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

Harry Sullivan and the Chalice of Vengeance

"The moon is now on a collision course with planet Earth!"

Writer: Mark Griffiths

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2025

Printed in: The Adventures After 05

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

Discover what happened after...

A remarkable collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just after the Doctor saves the world, and the credits roll.

The Doctor has had many adventures, visited many planets and made a whole host of friends (and some enemies). 

But if you thought it was all over after the TARDIS doors closed, and the time ship dematerialised, onto the next adventure, you'd be very much mistaken.

From Earth's past, present and future, to the furthest reaches of the universe, here are eight tales that give us a glimpse into the worlds the Doctor left behind. Sometimes triumph, sometimes tragedy (and always chaos) these are stories you'll never forget.

Verdict

Harry Sullivan and the Chalice of Vengeance was a very fun little story to continue my way through The Adventures After of short story sequels! We have now ventured into the modern era of sequels which is exciting because it opens up a whole new world for follow ons, and I think it’s a wonderful idea for the first sequel of a new era story to feature a Classic era TARDIS combination! I mean the name of the story itself is a dead giveaway on that but it’s just fun to have the Fourth Doctor tidying up something caused by the Tenth Doctor. I must say that when it comes to modern era sequels, I think The Christmas Invasion is ripe for a follow on because of the actions of Torchwood in shooting down the Sycorax ship as it peacefully departed after the Doctor sent their Leader packing. It seems that one member of the clan survived and ended up on the Moon in rather unconventional circumstances! I think the idea of the chalice and a way to mind jump for a member of the Sycorax is a little out there in terms of a survival mechanism, but it is intriguing to think that Kadvah Keggh was just having his mind or consciousness floating about until it locked onto the Moonbase and found the form of Reedmace Bodd. It seemed like she had initially quickly built a strong rapport with Harry and having Sarah Jane on hand to tease him about that was a delight. I love the dynamic between these companions and it’s probably why they have their own spinoff! They just work well and I think the first person perspective of Harry as the means of storytelling for the adventure aided that. I’m not usually a big fan of that format but it absolutely worked here as it was told perfectly to the strengths of Harry Sullivan. The only slight issue with it was that the Doctor didn’t seem like too much of a main character as we stuck with Harry while he was off fixing things on the Moonbase. I thought his reference to The Moonbase was marvellous as a fun little throwback and I also enjoyed how on the base Sarah had picked up an Ice Warrior gun as she’d remembered it from her adventure to the titular planet of The Monster of Peladon. Harry’s reaction to that in realising how well travelled she was as a companion compared to him was great stuff. I thought the threat of the gravitational shift and the Moon crashing into Earth was pretty good and I do like that Keggh was out for revenge. I think it would have been a little better and more impactful if he was in full Sycorax form instead of a woman he’d latched onto and was squatting inside her mind. It did allow a good resolution though in destroying the chalice and then the Doctor rigging up a way to get the Sycorax out of Bodd’s mind. That works well when it’s from Harry’s perspective and he’s not entirely sure of how things were put to rights. The use of the internal communicator was decent and it provided a sad moment at the end for Harry as he was invited for dinner by Bodd but before he could reply it dissolved into his bloodstream as the TARDIS dematerialised onto adventures new. Poor old Harry. Overall, a great sequel to continue the collection! A really strong read. 

Rating: 8/10

A Ship Called Sudden Death

"Both craft blasted into space!"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June 1982

Printed in: DWM Summer Special 1982

Featuring: Freefall Warriors

Synopsis

Destroying a visiting craft to the Custom Craft show and Drag Race in a burn out, Shaman Kahn, Ace Flier, challenges Big Cat to a race against his spacecraft, Sudden Death. Kahn lost most of his face in a previous race with Big Cat, whom he blames for his injuries, can he get revenge?

Verdict

A Ship Called Sudden Death was a good little story to continue my way through the Black Sun Rising graphic novel collection of backup tale comic strips from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! This is another from the 1982 Summer Special and compliments The Fabulous Idiot quite nicely in this time actually having the Freefall Warriors appear as the main characters! I didn't get on too well with the previous comic adventure in this collection because I didn't think that Dr. Ivan Asimoff was too great of a main character, but with this special edition of DWM seemingly focusing on The Free-Fall Warriors in terms of its comic strip, it makes sense to actually have them lead an adventure. That was the case here and I thought it was a pretty strong outing across the four pages! I think the artwork was really impressive and just the whole design of the Freefall Warriors is really strong. It's an impressive and striking look which is of course what you want and they lived up to that appearance and reputation really well here. I thought the idea behind a space race was fun and it was essentially a rally taken amongst the stars. Shaman Khan and Big Cat clearly had history that was not exactly friendly and considering the loser of the previous space race lost half of their face, could you really blame them for having strong feelings? I liked the tension and attention that accompanied the race and the visuals of dashing past different moons certainly appeared strong. I thought it was good fun to follow the race and considering there were only four pages, it actually felt pretty extensive. I think the format of the panels in mostly being long strips across the page to get more content was cleverly done and a fine way to maximise the potential of just four pages of story and art. There was a lot going on with the Freefall Warriors and Big Cat seemed to be a formidable opponent. I wonder how deep their conflict lay. Did things get physical? Or was it simply a case of boasting about their respective ships. I thought naming a ship as Sudden Death as the story title depicts was great and a really strong name. It definitely eclipsed Tigerfire as far as names were concerned but when it came to the actual race itself, that fire breathed into victory in a way that seemed unconventional and not entirely expected. I thought Khan boasting as it appeared that Big Cat descended into the beautifully named atmosphere of Persephone was good stuff, but his confidence showed me that things were not going to end in his favour. Khan getting caught in the asteroid belt was a decent twist and I loved the illustrations there. Black and white artwork can sometimes have limitations but given the darkness of space, it works brilliantly there. This didn't feel limited which is a huge compliment. I really enjoyed how the gravitational pull of Persephone's atmosphere actually slingshotted Big Cat to the finish line and it felt like a strong finish to a pretty good race. Overall, a fun little comic strip adventure!  

Rating: 7/10 

The Fabulous Idiot

"This is serious business, you know!"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June 1982

Printed in: DWM Summer Special 1982

Featuring: Dr Ivan Asimoff

Synopsis

At home in a small city on the tiny planet of Sigma, Dr. Ivan Asimoff sits in his room writing one of his science-fiction stories. Caught up in his 'adventures', he faints when he opens the door and is faced with a life-size alien being, delivered as the new cover illustration for his book from his artist.

Verdict

The Fabulous Idiot was another pretty average comic strip adventure to continue my reading through the Black Sun Rising graphic novel collection of backup tales from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine. This one comes from a summer special edition and unfortunately I didn't think it quite lived up to the standard of what we have mostly had from this collection so far. I mean, the only familiar element of the story was the character Dr. Ivan Asimoff who isn't the most memorable or just greatest of characters in my opinion and was potentially taking the idea of a backup tale to the extreme! He's not exactly a bad character I just don't think he offers a huge amount. It's probably wrong and politically incorrect to say but his appearance doesn't offer much either and he just looks a bit silly. I completely understand that in 1982 the target audience of a Doctor Who Magazine special might have been much younger than I am now at twenty-nine, but I can only read from my own perspective! I did appreciate the idea of Asimoff writing science fiction tales and in the Whoniverse that's obviously a great thing. I was almost expecting and half hoping to have a visit to the Land of Fiction when that element emerged, but there really is only so much that can be done with a page count as limited as four. There's not a lot of room to manoeuvre with there but one thing I will commend the recent run in the collection for is doing a lot with such reduced content. This one falls short and I wasn't even a huge fan of the layout as the panels didn't seem to flow well on the back half as they weren't even and I felt the direction was a little misleading or in the wrong order which obviously doesn't help. I like to think that the idea of Asimoff awaiting a cover illustration for one of his latest adventures was a little nod to the impressive standards of Target cover illustrations which I imagine were eagerly anticipated during this point of fandom. The idea that everything wasn't accessible is honestly frightening as we're so privileged these days, but if you missed it on broadcast that was that. It would change my entire life! Asimoff actually being frightened of his cover art illustration for the next adventure book was a little ridiculous but again I think part of that just comes from his own appearance. He is a ridiculous character so it's a little difficult to imagine him in any other way than ridiculous. Almost everything he does in terms of action or speech feels a bit silly. That's why I'm not entirely sure by the use of him as a lead character for a comic strip here. Does it really feel like a bonus? I can't remember that The Free-Fall Warriors was an instant classic nor anything terrible, but I'm not sure it would be my first choice as warranting a bonus follow on! I must say though that the name of Captain Conquest was a sensational name and I'd love to see more of a character like that. It's definitely a science fiction character within the Whoniverse that I felt could do more as that's just such a good moniker. I loved that. Overall, there wasn't anything particularly bad about the comic strip but it just didn't excite me, the lead character wasn't the best, and it just didn't offer a huge amount either. An average read as the very definition. 

Rating: 5/10

The Fires Down Below

"I came to discover why you are killing millions of our people."

Writer: John Peel

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April 1982

Printed in: DWM 64

Featuring: Dominators, Quarks, UNIT

Synopsis

Iceland, 1984. UNIT are sent in when tectonic plates are clashing more than should be naturally feasible. A descent into the core of the Earth reveals a sinister presence trying to destroy the planet for fuel.

Verdict

The Fires Down Below was a good little comic strip adventure to continue my way through the Black Sun Rising graphic novel collecting the backup tales of comics from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! I'm intrigued to find that this story seems to be released three issues later than Devil of the Deep which I read last week and as I'm coming towards the end of the graphic novel I wonder if that was a signal of the end in sight for the backup tales. I would love for them to make a return but with the main comic strip now reduced to just six pages, I can't see that happening somehow! I had no idea what to expect from this story but it's another really solid adventure from John Peel. He really is cherry dipping a number of past foes and monsters and when it comes to the comic strips I know the Quarks played a big part in the early stories before there even was a DWM! I would love a collection one day of the TV Comic adventures and beyond for the first three Doctors, but seeing the Quarks here was a delight! And then they were alongside the Dominators too! Now, The Dominators is far from being an all-time classic but it's one that I have a lot of nostalgia for and definitely rate higher than a large chunk of fandom. I think the five-part format is a little strange but seeing the likeness of the Dominator from the screen drawn in the form of Dominator Haag here was fantastic. Now, the Dominator didn't do an awful lot and I think the story would have actually benefitted from having just one of the Dominators or the Quarks, but I understand why both were included when it comes to purely the televised series continuity. They are kind of a package item but there's no doubting that the Quarks are the main attraction! The design is iconic and it's almost a shame that when the UNIT personnel find them within the core and using their device to initiate the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that they just go straight to the Dominators for instructions. It would have been better if they just were being a menace! I liked that we had another UNIT story and I think it's great that they're encountering the Dominators and Quarks. I'm sure there's a story with them in the Lethbridge-Stewart novel series too which I hope to one day get to so hearing that Major Whitaker was operating under the instructions of the Brigadier was a nice touch. I thought the 1984 setting for a story released in 1982 was good fun too and some potentially dark foreshadowing! I don't know my history of volcanic eruptions but imagine if there was an earthquake that caused one in Iceland two years after this comic was released. I thought the panels in the story were good and with only four pages I think a few more could have actually been squeezed in! UNIT didn't mess around in dealing with the Dominators and the feedback loop ensuring a massive explosion felt dangerous given they were in the middle of the planet! Surely that wouldn't help the problem of the tectonic plates clashing? Overall, a fun little story with a good return and I liked the ambiguity surrounding the potential of a Dominator fleet coming. Maybe there's a sequel to come? A good read.

Rating: 7/10

Monitor

"I believed you to be a man of principle."

Writer: Huw Wilkins

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Steel Skies 04

Featuring: Seventh 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

Monitor was a pretty average story to continue my way through the Steel Skies edition of Short Trips! I have finished the Flight section of the book now and whilst I'm still enjoying this more than the running theme of Zodiac which I didn't get on with much at all, I think this is slowly dropping in quality which is a shame. Hopefully a new section for the next four stories in the form of frontiers will see an increase in standards! The ever reliable TARDISWiki tells me that this story features the Seventh Doctor and it's actually a good job that I knew that prior to reading as I don't think there's anything within the adventure that suggests which incarnation is present. That's a shame as I think it helps to have an accurate picture of which Doctor is around. That was a problem for me in Reversal of Fortune last time out as I could easily have considered that it was the Third Doctor, but here it was a pretty bland and nondescript characterisation of the Doctor in general. I don't think going down the generic route is ever the right way to go and I think that's part of the trouble a little with The Infinity Doctors. Stories work better when we have an accurate image of the Doctor in my opinion and I don't feel like I got that here which was a shame. The story itself is just fine but it could do with a little more clarity in parts. We get thrust right into an adventure where much of the action has already occurred with the Doctor awaking from an almighty crash. I was quite surprised by how violent certain aspects of the story were as we had the Doctor actually feeling the agony of broken bones in his chest. Might he be nearing the events of The Movie at this point with this incarnation wearing a little thin and ready for regeneration? It's a fun thought in head canon. I am a little ashamed to say that when I first saw the word Dragons named in the story I thought this was going to be a supernatural kind of tale. It took far too long for me to realise that the Doctor was thrust into the war between humanity and the Draconians! That was a fun eureka moment for me on the train home from work as I realised exactly what was meant by dragons and it being a derogatory term for the Draconians. I enjoyed the setting very much and it definitely had strong vibes of Frontier in Space which I think is important when revisiting a similar setting and war. The callousness of Captain Carey was almost impressive in how much distain he had towards the Draconians and it really did feel like he would never listen to the Doctor in wanting to stop the conflict. He was the authority figure that had seen eleven people lose their lives and the Doctor wasn't going to let him forget about that. But the figure of forty-seven thousands casualties at the hands of Shain-Kotek is almost incomprehensible. That's an incredible number of lives in one hit! No wonder the rest of the crew were on board with the Doctor in wanting to come to terms on peace because they knew they were losing the war. The Monitor and Covenant ships were good aspects of the story and I liked how they were vastly different which you would hope for when you're dealing with two sides of a war. I thought the Doctor using twelve billion as the assumed future human population of Earth as a bargaining chip when it came to getting Carey to finally halt and communicate was good, but I do feel like things were left a little unfinished which is a shame. This is a setting though that can be come back to time and time again and that's good, but this one felt a little long and too much aftermath of events we didn't get to experience. Still, a decent read in parts but definitely room for improvement! 

Rating: 6/10

The Lincolnshire Poacher

"This is about the numbers."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: November 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 67

Featuring: Ianto

Synopsis

Mysterous signals lead Torchwood to the Moil. 4-1-8-4. Greg likes countryside walks and recording the songs of birds. 3-6-2-7. No one knows the secret of the numbers stations. 1-2-0-5.

How long has Ianto Jones been trapped in the boiler room? 9-7-2-3. Reality is collapsing. 3-5-8-1. 

The Lincolnshire Poacher is waiting.

Verdict

The Lincolnshire Poacher was another excellent episode to continue my way through the monthly range of Torchwood from Big Finish! This was actually one of the rare occasions where I read the synopsis prior to listening to the story and I just knew it was going to be a good one. Let’s be honest though, I think this range is one of the most consistently strong that Big Finish offer as there rarely is a bad instalment. This followed up my listening of Torchwood: SUV yesterday with another Ianto story which is unique scheduling but he’s a great character so I won’t complain with getting more Gareth David-Lloyd for two consecutive days! This was a very different kind of episode and it felt like Ianto was definitely more established in his role at Torchwood. The focus was on Greg who was a really intriguing and quite troubled character. The mystery surrounding the numbers was very strong and when Greg referenced block transfer computation I was immediately taken back to Logopolis which is something that brings me incredibly fond memories. It’s one of my favourite stories as it has so much nostalgia for me as the second ever Classic serial that I saw. It’s brilliant to hear maths being used as a way to actually physically alter the universe and surroundings. There’s also something just incredibly unnerving and chilling about hearing a chain of numbers read aloud. We know they mean something but the way in which Greg lured Ianto into caring about them when he was desperately pleading for him and Torchwood to find them was superb. Greg was then just stringing Ianto along as he was unable to sleep and needed to know about them from this strange and mysterious man! I thought it was fun that Greg was continuously finding ways to phone Ianto and that even went beyond being able to call Torchwood Three directly! Ianto’s reaction to that alone was very amusing and the flashback later in the episode with him asking Jack to investigate and spend a night in the countryside. I thought we were going to have a Countrycide connection then which would have worked but it was no problem that this didn’t arise. The Moil was a fascinating concept and I liked that it was seen as almost a tear which with the proximity to the Rift would be logical. Later finding out that it was basically made up of Greg’s memories and he’d also become part of it so much so that it was comprised of him was pretty disturbing! It showed the extent his mental toil had on him and he basically reached a point of essentially exhaustion by the conclusion of the episode. I thought that was a little bit of a quick twist around to put Ianto in control after initially suffering in the Moil for what he was told was three months, and that’s probably the only reason this didn’t get full marks for my rating. It was very close! The atmosphere throughout was really strong and felt dark and chilling right from the off which was fantastic. I was a big fan. Overall, an excellent listen!

Rating: 9/10

Torchwood: SUV

"Where have all the sheep gone?"

Writer: Ash Dary

Format: Audio

Released: October 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 66

Featuring: Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

A routine alien incursion in the Valleys goes horribly wrong. Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones are trapped in the Torchwood SUV. There's a monster outside and it's determined to get in.

Can Tosh and Ianto overcome their differences and save the world? More importantly, will the SUV keep them safe?

Verdict

Torchwood: SUV was an excellent story to continue my way through the Torchwood monthly range! I've been referring to it as such for all sixty-six blog entries within the range now but I think it might actually have become bi-monthly by this point! Ah well, I'm sticking with it for the final third of the range! I have always been intrigued by the name of this episode because the SUV is an integral part of those first two series of televised Torchwood in particular without doing an awful lot. The image of usually Jack speeding up to a location and getting out of the SUV is ingrained in my mind so it makes sense for a story based around it! I am yet to listen to this audio original, but I do wonder if it's a Torchwood version of Bessie Come Home? That seems like the one it would closely resemble as a similarity with an iconic vehicle. In terms of Torchwood though this one felt like it was going to be similar to We Always Get Out Alive where Gwen and Rhys were trapped in a car for the duration of the episode. Tosh and Ianto did briefly get outside on a couple of occasions but the threat from the mist meant that had to be in incredibly small durations. I thought the coming of the Zahir was strong and I liked their brutality in wanting to clear the planet. Starting in a village in the Welsh valleys is probably not the right place to start a planetary wide culling, but they can't decide where the Rift is located on Earth can they? I thought having the SUV communicate through the mist was fun and having Nigel Havers of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith fame as the voice was a terrific choice. He oozes presence and authority which I thin was needed as the mysterious mist. It working in tandem with the Zahir was good and I liked the calm and callous nature of it appreciating their work in clearing the population. The entire village was wiped out other than Tosh and Ianto and it was lovely to get them two together. It was clearly not long since Gwen had arrived in Everything Changes so she was on a mission with Jack whilst the pairing here were sent out for a routine investigation of rift activity. Their relationship was fantastic and it certainly escalated when they had been stuck in the safety of the SUV for too long. I thought Ianto panicking was a little out of character to the extent that he was and it was quite humorous to see how desperate he was to just get some bloody fresh air! He was trying all sorts. The plan he and Tosh eventually devised by utilising the petrol within the SUV and the cigarette lighter was pretty unique but very effective! Ianto having to siphon the fuel and Tosh not being helpful in asking why it was taking so long was glorious too. Tosh's outburst against crisps was also extraordinary and her distaste towards sweet chilli flavour actually offended me a little as they are divine! The Sensations from Walkers in particular are outstanding. It was a tad heartbreaking that she was eating them when Owen visited as to not offend him. I thought the Zahir being extinguished without the mist was a long process as they slowly suffocated and Tosh and Ianto were questioning their actions against them even knowing what they had achieved. They were petrified of telling Jack about the SUV though! At least they didn't die in an alternative Popemobile, eh? Overall, a really strong episode to continue the range! 

Rating: 9/10

Dimension 13

"None of this is real."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2026

Series: Audio Novellas 1.02

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz, Brigadier

Synopsis

The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier investigate disappearances and strange time phenomena at Shackleton Base in Antarctica. But when the Doctor discovers the source of the temporal problems, he realises the only solution might be the ultimate sacrifice...

Verdict

Dimension 13 was another decent story to conclude my listening of the first series of Audio Novellas! This was another intriguing story that kept with a similar theme to the opener of The Time-Splitters in that it dealt with different dimensions. The previous release was all about time and this was more about stepping sideways which was exciting. I really liked the mystery that came from the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier experiencing a world that was mirrored. That sounded like it would be incredibly disorienting and it's such a good concept. I just wish it might have happened in a format that was more visual! It was good to get the Antarctica setting and I was almost hoping we would have had a reference to The Tenth Planet given how traumatic this continent is for the Doctor as the sight of his first regeneration. That didn't come but it was still good to explore the Shackleton Base as it's not a usual setting by any means. It was also good to basically have the Brigadier isolated from the rest of UNIT apart from on his communication device. The lead trio were really strong and it's clear that the events of Doctor Who and the Silurians are still a touchy subject amongst them as when the Brigadier ordered a nuclear strike here the Doctor wasn't best pleased. The military answer for everything! I thought the creatures in this story were a little strange in that they were somewhere between a human and an emperor penguin which was pretty difficult to imagine. It was a fun thought though for a humanoid waddling along! I thought the discussion on different dimensions was really good and it's always something that intrigues me. How might we be viewed by beings of more than three dimensions? Would we be seen in the same way we see two-dimensional things? It's a fun concept that can become a little difficult to comprehend at times which I like in terms of the mental challenge. The story perhaps goes a little far in reaching the thirteenth dimension but I can understand why that number was chosen when it came to its beings constantly barraging and barging there way into other dimensions. That was fun to think about and I liked the idea of being dimensionally menacing. I thought Jon Culshaw did a pretty good job with the narration but I must say I think it was perhaps a little long for his impressions of both the Third Doctor and the Brigadier. I don't want to say they overlapped, but it would have been beneficial to have another actor present to break things up a little as even his narration just sounded like the Brig. I thought the story started really strong and perhaps fizzled out by the last half an hour or so which was a shame. Delving into memories was good and particularly harking back to the Doctor's thoughts on The War Games and how things were being forcibly remembered not as they happened was good and allowed Culshaw a brief go at impersonating Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor too. The Doctor was never going to lose a battle of the minds internally no matter what he was up against across any number of dimensions. The Brigadier going gung-ho and wanting nuclear strikes is always a good contrast to the Doctor wanting to use his mind. The dynamic between them was good and it's a shame that Liz felt a little lost at times. It's probably more so the nature of the format. I thought the concept at the heart of the story was a strong one but like the other story in the range, it just didn't feel like it maintained momentum which was a shame. This was still a good listen with a fun premise at its heart, but I just know it could have been more too! A good listen regardless and I certainly hope the range continues! 

Rating: 7/10

The Time-Splitters

"Stop killing time."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Audio

Released: January 2026

Series: Audio Novellas 1.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

A TARDIS materialisation accident at the Lunar University causes Steven to be separated from Dodo and the Doctor. Steven is now eight years in their future and the university is mysteriously abandoned. As he tries to survive the threat stalking the corridors, can the Doctor ever find him again?

Verdict

The Time-Splitters was a good start to the Audio Novellas range! This is a spinoff series I was very much looking forward to because it's something different and despite owning the first two releases, I haven't yet managed to dive into the Audio Novels series. That's a big shame but I will get there at some point, it's just such a commitment to put aside six or eight hours! There's no rush though and they aren't going anywhere so this range is terrific to dive into. I'm always a fan of a First Doctor tale and it's good to dive into the era of Season 3 as that's often one that gets forgotten about. Incorporating the start of the Doctor's toothache that would lead into The Gunfighters was great in terms of timeline placement and I thought it was fun to have the cloister bell ringing in the TARDIS at this early point. He's still calling it the ship! I think Steven exiting the TARDIS before it had fully landed was fascinating and especially during this era because we didn't explore the capabilities of the TARDIS all that much so I liked that this felt a little different. The Doctor and Dodo landing on the Lunar University some eight years before Steven had was intriguing and I just thought the setting was extremely strong. It was futuristic but yet the atmosphere also felt like it was in space which is good to capture in this format. It's no problem in the slightest, but I must say this didn't feel much like I was listening to a novella. It felt like an extended Companion Chronicle which was great an it was a delight to listen to Peter Purves perform the adventure. He brought Steven and the First Doctor to life and his accent for Dodo was unexpectedly good too! It helped make things feel authentic which is always beneficial to the listener experience. I think finding out about the Great Disaster was really interesting and the cliffhanger with Steven get caught inside as the Lunar University and Prator went with it. His experimenting with time was intriguing and I liked how when he was just trying to find an energy source, he'd inadvertently created a form of time travel! That is pretty impressive and having the Doctor on hand is obviously helpful in that regard with his knowledge. The way he was reacted to when he explained the entire principal behind the time-splitter just from looking at it was brilliant. I thought the lines about the Doctor feeling that his body was wearing thin felt a little early and he didn't seem all that excited about the prospect of regeneration which echoes what we saw in Twice Upon a Time quite nicely. The emergence of the Baleen felt a little off to me and I just found them pretty unimpressive which is a bit of a shame. Their voices didn't cut it for me and I wasn't wholly convinced by their motive. The shapeshifter element also felt a little bit like overkill, even if there were some fun reminisces of The Chase in having a duplicate of the Doctor! Talper and Fam were good characters although I did find they later got lost in the shuffle a little bit. There were a few too many characters I think for this kind of story with only one performer. Chief Stone was a good villainous kind of character and I liked that she was female and able to inject fear just from her name alone. Aritt being alongside Dodo as she enrolled at the university was good but again she just felt a little lost by the end. I thought Steven turning out to be the Planner was really good and a twist I ought to have seen coming! Dodo's reaction was fascinating though as she wasn't wholly accepting of his actions. How could he kidnap when he knows what that feels like? She had a point to be fair. I thought the Doctor's reaction to him interfering in history was amusing too as even though he was saving six thousand people, he still shouldn't alter events. However, he had some leeway with the alternate timelines at play and how he was incorporated into one in exiting the TARDIS prematurely. The Doctor giving the Baleen two chances and warnings before turning the electric shock onto them to finally kill them off was really good stuff and definitely showing echoes of his future self. Overall, a good concept but I felt the monster was a little bit of a let down and a few too many characters for the format. It was also a little long as well, but still a more than worthy listen! A fun adventure for sure.

Rating: 7/10

The First Question: A Delusion of Witches

"Have you dealt with Satan before?"

Writer: Lisa McMullin

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 1.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

As fear rises amid the Salem witch trials of 1692, one woman knows for absolute certainty that it's not witchcraft or devilry people need to fear – it's human beings.

Verdict

A Delusion of Witches was a great episode to conclude The First Question first series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! This has been a delightful little boxset and I really do hope it's just the first of many. The placement in being right after The Wedding of River Song is really good to exploit as the Doctor tries to stay hidden and convince the universe that he's deceased as the official records show, but already he's not doing the best in terms of his efforts as the mystery Shadow Architect at the end here was made aware of his continued presence. I mean, he is a time traveller though so would it really be that unlikely to run into him before he had died at Lake Silencio? Still, I love the idea of someone coming after him to form a long story arc and I hope Eleanor is along for the ride. She has started brilliantly as a new companion here and I thought this was a really good venture into the past for her. The Salem witch trials of 1692 are a really strong setting and things became emotional pretty quickly. Eleanor had a decent knowledge of the events which was good and this became her The Aztecs moment a little, although she did go in with the assumption that she couldn't alter historical events in the first place which I appreciated. She's a really intelligent and just to the point companion which mixes really well with the Eleventh Doctor. Him immediately recognising the act of Elizabeth Hubbard as a fake when trying to accuse yet another woman as a witch was terrific. I mean, as the listener I knew that was what was happening also but I can believe it may not have been so obvious to a crowd of late-seventeenth century onlookers. They were firmly on her side as this was not her first witch accusation. I thought Mary Morton was a strong character and it was good that the Doctor and Eleanor were on her side from the off. She was not one of those hanged in the Salem witch trials records so her fate being sealed at the end was something Eleanor found difficult to accept. Despite speaking up and stopping Crowling, she felt like they hadn't done anything and I could understand her feelings on that. She wanted to make things better and she doesn't quite see how they did. She still has a lot to learn as the companion! Especially with this incarnation of the Doctor. I thought Crowling made for a strong villain and him actually being so pompous as to accept his kind and ways being named after him said all that was needed about the character. He was from the future and wanted to wipe out the Amplicee which was just horrible. The parallels of this kind of being similar to a transgender wanting to be accepted as who and what they choose to be was powerful stuff and it makes sense to happen on a species level. From loneliness and just wanting to be human, the Doctor then altering all of Crowling's tools to recognise every human as an Amplicee was terrific because were they really any different? His line about there not being types of humans was incredibly ignorant. The Doctor's line about the Shadow Proclamation being space police after ridiculing Eleanor's suggestion of getting the time police involved was glorious also. Perfect characterisation for this incarnation! I thought the way the episode finished with the Doctor and Eleanor reading out the names and dates of those who wrongfully died as part of the Salem witch trials was really profound. This has been some start to a new era for the Eleventh Doctor! Miles Taylor is incredible in the role and I actually played my girlfriend a snippet from this episode before writing this blog and she couldn't believe that it wasn't actually Matt Smith. I know it's good if she's paying a compliment! She's a huge Eleventh Doctor fan but won't delve into audios, but she could appreciate how uncanny the likeness was. Overall, a strong conclusion to a fantastic boxset! Give me more.

Rating: 8/10

The First Question: The Tourist Trap

"Where are all your friends now?"

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 1.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

In an attempt to ease Eleanor into time and space travel, the Doctor takes her to Space Florida. Unfortunately, it's not the relaxing paradise he remembers. The holidaymakers are missing, so are the crew, and something monstrous is closing in.

Verdict

The Tourist Trap was a great episode to continue my way through The First Question first series of the Eleventh Doctor Adventures! This was a really good follow up to The Final Cut sublime opener and it's always fun to hear the new companion on their first TARDIS trip. This didn't feel like a traditional introduction for Eleanor and I think that was more to the benefit of the listener. This isn't our first new companion. We know the drill and I think it's good to subtly appreciate that. I liked the simplicity of her asking how long the flight was in regards to the TARDIS trip and she was pretty darn impressed with the speed! The moment the Doctor thought she was talking about him when asking where the TARDIS had been all of her life was glorious and perfect characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor. I thought Miles Taylor was superb once again in his imitation of Matt Smith in this role and that adds so much to the listen. This couldn't feel any more authentic and that's a huge positive. I'm sure one day Matt Smith will do some Big Finish but until then this is a more than adequate substitute! I really like how intelligent Eleanor is and it didn't take the Doctor long to really take a shine to her. She was also keen to know more about him and considering he's taking her on adventures in space and time, why wouldn't she? Her reaction to finding that he was a member of an extinct species in the form of the Time Lords was good and she's slowly learning that the Doctor doesn't tell her everything. She'll become familiar with the rules of this incarnation before long I'm sure! His trying to explain to her the events of The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon and The Wedding of River Song was good because that really can get convoluted and complicated! He simplified it well though. It was quite sad though to think that he was alone on his honeymoon! Utilising Space Florida as a setting is really well done for the Doctor at this time because we know from The Big Bang that he and Amy went there so why wouldn't he take Eleanor now with the memories still pretty fresh? It makes sense and is just good continuity. Ray was a fascinating character in the form of being basically a futuristic AI system that went a little wrong in following orders too literally. The idea that there were over twenty-two million people in suspended animation was almost unfathomable as a scale! The Doctor harking back to his seventh incarnation and Delta and the Bannermen when it came to finding out Ray's name and someone he used to know was a lovely touch too. I love that kind of continuity. I thought the threat provided by Ray was strong and teased and amplified just enough as the story went on. Space Florida was clearly depleted and the Doctor would get around to putting things right. Utilising an adjustment on a structure chart to amend the hierarchy for Ray to answer to was amusing and pretty darn clever as a concept of stopping him. I liked how Eleneaor wanted to stick around at the end too because they had arrived at this place and she wanted a reservation before she'd even started helping to save the world. Now that the threat was thwarted and everyone was retuned to safety unaware of the eighty years they had lost, she wanted to explore! The Doctor thought it was time to leave but she wasn't having it and I like that kind of challenge. It's perfectly rational too and she makes it difficult to argue against. I'm already looking forward to the finale now in what is shaping up to be a hugely exciting spinoff range! Overall, a great listen!  

Rating: 8/10

The First Question: The Final Cut

"These figures seem to be entirely comprised of electricity."

Writer: Lisa McMullin (from a story by Max Kashevsky)

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 1.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

Hong King 1990. The Doctor answers a call for help from Eleanor Fong, CEO of Fong Enterprises. Only he's eleven years too late. And in those intervening years she's been busy – helping people to forget...

Verdict

The Final Cut was an outstanding start to the The First Question first series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! I was excited for this release as the Eleventh Doctor is my favourite and whilst it is obviously a huge shame that we haven't had any Matt Smith yet in reprising his incarnation, I thought Miles Taylor was absolutely sublime here. His impression and take on the Eleventh Doctor was uncanny and instantly becomes one of the best impressions to come from Big Finish. We've obviously had an incredibly strong and emotionally charged series with the Eleventh Doctor before in the form of the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles alongside companion Valerie, but this looks to be something different altogether which is obviously great! This just felt different and I really enjoyed it. I thought a setting of 1990s Hong Kong was very strong and I instantly had Blade Runner kind of vibes from the atmosphere and the picture being painted of the city. I didn't expect the new companion to be coming from Asia and she has a super cool name. Eleanor Fong just rolls off the tongue and sounds interesting immediately. And she really was! I loved the concept behind Rememory and the Doctor not really hiding anything about who he was or where he came from was intriguing. He let her work out pretty quickly that he wasn't of this time and place which was good! I think the setting of this series in being set right after The Wedding of River Song was fun stuff as the Doctor tries to erase his name, but will he really be successful? There were good references here. I think a new companion starting things off by locking the Doctor up in a cell overnight was amusing and it was lovely to hear how she mellowed out a little and came to realise that she needed the Doctor's help as the course of the story went on. The Doctor knowing there was more than Eleanor at play when it came to developing the Rememory technology was fantastic because there just had to be something more. He wasn't buying that a human could build the laboratory that she had put together! I thought Eleanor's take on life with putting everything down to energy and light waves was brilliant! It was a fascinating perspective and that allowing her to think of death easier was both harrowing and impressive.  The Doctor mentioning that he was sorry for being late and actually intending on coming eleven years earlier when Eleanor was suffering from the traumatic memory that would actually spark Rememory was intriguing and I feel like 1979 might be somewhere we do visit with this new companion. The Doctor and Eleanor encountering the static man early on and then finding the ghostly figures made of essentially light waves was good stuff and it was certainly a big threat! The idea of extracting a bad memory feels impossible and it was too good to be true really as the static figures were actually those people who had been paying for their memories to be removed. Not quite the best customer service to just take the mind! I thought it all being an elaborate plan and Eleanor actually having the means to create Rememory inputted into her mind made sense and put her in a pretty difficult position! She suddenly went from feeling like a bigwig CEO to a more vulnerable character a little more suited to a companion. She thought the TARDIS interior ought to be a bit bigger as a teleporting time machine which is good fun and I just love her vibe. Her take on the universe is going to make her a very strong companion and I'm excited for the series ahead! A superb start. 

Rating: 10/10

Reversal of Fortune

"I've forgotten what I've done tomorrow again."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Steel Skies 03

Featuring: Eighth 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

Reversal of Fortune was a pretty average story to continue my reading through the Steel Skies edition of Short Trips. I must admit I went into this one feeling sceptical immediately as just a quick glance at the title and the first page with starting with the eighth segment and not the first showed me what I was in for and I kind of guessed that I wouldn't be a fan. It had been nearly a week since reading A Good Life on the same train commute and knowing what I was in store for this week on the journey perhaps harmed my reading experience a little, but I just don't really understand what the format or style added to the story. It wasn't quirky and it wasn't jumping around in time in any kind of complicated way. It just seemed to present the Doctor's interactions with Mikhail in the wrong order. There were some semblances of the relationship the Doctor (mostly the Eleventh) shares with River Song in meeting her out of order, but that didn't quite feel like it was the case here. I thought the story could have been more effective if it was just told in a linear fashion instead of being experimental. It just made me question things more and that's not great! I also don't think the characterisation of the Eighth Doctor was particularly strong and with all of the talk of velvet I was actually thinking the description and personality was actually more suite to the Third. Even the comment about boys having long hair could have been attributed elsewhere but I guess it would have to be the Paul McGann incarnation making the most sense there. I'm not sure the story also captured the overall theme of the book well either. I'm growing sceptical that a collection split in four has a theme altogether to be honest and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think this adventure screamed 'flight' to me. I think part of that is because it was told backwards so as far as I was concerned I didn't really experience the exploration or a new life that Mikhail went through. Instead, it was just a little bit of a build up to him encountering the Doctor as a child and the focus on the balloon. It didn't feel quite right to encounter Mikhail as a child and that might be because of how strong his feelings were harboured towards the Doctor. He didn't hold back when continuously seeing him and I have to question why that was happening. Why was the Doctor meeting this man throughout his life especially when he was so obviously not wanted? That did feel a little strange and left me scratching my head. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little confused by everything that was happening because there didn't really seem a huge purpose for the adventure. Did Mikhail really get a reversal of fortune if he just ended up on his deathbed and nearly blurting out the words of forgiveness towards the Doctor? It was all just a little bit strange in my opinion and whilst confusion can be a good thing on times in the thought provoking manner, this just had me questioning why things were happening in terms of a writer's choice. It's a shame because the story definitely is there and it just seems spoiled by being told sort of backwards. It doesn't add anything in my opinion and that's just a bit annoying! Overall, not the greatest of stories to continue the collection. 

Rating: 5/10

A Postcard from Mr Colchester

"Straight in the bin for planet Earth."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 65X

Featuring: Mr Colchester

Synopsis

Mr Colchester offers a few disgruntled words on the state of the Earth, as aliens question why he bothers to protect it from invasions. But, until the world succeeds in self-destruction, he has a job to do...

Verdict

A Postcard from Mr Colchester was a fascinating little bonus Torchwood adventure! Well, I say adventure but it was essentially a voice note from Mr Colchester. That’s no bad thing and getting anything for free at Big Finish is always going to be great in my book! Who doesn’t love a freebie? It serves as a good insight into the character of Mr Colchester and whilst I don’t think this would serve well as an introduction to the character, knowing him like I do I thought this was a really good ten minutes! I was a little caught off guard with the duration as the download labelled it as seventeen minutes long but as Mr Colchester bid the listener au revoir, I suddenly realised what this release really was. With numerous trailers to follow the conclusion of the episode, this freebie is essentially a big advert for the latest releases in the Torchwood range. That’s no bad thing at all and whilst it is now confirmed that the range is concluding, I’m all for getting new listeners on board and trying to boost the popularity of Torchwood as a Big Finish series. I do think the range is hurt by the cancellation of John Barrowman but contrary to popular belief Torchwood is so much more than Captain Jack! Hearing Mr Colchester discuss the state of the world in which he lived was really good and was a fun take on real world society. The awful people being in charge and the stupid people supporting them was a powerful line and whilst at the time of release it was the Tories in charge, it felt like a dark foreshadowing of the current state of UK politics with Reform surely slated to take control at the next election. Even with national elections looming next month in the Senedd closer to home, I’m so worried that they’ll win here over Plaid Cymru which would honestly be devastating. Mr Colchester is definitely someone I’d love to confide in if the worst does happen! He’s a really enjoyable character and just a nice man that’s for sure. I certainly share a lot of similar opinions about his political stance and that made it a good listen. I wonder how people who lean differently on the political spectrum would react to this kind of adventure? I can’t seem getting on with it somehow! I liked how he recalled the invasion of the Savash and when they demanded the planet, they were pretty taken aback by Colchester saying they could have it! That was a really amusing moment. I thought the idea of the Savash scouring through news online was pretty dangerous and them labelling it as fake was pretty darn funny! They’d been reading the comments online and that certainly wouldn’t do them any good! Social media is a bit of a cess pit and it’s only gotten worse in the last four years. I really don’t think a potential alien invasion should be looking online beforehand! That wouldn’t paint the planet Earth in the best light that’s for sure! For this kind of bonus release, Mr Colchester really is a perfect character for it and that’s mostly done to the incredible voice of Paul Clayton. He’s spectacular and I could listen to him all day to be honest. He’s the kind of actor that would be perfect to read a BBC Audio kind of release with just the one actor. He’s enthralling and that helps. I’m delighted that there’s another postcard release later in the Torchwood range, but after listening to Death in Venice yesterday this is a great little addition to the range! More Mr Colchester is all good in my book. Overall, a great little bonus listen!

Rating: 8/10

Death in Venice

"My life's work is in trouble."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 65

Featuring: Mr Colchester, Ace

Synopsis

Dorothy McShane once travelled with the Doctor. She misses those days. Sure, she still saves the world, but less by beating up Daleks and catapulting Cybermen and more through running a massively successful charity. 

Only, she's on the run for her life and her charity is in trouble. Someone wants Dorothy dead. And Torchwood are coming to the rescue. Can Mr Colchester keep her safe on the magical streets of Venice?

Verdict

Death in Venice was another great episode to continue my way through the Torchwood monthly range! I was delighted to see that after The Red List we had another pairing of Mr Colchester and Ace. It's a duo I never knew we needed and never even suspected could be possible, but they work a treat together. It's really good to incorporate the older Ace we know from A Childhood's End and on screen in The Power of the Doctor with her A Charitable Earth charity, and it had been making a name for itself. That should be a good thing but it also meant that people wanted to exploit all of her hard work. The global footprint of A Charitable Earth was impressive and that meant people want to use that for their own benefit instead of for good purposes. There were people within the charity that were misappropriating funds which is never good and as a financial analyst in money laundering, that really is no good thing! Ace was feeling the burden now of everything she had built and it was slowly falling down in front of her. Her own board seemingly wanted her out and to the extent that an assassin was after her! Mr Colchester stepping in and representing Torchwood there was a nice touch and it was good to know that their previous encounter had a profound impact on him. The moment Ace accused him of Torchwood wanting to infiltrate her charity was hilarious though! After everything he had done for her and she still wasn't convinced! In this world though I can understand why she is always sceptical. She's learned a lot from her travels with the Doctor that's for sure. I enjoyed Mr Colchester being quite blunt with Ace about the Doctor and explaining why Torchwood exists for those left behind and the way he leaves things after seemingly saving the day. He does good, but he doesn't always stick around to tie up the loose ends. I think Ace understood that, especially when she was challenged on if she stopped and thought back on the people and the worlds they had saved. I really enjoyed the Venice setting as it's a place very high on my bucket list, but it was also a city personal to Mr Colchester. It's always good to bring some emotion out of him and it was done so here in a profound way as he reflected on his honeymoon. He never got the moonlight gondola ride and having him in the honeymoon suite with Ace was an amusing image! Especially when she just wanted to stay at a hostel. Not a man of his standing! The very idea. I thought Elena as the board member was good and whilst she mainly just featured on the phone or in the background, the striking voice of Safiyya Ingar is instantly recognisable. She's a strong performer and it's good to hear her here again. I thought the concept of the particles and particularly being passed around the paper was unique and really did put everyone in danger. No wonder the entire board had succumbed to the effects when papers were passed around as the cause of infection and infiltration. It wasn't exactly then the most impactful or action-packed conclusion, but it did feel like a big moment when Colchester was feigning also being one of the aliens to bide time and allow Torchwood to switch off the connection to their own dimension. That did the trick nicely of ridding them from this domain and ensured that Ace could return to her A Charitable Earth to try and put things right. Those painting her in a bad light would no longer, but there was work to do! Overall, a really strong audio to continue the range! 

Rating: 8/10