we learned that the TARDIS was the key with it wanting to open the vortex on the sun and ripen the star. That was brilliant and so with the fate of the Earth in the balance, Rose appealing to Peggy from within was great and admirable. She felt like she was winning and used the emotion of her planet, her job and feelings for Mickey to shun the Phoenix from within her before the Doctor was able to close the valum filters and save the sun in a pretty thrilling conclusion! Peggy though was dead and nobody would know of her sacrifice and they would just think she died in her house fire which was quite sad. Overall, a really good audio!

Rating: 8/10

Deadline

"My name is Doctor Who and I'm from Venus in the forty-ninth century."

Writer: Robert Shearman

Format: Audio

Released: September 2003

Series: Doctor Who Unbound 05

Featuring: Susan, Barbara

Synopsis

It's been forty years since Martin Bannister encountered the Doctor. They were different men back then. Martin was young and talented and The Times' seventh month promising writer to watch out for. The Doctor was mysterious, crotchety and possibly oriental. It was an encounter that destroyed both their lives.

Pity poor Martin now... His career is in ruins, all forgotten. His estranged wives keep dying in the wrong order, and there's a nasty green stain by the wardrobe that could be an alien footprint or, possibly, just mould.

Martin's life is about to change unexpectedly... Impromptu poetry readings. Elephant expeditions. An obligatory bug-eyed monster. And a last, desperate chance for love, before it's too late.

Sounds like it's time for the Doctor to come into Martin's life again. And sort him out. Permanently. 

Verdict

Deadline was a fascinatingly brilliant audio adventure! When it comes to the Doctor Who Unbound range, we have had some incredibly unique releases in the five so far that I have blogged, but this one might take the award for being the most unique as it was a harrowing portrayal of a fictional Doctor Who and its apparent creator Martin Bannister. It really was an incredible idea of a Doctor Who story. A Doctor Who adventure about the fictional creation of Doctor Who? Count me in! I was a big fan. Starting off with a mysterious rehash of the moments in An Unearthly Child where Ian and Barbara stumble inside the TARDIS with the Doctor and Susan was brilliant and I loved how there was no name yet given to the ship. This would of course become the TARDIS and us hearing that eureka moment for Bannister when Barbara was reading a poem to him and a shrub was described as Tardis blue was tremendous. Alternate origins can be very fun and that was definitely the case here. The relationship Martin had with his son Philip was uncomfortable at times and him initially thinking him to be Ian Chesterton just felt very strange. The blurring of the lines between fiction and reality was a big strength of this story. Martin being a television and theatre writer was a good basis for his character and Barbara knowing of his work was good and that was something that he liked in terms of recognition. Martin having a dilemma of whether it was the Doctor or Doctor Who and if the latter was just the name of the show or the character was magnificent and the ramifications this would have for Susan and if she would be Susan Who was marvellous. The comment about it sounding oriental and that not being what Verity (Lambert) was looking for was quite the line! The comments about Sydney (Nwman) having n obsession for cavemen was a lot of fun as well given what would come in the final three parts of that first serial. A story about Neanderthals wouldn't last or get picked up, right? The way Martin's real life was incorporated into the lines of Doctor Who was impressive and th claw marks at home and the claim of a monster in his wardrobe was really interesting to see what they were parallels to. We had a wonderful rehash of The Daleks with the supreme one sounding like a cheap Dalek but that was absolutely how it should have been and worked so well. Philip's life also going down the drain and him blaming his dad and there being something in the genetics was harrowing, but finding out that he'd killed a guinea pig to provide the ashes for his mum's faked death was horrendous. Martin was hoping it wasn't too late for a relationship with his grandson Tom though and that was a nice touch and seemingly the inspiration for Susan being the Doctor's grandfather in the Doctor Who show. The characters of Ian and Barbara dying from radiation poisoning was quite the development we didn't see on screen, but highlighted how dark Martin's life had become. He needed more reality in stories. Martin trying to get Tom into the wardrobe was uncomfortable and him thinking this was the TARDIS was actually quite sad. He was obsessed. The way he was writing his family out of the story apart from Susan and leaving in the wardrobe, but actually dying but reflecting the departure of the Doctor and Susan from Gallifrey, was excellent emotional writing. I was really impressed with what was both a sensational and uncomfortable listen. Overall, a fantastic story!

Rating: 9/10

Flux: War of the Sontarans

"You will lose every man in the battlefield if you engage."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7 November 2021

Series: 13.02

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

During the Crimean War, the Doctor discovers the British army fighting a brutal alien army of Sontarans, as Yaz and Dan are thrown deep into a battle for survival. What is the Temple of Atropos? Who are the Mouri?

Verdict

War of the Sontarans was an outstanding episode of Doctor Who and a pretty incredible continuation of Flux! This really was a sublime episode from start to finish and with the end of the universe entering the TARDIS as the cliffhanger to The Halloween Apocalypse, this had a lot riding on it. And it certainly did not disappoint. I have been yearning for the Sontarans to return for thirteen years now and it's incredible to think that it's been that long since they properly appeared as the enemy in a story. I would argue that they have never been presented stronger than they were here. Their use of the Flux to plan their invasion on Earth at just the right time was excellent and it was pretty ingenious to attack one second before the Lupari shield went up to protect the planet. I love the idea of Sontarans dabbling with time technology and their possession of temporal weaponry was very exciting. The prospect of the Sontarans attacking on a temporal front was just marvellous and I thought their testing ground being 1855 and the Crimean War was wonderful. The image of the map and what should have been Russia actually being Sontar was pure magic. I loved that being a big proponent of history and all it entails. Having Mary Seacole feature was a lot of fun and it allowed opportunity for the Doctor to fangirl once again. Dan's introduction was quick and I liked his reaction to encountering an actual historical figure. He and Yaz were soon thrown into the deep end though as they were shimmied away from the Doctor. Dan was back in Liverpool in his own time but the Sontarans had taken over in a big way, even landing a ship on top of Anfield! Maybe that will buck up the team after a dreadful performance against West Ham today! I'm a Liverpool fan so thankfully this episode cheered me up after the defeat. Dan's mum and dad were very fun characters and the use of a wok to attack the probic vent was magnificent. The Doctor communicating with Dan from 1855 was great and I loved how when she asked for his resources he was able to say he had a wok. A fantastic moment and a wonderful reaction. Jodie Whittaker was on top form here and her parle with Commander Skaak was iconic. The smirk she gave when revealing she was actually the Doctor was sensational. Skaak was a tremendous character and I just loved everything about the Sontarans in this one. Even if a group of them couldn't strike down Dan! The design is something I touched upon in then last episode but my oh my is it good. They really haven't looked better. It's so good and the image of them horseback and doing war with the British Army was just outstanding. I'm mightily intrigued by the Temple of Atropos and Yao's involvement there with Swarm and Azure. They seemed to know everything about this location and its importance and it supposedly being the planet Time was interesting to say the least. The way they talked as if Time was a force was brilliant and the Mouri being the ones to hold Time together in the universe presents us with a very exciting episode next week. Especially after that cliffhanger! Yaz and Vinder are in big trouble, and Time seems set to destabilise further. It was also startling to see how bad of shape the TARDIS was in and I'm surprised it's got this bad with only two episodes in! The return of Karvanista to save Dan and send the Sontarans packing with a temporal explosion was fantastic and a lot of fun. I liked how the Doctor enlisting Seacole and ensured the Sontarans were retreating, only for the General to blow them all up anyway. Overall, a quite spectacular episode that looked incredible and felt important all the way. A special mention for the background music too! That really enhanced the feel and atmosphere. A spectacular episode!

Rating: 10/10

The Shattered Hourglass

"Time was theirs to command."

Writer: Robert Napton

Format: Audio

Released: December 2020

Series: Short Trips 10.12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Time Agency has been meddling with time ever since its inception. Of all the days in history, today is a day that will define the agency forever.

Today is the day of their greatest achievement. Today is the day they removed an entire galaxy from the timeline.

Today is the day the Doctor's shutting them down.

Verdict

The Shattered Hourglass was an excellent Short Trips audio! I really liked this one and when it came to deciding which adventure to blog today, a quick glance at the synopsis for this one had me hooked instantly. I'm a sucker for a story purely about time travel so the prospect of the Doctor shutting down the Time Agency was incredibly appealing. Couple that with the incarnation being the Tenth Doctor and the timeline being after The Waters of Mars and we really did have a fantastic mix on our hands. The Tenth Doctor at this stage of his life is not quite in line with what came in his three televised series and that's really exciting. He's ruthless and is almost to the point where he feels like he is the law with no other Time Lords around. So when the Time Agency had successfully removed an entire galaxy from existence and time locked it, he wasn't having any of that. Hearing how a lone intriguer had broken in was fun and I really like that the Doctor has a reputation and rather chunky folder at the Time Agency. Why wouldn't he? Has anyone else interfered with time more than him? I think not. It was fun for the Doctor to saunter in and use the sonic screwdriver to gain entry and he just oozed a presence of authority. The writing for the Tenth Doctor specifically was excellent and I thought Neve McIntosh did a terrific job with the narration. She was really impressive. I thought it was good audio continuity to have Vortisaurs mentioned when it came to the vortex and the Doctor's stunned and angered outburst upon learning that the Time Agency had time locked L-10 on a 96% probability was superb. His form of questioning when it came to the Agency not actually knowing anything was fantastic, it was all guesswork. The Hourglass was a good weapon and I liked that the Agency had tried to develop a Time Lord weapon. Except this was based on a weapon with a conscience and the Hourglass knew that the request to time lock the Doctor was wrong. So instead, it gave the Doctor an upgrade and aided the recovery of L-10 from being time locked. Helen Barnes was a brilliant character as the Time Agency head and her reaction when she was informed there was a 99% possibility of the Doctor winning was magnificent. That must have been gut wrenching after all of the work she had put in! I thought the moment at the end where the Doctor was testing and then named the L-10 galaxy as Alison (I'm not sure if that's binding!) was lovely and just a nice touch to finish on! Overall, a brilliant story with a superb theme running through it and the perfect incarnation of the Doctor to tackle the problem. I'm all for having the Doctor and the Time Agency interact more! A magnificent listen.

Rating: 9/10

The Exxilons

"Your beacon. It kills."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: January 2015

Series: FDA 4.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Planet E9874 supports a developing civilisation known as the Tarl. The peaceful, technologically advanced Locoyuns are helping the Tarl develop rudimentary technology. What could be more innocent than that?

When the Doctor, Leela and K9 arrive, they find the delicate balance in the relationship between the two cultures reaching an unexpected crisis point. The spears are flying and the threat of all-out war is in the air.

The Doctor must use all his guile to tread a careful path with Tarl leader Ergu, while Leela and K9 discover an ancient power of unimaginable strength which threatens to fear the minds out of its victims.

Verdict

The Exxilons was a fantastic Fourth Doctor Adventures audio! I really have jumped around this range over the years but this was a great start to the fourth series. I do think the big plot reveal was actually spoiled by the title of the audio, but I get that it was also a big selling point for the series opener. It's just a shame as I think the reveal of the Locoyuns actually being Exxilons would have worked brilliantly as a cliffhanger and something you wouldn't see coming if it wasn't already obvious. Trexa was a great character and I liked how things started full of action with her on the run after completing some construction work. She was running for her life though and reported back to her superiors before actually stumbling aboard the TARDIS as the Doctor and Leela were departing after materialisation. That was really good and I liked the unusual nature of an unfamiliar character getting to go inside the famous time and space ship. Trexa was important in establishing the makeup of the civilisation on the planet between the Tarl and how the Locoyuns had an arrangement wit their leader Ergu that saw them unknowingly existing as slaves. Calura and Gethal as the powers that be amongst the Locoyuns were very good characters and they seemed to have an intriguing dynamic amongst themselves. Their coming to save Trexa seemed like a surprise but it was good to introduce them to the Doctor, Leela and K9. The Tarl being engaged in building a beacon for the Locoyuns and knowing their true identities, that was a brilliant way to parallel Death to the Daleks and all that entailed. They were honouring the architects, or so was the story, but Ergu was onto them and after learning how his son had died after offering him up he wanted to strike them down for revenge. Leela having a headache with the energy matrix activity that K9 detected linked well with the death of Ergu's son and how he also suffered something similar. The Doctor's reaction to learning of the true nature of the Locoyuns was great and I liked that they wanted the beacon to send them back home to the city of the Exxilons. Their devotion to the city is fascinating and the Doctor describing the past events of the beacon and the city on Exxilon destroying itself was brilliant. K9 being used to attack the beacon and specifically the force bubble was very nicely done and I loved how Trexa got involved in the resolution with her understanding of the symbols. You couldn't destroy the power because it would take out the whole planet, but Trexa could interpret the symbols and guide K9's laser to reverse the mind draining that was happening. Calura and Gethal accepting they were defeated by the Doctor was almost refreshing, and I really liked how Trexa was in conflict with her being born to serve the city that she had just failed. She had seen wrong, and went some way to making amends and would now stay on the numbered planet. Overall, a terrific listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Apocalypse Mirror

"A city that's effectively the capital of the entire world."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: May 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.11

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in the city of Tromesis on Earth – but it's a world far from the one that the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe recognise.

The buildings are ruined, the streets deserted. And against the devastation they see a ghostly mirror image of another place – the city as it was before disaster hit.

People vanish here, and huge metal birds attack from the sky.

Can the Doctor find the future, in a place that doesn't have one?

Verdict

The Apocalypse Mirror was a great Companion Chronicles audio! Any adventure that starts with the Second Doctor and Jamie doing kick ups and having a competition in the TARDIS is terrific in my book and just having that image was a delight as a huge football fan as I can just picture the clumsiness of the Doctor's efforts. The tide soon changed though with an emergency landing and being surrounded by vast buildings upon arrival. This was a good introduction to Tromesis which was a deserted city in Switzerland. It was certainly a unique setting which I liked! The Doctor being taken thrust us into some action and it was a decent introduction to Miss Petzel who turned into a good character. The idea of people fading in like ghosts around the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe was intriguing and the contrast between crumbling grey buildings in the same place as cleaner and bright architecture in the same place was very interesting. It was a cool presentation of another world. The Doctor telling the truth about their time travelling when questioned by the locals was brilliant and I liked how they were clearly afraid of the state which gave us a good indication of the hierarchy of this enigmatic city. Ninan was a good character as the head of the citizens and the explanation that came of the nostalgia sickness was magnificent. That was such a cool name! It was an indication of being taken away if you saw how the city used to be. Zoe being fascinated by the Flood that caused environmental catastrophe was understandable and I loved that this was the last inhabited city in the world. That was daunting! Paul going missing and Miss Oakley being his wife and on the hunt to find him was great. The Haukas as the metallic birds were an interesting element of the story and the use of transmat to take away those chosen worked well. Their method of the cube box capturing was excellent. I liked how Oakley being taken put suspicions on the Doctor and Jamie, but Zoe got the story going into danger as we found that a meteor was coming for the Alps in 5 hours and she had vanished! The Doctor having a Hauka trapped was fun and the use of short circuiting to defeat was really good. The suggestion that Zoe was taken because she knew of the meteorite was fantastic but I was a little taken aback by how quick the citizens turned in favour of the Doctor and Jamie. Action packed sequences followed as we hunted for Zoe and we soon got some answers from the statesman headed by Beaton. They looked for people with energy to bring into the fold and the Haukas were all they had to achieve this. Their defeatists attitude towards the meteorite was met with frustration, but then we realised that Zoe was in the other city that was actually in the same universe in the same spot! A sympathy engine test had gone wrong and the city was on a temporal fault line which meant two versions, one stagnating and one moving forward, could be influenced. So to crossover and be safe from the meteor you just needed to make it real nd think of a better world. Jamie's plea message in the hopes of a revolution was nicely done and I liked that they got enough on the right side to avert disaster. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

Corpse Day

"Another man telling us what to do."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: May 2017

Series: Torchwood Monthly 15

Featuring: Owen, Andy

Synopsis

Glynn Lewis is just putting up a spice rack when there's a knock at the door. A knock that will bring a brutal end to his perfect family. 

PC Andy is very excited. It's Corpse Day – the day when the local constabulary gets help on dead cases from Torchwood. This year, he's volunteered to act as liaison, and he knows he's going to have a brilliant time.

For Dr Owen Harper, today's just like any other. There'll be bloodshed, screaming and murder. At the end of it all, he doesn't care. After all, life's just for the living, and he's long dead.

Verdict

Corpse Day was a gruesomely good Torchwood audio to continue the Monthly Adventures from Big Finish! It was great to finally get Owen in the range and boy they didn't waste anytime in utilising his darker nature. Placing the story during the time in Series 2 where he was officially dead was good and I suspected that would be the case from the episode's name, but the corpse day within the story didn't actually relate to Owen's condition. Having him paired up with Andy as the police force are aided by Torchwood to clean up some of the dead body mysteries was great, and the history being told from Owen of how Queen Victoria offered up the Institute to help the forces was good. He wasn't best pleased. The mystery of sixteen girls going missing was intriguing and I thought it was powerful to refer to them as daughters. The moment where Owen was eating vicariously through Andy because he couldn't eat himself was hilarious and a rare moment of fun in what was to become a particularly horrific audio. And that's not in terms of its quality. Their investigation to the warehouse was good and I liked how it was linking them to missing people as it was the scene of a rave where there were one too many doors, so the culprit could simply walk in and take the girls without sighting. This turned out to be Glynn Lewis who was a particular awful person and the way Andy realised that he had the girls trapped because he was buying dog food without a dog was a stark realisation. Their visit soon turned into a developing series of gruesome events within the soundproof cellar full of three missing women and a Weevil. Sonny was almost like a pet but I loved how it was following its kind in almost worshiping Owen in his deadness. The missing women of Angela, Jan and Marta were intriguing given how different they all were despite being in the same predicament. They were terrified of Glynn who they called 'daddy' which was horrifying. This had a feeling akin to Countrycide which made it an uncomfortable listen. It was just so demeaning and the plan to punish Owen and Andy to make daddy proud was further discomfort. Playing with the concept of if you don't fit in you get eating was excellent with there being only room for one daddy. Finding out that Jan was pregnant was even more disturbing and Owen deducing that she was close to birth despite not being a shower brought some imminent danger. Learning of Glynn's wife finding an abandoned baby Weevil was quite something and the constant references to the Lord and how it was a replacement, seemingly indicating from the Committee, was great. Sonny having killed Diana and not knowing its own strength made for further danger in the cellar and the insinuation that grief caused Glynn to abduct the women didn't make it any better. Especially when we learned that it was the Weevil that had mated with the captured women. That's why Jan didn't look so pregnant, because this wasn't wholly a human baby. If Sonny didn't like the end result then you got eaten. So no pressure! Glynn's threat with the hammer was also ruthless and going so far to brake Andy's hand as a warning to Owen about the baby delivery was fantastic horror. The birth was full of gore and right in your face for an audio and Andy's commentary made it slightly more sane! He thought the result was grotesque and shouldn't live given it was the product of abuse. That's quite an ethical debate! Owen realising that Sonny had actually tried to protect the missing women as they were bruised but Glynn was scratched was fantastic and I liked how he ravaged daddy by the end once his baby boy was all safe and breathing. The daughters irking him on was very good and a fitting end. Overall, a story full of gore and horror! 

Rating: 8/10

The Day Before They Came

"Fiction is reality that just hasn't happened yet."

Writer: Daniel Blythe

Format: Audio

Released: September 2021

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 2.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

In the shabby seaside town of Bayview, Kayla Worthington is sitting on the beach waiting for an alien invasion. Her patience is rewarded when an alien arrives, although he doesn't seem to be invading. He's called the Doctor, and he wants to buy her a cup of tea.

Verdict

The Day Before They Came was a somewhat average continuation of the second volume of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! For whatever reason, I couldn't find myself fully invested in this story which was a shame as I thought things started so well with The Evolving Dead! I was a big fan of Jacob Dudman's take on Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and I have to say that when the Doctor did arrive into the story, the impression really was uncanny. Dudman is super impressive as this incarnation and it really adds so much when we have authenticity like this that makes it feel like a genuine tale of the era. The setting of Bay View in 1986 was a pretty good one and I found myself taken back to my school days with the likes of maths and double French getting a mention. Kayla was not the best character in the world in my opinion, but she built a solid foundation of a relationship with the Doctor which was nice because he really can befriend anybody! He was onto Kayla from the start which was great and showed that he had the upper hand, but Kayla's reports logging showed that she wasn't undermined despite the Doctor's knowledge of her. The idea of her being undercover as a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl was decent and I thought it was good that come the end it was revealed that there was no cover. She really was just a schoolgirl hiding behind the ideas in her grandfather's book. That was a nice touch and a feel good factor, but it seemed to come a little out of nowhere and too late which really took me back by surprise. I needed more to be built upon I think. The Doctor not wanting to show Kayla the TARDIS interior or take her on a trip because he didn't trust her was fun and I liked how at the end he reiterated that point. The Kalaxids were pretty average as the alien presence int he story I felt and when Lee was taken by them, we were introduced to a particular scout who was involved in non-intervention and seeking restitution. Darren soon joined Lee in being captured but I never felt either were more than pretty useless. The foamy nature of the creatures' makeup was good and I liked the Doctor's appreciation for that kind of life form. I felt that the direction of the episode was stalling at times and we were never fully sure what the Kalaxids were doing or searching for. The idea of the acidic rain causing them a seizure was good though and the threat of a contamination finally sprung the episode into gear. The scout present had called upon the mothership to eliminate the threat and the radiation from there would obliterate the contaminated planet Earth by molecular compression and see that all was well again. The Doctor arriving to the scene of Darren and Lee seemed too easy but it was nice for the Doctor to show confidence in being able to save the day with his words. Overall, some very strong elements and a nice feel but there needed to be some more fleshing out in the middle for my liking!

Rating: 6/10

Old Flames

"I do love a good knees-up!"

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Short Story

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips 02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Iris Wildthyme 

Synopsis

From Neolitch Earth to the furthest reaches of the universe in the far future, Short Trips brings together established Doctor Who authors and first-time writers in a collection of stories exploring the ever-changing worlds of the Doctor and his friends.

Witness the last days of the siege of Masada with the First Doctor and meet the Fourth Doctor's extraordinary 'old flame'. An evil enemy makes life difficult for the Seventh and Third Doctors, and while the Fifth Doctor is under attack on a sinister ship shrouded in fog, the Second may soon be guilty of a grave error of judgement... The Sixth Doctor's hopes of a holiday are dashed when he discovers a pleasure planet is hiding a shocking secret, and the Eighth Doctor is caught up in a deadly drama played out during the construction of Stonehenge.

And, of course, that's just the beginning...

Verdict

Old Flames was a great little story to continue my sporadic reading of Short Trips! There have been so many different releases from the Short Trips range now but after finding this book for a steal of a price, I thought where best to catch up than at the very start and I think that was a hugely beneficial state of affairs as I was introduced to the first acknowledged appearance of Iris Wildthyme in Doctor Who! I haven't encountered this character a huge amount on my journey through Big Finish's extensive audio catalogue, but I know enough about her to have a good idea of her character. She's fun and clearly flirtatious with the Doctor which came across in a big way here, but I had no idea her first appearance was in a Short Trip! No disrespect is intended to the range, but I thought she would debut in something a little bigger and more mainstream. Her description of being a little fat lady here was a bit of a shock as the image of the character in my head I associate with Katy Manning and that's just not an accurate description of her. The suggestion that she was an old flame of the Doctor's was a lot of fun and I thought Sarah's reaction to hearing that was wonderful. I think I was a little more surprised by the fact the Doctor didn't exactly deny the fact, just that maybe Iris was slightly exaggerating. But one thing for clear was that the pair had a past and I'd love for that to get dug into. The relationship between the Fourth Doctor and Sarah was a lot of fun here and I loved the author referencing back to the days of the First Doctor where he would check the TARDIS instruments of what was outside, but this incarnation just blundered out. And it got him nearly drowned! Sarah wanting to stay around once the Doctor finally woke up was a nice touch to the local who had saved him and I thought her desire to attend an eighteenth-century do was lovely. She really did deserve to let her hair down! The Doctor dismissing the arrival of the double decker bus was intriguing and I loved how this turned out to be the TARDIS of Iris, a fellow Time Lord, well Lady. The bus being the same size on the inside as the outside was so much fun and the Doctor seemed to admire that. Lady Huntingdon made for a good villain but a lousy host booming from above and didn't even acknowledge the Doctor's thanks! She soon took attention when he showed interest in her granddaughter though and that's where the truth came out. Her true makeup being a tiger-like species was a fun development and she was just desperate to get home. She wanted a TARDIS and now there were two around! The guise of finding a suitor for her granddaughter was slightly odd if it was an annual tradition as I'm not sure what would be on offer in previous years, but now there were Time Lords present it made for some amusement. The manor was good and I liked the background of a party. It fitted the format well. The particle reversal method the Doctor used to stop her and make her the centre of attention in her own world was excellent! Overall, a really good little read!

Rating: 8/10

Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse

"Trick or treat, Doctor!"

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 31 October 2021

Series: 13.01

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

On Halloween, all across the universe, terrifying forces are stirring. From the Arctic Circle to deep space, an ancient evil is breaking free. And in present-day Liverpool, the life of Dan Lewis is about to change forever. Why is the Doctor on the trail of the fearsome Karvanista? And what is the Flux?

Verdict

The Halloween Apocalypse was a great start to the brand new thirteenth series of Doctor Who! I'm very excited to see what Flux brings and I thought this was a very solid start. There were so many moving parts, probably a few too many if I'm being brutally honest, but there is so much set up here for the remaining five episodes to come that I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ties back. This was a superb introduction for Dan Lewis as the new companion and I must admit that I initially had caution about John Bishop playing a Doctor Who companion, but I thought he was magnificent. The Liverpool-centric episode was so much fun and as a Liverpool football supporter, seeing the TARDIS materialise with Anfield in the background was quite wonderful. Two of my favourite things in one! It's so good to know that Dan is a Liverpool fan, something I'm sure Bishop himself pushed. The continuity with the Division and the Doctor on the hunt to discover her lost past was brilliant and I didn't expect Karvanista to be the last living operative of that Time Lord mystery. I'm certainly intrigued to see where things move there. The Doctor not letting Yaz in on her mission is a little surprising given how close they are and it's clear that they've been on plenty of adventures between Series 12 and 13, and I love that we got to read one in Black Powder! The image of the pair on the bed led Gemma to a humorous comment about their potential relationship, and honestly that's something I think I'd enjoy. But the Doctor has more pressing matters. The TARDIS malfunctioning is really intriguing and having to deal with it potentially dying is rather frightening as a concept! I think that puts the Doctor in so much danger though and it's something I'm well on board with. The way the entrance didn't match with the console and surrounding areas after being twisted was a startling image. Dan's arrival onto the TARDIS was humorous and his claim of having a mate who had one bigger was really amusing. It was a solid debut as companion. The genetic pact of the Lupari was a brilliant concept and Karvanista rescuing Dan from what was to come was not a revelation I expected. I thought the cinematography in this episode was perhaps the best it's ever been with the image of the Doctor, Yaz and Dan in the TARDIS doorway in space being mesmerising, along with the Flux itself which looked really cool. I always maintain that natural threats are the most dangerous in Doctor Who and having the Doctor try to tackle something on that scale that defies the laws of physics is very exciting. And it seems to be bringing a lot of friends, old and new, to town. The glimpse of Claire and her involvement with the Weeping Angels was an outstanding hint at what's to come, and the Sontarans revelling in the destruction the Flux is bringing was magnificent. This redesign is absolutely outstanding and I'm just so happy they are back in all their glory. They look incredible. How they will tie in with the Liverpool tunnel building of 1820 really interests me. The Swarm escaping from imprisonment and seemingly rejuvenating was great stuff and the two Division operatives peaked my interest. The Swarm claiming of doing battle with the Doctor before but she having no memory is excellent and fascinating because we know now that there are many lives the Doctor doesn't know she has led. I'm sure we'll be seeing the Fugitive Doctor once again before the Thirteenth Doctor says goodbye. As a whole, this was a very strong opener and set up a lot of moving parts whilst being thoroughly entertaining. The Doctor's line about synchronising watches when she didn't have one was just hilarious. Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 8/10

The Uncertainty Principle

"We're intruding on other people's grief."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: August 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

In the future, Zoe Herriot is a prisoner of the mysterious Company, which has evidence that she travelled through space and time with the Doctor. Zoe's memories have been blocked by the Time Lords, but the Company is determined to break through her conditioning...

And so Zoe recalls a journey to Earth in the past, to the funeral of a young woman called Meg, who was involved in scientific experiments that are bringing forth sinister alien creatures. Only the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe can stop them...

Verdict

The Uncertainty Principle was a decent Companion Chronicle adventure to continue the ongoing story arc concerning Zoe and the Company! I really like this idea and starting things with Zoe at the mercy of the Company was intriguing and showed that there was a past to her current circumstances, namely being the events of Echoes of Grey and The Memory Cheats. I liked the development in Zoe's mind with her not being able to deny that there was evidence of her travelling in time, but still as far as she was concerned she turned down that opportunity with the Doctor back during The Wheel in Space. When Zoe got into retelling this story, I liked that it was presented as being in the early days of her time aboard the TARDIS not long having left the Wheel. The Doctor, Jamie and she arriving at the funeral of a women called Meg was not the usual destination and it felt a little eery and uncomfortable which set the atmosphere for what was to come. They met Archie who was a pretty good character and I liked that Meg had been working on something to do with physics, something that could have been the reason for the TARDIS going out of control and being drawn off course. Zoe's moment where she recalled that she had travelled int the TARDIS was a good eureka moment and her description of its interior was terrific. Was this the lead the Company were after? Jen wanting to help Zoe was a nice touch and she genuinely seemed interested in preventing her sentence of atomisation. Archie hearing Meg as a ghost from beyond was a little strange and the use of connections getting established as a theme throughout was decent. The insinuation that he had dreamt it was a little misleading though. The pending arrival of the creatures didn't do a massive amount for me and whilst they were obviously important as the physics element of Meg's work, I preferred the human characters and interaction. The fleshy arms cliffhanger was pretty naff if we're being honest! The Company looking for a computer link within Zoe's memories is interesting and I'm really looking forward to hearing this arc play out. Archie wanting revenge on the creatures and causing them pain by means of water was a fascinating development, and the creatures seemingly being connected by the pain was very good. I thought it was right that Zoe was angered by the fact he'd caused them pain because she just wanted to know who they were. The creatures having a connection with the computers was good and Zoe having knowledge of the Fineman computer and trying to explain its quantum capabilities to the likes of Jamie was amusing. Water being the cause of pain to the creatures after a spill was good and somewhat logical, and Zoe suggesting that there was something within her memories that wasn't safe to know was wonderful. But the more she uncovered the more her brain was stopping her as the Time Lords' mind lock took hold once again. Jen revealing that her children were part of the Elite programme was a great development and sets us up for another adventure in the arc! The Programme was in full swing and Jen now wants to help Zoe bring the Company down, but what is it that Zoe has seen that the Company cannot let slip? I look forward to finding out! Overall, a good audio.

Rating: 7/10

Last Chance

"History fights back."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2018

Series: Tenth Doctor Chronicles 1.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Lady Christina

Synopsis

Trying to spare a few creatures from extinction, the Doctor bumps into an old acquaintance on the African plains – Lady Christna de Souza. They are about to find themselves on the endangered list...

Verdict

Last Chance was a fantastic adventure to conclude the first volume of the Tenth Doctor Chronicles! This really was a fine finale and saw us get a long awaited reunion between the Doctor and Lady Christina de Souza! She really did make an impression back in Planet of the Dead and even now has her own Big Finish spinoff series, and having her alongside the Doctor once again during his final holiday as we head towards The End of Time was terrific. I thought the setting of Kenya in the African plains was excellent and I was intrigued how we initially started in 1844 off the coast of Iceland, but that all came around full circle in a very nice way. The talk of beginnings and endings was poignant as far as the Doctor was concerned considering where in his timeline this was placed, but the double meaning it would have with the focus on endangered species was brilliant. That was a clever theme. Christina was up to her old tricks in robbing Ivanov on his hunt and from his hotel rum which was good, and I loved how the Doctor made an entrance on a rhino to pick up his old thief-friend! That was classy and well in with the setting. The Doctor talking of how he, and in turn his species, were close to extinction was superb and the writing really did nail the characterisation of the Tenth Doctor during that run of 2009 Specials. Christina reflecting on being told no when she wanted to travel with the Doctor was nice and I liked that it was clear she still wanted to see the universe. The escape from the spaceship into the TARDIS, rhino and all, through the doors and Christina not thinking they'd all fit was lovely and I really like that she got to go inside the TARDIS! That was a really nice touch. She was definitely impressed. The Doctor being on a mission to collect endangered species and house them in the TARDIS was intriguing and I liked how the Deagle, the spaceship owner, was doing the same as part of his latest ruthless hobby. A current theme across his pastimes was that he dreamt of destroying the Doctor which was good. They had an unseen history with the Doctor always stopping Deagle's fun. The ravager's final stop and species on his checklist being the Great Auk took us back to Iceland but Deagle had blocked the TARDIS from entering the island, so there was some ingenuity used to have the TARDIS on its side and get there by more contemporary water-based means! That provided some fun humour. Christina showing some emotion and being saddened by all the endangered species was nice to include and develop her character a little. Deagle's plan once paying for what he thought was the final Great Auks being to catalogue, freeze, stuff and then display them at his holiday home was despicable so it was marvellous when the Doctor revealed they were fakes and holograms! The Doctor going to Deagle's ship, which was interestingly sentient, was good and I was intrigued that despite having no morals Deagle always wanted to stay on the right side of law. The Deagle getting a big incentive when the Doctor revealed he was the last of his species was nicely done, but the Deagle's own ship turned on him after revealing it hated its owner which was pretty amusing if not a little silly! They were going to leave to fate and have nature take its natural course which saw the Deagle become lion food in a pretty gruesome ravaging! The poignant ending with the Doctor not wanting Christina to ask to travel with him again was a firm reminder of what was to come for the Doctor, so I'm glad he got to have another outing with Christina before it was his time to go! Overall, a fantastic listen!

Rating: 9/10

Two Monks, One Mistress

"Is it wrong to start having romantic feelings towards yourself?"

Writer: James Kettle

Format: Audio

Released: September 2021

Series: Missy 3.03

Featuring: Missy, The Monk

Synopsis

On the trail of some weapons-grade plutonium, Missy and the Mink visit Renaissance Italy and the house of an elderly Borgia. But some else is en route to the Tuscan villa with designs on the old man's treasures. Someone the Monk will soon know very well...

Verdict

Two Monks, One Mistress was a very fun conclusion to the Missy and the Monk third series of Missy! This has been a really terrific boxset full of humour and comedy as I expected from the first two outings between Missy and the Monk in each of the first two series. And now this finale may have set up an entirely new spinoff series! This one started in magnificent form with Missy calling the Monk her companion and really asserting her authority and getting him to carry the bags, using the Doctor's companions of an example of their usefulness and the redundant questions they asked. The Monk of course obliged which was great stuff. The setting of Tuscany in 1506 was excellent and I always enjoy the potential when the Monk visits Earth's history. Missy was en route to pick up some plutonium from who she thought was Guvnax but there was actually Francesca, an accomplice of the Nun, masquerading in a terrible disguise. She was hardly a believable man! And yet the Monk didn't see through it which was marvellous. The Nun's return after her emphatic battle with the Tenth Doctor in The Wrong Woman was brilliant and the prospect of two different incarnations of the meddling Time Lord who can't decide on his/her name was wonderful. The pair meeting was so much fun with the psychic scroll revealing all. Missy describing herself as a master criminal and describing events such as Logopolis and The End of Time was excellent, but the mention of Time-Flight and the magician disguise was presented with fantastic humour. Even the Monk was questioning the logic! Missy knowing that the Nun was the future incarnation of her current companion was good and I liked that she actually had a deal with her to split the plutonium in return for the coordinates of her Master TARDIS. At least she thought. The Nun claimed she was going to torture her previous self to the point of regeneration, albeit vaguely, and ensure that she was the author of her own destiny. That sounded whacky and meddling, so I was actually a little surprised when the Nun was actually trying to rescue her past self from Missy's clutches! The flirting between each meddling incarnation was humorous and I liked how they planned to work together against Missy, and got caught trying to steal away the plutonium. Missy was onto them in a flash which I loved. Her continuing with the charade of marrying the Duke was amusing, especially when Francesca revealed she was a woman as if Missy was clueless! Missy showing the wrong scroll to Borgia and him thinking she was in love was great and I loved Missy's reply when he stated they would have several children. Would they steal them? Great stuff. I loved that the Monk gave Missy the wrong scroll at the end and sent her on her way back to the Master TARDIS, whilst potentially setting up future adventures between the Monk and the Nun! They looked to sell plutonium to the Aztecs. What could possibly go wrong? Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 8/10

Body and Soulless

"We're going into battle against the corpses of our families."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio 

Released: September 2021

Series: Missy 3.01

Featuring: Missy, The Monk

Synopsis

Stuck with a co-pilot, Missy has taken extreme measures. After all, she only needs the Monk's brain to fly his TARDIS. But when Missy and the bodiless Monk end up on different sides of a planetary war, they may need one another to survive...

Verdict

Body and Soulless was a decent start to the third series of the Missy spinoff, which is wonderfully titled Missy and the Monk! I think in my blog entry of Too Many Masters which concluded the second series earlier this year, I was hoping for a whole series of adventures with Missy and the Monk, and as luck would have it that's exactly what I got! I'm delighted by the prospect of further stories with this glorious Time Lord pairing, especially given how things were left last time out. The Monk's TARDIS could only be piloted with both Missy and the Monk present, and the idea of the Monk being bodiless and just a brain was delightful. Missy had fun with that and was able to have him in her own handbag which was a fun image. I do think the story perhaps didn't capitalise on the potential of these two characters as I felt that more interaction was required throughout, but what we did get was terrific. I wasn't a huge fan of the setting and the background of the war between the VAD and Kalvor, but having Missy and the Monk on opposite sides was fun and pitting them against each other would provide a lot of humour. Despite the Monk always appearing in control or to have a scheme up his sleeve and it playing out to perfection, there is never that air of confidence around him. That's testament to Rufus Hound's performance who I think is a great incarnation, and it's also a strength of Missy's character and her outright superiority. We never feel that the Monk seriously threatens the Doctor, but the same cannot be said for Missy. She's on top form here and having her contemplating helping and being a hero was nicely balanced with her reaction of thinking it was heavenly for soldiers to be fighting the corpses of their dead families. That was just a horrifying concept, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. Gasher was a somewhat good character and I liked Missy's appreciation of his name given the field he was involved in, but the choice of voice/the way the creature boomed didn't work for me. It felt a bit off for whatever reason. The Monk managing to get his TARDIS back and also revert back into his body was fun and I'm glad we're not going to have the whole series with the Monk bodiless! However, the highlight had to be the revelation at the end where Missy subtly revealed her plans all along and the realisation hit the Monk that once again he had been played. Everything with the VAD, the Monk becoming bodiless and their very presence was all a plan. And it had worked to perfection! That really was terrific. I loved the lines at the end where the Monk and Missy seemed to accept that they would now be travelling partners, and the prospect ahead for the next two episodes in the series really excites me. Whilst I thought the setting and overall plot here was perhaps slightly dull, it was brightened by the interaction of Missy and the Monk. Give me more! Overall, a decent adventure. 

Rating: 7/10

War Seed

"We all need a little regeneration."

Writer: Johnny Candon

Format: Audio

Released: September 2021

Series: Missy 3.02

Featuring: Missy, The Monk

Synopsis

Missy takes the Monk to Earth to make a point – she can be nice if she wants. In fact, she can save the planet! While the Monk tries to charm the corporate sharks, Missy makes them a better offer. To supply the ultimate warrior, created in the ultimate war...

Verdict

War Seed was an excellent audio adventure to continue the Missy and the Monk third series of Missy! This was a terrific story from start to finish and really allowed both Missy and the Monk to shine in their respective roles whilst showcasing their reputation and stature in the Doctor Who universe. The Monk was instantly appalled by the idea of Richard Temple selling off regeneration, whilst Missy was all about sharing is caring and didn't see the trouble. I thought it was great that she had brought the Monk to Earth and she was going to save the planet just to prove that she could, and having that subtle exploration of her good side is great and well in line with the character we saw on screen towards the end of Series 10. The Monk suspecting the involvement of the Master or the Rani as the Time Lord that was obviously aiding Temple was terrific, and his efforts at hypnosis control was simply delightful. He was trying so hard! Anastasia was a good and quite brutal character and her acceptance of the instructions to shoot the Monk in the panic room were fantastic. She really was ruthless. The way it was revealed that Temple's associate, an unwilling one at that, was Missy's son came from out of nowhere but it was a line dropped so simply that I loved it! Complete matter of fact. It made sense for the Seed to be talking of his father coming, and took us back to a time where the Master was involved in the Time War. The links with that conflict were unexpected but I liked firmly establishing that we were post-Time War, with the Monk not at all ashamed that he ran away and hid. Missy's description of the Time Lords venturing into non-ethical weapons was good and we soon learned that her son was a war seed. Missy, when she was the Master, took from herself and created them in a way I imagine was similar to how Jenny was created in The Doctor's Daughter. Except these seeds were an amalgamation of all sorts of evil to go with it. These seeds were sent to a planet with an aptitude for war so I liked that this brought it to Earth 1985 with the threat of nuclear war imminent given the conflict between the USA and Soviets. They took a whole year to blossom and then through pheromones control the entire population would become a weapon. That was a superb concept! Richard needing Missy for his army was good with them only answerable to a Time Lord and I thought it was really fun for her to actually show him an example of the seeds being successful. Murphy's panic and potential regenerating after sneaking some of the sample was good and realistic and the plan to suck him out into the Vortex was full throttle! It was a good sense of excitement. The Teatle world was intriguing with an army frozen and waiting for orders, a fine example for Richard to see. Anastasia becoming beastly was an unexpected development and I liked that she wanted to inherit the Temple dynasty but was merely made an employee. Not quite the same position! Once all was well, I thought it was a nice moment at the end with the Seed wanting to be decommissioned, but Missy sent him on his way to live a life and now that he had left, his influence on the planet would dissipate and things would soon return to normal. Overall, this was a tremendous story with some comical interaction between the Monk and Missy! A fantastic listen.

Rating: 9/10

The Memory Cheats

"They're dreams. They never happened."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: September 2011

Series: Companion Chronicles 6.03

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

Zoe Heriot remembers everything. But she remembers nothing.

A genius with instant recall, Zoe's mind has been purged of her memories of travelling with the Doctor and Jamie in the TARDIS. And years later she is in deep trouble, prosecuted by a mysterious company that has evidence that she has travelled in Space and Time.

Except Zoe knows they're wrong. Aren't they?

But if that's the case, why is there proof that Zoe was in Uzbekistan in 1919.

Can the memory cheat?

Verdict

The Memory Cheats was a great audio adventure to continue this story arc for Zoe in the Companion Chronicles! I think it's a brilliant idea to have a continuous adventure flowing through the series for a specific companion and Zoe is a superb choice given her total recall ability with memory combined with her memory of her travels with the Doctor and Jamie in the TARDIS being wiped from her mind by the Time Lords in The War Games. We start strong with Zoe once again on the end of an apparent interrogation, this time by Jen, a colleague of Ali's from Echoes of Grey. Her mentioning of healing on Zoe's and not lasting because her memories were somehow locked was fantastic and I liked knowing that the Time Lords had power over Zoe's mind despite tampering. We were then taken on another adventure recalled by Zoe and as she told the story, her memory became clear. The setting of Uzbekistan in 1919 was about as unique as its gets for Earthbound stories so I really liked that and the parallels it had with Russia of the time and the two revolutions were fantastic. Tashkent was undergoing something mysterious and horrifying with children being taken one by one, each night. The fear factor that must have induced was quite something and the fact it was a single child every night somehow made it creepier than if it happened en masse. Again, I think I was more interested in Zoe and Jen's conversation than the former's actual recollection of the adventure, but one highlight for me of the story being told was that Jamie was playing football with the locals! That sounds right up his alley and his pride of winning for Scotland was a joy to hear. The report of the Lancings proving that Zoe was in Uzbekistan in 1919 was good as the later revelation that Zoe claimed to have made the story up by connecting all of the dots she had glimpsed from the paperwork was terrific! It was creating such a dilemma for Zoe given her total recall and adamant that she declined to travel in the TARDIS in The Wheel in Space. She dreamt of the journeys she could have had in the TARDIS which actually made me quite sad because she did have these adventures! And here she was on hand to help with missing children. The air of grief over the city was good atmosphere and I liked the description of how the family homes were devoid of family pictures. That was awful. The description of the creature that was taking the children as being a deformed man with a cry like an animal and twice the size of normal men painted quite the picture, and I liked the the Doctor and co rallied the troops to scare it off. Chebrokov was an excellent character and Zoe painting a different picture of him to what was on file was magnificent. The cliffhanger with Zoe claiming to have been the one to kill the Lancings and not him certainly took me by surprise! The second part felt different with the hunt for the creature and children and once we got there the description of the webbing was rather disturbing. Describing the children as being a part of an irrigation system was terrifying. Zoe waking the creature and this being the action that caused it to lash out and kill the Lancings was not quite what I expected with her claim, but it was still shocking to hear her lack of remorse. Of course, Zoe claimed the entire story wasn't true and that she thought the children were better off with the creature and that's what happened, but hey, the memory cheats. The creature that the children were in danger in a country of war, famine and sickness and Zoe agreed they'd be better off with the creature. A very fun concept and I liked the ambiguity. Overall, a great audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Evolving Dead

"There's nothing natural about any of this."

Writer: Doris V Sutherland

Format: Audio

Released: September 2021

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 2.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

The dead stalk the corridors of research station Romeo. For a technician (dead) and her ex-boyfriend (also dead), the Doctor's their only chance to escape. For the rest of the crew, he's their only chance to feed.

Verdict

The Evolving Dead was an excellent start to the second series of the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! I really enjoyed this opening gambit and I thought the shift in format by eliminating the narration is a massively positive step. I'm absolutely in favour of this new approach and after reading the preview in a recent issue of DWM, the recommendation from the man at the BBC to take this direction is absolutely the right way to go. Jacob Dudman's impression of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor is stellar so there is no need for the linking narration that can hurt the flow of things on times. Of course, that eliminates the potential for a companion but there's plenty of wiggle room in the Eleventh Doctor's run for solo adventures. His arrival here was humorous as he looked to find his old chum Alfred on hs coronation day, but instead he was greeted by a deserted ship full of 45th century technology. Quite the way out time-wise then! The Doctor did have something to interact with though in the form of Evo which turned out to be a very fun computer intelligence. It failed to recognise that there were any lifeforms present, and I guess technically there weren't, as the emergence of Babs and Maxwell was a shocking one as they were dead. Yep, the Doctor was interacting with the dead! His reaction was wonderful at finally meeting what he assumed were zombies and his mentioning of the likes of vampires and mummies was a delight. It was great writing for the Eleventh Doctor. The relationship between Babs and Maxwell was an intriguing one and was actually how we started the episode with their breakup. The latter initially seeming like he wanted to eliminate the former for what she did in breaking up with him via comms was shocking, and his use of Headshot, the former George, was horrific. He was out for vengeance and you could hear that in his voice throughout which I thought was impressive. Babs soon came around to the Doctor, posing as an inspector for the gazilionth time, and he was keen to solve the mystery of the evolving dead. The use of nanobots was fun and things hadn't quite gone to plan, and there were a lot of familiar strands that tied together very nicely. The eery feel of the setting was also brilliant and well contained in the audio format. It was a fantastic use of the medium. Babs having to do the difficult thing at the end with Maxwell was an emotional listen, but she was soon stunned by the magic of the TARDIS which I thought was a lovely moment. I did feel sorry for her with how blunt the Doctor was though when saying he wouldn't be sticking around to help with the consequences. The Doctor's line earlier about the sonic screwdriver and how it started out with minimal features was tremendous though and something fun to think about. It was quite the medical marvel here! Overall, a fantastic way to start the second volume of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! 

Rating: 9/10

The Destructive Quality of Life

"The Machine has done its work."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: March 2017

Series: Charlotte Pollard 2.01

Featuring: Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard. Space-time traveller. Former emissary of the mysterious and terrifying Viyrans.

Now she's cast adrift and finds herself and unlikely adventurer Robert Buchan brought right down to Earth – but an Earth which is changing rapidly.

Why and how have they crash-landed in the London Underground? Who are the Identical Men? And why is human behaviour starting to change in starling and unexpected ways?

Charley, Robert and their friend the Rogue Viyran must find out if they are the solution or the cause.

Deep underground, something is stirring. Fragments of an alien design are coalescing...

Marooned on an alien world, a 'concentration camp' in Slough, messaging through space and time.

Verdict

The Destructive Quality of Life was a very good adventure to round out the second series of Charlotte Pollard! As it stands, I believe this is the final chronological appearance of Charley within the Doctor Who Universe and what a journey she has had! I'm a firm fan of hers and I don't think that has changed since I listened to Storm Warning many years ago. Two Doctors and now two series in her own spinoff, it's been quite the run for our Edwardian Adventuress! This one followed on from Seed of Chaos in a good way and really shifted the feel of the series as we were in a mysterious web-like domain for the most part, at least as far as Charley and Rob were concerned. They had a disconcerting arrival after narrowly escaping the Identical Men on Earth and travelling through the Prolixity was good, even if it meant they were literally stuck above a planet. Bertram was going through same changes in the new environment which was interesting and he was reverting to become the creatures within the domain. The shift back to present day with the Prime Minister and Woking was good and the former really wasn't happy with the latter after a number of soldiers didn't make it out alive. Bertram joining them was unexpected and I liked the mystery of the claim that Charley and Rob were dead. The death toll on Earth stemming from the seed of chaos implanted was over a million now which was a frightening concept and said a lot about the scale of the series! The Machine had done its work now and would only cause continuing problems from those already impacted from Embankment Station. Charley retelling her memoirs as heard at the start of Embankment Station was a nice way to circle things around and Naomi picking up the message was terrific. Sadly, I don't think she had enough of a role in the finale as her character warranted. I'd like to hear more from her. NATO having a plan in action to bomb London, be that a normal or nuclear style, was brilliant and such a good real life threat. The Viyrans being in the domain with Charley and Rob was intriguing and I liked the revelation that they were Viyrans from a time before civilised life. They were enacting a cull of the unhealthy and the substance that Charley and Rob had spent a decade helping extract from the sea was the raw material needed for organic machines, one such that was later located in Embankment Station in the future, that could enact subtle changes in life after assessing the best course of action. The objective was to minimalist the destructive qualities of life and the Earth population would be slowly reduced, not destroyed, by careless mistakes. A great concept! I just didn't fully enjoy Bertram playing a part, even though the time factor was accounted for. Charley sending messages from the past was good and I liked the potential of a paradox. The ending came quite abruptly and left me wanting more and even though it's been a good few years now, I would like a third series as the PM approving the bombing of London and then the Prolixity apparently saving Charley, whilst it being ambiguous of whether Rob was saved, is slightly irking! Overall thought, a great story in isolation.

Rating: 8/10

Seed of Chaos

"A virus that makes people make mistakes."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: March 2017

Series: Charlotte Pollard 2.01

Featuring: Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard. Space-time traveller. Former emissary of the mysterious and terrifying Viyrans.

Now she's cast adrift and finds herself and unlikely adventurer Robert Buchan brought right down to Earth – but an Earth which is changing rapidly.

Why and how have they crash-landed in the London Underground? Who are the Identical Men? And why is human behaviour starting to change in starling and unexpected ways?

Charley, Robert and their friend the Rogue Viyran must find out if they are the solution or the cause.

Deep underground, something is stirring. Fragments of an alien design are coalescing...

Tube train trouble, the chaos begins, the Prime Minister arrives.

Verdict

Seed of Chaos was another very good episode to continue the second series of the Charlotte Pollard spinoff! I definitely got the sense that this was one where we were setting up events of the finale which I'm fully anticipating to be an epic after a strong build in the three stories so far. The immediate follow on from the cliffhanger was good with Woking in audibly bad shape and in need of getting to a hospital, an admiral decision given that he cornered the group with a gun! The presence of the Identical Men was great and their apparent controlling of the soldiers was intriguing. I'm fascinated by the idea of the virus causing strange events to occur in the UK and beyond as I'm looking forward to knowing why they want chaos. The action that came with the escape from the Underground was good and I loved Naomi's conversation with who she dubbed a dickhead train driver when he didn't take too kindly to them all being on the tracks. Bertram being identified as a threat by the Identical Men was fun and I really liked how his logical replies were met. His storing of the electrical power from the train tracks was really nice and clever! It was good for him to get an upper hand, even if he reiterated that the Identical Men couldn't be killed which remains a big dilemma! Naomi continuing to be after a story and thinking of work whilst these events were happening showed she was dedicated to her craft, and all indicators pointed towards events being caused from passengers on two specific trains that went through Embankment station. Well, that is just way too much of a coincidence! Namoi taking the story to her editor and getting a reply that she thought everything was faked was excellent, and I liked the little details of Charley not understanding the concept of CGI. Rab had another strong showing from afar in deducing that the likes of food shortages and distribution workers were all linked. Bertram pointed out that it wasn't a virus, but something analogous to one that was rewriting neural pathways on a small scale, but the consequences were enormous. One small seeded was planted and it was beginning to cause devastation. Naomi and Rab already appearing infected was a fantastic development as they forgot key details with the latter failing to call an ambulance for Woking. Empathy was lost. Charley and Rob being picked up along with Bertram as suspected enemy agents was fun and I was surprised by the development that Bertram didn't have the ruffling or ability to save lives before the Prolixity, which he realised was within him! I'm sure that will bring about the means to defeat the Identical Men. The arrival of the Prime Minister into events was very good and I liked how she understood what was happening despite its unbelievability. There were health crashes, more planes falling out of the sky and nobody wanted to have sex, and this was all linked! All stemming from the UK. But it seems Charley and Rob are immune which is terrific. Their exploration of an evacuated London was good and I loved that for Charley it was recognisable enough for her to think of it as home. The pair also shared an intimate moment when they found themselves holding hands which was really nice. The cliffhanger was decent as the Identical Men closed in but Bertram had a plan to disappear, which resulted in the threats being no longer present. But just where were Charley and Rob now? Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 8/10

Ruffling

"Isn't this the life of adventure you were after?"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: March 2017

Series: Charlotte Pollard 2.01

Featuring: Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard. Space-time traveller. Former emissary of the mysterious and terrifying Viyrans.

Now she's cast adrift and finds herself and unlikely adventurer Robert Buchan brought right down to Earth – but an Earth which is changing rapidly.

Why and how have they crash-landed in the London Underground? Who are the Identical Men? And why is human behaviour starting to change in starling and unexpected ways?

Charley, Robert and their friend the Rogue Viyran must find out if they are the solution or the cause.

Deep underground, something is stirring. Fragments of an alien design are coalescing...

Hiding in a bank, on the run, trapped underground.

Verdict

Ruffling was another very good episode to continue the second series of Charlotte Pollard! I thought this carried on where Embankment Station left off decent well with the Rogue Viyran who was humorously later dubbed as Bertram warning off the Identical Men who apparently could not be killed. It appears that they're the enemy for the series so if that is true then they are going to be pretty darn difficult to defeat. Namoi going off grid was fun and I continued to really enjoy her character. Having her alongside Rab was a lot of fun as he casually hacked into government files without much more than the blink of an eye. The political nature continued in a strong way which I enjoyed as we heard the mysterious Minister informing the Prime Minister that they should label recent events as a terrorist attack when the truth was this was something much more. When a terrorist attack is the cover up you know things are bad! Charley and Rob being the ones to get blamed for the killings in Embankment Station was a good development and it eventually allowed for some good interaction between all of the characters we got to know in the first episode. Having Naomi and Rab inadvertently find their way into a secured cordon was good and I just really enjoyed their chemistry. The news bulletins were fun little inserts and they reminded me a lot of the Sarah Jane Smith audio series. They felt contemporary and the continued theme of the NHS restricting along with the popularity of the Royal Family has me thinking that they will end up playing a key role in the events of the last two episodes, although I am yet to work out the connection. The 15 patients that were left for dead featuring on the bulletin was a disturbing item and that was a common occurrence across London and beyond as it appears that whatever the Identical Men are testing and infiltrating, it's causing freak events to become commonplace. That's rather fun! Bertram thinking that there was something within Charley and Rab that aided the Ever and Ever Prolixity in bringing them to this time and place, something that was similar for the Identical Men onto the Viyrans. There was something resembling a virus here and it needed to be stopped. Woking had a strong episode within the discussion with the Minister about Charley being born in 1912 and then hs playing around with Bertrand and thinking he might be responsible for events given that he wasn't human. His admiration of Rab was also a highlight. Bertram's calm nature when being interrogated was delightful and really brought some humour. The Identical Men planning a third sustained propulsion wave is intriguing if it continues to make strange events occur, and speaking of strange the emergence of Captain Warwick was quite something! Warwick wasn't thrilled that he was present or even knew of his location, but his physical exploits on the Minister showed he was not to be messed with. Bertram's escape at the end and knocking the power out was good, as the others headed for the exit only for Woking to cover them and threaten to shoot in a very stereotypical Doctor Who cliffhanger. Still, it was a good episode to continue the series in a bright way! 

Rating: 8/10