The Infinity Doctors

"For thirty thousand years, on a thousand planets, we fought the Time Wars. The devastation would have destroyed the universe had it not been for the intervention of certain higher powers. Since that time, time has been stabilised. It is impossible to change Gallifrey's past, or to know its future."

Author: Lance Parkin
Format: Novel
Released: 16th November 1998
Series: PDA 17

Featuring: The Doctor

Synopsis

"Sing about the past again, and sing that same old song. Tell me what you know, so I can tell you that you're wrong."

Gallifrey. The Doctor's home planet. For twenty thousand centuries the Gallifreyans have been the most powerful race in the cosmos. They have circumnavigated infinity and eternity, harnessed science and conquered death. They are the Lords of Time, and have used their powers carefully.

But now a new force is unleashed, one that is literally capable of anything. It is enough to give even the Time Lords nightmares. More than that: it is enough to destroy them.

It is one of their own. Waiting for them at the end of the universe.

Featuring the Doctor, this adventure celebrates the thirty-fifth anniversary of Doctor Who.

Verdict

Well, The Infinity Doctors was certainly an extremely intriguing read. A story featuring the Doctor, something that's not so ironically common, yet we are never told which incarnation of our favourite Time Lord is the Doctor and where in the Doctor's life the story takes place. I personally like to think that the Doctor in this novel is an incarnation far into the future of the current Doctor (Peter Capaldi, no.12) where he has grown tired of exploring the universe, saving Earth and showing humans the wonders of time and space. I wouldn't think it possible for the Doctor to ever get bored of travelling, but even one day the Doctor has to return home. I liked the description of the Doctor's room on Gallifrey, all full of clutter, books and Earth relics. Just how anyone would have imagined. The story revealed, from my perspective at least having not read any PDA novels previously, much information regarding the Doctor. He was born in the House of Lungbarrow and his mother's name was Penelope. Any information about the Doctor's family is certainly welcomed, but a huge shock to me was that the Doctor had a wife! Not the TARDIS (The Doctor's Wife) or River Song (The Wedding of River Song), but the former wife of Omega! The relationship they had in Part Three of the novel was lovely but it shocked me how compassionate, affectionate and admiring the Doctor was of his unnamed wife. The novel told a lot of the history of Gallifrey which was outstanding, explaining how the Gallifreyans became Time Lords and harnessed the Eye of Harmony. Rassilon being in the novel, although not really part of the story, was great. Omega as the villain proved to be just as sinister and brilliant as he was in The Three Doctors and Arc of Infinity. His description was very similar and I loved how he was trapped in the anti-matter universe where he ruled purely by will. But thanks to Savar (a terrific character) crashing his TARDIS and creating the Needle which in effect was the Effect, his influence was growing on the Matter universe. His almighty conquering will was intriguing as it seemed at one point that he wanted to be like the Doctor. Omega wanted freedom as a man. The sub-plot of the Doctor trying to bring peace to the age old war between the Sontarans and the Rutans was excellent and provided some good comedy and ultimately an end to the war! So, we learn that the war does come to an end, the question TV narratively is, when? I adored the character of Larna, the stand out character of the book by far! Almost like a companion, she was the most promising student of the Doctor which was a nice touch but she felt something a bit more for him. I was utterly shocked by the fact the Doctor killed her at the end of part two to reach the Needle. But he got her restored to life thanks to Omega. But still it wasn't expected! The many past story references were good and the climax was great! A tremendous book but it doesn't quite get full marks from me because with an unspecified incarnation of the Doctor it hurts the imagination needed when reading. I also wish the Doctor's (and Omega's) wife was named. Overall, a story well worthy of the 35th anniversary!

Rating: 9/10

Last of the Titans

"You better not have come to blow me up."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs
Format: Audio
Released: January 2001
Series: DWM Bonus 01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Once again, the TARDIS displays its preference for the grimy, the odious and the dangerous - and, finding himself lost and alone in the dark heart of a gigantic spacecraft, the Doctor has no way of knowing that a cosmic catastrophe is waiting to happen...

Verdict

Last of the Titans is an enjoyable audio and takes on a format which I was very surprised with but adored. At times during the story, the Doctor himself would narrate! Now I don't mean Sylvester McCoy, I mean the character of the Doctor! It was unique, clever and brilliant! The story itself was very good and I liked how the Seventh Doctor was alone and companion-less and allowed some good humour for the Time Lord with the TARDIS. You'd think by now that the Doctor, in his seventh incarnation, would've fully fixed the TARDIS navigation system? Of course not, and we don't want it any other way. Vilgreth was a good character and the Titanthrope species was very good and I liked how he was created from ancient DNA strands on Earth in Devon. Vilgreth sounded pretty large and monstrous which was good but I really disliked the Devon accent of the Titanthrope, it took away a large proportion of fear factor. Stelpor was great and I liked his explaining of the truth behind Vilgreth, how he was a planet eater and that one of the Doctor's favourite planets, Ormelia, a regular planet the Doctor visited in his younger days, was next for the monster. The climax was great and overall I really enjoyed the Seventh Doctor being alone! It allowed for some humour and I loved the narration from the Doctor himself!

Rating: 8/10

The Crusade

"There's something new in you, yet something older than the sky itself. I sense that I can trust you."

Writer: David Whitaker
Format: TV
Broadcast: 27th March - 17th April 1965
Season: 2.06

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in 12th century Palestine where a holy war is in progress between the forces of King Richard the Lionheart and the Saracen ruler Saladin. Barbara is abducted in a Saracen ambush and the Doctor, Ian and Vicki make their way to King Richard's palace in the city of Jaffa, but will they rescue Barbara in time?

Verdict

The Crusade is a bit of a mixed bag and although the good outweighs the bad by a decent amount, this serial never quite lives up to what it could have been on paper. It starts off well with an action packed opening few minutes in which Barbara gets separated from the crew and is led away with the Saracens. From there on though the story always seemed to be slipping between sides of the scale, somewhat inconsistently. I enjoyed Barbara's references to past stories; The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Romans and The Web Planet, that was great. I adored how Ian was knighted by King Richard in episode 2 and caused a terrific pun by the Doctor in the final moments when safely back inside the TARDIS. El Akir was a good villainous character, and other members of the guest cast were also excellent such as Saladin, Joanna and Haroun whereas there were some guest cast that I wasn't fond of such as Luigi and Chamberlain. I think that's where this story lacks in going from quite good to great; wherever there's a lot of good there's also a few bad things that knock the good down a bit. The cliffhangers were average, episode 1's being the best and the climax of the story was good. I really liked Ian's performance into talking the Saracen's to giving him the honour of administering the execution of the Doctor! A clever finale! I'd also like to add that the relationship between the Doctor and Vicki was once again tremendous, although I disliked the companion having to pretend she was a boy - it doesn't make sense seeing as she's a beautiful young women.

Rating: 7/10

Walls of Confinement

"Whatever you do, you mustn't panic. The animal will sense your fear."

Writer: Lawrence Conquest
Format: Audio
Released: February 2011
Series: Short Trips Volume 2.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz, Brigadier

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Liz take a visit to the zoo. However, a young boy's life is in danger as the Doctor comes face to face with a deadly predator...

Verdict

Walls of Confinement was an excellent Short Trip audio adventure! The tone was great throughout and the story fitted in perfectly with Season 7 and the Doctor's displeasure at being stranded on Earth without his TARDIS. The banter between the Third Doctor and the Brigadier was at an ever high peak and that's always a great bonus to any Pertwee story. Liz had a somewhat minimal role, but she was still great and remains one of my favourite companions in Who history! Katy Manning performed the story admirably and her impressions of both the Doctor and Liz were very well done. The story itself was clever with the Doctor likening himself to the animals of the zoo, trapped out of their own domain. Him rescuing a young boy, the Brigadier's godson Albert in actual fact, from being savaged by a tiger was clever. He'd pick-pocketed the Time Lord and taken part of the dematerialisation circuit of the TARDIS allowing direct entry into the zoo cages. Quite funny. Overall, a good story! Short Trips don't seem to be quite long enough to gain the very high marks, barring an exception or two, but this was still fantastic!

Rating: 8/10

The Stones of Venice

"What do you know, Doctor? Ever since you turned up, there's been nothing but disaster."

Writer: Paul Magrs
Format: Audio
Released: March 2001
Series: Main Range 18

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

The Doctor and Charley decide to take a well-deserved break from the monotony of being chased, shot and generally suffering anti-social behaviour at the hands of others.

And so they end up in Venice, well into Charley's future, as the great city prepares to sink beneath the water for the last time...

Which would be a momentous, if rather dispiriting, event to witness in itself. However, the machinations of a love-sick aristocrat, a proud art historian and a rabid High Priest of a really quite dodgy cult combine to make Venice's swan song a night to remember.

And then there's the rebellion by the web-footed amphibious underclass, the mystery of a disappearing corpse and the truth behind a curse going back further than curses usually do.

The Doctor and Charley are forced to wonder just what they have got themselves involved with this time...

Verdict

Another very strong Eighth Doctor and Charley audio adventure! The Stones of Venice took a little while to get going, albeit after an unrelated fast-paced pre-credit scene. Once it got going the story was excellently done and certainly enjoyable. The futuristic Venice setting was great and the depictions of the Underclass were very good. The character of Pietro was fantastic throughout and I also really liked Orsino. The love story, of sorts, behind Orsina and the thought-decesead Estella was very intriguing especially as it seemed responsible for the imminent sinking of the Venetian city itself. Churchwell was terrific also and I liked the relationship he had with the Doctor during the story. Paul McGann has done an amazing job reprising his brief role as the Eighth Doctor on audio and its so good to get classic adventures set prior to The Movie! Charley was outstanding in this adventure and although I don't actually get to see India Fisher portraying her, sound is more than enough and she's slowly climbing my list of favourite companions. I loved her pretending to be Estella against her own will, though she was very convincing! The cliffhangers were all pretty good which is a bonus to any story. The climax, or rather revelation of the plot-threads, was great and the way that Ms Lavish actually turned out to be Estella was definitely not expected, though the Doctor wasn't surprised! Charley, in her short time inside the TARDIS so far, already is getting annoyed at the common danger of death or imprisonment. Well, that's not what she signed up for! A great audio, that could've been a bit improved with a little less conversation, but still fantastic nonetheless. Long live the Eighth Doctor audios!

Rating: 8/10

The Immortal Emperor

"I ask you to show me the Great Wall of China and when we get there... they've still got the scaffolding up!"

Writer: Jonathan Morris
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor and Donna arrive in China during the Qin Dynasty. "A couple of centuries BC." The Great Wall of China is still being built. Before the Doctor can stop her, Donna takes photos with her mobile phone. The pair are captured and thrown into a pit where they battle a robot made of pottery...

Verdict

The Immortal Emperor was a good comic strip and, despite being quite short in length, was entertaining and told a good story! I really liked Donna's reaction to arriving at the Great Wall of China but the scaffolding was still up! Hilarious. The pottery robots in ancient China was a tremendous idea and one I feel can be expanded upon in a future story. Meng Tian was a good enemy and looked tremendous with the excellent artwork done by Rob Davis. The Doctor's use of quickly talking himself out of trouble, as seen countless times, was once again great. His genius of leading Donna to use her mobile phone to ring Wilf, her granddad, causing a break up in signals of the 'pot-bots.' The Emperor actually being a pot-bot was unexpected and very unique! The climax was cleverly done and everything was left for history to do as it should be. A short, but very good comic strip, there just needed to be a bit more to happen!

Rating: 7/10

Return to the Web Planet

"Blundering into things is what the Doctor does for a living."

Writer: Daniel O'Mahony
Format: Audio
Released: December 2007
Series: Subscriber Exclusive 05

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

"It's an ancient name. From the dark time..."

It's been hundreds of years and several regenerations since the Doctor last visited the insect world of Vortis. Mycg has changed during his absence, but not necessarily for the better.

This now green and pleasant land isn't the paradise it first appears. Something malevolent is living out in The Desolation... And the Doctor and Nyssa must solve the mystery before the City of Light is overrun...

Verdict

So after completing The Web Planet yesterday, I thought today was a good time to listen to the audio sequel; Return to the Web Planet was a very enjoyable audio to listen to and certainly a mass improvement from its TV predecessor. I really liked the pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa, as per usual, and was probably their best combined performance that I have listened to so far, though I have a whole load of Main Range audios to get through yet! The description of a much changed Vortis, since the Doctor was last there at least, was great. The action packed start was very good with the Doctor and Nyssa fleeing from a Zarbi stampede! The Zarbi, who were pretty bad in The Web Planet, worked a whole lot better in audio. The format definitely suited them and I wouldn't be against a return in the future! The Zarbi were pretty useless without the Animus controlling them, they just seemed to get in the way in a humorous fashion, which was more than enough for their role. The main story centred around Yanesh and Xanthe, who were sent from Earth as part of a biological test to adapt to the planet of Vortis. I liked what had happened to Xanthe in becoming the Speaker for Mother Life, and arguably playing the enemy. The way she was reunited with Yanesh and then ultimately created a cocoon with him, to breed Zarbi-human children was quite disturbing but yet intriguing. The Doctor allowing it occur was of further intrigue. The Menoptera characters of Hedyla and Acheron were brilliant and I liked how through them a lot of history about the Zarbi and Vortis itself was told. The many references to The Web Planet, despite that being a poor TV story, were great and overall, a great story! I just thought the ending was a little abrupt but still fantastic nonetheless!

Rating: 8/10

The Web Planet

"My ship... my TARDIS..."

Writer: Bill Strutton
Format: TV
Broadcast: 13th February - 20th March 1965
Season: 2.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

On the planet Vortis, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are swept up in the struggles of the butterfly-like Menoptera, the original denizens of Vortis who were forced to flee the planet for the moon Pictos to escape the encroaching web of the Animus and its mind-controlled minions, the ant-like Zarbi and their living weapons, the larvae guns...

Verdict

Ahh, The Web Planet. This is one of the few points I was desperately not looking forward to when it comes to re-watching Doctor Who from the very beginning. I was hoping that my already poor opinion on the serial would change, but it didn't really. It seemed a slight improvement on my last viewing which was back in July 2012, but nonetheless, the plot wasn't great. There were quite a few highlights however. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the Doctor and Ian once more, this time regarding Ian's Coal Hill school tie, a nice reference to An Unearthly Child. The cliffhanger at the end of part one was by far the best of the serial for one reason only. The Doctor's heartbreaking reaction to losing his ship. His TARDIS. I continued to enjoy the relationship between the Doctor and Vicki continuing on from The Romans, and also the humour between Barbara and Vicki over who met Nero in the previous story. Well, that was the highlights but the story as a whole was poor and the plot was average at best. The Zarbi and the Menoptera were really bad. The props and costume were horrendous and the movement was pretty poor also. At times the serial was just boring with not much actually happening. The thing that saved this serial from absolute disaster and actually improved it was the Animus. I liked the mystery behind the being and also the appearance once entering the story physically in the final part. The way the Animus was defeated wasn't all that great. I think more could've been done! Things were just a bit silly, but the highlights gave the story my probably generous rating.

Rating: 6/10

Adrift

"We've always believed that things can only come through the Rift one way. What if we're wrong? What if the Rift doesn't just leave stuff behind? What if it also takes?"

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 19th March 2008
Series: Torchwood 2.11

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Ianto

Synopsis

When a local teenager disappears, Gwen is drawn into an investigation that reveals a darker side of Torchwood. Hundreds of people have disappeared without a trace, but Jack is obstructing attempts to find them. The answer seems to lie in the rift - literally - and as Gwen follows the trail, she makes a shocking discovery...

Verdict

Adrift was a good and emotional episode of Torchwood and was very much one where Gwen, by far my favourite character of the series, was the centre of attention. I liked how she seemingly had forgotten her old self that we saw before joining Torchwood in Everything Changes. Although she doesn't like to admit, Gwen is beyond the police and somebody going missing is none of her concern. She now deals with the extraterrestrial. It's not her fault, it's her job now. I didn't like how this episode, for some time, didn't have the Torchwood feel. But Gwen being as brilliant as she is still made it an excellent watch! Nikki was a great character played by the wonderful Ruth Jones. The way that Andy was asking Gwen to help, seemingly afterwards because he fancied her, with Nikki's missing son, Jonah. The way in which Jonah disappeared though would certainly have Torchwood's involvement, and despite Jack denying anything of the incident, he was there. Gwen's determination in this episode was outstanding and portrayed perfectly why I love her character so much. She wasn't going to give up! I also liked how Tosh helped Gwen with her case and worked out a pivotal fact about the Rift. It not only deposits things in Cardiff, it takes as well. And that's what the negative spikes were. It made perfect sense. Jack's involvement in this episode was great and once everything was revealed about the mysterious island in the Bristol Channel, the Rift depositors' health centre of sort, he could explain to Gwen. When she found out she wasn't satisfied by the unknowing that these people's loved ones had. So much so that she brought Nikki to the island, against Jack's wishes though Gwen has a way of getting what she wants from him, to meet her now very much changed son. Jonah's alteration was horrific. In 7 months he'd aged enormously, became a grotesque looker and was mentally scarred. Nikki's reaction to him at first was one of denial and mockery but after Jonah talked of his childhood memories, an emotional hug was felt. But the whole ideal about the bad phase, a horrific scream lasting 20 hours was a bit far fetched. The effect it had in the episode and on Nikki though was great. But for me, the clear highlight of the episode was Gwen. Her antics with Andy and her hilarious comedy with Rhys as well as her gutsy determination was just terrific and probably explains my somewhat generous mark!

Rating: 8/10

Sword of Orion

"It's a Cyberman, a rogue Cyberman!" 

Writer: Nicholas Briggs
Format: Audio
Released: February 2001
Series: Main Range 17

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

The human race is locked in deadly combat with the 'Android Hordes' in the Orion System. Light years from the front line, the Eighth Doctor and Charley arrive to sample the dubious delights of a galactic backwater, little suspecting that the consequences of the Orion War might reach them there. But High Command's lust for victory knows no bound.

Trapped aboard a mysterious, derelict star destroyer, the Doctor and Charley find themselves facing summary execution. But this is only the beginning of their troubles. The real danger has yet to awaken.

Until, somewhere in the dark recesses of the Garazone System, the Cybermen receive the signal for reactivation...

Verdict

Sword of Orion is another fine example of a Classic Doctor Who audio story. Continuing on from Storm Warning, there's the now familiarised pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Charley, who together are just outstanding. They work tremendously well together and it's already easy to see after just 2 adventures together! I liked how Ramsay, the Vortisaur, still remained with them on board the TARDIS but wasn't feeling well! I particularly liked this adventure as it pitted the Eighth Doctor against his second of what I consider the 'three ultimate enemies.' Battling with the Master in his debut in The Movie, now the Eighth Doctor pits his wits against the Cybermen. Just the Daleks to tackle now, from my perspective at least. And a design he's very familiar with from 6 bodies earlier. The references to The Tomb of the Cybermen and The Invasion were terrific and I really liked what the Cybermen were up to here. Exhausted and in hibernation, they were soon waking up. But it was Deeva who seemed to be the evil one, not suspected at first (although the Doctor could tell something was up), she wanted to make an alliance with the Cybermen to defeat the Androids! Or so we thought. The mystery behind her was excellent and when it was revealed that she actually was an android and a double agent, I applauded! A fantastic twist. The plot itself was never dull and a superb guest cast made it all the more enjoyable! I particularly liked the characters of Ike and Chev. The cliffhangers were all very good which is always a bonus! The Cybermats having an effective appearance in audio was very cleverly written! Deeva wanting to master the art of Cyber conversion though was a shocker, a brilliant one. A sickening concept! The Doctor, in his eighth incarnation - something I'm extremely glad to be exploring more of, was tremendous and showed some perfect traits that are everlasting in all incarnations. Wondering off and curiosity to name a few! Charley was wonderful and I can tell I'm really going to love her as companion. If only these audios were visual! But I have absolutely no complaints with the format! It's a wonderful and allows brand new Classic ventures with no intention of stopping. And they've certainly benefitted the Eighth Doctor. The climax of the story wasn't as exciting as I expected but still quite good nonetheless. But overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

Cold

"But then I saw another shape. A tall shape that didn't fit in. It was already covered in snow but when I went over to it and rubbed at the snow it was blue underneath and made of wood! I tried to see more but the storm really closed in and I had to get back to the Hut. The strange thing is, Anna, there was no such box there before. And even stranger, the box was humming."

Writer: Mark Gatiss
Format: Short Story
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

Two mountain climbers discover a wounded Ice Warrior who was responsible for the flu pandemic after World War One. But an invasion may now be on the way, some one hundred years later...

Verdict

Cold was an interesting read. I was excited by the prospect of both Mark Gatiss writing the story, and an appearance from the Ice Warriors! Now, the story wasn't bad but it sadly failed to reach my high expectations. I didn't like the format with basically the whole story being narrated by characters and from their own perspectives, although Donna's account was really good as she was writing back to her grandad, Wilf, about the thrills of travelling in the TARDIS. Her description of Issaxyr, the Ice Warrior, was tremendous. For a Short Story, it took far too long to introduce the Doctor and Donna but once they arrived everything was good again! Prior to their appearance, the only good thing was the finding of the TARDIS by one of the excavation team members, as described in my opening quote. The highlight was seeing a sense of evilness returned to the Ice Warriors with many hints of their century old plan to take over Earth. And even once he learned that the Martian plan had been foiled, Issaxyr still planned to take over the planet with an ancient and stored invasion fleet. But the Doctor quickly foiled those plans simply through explanation. The virus that the Ice Warriors had introduced had mutated and defeated the immunity system of the Martians, killing them all. And suddenly, Issaxyr was devasted. The Doctor felt his pain, and returned him home in the TARDIS! Who would of thought the Doctor would be giving a lift to an Ice Warrior? A good story, but again, the Ice Warriors weren't quite evil which isn't good! The Peladon Tales, Red Dawn and Cold War just aren't comparable with the serials where the Ice Warriors were evil villains; The Ice Warriors and The Seeds of Death. The reference to the latter was subtly brilliant! I also liked the Planet of the Ood reference. A good story, with hints of the Ice Warriors returning to their evil, and in my view, intended roots!

Rating: 7/10

The Romans

"Alright? Of course I'm alright, my child. You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the gentle art of fisticuffs."

Writer: Dennis Spooner
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th January - 6th February 1965
Season: 2.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The travellers decide to take a holiday near ancient Rome, but after a month the Doctor gets restless. He and Vicki are determined to visit Rome, and while they are gone Ian and Barbara are abducted by slave traders. All roads lead to Rome, however, and the travellers find themselves at the mercy of the country's petulant emperor, Nero...

Verdict

The Romans is an absolute gem of a Classic Doctor Who story. A marvellous plot with outstanding added humour just makes it a pleasure to watch from start to finish. I really liked how nothing was made of the cliffhanger at the end of The Rescue with the TARDIS falling off a ledge, instead the story jumps ahead a month and sees the TARDIS crew quite used to a new luxurious lifestyle in ancient Rome. I think it was very clever in doing this as it allows Vicki to instantly feel as part of the group, she's familiarised herself with her new compatriots and life. She won't feel obligated to ask questions or anything like that as they've presumably already been asked. I've really liked the early years' historical tales with Marco Polo and The Reign of Terror, but this was the best of the lot! The brilliant figure of Nero was portrayed fantastically well by Derek Francis. The banter between the Doctor and Ian was at an ever-presently high level which was, and always is, terrific. Vicki was magnificent in this story and despite her not having any relation to the Doctor, I actually think she'll offer more than Susan did. Vicki will be more than a screaming girl who turns her ankle (not that that was what Susan was for, not in the slightest!), she just has something enigmatic about her. She got along extremely well with the Doctor, who I can tell obviously likes having her around and it seems to be the first chance the Doctor has gotten to show off his TARDIS and what it can do. A great and strong first post-arrival adventure for Vicki as the new companion, and she looked stunning in the Roman attire! Absolutely beautiful. The way in which Ian and Barbara were split up from the Doctor and Vicki, then from themselves, was excellent and really allowed a lot of exploration of the Romans and the Slave Trade. The Doctor's impersonation of Maximus Pettulian was tremendous and he intelligently got himself out of performing for Nero and his people. The Doctor's relationship with Nero was quite comedic, whilst Barbara's was somewhat hilarious! I adored the way in which the crew were always so close to each other, yet never quite ran into one another! Another wonderful use of humour was shared between Ian and Barbara and the references to things being in the fridge. It was AD64, it was quite a while before the first fridge! But that year is significant. The Great Fire of Rome, and I again adored the way in which the Doctor, after briefing Vicki on not being allowed to meddle with history, gave the idea of setting Rome alight to Nero! And he seemed quite happy about it! All in all, just fantastic. Superbly funny yet always remaining serious!

Rating: 10/10

A Stain of Red in the Sand

                                      

"She recognised the emotions behind those eyes. He was a man that had lost a lot during his lifetime."

Writer: David A. McEwan
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Zoe

Synopsis

Indigo lives in a world without hope on a council estate so gloomy its residents call it 'The Slab'. On the 13th floor lives a sculptor named Roger, a man she'd think of as her boyfriend, were he not so obsessed with his art. She returns to his flat again and again, despite his inattentiveness, to peer out of his kitchen window into another reality, where a man named the Doctor is fighting the Caretakers on a sandy world with two suns. And then Roger decides to sculpt a girl named Zoe...


Verdict

Ahh sadly this Short Trip audio fell short of expectations. It was similar to Blink in being Doctor-lite but this wasn't usual in Classic Who, disregarding the format. It was just boring throughout and hardly anything happened sadly. Indigo seemed a bit of clingy and desperate girlfriend whilst Roger just seemed art-obsessed! But mysteriously, there was a portal in the kitchen window through to another world in which the Doctor was on, fighting the alien Caretakers. The only positive of this story was the revelation that Roger's sculpting with memory meat was of Zoe. How could he know of the Doctor's companion, and why was he trying to save her? Sadly, it was never answered. There wasn't even a mention of Jamie, and for Zoe to be appearing (technically), that's almost impossible! I really disliked how the story ended with nothing confirmed at all! It was revealed that the Doctor had defeated the Caretakers and the red stain left in the sand was obviously not his. But you can't just have the Doctor victorious via saying so! You have to show it. Everything was left open and it was just all a bit sloppy. A bitter disappointment, I hope the next Short Trip, whichever that may be, is a lot better!

Rating: 4/10

Storm Warning

"Geronimo, Lenin's pyjamas, Tiddlywinks with the Tsarina and now you can see the future?"

Writer: Alan Barnes
Format: Audio
Released: January 2001
Series: Main Range 16

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopis

October 1930. His Majesty's Airship, the R101, sets off on her maiden voyage to the farthest-flung reaches of the British Empire, carrying the brightest lights of the Imperial fleet. Carrying the hopes and dreams of a breathless nation.

Not to mention a ruthless spy with a top-secret mission, a mysterious passenger who appears nowhere on the crew list, a would-be adventuress destined for the Singapore Hilton... and a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.

There's a storm coming. There's something unspeakable - something with wings, crawling across the stern. Thousands of feet high in the blackening sky, the crew of the R101 brace themselves. When the storm breaks, their lives won't be all that's at stake...

The future of the galaxy will be hanging by a thread...

Verdict

Cometh the hour, cometh the Eighth Doctor! Paul McGann finally reprises his role as the Eighth Doctor and boy was he good! Now, I've seen where the Eighth Doctor arrived in The Movie and where he regenerated in The Night of the Doctor, but now I get to explore everything in between! Storm Warning was a very strong audio debut and a fantastic second performed adventure for the incarnation. Charley was a tremendous character and it was obvious from the start that she would end up as companion! The chemistry between India Fisher and Paul McGann was magnificent and I could instantly tell that these two were going to be a wonderful TARDIS pairing. The plot of this story was fantastic and had a great guest cast. Charley stowing aboard the R101 to reach a date in Singapore was good and as the plot unravelled I adored the feistiness of her character! The early stages of the Doctor in this story, alone in the TARDIS, was brilliant and I liked how he kept on talking to himself despite telling himself to stop doing so. The guest cast were excellent in this audio with the brilliance of Rathbone and Lord Tamworth. Frayling and Weeks were also very good! The Triskele were outstandingly mysterious and the three parts to their existence was incredible. I really liked the idea of an Uncreator! The Law Maker was fantastic also. Paul McGann showed all the traits of the Doctor, and even squeezed in some familiarity from The Movie which was marvellous! Certainly different, definitely the Doctor. The Vortisaurs were really good and I liked the Doctor's reference to riding the tiem-feasters bareback on Gallifrey. The many Russian history references were great and the speedy climax was excellent! And the Doctor unintentionally saving Charley, taking her as companion seemingly against his wishes at first - along with a Vortisaur called Ramsay, when she should have died on the R101 was so good! It instantly makes Charley a central point and the Doctor isn't quite sure of what, if any, consequences she'll bring him. I look very forward to seeing what effects Charley's existence has on the 'new' Time Lord. A great story - and it's amazing to have, what feels like, a new Classic Doctor!

Rating: 9/10

The Death-Dealer

"Sweets! I wonder if they have any jelly babies..."

Writer: Damian Sawyer
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

On an arid market world, not dissimilar to a middle-eastern bazaar on Earth, the Doctor treats Leela to a day of shopping. But she bargains with a death-dealer, not knowing his area of sale...

Verdict

Now although The Death-Dealer was only 10 minutes long, it was a tremendous little audio adventure! It took the whole 'Short Trip' tag to an extreme limit, but its length was absolutely fine. Louise Jameson was a great narrator and she hasn't seemed to have changed linguistically since the 1970s! It was definitely all about Leela. I really liked how Jameson managed to squeeze in some typical traits of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor into this venture. Leela's confusion at the concept of money in the form of coins was hilarious but so typically excellent of the companion. I adored how of all the things on this alien market planet, the Doctor went straight to the human stand hoping to find some jelly babies, whilst Leela wanted to buy a dagger! But what she failed to realise was that she was actually paying to die! And she did which was shocking! Leela died! The Doctor was outraged at first but the planet's natives were confused - they of course knew what the Death-Dealer sold. Death. But Leela burst back into life, as part of the process. She had felt death, but was resurrected and wasn't happy with her muderer! But things were soon resolved as the Death-Dealer explained the process and how people had changed, or wanted to, after feeling death. The Doctor didn't approve and wanted to leave quickly. Leela was alive, but he just didn't like the way thing occurred. Overall, an intriguing and great audio!

Rating: 9/10

Grand Theft Planet!

                                      

"Another clank. Everyone slowly turned to look at the armour. The museum display had its lights dimmed, and the armour looked sinister in the near darkness. Then one of the suits of the armour clanked again, and turned to face them. The other suits did the same. They raised their swords, and marched forwards to attack."

Writer: James Moran
Format: Short Story
Released: 1st August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Donna to see a famous floating city but as vehicles roll and buildings start to shatter, the Doctor and Donna try to find their way to the city's gravity compensators...

Verdict

Grand Theft Planet! was a massive improvement from the previous short story I read. Hello Children, Everywhere was awful but this story was excellent! The pairing of the Tenth Doctor and Donna was absolutely fantastic and the banter between them was a particular highlight of the story. Never lacking was the humour! I liked the character of Jellop a lot, taking pride in Coral City, what seemed to be the capital of the floating planet! The illustrations from the story were outstanding and I loved the idea of a floating planet! The Sarriflex were intriguing, seeming to be extremely stupid yet conjuring up a genius plan trying to literally steal a planet for its metal and usage in a war of their own. But the best villain was the 'middle man' so to speak. Trefgar was callous and fantastic. A really good villain. I liked how once the explanation of the planet floating was given to the Doctor, he knew things weren't right. Spoiling the party. But it's a good job he did! The climax was good and the dangers sparked from the city being tilted at an angle of 45º was great! The brilliance of the Doctor in solving the problem, bringing the city back from afloat and sending the evil Trefgar and Sarriflex floating into the sun! The Doctor saved the day, and although she didn't like to admit it, Donna was mightily impressed. A wonderful little story!

Rating: 8/10

John Smith and the Common Men

                                         

"I am the Eternal Ordeal - the Guardian of Sorrow... I am the God of the worst days."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 2013

Printed in: DWM #467

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The Doctor has forgotten who he is and believes he is just an ordinary man called John Smith who works in the Department of Commonality. But is everything as it seems?

Verdict

John Smith and the Common Men was my first full Doctor Who comic strip story, and it was certainly intriguing! I really enjoyed this though, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration magazine, it was very clever! The Doctor was a coward who worked in an office. He feared being noticed and doing things out of the ordinary. He was just John Smith, a man who'd a strict routine which he followed rigidly. I loved how the Doctor feared a promotion and even turned in a friend, Harry (Yes, the companion of the Fourth Doctor!) into the authorities to return to his original post, a demotion of sorts. He just didn't like his job for the public, the bearer of bad news. He turned away an elderly Brigadier, Jamie and a young Ace! But of course, knowing the insane amount of time differences between the three, things weren't right. The Doctor had such a strict and precision based life, that he was extremely angered that the clock outside, a large Big Ben-esque one of that, was five minutes too slow. So he took a huge risk, stepped out of the office and attempted to manually fix the clock face himself! But, he snapped the hand and fell to the ground some feet below... And woke up with a giant blob creature covered with tendrils! Clara soon awoke and was safe, angered and determined to put an end to the giant blob creature known as Mr. Waites. The ending was clever, putting the monster into his own false reality, but seemed a little too quick! I loved the relationship the Eleventh Doctor and Clara share, and the reason Clara knew the world she had dreamed up was fake. Not because she was the Impossible Girl, but because there was no Doctor. Beautiful. 

Rating: 8/10

The Rescue

"You haven't got that sort of face... that kills things."

Writer: David Whitaker
Format: TV
Broadcast: 2nd January - 9th January 1965
Season: 2.03

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

Arriving on the planet Dido in the late 25th century, the time travellers come upon a crashed spaceship from Earth. Its two occupants are living in fear of a creature called Koquillion, but everything is not as it seems...

Verdict

The Rescue was a great little adventure to introduce Vicki as companion. Short and sweet was this two-part adventure. I liked the setting of Dido, with a crashed spaceship and roaming through the caves of the planet. An early reference to Morbius was tremendous! The design of Koquillion was tremendous, something I really liked. Vicki's desperation to be rescued from Dido was obvious and I liked her eagerness throughout - it looks as though she'll be a great companion (not that I haven't seen every adventure of hers before). Her attire was somewhat questionably short but as a young women, it seems as though she's a like-for-like replacement for Susan. Speaking of the Doctor's granddaughter, it was crystal clear in the adventure that the Doctor missed Susan. He forgot she had left, but his companions reminisced on the good reason it was that she left. They liked David. But The Dalek Invasion of Earth is the past now and the TARDIS crew must move on! The banter between the Doctor and Ian was at its peak in this adventure, and it's been a standout of the early seasons since the very beginning in An Unearthly Child. I liked the mystery behind Bennet, although you had no reason to question him - something didn't seem to fit. It was brilliant how the Doctor had been to Dido before - but much has changed now. The revelation of Koquillion actually being Bennet was very good and revealed a selfish plot full of murder. The way he was killed was surprising with Dido residents emerging from hiding, having survived Bennet's vicious scheme, and forcing him to fall to his death. I thought it was a lovely touch having the Doctor, Ian and Barbara all wanting Vicki to join the TARDIS. She had nothing left and she was amazed by the size of the TARDIS on the inside! The beginning of what will become the Doctor's favourite bit for a new companion it seemed.

Rating: 8/10