Doctor of War: Genesis: Dust Devil

"Finish one monster, and create another."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: Unbound 9.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The TARDIS crew are on the run, pursued by an unstoppable force. But who is hunting them? And why? Will they find the answers on Aridius? Or just more questions?

Verdict

Dust Devil was an intriguing and really strong start to the Genesis anthology of Doctor of War stories in the Unbound range from Big Finish! I was very excited when this series was announced as I'm a big fan of the idea being the Unbound range so getting a full series here was a brilliant idea, and the concept of Colin Baker playing the Warrior incarnation of the Doctor was so exciting! There really was no other choice of the Classic Doctor actors and it's going to be fun to hear him develop and play that sinister style we saw during his early run on television. I loved where this one started with that infamous scene from Genesis of the Daleks being replayed and with an alternative ending now, and Tom Baker played it so well as the Fourth Doctor and it was lovely to have Sadie Miller repeating the words of Sarah Jane Smith. Except this time her appeal was met and the Doctor was going to destroy the Daleks at their genesis, and that seemed to surprise Harry which I liked. Almost immediately he became a different type of man as he realised that by destroying these monsters, he'd become one himself. I thought that was great. The cameo of Narvin was terrific and I liked the similarities with The Night of the Doctor in the Fourth Doctor's alternate regeneration here as the choice to become a Warrior was taken out of his hands. His final words echoing those of Logopolis was a nice touch too. I wasn't actually expecting Peri to appear alongside the Sixth Doctor but that was part of this episode's beauty in that it blended between realities. The contrast of Nicola Bryant also playing Miss Brown and not having that American accent was terrific. It was so different but worked so well as she got to explain to the Sixth Doctor about the Warrior and what he'd done. I must admit, I'm slightly disappointed that the changed actions of the Doctor touching those wires didn't actually result in the Daleks being destroyed, and he seemed genuinely shocked and appalled by that after he lost Sarah and Harry to extermination. Talarn had joined the Doctor too later on and he was also lost. The Doctor was getting tired of losing people and that's always good to explore. I thought the linear direction of the episode was fascinating in how it wasn't always clear when and where events were actually taking place, but it worked in making me more interested and wanting to know more as the series moves forward. It was the kind of confusion I enjoyed. It was well written. Aridius playing a large part in this episode was an unexpected treat and some wonderful continuity with The Chase and the Doctor's reaction to Miss Brown's actions on the planet was telling. I thought the temporal bullets were really well done as well and they almost seemed inescapable, unless the Doctor could find his own corpse which is a horrific way to escape death! Chooban was a fun character for the Doctor to build a relationship with as well. Ending things back with the Doctor on Gallifrey was good and I'm really looking forward with intrigue to hear where this series will go. Overall, a really strong start! 

Rating: 9/10

The Genesis Chamber

"I won't marry a murderer."

Writer: Philip Hinchcliffe (Adapted by Marc Platt)

Format: Audio

Released: September 2016

Series: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents 2.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

The TARDIS has landed on a human colony world. In the city, where the inhabitants rely on advanced technology to create their children, a marriage is due to take place. But not everyone supports it, and a crash might just prevent it for good.

In the commune outside live the savages, shunned and detested by the city folk. But they have recently been visited by a man, charismatic and handsome, who may yet be their saviour – or their doom.

Two different sides, ready for conflict. But neither realises that a third force threatens their very existence...

Verdict

The Genesis Chamber was a decent story to continue my way through the Philip Hinchcliffe Presents series of adventures for the Fourth Doctor and Leela! I was intrigued by this one and I thought the concept of the titular chamber was very interesting. Having conflict between two parts of a colony world is obviously nothing new in Doctor Who but the little twist of the disagreement being how respective humans were born was very unique and I was a big fan. It was also fun for those to be naturally born to be the ones that were looked upon as savages and with disgust. It seems a little weird for natural sexual reproduction to be looked down upon but they really were met with distain from the outside. I thought the planet itself made for a decent setting and the arrival of the Doctor and Leela was a lot of fun. The Doctor's dream about waking up with thirteen heads was marvellous and I loved his comment about what it would do to his spine! Glorious humour and strong writing for this TARDIS pairing. The positioning of savages was always going to be fun for Leela to be incorporated into but I don't think enough was made of that. She did assert corrections that she was a savage but I'd have liked more pride from Leela for her savage roots. Volor was a good villain for the adventure and whilst I wasn't a massive fan of his inability to die, it worked well for him to come back at the final moments with just his head after tricking Leela and acting as a bomb. The Grarvan themselves weren't the most exciting species which was a shame and I thought they sounded a bit silly and I just couldn't take them seriously. I'm sure they would have worked well for the younger fans and especially on television, but in the audio format for a six-parter they just weren't sustainable to peak my interest. Whilst I think the idea at the heart of the story is really strong, I wasn't a big fan of the length and I think that hurt the execution. It just didn't have enough excitement to last three hours and ended up being a bit dragged out and ordinary despite the strong ideas central to the adventure. The Janz family were good characters at the heart of the story and the proposed wedding between Ana and Grillo was terrific and I loved how the former asserted her authority in not wanting to marry a murderer. Grillo's fate being sealed by the Grarvan was fitting and exactly what he deserved after trying to sell out the planet and also falsely reporting that Leela had been executed. The Doctor's reaction to that was shocking but I absolutely adored the ending where he called her the most brilliant savage and beautiful at the wedding that brought the different parts of the colony back together again. That was terrific. I thought Inscape was a fun element of the story and its ability to essentially planet build was very good. The revelation of the little advert was fun stuff and its role in the conclusion and sealing Volor's fate was excellent as it trapped him in his own world of torment where he could rule happily and not impact anyone. Overall, a decent idea but probably slightly too long to get a higher rating. 

Rating: 7/10

Hydra's Gate

"He won't come back. They never do."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: February-April 2022

Printed in: DWM 574-577

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

The Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz and Dan are on the hunt for a missing girl in Hackney, and all signs lead towards Hydra Hall. Mythology beckons as the gates to Hell are opened, and time displacement may have the answer to the missing children problem.

Verdict

Hydra's Gate was a pretty average continuation of the comic strip adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz and Dan. I must admit that I've been pretty disappointed with the entire run of the Thirteenth Doctor's comic stories in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine and obviously a big chunk of content is missing thanks to the Covid pandemic and going nearly a year without a story printed, but since it's returned it just hasn't felt right and the stop-start nature of its publication doesn't help with that as it's not a smooth transition between stories. I don't read any part of the comic strip until the entire adventure is completed now and I was glad that this story was going to be four parts as I thought that would give it adequate time to flesh out the narrative and deliver a strong adventure, but sadly I think it was still hampered by the format. Each part only containing six pages really is not enough and it seems that by the time we get the titular page, we're getting a cliffhanger and 'to be continued...' which means there just isn't enough time to get invested in each part. It's a shame that things go by so quickly as one compliment I have to give is that the artwork was tremendous. I thought it was the best it has been in a very long time and really was a good saving grace. I was very impressed with it and the likeness of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor in particular was outstanding. I thought the characterisation was decent for all three and it was nice that they were out looking for a missing girl, although I'd like to have known why. Time just didn't allow for a lot of detail. I thought the cliffhangers were pretty decent and the first part having a boy from 1942 come through to the present day was great, but nothing seemed to get expanded on really. The missing girl was actually at an alien market and the Doctor sauntering through there was strong, but the threat of the butterfly man was pretty useless and the resolution to the part two cliffhanger was atrocious in having it basically ignored and the Doctor never being under threat at all. Vera was a nice character and I enjoyed her relationship with Dan, they seemed to get along well and she was like a lovely nan. Her looking after Sid was good and her connection with Hydra Hall was a sad history as it was the reason she had always been alone. I thought it was a little bit too cute to have Sid there elderly at the end without an explanation, and it hinted at Vera being a bit more knowledgeable and in the know than she let on, but there still wasn't confirmation of that. Dan taking it upon himself to go through the gates was very good but I thought the whole resolution was just too quick and easy. If the Hydra could grow two heads for every one chopped off, then a chief head just seemed a bit silly. Trip was an amusing robotic character to accompany the Doctor and locate the correct portal out, and it was nice that the Doctor got to save him but it was still a bit weak. Overall, not my favourite comic strip story in the world! 

Rating: 5/10

Project: Destiny

"The whole of London is closed for business."

Writers: Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

Format: Audio

Released: September 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 139

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex

Synopsis

1999: Leaving her infant son behind, a young mother named Cassandra Schofield departs Bolton, seeking a better life amid the lights of London.

2004: Despite the best efforts of the time-travelling Doctor, 'Cassie' Schofield dies on Dartmoor, a vampirised victim of the sinister organisation called The Forge.

2021: All grown up, and a nurse at St Gart's Hospital, Thomas Hector Schofield – known as 'Hex' – meets, and becomes a companion to, that time-travelling Doctor... but remains unaware that his alien friend knew his mother, and watched her die.

1854: In the Crimean War, Hex takes a bullet, and is seriously injured. The Doctor promises to return him to St Gart's.

2025: Now. In a London ravaged by a deadly contagion... destiny awaits.

Verdict

Project: Destiny was an excellent story to kick off a brand new trilogy of adventures for the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex! It seems an absolute eternity since I listed to The Angel of Scutari but this followed on nicely from where that left off with Hex shot and in a very bad way. The little recap of that event was welcomed and I like how this story also rounded off a very lengthy Project trilogy. It has been such a long time since I listened to Project: Twilight and Project: Lazarus, but as the story rolled on information came flooding back with the likes of Nimrod as the Director and the history there with Cassie along with Hex's connection. I liked how the story started with the aim of getting back to St. Gart's hospital where the whole Hex arc began but they'd arrived in a London that was deserted which is always eery. The Doctor being prepared to be the one to perform surgery on Hex was quite the thought and since their TARDIS departure the trio were being tracked amidst a loose contaminant. The TARDIS been an energy discharge was good and I liked how it was still white which was a brilliant image! The woman we would go onto know as Lysandra Aristedes recognising it was intriguing and the mention of a Code Lazarus was terrific. The full sweep at the hospital was good action and I liked the meeting between Ace and Helen who was hiding in fear. She was contaminated though and served as a strong basis of what had occurred in the London of 2026. The emergence and return of Nimrod was very well done and I liked how the Doctor was confronted by the old enemy. Hex being stabilised was great and his heart monitor going flat served as a decent first part cliffhanger. The Oracle assessing Hex's condition initially seemed like a bit of weak resolution to the cliffhanger but after the 24 hour time jump was established I was a fan. He had no infection and the musket had been removed, and they had moved to the Kryton building instead of the hospital. The flashback picking up events again was strong and the questioning of the Doctor helping the C4/Forge was great. They'd grown to become the public face of dealing with the extraterrestrial and I do wonder where that left UNIT. The contaminated becoming insects was intriguing but I really liked that they didn't feature a great deal, and just the threat of them was felt. The fact they ate the non-infected and the remaining bodies being those of the elderly who couldn't survive the metamorphosis was disturbing in the extreme. The Doctor calming to have a graze was amusing because it was clear he'd been bitten and he got his wish of wanting a live subject a little closer to home. Nimrod knowing of Hex and taunting the Doctor of the connection to Cassie was chilling, but the suggestion that the Doctor had set conditions for Hex to be saved was intriguing. I did like how the Doctor warned him off his companion through in the strongest terms. The Doctor having planned all along to make himself the subject was not too much of a surprise as the cliffhanger came but by the start of part three he was in control and had stabilised through pure concentration which was an impressive feat. He was communicating with the contaminants which I thought was pretty special too! Nimrod's harking back to the events with Cassie and also referencing The Harvest and No Man's Land with his knowledge of Ace was great stuff and his revelation to Hex that Cassie, his mother, was actually his agent was bold and he didn't hold back on the Doctor's knowledge of Hex's family history. Lysandra telling Ace she hated the Doctor because of his personal future and the murdering of her friends was brilliant as well. I thought Hex's confronting of the Doctor was strong but attentions quickly turned to finding the Twilight cure which would bring things full circle very nicely. The Doctor explaining that it was actually Nimrod who killed his mother was good and he had a lot of inner turmoil after his mother was helping the Doctor and it cost her life. Nimrod desiring the Twilight cure was very good and I loved that the Doctor told Hex that his mother was part vampire, but he wasn't interested anymore and believed the Doctor just changed his companions into what he needed them to be. That was dark. Hex apparently shooting the Doctor for the final cliffhanger was fantastic and I didn't expect Ace to admit it was actually her when he had been left in a coma! She feared what Hex would do and tried to wound her professor, and it all worked out well as the Doctor's unconsciousness purged him of infection. The reveal that Nimrod still had the remains of Cassie was disturbing but it was nice that Hex wanted a burial for his mother. The Prime Minister enacting a hard deadline for the cure and Nimrod failing was great and the shift in action when the contaminants experienced a mass mating call was spectacular. The modifications of the Twilight cure actually outright killing the infected was something Aristedes couldn't go along with and she brilliantly enacted protocol to take over the operation. However, that resulted in the missile plan to wipe out all organic life in the radius which was great stuff and a severe threat. Hex's blood bringing Cassie back with her remains being immortal was excellent but he would just bring back the Artemis vampire side of her back, and Nimrod wanted her to feed on her son! That was disturbing. Ace thinking Hex and the Doctor were dead once the missile struck was good although it was never going to have happened as they transported from the chamber whilst Nimrod and the contaminants were dispersed and all was safe. But relationships were torn as Hex said he and the Doctor were done for all he had hidden from him, but that wasn't the cliffhanger we were left with. Aristedes was in the TARDIS and her seeing the Seal of Rassilon within and likening it to a casket in the Archive was fantastic. Which Time Lord would it be? I guess we'll find out in the next adventure. Overall, a really strong audio!

Rating: 9/10

The Devil's Armada

"There is a madness that has taken the village."

Writer: Philip Hinchcliffe (Adapted by Marc Platt)

Format: Audio

Released: September 2014

Series: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents 1.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in Sissenden Village in the sixteenth century. Catholic priests are hunted, so-called witches are drowned in the ducking stool, and in the shadows, the Vituperon are watching... and waiting...

Verdict

The Devil's Armada was a great adventure to conclude the first volume of Philip Hinchcliffe Presents stories for the Fourth Doctor and Leela! I thought this followed up The Ghosts of Gralstead strong and I was pleased that there was immediate follow on from that adventure with Leela still adorning her Victorian attire as they now headed for the Elizabethan era. It started intriguingly with Meg seeing an imp and the devilish implications of that would be felt very quickly with Mistress Pitcham forced to partake in a witch test notorious for being damaged to the innocent. The Doctor and Leela got involved in local affairs immediately with them providing cover for D'Arcy, a Catholic priest on the run from persecution. The accent put on by the Doctor to pass as a local was very amusing and a standout moment for Tom Baker. I enjoyed the setting of Sisseden Village in 1588 and it worked very well with the political tension at play. Leela had a strong story and her seeing the something out of sight that was stalking on fear was terrific. Ned Bones was a fun villain and his outrage at the Doctor interrupting the Pincham dunking was good stuff. He wanted everyone hanged which showed his human qualities. Sir Robert Harney was another strong character and his initial anger at the Doctor and Leela being visitors soon changed after some amusing degrading of the Spanish, and we were introduced to Nicholas as Robert's son who was an enjoyable character. Anne as his sister also complimented the family well. Redcliffe was another fantastic villain acting as the Catholic hunter and the search of the Harney household was good tension. The devil supposedly being in the small room where the Doctor and co were hiding was a decent first cliffhanger.  I was surprised that D'Arcy gave himself up after all the efforts to protect him, but I did like that there was a hidden chapel inside the Harney house. Anne's brief moment of possession was very good where she was forced to think the Doctor was actually Redcliffe and out to get her family. The Doctor not being able to see the imp meant he had to rely on Leela which I really enjoyed, and the Vinegar Tom comment sparking the devil to show itself from the other dimension of a dark world was terrific. Pincham having the ability to see the imps was fun and I liked that the Doctor wanted to be taught how, he felt like he was missing out! The confessional being a portal to the other realm was excellent and I liked how the Doctor and Nicholas headed after Redcliffe and we were introduced to Lady Jane who was a good character. Redcliffe exerting physical and mental control over the Doctor was nicely done and the cliffhanger of the Doctor having the devil literally inside his head was sublime! I was less a fan of the Vituperon being the embodiment of the Devil and taking advantage of that role in human society, and I'd have liked more knowledge on them as the first and being the Old One. I did thought really like that they only let humanity see them when they wanted to be seen owing to their psychic shield. That was very good stuff. The concept of a slow invasion was one I enjoyed, particularly on the patient scale at hand here. They only reproduced through binary fission and that took a long time so they were really ready to take Earth by now. The Doctor being stitched up and questioned on his visit to Cadiz was good political positioning and a nice reference to The Flames of Cadiz whether intended or not. The Doctor was actually asked for help though which was a refreshing twist but attentions soon shifted once Jane was revealed to have been the one to give up the position to Redcliffe. The final cliffhanger with the Doctor and Leela being adrift on a ship set to blaze the Armada was nicely done as the boats burned amidst the war. The little change in historical fact with the English actually losing ships but them disappearing and a cover up ensuing was fun. The helplessness of the Doctor when the TARDIS was taken was brilliant and I loved that Leela was fighting on his behalf and keen to do so, but he was adamant he didn't need defending. The Doctor's desperation to get the TARDIS back was a story highlight and the portal opening to the Vituperon reality was a tense moment worthy of a cliffhanger with the Doctor's fall, and they now had a legion ready to take Earth. And it seemed the Doctor had awoken them which he was aghast by the suggestion. The threat of losing the TARDIS suddenly became very real and the description of it being his key to the universe was quite beautiful. The realm was dying though and the Doctor did indeed sacrifice the TARDIS to ensure the Devil was defeated which as admirable. Leela not wanting to leave him was great and Redcliffe being there to finally see the truth of the Devil was a nice touch. He became the victim and sacrificial lamb that saw the Vituperons trapped behind. The Doctor's comment about being left with nothing was a little sad given that Leela was with him and it just felt off, but the euphoria of the last scrap of power seeing them to safety was lovely. Overall, a very good story that could easily have fitted into the Fourth Doctor and Leela's era on television. 

Rating: 8/10

Daybreak

"What has an honest citizen to fear?"

Writer: John Pritchard

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 3.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

Everyone knows their story. They were heroes, who struck a blow for freedom at the cost of their own lives. Vicki grew up reading of their exploits. She's always hoped to be as brave as them. Now the TARDIS has brought her to their dark and desperate era. The war is still unfinished, and the story's end has not been written yet.

Can Vicki play her part in the struggle for a better future? Or is the past more complicated than she's bargain for?

Verdict

Daybreak was a fantastic continuation of the third volume of Companion Chronicles for the First Doctor! I thought this was a really impressive adventure from start to finish and it was really nice for Vicki to take the lead whilst the other three members of the TARDIS quartet took a back seat and were captured. The format of the story was very strong with Vicki being put to task by the Examiner and then recalling events that led her there, only for both to tie together when the escape moments happened. I liked that a lot. I thought this was another impressive use of understanding why history cannot be changed when it is established and whilst that seems like a little bit of a repetitive theme in the First Doctor era by now, the recalling of The Aztecs was terrific. The Doctor's humour with Ian when it came to the conundrum about two men coming down a chimney and one only being dirty was a sheer delight and perfect characterisation of the first incarnation of the Doctor. It really was glorious and I could almost hear the annoyance in Ian's answer when the Doctor asked the exact same conundrum and then changed the answer. I thought Maureen O'Brien did a magnificent job in the narration and she performed an admirable impression of William Hartnell's First Doctor. I was really impressed. I liked how the events that were featured around the war were history to Vicki with this being the 23rd century and it was a story that she had grown up on and came to idolise some figures in history. But her perception soon changed once experiencing history first hand and I felt more than a little sorry for her. The reaction she had when Janson's name was mentioned was good and she was eager to try and not influence events that she knew the result of. That's always difficult to deal with morally and the Examiner challenging her on what kind of person she would be if she didn't act to stop bloodshed. That was a powerful moment. Her understanding of the Protector and the role she actually played in history and war was brilliant and whilst she didn't really feature much, her presence was felt though the Examiner which I enjoyed. Vicki being questioned on revolution was good stuff and I loved that she recalled the events of The Space Museum as an example of her backing that. Wonderfully done. I thought the conclusion was strong and made up for a slightly uneventful cliffhanger, and the pace was really impressive and full of tension. She had bargained for the Doctor, Ian and Barbara to be spared and the dash to get in the TARDIS and the analogy with Noah's ark was excellent. I was a big fan. Vicki having her memories changed whilst she was in the TARDIS after events were now established was intriguing and the Doctor's reaction of her now experiencing history was good. Overall, this was a really enjoyable audio!

Rating: 9/10

The Man Who Wasn't There

"Any minute now you're going to meet your hero."

Writer: Ian Atkins

Format: Audio

Released: November 2016

Series: Short Trips 6.11

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard's innocent request to meet a historical hero seems the easiest thing for a friend with a time and space machine to make happen. But as Charley and the Doctor seek out the Victorian explorer, they uncover a sinister scheme to unravel Earth's future by affecting its past. But where in its history was the deed done? And is it already too late to put right?

Verdict

The Man Who Wasn't There was an excellent Short Trip adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish and the forty minutes absolutely flew by which is testament to the quality. I've made it no secret that I'm a very big fan of the Eighth Doctor and Charley pairing and they certainly didn't let me down here. Even with just India Fisher featured as the narrator, that relationship was written very well here which impressed me. I really enjoyed the basis of Charley wanting to take advantage of the TARDIS and meet her childhood hero. That's a really nice idea and I was not expecting the story to take the emotional turn that it did. Of course, if I paid a little more attention to the title then I probably should have! Charley wanting to meet Mon Marche and knowing all about him and the dates he would have ticked off some expedition highlights was great, so her disappointment when they arrived in 1859 and he was nowhere to be seen was very sad to hear. You could hear the discontent in her voice and she just seemed genuinely gutted as the first seeds were planted in her head that what she had grown up on was a lie. Before that we did have some fun Doctor and companion interaction with the pair enjoying some blue scotch eggs from Metebelis III, but the Doctor was then to take a bit of a backseat as Charley focused on finding her hero. The humour that came from the book being in the TARDIS's child section of the library was good stuff. I liked the incorporation of the TARDIS translation circuits and their glitching was an amusing malfunction as Charley did the stereotypical talking slowly when trying to make herself understood in an unfamiliar language. The arrival of the Time Lord to talk to the Doctor was terrific and reminiscent of the warning his third self received in Terror of the Autons. He was keen to point out that the Doctor saving Charley went against the policy of non-interference and I was delighted that the Doctor sternly defended his actions. He couldn't just let her die! The way he was pushed on that though and suggested that the Time Lords would eventually find out was good stuff and a nice foreshadowing of events to come in the timeline of the Eighth Doctor and Charley. I thought Charley's realisation that she was the one to have created Mon Marche was a little sad and the Doctor trying to sell her on the power of her imagination and just how impressive it was worked well and was a nice touch considering that her childhood memory was essentially a fake. Charley stayed strong in her person which was admirable as I know how special and powerful childhood memories can be, and the ending sharing similarities to The Girl in the Fireplace with the name of Mon Marche on the ship in the 26th century was terrific. I was a big fan of that. Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable audio adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

The Doomsday Contract

"You can't run away from bureaucracy."

Writer: John Lloyd (Adapted by Nev Fountain)

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Lost Stories 6.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K9

Synopsis

Earth – a small, insignificant planet. Entirely devoid of intelligent life.

At least that's according to the legal documents. The Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves at the centre of a most unusual trial. 

An intergalactic corporation wants to bulldoze the planet for a development project. Only a previous court's preservation document is standing in their way. The Doctor has been summoned as an expert witness. If he can prove Earth contains intelligent life, the whole world will be saved,

But with a fortune at stake, it was never going to be that simple.

Verdict

The Doomsday Contract was a superb story to conclude the sixth series of Lost Stories! This was a real treat and an adventure I could easily see fitting in with Season 17 or 18 of the original run. The Doctor and Romana were in top form alongside K9 and I thought things started tremendously well. I was a huge fan of part one and I was really hoping that the entire story would be largely contained to the courtroom, and whilst that wasn't exactly the case everything being focused on the trial and the Doctor's position as an expert witness for there being intelligent life on Earth was excellent. I loved how he was positioned in this regard from his old pal Smilax and the way the coordinates were implanted in his mind was eery to start things off. I loved the idea of the Doctor and Romana continuing to holiday with this seemingly set not too far before the events of The Leisure Hive, and Romana deeming none of the gift shops satisfactory for a souvenir after three days searching was a lot of fun. The Cosmegalon Corporation trying to buy Earth and redevelop the planet into essentially accommodation was an amusing prospect and the only thing currently stopping them was a preservation order that was three million years old and on the brink of expiry. The Doctor being warned not to testify that Earth did have intelligent life because that would be proof of his trespassing on a preserved world was brilliant and put him in quite the predicament! His courtroom altercations with his own lawyer in the form of Tragacanth was the Fourth Doctor at his very best. It was wonderful humour and the Judge sustaining the accounts of badgering was marvellous. The arrival of the Children of Pyxis was good as a part one cliffhanger and really shifted us into a different direction than I was expecting, but their existence as backwards in time was a really intriguing concept. People forgot them once they'd left and what ordinary people saw as death they would see as creation. Finding out that they were a failed experiment added a touch of sympathy and hearing them react to the death they were causing was a little sad. The Doctor going into a micro-universe as witness protection was a fun idea and the villagers within actually being a jury from the devastating car park reminder fiasco that the Doctor had earlier told Romana about was glorious. I really didn't see that coming and tied things up nicely. The jury having decided that they wouldn't make a decision because of the conditions provided to them in the micro-universe was pretty fun stuff. The conclusion of the trial was a sham and I loved that the preservation order was backtracked a day, and Romana's involvement in showing the Judge there was intelligent stuff was nicely done. Namedropping a Walkman as signs of intelligent life was very good and timely. Skorpios had made for a decent villain and his escape only led him to death at the hands of the Children of Pyxis which was irony at its finest. Their being trapped in a sound wave was excellent and I loved that the Doctor and Romana combined their sonic screwdrivers to help K9 with holding them there as his power wained. Overall, a fine adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

The Hollow Crown

"The theatre is no place for politics."

Writer: Sarah Grochala 

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: First Doctor Adventures 5.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis

When the TARDIS lands in Shoreditch, 1601, the Doctor suggests going to see a play at the Globe Theatre and his friends readily agree.

But this is a turbulent time. There is violence in the street, plots against the Queen, and rebellion is in the air. At the centre of it all stands the most famous playwright in British history – William Shakespeare – who is having troubles of his own.

As tensions mount and wheels turn within wheels, the travellers are about to discover if the play really is the thing...

Verdict

The Hollow Crown was an excellent story to conclude the fifth series of First Doctor Adventures! I thought this was a fitting finale and I liked the continuity from For the Glory of Urth with Susan ripping apart the TARDIS console because she knew what the issue with the systems were. That seemed to be an actual bug in the form of Goliath spiny beetle which was intriguing, but sadly we didn't get any further continuation from there. The insinuation that the previous users of the TARDIS were the culprits was marvellous and I liked the brief moments where it seemed that the Doctor was fully in control of the navigational circuits. He claimed he'd brought Ian and Barbara home, and whilst they did get to London they were in Shakespearean times rather than the 1960s which was fun. I liked that they were thought of as foreign and that established the political tension going down during this time. Jude's introduction was strong and I liked how with the TARDIS being stolen and the impossibility of a second Shakespeare son, there was a lot going on here. Barbara was quick to point out that he was an imposter as Shakespeare's only son was Hamlet, and the playwright himself was a lot of fun and acknowledged previously meeting a young man who went by that title in a terrific reference to The Shakespeare Code. Lady Rich was a stellar character and her efforts to try and stir a rebellion by playing the uncut version of Richard II was excellent. Jude running off with Susan was fun stuff with the youngsters getting captured by the guard and the former was incredibly mouthy despite the predicament. Ian arriving to save her but then getting seemingly killed for the cliffhanger was good stuff. Rich arriving to save was unexpected but I did like that she enlisted Susan and Jude to try and convince that the play be performed. The absence of Elizabeth I was felt strongly and that fuelled the desire for Rich to want an uprising. The TARDIS being in the monarch's gardens was amusing stuff, and I thought the revelation that Jude was actually a girl was well done. Cecil's men attacking at the Globe was brilliant and trying to prevent the play was very good. The part two cliffhanger of Shakespeare being arrested on treason was terrific, but the Doctor being arrested immediately after naming himself at the Tower of London was more fantastic continuity and foreknowledge coming into play with The Day of the Doctor felt strongly. Rich leading the uprising was tremendous and I loved that no clear line of succession equalled chaos. She wanted to install her brother the Earl of Essex as King, but Barbara called against that which was superb. The threat of her being a witch was amusing but Essex arrived with vengeance against his sister and he made it clear she didn't speak for him. He wanted to save the Queen from Cecil who wanted a Spaniard on the thrown which was excellent stuff and a wonderful use of the historical politics at play. Ian and Barbara wanting to help despite history saying they shouldn't and was against what they believed was right was fantastic, and I loved that they encouraged going unarmed to show peace. Rich being in the crowd and up to no good was fun and I loved the emphatic arrival of Elizabeth alongside Susan. Someone firing in the crowd to cause unrest was nicely done and Barbara seemingly getting caught in the crowd fire was a really strong final cliffhanger, although the resolution being that her horse just reared was a bit of a disappointment. Rich turning evil and shooting Jude and then her brother in the foot was a good late development. Cecil wanting to build relationships between the Catholics and the Spanish again was a good motive and great history. Cecil being challenged on that by the Queen was a highlight, but the emotion that came from Essex still being taken for the death penalty for his political failures was palpable. I didn't see that coming and he was loyal to the end, but the Doctor was quick to find an imposter replacement. Tom from the jail took that role whilst Essex went off to the Americas, and Rich escaped too despite Ian and Barbara giving stern comments to her about her actions and a dark foreshadowing of her future. The cliffhanger finish of the TARDIS dematerialising and someone of immense power seemingly being behind it was wonderful, especially after the Doctor uncharacteristically agreed to stay behind! Overall, a terrific listen!

Rating: 9/10

Doctors and Dragons

"I have been known to crack the impossible."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: March 2019

Series: Short Trips 9.03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Reya always knew she was different. Only she could see the numbers that govern the universe. When her sister is poisoned, Reya quests for the substance that can save her. The blood of the last dragon. The one thing that stands in her way is a strange little man called the Doctor. He's refusing to let her kill the dragon, even though it will save her sister.

Defeat the Doctor, kill the dragon, save her sister. What could be simpler?

Verdict

Doctors and Dragons was not the greatest of Short Trips stories! I was a little disappointed by this forty minutes and I don’t think it was entirely down to listening to it on the train back from the football and a blue defeat. I was intrigued by the premise of the story and the play on words for its title was a big appeal despite me knowing very little about Dungeons and Dragons in the first place. In fact, the brunt of my knowledge comes from The Big Bang Theory and I’ve never actually played it before but I did appreciate the play on words. It started with jeopardy with Dekker being poisoned and the description of her being a warrior gave me instant Leela vibes, but they were soon eradicated as she showed little sign of fighting the infection. Reya was alongside as her sister and she wanted to help. I thought the dialogue was a little odd between the pair and for a little bit they seemed to intertwine between normal conversation and then lingo with Dungeons and Dragons. This had a strong fantastic vibe which was a positive but it all got a little too confusing for my liking which was a shame. Reya going on a mission to hunt down the blood of a dragon as the antidote for her sister was good but I never got a sense of urgency which was weird considering Dekker was dying. The emergence of the Doctor as the guardian of the temple was good and I have to mention that Sophie Aldred’s Scottish accent with her impression of Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor was amusing, and not entirely brilliant! Reya seeing numbers differently was intriguing and should have been more prominent as a story element throughout. That fascinated the Doctor as well and the numbers almost acting as messages and signs with demons sounded eery, but didn’t get expanded upon enough. I did enjoy the story from Reya of how she came to gain the knowledge and sight of the numbers. The idea that the the lower numbers were bad was fun and the comment of Reya fearing the number 1 was amusing stuff. The temple was a very good setting and I liked the laying of jars and the proximity that had with the four gods of life. I was less impressed with Norger the dragon and how this was the Doctor’s prisoner. It was good that he kept it captive as it had killed and was just waiting for its power to dissipate safely. Reya’s confusion regarding the Doctor’s stance on not letting it be executed to save her sister was nicely done and it did hint towards something more there for her. I thought Norger drawing power from being attacked was a brilliant defence mechanism and I’d have been much more interested in the fight to trap it there by the Doctor and Ace than what we actually got here. The fact it turned out to not actually be a dragon was a bit disappointment and the suggestion of it being an Elder God as a trickster was good, but that just seemed to be a forgotten detail by the end. The gods owing a debt to the Doctor from actions during his fourth incarnation was interesting but not entirely necessary for an explanation, but I guess it was a fun anecdote. I did really like the concept of the numbers being seen was the throwing of dice from the gods, as that was a strong image. Reya believing that the statues actually contained death and seeing that there was indeed a trickster at play was intriguing, and she was falling into a trap with something deliberately missing. The arrival of others from the Norger dragon species was pretty decent, but it wasn’t much of a surprise by now that Reya was befriended as an agent. Dekker was the sister she never had. The threat of Norger eating the Doctor whole just seemed silly and the voice was more silly than frightening which was a shame. It got a tad ridiculous. The dragon actually turning out to be Ace was a bit of a sigh moment if I’m honest. The Doctor knew about Reya all along because she couldn’t actually be sisters with Dekker due to them both not seeing the numbers. The Doctor then taking the blood of the avatar to save Dekker didn’t make a lot of sense considering the dragon wasn’t real! Overall, not my favourite Short Trip adventure sadly. 

Rating: 5/10

Masters of War

                                                                                                  

"There's nothing natural about the Daleks."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: December 2008

Series: Unbound 08

Featuring: The Doctor, Brigadier

Synopsis

The Doctor and his travelling companion, retired army officer Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, take a random trip in the TARDIS – and land on the planet Skaro.

The Doctor helped the Thals to defeat the Daleks years ago, so he is surprised to find the Thal city under Dalek occupation. He determines to help them again, but what is the Daleks' purpose in keeping the Thals alive?

Does it have anything to do with the Daleks' mythical creator, named in their teachings as Davros?

Verdict

Masters of War was a very strong and intriguing adventure to conclude the original run of Unbound stories from Big Finish. I have really enjoyed this spinoff range and it having alternative looks at the Doctor Who universe, and going double length here with the Daleks and Davros was brilliant. I enjoyed the continuity from Sympathy for the Devil to which this was basically a continuation of with adventures between the Doctor and Brigadier, and this was no holiday like Alistair expected! Skaro was certainly not a tourist destination and I loved how this was Unbound's take on an alternative sequel to events loosely based on but differentiated from The Daleks and Genesis of the Daleks. It was cleverly done and it was fun for the Doctor to have had a role in The Great Siege, the Unbound version of the war between the Thals and Kaleds. I thought that was terrific. The truth behind the Siege was fascinating given the high involvement of the Quatch and how they essentially perpetrated the creation of the Daleks. It was really interesting to learn after listening that an alien involvement in that war was initially part of Terry Nation's original Dalek script. I thought that was such a fun detail and it really made me appreciate this adventure more. I'd have probably liked for more interaction and teamwork between the Doctor and Brigadier, but the idea of those two heading up a military mission involving Daleks and Thals was tremendous. The line where the Daleks reveal they returned to Skaro to protect the Thals was superb because it felt so alien to their nature, and Davros wasn't best pleased by that fact. His insistence that all Daleks were created equally was very good and that provided some interesting conversation with the Black Dalek. I was a big fan of that and exploring the Renegade faction of Daleks was magnificent. One element I really enjoyed was a depiction of a first meeting between the Doctor and Davros that was outside of the Dalek genesis. That was a terrific moment and it was fun to know that the Doctor had knowledge of Davros through what he had heard. The idea of Davros being a myth on Skaro and the broadcasts featuring him being computer generated was excellent and something I think could have been expanded upon. Some of the Thals were standout characters with Nadel and Gillen particularly standing out, and it was a nice touch that the Brigadier wanted to stay on Skaro and try and ensure that the Daleks and Thals could live somewhat harmoniously now the Quatch were eliminated. I thought the method by which the Quatch were defeated was a little easy with their relationship with Davros coming back to bite them as he'd built in a failsafe to their device keeping them in this universe, and my only main criticism of the story was that it was probably a little too long. Regardless though, it was a fascinating take on the Daleks and a welcomed meeting with Davros and a new version of the Doctor. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Child

"We can't all be warrior girls."

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Format: Audio

Released: December 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

"Tell me another story, Leela. Not the one about the walking doll or the creepy mechanical men. A new one. I want to hear a new one..."

Leela is dead but her soul lives on. She has been reborn as a young girl, Emily, whose 'imaginary friend' tells her amazing tales about a great Wizard and the warrior who accompanies him on his adventures through time and space.

Emily prepares to tell her parents the story of a cold, grey world whose people are ruled over by a Glass Angel. The Wizard is her prisoner and only the warrior girl and her three peculiar friends can save him...

Verdict

The Child was a decent Companion Chronicles audio adventure, and a very intriguing look into Leela during this range. She had an eventful trilogy in the first few series of the series and whilst she makes a welcomed return here, I'm still not sure how her 'death' has been handled. It seems a little weird for Leela to supposedly be dead only for her to have several stories and talking back. Here she took the form of an imaginary friend to Emily which was quite a fun concept in isolation, but we never really got an explanation as to how she was alive to tell the stories. It didn't really feel like she was reborn as the story suggests and for imaginary friends, Emily didn't half bicker with Leela! To be honest, I felt the child was a little annoying and whilst it was fun for her to talk about mechanical men and walking dolls to provide nice references to The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang, her wanting to skip over some of the details she considered boring got a little tedious. What I did enjoy about her was that the Doctor was considered a wizard in the stories as that just feels right, especially when it comes to the Fourth Doctor. The addition of the sonic screwdriver to that title was a nice touch and it was fun for Leela to be telling the story at times in the third person and referring to herself as a warrior. I did like the idea of The Map of Life and its scale was really fascinating and it was always going to provide a lot of questions from Leela. Her interest in the meaning of life was fun and that seemed to consume the mysterious and frankly weird glass woman that took on the role of the villain, even though she didn't arrive until the second part which was a bit odd. I thought the snow actually being little fibres of glass was good and a nice touch with a feel of Alice in Wonderland which I really enjoyed. I liked how the Doctor was taken out of action and tasked with the mathematical theories in finding the meaning of life, but I wasn't overly fussed with the desire. Emily explaining how her purpose was as a lady and to marry a respectable man reminded me of just how much life revolved around conformity in the past and Leela failing to understand that was all she desired was terrific. That was the complete opposite for her! Leela trying to be taught about the appreciation of art was nice and I loved the humorous reference to The Face of Evil with her realising that the Doctor's giant face carved into the rock would be considered art. The Doctor's reaction to that was excellent. I thought the use of the snowdrop to explain the little delicacies in life and what can be appreciated was a good way to provide a representation of the meaning and how life didn't need to be understood. Just enjoy it, and I think that's a fine attitude. Overall, this was an intriguing listen and whilst I thought the format of the story being told to Emily was a little off, especially with her talking over the pre-titles and the cliffhanger, but it was more than decent. A good listen!

Rating: 7/10

The Curator's Egg

"A talking dinosaur that turns out to be my brother, that I didn't expect!"

Writer: Julian Richards

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 2.01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

Zoltan Clarkson (Eccentric Billionaire, Cybernetics Tycoon, Museum Curator) had a dream of a domestic dinosaur in every home. He bought the empty county of Dorset to work on this dream and develop cyborg dinosaur hybrids in a safe, contained environment.

Now Clarkson lies insensate in the infirmary, his twin brother Andrew struggles to hold things together and dinosaurs walk the Earth. With the Doctor and Ben chasing monsters at sea, Polly has only a socially awkward scientist and the world's friendliest dog to help her prevent the rise of the ultimate predators...

Verdict

The Curator's Egg was a great story to kick off the second volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! This was a pretty barmy adventure to kick us off and whilst I wasn't sure about the mix of dinosaurs and the 1960s era of Doctor Who, the audio format really helped here. There is just no way this story would have worked on screen during Season 4 and I suppose that's part of the beauty of Big Finish. One thing this opener definitely had going for itself was that it was extremely fun. I thought the second part was definitely better than the first but it was a solid opening instalment to set up the ingredients and introduce us to the likes of Andrew and establish the setting. I was a massive fan of the setting and whilst Ben and Polly were a little disappointed to be back on their home planet but three centuries into their future, I thought the proximity to the aftermath of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was outstanding and it was tremendous to revisit the Earth as it was rebuilding. The fact that the entire county of Dorset was subjected to chemical weaponry from the Daleks during the invasion wasn't a surprise and it was a clever way of getting Zoltan the room he needed to try and mass produce dinosaurs. That was a wild concept and having commercial dinosaurs is not a new idea. They're popular in films and for toys, but the real article? That was another thing altogether! The fact they were a bit of cybernetic and organic was intriguing and the scope element of working on the dinosaurs was very good. The simplicity of that showed the futuristic setting well. I thought Andrew was a lovely character and I really enjoyed the relationship he built with Polly. She was magnificent and just another reminder of why she is one of my all-time favourite companions, and why we named our cat after her! Her constant encouragement to Andrew to back himself and his scientific ability was brilliant. I thought the arrival of Zoltan into the story was a lot of fun as I really didn't expect it as a dinosaur. Not only that, but he ended up being in the head of every dinosaur. Quite literally. That was extraordinary. He'd been keeping it secret that his mind had swapped places with a raptor but it explained a lot about the condition of the human brother. The description of just eyes watching must have been a very scared dinosaur. I thought the presence and involvement of Scalp the dog was decent and his role in the conclusion and freeing the dinosaurs of Zoltan in their mind was terrific. I thought it was wonderful to have Frazer Hines taking on the role of the Second Doctor here and also having an actual actor for Ben was a rare treat of a multi-cast for this range, even if both the Doctor and Ben disappeared randomly for most of part two. I did like the proximity to The Power of the Daleks though and the Doctor still getting used to his regeneration and struggling slightly with some memory loss. That was nicely done. Ending things with a T-Scalp was amusing and the image of Polly riding a dinosaur was tremendous. Overall, a great story! 

Rating: 8/10

For the Glory of Urth

"I don't need protecting from the sight of death."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: First Doctor Adventures 5.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has barely landed in an alien sewer when a distant scream sends Susan racing to give aid, and the crew split up.

Trying to reunite, the travellers find themselves in something resembling a monastery led by a man half-way between an Abbot and a warlord. They discover that they are in Urth, a barbaric place clinging on to its former glory.

It's somewhere its populace are never allowed to leave, somewhere keeping many secrets from its people.

And today those secrets will be revealed...

Verdict

For the Glory of Urth was a great start to the fifth series of the First Doctor Adventures! I do hope this isn't the last boxset for this cast and TARDIS team as they have really grown on me over the last few months as I've embarked on their series. I liked the continuity from Last of the Romanovs with the TARDIS not working and the Doctor mentioning it needing an update was fun stuff. He initiated an emergency landing and an arrival in some sewers really set the tone. Danger didn't take long to manifest as Susan ran after a scream and with Ian going after her, the main cast were immediately split up. The monastery-like setting was intriguing and the booming voice of Daddy Dominus established the religious theme early. He was praising humanity and the offering of extra work reminded me of Vengeance on Varos a little. The confusion with the Urth spelling and it sounding like Earth was fun stuff but on this Urth, the politics were barbaric. The big rubbery creature that Susan and Ian were chasing was good and described to look pretty grotesque, speaking of which the Doctor and Barbara encounter some alien corpses displayed with 'aliens out' signs around their necks. That was gruesome stuff. Mummy Martial to go alongside Dominus made for an odd hierarchy on Urth and they seemed to have a relationship centred around anger. She was occupied with defence of the realm whilst he was running the civilisation. The genetic elements of the part one cliffhanger was brilliant with only Susan scanning as human after the Doctor quickly initiating a false reading, but even Ian and Barbara didn't register which showed how much humanity had evolved by this time. Brooskin and the Doctor garnered a fun relationship and the humour that came with the alien growing in mass because of the warmth was hilarious. That was the First Doctor at his best. I enjoyed the gestalt link and him liking Ian and Barbara as another part of him was interacting. Sissy was a decent character looking after Susan as she was human and she seemed to think it was an honour to serve Brundle who was a conformed part of the society. The threat of disease to humans was excellent and Dominus was preaching how humanity was the divine perfection with the disease coming from aliens. That was good religious vomit. Ian trying to get to the city and out of the closed system tunnels provided a fantastic part two cliffhanger as he was dragged out to space despite Brooskin's warning, but the resolution was a little poor with him only being in the vacuum for a second. Dominus offering a lottery or war was ruthless and I loved that Susan was offered the chance from Mummy to stop that war. She wanted to use the 'human' for her free thinking which I loved and she was to help the Urth citizens into believing that everyone was free like her despite the state of the society. I thought Mummy's plan for espionage was great and Susan agreeing to becoming the spokesperson if the Doctor, Ian and Barbara were freed was very good. I loved that the grandfather comment was picked up on with the Doctor registering as an alien but Susan 100% human. Earth being long gone and Urth being a satellite rather than a colony was a fascinating look at the future. The twist that Mummy had sent Susan as a disease weapon was terrific and she wanted to kill the invaders with infection. Supposedly human invaders, but they were surprised at the mention of war and believed that all Earth descendants should work together. Mummy wasn't interested in that and would rather kill humanity than lose control over it. That was ruthless. Brundle being brainwashed was very good and his efforts to talk to the humans and be convinced that they were coming to take over was just amusing. The Doctor scanning and one of Mummy or Sissy being an alien was a fun moment. Brooskin wanting an uprising was fantastic and the description of his species having their voice box removed was horrifying. The humans spreading the cure to the plague on Urth was nicely done and Daddy soon resigned as leader after describing the misery of leading humanity. He'd ruled with an iron fist and couldn't be bothered anymore because it took too much. The shock of the population when this was revealed was very good and the moment shared between Sissy and Mummy as they were accepting death was strong. The TARDIS team departing and leaving us on a cliffhanger with Susan seeing the problem with the TARDIS was nicely done. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10

Deceived

"The best spies are the ones who don't realise what they are."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.03

Featuring: Martha

Synopsis

The Master's minions are competing to please him. And agents Beecham and Strand believe nothing would please him more than finding the Doctor's stray companion.

As Martha and friends hide out in Vegas, the Toclafane arrive. How many levels of deception must be uncovered for Martha to reach the truth?

Verdict

Deceived was a great episode to conclude The Year of Martha Jones! I thought this was a solid boxset and a fine exploration of The Year That Never Was when Martha walked the globe as the Master ruled over humanity. I think this was the best story of the series which is a positive for a finale and starting with Francine falling ill immediately provided a tricky predicament for Martha. She was looking to try and communicate with the Sovari but now had the added trepidation of dealing with her prone mother. The quick revelation that the Sovari were a sham was excellent and it was a fine way to reintroduce Miss Beacham as the villain after her appearance at the end of Silver Medal. I was fascinated by the fact she had Toclafane under control and that immediately gave her credence as a powerful person in the Master's world. Strand was less convincing as a potential enemy with his playing with UNIT hologram toys and whilst that was amusing, the argument over the hostage of Holly showed no doubt that it was Beecham in control. The flashback to a meeting at the Cabinet in Downing Street where the Master killed essentially every important politician was fantastic and she was one of the people willing to build the new world order and made no secret of hiding the killer instinct that was required for onboarding. I was glad that Martha finally showed some sort of scepticism towards her mother and just how she could be there as I've questioned that ever since she arrived in The Last Diner. It was clear that Francine was part of Beecham's plan to get at Martha and I thought her familial connection would be used, but in fact she was very much in charge of the plan as Francine was a clone! There were 230 of them in fact and the one with Martha was close to expiry, hence her illness. Francine showing shock that there seemed to be some credence to the rumours that Martha was going around finding the instruments required to kill the Master was a little surprising, as was Strand taking on the form of Holly. The shift in direction from Beecham as she ordered that Strand was killed was very good in establishing her as the main villain, and her heartless vaporisation of the clone Francine in front of Martha was just brutal. Holly warning off Dustin and revealing the truth about the Sovari was good and nice continuity with the previous episode. Beecham wanting to get the details from Martha about what she was collecting and if it meant the Master could die was intriguing and immediately showed her true intentions. I thought the continuity with Last of the Time Lords and Beecham being the one that Martha gained the data on the lightning strike that brought down a Toclafane was terrifically done. She had the means to control the Toclafane and now she wanted to take down the Master and rule herself! That was audacious and Martha laughed it off, as did the Master seemingly as he'd learned of her deception and the Toclafane didn't mess about in seeing her off. I loved that we got a glimpse of the real Francine on the Valiant mocking the Toclafane about the Master's unhappiness knowing that Martha was doing some good and on the right track. Overall, a strong conclusion to the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Silver Medal

"The losers get hungry."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.02

Featuring: Martha 

Synopsis

Martha journeys to a forest camp, hidden from Toclafane patrols. It's somewhere she's been before with the Doctor, more than a century ago – where the silver mines held a deadly secret. 

The resistance are ready to risk everything, but there'll be no prize for second place.

Verdict

Silver Medal was a decent story to continue along The Year of Martha Jones. I like that the boxset is going to be a continuous anthology as we had Martha, Francine and Holly exploring a forest and whilst I am a fan of that, I think it takes away a bit from that Francine look in Last of the Time Lords if it turns out that over the course of that year she actually travelled with her daughter. Their meeting Jessie as the leader of the Hope resistance set up the story nicely and the Hope complex being gigantic seemed a little odd given the roaming Toclafane. I liked how Martha was immediately sceptical of Jessie because of the way members of the camp looked at her and there was an extremely secretive atmosphere within Hope. Marion was a nice character as the tech expert and I was intrigued by the mentions of an alien ally in the form of the Sovari, although they didn't really do much from afar which was a shame. I thought the story that Martha would tell on this visit being linked to the Nevada location was fantastic and it was fun that she and the Doctor had visited the setting in the nineteenth century. I really admired Martha's storytelling and recollection and it was nice for her to remember fondly the tumbleweed that past the TARDIS upon her exit. It was a proper Western! The specific location of Providence was good and I thought the humour of Baby Lizzie's accent was a nice touch and it was good to know that the residents of Hope could still have a laugh. Martha told of the mines and how they feigned being inspectors which was good and I liked the premise of something inside causing disappearances. I must admit, it's a little strange to have a story within a story but it worked as well as it probably could have. It's not an easy format. The threat of the Toclafane coming close to the camp was good despite the cloaking field protection and Jessie was a very strict leader. After a night of grace period, Martha, Francine and Holly were now subjected to the camp's rules of competition in efforts of productivity. Only the winners would eat. Ruthless. Martha explaining how every man in the mine had a silver lump and medallion near their fist was intriguing and when we got a description of silver creatures stomping, I was just waiting for the big Cyberman reveal. I thought the silver that crawled out of the walls would by Cybermats, but it never came which was disappointing and what I felt was being alluded to. Francine pounced on the story detail when the Doctor wasn't around Martha anymore which made me laugh, although I didn't understand the choice of a story where the Doctor wasn't around for a lot of it when the whole idea is to provide the world with hope in his name. Jessie seeing Martha as her competition was a strong development and I was fascinated by her plan to attack the main US base of the Toclafane after the Sovari warned of a solar flare that would provide a seventeen minute period where the Archangel Network would experience an outage. I thought that was good, but one line that I adored in the episode was Martha's comment about patience being mistaken for inactivity. I loved that. Jessie losing her own grandchildren and hearing a similar situation for Baby Lizzy in Martha's story was a powerful moment and it was no surprise she wasn't interested in the Doctor's story. The Argons being revealed as the silver creatures was a little bit of a letdown but they did sound interesting with their silver sentience. The camouflage of the Hope site being damaged and the natural threat of a bear stopping Marion getting to repair was good and realistic given the state of the world, and Jessie not wanting to reschedule her plan showed she wasn't the most temperamental of leaders. The plan to hide in the mine was good and Marion and Dustin finally rebelling against Jessie was overdue and a nice way to conclude. The goodbyes and Martha finishing the story to Dustin was a little awkward with the Doctor simply repairing the ship despite the deaths the Argons caused, but not everyone got that note about the Doctor and the story didn't seem to do that much good in the camp which was a shame. Finding out that it had never been cloaked at all was unexpected, and the arrival of a female villain at the end seems to have set up a good finale. They were her Toclafane, and now she was headed for a showdown in Vegas! Overall, some strong stuff but definitely a couple of weaknesses that held it back slightly. Regardless, a decent listen for sure.

Rating: 7/10

The Last Diner

"Everyone loves a story."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.01

Featuring: Martha 

Synopsis

Martha arrives on the west coast of the US and finds an old friend waiting to make contact.

A desperate group gathers for her stories. But when Francine arrives, escaped from the Valiant, she isn't so keen to hear about the Doctor...

Verdict

The Last Diner was a great story to kick off The Year of Martha Jones spinoff series! I'm so glad that Big Finish have picked up this range and it's lovely to get a performed continuation of a similar style story to that of The Story of Martha. It's wonderful to hear Freema Agyeman back in the role of Martha and whilst she understandably sounds a little maturer here, it was just wonderful to hear her back and spreading the message of hope and the Doctor. I enjoyed the American setting and I have to say that Tucker was a sweetheart of a character. Martha was going around telling tales of her experiences with the Doctor and how he saved the universe or the planet or a people without them even knowing sometimes. Our little glimpse at the conclusion of the story concerning events of Human Nature/The Family of Blood and how the Doctor finished with trapping Daughter of Mine in a mirror was brilliant, but it wouldn't make for an exciting hour for us listeners if Martha just retorted a story we'd already seen on television. That led us to the story of the asteroid which would have made for quite the adventure in its own right! I really liked how Martha was understandably leaving out some details when it came to how she felt when the Doctor left her in the TARDIS and she felt so lonely and abandoned, but she was able to showcase her qualities in how she picked up on the Doctor's earlier lead in the courtroom with the religion of the asteroid. That was sublime stuff. It was nice to have the Doctor present through Martha's stories as once Francine arrived it was a stark reminder of how useless he was after the Master had aged him a century. She just described how he was sad and seemingly waiting for Martha to save the world. And they kept on waiting. I thought the explanation as to how Francine escaped the Valiant was very weak and probably the main reason for my rating not being higher, as I couldn't buy into the fact that the Master had lost focus on his prisoners. I wasn't having that with the Doctor around and his companion travelling the world. Francine was fun though in always questioning Martha's stories and her taking a little bit of scepticism when it came to the effect telling stories of the Doctor would have against the Master. The guest characters at the diner made for a nice bunch and it was nice for Holly to be a former uni pal of Martha's, even if they'd grown apart and she was quite frosty about Martha being cautious about her. But she couldn't trust anybody. Karen as the diner head was a good character too and I liked how she joined in her criticism of Martha's story and its neatness of the conclusion. The Toclafane were a lot of fun and they liked mocking the humans about the rockets. The story from Martha about how they took some people up to a hundred foot and just stayed there until they dropped was horrific, but it was a powerful example of how hope was all some people had and kept them going. The ending was very emotional as a missile struck the diner location with Francine preventing Martha from being inside because of a bad feeling. This showed Francine though that if Martha was being targeted, then what she was doing might just be working. I liked that a lot. Overall, a strong start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10

The Time Vampire

"I saw them age, decayed to dust in front of me."

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Format: Audio

Released: May 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 4.10

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Leela, in her last moments of life, recalls a long-forgotten memory: a time in the TARDIS. The Doctor is worried that K9's increasingly bizarre behaviour might become dangerous. He decides to make a new model, little knowing that the fate of all three time travellers has long since been decided.

As Leela recalls the chilling connection between K9's 'illness', the Z-nai and the haunted sea fort in which the TARDIS lands, she prepares for her final journey: into the land of her ancestors, the Afterlife.

Verdict

The Time Vampire was a very good Companion Chronicles audio! This brought to an end a strong trilogy with The Catalyst and Empathy Games and emotional time for Leela with her on her death bed after the Time War. It's a little heartbreaking to hear her in such a bad way at the end but for a while we got a fantastic outing back when she was travelling with the Doctor and K9. I thought the TARDIS scenes were a lot of fun and it honestly doesn't get much better for comedy than this trio. There's so much to enjoy and even though this audio was from a time before Tom Baker joined on board with Big Finish, Louise Jameson did a stellar job with the narration. She's such a strong actress and is definitely one of Doctor Who's finest. Now, I won't pretend that I understood absolutely everything that was going on in this adventure given the timey-wimey nature of events, but I kind of like that. I do enjoy a temporal focus and having what was essentially a paradox and some past involvement from the Doctor's previous incarnation was a lot of fun. I must say, I thought Holland made for a good villain and the involvement of him going into the TARDIS as a child and taking the temporal suspension cage was excellent. I'm a big fan of when past actions of the Doctor have consequences and having him return here at a later stage in life was very strong. It was really good as well for him and the planet to be experiencing events all at once or at least visually seeing them. The past, present and future were somewhat intertwined and it was to prove a disaster as this was Westropi III and the Doctor had been here before and witnessed the entire planet die. That was a powerful prospect and the cliffhanger revealing that was great stuff. I really enjoyed K9 having a bit of personality in this story and his instructions essentially being classified was very amusing. He needed resetting to be able to fully interpret the instructions which I just loved. The Doctor's reaction to K9 killing someone when adhering to the instructions to protect Leela was very good too and I was also shocked by the actions, but I did understand the interpretation of his instructions. The Z-nai returning again was good and I thought the explanation of the Time Vampire was brilliant. I liked the paradoxical nature of it a great deal. One little criticism of the story would be that it probably went slightly too long and whilst the ending with Leela on her deathbed and K9 coming to her was emotional, it did drag out a little too much. In contradicting myself. I will say that it was excellent to hear Leela's life flash before her eyes with some fun little flashbacks. I thought the demise of the Z-nai was a little too quick but the convenience was appreciated in getting to the key story for Leela. One little anecdote I should also mention was the Scottish accent from Louise Jameson. I thought it was extraordinary and I'm still not sure if it was great or horrendous! But it was certainly noticeable. Overall, a really strong story!

Rating: 8/10

Kidnapped!: The Chiswick Cuckoos

"You were just what I needed."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Donna Noble 1.04

Featuring: Donna

Synopsis

Donna's home, but she's not quite herself. Sylvia couldn't be more pleased to see her daughter finally getting on with her life.

But an alien plot is nearing completion, and the world needs saving. The Doctor is nowhere to be found, so it's all up to Donna – and Nat!

Verdict

The Chiswick Cuckoos was a great avenue to conclude what has been a hugely fun and successful Kidnapped! first series for Donna Noble! I don't know where it would fit in now in terms of the chronology of Series 4 and beyond, but I would love for there to be a second series as Donna is just funny and a joy to listen to. Pairing her up with Nat for her own series of stories has been a blast and this rounded out the story arc started in Out of This World in fine fashion. I was interested by how things started with Donna seemingly living at home and being focused on her career, and Sylvia apologised for the whole speed dating fiasco we witnessed in the first story. But then from out of nowhere attentions turned to Donna and Nat struggling to work the TARDIS manual and the comment about needing cheat codes for the cheat codes was very amusing. The Doctor helping Donna and communicating with the psychic paper was unexpected and it was so good to hear David Tennant feature in a surprise cameo! He needed rescuing from the Collectors himself and it had been a few weeks since Donna and Nat first ventured off in the TARDIS, but Sylvia was none the wiser because as far as she was concerned, Donna had been back living with her for a month! Of course, there had been a duplication somewhere along the lines and the copy was working with Garrison which was fun continuity with Nat. She's a strong character and I'd really enjoy more of her in the future as she was quick to deduce that the Donna she encountered with her husband wasn't the real article and used references to the events of The Sorcerer of Albion to confirm that which was smart. Marge returning was terrific and her meeting with Garrison was strong and showed she was firmly in control despite his business being the one sought out. The theme of data and it being the future was excellent and a great use of writing a story set around 2008 over a decade later. The trends have already been set. The fake Donna being tied up by Nat was an incredibly humorous sequence and she was quick to get back to the real deal, and knew by how clean Donna's room was that there was definitely a doppelgänger. Marge following them there made Donna look incredibly clever when seeing them arrive which was fun. Also fun was the Doctor claiming that Donna hadn't actually flown the TARDIS at all and that it was the HADS. I really liked that. Her arguing with the psychic paper was tremendous and her comment about having it recycled was glorious. The fake Donna being referred to as the Donna unit on the Collectors ship was intriguing, although I felt it was a little too easy for her to take control. Nat as her assistant should have been a trigger warning! Sylvia's outrage at Marge dismissing Donna's future significance was lovely to hear after her badgering in the opening episode and it was only her that could talk down of her daughter. So she got frozen and whizzed off to the Collectors' ship. The Collector Prime returned in decent style and rounded out the series nicely with strong continuity with the first episode, and it didn't need Marge it just needed a vessel and with the copies it now had plenty, including Sylvia which was fun to hear for a few moments. The arrival of UNIT to save the day was brilliant and it was really clever to have Josh feature briefly and in a role that was lower down the military hierarchy of what we hear him in the UNIT spinoff. They would now track down the duplicates and had seen off the Collectors for good in a quick and neat conclusion. Donna having called Martha was nicely done and I liked how she was a mutual friend with Josh. There was a lot to like. The bonus came of the Tenth Doctor was marvellous and it was lovely for him to now stop and ask Donna if she was okay after events at the Library and losing what she thought was her family life. Nat also being back with Garrison was fun as he'd lost his memory, but she was just what she needed. A friend. I thought that was a lovely message. Overall, a strong conclusion to a great series!

Rating: 8/10