Double Part Two

"I've never doubted that you're not human."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: January 2023

Series: Torchwood Monthly 70

Featuring: Roberta Craven

Synopsis

A lot of people have died, and not for the first time in her life, Roberta Craven has changed sides.

Travelling the world with a dead man, she's negotiating world peace. Or is she starting a world war?

The Autons are coming. And Torchwood won't stop them...

Verdict

Double concluded in pretty strong fashion to round out what was overall a thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing two-part release to continue my way through the Torchwood monthly range at Big Finish! I do think this was sadly the weaker of the two parts and I would probably give this one a seven and part one a nine to get what is still overall a terrific rating! I love the idea of visiting Torchwood in the 1970s but this one definitely did have a feeling of having moved on a little from the first part. Given that this was released a month later than its opening half, I do kind of understand that but I'm a sucker for immediate follow ons from cliffhangers. I just feel like that should be the way things get resolved but I'm also a big fan of politics playing a role in the Whoniverse so this was definitely up my alley. Roberta Craven continued to lead the story brilliantly and I would love to hear more from her character, especially given how things ended here! Louise Jameson is just a delight playing this role and it's clear she's enjoying not just being a noble savage in the Whoniverse. Her pairing with Neal Hart again was good although this was far from the normal Neal. He was an Auton and she knew that. The whole concept behind the full copy was fascinating but I think a little more clarity on just how they were able to do that with the likes of flesh and brain waves when they're powered by plastic would have been beneficial. I do think it's good and has a lot of potential, but then what might the point be if the copy was such a good copy that it couldn't always be influenced by the Nestene Consciousness and its desires? That seems like a little bit of a flaw and dare I say a waste of resources? What use is a copy that can't be directed? The answer may have lain with the threats provided to Al_Sabah who was tortured as part of the oil negotiations with Nessoil. Seeing doubles of himself and hearing how one smothered his ill mother to bed in hospital while another did the school run for his two boys was genuinely horrifying. The fake Neal being in a position to threaten was quite something and he knew that Al_Sabah had some terms to provide because why would he have flown such a long way to simply say no to anything that was put on the table. There was some strong logic there. The audio when his bodyguard was killed in the car was deeply distressing and showed the extent to which Nessoil would go for favourable terms on the oil price. It's all about money! Everything comes down to it. even when dealing with alien infiltration. The very idea of the Nestene Consciousness being in the North Sea was amusing as an image because that's not the kind of oil supply one would expect to find there! Roberta realising that she was the Auton and not Herman Baker was a really good moment and it definitely explained a lot of what was going on in her head. He was too stupid to not be human in aligning himself with the Autons. Touching upon the difference between Autons and the Nestene was intriguing too and I would have liked a little more on that because it's fascinating. The way things concluded with Roberta basically recruiting for Torchwood as Autons was a fun thought and definitely leaves things open for some kind of future civil war? Or will they just be accepted as British citizens as the Nestene hoped initially? A little ambiguity is decent here and I enjoyed it overall. A great listen as a two-parter! 

Rating: 8/10

Double Part One

"God I love plastic."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: January 2023

Series: Torchwood Monthly 69

Featuring: Roberta Craven

Synopsis

1970s London is a place of suspicion and murder. The assassination of an entire embassy comes to the attention of Torchwood. 

There's a global energy crisis. There's an alien invasion. Petrochemical companies are subject to hostile take overs by the mysterious Nessoil. Extremely hostile take overs. 

Roberta Craven was once a spy. Now she's broken. But she can still see the patters in the world. And they're closing in around her.

Verdict

Double started in very strong fashion for the first part of a very unique two-part Torchwood release! I don't think the Torchwood monthly range at Big Finish has made enough of this kind of story in visiting different eras and teams at Torchwood because there really is so much potential. We've had Torchwood Soho kind of become its own thing which is good but one offs like this one here and The Dollhouse have been relatively few and far between. That's no criticism I just wish we had more of the Torchwood story! I think the 1970s is a really fun time for a Torchwood story because of everything that was going on at that time with the Third Doctor grounded on Earth meaning for storyline purposes a lot of the alien invasions had to come to the planet rather than him finding them elsewhere. That works well so 1973 seems perfect to have the return of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness! They've just been thwarted twice in Spearhead from Space and Terror of the Autons, so now Torchwood are on the case when things get very political. I am surprised that the murder of an entire Libyan embassy representation would not be under the remit of UNIT, but alas there need to be some liberties taken with storyline. I do suppose that UNIT can't be everywhere! I thought Roberta Craven as the lead member of Torchwood for the story was a wonderful character and it was so refreshing to hear Louise Jameson in this kind of role. She played it so well and within just a few minutes she was such a likeable character and I cared about her as the protagonist. I think a lot of that is down to Jameson as a familiar voice as the wonderful Leela, but here she was a disgraced ex-spy at MI5 now finding her feet again at Torchwood. That's a really fun set up for a lead character that would have so much potential. I haven't even listened to part two yet but I'm already ready for a 1970s Torchwood boxset. I thought the sound in the story was incredible and the way the 1970s was captured in atmosphere was almost mesmeric. It was a sheer delight to hear that familiar intruding sound effect in my ears to represent when the Autons were present. Roberta knowing about them was good and I liked how she had suspicions based on the recent wave of deaths including suffocation and the importance of oil to plastic. The way things got political surrounding the oil here was impressive with Ossam ousted by Nessoil. The irony of the name of the latter in not really hiding who they were was not lost on Roberta and it's just good fun. The in-joke as well about why the Nestene Consciousness didn't just take over a plastics factory instead of an oil drill in the sea was marvellous and they could just about get away with it when it came to Roberta's mind. She had Aspergers and I liked the way her struggle with the rest of the world being too slow for what she was working out was presented. It was emotional at times and that just added to her likeableness. Herman Baker being the supposed double agent on the inside was good and I really liked Neal Hart as the journalist that was asking all of the right questions to expose thing and that got him threatened in an almost devastating way! The potential merger between Nessoil and Ossam not going ahead because of the Auton reveal and killing was a little surprising as I thought that would go through, but the cliffhanger was also a tad predictable in fully bringing the Autons into view in an active and physical way. It was impactful to be fair and definitely sounded traumatic, but I'm more interested in Roberta and the politics of the whole situation. Overall, a really strong start and I can't wait for the second part now! 

Expulsion: The Curse of the Duergar

"I am not here to mourn."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 10.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

Shieldmaiden Hervor braves the ghosts of her ancestors to claim her birthright, the sword Tyrfing. Made by the Duergar, the Dwarf kings of the below, the blade is cursed: once drawn, it must kill. Even the Doctor cannot resist the power of the sword, and to the horror of Peri and Turlough, he is forced to take a life...

Verdict

The Curse of the Duergar was another great episode to conclude the Explusion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! This has been an intriguing trio of adventures for this unexpected and fascinating TARDIS trio! I was surprised how long it took for the trio to enter the story but that's no pro?blem as it set up the world in which they were going to enter very nicely. We don't get a lot of that in the audio format so this was a refreshing change and I do think it definitely helped establish a lot of characters and story elements that would prove critical. I thought the concept behind the Tyrfing as a sword that was a whole lot more than a simple blade was marvellous. Dealing with curses is usually a good deal of fun and that's not just with Danhausen (if you know, you know). The concept of a blade that once drawn must kill was really strong, especially when its possession had the potential to be passed around. The Doctor being the one to take matters into his own hands was honestly what I kind of expected as I had read the synopsis prior to listening in a rare occurrence and that feels like a little bit of a spoiler which is a shame! Especially when it was the cliffhanger! I did enjoy the threat that came from him planning to bypass the need to kill somebody else and take his own life, but things didn’t quite work out as planned. I was honestly expecting the curse to not work on the drawer of the sword but surprisingly to me that didn’t turn out to be the case. Instead, what occurred was something altogether different. The sword actually worked in absorbing the personality of the one it stabbed and with the Doctor, that meant things got a little whacky. Essentially we had the Sixth Doctor revert to the Fifth Doctor but in mind only which was really intriguing and just a little strange. But Colin Baker playing him didn’t feel as impactful as it could have been. I was impressed that Peri noticed the Sixth Doctor wasn’t quite who he normally was because I didn’t get any hint at all! It does just seem a little strange especially in audio to try and have a different actor play a different incarnation of the Doctor. It wasn’t necessarily bad because the Doctor is the Doctor after all, but I didn’t quite get on board with it. Turlough being actually quite pleased by the fact and hoping to have the Fifth Doctor help him save Trion was fascinating and I suspect we will be revisiting that story element in the next series with this trio. It feels impossible not to! I liked the mystery that came from the Dwarf Kings and the whole origin of the sword, and the constant warning being ignored to not be there was quite amusing! Warnings like that are never adhered to. I liked how mature Peri was in this story and it is often difficult to remember that she’s post the events of The Trial of a Time Lord. She’s been a queen for a long time and has definitely grown as a character which is good to explore and brings a different dynamic to her character for sure. I do think the way the Sixth Doctor regained his personality was a little weak and lacking in explanation, but the play on words at the end from Peri about him being the Doctor whether we liked it or not was a very nice touch. Overall, a great episode to conclude the series!

Rating: 8/10

Expulsion: A Crucible of Queens

"This is justice."

Writer: Lizbeth Myles

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 10.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt, the Doctor and Turlough find themselves aligned with opposing factions. Turlough befriends Charles, the Dauphin of France, while the Doctor is tasked with healing his father, King Charles VII. But two powerful women are also in play: the Dauphin's adviser Yolande, Duchess of Anjou, and his estranged mother, Isabeau of Bavaria. 

Can the TARDIS crew keep both queens happy – and keep their own heads?

Verdict

A Crucible of Queen was another strong episode to continue my way through the Expulsion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! I’m still finding the dynamic between this new makeshift TARDIS trio of the Sixth Doctor, Peri and Turlough a tad strange but I’m enjoying the intrigue. It does feel a little harsh on Turlough that almost every conversation he has is about him leaving! He’s only just bloody returned! His history is sketchy understandably and whilst I’m not historically the biggest fan of his companion, I am feeling a little sorry for him now. Maybe that’s the intention? I’m not sure but it definitely doesn’t feel like he can just enjoy himself and the travels. Granted, arriving in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt isn’t the best of times and locations for to enjoy one’s self, but alas we move forward. I thought the premise behind this adventure was very strong and I’m always in favour of exploring historical events outside of England so this was a fun setting indeed. It’s something I had a little knowledge on but not a huge amount so I enjoyed the educational element of the story. It was really enjoyable! I do think the story would have benefitted from being four parts and doubled in length because there was so much value in the setting and the characters. I definitely got a sense of things feeling rushed which was a shame as things definitely felt in a hurry to get Turlough split from the Doctor and Peri with him remaining in Agincourt whilst they ventured to Paris. That’s quite the shift and scale for an episode lasting little over an hour. It had a little bit of a vibe of The Romans to it which is absolutely magnificent and a huge compliment. I thought the humour that came from the Doctor then being reunited with Turlough but not actually be in the process of killing for him was tremendous. I’m not sure he should have admitted that to his companion though! Good ol’ Sixie. I thought the battle for Charles as the Dauphin of France was fascinating and I particularly enjoyed Isabeau as his mother. She understandably wanted to be reunited with her son after all these years but the likes of Yolande as the Duchess and the advisor stood in her way. Her son was a changed man now and wasn’t the boy Isabeau remembered. The Doctor being forced into an extraction mission or Peri would face execution was brutal after all of the help he’d given her! But that was the reward for hard work. Even harder work. I thought Charles getting friendly with Turlough was good and the companion being referred to as my Lord was certainly a welcomed change for him! He didn’t really embrace it though and seemed offended by the Doctor noticing he was happy and suggesting he might stay! I thought the family dynamic in the episode was really good and the shock that came from the conclusion when Charles still went through with the murder was palpable. The silence was deafening but I could see his perspective also when it came to the threat to his family line and those in his family tree that had already been killed. In historical terms I do feel like that was justified, but it obviously wouldn’t fly with the Doctor and his companions. He knew that history would take its course and couldn’t be altered, but here we are. It was a nice pondering moment of reflection at the end of the episode to now send us into the finale for which I’m very excited! Overall, another great listen. 

Rating: 8/10

Expulsion: The Reckoning

"If I could kick you out, I would!"

Writer: Nev Fountain

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 10.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

When the TARDIS is stranded in the path of a neutron star, the Doctor, Peri and Turlough have to flee. They end up in seventeenth-century London, where another old friend, Christopher Marlowe, is trying to get out of a pact he's made. Marlowe's soul is on the line – but has Turlough also made a deal with the Devil... again?

Verdict

The Reckoning was a strong start to the Expulsion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! After a pretty memorable cliffhanger last time out at the end of Red for Danger! which saw the surprise return of Turlough, this was an intriguing way to kick things off for a jumbled TARDIS trio. I think the trio on paper are certainly unique and it's fun to get this kind of mashup. I really like how audio allows that and it's just great to have Peri be a little older now and the same goes for Turlough, although perhaps not to the same extent. The two companions aren't quite strangers to one another but the events of Planet of Fire were very different for each of them! Peri arrived and Turlough departed, but we saw both in all of their glory! I did like how Turlough acknowledged that he thought strongly of Peri and knew he was leaving the Doctor in safe hands with her and just hearing the pair here discuss the Fifth Doctor was a nice touch. Peri was on hand to tell her fellow companion just how different he has been since regeneration at the end of The Caves of Androzani and acknowledging The Twin Dilemma and that uncomfortableness in the TARDIS console room about her being a spy was fantastic. Turlough obviously had a shaky start to life in the TARDIS and I really did think for a while that this episode was almost a redo of Mawdryn Undead. I wouldn't have been wholly against that but I would be lying if I didn't get a semblance of things feeling repetitive. The cliffhanger at the end of part one as the Black Guardian was supposedly revealed was pretty glorious and I thought the prospect of having to do internal battle with them again was excellent. I also really liked how the Guardian was presented as female facing. That was a nice touch and brought things up to scratch with the times. I think having continuity with Point of Entry was not on my bingo card in the form of Christopher Marlowe being present but I'm all for it! It had been a decade since I listened to that Lost Story but I think we could actually do with more of this kind of thing. It gives credence to the audio Whoniverse as a whole which is just wonderful. I thought the Doctor having fun with the TARDIS acronyms was a delight because Peri was getting pretty darn angry by his expectations for her to understand what they stood for. The idea of her using the TARDIS manual as a doorstop though! I thought Turlough working out that their surroundings were not real and that everything was a simulation was impressive and I must admit that wasn't something I saw coming so that definitely worked as a good twist. I think the idea of the TARDIS trying to give Turlough a test and seeing him as a threat is a bit harsh considering everything he did from the events of Terminus onwards, but I guess it was TESS as the backup defence systems and another fun acronym. I'm sure the old girl we met in The Doctor's Wife would have thought differently. The transition from a potential neutron star crash to the seventeenth century was pretty smooth although I must say the concept behind an escape wardrobe is just ludicrous. Turlough being tempted by the return of Trion was good and I like the mystery that came from him being uncomfortable with the memories the TARDIS was able to see in his mind. I'm looking forward to exploring the dynamic moving forward for this series which is just fascinating. Overall, a fun start to the series! I expect emotions to be high as we proceed and I'm all here for it.

Rating: 8/10

Midnight Feast

"That's the smell of success."

Writer: George Mann

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 2018

Printed in: Free Comic Book Day 2018

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice

Synopsis

Alice is less than impressed by the Doctor's racket making a midnight feast. Whilst she sleeps, he ventures for the perfect meal.

Verdict

Midnight Feast was a pretty average little comic strip story to conclude my reading of the 2018 Free Comic Book Day bonus print! I blogged the beautiful Catch a Falling Star yesterday but thankfully I have already read The Armageddon Gambit back in 2018 as part of the Seventh Doctor graphic novel from Titan Comics that collected their stories for that incarnation. So just like that this issue is complete! It's been a delight to read this as an eBook from BorrowBox and the resources of libraries continue to just be magnificent. I'm so grateful and forever indebted to them for everything I have been able to blog free of charge. Hopefully it never ends! Whilst my love of Gabby as the Tenth Doctor's companion made that run of Titan Comics very special to me, I was less enthusiastic about Alice in the same role for the Eleventh Doctor. She never felt like she fitted in with this incarnation to me so this was less of a fun return to a series I haven't dipped into for a very long time now. I thought the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor here was really strong as he was a little over then top and enthusiastic about making a midnight feast. I just find Alice a little boring I think which doesn't suit this Doctor at all! Instead of joining in with the excitement or going off to join him on his food travels, she just goes back to bed? That's hardly great companion material is it? They're not wanting to go off exploring which I just find a little annoying. Travel! See things! I might just a andwich! That might just be the thing I despise the most. My girlfriend is a huge fan of it but I call it cat food. It's horrible stuff and I don't think I could physically put it in my mouth. The smell is more than enough to make me gag and when I make it for my partner on pasta, the moment any juices get on my hands I feel absolutely grotesque. I can't stand the stuff! The smell on my fingers, everything. It's just truly awful stuff. So I think the fact that she then entices the Doctor into having a tuna sandwich makes me dislike Alice even more as a companion now! The story itself wasn't anything special but I mean there really is only so much that can be done with five pages. I must admit that a story centred on food would not be what I expected from a George Mann authored adventure, so that was certainly unique! I would say though that it was definitely in character for the Eleventh Doctor to be chasing food. I was surprised though that he didn't get on well with the serving of fish fingers and custard! Seeing a Zygon suited up in their best Victorian garb at the diner was great but I do think there was a bit of a missed opportunity here to showcase other aliens and monsters. Why toy with just one familiar monster and feature unheard of ones like the Hoomis and the Vake. Why not the Sontarans and Rutan Host? I felt that would be a much better fit and could have injected some strong humour. Nevertheless, the Doctor returns to his TARDIS for the smell of a tuna sandwich and somehow it's appealing. Horrific. Still, a decent bonus and all the more for free. 

Rating: 6/10

Catch a Falling Star

"We went on adventures and encountered all kinds of angels and devils."

Writer: Nick Abadzis

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 2018

Printed in: Free Comic Book Day 2018

Featuring: Gabby

Synopsis

Gabby is falling, and delivers her final thoughts to Cindy reflecting on her time with the Tenth Doctor.

Verdict

Catch a Falling Star was a sublime comic strip story! Oh it was so lovely to delve back into the world of Titan Comics and the Tenth Doctor comics they produced as that was a super fun time in my fandom. I was so saddened when their ranges came to an end because they were so just so good. They provided so much depth and exceeded the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip at the time which is no surprise considering how much bigger they were and the extent of their story arcs. I think not being contained to the current Doctor and having wholly original companions also helped things in terms of the overall story direction. It's fair to say that Gabby was my favourite companion from the Titan Comics run so to revisit her here in a kind of epilogue to her journey as a companion was just a delight. I've had a little bit of a weird relationship with the Free Comic Book Day stories and I really do need to compile a list of what I have and haven't blogged and ensure I get caught up. I would have been living in Bath as a third year student at the time this edition was released and there's a really good comic shop there called American Dream Comics that surely would have partaken in the event. I'm not sure why I never obtained a copy but I was so glad to see this on BorrowBox and ensured that I quickly downloaded the eBook! This was only five pages long but it was just tremendous. I absolutely adore the style of comic strip when it comes to Gabby being featured as the narration being in the form of her writing notes in her sketchbook is just wonderful. She's also just incredibly likeable and having her in reflective mode here was glorious. I definitely thing reading now some eight years later has benefited me and it's been six years since I blogged The Good Companion and would have finished her journey in the TARDIS, so this was pretty nostalgic in a way. Seeing the references to Revolutions of Terror with her as a waitress was marvellous and that's a comic that has stuck with me for a very long time in kicking off this whole era. I really loved the imagery of the numerous monsters and aliens Gabby encountered alongside the Doctor with the illustrations of the likes of Sutekh, Cybermen and Sontarans all looking pretty glorious. The design here was pretty epic, especially considering it was released for free! The attention to detail was second to none. Gabby reflecting on getting pally with Anubis as the Egyptian god that wasn't all bad was a nice touch and I also enjoyed how she was able to almost apologise to Cindy for not quite loving her in the same way she was loved by her. The idea of her following Gabby and not the Doctor into the TARDIS was really quite poignant and showed just how much she cared for her. She was basically an accidental companion and that was a strong reminder here. I think the moment she is falling is presented nicely and having her fall into the TARDIS of the Twelfth Doctor is pretty incredible. I can't believe we haven't had any adventures of them together! What a team. I like that she recognised him from Four Doctors and The Lost Dimension, and here she is grateful that he kept his word even if it was with a different face in catching her when she fell. Overall, just a wonderful little comic strip! 

Rating: 10/10

Pandemonium

"History shouldn't be breathing."

Writer: Katharine Armitage

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 4.05

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The past has broken through into the Powell Estate and not even the Doctor knows what's happening! With more and more historical figures appearing, it's a race to figure out what's behind this, before the past becomes the present and all hell breaks loose...

Verdict

Pandemonium was an excellent episode to continue the ongoing seres of Ninth Doctor Adventures! I thought this was another really strong story and I liked that it acknowledged the constant landing in the Powell Estate that has ensued for the majority of this range. I like that the Doctor landing there so frequently has now had an effect temporally and I kind of thought of this story as a contained version of The Wedding of River Song in how history was spiralling through the cracks into the modern day. I would say this was a little more controlled though as the figures from history all arrived one by one and were coming in some sort of order. That in of itself was a fascinating concept and when it was later revealed that they were coming through in the order in which they died, that really was quite intriguing. Talk about structure! The realisation in the TARDIS as well from the Doctor when he was announcing to Rose that they had arrived in the most horrifying place imaginable and simply stating 'your mother's' to his companion in answer to her question was just astonishingly good. I thought Christopher Eccleston was on top form here and I am so delighted that Big Finish continue to give his incarnation of the Doctor so much life. He really is excellent. Kudos must also go to Billie Piper in how well she is portraying the earlier version of Rose from Series 1 two decades later! The series feels so authentic and that really has been such a strong selling point of its appeal. Glen was a really nice character as someone on the Powell Estate that Rose knew well as a former babysitter and him being the one to have an account of everyone that had come from history was fun stuff. The importance of that book would soon be realised pretty unexpectedly but the mystery getting explored was all part of the story's fun. His being gay was obviously not a big deal to anybody in the relative present day of 2006, but the fact his Paul came back from the dead after some forty years odd was obviously emotional and it was just lovely that briefly they didn't have to hide their relationship. I think that's really nice and was a good showcase of how society has evolved. Jackie's relationship with Edith Nesbit was hilarious and I really do enjoy how much Rose's mum brings to these contemporary episodes. She's so much fun! I did like how she got a little serious in parts though and it was nice to know that she had trust in the Doctor to put things right. She was also very accepting of the fact that those coming back from the dead wouldn't stay for long. That was a tad sad for the community. I was impressed with the Doctor in working things out and I thought things did seem pretty ominous for a while. The significance of the Powell Estate was great but for me the highlight was how emotional things got for Rose as she realised that Pete might be the next one to arrive if the orders of death chronologically continued. The events of Father's Day are still relatively fresh for the Doctor and Rose so Pete is a very strong topic for them at the moment and even though he wouldn't be the real article, Rose cherished the idea of one final hug. I was surprised that Jackie didn't feel the same way and I can understand that because obviously she has managed to move on after nearly two decades. Grief was dealt with from different perspectives throughout the story and Glen and Paul were a big part of that, but the ambiguity for Rose as well at the end in not knowing whether it was Pete who called out was poignant. The threat of demons at the Powell Estate was really strong to set us up for what looks to be a mid-series finale in two month's time which is exciting! Also, the use of Bad Wolf in the episode from the demonic figure was glorious. Really well done. Overall, a brilliant listen! 

Rating: 9/10

Dust

"We were counting the particles of dust on the surface of Mars."

Writer: Paul Leonard

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Steel Skies 05

Featuring: Second Doctor

Synopsis

There are many places that most of us can never see: places that are sheltered, locked away, cordoned off from the outside world. But to the Doctor, and those who travel with him in his TARDIS, there is no such thing as a locked door. Anywhere in space and time is open to them to visit – even if sometimes it might be better to leave such places well alone.

Steel Skies is a collection of stories based in enclosed and artificial environments: places constructed to keep the dangers of the universe outside, perhaps, or to keep their inhabitants locked in. It is divided into four sections, each exploring a different kind of confinement:

Section One, Flight, comprises four tales of travellers who left their homes for far-away destinations – to explore, to start a new life, or to fight for the survival of their species.

Section Two, Frontiers, explores the corridors, living quarters and ventilation shafts of four futuristic environments – designed to shelter men, women and children from harsh natural forces, or from the threat of nuclear war.

Section Three, Incarceration, tells four stories of punishment and imprisonment, from San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz, to the cage of a flightless angel in the dilapidated ruins of Heaven. 

Section Four, Isolation, deals with the loneliness and despair of being cut off from the world outside, by physical or mental incapacity, by the ravages of war, or caught between destinations aboard the TARDIS itself. 

A recurring theme in all four sections is the effect of the Doctor's arrival in these enclosed environments – sometimes positive, sometimes less so.

Verdict

Dust was an excellent story to continue my way through the Steel Skies edition of Short Trips! This saw me move into the second section of the collection as we now move into a series of stories under the umbrella of Frontiers and if this is anything to go by then it’s going to be an improvement on the first quartet! I think a setting of Mars is excellent and I really do think it’s a planet that is still underutilised despite having it as the home of the Ice Warriors and the likes of Pyramids of Mars, The Waters of Mars and Empress of Mars featuring there. I still think more could be done with it being the closest planet to Earth and this one had an eery feeling. The title of the story itself was incredibly blunt but it was perfect for this kind of adventure. Thinking of dust in the terms that were presented in this story was quite frightening actually and I think most of that was down to the character of Jovain Pallis. The story being told in first person from his perspective became more and more chilling as it went on. He was clearly a little demented and that was later confirmed with him being revealed as the murderer of Marissa. That whole reveal with the murderer actually being the perspective the story was told from was fascinating and it was actually pretty fun to see him trying to work out who it was. Of course, from this perspective we got the inner thoughts of Jovain and it was clear to see that he wasn’t all there. I quite enjoyed how the Doctor barely featured and I must say I think that was for the better. I don’t really know where the placement is in chronology for the Second Doctor to be travelling alone unless the Season 6b theory is confirmed here and we’re post the events of The War Games, but it worked well and I was glad that we didn’t get much interaction from him. He was basically just on hand to work out the murderer and then send him packing. Jovain even seemed to be contempt with his punishment of isolation and appreciated that the Doctor had given him a voice recording box in order to be able to speak to somebody and get some sort of reply. I’m assuming that the story told here was that voice recording? Maybe a tad more clarity on that would have been welcomed. With Marissa dead, Isabell was able to push Jovain about the murder as she knew that in the circumstances they found themselves in, the culprit could only be one of the them. And she certainly knew it wasn’t her! I thought that was pretty chilling and it was really good to have Jovain still thinking about things on a microscopic scale. From dust into joints then on a planetary scale of Mars, it was so interesting to think about. The fact that Jovain seemed to have killed Marissa simply because he couldn’t have her was pretty horrifying but something I can’t say was surprising. It was disturbing and that was made evident by his thoughts on their sixteen year age gap with him being thirty-nine whilst she was just twenty-three. His outburst at the ridiculousness of him killing her because he was in love with her sold him out really because nobody mentioned those kind of feelings. The Doctor challenging him in a calm but stern way was powerful stuff that I wouldn’t ordinarily associate with this incarnation. It was good to see that more stern side of the Second Doctor. I was surprised he even let Jovain in the TARDIS! But he seemed accepting of his fate to remain in isolation. The rest of the crew had a couple of years to wait until the last flight home and thinking that they had been there for two decades was almost incomprehensible. No wonder they all got along! How could they not? Overall, a really interesting read. I loved the discussions of the titular element of dust and the perspective worked with a really strong setting. A brilliant read!

Rating: 9/10

Helter Skelter: Land of Fools

"There's always a price."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures 10.03

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in London, 1980, but something has gone wrong with the timeline. The city is a quasi-police state, overseen by a mysterious new company, Luqos, which promises miraculous gifts to its followers. 

As Tegan takes off to reconnect with an old friend, and the Doctor teams up with young activist Zan, Turlough is pulled into the heart of Luqos by the shadow 'M', where they discover an old enemy at work beneath the city.

Verdict

Land of Fools was a strong episode to conclude the Helter Skelter series of Fifth Doctor Adventures! I thought this was a really intriguing story that I honestly think would have benefitted from a bigger gap to Field of Miracles with it being a direct sequel. I think I was a little too clever for my own good with this episode as I noticed beforehand that it was written by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle and thought that was a tad odd considering they’d written the series opener. With only three episodes, it’s quite unusual for them to not have three different writers! With talk of an old enemy returning in the synopsis and no sign of anyone in the cast list fitting that bill, I pretty much worked out that this was a follow on from the opener quite early on. That didn’t take away from the episode a huge amount as it’s always fun to be proven correct, but it did take away a little bit of the element of surprise. I think the 1980 setting was strong and I always enjoy exploring an alternate timeline because the rule book is thrown out of the window! Who knows what we could find? Tegan wanting to catch up with her old friend in hospital who she never got to say goodbye to was actually pretty emotional. It tied in nicely with Logopolis and it was quite sad that she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye whilst she was away travelling. What an opportunity for her now through time travel to get that chance! Turlough though was not happy that Tegan got to have free reign on their travels which I’m not entirely sure I agree with but he was standing firm. They were back on Earth again and basically in Tegan’s time and the Doctor soon backed down after a protest over what potentially could change in time or history. It was good for Turlough to stand up to that as I think he’s been somewhat quiet this series. I thought the mystery of M was intriguing and it actually being the baby who lost his mother in the series opener was fascinating. He knew all about the TARDIS trio from 1950 and thirty years on now history had very much changed! Tegan’s reaction to finding Jan alongside her in the hospital was amusing as she was assumed to be the first arrivals of greeting her after she was healed! I thought the reveal of the Asteri was good at the cliffhanger and the Doctor realising just ahead of time also was strong stuff. One crystalline form survived the stardust sonic screwdriver cancelling them out and continuing the theme of wishing upon a star and getting what was desired was superb. I think that’s a really good concept and I liked how the Doctor acknowledged that it was the origin for the wish upon a star phrase. Zan was a really good character to fill the companion role with Tegan mostly absent at the hospital and I enjoyed how she fostered a strong relationship with the Doctor. She was surprised by his lack of Luqos knowledge and that company being in control was terrific. I liked the mystery behind them and the way things were in this alternative timeline were just that. They were the way they were just because. I thought Zan spilling her heart out to the Asteri at the end about free will was strong stuff. I think a little more information on the timelines being fixed or just more clarity/focus there at the end would have been beneficial to round out the series as a whole, but overall a really good listen to conclude a strong and consistent boxset!

Rating: 8/10

Helter Skelter

"It's so fun nobody can resist."

Writer: James Moran

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures 10.02

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

When a bio-engineered planet and amusement park undergoes a critical malfunction, the entire planet tears itself apart – and the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough are thrown back to their arrival, trapped in a repeating time loop.

But for some reason, only Tegan can see the loop, not the Doctor – it has been hidden from him somehow. So why can Tegan see it, and how is she going to fix it?

Verdict

Helter Skelter was an excellent episode to continue my way through the Fifth Doctor Adventures series for which this is the titular story for the audio anthology! It's a fun name and I liked how for a good chunk of the first part that it did just seem like the Doctor had brought Tegan and Turlough to somewhere fun. It was a holiday made of entertainment in the form of Funtopia, an intergalactic theme park which is a marvellous concept and the only bad thing might actually just be that it was in a non-visual format. I thought the world building here was really strong and I do think the cover art helps reflect that for its portion of the illustration. The actual episode starting with an unseen adventure seeing the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough being on the run from Genghis Khan was good fun and was this the attack mentioned by the Ninth Doctor in Rose? It seems a shame that we don't get the full episode for that because that would be terrific! Tegan was less than pleased with the Doctor for having them in the wrong time by a millennium and to be fair I feel like that's warranted so her commenting on the Doctor's dematerialisation parking as a 6.5 was good fun. I thought the way the mystery at Funtopia came in segments was really well done and after a little bit of a slow burner, the pace picked up perfectly. The Doctor being in the queue for a rollercoaster without really knowing why was intriguing and obviously pointed towards something bigger being at play. But I wasn't expecting the entire planet to then blow up! I don't really know why that would be included in the synopsis for the episode because that's a pretty impactful moment! I do love a time loop and the twist here of only Tegan being the one to know it was happening was fantastic. The realisation of what was happening to her and her growing frustrations were great but I also liked how she was showing initiative and getting to grips with things after each reset. The Doctor claiming to be able to feel immediately if they were in a time loop was great because then that allowed him to realise it had been manufactured specifically for him to not be aware. And that meant only one person in the universe could have created it. Himself! That was a really good twist and I must admit I was expecting someone else to be revealed but that worked well. It certainly provided good logic to the story's events and I enjoyed how particularly in the second part things advanced as we learned more about the hooded figures and the Cult of Coreolis. I do wish the Doctor hadn't heard of them because I prefer as a listener to share the same knowledge as he does because where would he have acquired the knowledge to name them so quickly? I liked how they were seeking to free a warlord from another dimension and getting the people of Funtopia to all focus on one thought was great as a means to open the portal. It explained why the Doctor and Turlough were acting up rather differently! Deandra and Bridger were fun characters and I liked how their interactions with Tegan changed as she got more comfortable with the time loop. She really wasn't messing around by the end! I was intrigued that no matter where the TARDIS went as well, the time loop stayed active. I wasn't actually expecting that! Turlough trying to make sense of the same event and action from the Doctor in preventing the explosion being both the cause and solution of the time loop was marvellous and the continued insistence to look at things four dimensionally was magnificent. I'm so glad that was the final line of the episode. Overall, a superb listen to continue the series!

Rating: 9/10

Helter Skelter: Field of Miracles

"Everything has a cost."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures 10.01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough arrive in the quaint village of Heatherington in 1951. But something strange is happening. In an England of post-war austerity, Heatherington is thriving – the shops are full of produce and everyone seems to have everything they've ever wanted, even if what they've wanted is the dead to return to them.

The Doctor and his friends must stop the creeping invasion of the Asteri, wish-granting crystalline organisms of awesome destructive power, before they extract a terrible price from the villagers.

Verdict

Field of Miracles was a very strong start to the Helter Skelter series of Fifth Doctor Adventures! This was a unique little episode and I can't quite believe that it's been since Hooklight since we had anything new from the ongoing adventures of the Fifth Doctor. That feels such a long time ago in my personal life as I remember listening to that with my daughter still having carrier naps! Now she's down to one a day and running around the place as an absolute bundle of joy. It's always fun to remember where I was or the situation in life when blogging certain adventures and for some reason that just hit home here. I think this episode was titled perfectly and was definitely doing what it says on the tin! I enjoyed the Heatherington setting of 1951 very much and I liked how it was mysterious that the village seemed ripe and resplendent with its supplies, seemingly not touched by the austerity that followed the Second World War. Hell, not even the dead from that war were staying that way if they were from this village! All you had to do was wish upon a star. I thought that was pretty good and I liked how even the TARDIS was brought to the village as a means of helping from a desperate wish. Talk about the power to draw even the TARDIS off course! Turlough wasn't having it. I thought he had a pretty strong outing as companion in this episode and his connection with the baby who sadly lost her mother was admirable. Tegan could see he was getting a little attached and whilst she did tease him as we would generally expect with their relationship, she didn't go too far. She understood that things were a little serious! The Asteri was a good concept as the enemy for the adventure and I enjoyed their makeup as a crystalline life form. Their name sounds familiar and almost like something that should have been in the Whoniverse already! I'm not really sure why that it is but it just feels like it should be the case. Alas, it is not. Martin was a really good character as another of the village goers and I just liked the guest cast as a whole. I almost feel like this story was too quick at two parts and I really do think it would have benefitted from being a four-parter. It still definitely works in this format but it does almost feel like a little bit of a rush at times. That sounds negative which I don't mean to be because this was a really enjoyable listen, but I think some of the reveals would have been even better received if they had more time to build or to ponder on them. Tegan's reaction to actually seeing the field and seeing the likes of refrigerators literally grown from within was quite something! That was a delightful image painted in my mind, as was the horrifying nature of the scarecrows on the field then becoming the dead and fallen brought back to life returned. I think having this story for the Fifth Doctor set after the events of The Visitation is a stroke of genius because the resolution is good fun in having the Doctor wish for his sonic screwdriver returned to resonate the sonic with the crystalline makeup of the Asteri to send them packing once and for all. Unfortunately for him it returns to stardust once they are defeated! But surely if he's that reliant or wanting his old trusty device back then he could just create another in the TARDIS? Still, I liked how fun that was and it's ironic that in most other incarnations he could have stopped everything so much earlier! But then where would the fun in that be? Overall, a really strong series opener! I look forward to the rest of the trilogy ahead. 

Rating: 8/10

Dracula!

"These performances are summoning evil back to our shores!"

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Novel

Released: September 2025

Series: Puffin Classics 08

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis

The Doctor and his companions arrive in a quiet, unassuming seaside town called Whitby. The terrible significance of the place evades them, until they happen upon a theatre production that captivates their attention. 

Dracula! 

Suddenly, murders are occurring left, right and centre. Ian is soon missing, and a town shrouded in myth and legend is beginning to live up to its name. 

Clearly there is a Dracula at large, and more to the theatre than meets the eye. As the TARDIS team quickly realise, you can never trust a vampire...

Verdict

Dracula! was an excellent novel to unfortunately serve as the final release in the Puffin Classics crossover range! This has been a terrific little series covering numerous Doctors and classic novels which has been most intriguing. As per usual, this story is based on a book I have a decent knowledge of but haven't actually read. I don't believe I have ever even seen a film adaptation based on Dracula but the character is just so well known so I was pretty familiar with a large number of the story elements. The Whitby setting of 1901 was fantastic and I just loved the atmosphere throughout. With it being at Halloween, it definitely felt like there was a chill in the air and that's impressive to capture in prose. I thought the quartet of the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara were written to near perfection in capturing their quirks, dialogue, traits and general characterisation. It was so strong and that was clear right from the off which always leans to a more enjoyable reader experience. It felt authentic and given a 2025 release date, this book perfectly felt of its era which is a huge compliment! I liked how this was firmly set during Season One and I would wager soon after The Sensorites with the references to Susan's telepathic ability whilst mentioning the events of Marco Polo and The Aztecs as still being recent for them in terms of just a matter of weeks. Ian and Barbara were still wanting to get back home to London, 1963 and they were just a little early here. It was really good to have the companions in their relatively recent past and Barbara's historical knowledge came into play again rather nicely with what she remembered about Whitby Abbey and the Vikings destroying it. It was obviously in much better condition now and I think the one-hundred-and-ninety-nine steps that led up to it was really good in capturing the uneasy atmosphere. I liked the situation the TARDIS landed in with the performance of the Legend of Count Dracula play coinciding with seven murders in seven nights. Talk about an impact! Whitby had been ravaged by Dracula a decade prior and now the locals were convinced he was back. I mean, he'd never left which was pretty amusing and I can't believe that when the chapter closed and Kristoff Alucard introduced himself to Barbara, I didn't clock that his surname was Dracula spelled backwards! It only came to me when Van Helsing mentioned the anagram. I couldn't believe I hadn't spotted it beforehand considering he then played a big role beside Barbara for the rest of the book. I thought the uncle and nephew Van Helsings were really good and the latter seemingly taking the role of the former in hoping to bring about the end for Dracula again was excellent. I loved touching upon the Doctor's own history with Vampires in terms of what he had been taught on his home planet and at this point in chronology I thought that was handled with care very nicely. Muriel Flitt turning out to be the actual Vampire that was committing all of the murders wasn't a huge surprise after we'd seen her mesmerise Ian into being her butler, but the ridiculousness of Cornelius Thyme in not realising that when he was literally co-starring as Dracula in the play alongside her and then living with her was almost too much to believe. A hard back board for her sleep as an excuse for the coffin! I thought the Halloween ball depicting a Vampire attack actually now suffering the real thing was brilliant and the Doctor and company being armed with stakes and garlic was quite the image, although he was more interested in words. When she knew of the TARDIS and the fact she could return to the Dark Times, her scale of attempted conquest suddenly went beyond mere Whitby. The Doctor throwing his hotel key into the sea claiming it to be the TARDIS key was great stuff and I also loved the line about him needing to invent something to get through locked doors. A lovely sonic screwdriver foreshadowing! And that feels feasible considering he used psychic money here. Dracula in wolf form taking out Muriel in her bat form was quite the image as they sprawled over the cliffs and down below to round out the Vampire threat and put an end to the Whitby damage once and for all. A decade of torment was over. Overall, a fantastic read! 

Rating: 9/10

The Meddling Monks: Monky Business

"I think we're being robbed!"

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 5.01b

Featuring: The Monk, The Nun

Synopsis

A Blinovitch based accident with the TARDIS has curtailed the Meddling Monk and the Meddling Nun's travels together. Now they're trapped on Earth with no means of escape. Or are they? The Nun has a mysterious plan and the first step is for them to buy a house. What could possibly go wrong?

Verdict

Monky Business was another good episode to continue my way through the first part of The Meddling Monks as the opener to the fifth series of Dark Gallifrey! This didn't quite have the charm of the incredible Monky House first episode but that was always going to be a difficult task to live up to! I was intrigued by the follow on and I think it's tremendous that there's going to be new lyrics for the opening theme in each part. It's so cleve and just sets the tone right from the off. The atmosphere is pretty joyous and I like how that is the feeling right from the beginning. It's what you should want! I thought it was good for the Monk and Nun to touch upon their predicament and also look back on their problems in simply buying a house. That obviously didn't go too well but alluding to them having no TARDIS to access was good and just enough of a hint at the real world at this point in the story. We're only a third of the way through and reality is barely seeping through the cracks which is great. That follows the WandaVision format very nicely and I suspect that the next release will really set things alight! I was a little confused by the plot of this episode and I suspect that was actually part of the point. It felt a little like a version of Bargain Hunt in pitting both incarnations of the Meddling Monk against one another but with the prospect of the loser then being fired, it also had a feeling of The Apprentice! But were either of them actually employed from anything that they could get fired from? That felt like a little bit of a disconnect but the fact it was acknowledged makes me think it was intended to be part of the fun. It was good to have jokes again but they didn't seem to quite hit as much as the opening episode of this part, but again the Monk mocking the Nun about it is good natured fun. I am intrigued by his insistence again of being so superior to his female incarnation and his confusion over the words superfluous and sublime was very amusing. The Nun looked at him stupidly as she should! Although would she not have the same vocabulary as him given they're the same person? I thought it was a little bit on the nose to have a reference in the previous episode to the app being a convenient narrative point, but the use here of making a joke of when the story takes place was a tad annoying. I would actually like to know! We had clear timeframes on WandaVision from the attire and the style of sitcom that was being watched, but I don't quite get that sense here. The moment in the shop where the buyer was just referencing 'this much' as an amount of money was a tad frustrating. It was completely baffling and almost too silly though when he came into the shop to buy a balaclava and other items resembling a robber, then return moments later in full garb to rob the place, and then have the cheek to quickly then show back up in an effort to return his items! Talk about rigging the system. That was some effort! Overall, it didn't quite live up to the opener but it was still good fun. Perhaps too much focus on Business as a thing rather than just a word, but still leaves me very excited for the next two episodes to come! Maybe it didn't have the same impact because I actually listened soon after writing the blog for the previous part? Maybe I'll take a break between parts next month. 

Rating: 7/10

The Meddling Monks: Monky House

"A meddle so meddlesome it'll win a medal for meddling at the meddling Olympics."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 5.01a

Featuring: The Monk, The Nun

Synopsis

A Blinovitch based accident with the TARDIS has curtailed the Meddling Monk and the Meddling Nun's travels together. Now they're trapped on Earth with no means of escape. Or are they? The Nun has a mysterious plan and the first step is for them to buy a house. What could possibly go wrong?

Verdict

Money Business was an extraordinary start to the first part of The Meddling Monks to open the fifth series of Dark Gallifrey! I am fascinated to see how this ties into the overlapping story arc and the opening monologue referencing how we'd have to wait until part six was just delightful. This was a sublime listen and was so close to full marks but I just love how incredibly different this was. It's always great to explore new ways of telling a story and this certainly was achieved here! This is a Big Finish version of WandaVision in a way and who better to do that with than the Monk and the Nun! They're one and the same and it's great fun to have two incarnations of the same Time Lord interacting because which one would do so willingly other than the most meddlesome of them all? It really is staggering to think that a disguise at an eleventh century monastery in The Time Meddler has sealed the fate of the Monk to that title, but I guess him showing back up in that monk garb in The Daleks' Master Plan is why! It spreads to a female incarnation as well with her being the Nun and the pair here were just marvellous. The chemistry was a delight and I am so ready for six episodes together in this kind of format and atmosphere, even if they are a bit shorter at half an hour or so each. The pace was perfect but given everything going on and how audacious some elements of the story were, I think it actually works well to have a moment to pause between parts. The numbering of parts is going to get a little whacky as in the next release which is titled as part two, we'll actually begin with part three! That's not the first time that's happened at Big Finish though. I thought touching close to the line of breaking the fourth wall was tremendous in having both the Monk and Nun referred to as Rufus and Gemma in the events of the episode. That's so simple but it was done ever so effectively. I loved the sequence where the Nun claimed to be the master of buying houses, and the Monk thought she meant the renegade Time Lord known as the Master! Him acknowledging theories of the Master and Monk being the same person was a lovely line to throw in and I also adored the cheeky reference to the War Chief. I still dispute The War Games in Colour for throwing in that musical reference! I thought the way the story essentially went from the Monk and the Nun playing Monopoly and then actually buying property for real life was incredible. The scale shifted dramatically in very quick time! John as the estate agent felt like a pretty useless character and Carrie as the owner of the house up for sale felt a little sad in how desperate she was for company. The Monk mistaking her signs of innuendo when he was just describing the house was pretty good humour. The Nun and the Monk outbidding each other despite having access to the same funds was also pretty fun but I would have expected them to work out who the other bidder was! Nevertheless, they got the house they so desired but were now bankrupt! Talk about a good scheme from the Nun to get out of their predicament of being trapped together. I'm intrigued to hear how this meddle comes together, but this is a fun situation for them to be in heading into the second part! Overall, a sensational setup with the audience laughter in the right amounts and even the characters within telling the opening and closing credits! A delightful listen. 

Rating: 9/10

The Empire Man

"We all have nightmares from time to time."

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: December 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 68

Featuring: Queen Victoria

Synopsis

Christmas Eve, and in a secret library underneath Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria has invited her new Prime Minister to a very private tradition. 

At one hour to midnight, the monarch insists on the telling of ghost stories. Stories of the supernatural, the alien, and the unsettling. Only this year, something else has got in.

We are not alone.

Verdict

The Empire Man was a very good episode to continue my way through the monthly range of Torchwood at Big Finish! My prejudice regarding Queen Victoria as the main character in a Torchwood story struck once again as I knew I would listen to a Torchwood episode today, but I hadn't actually checked which one was next in the range. I wasn't excited but I was feeling a little guilty at the end as this very much did feel like the end for her character. I think it's good to bring her story to a close because let's be honest she's probably played too frequent of a role and position in the Whoniverse up to this point considering she is a real historical figure and a reigning monarch at the time when the stories are set! But it was good to give her a little epilogue speech at the conclusion of the episode. It was rather fitting. I thought the Christmas theme was thankfully a little on the downside considering I'm listening four months after the holiday. It did feel very much a Victorian era Christmas though with the telling of ghost stories as that would not be something at all I associate with modern celebrations. I find that interesting and it was actually quite amusing to think that Queen Victoria called in her Prime Minister to a secret library beneath Buckingham Palace on Christmas Eve to tell ghost stories. How must he have reacted! He wasn't all that keen to be there which was fun and I like how he wasn't actually named. He didn't seem all that fussed or even believing of the stories that both Victoria and Castringham told. I admit that I would be on his side also in just putting things down to coincidence as I firmly don't believe in the supernatural or other worldly or similar forces. However, this is science fiction and that's where the fun and entertainment comes in! I really liked how Victoria and Castringham were clearly playing a long game with the Prime Minister and the moment he told his adventure of finding a rare coin near the Suffolk/Norfolk border at the same woods that the pair in his company had their stories focused was intriguing. I liked how things were all connected but still the Prime Minister wasn't having any of it. Merely coincidence for three well-traveled and open-minded people. I could see the argument, but this was too good to be true. His reaction to Victoria telling him that he was actually holding the coin he'd claimed to have given away to a museum in York was excellent and really showed the truth regarding the Empire Man. That's a really fun name for someone confronting Queen Victoria as she oversaw an incredible British Empire, and she was keen to do a deal with the being here. I was almost a little taken aback by how she had no reaction to his arrival as he did sound pretty frightening, but she was just ready to make a bargain with the creature! He had been inhabiting the Prime Minister and then Victoria was fine with that to such an extent that she was willing to bargain with the Empire Man. The concept of an alien being the Prime Minister is not exactly something new given what occurred in Aliens of London/World War Three, but just how many times has it happened? The prospect of Victoria going rogue also is quite fun to consider with her not wanting to tell Torchwood about the instalment of an alien as the United Kingdom's new leading political figure. And why would she? Overall, a very good listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Betrayal at the House of Sontar

"They fooled themselves."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Rutans vs Sontarans 1.01

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor

Synopsis

There are many stories of the Sontaran-Rutan war. But one hidden thread has yet to be revealed. A tale told across millennia. From before the war to its possible end. As the Doctor is about to discover...

On the run from the mysterious organisation called Division, the Doctor has come to the planet Sontar – home of the Kaveetch Empire and their armed forces, the Sontarans. She wants sanctuary... and she's offering the secrets of the Time Lords in exchange. 

But with the whole of time and space up for grabs, the stakes are high. Can everyone on Sontar be trusted?

Verdict

Betrayal at the House of Sontar was an excellent start to the brand new Rutans vs Sontarans series! Well, let's be honest though, it's basically series two of the Sontarans vs Rutans spinoff we got two years ago! I can't believe they've just switched the name order and referred to it as an entirely new series in terms of numbering, but these are just semantics I'm complaining about because the story itself was just excellent. A depiction of how the ancient and enduring war between the Sontarans and the Rutan Host began! At last we get the origin and I thought it was tremendous. It was so close to full marks from me but this was a joy to listen to. I love the mystery of the Fugitive Doctor era and I think this definitively puts her incarnation prior to the First Doctor which is still not something I'm entirely sure I agree with, but with the Doctor being a time traveller that's no issue and it still keeps the continuity of The Sontarans in tact for me because she could just be at an early point in Sontaran history. I really appreciated the continuity this episode had with The First Sontarans and hearing the name Kaveetch again brought some memories flooding back! That Lost Story was one of my most anticipated when I started listening through Big Finish so it has some strong nostalgia for me. I can't believe it's twelve years since I blogged it! But going back to it was really well done. I thought Jo Martin was wonderful again as the Fugitive Doctor and it was pretty amusing for her to unknowingly foreshadow her future as the cover story had her on the run from Division as a fugitive. She laughed off that idea as unreasonable which is great knowing where things go for this incarnation. Drammal was a really strong character as a senior figure within Division and he was definitely one step ahead of the game in orchestrating events. He was always in control or so it felt and that made him a fascinating character. His role in taking out the Kaveetch was impressive and the Doctor was actually concerned by his actions. That said a lot as this version of the Doctor isn't quite the one we know despite there being signs and glimpses. I thought General Stahl was great as a Sontaran and I just adore the design depicted on the cover art. It's simply glorious! I also really liked Vrag and the humour that we often associate with the Sontarans wasn't so evident in this story which I admired because this felt very serious. It also felt incredibly alien for the Sontarans to not know who the Rutan Host were! That was really uneasy and showed us just how early in continuity we were knowing the span of that eternal war. I loved it. Having a Rutan Host aiding Division was fascinating too as there really is no issues of species when it comes to who is part of this secret Time Lord society. The Sontarans and Kaveetch being wary of the Time Lords was really good stuff and showcased their power with the rumours of species being wiped from time despite their apparent policy of non-intervention! Meredit appearing earlier in his life was an intriguing development too and just helped this story be a showcase of Sontaran continuity. I thought that was really good and I was then quite surprised by how Drammal orchestrated the conclusion in destroying the Kaveetch but ensuring the Sontarans remained. The concept of Division being the ones to create the war between Sontarans and Rutan Host by pitting them against the other as the perfect enemy to keep them busy in conflict because of the fears of Kaveetch technological advances with time travel is pretty incredible. Overall, a superb listen! 

Rating: 9/10

City of Devils

"The Doctor's long suffering assistant..."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Comic Strip

Released: August 1992

Printed in: DWM Holiday Special 1992

Featuring: Sarah Jane, K9

Synopsis

Sarah Jane and K9 join an archaeological dig in Egypt, uncovering a city that belongs to the previous inhabitants of the planet. A devilish city is uncovered...

Verdict

City of Devils was a great comic strip adventure to conclude my reading of the Black Sun Rising collection of backup tales from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! This feels like an extra bonus to include as it was released a decade later than the majority of this collection and I guess that the previous blog from this graphic novel in the form of A Ship Called Sudden Death is where the 'backup' style format ended. That's a shame but it couldn't live forever, although if it could make a return that would be much appreciated. I love exploring in a spin-off like fashion and this did a really good job in essentially being a comic strip story for the world of K9 & Company. It was great to reference A Girl's Best Friend and I thought it did a really good job in capturing the life of Sarah Jane that we saw in the short-lived spinoff series. Her dealings with Aunt Lavinia were quite amusing and I also liked how K9 played a major role. He just works ever so well alongside Sarah Jane which is a delight to witness. Some of the illustrations for the robot dog were a little comical in this particular adventure but that became part of the appeal. It ws a lot of fun despite a rather serious occurrence! I'm not so sure about the history behind Sarah's apparent love for Egyptology as unless I'm missing something significant I can't ever remember that coming up in her TARDIS travels! Maybe a link back to her experiences of Pyramids of Mars? That would make sense as a connection and the 1929 Telegraph article reference from K9 was a nice touch, but I'm not sure it would warrant the kind of love her Aunt Lavinia seemed to think Sarah had for that period and place of history. It's something I would love to explore in person rather than read about and Cairo and Giza are extremely high on my bucket list so the imagery of the untouched city that Sarah got to experience here was incredible. Warren Martyn was an admirable character as he respected and looked on with awe at what he was seeing as graves were not robbed, tombs were untouched and the hieroglyphs were ripe for deciphering. Having a robot dog like K9 on hand for that was pretty handy! I thought the reveal of the Eocenes and a Sea Devil alongside them was fascinating and given this came out a decade after the broadcast of Warriors of the Deep where we did see an alliance between both races of Homo Reptilia, I'm intrigued that the Sea Devil design was clearly reminiscent of the one seen in The Sea Devils with the infamous netting attire present. That's a fun thought and I like the idea of both the Eocenes and Sea Devils being a combination across the globe. It feels weird not to refer to them as Silurians but the Third Doctor himself admitted that was not the correct term owing to when they were from. I thought the willingness of the Eocenes to have Sarah Jane negotiate on their behalf was a little surprising but it was nice that she would use her contacts at UNIT. The Brigadier was keen to make amends for his actions at the end of Doctor Who and the Silurians which I think works nicely as a way for him to try and broker peace. It would obviously be beneficial and I liked that Martyn was willing to stay as a human representative amongst the Eocenes. That was an admirable sacrifice but Sarah would help ensure that nobody would find their base despite it being a trap in the first place which is pretty amusing. Will there ever be peace between humanity and Homo Reptilia? I think not, but for now the idea is a strong one and it's nice to know that intentions are in the right place! But for now, it was just lovely to glimpse the city of Devils. It looked very impressive! Overall, a terrific little read to conclude the collection! 

Rating: 8/10

Destination: Daleks

"You brought the Daleks to Trion. What hope do we have now?"

Writer: Pete McTighe (with Alan Barnes)

Format: Webcast/Comic Strip

Released: December 2025/April 2026

Printed in: DWM 628

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The Doctor and Tegan arrive in Butler's Wharf, London... where they have some unfinished business with a very old enemy!

Verdict

Destination: Daleks was a terrific story! I absolutely loved this and I’m not entirely sure what to call it. I’m going to go with the comic strip supplement approach and blog this as one entire story as the webcast trailer for the recent release of Season 21 for The Collection is referred to as part one in the supplement opening page. I see that TARDIS Wiki considers this two stories of the same name and I imagine that’s because the formats blend across webcast and comic strip, but for me this is one adventure and I’ll blog it as such. I think it’s so fun to bring the Classic era into the world of the modern one and honestly sometimes you just have to say to hell with continuity. I like to think that this somehow fits in with The Power of the Doctor and how we saw the older Fifth Doctor reunited with Tegan, but now we have Turlough also who was seeking the help of his old friends as Trion was under considerable threat. I thought it was brilliant to have a red herring of the Daleks being the ones to invade Trion when it was actually the Movellans! I thought that was a tremendous twist and this almost becomes a loose sequel to Destination of the Daleks which is no bad thing. I think it’s incredible that apart from a brief cameo in The Pilot that we haven’t seen them return on screen as they have so much potential with how they can match the Daleks. I thought the continuity with Resurrection of the Daleks was great too in incorporating the Movellan virus and even the way the effect was illustrated resembled what we saw on screen which was excellent. I thought returning to the scene of Tegan’s hasty departure was an emotional moment and I think it’s good for her to acknowledge how things have changed. In keeping with the modern era it’s also lovely to see UNIT Tower in the London skyline. The cliffhanger with the Daleks wanting to exterminate the Doctor and Tegan at part one before they were taken to Trion was very good and I just love utilising time corridors. I think Resurrection was my second ever Fifth Doctor serial and he was my favourite incarnation for a long time as I delved into the Classic era for the first time so that serial and its plot elements have a special place in my heart. I must say, the comic strip elements looked absolutely outstanding. Like seriously stunning. It was so vibrant and the way the elder likeness of all of the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough was captured was just delightful. I think it’s lovely. Exploring more for Turlough was really strong and his life had been ravaged by the Movellans. They had burned the sky of his planet and killed hundreds of thousands of people! That included many members of Turlough’s family and Tegan giving him a big embrace there was good to see as they had a frosty relationship to say the least! The Doctor being glad to see him again with a handshake was great too despite Tegan’s chagrin. I thought the Doctor and Tegan having the Movellan virus on them was a fun way to see out the Daleks and their duplicates which included Turlough’s own nephew Zakkar! He really had been through a lot here with double agents and his planet getting caught up in the war with the damage basically as a lure and nothing more. The idea of more Dalek duplicates hanging around since 1984 is pretty fun to think about, as is the Doctor and Tegan shaking their hands to pass on the virus! Turlough ending up back on Earth as Tegan would talk to Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT to take in the population that remained from Trion was a nice touch and I like how he seems to have come around to the planet he so often talked badly about. Alongside his daughter Sifra, that’s a lovely way to conclude things for him in what I consider an epilogue adventure for his character. Overall, a superb story! A great trailer despite me not collecting the Collection and a tremendous supplement to the latest Doctor Who Magazine. A brilliant bonus indeed! 

Rating: 9/10