Criss-Cross

"Through understanding comes function."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: September 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 204

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Constance

Synopsis

Bletchley Park. Britain's most secret weapon in the Second World War.

Inside draughty huts, the earliest computers clatter day and night, decoding enemy transmissions and revealing intelligence crucial to the country's defence. Leading WREN Mrs Constance Clarke directs her charges to provide vital assistance to the boffins stationed in the Manor House. But a recent arrival among the code-breakers, the mysterious Dr Smith, has attracted the attention of MI5's spycatchers...

Over in mainland Europe, Nazi agents are briefed, covert operations planned, and a German submarine embarks on a very secret mission.

As encrypted radio waves criss-cross the planet, unearthly forces stir. And when certain ciphers are cracked, something will emerge to threaten all humanity, regardless of allegiance...

Verdict

Criss-Cross was a great story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! As I race towards the 275th release and completing this epic range, I feel personally that I'm somewhat nearing the end but that's far from the case as a whole new era for the Sixth Doctor kicks off! I was incredibly excited by this and whilst Constance does feature in The End of the Line as part of the Sixth Doctor's Last Adventure, this is her true debut and it's an excellent start. I am a big fan of hers right from the off and it's good to sort out her chronology. I don't think it would be overstating it to say that she steals the show here and it's a typically great debut for a companion to be. It obviously helps knowing that she will be a companion and her position as a WREN was marvellous. I'm a sucker for history and taking the Doctor to Bletchley Park in 1944 during the Second World War is a fantastic setting. It was always going to work for me and I love the intelligence on show. It's not just Constance showcasing the impact and contribution of females to the war effort, but Sylvia Wimpole as well. She was another strong character and could equally have joined Constance as companion such was her quality. I think it's really fun for Constance to want the Doctor to refer to herself as Mrs Clarke because politeness is just a standard for her. Keeping things civil makes sense and I like that. It also aids with her standing in society and her intelligence. It's good to have a companion that may challenge the Doctor. She deduced from one line that the Doctor could travel in time and I loved her reaction to the TARDIS interior being bigger than then outside. I thought it was intriguing to basically split the story in two as once the Chuadri Waveform had arrived, things felt very different. I preferred the first half for sure with it being purely historical and the Doctor inserting himself in a position of authority was good fun, especially when his credentials started to be questioned. I was interested in the apparent change of attire for the Sixth Doctor on the CD cover artwork and I must say I am a fan. Big Finish have wonderfully expanded the timeline of the sixth incarnation and I'm all for it! It's a striking look that seems well suited to 1944. Maybe it was intentional to blend in given his position taken up? Flint was a very fun character as if being a double agent amongst the British and the Nazis wasn't enough, he took criss-crossing to a whole new level in partnering with the Waveform. Their plan to harness the electromagnetic fields of the planet for their own feasting was extraordinary and the scale of destruction if they succeeded was horrifying. Flint wanted to be left as the King of humanity, but there really wouldn't be many left to hold dominion over. That wasn't much of an issue to him though as he never cared for friends. Whilst that double cross by him wasn't surprising, it was still a fun moment that made an impact. It certainly surprised those around him. I thought the theme of decoding in the story was really done well and incorporating that into the Waveform was really clever. I was a fan of their make up of sentient magnetism and whilst I think things may have been more suited for the Vardan as a returning enemy, this was still really well done. Major Harris and Dr Schwartzmann were strong characters as those on different sides of the Second World War and helped really sell the setting and the predicament well. I liked how Constance helped provide the impetus for the defeat of the Waveform and utilising their own name in scrambling them was pretty amusing. Wave form having no repeating letters was also an interesting element in why it did the trick to go with the millions of millions of combinations that the Doctor bombarded them with. Constance basically inviting herself aboard the TARDIS because she knew of its time travel capabilities was interesting and immediately adds to the interest of her character as companion. She clearly has an agenda regarding her husband and I'm looking forward to hearing how that might play out! Overall, a fine debut and a great adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

The Fishmen of Kandalinga

"We will populate this world with our own race."

Writer: Walter Howarth

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1965

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1966

Featuring: First Doctor

Synopsis

When the TARDIS materialises on a watery world, the Doctor can't help but explore his new and unique surroundings. He soon gets more than he bargained for though in encountering a deadly old foe...

Verdict

The Fishmen of Kandalinga was an excellent short story to conclude my reading of the 1966 Doctor Who Annual! I really do think they have saved the best until last and I was honestly surprised that I have yet to blog this adventure because the name was so familiar. I recognise it from a brilliant but forgotten feature in Doctor Who Magazine that was Apocrypha and also from it being mentioned in The World Shapers comic strip, so it was brilliant to finally read it for myself. I thought it was fascinating and the colour illustrations were incredibly vibrant which really added a unique feel to this First Doctor tale. I love the concept of a sequel to The Keys of Marinus and it's something I would have loved to have happened on screen, but a short story in a contemporary Annual is no bad substitute! I think there's something special about it being the First Doctor to encounter the Voord once again and they seem to be a villain that's cropping up more and more these days which I love. They made a big impression on me and their debut serial is one of my all time favourites. I thought the TARDIS landing submerged underwater was excellent and it makes sense that this would happen given the random nature of its destinations at this point in chronology. It's a shame we don't get a reason or explanation for the Doctor travelling alone, especially when Ian, Barbara and Susan were all present on Marinus for that first Voord encounter, but at the same time I appreciate the unique and rare instance of getting a solo First Doctor story. We only really got that in Twice Upon a Time and that was hardly the best use of the First Doctor. The way the Voord were revealed was terrific and really did make an impact. It felt like a big moment for the Doctor to be met with a foe he has faced before and they were really sold as being credible. The description of their appearance was also great and went perfectly with the illustrations that accompanied the story. I really liked the concept of them communicating telepathically and incorporating their appearance with the circular organ protruding from their head as the transmitter was fantastic. I like that there's a reason for this distinctive aspect of their appearance and it is completely logical. I love that this story takes place, according to the Doctor at least, millions of years after the events on Marinus. The Doctor's impact on the society of Marinus and the history of the Voord was paramount. He'd basically driven the circumstances that meant they were removed from Marinus and it was also a fun little quirk to have those now on Marinus referred to as Arbitans. The Doctor recalling his task of collecting the keys of Marinus and the Voord here having two as relics that were now legendary was brilliant. I just loved it. The image of the two Voord hoisting the Doctor off his feet and bringing him onto their barge was incredible because we don't normally see the First Doctor in such an active role. Certainly not off his feet! I liked the titular Fishmen of the planet Kandalinga and whilst we didn't really see the sharp teeth that were in the description as part of their artwork, they looked impressive and unique. The Voord using them as slaves to help create physical land for their own agenda and trying to make Kandalinga their own was impressive, and gave the Doctor something to thwart. Using the Voord's physical makeup against them in physically wiping out the telepathic control over the Fishmen was terrific and pretty fitting! It was effective and ensured the Voord wouldn't take the planet nor return to Marinus with the Doctor's identity in the planet's legends kept safe. Overall, an excellent read to conclude the Annual! A delight to be able to read it.

Rating: 9/10

The Voord in London: Allegiance

"Earth will beg us to protect them from the Daleks."

Writer: Angus Dunican

Format: Audio

Released: June 2025

Series: Space Security Service 1.03

Featuring: Anya, Mark Seven

Synopsis

The lush planet Hathra and its capital-moon Othrys are on the cusp of civil war. SSS agents Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven are meant to keep a low profile while on a diplomatic mission there. But when a pregnant surrogate for the Othryn royal family desperately asks for their help, they're unable to refuse...

Verdict

Allegiance was a great episode to conclude The Voord in London first series of Space Security Service! And judging by the way things concluded here it's clear the series is here to say which is very exciting. I'm a big fan of what happened here and the story arc that was so strong in the opener and last time out in The Thal from G.R.A.C.E. seemed to take a back seat which was a bit of a shame after a strong build up. That's not to say the episode was bad as my rating clearly shows I'm more just making the point that it seemed a little separate from the first two in the boxset. I think the pairing of Anya and Mark Seven are terrific and I'm delighted that there will be more of them moving forward as a series lead. The Space Security Service are obviously synonymous with the Daleks so the cliffhanger with our leads being targeted and boarded by them sets us up nicely for what is hopefully a more explosive second boxset next year. I wasn't expecting Tia to announce her pregnancy and as if that wasn't surprising enough, she was a surrogate! The royal family that were the Othryns were an intriguing bunch to say the least! The whole dynamic there between them and Tia was fascinating and was some outer space politics and relations like we haven't heard before. I appreciated the unique nature of their connection and there was a clear mark of respect for what Tia was doing. I thought using royalty to get Mark and Anya back out once matters seemed to be cleared up was great and the former in particular was appreciative of getting the clearance! Royal dispensation is obviously something that would be desired! I doubt we'll get any follow on of that in the future, but it was ironic that gaining it basically put them into the traps of the Daleks. So much for getting the Queen back to her moon! Quilthane made for a strong villain and the way the planets were named as places where he was involved to piece together his position and doing was excellent. Anya took a second but then realised who was behind it all. Given the small cast, it's often not too difficult to piece together who might turn out to be the enemy, but it was still good from a story perspective to hear the main characters react to the news. The ritualistic nature of the episode was interesting to explore and whilst there might have been a touch too much at times for a society and customs we hadn't been introduced to in the Whoniverse before, I liked learning. It was very alien feeling and also futuristic which I think is a big part of the appeal for this spinoff range. I think that's also evidenced by the range of the series in just three episodes covering Voord in 1980s London to Thals and now to this here. They're all very different and that's exciting. Incorporating worship into the Daleks is something that has been done before but I think the SSS twist on it could really work if that's the direction for the next boxset. Dancing around the Daleks almost feels like a bit of a shame as we have heard them a couple of times now, but they haven't been the focus. I'd rather we got just the cliffhanger to send us into the next series, but it's certainly got me excited so I guess it's doing its job! Tia was a star here and I liked how she was keen to get working even so soon after bearing the royal family's child. Her description as well was impressive in her size and stature! Again, the range of species and just unique feeling was excellently evidenced again. Overall, another strong episode and a fine adventure when judged in isolation, I just hope we get more of a thread in the next series or this has a role in a wider arc that isn't quite clear yet. Regardless, a very enjoyable listen! 

Rating: 8/10

The Voord in London: The Thal from G.R.A.C.E.

"The concept of justice should always be simple."

Writer: Felicia Barker

Format: Audio 

Released: June 2025

Series: Space Security Service 1.02

Featuring: Anya, Mark Seven

Synopsis

As their investigations continue, SSS agents Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven journey to a planet colonised by Thals. They're in pursuit of a Thal scientist who has perfected an experimental new weapon... but soon they are the targets...

Verdict

The Thal from G.R.A.C.E. was a decent episode to continue my way through the first series of the Space Security Service spinoff series! This didn't quite live up to the very high standards set in the opener of The Voord in London, but it was still intriguing to continue the focus surrounding the Thals and the imminent Dalek threat. It's a shame that the umbrella title for the series will seemingly only apply to the opening episode and with a story arc running through the three stories, something better could have been done there. It's not a huge issue it's just something I don't quite understand. I thought this episode got very political and with that dealing with the politics of the future and in space, I was certainly interested. I just felt at times there was potentially a bit too much diplomacy and discussion rather than serious action. Anya and Mark were a strong pairing and the latter having more of a presence in this episode was most welcomed. I thought the way he challenged Levalyon regarding his organic matter and that making him closer to a Dalek than he ever could be was superb. That was potentially the highlight of the episode for me! Vaul was a strong character and her representing Earth from the future and the interests of the Conglomerate made her a very interesting person! She was keen to question on authority and jurisdiction and I like the bullish nature of the Space Security Service. Anya is clearly very comfortable in her position and what that yields, so much so that I sense it may come back to bite her by the time the finale arrives. Her being on the hunt for Thals to obtain the biotonic device was good and I liked that we learned what it actually was. The concept behind a sonic pulse that would go through solid matter and attack organic components was obviously desirable for the SSS as that would be perfect for the Daleks. Who would care about their casing if you could just get straight through to the mutant at the controls? Introducing the Na-Thals was of peak interest as well as with them having different cultural beliefs they were almost seen as a completely different species. I think it's a fun but not surprising twist for the Daleks to emerge as the ones behind the group hiding people away from the Daleks because that's just brilliant. It's just a shame they barely featured in the episode! Hopefully that means we'll get them in full course for the finale and I hope they're distinctly the 1960s versions from the likes of The Chase and The Daleks' Master Plan which seem fitting to do battle with the SSS. I thought Tarek was a strong character and his sense of both agreements and differing opinions with Levalyon were pretty fun. They both tried to one up each other and their causes seemed to align. I thought the G.R.A.C.E. organisation was good and the acronym made a lot of sense, although I do wonder if they were introduced simply for the play on words for the episode title. I hope that's not the case though! The testing of the device backfiring on the SSS was a bit of a surprise and Tarek becoming a casualty did shock me a little. It just didn't put the SSS in a good position at all as they'd barely advanced and now a needless person had died. Anya is getting a bit big for her boots and I'm keen to explore that as I'm not entirely sure she realises it. It's what makes her a strong lead character. The Daleks emerge nicely at the end and with their threat looming on a galaxy scale, the biotonic weapon is needed more than ever. Overall, a bit too much dialogue but a good continuation of the overall story arc for sure. I'm very excited to hear how things conclude!

Rating: 7/10

The Voord in London

"We're fighting the same enemy."

Writer: LR Hay

Format: Audio

Released: June 2025

Series: Space Security Service 1.01

Featuring: Anya, Mark Seven

Synopsis

1980s London. WDC Ann Kelso is assigned to CID, helping to clean up the streets. But 'Ann' is really SSS Agent Anya Kingdom from the 41st century, on a top-secret mission to track down aliens hiding in the past. But then she finds a different group of aliens hiding in the Thames – with very deadly intentions...

Verdict

The Voord in London was an excellent start to the opening series of Space Security Service bearing the same name! I was delighted when this spinoff range was announced as the SSS are something that has been of severe interest to me ever since I first saw Mission to the Unknown and The Daleks' Master Plan. The 41st century is rife for exploration given what we saw with the politics of the Solar System and Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven are a fun pairing to lead a series. It does seem a shame that so many fans are going to give this series a miss because it is only available as a download, but I'm not fussed as I sell any audios I purchase physically so for me I'm just missing out on recouping some of the money to buy this! I thought the continuity dating back to Series 7 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures was brilliant in putting Anya back into the policing work of the 1980s. She reprised her alias as Ann Kelso which was fun and hearing her adopt the Cockney slang in calling her police chief as Guv or Guv'nor was terrific. It was so unnatural to her because we know the character and that was just fun to explore. The mission of the SSS in reverting back to the 20th century is intriguing and I'm loving that there is Thal involvement. The concept of them creating a time corridor back over two thousand years is very exciting, as is the Voord following them through! I have such a soft spot for The Keys of Marinus and the Voord made a huge impact there so I've always loved it when they have returned with Big Finish. The description of them here was brilliant as they were mistaken for lads on a stag with their diving gear. Anya knew right away what they were dealing with and was excited by the prospect of finally encountering an alien race. The Voord being from Anya's time was also intriguing and I loved touching upon the development of the aqua species. DNA changing face masks to needing to be close to the water. They were a rife enemy and it was good that their weakness was having to stay close to the Thames whenever they came above the surface onto land. I think it's also a good idea to launch a new series with a familiar foe in the form of the Voord, even if the story did become much more human focused. Anya's relationship with Sola Akinyemi was fantastic and the twist regarding her was incredible! I didn't see that coming at all and it was so much fun for Sola to be undercover as actually a Deputy Chief Inspector that was investigating her. Anya was getting complaints from the public and not following up some investigations because lost dogs and the such weren't going to lead her to the alien involvement she was after. Sola overhearing her conversation with Larsap in the nightclub was fascinating and it was good that Anya found the Thals she was after. I can't wait to find out more about the super weapon they had ran away from, and just hearing his shock at Anya knowing where and when they had come from was excellent. The Thals were secretive though and Larsap just by conversing seems to have been saying too much. I like that there's going to be a clear arc running through the series and the Thals and SSS with a potential Dalek plan is right up my alley. I love how futuristic and in space this episode felt despite being set in the 1980s. Anya getting questioned by Sola was fantastic and she basically gave up in the end. With all of that investigation going on, the Voord were almost forgotten about and that was quite fun actually. Their liking of the Earth in this time because it had not been ravaged by the humans of Anya's time was good. Why wouldn't they like an ocean planet? The SSS soon had Jalbak in custody though and the differing jurisdictions from London to the galaxy was really fun to play with. Anya came into her own when she had the control! I thought Mark Seven being a background figure was fine with this being Anya's mission but I hope he doesn't always stay that way. The twist at the end regarding Sola was unexpected in her becoming a part of the SSS! As a twentieth century representative, I'm keen to hear where things move from here. A Thal weapon is required to hold off the Daleks, and that's an exciting set up for the boxset to come. Overall, an excellent series opener!

Rating: 9/10

Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box

"Are you a fan of scary stories?"

Writer: Kalynn Bayron

Format: Novella

Released: June 2025

Series: Icons 03

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Ruby

Synopsis

When a strange signal echoes through time to the heart of the TARDIS, the Doctor follows it to the home of Shirley Jackson.

But the strangeness deepens when they find a sinister figure sowing chaos and discord with the use of a glowing box – encouraging a crowd to murderous deeds.

Catapulted back to Shirley Jackson's own era by the TARDIS, the Doctor (with the help of the time-struck author) must discover the origins of the box, and the terrible power that it wields...

Verdict

Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box was a great little story to continue the Icons series of novellas! It’s a shame this wasn’t released a year ago to coincide with the broadcast of the Fifteenth Doctor’s first series, but getting an extra adventure with this incarnation and Ruby Sunday is most welcomed. A year on and I still think their time on screen together wasn’t long enough, and that’s something that can be said for the Fifteenth Doctor as a whole now. Setting this early on in his run seemingly directly after The Devil’s Chord was a terrific move and I was impressed with how things were still new for Ruby in the TARDIS. She’d clearly only had three adventures so getting to go back in time to 1937 was still incredible for her and I like that. I think she settled a little too quickly on screen with only eight episodes for that first series so to get additions like this really helps her character. I thought it was fun that after she chose to go and see the Beatles, she now asked the Doctor where he wanted to go. That was a nice touch and he was genuinely appreciative of the gesture. I wouldn’t have guessed Shirley Jackson would be high on his list but apparently he can’t get enough of chatting about her. Retroactively adding that into the Doctor’s character seems a tad strange, but it didn’t hurt things. I can’t say I know too much about her work but I had heard of her and I wonder if it was down to the Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House that was referenced in the story. I thought it was good to visit her modern day literary museum and that caused the confirmation that visiting her in person was required. We even had the Susan Triad character as the receptionist! There was something off about the box and the Doctor believing it as the inspiration for the mysterious box in The Lottery short story that had such a profound effect on him was intriguing. It’s definitely a story I would be interested in because it did sound scary in how mysterious it was. It did potentially just sound like a lack of detail but without reading it I won’t judge. The characterisation of the Fifteenth Doctor felt slightly off here as I don’t think he was as bubbly as presented on screen, but it wasn’t massively far off and I think Ruby helped capture the likenesses as a pairing. She could tell the Doctor was nervous to meet Shirley and I was actually a little shocked by that. Here they were back at Syracuse University in her writing days and the Doctor was straight into interfering! It didn’t take long at all to confirm they were time travellers and whilst it was Shirley herself who had deduced that about the Doctor and Ruby, it was still fascinating to see the Time Lord be so open about who he was and where he was from. Shirley was a strong character though and getting her in the TARDIS was tremendous. She wasn’t overly gracious or fussed about her work and seemed like she was almost giving up whilst contradictorily accepting of the writer she would become in the future. It wasn’t smugness or arrogance but she didn’t seem all that surprised by the standing of her works in the future! No pressure to get them written then. I thought the threat of the titular chaos boxes was strong and whilst it didn’t feel original, that wasn’t a huge issue for me. I like the concept behind the Ursa in harnessing the energy from peace, but two members of the species had gone rogue and corrupted the boxes that harnessed that power. Peace was too difficult and required diplomacy and discussion, whereas chaos was easy. Especially on Earth. It didn’t take much to rile up a population and 1937 America and 2024 Britain were two easy places to get people angered. I thought having Ruby and Shirley subjected to the box’s effects was good and it was the right decision to not have it last too long. It was just enough to not get too offensive. Luft and Dalni as those of the Ursa that went rogue were strong villains but the moment Misarliyan came into the story they felt so inferior. This was the true might of the Ursa race and she wasn’t impressed with the two members. They would see justice was served and the simplicity in the solution was probably correct for a novella of this length. This didn’t take long to read at all which was nice as I sat in a Liverpool hotel room next to my sleeping son. The perfect read for a quiet evening! The Doctor summoning the true and peace loving Ursa race to deal with their own was good and after dropping Shirley home, all was settled pretty swiftly! I really liked how the Doctor was taken aback by the beauty of Misarliyan’s name and he admired her and her people. I mean, people who use the boxes to feed off peace are going to be right up their street! Even if the origins of that came from war. Overall, a fantastic place in Fifteenth Doctor chronology and a really strong little story to boot. A great read!

Rating: 8/10

Deep Water

"You kill people just to preserve the lie that keeps this place going?"

Writer: Nicholas Pegg

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2007

Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2008

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in an underwater city but danger stalks the residents as the Farnham family's research threatens to bring the city to a complete standstill.

Verdict

Deep Water was a great story to conclude my reading of the 2008 Doctor Who Storybook! It's staggering to me that this was first released eighteen years ago which just doesn't seem correct at all. That's well over half of my life ago and the era of Series 3 with the Tenth Doctor and Martha is where I first became a fan so it's better later than never in getting all of the stories blogged. I was surprised that I only started this book eighteen months ago or so and this was definitely one of the better ones in the collection. There was a really strong concept at its heart and I think with a story depth with more availability, this could be a real classic. I like the idea of Martha reading some of the TARDIS instruments and the Doctor essentially training her in flying the time and space machine, and arriving underwater was fascinating to say the least. I mean, given the name of the story it wasn't a surprise but I was keen to explore the aquatic depths. The illustrations were crucial to this story's success in my opinion as they really helped with the visualisation of what was happening. Just seeing the Doctor and Martha surrounded by water was fantastic and a very striking image. We probably had a few too many different angles and images of the Doctor and Martha that weren't required, but the quality of the art was fantastic. The likenesses of the Doctor and Martha were pretty perfect! I liked how Martha was interacting with dolphins and whilst the barrier didn't allow her to touch them physically, she got very close! The coincidental nature of Martha naming twenty-two as the random number for the Doctor to select on the elevator and that being the floor where the truth lay was a bit too convenient, but in a story as short as this I can understand it. I'm not going to downgrade it too much over that. The Doctor knowing almost immediately that the environment in which the TARDIS had landed was a little off was intriguing but not a surprise. It's a short story so the pace was always going to get frantic and there wasn't too much time for the falsehood to stay as a fake. It worked though and Martha was convinced of her surroundings and enjoying them. She was understandably in awe of the beauty surrounding her so to find out it was all a fake was a big surprise to her! The Doctor overriding the override preventing them getting to floor twenty-two was good and them continuing to have warnings to go back was hinting at something very bad going on. Martha and the Doctor finding the corpse of Leonard Farmham meant they wouldn't be going anywhere near back to the lift and the deduction from the companion of him having died by something similar to carbon monoxide was brutal. It was quick and efficient and then even the gas was taken straight back out of the room. It was quiet and effective to say the least. Finding out about the Controller was good and I liked the history of Subaqua One and its presence on Miletus. We were in the far future and an Earth colony, but war had come and sacrifices had to be made. Convincing an entire population that where they were living in something that was false meant those that questioned it had to be made an example of, albeit quietly. The reveal of what happened for people who wanted a holiday and they were actually comatose and injected with false memories was incredible! I thought that was pretty evil and the calmness in which the Controller described it as a fact of life was pretty horrifying. He was the last one now and he was on the verge of achieving complete automation for maintaining the illusion of underwater life, but the Doctor wasn't having it. He showed Martha that it could be changed and I liked the throwback to Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks in the Doctor choosing the New York skyline. His description of Hell and it actually being the true outside was unexpected, as was the emergence of Dan in shooting the Controller. He didn't die but he would be held accountable. He was the son of Leonard and his father had confided his suspicions with him and now the young lad would bring about some serious change! I was surprised by how confident the Doctor was in leaving things to Dan and Martha correctly questioned that, but he was adamant! Overall, a very strong story to conclude the book!

Rating: 8/10

Terror of the Sontarans

"A Sontaran knows no fear."

Writers: Dan Starkey & John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: September 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 203

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

Once it was a mining facility. Then later its corridors rang with screams generated by grotesque military experiments. However when the Doctor and Mel arrive on a hostile alien world after detecting a distress signal, the base they find themselves in is almost deserted.

But not for long. Soon the Doctor's old enemies, the Sontarans, have landed, and are searching for the remnants of their previous research team. Before long they uncover evidence of strange occurrences on the planet. Of madness and death.

They are warriors bred for war, strong of spirit and unafraid of death. To fear the enemy is an act of betrayal. Nothing holds terror for the Sontarans.

Until now...

Verdict

Terror of the Sontarans was an excellent audio to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! This was right up my alley as I'm a huge fan of the Sontarans and this explored them really well. This was a fine use of the Sontar natives and they battled well with the Seventh Doctor. They were onto a winner in describing Mel as the red woman because of her hair which was humorous and it was a perfect piece of evidence for the humour that accompanies the Sontarans. They're an impressive enemy because whilst their ability for humour is incredibly easy, it rarely makes them seem silly which is a terrific feat. As soon as I pressed play on part one, I said to myself I really hoped that the cliffhanger for part one wasn't just the emergence of the Sontarans. Thankfully, they were actually the first voice we heard and with the Sontarans being in the title there was no need to keep their appearance hidden. I thought the setting of the mining facility was really good and the continuity back to Colony in Space with it being owned by the IMC was so simple but so brilliant. It really does just add a lot and gives an instant history with the Doctor. It just adds to the scale of things which I appreciate. I liked how the Sontarans were angered by the presence of the Doctor because they instantly thought that everything that was going wrong was due to the actions of the Doctor. Despite it not being the case, you can't really argue with the logic given the Time Lord's history with the Sontaran race! Utilising Mel's abilities as a computer programmer was nice once again following on from The Warehouse and I just love that these Big Finish series showcase her talents as a companion because she really is so much more than a scream. I thought the concept behind the base being a testing ground for what was essentially psychic warfare was terrific. It was a real sense of horror in hearing Skegg's mental torment. He was barely a Sontaran anymore! He disgraced his species with his words and actions which was so fascinating to hear. I was a big fan of him having resorted his Sontaran armour wear into knitting! That didn't sit well with Field Major Kayste at all. His reaction to hearing one of his fellow species announce they were scared was potentially the highlight of the story for me. The shock was so genuine and I just loved it. Given that the Sontaran race is basically governed by honour, admitting being frightened is unthinkable. I thought Anvil Jackson was a pretty fun character as one of those detained along with Ketch the clown. Referring to the latter as simply Clown was pretty amusing and I really enjoyed their dynamic together. Anvil was the highlight though as he thought himself pretty famous. The emergence of the Bloom at the end of part three as the true enemies of the piece was fantastic and I think the timing was perfect because it never felt like they stole the thunder of the Sontarans. They only added to the story and the concept behind them of absorbing everything around them was intriguing. It provided the means for the conclusion in wiping out the Sontarans and the Bloom altogether, with actually very little surviving the blast! I thought the use of an explosion and the chemical in particular to soak the place and make it a fire hazard was strong and pretty sound proof in wrapping everything up. The Doctor having some sympathy with the Bloom in how they were feeding off the Sontarans and their tendencies for war and violence. He knew they had simply evolved the wrong way and with the explosion he'd reverted them back to a gestalt entity and sent them back among the stars to start again. That was interesting and I liked how he was quizzed about whether leaving things to chance was the right move for them as a race. It remains to be seen, but it feels quite fitting of the Seventh Doctor to go down that route. Overall, a strong use of the Sontarans and just an excellent story! 

Rating: 9/10

Peril in Mechanistria

"You must talk louder."

Writer: Unknown

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1965

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1966

Featuring: First Doctor

Synopsis

Dealing with some TARDIS malfunctions after escaping from Skaro, the Doctor wonders into something much more perilous than appearances would have him believe...

Verdict

Peril in Mechanistria was a decent little story to continue my way through the very first edition of the Doctor Who Annual! I still feel incredibly privileged to be able to read this resource as it's such a historic release. I unfortunately don't have a physical copy and I'm reading the PDF copy that comes with The Web Planet DVD release, but that doesn't make it any less special for me. I gave up collecting physical releases long ago to focus on space for the figure/figurine collection but this is a gem of a piece. It's so full of character and just has a slightly different feel to traditional Doctor Who stories. That's definitely a quirky bonus and I always look forward to delving into these kinds of short stories. Part of that is because in the Classic era these Annual adventures actually aren't that short! There was more than enough time and page count to produce a story with depth and that was certainly the case here. Having an authentically and contemporarily 1960s First Doctor tale with some colour is really intriguing and the illustrations that accompany the story really do help it. Sure, they're pretty basic for the most part but the style is fantastic and they just work. It has that retro feel reading now in 2025 which I love. The start of the story is intriguing as for a 1965 release it seems to be intended as following on directly from the end of The Daleks which concluded over eighteen months prior! Maybe a tie in to Dr Who and the Daleks on the big screen? I could certainly see the First Doctor stories in this Annual fitting in with that slightly alternate universe! It's a fun concept as I'm not sure there's room for this to fit in prior to The Edge of the Destruction. And would the Doctor really leave his companions behind when it came to the TARDIS malfunctioning? They didn't appear at all here which indicates a sideways step for continuity in this book which is absolutely great. That doesn't make it any less valid for me. The setting of Korad was really good and I thought the makeup of that planet was intriguing to say the least. I liked the Doctor reacting to being taken physically and knocked unconscious from the illustrated grab! The Doctor wasn't all that keen on his captors and the humour that came from the locals needing to talk loudly was fun for this incarnation in particular. He didn't enjoy being told to speak up which was wonderful and I could so easily picture William Hartnell reacting to that. The planet history came in a bit of a burst and the scale of it was incredible over the course of ten million years or more! The situation had always been that the machines were in charge and even the Wise Ones weren't in control. I must admit I didn't see that one coming so it was a pretty decent revelation! Drako was a good and interesting little character and his acceptance from the Doctor that things could be different despite everything that was established was great. I was a little surprised that despite the situation on what was now Mechanistria and it clearly being a bad one with the machines in control and the entire planet one big workshop of metal, the Doctor was willing to change history. It throws everything he said to Barbara in The Aztecs in everyone's face! The little quirk at the end with Drako seemingly being successful despite not taking the atomiser with him was fun, but it just feels wrong for the Doctor to be so willing to help change things on a scale of millions of years! Overall, an intriguing little tale that had a lot of quirks and a decent plot at its heart! An enjoyable read.

Rating: 7/10

Assimilation²

"Have you ever considered upgrading yourself?"

Writers: Scott Tipton, David Tipton & Tony Lee

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May-December 2012

Printed in: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who IDW #1-8

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The two greatest science-fiction properties of all time cross over for the first time in history! When the Federation's most terrifying enemy strikes an unholy alliance with one of the Doctor's most hated antagonists, the result is devastation on a cosmic scale! Spanning the ends of space and time itself, Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the time-travelling Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.

Verdict

Assimilation² was unfortunately a pretty average comic strip tale. I don't think it's entirely the story's fault and I would suggest that part of why I didn't enjoy this too much was my lack of knowledge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's fair to say I know absolutely nothing about the franchise other than the existence of the Enterprise and I feel like I've heard the name of Captain Picard somewhere, but other than that I didn't have a clue about anything. I don't think the story necessarily does a bad job in giving information on each particular franchise, it's just more so I wasn't all that interested in what was happening with the Star Trek elements. They didn't grab my attention like the Doctor Who portions did. I think it could have worked better to keep the universes apart for a bit longer considering the length of this story, but it was fun when they did mash up. What I didn't enjoy was there basically being no explanation for the TARDIS and the Cybermen having jumped into the universe containing Star Trek, and also why they didn't recognise the characters as people from the fictional sci-fi show? I think it would have worked so much better if the Doctor, Amy and Rory knew they were within Star Trek. That could have worked as a fictional explanation rather than trying to demonstrate that they were real people within the Whoniverse. I can't buy into that unfortunately. The explanation at the end for the TARDIS to get home being one of will with their universe wanting them back and them wanting to return was pretty naff. I don't know much at all about the Borg, but the imagery provided of Borg-enhanced Cybermen was excellent. They were a very fitting villain for this kind of story and I was glad that they were presented as superior to the Borg. They of course had betrayed them after making a quite formidable alliance, and that presented some strong emotional decisions for Captain Picard. He needed Amy to convince him to temporarily join forces with his enemy for the greater good of survival. I did like his background in formerly being part of the Borg collective via the assimilation process so it was understandable that he wanted nothing to do with them despite the stakes. I thought the comic strip going eight issues is impressive but if I'm being honest it was probably a bit too long. I say that though after reading all of the issues in one day instead of across eight months, but surely most people would reread the previous issues before the new one to keep up to date with the adventure? I was both intrigued and confused by the artistic style of the story. It didn't feel consistent and something felt slightly off about it which I can't quite put my finger on. Initially, I thought I really liked it and the unique style gave it a feeling of not being drawn given some of the quality. But the change in style for the Fourth Doctor cameo with the Classic era Cybermen was what I would have preferred throughout. It felt like it was all computer generated and as a personal preference it was almost too realistic in parts! It felt very still. The speech bubbles also felt like they didn't fit the expression of the characters speaking them on so many occasions. I don't think the characterisation for the Doctor, Amy and Rory was overly impressive either as the former felt bit generic with even a First Doctor mannerisms of 'my boy' appearing! Referring to the companions as Mr and Mrs Williams and getting no pushback from Amy at least also felt like a glaring error. Some of the attire Amy was in though looked spectacular! The Doctor selling the threat of the Cybermen was terrific and this was one of the best ways I have seen of their threat being realised. Going full Pyramids of Mars style for the Doctor to show Picard the future if the Cybermen weren't stopped was fun if it was only to see Judoon version of the Cybermen! Horns and everything! How the Doctor had the considerable knowledge he did so quickly is beyond me, but it provided a good insight. I also enjoyed Picard's reaction to the TARDIS, but not as much as the Doctor's to Data. It knew right away how the bigger on the inside worked. Guinan was a mysterious character and her sharing qualities with the Doctor when it came to time was intriguing. I thought it was a bit rubbish at the end though for basically everything that the Doctor and company had done in this universe would be undone an forgotten, even the Fourth Doctor aspect! That just didn't need to happen. Overall, a brave attempt and a fascinating crossover, but I would probably leave this type alone. 

Rating: 5/10

Exit Strategy

"It had gone wrong because the Dalek Emperor had been ambitious."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2020

Series: Eaglemoss TLV 03

Featuring: Dalek Strategist 

Synopsis

After a plan enacted by the Dalek Emperor goes awry, the Dalek Strategist contemplates its leadership and the hierarchy of the Daleks...

Verdict

Exit Strategy was a great story to continue my very sporadic reading of the Time Lord Victorious short stories that accompanied the Eagelmoss release of figurines to mark their part in the epic multi-media collaboration adventure. I think in hindsight Time Lord Victorious is getting more acclaim as time passes by and it's certainly something I look back on fondly. It's staggering to think that it was five years ago now as time really does fly by and part of the reason it perhaps wasn't too successful is down to the timing of the pandemic. It's a shame we didn't get the vinyl Echoes of Extinction on time and money was tight and the future uncertain at the time of story releases, but I'm glad to catch up later rather than not at all. At the time these figurines were released I didn't have much room at all in a small flat, but fast forward five years and in a house of my own with my own figure display room, I couldn't resist buying this third Dalek figurine release. It is easily the rarest and I'd been searching for quite some time after quickly acquiring the first two releases last year, but this one evaded me with quite scandalous prices on the second hand market! Thankfully I was able to put an offer in on a listing recently that was gratefully accepted and the Dalek set of the Eaglemoss contribution to Time Lord Victorious was complete. The figurines themselves are splendid and whilst this story focuses on the Dalek Strategist, it's the Dalek Executioner that appealed to me from an aesthetic point of view. I think the battered appearance gives it a unique quality and alongside the description of it within this story of seeing the mutant within we have quite the Dalek! I'm a sucker for different types of Daleks and the number of variations in figures and figurines in my collection is unhealthy! There are so many and if they keep making different versions I'm still going to buy them. I can't help it. There are still quite a few I want to add to my collection but those that accompany this story were very high on my list. I like the idea of conflict within the Daleks and with so many different titles it's not a surprise the hierarchical structure is prone to break down. Emperors, Supremes, Strategists and Executioners to name a few, where does the command truly lay? The Strategist touching upon that here was excellent and I like how it questioned the actions of the Emperor. It seemed to understand and accept that the Emperor was above it, but what if there was a different Emperor? Should the Emperor Dalek be ambitious? That was a fun thing to touch upon because are ambition and logic compatible? That was some really good philosophy. I thought the reference to All Flesh is Grass and getting embroiled with three different incarnations of the Doctor was good stuff and the whole prospect of eradicating the Time Lords before they even existed was fantastic. It's fitting that the Daleks have their own version of the Genesis of the Daleks interference in their origin for the Time Lords. Why wouldn't they retaliate? How couldn't they? The Strategist was looking at a much wider picture though and I liked touching upon time as a weapon. It was a fantastic foreshadowing of events to come with the Time War and utilising something like the fourth dimension for attack is a great concept. The Time War is still such an untapped resource when it comes to storytelling in the Whoniverse and that's saying something given how many ranges are set within it. But it really is endless when it comes to the possibilities. The Strategist being intrigued by that after foreseeing its coming was terrific and really did show a different edge to this kind of Dalek. There is truly no size fits all approach when it comes to the Daleks and I love that. The Strategist utilising an emergency temporal shift in the hopes of injecting itself into the Time War conflict was fascinating, although I do think that ability has perhaps been overdone now in multimedia since it was first used at the end of Doomsday. Regardless, this was a very solid tale that showcased a very different Dalek very nicely. I enjoyed it a lot! 

Rating: 8/10

The Girl Who Never Grew Up

"A little lost girl with magic at her fingertips."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2013

Printed in: Summer Falls and Other Stories 04

Featuring: Amy, Rory

Synopsis

With a new introduction by Amelia Williams, as well as a rare interview with the reclusive author, The Girl Who Never Grew Up, comes Summer Falls by Amelia Williams.

Verdict

The Girl Who Never Grew Up was a great story to wrap up my reading of the Summer Falls and Other Stories collection! I had almost forgotten about the existence of this adventure at the end of a book that contains three very important and much bigger in-universe tie ins and representations. The idea behind the book is very good and I like how this one is written in the form of a magazine article for the Brooklyn Fayre by Chrissie Allen. I think a short story format like this is one that is underutilised because it really is a gem of a style. It just works for the seven pages or so that comprise this adventure and the addressing of the reader was terrific. I must say in the real world I am far from familiar with this kind of magazine and article type, but I know my mother used to read this type of thing back in the day and this felt like it could fit right in with that. The journalistic approach was great and it was actually good to engage the reader. It got me invested almost immediately. I love the idea of catching up with Amy and Rory a few decades after the events of The Angels Take Manhattan and their emotional departure, and it's good to know that they got on with their lives and made a big success of it! They stayed in America and New York specifically which is interesting as I wonder if they were ever tempted to move elsewhere. It makes a lot of sense though given the link up with the ending of Day of the Moon and the entire Series 6 story arc regarding River Song. Amy and Rory know they can't interfere in established history and it's nice to know that they took that on board from their travels in the TARDIS, but it's emotional for them as they know out there somewhere on the streets of the Big Apple is their daughter. Amy knows she must have been scared and petrified wondering the streets and I like that motherhood is clearly there ingrained in her. That's despite the fact she didn't really get the chance to be a mum given everything that happened at Demon's Run and beyond. The way the article subtly captures the relationship of Amy and Rory was really quite lovely and it's nice to read how much Rory still loves his wife. How can he not after waiting for two thousand years and everything they've sacrificed together? I also thought it was fun for him to be referred to as quintessentially British with him offer Chrissie a cup of tea and then Amy wanting her bacon sandwich which she duly provided. It's quite strange for me to think of those as part of British identity. Chrissie questioning Amy about the origin of her ideas now that she's an author is good fun because she can never truly give the right answer. Rory also blundering a little when it came to him competing in World War Two was a nice touch as well and that clumsy nature of him was captured really nicely in the prose. He needed his wife to bail him out which sounds like exactly what would happen! It was nice to get that little detail on him holding her hand in thanks. That was rather lovely. It was also fun to touch upon Rory's medical breakthroughs because of his foreknowledge. I hope he's being careful! The fact that Amy and Rory had forgotten about the interview date was terrific and presented more of a real side of them which was lovely. It's so nice to get this insight into their future life and just being a few decades older than what they were when travelling companions of the Doctor. I still maintain it doesn't make sense that the Doctor can't visit another city and get the train to New York to see them, or just visit in a slightly different time to pick them back up, but in their own lives I thought this was a really nice story to capture them together. Overall, a great little read to conclude the book!

Rating: 8/10

The Warehouse

"We're just organic machines designed for one purpose."

Writer: Mike Tucker

Format: Audio

Released: August 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 202

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

The Doctor and Mel land in what appears to be an orbiting warehouse, a delivery facility with a dangerously erratic computer.

Whilst Mel is helping with repairs, the Doctor begins to realise that not everything in the warehouse is as it seems. Why do no goods ever seem to leave the shelves? Why are the staff so obsessed with the stocktake? And who is the mysterious Supervisor?

On the planet below, the Doctor discovers that the computer might be the least of their problems – and that they should be more concerned with the spacestation's mould and vermin...

Verdict

The Warehouse was a  decent story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! This was a fascinating little tale and I liked the satirical nature of the topic at hand whilst simultaneously being a very powerful story. The message was clear and establishing the difference of the modern world to Mel from her 1980s perspective was terrific. It is staggering to think how much technology has advanced and it really is so easy now to just stay at home. I’m incredible guilty of it as I’m always getting deliveries. If there’s anything small that I need, Amazon is usually there to get it to my doorstep the next day. I even get my weekly shop delivered! The Doctor’s humour regarding high streets just being full of coffee shops in the current day was amusing because if it’s not one of them it’s a barbers or hairdressers. The high street is simply dying and unfortunately I think that’s something we have to accept. The play on Amazon and online delivery was good and I think it’s actually a bit of shame in hindsight that I’m listening to this a decade after it was released. It felt like this had been done before for me in the form of Kerblam! which is wrong of me because this came three years earlier. It was difficult to shake that off though even with a much different set of  TARDIS regulars. I quite liked how basic this was from the perspective of the Seventh Doctor and Mel as it’s good to explore the early era of this incarnation. He’s not quite so mischievous and conniving just yet and that relaxed feel was quite nice. Utilising Mel was done very well as well with her computer abilities, even in a world that’s much more advanced. I thought the play on her name was good fun and I knew that the E at the end of her name was going to come into play when the family of the E unit introduced their names. It was too much of a coincidence! The concept of clones for a warehouse delivery facility is pretty appalling in terms of its humanity but in business nothing would surprise me. I work in finance and I know how ruthless people can be in business. Efficiency and profit margins are all that matter so clones being programmed to simply perform their stock check and other duties. Having numerous characters as clones was clever in having efficiency for the use of actors too as the range spread across the F and G units. Lydek was a good character and I liked how she quickly developed into a villain of the piece. She had her privileges that’s for sure! I thought the Supervisor was very strong too and his journey over the course of the story was quite grotesque. There was a threat of mould throughout regardless and that was pretty gross in the first place as it tied in nicely with the fungal threat and history at the warehouse that saw it shut down. 350 years of stock checks was pretty extraordinary and Mel was astonished that the readout wasn’t wrong. It was dead accurate. The Supervisor revealing his true nature with literally having mould for skin was horrific and I was actually quite glad that this was an audio format! I don’t like mould so to see someone or something with it as skin didn’t sit right with me. That meant it was good as a Doctor Who reveal though for the enemy! It also allowed a good resolution in heating things up and dehumidifying the air to wipe out the mould of the Supervisor and ironically send him packing. Pushing the returns of the warehouse also sent that into technical breakdown which was quite fitting. Overall, a very decent story!

Rating: 7/10

The Long Way Round

"The Doctor is a kind and decent man."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Stranded 2.04

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen, Tania, Andy

Synopsis

Something is wrong with Earth's future – so the Doctor decides to see it for himself. But very soon, the travellers are captured. Someone seems to know their every move. An interrogator wants answers, but do they even know the right questions?

Verdict

The Long Way Round was an excellent episode to conclude the second Stranded series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! It seems that the story being told for this umbrella title of the Eighth Doctor Adventures is going to be more spread over the four boxsets which is very exciting and it didn't matter at all that this didn't feel like much of a finale. It doesn't need to be in the second boxset of four. I thought going back to the future was a good move and I love the paradoxical nature of the story and the timeline that is being established. The links back to Divine Intervention were fantastic and I love that things are slowly beginning to have consequences. I adore anything we get with the Curator because of the mysteries and enigma associated with that character. Is he the Doctor from another timeline? A splinter? Bigeneration? It's all part of the fun and Tom Baker in particular brings a wonderful quality to the character. His discussion with the younger Gemma Houlbrooke was fascinating and I liked the revelation that this little girl was the same woman that was interrogating the Doctor and his companions in the alternative 2050. She was angered with the Doctor and the prospect of stolen identity for the Time Lord was awfully exciting. I get the sense that things were perhaps unfinished with that and the cliffhanger finish with Robin reemerging which didn't surprise me in the slightest, but the format of the episode was superb. We didn't have the Doctor arrive until after the forty minute mark and incredibly he wasn't missed in the slightest. Staying with one singular character as part of the interrogation for eight or ten minutes was brilliant. On paper, it perhaps sounds a bit boring but it was far from it. I think interrogation just works well as a story for the audio format. I could listen to that kind of dialogue all day and Gemma had an intriguing quality in her line of questioning. She had knowledge about them all already and her insistence for the record that they identified their names each time she returned was terrific. It became mundane and almost felt like a form of psychic torture. Andy was a fun way to start proceedings for this type of episode because as a policeman he was used to being on the other side. He didn't normally have to answer the questions and he was clearly uncomfortable with Gemma's knowledge about him. She knew about Gwen and Torchwood and the Doctor. Except she didn't have it all clear about the Doctor which was fascinating. Tania really put that fact home to her and she didn't enjoy Gemma's techniques at all. The way she reacted to almost having her birth name mentioned was a powerful moment and her speech about the power of a name and it being what you make it was brilliant. This was probably my favourite episode of hers so far. Liv tried to ascertain some control of things when it came to being questioned and Helen too was equally not taking it all that seriously. She tried to reason with Gemma but this version of her was difficult to come by. Liv being the one to almost break through after she heard about how Gemma had followed them but she never got noticed. Of course, the Doctor being the main event for the interrogation was expected and I liked how Gemma challenged him. She was boastful about being familiar with regeneration and it was good for her to follow up her earlier discussion with Helen about her being able to accept him in another body. She'd spent a lot of time with the Eleven so I'm sure the Doctor changing wouldn't be too difficult for her to accept! I liked how the Doctor was able to convince Gemma that it wasn't him that had created this terrible timeline, and that to prevent it she needed to let him and his companions out. When that did happen, Liv noticing the younger version outside the TARDIS after they'd landed back and interacting with her was a nice touch. I get the sense this is only the start of things though with Robin finding Gemma guilty in the alternate future, but for now this was a very strong finale! Overall, a terrific episode.

Rating: 9/10

Baker Street Irregulars

"The Doctor isn't the only sucker for a stray."

Writer: Lisa McMullin

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Stranded 2.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen, Tania

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Zakia and Aisha to see some family history: their grandmother had her own secret life in Baker Street, during World War II. As Tania and Liv try to defuse an unexploded bomb, the sisters face explosive revelations of their own.

Verdict

Baker Street Irregulars was a decent episode to continue my way through the second Stranded series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This felt like the pace of the series slowed down a little after having the Doctor test the TARDIS by going to the future and then to the past. I'm not sure if here it felt like a little bit of repetition by venturing to the past again so soon with another overcrowded TARDIS? The Doctor isn't exactly hiding the fact he has a time machine which is intriguing and certainly fun, but I suspect that this overzealousness might come back to bite him. The prospect of a World War Two bomb being found outside Baker Street was good and it was soon clear that the Doctor was going to venture back to the time of it being dropped. It's incredible really to think that this kind of thing is still happening and finding an unexploded bomb must be exciting and terrifying at the same time! Eighty years on and they're still being found. I thought Tania was intriguing in this episode as she clearly knew more about the bomb itself and that was angering Liv slightly. The pair were trying to build their relationship on a basis of no secrets, but given Tania's connections to Torchwood and Liv's status as a companion, that was never going to work! Tania knows about the Doctor's future and that puts her in a difficult position. I like how well she gets on with Andy and the pair clearly know more of what's to come with this bomb scare seemingly just the beginning of something. That sets us up nicely for the finale and I've quite enjoyed how there hasn't feel like an obvious threat building towards the boxset's final episode. Going back to 1941 is an exciting setting and whilst the Doctor seems to be getting a bit bored of Camden no matter when he is, it's still an incredible luxury to travel in time! I'd definitely be up for listening to a story covering the New Age of the Autons! That period in history would be fascinating with Camden as the basis. I enjoyed taking Helen back to 1941 as that's a time that she actually lived through. Her comment about surviving the same air raid during the Blitz twice was tremendous because that's just ludicrously extraordinary! The threat of the Blitz is obviously not new to Doctor Who but I'm all for it. I wasn't overly fussed in having Zakia and Aisha joining the TARDIS regulars as it just felt uncharacteristic of the Doctor despite his obvious boredom and need to show off. I'm just not sure we know them enough yet for them to have warranted a trip to their past. Exploring their family history was good though and the revelation at the end was unexpected to say the least! Their sisterly relationship was lovely but finding out Aisha was actually Zakia's mum was a big surprise. I didn't see that coming at all, but I don't think we stuck around with them long enough for the impact to be lasting. I hope they're around for the finale in adjusting to the news being out in the open. I can't imagine how Zakia would be feeling as her whole world and everything she thought she knew about her family was turned upside down. It did help sell the threat of venturing to the past because Aisha thought she might lose her own daughter and didn't want her going on adventures again. The use of the past was done well here and I liked how Nisha's story became crucial. It was impressive for her to be so pivotal to putting back Hitler's plans by blowing up the power station, but I'm not sure how I felt about her great-granddaughter taking her place. I know she was able to orchestrate the electronics fine, but it took away from the historic tale a little for me. I did like Adi questioning the Greek nationality of the Doctor and his companions and the blurting out of being Pakistani-Greek before the former country was even formed was fun. The beauty of time travel! Overall, it was a decent episode and I did like the concept of needing to get history back on track, but it never felt like things were in trouble. 

Rating: 7/10

UNIT Dating

"I've missed this old place."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Stranded 2.02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen, Andy, Brigadier

Synopsis

When the Doctor dips into his past to help TARDIS repairs in the present, Andy joins him on a trip to UNIT. In the 1970s, young soldier Ron Winters has just met lab assistant Tony Clare. But in 2020, they need Liv and Helen's help when their memories start falling apart...

Verdict

UNIT Dating was another great story to continue my way through the second Stranded series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This is a very clever little title given the controversy and inconsistency with the UNIT dating timeline, but the dating referred to here very cleverly didn't become about a calendar. That was a really nice touch. I liked the idea of the Doctor being eager to give the TARDIS another test flight despite the difficulties he endured in Dead Time. This time he was going to try and visit the past and with him unable to travel in space, the prospect of him returning to the near past in Camden was very exciting. I really enjoyed how Andy basically became the companion for the episode with Liv and Helen left in 2020 and it's a pairing that I never thought we'd get! PC Andy Davidson travelling in the TARDIS with the Eighth Doctor. It's just ludicrously wonderful. It's nice to hear how mature Andy is by 2020 after his time with Torchwood that we saw on screen around a decade prior. The reference to those early Torchwood interactions when he mentioned not getting on well with pterodactyls was a nice touch too! I thought Tony and Ron were really nice characters and it's lovely to think that a lasting romance all started back at UNIT during the era of the Third Doctor. Being homosexual openly during that time was not as easy or as carefree as it was in 2020 and having Helen as a companion from the 1960s was really powerful in showing just how much society has changed. She was so happy for Tony and Ron that their love had lasted so long and they didn't have to hide anything, but her story at the end about her brother Albie who was disowned by their father for his sexual orientation was very sad. She had looked up on Wikipedia when homosexuality was decriminalised and it's staggering to think it was only in 1968. We'd had a whole era of the First Doctor come and go before that! It was so matter of fact in 2020 to casually use the word gay or pan or bi to describe sexual orientation and Liv coming from the future where that was meaningless provided a strong contrast. I liked how she comforted her fellow companion and it was really genuine that she was always there if Helen need someone to talk to about anything at all. It was a good format for the episode to have Helen and Liv in the present with the older and nearly retired pair of Ron and Tony as their memories of the past were altering due to the Doctor interfering and getting caught in the time loop that their younger selves were also within. The Eighth Doctor meeting the Brigadier at this point in his life was good fun and I enjoyed how accepting Lethbridge-Stewart was of the situation. Nothing surprised him about the Doctor anymore! That's pretty easy to accept as a listener too. I liked the proximity to The Three Doctors with the Eighth knowing that the Third would soon be free to roam again so he was just using his own workings to try and get his TARDIS working fully again. The Eighth Doctor showing appreciation for the Brigadier was a really touching moment too. I liked the concept behind Ogrons being left on Earth after the events of Day of the Daleks and whilst they didn't provide too much of a threat here, their presence was good fun. I enjoyed the continuity and Ron and Tony remembering them as hairy beasts was an apt description! The Doctor knowing all along how to break the time loop was amusing and Andy actually being the one to push Tony and Ron together was delightful. He didn't exactly hide the fact he was from the future very well when he blurted out about them being a boyfriend! The Doctor having Andy disguised with Jo's lanyard was tremendous as well and the confusion about him being mistaken for her when it come to her getting acquainted with the soldiers was fantastic. Ensuring the memories became consistent for the old UNIT pair was really nice and I enjoyed how after some struggles things were back on track. The TARDIS didn't seem to have any issues and perhaps should have been more at the forefront of thoughts, but overall this was a great little episode to continue the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Dead Time

"Earth must be made ready for the new Human Empire."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Stranded 2.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen, Tania

Synopsis

The Doctor wants to take the TARDIS on a test flight. But he has rather more passengers than he'd like. Soon, the crew are stranded once again in an uncertain future. One where planet Earth appears to be dead. And very soon, so will any visitors...

Verdict

Dead Time was a strong start to the second Stranded series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! I was very intrigued to hear where things would move from here and I am interested to see if the whole stranded concept might become tiresome or feel overdone. There's still a long way to go yet but with the TARDIS on a long road to recovery, it seems we're going to take the concept to different times! That's exciting and I like the idea a lot of the TARDIS being unable to move in space. Considering everything that had happened to the trusty time and space machine from the end of Day of the Master, the Doctor deciding to take a large party for the test flight was something I found a little odd. It was a crowded TARDIS and that's exactly what the Doctor didn't want. On top of the regular companions of Liv and Helen, we were also joined by Tania, Andy and Robin for an excursion six million years into the future! The Camden of this future was obviously very different and Andy in particular didn't deal well with seeing a vastly different world. I thought his interaction with Liv was good and it was nice that given her relationship building with Tania, she came to Andy for information on what they were hiding. She didn't get details that they were part of Torchwood, but Andy basically gave her the full story of Tooth and Claw with a future version of the Doctor setting up their organisation. He was on hand to ensure nothing went awry time wise, although I think jumping aboard a see-through TARDIS that wasn't fully repaired was jumping the gun! Robin is something of an annoying character for me and I kind of hope that he does move away to Scotland as his dad was pushing for at the end of the episode. There's just something that doesn't work for me and I didn't enjoy his attitude to being told no by the Doctor at making the journey and then mucking about with the console controls when he was left inside the TARDIS with Helen. He just didn't sit right with me and he felt a bit spoiled. Maybe that's the point but I'll be happy to see the back of his character. Unfortunately, given his prominence in being recognised by the Deus Ex I fear that we may get a bigger and older version of his character as the big bad for this boxset. He's obviously done something to be recognised six million yeas later and filed as such! I think the Doctor dealing with the potential of being stranded again in this bleak future was good and he's so desperate for an adventure once again. His efforts to get the TARDIS going again were fun to explore and I loved that he found a psychic paper in his jacket pocket. There wasn't enough power for a new sonic screwdriver to be created by the TARDIS though so he was going very Fifth Doctor and hands free. I thought the remote atmosphere of the story was impressive and being on an Earth with no human race really was quite something! It felt dark and pretty ominous which was certainly a bonus for the story. Tania being something of a comfort point for the Doctor was really nice and it was good for him to see why Liv liked her. She's growing on me now too and having her ask the Doctor about regeneration in particular and how that feels for him was fascinating. I liked how he took that question without any qualms and conversed how he just gets on with each day getting used to the new him. It was a great little insight. I thought the resolution with the TARDIS was logical in that it soaked up the radiation that had wiped out the human race and converted it into its own energy source to return to 2020. Having the TARDIS able to move in time is a good way to set things up moving forward, although if the journey to get to the past or future is reminiscent of the one endured here I'm not they'll be making too many trips! Overall, a great episode to kick off the second boxset! 

Rating: 8/10

Fear Death by Water

"The ocean will consume us all."

Writer: Emily Cook

Format: Novel

Released: May 2025

Series: NSA 69

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor

Synopsis

Northumberland, 1838. The TARDIS crash lands on board a sinking steamship. Stranded, the Doctor and the few survivors fight for their lives – while the local lighthouse keeper's daughter, Grace Darling, risks her life to row to their rescue.

Lauded a heroine, Grace struggles to cope with her new-found fame, but the Doctor senses something else is troubling Grace. She's been tormented by the terrifying vision she saw out at sea in the storm. There's a monster in her mind, wrecking ships and stealing the souls of the drowned. 

And it's real,

Verdict

Fear Death by Water was an excellent novel to kick off the latest batch of New Series Adventures! I was intrigued to find that the Fifteenth Doctor was travelling solo here given that the book was released alongside the broadcast of his second series, but that was no problem at all. We had a wonderful historical heroine in the form of Grace Darling to fill that void. Ignorantly I had never heard of Grace and her contribution to history in saving the lives of nine people that were on board the crashed Forfarshire shipwreck, but her determination was admirable right from the off. I loved the setting of Northumberland in 1838 and I think the inclusion of the little hand-drawn map at the start of the book was a welcomed and unique addition for a Doctor Who novel. It felt very A Game of Thrones! I liked that a lot. It also helped in establishing the setting with the islands make up and Grace being a child not of the mainland made her very interesting. It was nice that she had a strong relationship with her parents and them simply being referred to as Mr and Mrs Darling throughout was terrific. They were so proud of their daughter and I liked how she was pushing the boundaries of gender norms in an age where even Grace believed she should be performing duties like cooking. The Doctor being on hand to help her their with her tatties was great. He wasn't interested in confining roles and duties based on gender! He saw what Grace had done with the lighthouse and helping her father in saving the survivors from the rock, and that wasn't very traditional female behaviour for the time! I liked the explanation for the shipwreck being the Captain seeing eyes blazing in the ocean forcing him to try and steer the boat blind. Literally. The Doctor ending up on the Forfarshire because of the TARDIS fluid link being depleted was terrific and the use of the barometer to eventually restock the mercury was fantastic. It's clear that Emily Cook is a fan because the references and anecdotes that came in this book were most welcomed with the most memorable and desire for me is the Doctor and the Master taking part in Satellite Five's Masterchef. Give me that story! I thought the pace of the story was excellent and the way it was built to the reveal of the Leviathan was really impressive. This was an easy read in a day and each chapter left me wanting more which is obviously a good sign. The characterisation for Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor was spot on and Grace was just such a lovely character. She was so likeable and her innocence and lack of wanting fame and recognition for her actions only added to that. Grace having a connection with the Leviathan was fascinating. The fact she was able to calm such an incredible beast was some achievement and it took a lot out of her. She was understandably reluctant to try again when the Doctor had a plan to put into action. I thought the shift in space was good and I really liked the concept behind the ISC with Keteor and Chip. Their relationship was presented very well and quickly to the extent that when the latter sacrificed himself it was really emotional! He'd only been around for a chapter or two but it felt like a big loss. I thought the science behind the resolution for the Leviathan was fantastic and the use of the lighthouse to reflect the UV light that would resonate with the beast and alter its thinking was great stuff! I was really glad that the lighthouse came into play. It felt like a crucial part of the setting and I wasn't expecting it to be a factor so that was a terrific surprise. I thought the nature of the Leviathan as a Ouroboros was really fun and the imagery that came from it eating its tail and basically regurgitating itself after Keteor thought he'd destroyed it was extraordinary! I loved the concept. Grace actually being the one to basically tame it into protecting the rocks in which the Forfarshire had crashed was a fitting end, and I liked how she continued to be honoured. The fact she had sent numerous locks of hair to her fans and writers was a tad weird but this is the Victorian Age after all. The Doctor visiting her again in 1842 was a nice touch and it's so sad to think that she died at just age twenty-six. That's younger than me! She was too overwhelmed to see her museum in the future, but she had a legacy and she had certainly made her years count. Overall, a fantastic read! 

Rating: 9/10