Terrorformer Part 1

"Things just seem to happen whenever I'm around. I'm a magnet for adventure."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: October 2014

Series: DW12 #1

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

After a thousand years of war on the planet Trenzalore, the Doctor regenerated into a brand-new incarnation! Clara struggled at first to reconcile the Doctor's new face with that of her closest friend, but the pair are now back in the saddle of cosmic adventure, even if this new Doctor is a brusquer and more unpredictable - the kind of Doctor who wishes people would just get out of his way and let him get on with the business of saving them.

Verdict 

This first part of Terrorformer was both an excellent start to not only this brand new adventure for the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, but to the brand new US range of Twelfth Doctor comics by Titan as well. The story started off interestingly with Zaxx and the pre-programmed Clive. The disaster that occurred so early on really set the tone for the rest of the issue and I was mightily intrigued by Clive's reasoning for abandoning his programmer to death. Just who is Hyperios and why this sudden rise? As the cliffhanger at the end of the comic revealed, we'll go some way to finding out next month. The scenes with the Doctor and Clara were terrific and I think this is clearly set prior to Kill the Moon. Clara doesn't seem to be at an advanced stage in her relationship with Danny and she still seems to be clinging on to any last hope of the Eleventh Doctor returning after her referencing of the previous Doctor. Doing my best impression of Peter Capaldi in my head, reading the Twelfth Doctor's response was just utterly magical. The essence of Capaldi was instantly captured and I think the speech would be perfect to appear on television if ever there was a multi-Doctor episode featuring the current and previous incarnations. "The me who thought bow ties were cool. The me who used the word 'cool'." Just wondrrful. I love how each incarnation of the Doctor seems to mock the others when they're all the same person in the end. That's the beauty of Doctor Who. We now have 13 different faces to the Doctor and all are massively different and technically different characters playing the same character, if that makes sense. The humour with Clara walking out ready to ski but opening the TARDIS doors to a tropical world was great. The Doctor didn't care how ridiculous he looked and just like in Into the Dalek he didn't understand the use of makeup and what have you. I loved how the Doctor mentioned that he hated outside interference. We hadn't noticed, had we? The reference to The Caretaker was cleverly placed, as that was The Day of the Doctor's mention. As the story went on I became mightily shocked that it seemed planet's were being converted and then sold! In only the 25th century. Will technology rapidly advance that much in the next four hundred years? I guess I won't be around to see it but if anyone is scouring over the depths of the internet, or what remains of it, in 2414 and discovers this blog then please answer the question in the comments below. It'll be like we're talking through time. Speaking of time, I was shocked that the leaves were copyrighted. I mean was there really much time and relevance in putting a little © on each leaf? I mean, if visitors weren't welcome then what's the point? The ending with Eric and Scrofolus being saved in the TARDIS and joining up with the Doctor and Clara was a great lead in to the next part where I think they'll take on the role of lite companions for the story. The revelation that the signal the Doctor received was Gallifreyan in origin was staggering. I mean, wow! Judging by his reaction to the ancient markings, it wasn't one of the good ones. Hyperios was coming. Rising. And I can't wait to see what that means in the next issue! Whilst the story continues, there'll be no rating but I thought this was outstanding!

The Sontaran Games

"They're warriors from the planet Sontar... They live only for battle, and it's almost impossible to defeat them in combat."

Writer: Jacqueline Raynor

Format: Novel

Released: February 2009

Series: Quick Reads 04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis 

Every time the lights go out, someone dies...

The TARDIS lands at an academy for top athletes, all hoping to be chosen for the Globe Games. But is one of them driven enough to resort to murder? The Doctor discovers that the students have been hushing up unexplained deaths. 

Teaming up with a young swimmer called Emma, the Doctor begins to investigate - but he doesn't expect to find a squad of Sontarans invading the academy!

As the Sontarans begin their own lethal version of the Globe Games, the Doctor and Emma must find out what's really going on. But the Doctor is captured and forced to take part in the Sontaran Games. Can even a Time Lord survive this deadly contest?

Verdict 

The Sontaran Games was a brilliant little novel! At just 98 pages, there was always the danger that this range brings with the story being rushed or not detailed enough but this adventure didn't fail in those regards at all. I liked the plot from the get go and I thought the sealed off BASE provided a very good setting. The quick introduction of the characters who'd play prominent roles in the story was expertly done by Jacqueline Raymor, a writer who I so very much love and admire. For the second day in a row now I've done a Raynor story and on both occasions I've been far from being left disappointed. She really does know how to tell a story in any format from any era with any Doctor. In the quite recent story of The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky, despite its magnificence I thought the Sontarans that I held so dear from the classic series were portrayed as quite weak by their own standards. Instead of battling for war across the cosmos against the Rutan, they were trying to make Earth into a clone converter. That's not the war raging, honour adhering, Gallifrey invading Sontarans I knew! Here, the Sontarans were certainly at their brutal best. They murdered for fun, literally, and the way the Doctor reacted to them was just magnificent. The Sontarans were utterly ruthless which I adored and despite it not sounding pleasant, it was terrific to see the amount of death that came in their wake. I liked how they had sealed off the BASE as they were hunting for a Rutan Host. What else is new? The description of the Rutan was great and very similar to that of Lords of the Storm and The Infinity Doctors which I thought was good continuity between novels. The mystery surrounding the murder of Laura was good and I was actually quite disappointed in myself for not working out that the Rutan was the one responsible for the power outages in which someone was killed. In that case my credit must go out to Jacqueline Raynor for keeping it cleverly subtle. The revelation at the end surrounding Emma was spectacular. She was a brilliant character throughout the novel and she was the lite companion of the story in my eyes (as Astrid was in Voyage of the Damned for example). The way her special abilities of staying underwater for over three minutes and surviving the electric blast during the Games was terrifically revealed. The portrayal of the Sontaran Games was excellent and I loved the idea of their take of what seemed to be Sontar Olympics! Ha! Sontar-Ha! The description of these Sontarans being of the twelfth battle fleet was splendid. I liked Captain Stenx even if I could have done without the silly mockery by the Doctor. Speaking of the Tenth Doctor, he was fantastically portrayed and described and with this being set in the lead up to The End of Time I liked the angrier side we saw. I was surprised there was no mention of a song being up as in Revolutions of Terror but that's not a bad thing in the slightest. The high paced ending with gravity problems overcoming the Sontarans was tremendous. Overall, a brilliant little novel 

with a great revelation and classic enemy!

Rating: 9/10 

Starborn

"We are the last people to understand ourselves."

Writer: Jacqueline Raynor

Format: Audio

Released: April 2014

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.09

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki

Synopsis 

On a visit to early 20th century Earth, Vicki receives a warning - if she leaves in the TARDIS, then she will die. Unable to join her friends, Vicki is given an audience by a psychic called Violet, who contacts voices beyond this mortal plain. And one of those voices is Vicki herself, who reveals what will happen at the ship's next landing place- and what terrible fate awaits...

Verdict 

Starborn was a wonderful audio adventure! I was always confident that would be the case with Jacqueline Raynor writing, she's a favourite of mine as I'm sure I've mentioned in a past entry and here she got to give us an excellent little adventure with the First Doctor and Vicki. Now it's true that Ian and Barbara were referenced but I don't think they actually appeared hence the lack of them in the 'featuring' bracket. During the TV run I always loved the relationship between the Doctor and Vicki and here I liked how it was still set in the early days of Vicki's arrival on the TARDIS. That meant she was still getting to grips with her new surroundings and friends and that dynamic is fantastic. After Susan's departure in The Dalek Invasion of Earth the Doctor really made an effort to make Vicki comfortable and that's seen here. But the story was also about Vicki, as the range depicts, and her encounter with the nameless Waneshe spirit claiming to be her from the death. That concept is quite frightening and I loved how the dead spirit tried to prevent an event to stop her own death. An ambitious attempt of survival to say the least! Violet was a good character played by Jacqueline Hill, who I know as Sylvia Noble from the Tenth Doctor era, and I liked the ambiance essence surrounding her. The numerous references to The Romans were much welcomed and at first it seemed this was going to be a kind of loose sequel set immediately after the TARDIS departed the burning city but that wasn't the case which I think is a good thing. But the Waneshe knowing about Maximus was tremendous! Vicki being from the 25th century is good because she's more on the Doctor's level than Ian and Barbara and that can provide humour as was seen here with Vicki not seeing too much difference between Nero's Rome and 1963's London. The reference to The Rescue was nicely put but that soon turned evil as Vicki realised that when you're a time traveller and you visit the far future, everyone you know is dead. A horrific concept but a factual one. Just think what the Doctor has to go through! That scary thought would of course catch up to him in The Name of the Doctor. The way the Waneshe gave away that she wasn't really the dead Vicki was good but perhaps it came a little too early and was a tad obvious. But the idea was clever so it didn't really hurt the quality of anything. The cliffhanger was fantastic, not that I think they're necessary in this range, and Vicki's continued disbelief that she was talking to her dead self was wonderful. She ridiculed the whole seance occasion and I think I'd do exactly the same. The supernatural is a load of baloney in my eyes so I loved how Vicki mocked it all! The climax was very good with the story's tellings coming full circle and the Waneshe revealing how she'd hoped to prevent Vicki from ever going to her planet so she wouldn't die, which probably would have happened anyway with the invasion that came. It was rather selfish! I did like the concept of the starborns and the emotional climax made a great end to a brilliant story. Splendid! 

Rating: 9/10

The Evil One

"Run all you like, Doctor. You cannot escape the Evil One."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: April 2014

Series: FDA 3.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis 

The TARDIS lands in the cargo hold of luxury space cruiser the Moray Rose. The crew and passengers are missing. The agents of Inter-Galaxy Insurance are determined to find out what's happened and the shadowy Interplanetary Police Inspector Efendi is showing a very particular interest. 

Caught up in all this, the Doctor and Leela find themselves facing a horde of metal mantis-like aliens. But throughout it all, Leela is haunted by terrible nightmares and the dawning realisation that everything she knows about her life is a lie. 

Verdict 

The Evil One was a brilliant audio story to continue along the Fourth Doctor Adventures very nicely. With my love of Romana II, I still eagerly await the fourth season of stories with Lalla Ward returning alongside Tom Baker for what I think is my all time favourite TARDIS pairing, but if there's a companion to the Fourth Doctor that challenges my opinion on that then it's the wonderful savage Leela. The humour that comes with the Fourth Doctor and Leela is just incredibly good and that was seen in abundance in the first series within this range but I think it's been a bit lessened this time around and the focus has solely been on storytelling which is probably the right move. And from it we got a great adventure here. It was intriguing seeing the journey Leela went on throughout the hour with her really being tormented by what turned out to be the returning emaciated Master. It wasn't the strongest of performances from Geoffrey Beevers and to be honest the villain I love so much was only just above average here. I think the form of the Master that is present during the Tom Baker era should have stayed where it was after the first series of this range. I really liked Geoffrey Beevers strange, eery and calm take on the Master in Trail of the White Worm and The Oseidon Adventure, as well as Dust Breeding with the Seventh Doctor, but now here it's clear this incarnation can only go so far I'm afraid. Despite my disappointment at a slightly lacklustre performance from the infamous lead villain, the Salonu made up for it a bit. I liked them. They didn't do mass amounts but the creepiness of them and they just seemed to have something about them that made me think they were fantastic! Leela's disapproval of them might be the reason. I loved how she disliked their voices. The role of the Salonu was decent throughout but despite the mediocre performance the plot inspired by the plan of the Master was the obvious highlight. I liked the continuation from the last time the Fourth Doctor and Leela met the Master at the end of the first series of FDAs in the already mentioned stories, and now the Master really was going to target the primitive savage mind of Leela and turn it against the Doctor, and it was done rather beautifully. She was questioning who she was. She came to believe that she revelled in the death of her own father but as seen and referenced in The Face of Evil, that certainly was not the case. Leela took great pride in her heritage and family and the recollection of her first kill was a touching moment. It really was lovely. The way Leela described her inspired and inaccurate hatred towards the Doctor was superb and I thought her taunting of his life was shocking and horrifying. The way the Master lost his hold upon the women at the subject of his latest scheme was tremendous! I don't need much to make me like a story, simple logic does it for me and because these stories are Doctor Who, I rarely rate below a 6 and here I was always on the 8/9 border, I get a feeling throughout where it's going to lie and then we had that stunning final scene in the TARDIS with the Doctor explaining just how much he valued Leela and cherished their friendship. He explained just how remarkable she was and that really was such a good scene. I liked how the Master escaped once more but Leela was the highlight for me, believing she was the evil one but ending up as the remarkable one. Great audio!

Rating: 9/10

In the Forest of the Night

"I'm a Time Lord not a child minder!"

Writer: Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 25th October 2014

Series: 8.10

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The human race wakes up to face the most surprising invasion yet, and the Doctor discovers that the final days of humanity have arrived.

Verdict 

In the Forest of the Night was an absolutely beautiful episode. It really was right up my street and I just adored it from start to finish! The concept itself is just staggering to even imagine - a forest growing overnight across the entire planet! I was confident that this episode was always going to be a good one based on the DWM preview and the name of the writer. Boyce of course wrote the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony which received plaudits in abundance so for the series I love so much to have someone of such calibre writing an episode was magnificent, and the result was just astounding. Enchanting even. The story surrounding Maebh was superb throughout and I liked the humour in the opening scene with her knocking on the TARDIS door. Peter Capaldi has had a spectacular opening series and I really am just loving his incarnation of the Doctor. His persona is perfect. And here was just more of the same brilliance. The idea of a school trip gone wrong was a very good one. Clara and Danny taking the 'gifted and talented' pupils on an overnight stay in the zoological museum was tremendous and it was actually nice to see Clara and Danny advancing their relationship in a form other than a date as we've seen previously in the series. The Doctor joining the crew of teachers and pupils was humorous as this weird and wonderful incarnation brings in masses, and he was just as fascinated about the forest growth as the pupils. I loved how the TARDIS being bigger on the inside wasn't fazing the pupils thanks to the sudden flora takeover. That really did take the Doctor by surprise! I liked his relationship with Maebh very much during the episode and the moment she had him stumped for words was spectacular. Clara leaving her homework marking in the TARDIS was hilarious and I was quite surprised how despite her accepting the end of the world, still lied to her boyfriend. Speaking of Clara, once again Jenna Coleman just looked absolutely amazing. Truly gorgeous! This was by a country mile the best episode for Danny and it was clear to see a reason for Clara's loving of him other than whatever she finds physically attractive. There's a difference between attraction and love and his driving attitude in putting the children first was fantastic to see. The Doctor continuing his thoughts on from The Caretaker with him being a PE teacher was terrific. I thought the way Clara sent the Doctor off on his way was a shock but stunning. She'd accepted that the futures she saw were to be erased and instead of the Doctor staying and trying to find away to rid the planet of a fire-proof forest she wanted the human race to save him rather than vice versa. That scene was magical and I was really shocked that Clara declined being saved because she didn't want to be the last of her species. Did she see loneliness in the Doctor? That was a fantastic moment. I was on literally on edge during the forest track scenes with the Doctor and Clara being chased by wolves whilst searching for Maebh. The arrival of the tiger was quite frightening I must say! I can't imagine how anyone would react to coming face to face with a tiger in a forest and only a mere barred fence blocking the path. I loved the realisation moment from "Doctor idiot" when he realised what was going on. There wasn't a Tree Age or an invasion, the trees were protection. As in Maebh's homework, she'd foresaw from the thoughts that a solar attack was on its way, and now the Doctor knew that the trees would protect its planet's inhabitants. Missy's reactions to events was intriguing I must say, and that was of course who "miss" was in sending Maebh to search for the Doctor. I have no doubt about that. The trees being ridded from the planet after the solar danger had passed was a beautiful sight. It really was. Overall, a stunning episode with a magnificent plot, tense atmosphere, majestic ideas, relationship advancement, humour, a lovely global phone call and a brilliant ending! Outstanding.

Rating: 10/10

The Sentinels of the New Dawn

"I opened my eyes and saw the Doctor. He said, "welcome to 2014".'

Writer: Paul Finch

Format: Audio

Released: April 2011

Series: Companion Chronicles 5.10

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz

Synopsis 

Some time after leaving UNIT, Liz Shaw calls the Doctor to Cambridge University, where scientists are experimenting with time dilation. The device hurls them to the year 2014 and a meeting with Richard Beauregard, heir to the Beauregard estate.

Yet there's something rotten at the core of this family… The seeds of a political movement that believes in a new world order.

The Sentinels of the New Dawn are stirring and its malign influence will be felt for centuries to come...

Verdict 

The Sentinels of the New Dawn was a fantastic Companion Chronicle, one of my favourites of the entire range that I'm slowly but surely getting through. The pairing of the Third Doctor and Liz from season 7 is an all time favourite of mine and although she doesn't actually get to travel in the TARDIS, one of the great tragedies of the classic era, she works so well alongside Pertwee's third incarnation. I liked the reminiscing of her departure that we never got to see and I think there was quite a lot of the thoughts of Caroline John seeping through as well which was nice. It's never nice for a main character to not get an official farewell and I think because I loved Liz so much, having her time cut after just four serials without a goodbye is a worse end to a companion's association in the series than that of Dodo in The War Machines. The story here was particularly intriguing and having listened to Leviathan last weekend, I think it made sense to listen to the prequel that was released after the Lost Story, and the connections were wonderful and now we know where and when the Doctor previously encountered the Sentinels of the New Dawn as referenced in the aforementioned story. Speaking of story references, I really loved how Liz remembered her great times with the Doctor making particular earmarks to Doctor Who and the Silurians, Shadow of the Past and The Ambassadors of Death. All completely different stories and it's nice to see how each had a different effect on Elizabeth Shaw. The character of Richard Beauregard was brilliant in both aspects, and time zones. The revelation surrounding him that concluded the audio was a good lead in to the already released Sixth Doctor and Peri adventure and his 'interview' with Liz was splendid. She really is lovely and I just love Caroline John! She performed this beautifully and since her first Chronicle of The Blue Tooth, she's massively improved. I loved the concept of time travel being almost realised in Cambridge university in the 1970s! With Liz's help, after departing UNIT, had led to her boss of sorts conjuring up what seemed to be the formula for a time window. Realising this, I love how Liz needed some expert help so she called upon the Doctor. The moment the two met for the first time in what must've been over a year was lovely. I loved how the Doctor was so glad to see her. Throughout the classic era, I'm not sure there's a companion the Doctor has liked more than Liz. And that really is warming to me, considering how badly this incarnation and Jo immediately got off. The time jump to 2014 was unexpected and the mystery surrounding the New Dawn was suspiciously excellent! The figurehead was intriguing and the way the Doctor played along was fantastic too. Liz preventing herself from being gassed was wonderful! The revelation of the now ironic plot was frightening! Released three years ago, the main aim of this audio was for the New Dawn to cause an ebola pandemic across the world, which in real life has actually occurred! That's some freaky stuff by there. I'm not superstitious in the slightest but I love coincidences and this is a magnificent one. The plan was cunning and I was intrigued how these people were using time travel for political benefit rather than exploration! The use of the modificied bionic creature as the Doctor would of course later encounter was fascinating and I enjoyed Liz's inkling of its presence. The way the Sentinels' plan was thwarted by the Doctor, for now at least, was very good and logical and despite this sounding obvious, that's a great thing! Overall, a good prequel, brilliant plot and wonderful to see the Third Doctor and Liz have another adventure after the latter's departure.

Rating: 9/10

Terror on Xaboi

"There appears to be a malfunction of the site-location console, and damage to the X sensor. In short, no idea at all..."

Writer: Paul Crompton

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1979

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1980

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, K9

Synopsis 

After some flight problems with the TARDIS, the Fourth Doctor and Romana arrive on the snow stricken planet of Xaboi, home to extremely primitive life forms and a monstrous beast.

Verdict 

Terror on Xaboi was a terrific little comic strip adventure with a pairing that I'm increasingly having an improved opinion on. During the Key to Time season 16, have to admit I struggled to get to grips with Romana's first incarnation played by Mary Tamm. I liked the idea of the Doctor travelling with a Time Lord to search for the Key to Time segments but after Leela's brilliance I struggled to warm to the new companion over the six inter-linked serials. And I think my opinion on Romana I is pretty poor because her replacement is my favourite companion of all time in Romana II played so beautifully by Lalla Ward. The pairing of her and the Fourth Doctor was just perfect from the word go, as we saw in Destiny of the Daleks and would see later in pretty much every serial that followed with the pair. City of Death being a major highlight! But now, after delving into other formats as is the case here and with my relatively recent listen of The Auntie Matter, I'm getting to like Romana I more. This comic strip was your typical Annual story but the classic ones are presented so much better than the revived series yearly releases which are horribly targeted towards the much younger fans. There really should be some give and take. I blog this story having been incredibly lucky in purchasing the 1980 Annual for a mere £3.50. It's an absolute gem in my collection and I can't thank Savannah Moon enough, such a brilliant shop! The Annual itself is instantly better than any of the revived ones with it just being a little collection of short stories and small comic strips which is exactly what I think they should all be. I can't tell you how happy I was to purchase my first classic annual! The Scribd app has been helpful to me in the past but redding one in proper paper format right there in front of you is splendid. A lucky and pleasing purchase in which I also picked up the Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin Target novel! Anyway, as usual these comic strips are pretty short at six pages, so my general talking has made the blog look longer than it would have been! The relationship between the Doctor and Romana was good here and I liked the similarities to An Unearthly Child with the extreme primitives. However, I found it intriguing that these people seemed to be even less evolved than Za and co as these people were still grunting having not come up with even a basic language. So communication was hard for the Doctor and Romana as you can imagine! The description of the planet was pretty good and I liked the use of K9 for his brief scenes! I loved the quality of the artwork illustrations, I really was impressed and adored the style! The story behind the beast creature was pretty minimal but that's always going to be the case in the length of a story like this but a shocking moment occurred! Despite the fact Romana was fearing for her life, I was very surprised that the Doctor killed the creature stone dead! Literally destroying it. The way the Doctor loathed his actions was outstanding. He really wasn't himself and wasn't happy or sure about what he'd done. A tremendous aim to a great little story!

Rating: 8/10

Revolutions of Terror Part 3

"Look at that... New York City... a metropolis that stands in myriad forms throughout human history."

Writer: Nick Abadzis

Format: Comic Strip

Released: October 2014

Series: DW10 #3

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

Terror has gripped Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on the Day of the Dead, in the form of the Cerebravores, manifesting as people's worst fears! The Doctor left Gabby to keep a bizarre wormhole open, while he travelled to the other end of the dimensional bridge. Now, both face attack... 

Verdict 

Revolutions of Terror was already a very good story leading up to this third and concluding part and now it has a very decent finish! I liked the immediate follow on from the part 2 cliffhanger with both the Doctor and Gabby facing similar threats. I didn't think the menace Gabby was facing was extinguished in enough detail but I loved the scenes across the bridge with the Doctor consoling the unnamed female. The idea that the Cerebravores were designed to be telepathic weapons is a fantastic concept and I loved the horror shown in the Doctor's words once he found out that piece of information. I was intrigued by what we saw when the Cerebravores attempted to embody the Doctor's fears with flashes of the Master, Cybermen, the Beast, a Time Lord (and then later Rassilon) and Sutekh. Are those the things this Doctor really fears the most? I think there's a bit of a continuity issue with the image of Rassilon but to me things that would have had a much bigger effect would have been some flashes of those the Doctor loved or had great friendship with were in pain or even dying. Surely the death of those he takes on adventures is the thing he fears the most? Or even being stuck on Gallifrey once more perhaps. Gabby's singing to keep herself focused on doing what the Doctor asked in keeping the bridge alive with the washing machines was lovely and I loved the courage shown by the brand new companion! The Doctor's dealing with the Cerebravores across the bridge, cutting them off for good, was terrific and that just left him with the small matter of defeating the ones left on Gabby's side, who threatened Earth with their emotive horrors. The idea of the psychosphere, as I've mentioned in the past blog to a previous part, is magnificent and I loved how the Day of the Dead celebration was used against the Cerebravores. Of course, a recycled climax but I don't mind that at all because the story was most certainly unique! I absolutely adored Gabby's first steps in the TARDIS, really well shown out across the top of the page. The artwork, as usual, was top quality and I liked how Gabby was made the hero in her opening story. She inspired the ceremony attendees to carry on singing and to emit those happy feelings, that at such a burst wiped out the Cerebravores. Blanca suggesting that Gabby and the Doctor were an item was quite humorous and is something very common with this incarnation! As was his comment to Gabby when she finally persuaded him to take her with him. Just the one trip, eh, Doctor? Yeah we'll see how that works out! I did love the plea from Gabby though after the Doctor initially declined her asking, but then with a beautiful tie in to the mini arc surrounding The End of Time, with a reference to the Tenth Doctor's song ending soon, he was persuaded and off the pair went into adventures through time and space. I'm unsure due to cost and travel whether I'll be able to continue with the Titan comics but I'm desperate to see how the Tenth and Gabby get along outside of an introductory story! Overall, the three parts as a whole, provided a good and solid introduction for Gabby and it's fresh to have a new character to be recognised as a companion to the Tenth Doctor! Hit and miss in some places but a good start, great plot and some lovely references.

Rating: 8/10

 

The Doctor's Coat

"He'd taken his coat off and draped it over the back of his chair."

Writer: John Bromley

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Short Trips 2.06

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis 

The Sixth Doctor spends a nice afternoon underneath twin suns on a heat baked planet. But as he embraces the sunshine, the mystery as to the disappearance of his coat soon increases...

Verdict 

The Doctor's Coat, despite its shortness at just 12 minutes long, was a terrific little adventure with the Sixth Doctor! Now I say 'despite its shortness', I guess I shouldn't make complaints about the length when the range itself is called Short Trips. The setting of Sonti was a good one and the depiction of it was splendid. I like the idea of the Doctor just randomly visiting a planet and having a nice, relaxing time! It's not exactly a common occurrence for him and he deserves a break from saving the universe every now and then. The Sontilas were an intriguing race and despite the humour they brought, I really loathed the Geordie accent that came with them. I felt it was a bit unnecessary and with the sound effect added made it somewhat difficult to understand what was said at times. The audio is about what you can guess from the title of the story, it's all about the Doctor's coat. But as dull as that sounds, the idea was extremely clever! The younglin (check me on spelling there!) of the planet took the shells of the adult Sontila and when the Doctor took of his coat they considered that as parting with it! Brilliant and hysterical. The attempts of the Doctor to get it back were very comical too. Yes, pun intended. The scenes in the comic book shop were tremendous and I plan on visiting one myself this week to pick up the latest Titan published 10th, 11th and 12th Doctor comics, but as was the case here I won't be paying in salt! An intriguing currency is an understatement! The reference to The Trial of a Time Lord with the Doctor thinking he should check up on Peri was very nice and I loved the reference to the much disputed colour and design of the jacket in which it shouldn't define the man who wears it. And I completely agree. Colin Baker is a wonderful Doctor! If the coat puts you off then delve into the audios because he's probably better on there than he was on television! Overall, a short but fantastic little story and I enjoyed the way the Doctor got his coat back. 

Rating: 8/10 

Mondas Passing

"The Zeus spacecrafts had started their launches early in the year. He'd even seen the snowcap base and General Cutler on the news. Poor old Cutler..."

Writer: Paul Grice

Format: Novel

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips Vol. 1

Featuring: Polly, Ben

Synopsis 

20 years after departing the TARDIS, Polly and Ben reunite on New Year's Eve, 1986, to ensure that they've seen the year through after the attempted Cybermen invasion that they helped defeat. For them, it happened 20 years ago but now it was happening once more. Mondas was coming. 

Verdict

Mondas Passing was a touching, emotional and very good short story! Not long after watching The Faceless Ones, in which Polly and Ben depart, I thought this would be a good time to read the story featuring the brilliant pairing twenty years on from their departure during the events of The Tenth Planet. It's an intriguing idea catching up with a companion, or in this case companions, after they've left the TARDIS during an event they played a major part in and know how it's going to turn out but can't help but think that history may alter and won't be as they remember it. I was actually quite saddened to learn that at this point in time, Polly and Ben had gone their separate ways and married other people. But as was wonderfully evident in this story, the feelings between the pair were strong. They couldn't just throw away the struggles, escapes and victories they'd shared and celebrated together could they? I loved the reminiscing of past experiences with The Power of the Daleks, The Highlanders and The Macra Terror particularly favourable references. I was intrigued to learn Ben's feelings about Jamie and I have to say I was very surprised. Because of the time that Jamie came from he obviously wasn't as intellectual as Polly and Ben but the former being the beautiful sweet girl she is wasn't too pleased with Ben's comments either. Jamie was a great companion! I liked the wondering as to if the pair of the Second Doctor and Jamie would still be travelling together. The reference to the regeneration was nicely thrown in and I also liked the little references to a novel and audio that I'm yet to blog. So I look forward to those! Thankfully, The Five Companions restores the relationship between Polly and Ben, that was always going to occur after The War Machines, with Polly considerably older in that story and revealing that she and Ben did marry in the end which is lovely (Lucky Ben!). They just simply had to get together. It wouldn't be right if they didn't. Overall, an intriguing idea, good story and quite touching! I do love Polly, and her sweet nature was so nice throughout. 

Rating: 8/10  

 

Leviathan

"In the hands of the wicked and the depraved, even the finest dreams can be turned into nightmares."

Writers: Brian Finch & Paul Finch

Format: Audio

Released: January 2010

Series: Lost Stories 1.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis 

No one lives to old age in the village. When their Time is come, they are taken and never seen again. That is The Way. And, should anyone try to break with the established order of things, then the fury of Herne the Hunter is unleashed...

When the TARDIS materialises near a castle in this mediaeval society, the Doctor and Peri befriend Gurth, a terrified youth who is attempting to flee his fate. And Herne is closing in...

Why does the local baron impose the culling? What is the secret of Zeron? And who are the Sentinels of the New Dawn?

The answers lie within a cave...

Verdict 

Leviathan was a fantastic audio adventure to continue along the great and consistent standard of the first series of the Lost Stories range. The idea behind restoring scripts, particularly those intended for the original season 23, is wonderful and hearing a script being performed so well that was so close to appearing on television is splendid. I'm so glad that we're now given the chance to hear what was intended for the outstanding pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Peri, quite possibly my favourite TARDIS duo. I always look forward to a story that has Colin Baker and/or Nicola Bryant in them because I love each of them and I just adore them together! Their relationship was magnificent here and after the awkward aftermath of regeneration during season 22, it's lovely to see the softer side of the Sixth Doctor come out, something that was hinted upon in The Trial of a Time Lord. I much preferred the first part of this story to the second which came as a bit of a surprise to me after the excellent cliffhanger! The Middle Ages are a period I know quite a bit about so having the story set there, or so it first seemed, was very appealing to me and my attention was grabbed right away. But something I liked even more was the absolute lack of historical reference. Not every story set in the past needs to have a famous monarch or writer for example, but instead we were just in a village in the middle of nowhere. The use of the Middle Ages setting allowed us to have the Doctor and Peri engaging in the minds of simpletons. And that helped the story considerably I thought. The fear behind Herne was wonderful and the voice, enhanced by its limited appearance, was ferociously frightening! The description of the creature, as seen on the CD cover also, was brilliant and I liked how Peri read the history behind the folklore from the TARDIS data bank. The appearance of the Sentinels of the New Dawn was a surprise to me and I'm convinced they've appeared in another audio, something is telling me a Companion Chronicle, so with me not having done that story I think it hurt my perception of them here. Zeron was a great demon and I loved how the Barron served it. That was a very intriguing relationship throughout the adventure. I really enjoyed the lengthy battle scenes and despite the high possibility of them not being great for audio I thought they worked magnificently! I loved the reference to The Crusade seemingly more than I usually would like a classic story throw in but I picked up the Target reprint, Doctor Who and the Crusaders, today so maybe I liked the coincidence behind it considerably more. The TV story wasn't amazing but I'm intrigued to see how the story will pan out in prose. And I think it's intriguing thinking of the comparisons between pure historicals and pseudo-historicals as is sort of the case here. I like both but I think I have to lean to the pseudo stories as being more favourable when I think of the likes of The Time Meddler, The Time Warrior and The Next Doctor as being three of my favourite ever adventures. The mix of androids and human youth in this story was an intriguing balance and the fact that the dogs were also of robotic nature was of severe interest. This was one of my favourite performances from the terrific Nicola Bryant as Peri, she really was angry with what was going on and didn't hold back in shouting aggressively when her life was under threat. The reference to Mission to Magnus was great and I like how despite the running order being not quite how season 23 intended, the Lost Stories are going in some form of continuity. The guest cast were pretty strong in this audio and I particularly liked Althea. She didn't like "the way" and what it did for her family and that whole concept was something that didn't really provide enjoyment. I wasn't struck on it. The fact that nobody had ever questioned why it was only the youth whose time was up was another fact I had difficulty believing. How did everybody just have an uncle and auntie? But the scenes on the spaceship were tremendous with Gurth and the disturbing foetuses. That really was an unexpected distressing description! But it's horribleness made it work tremendously. The climax was done well with all the loose ends of the plot being tied up nicely, even if the rushed third party moment was something I thought unnecessary. Just like in The Android Invasion, the robot impersonators of humans can't escape being defeated by the Doctor, and that was done elegantly here. 

Rating: 8/10  

Flatline

"Their idea of language is just as bizarre as their idea of space. Frankly, the TARDIS is confused."

Writer: Jamie Mathieson 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 18th October 2014

Series: 8.09

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

On the streets of an ordinary council estate, the Doctor and Clara face an alien threat they can barely understand. As the creatures close in, Clara has to take charge of the spiralling situation - while the Doctor struggled with some dimensions that have become a little too relative for comfort...

Verdict 

Flatline was another great episode in this debut season of the Twelfth Doctor that just continues to impress. After reading the preview for this episode in the latest DWM I was mightily intrigued to see how the concept of 2D monsters would be approached and I have to say I was mostly impressed. As my blog entry from 7 days ago describes, I absolutely loved Mummy on the Orient Express and for me it is the best episode of the series thus far and I was sneakily hoping that with the same writer, this episode might surpass that. Now, don't get me wrong, this was a fantastic episode and as my rating will suggest I throughly enjoyed what I watched, but instead of being the best of the series so far I thought it was the worst. I annoy myself in saying that because it makes it sound like I disliked the episode when that certainly isn't the case! Clara was just magnificent from start to finish and her relationship with the Twelfth Doctor is back to the heights of the early episodes of the season prior to the Kill the Moon shock. The intrigue of the dimensions affecting the TARDIS were excellent! How powerful and unique must the opposition be if it baffled both the Doctor and the TARDIS as to who they were and also drained power from the time machine and affected its dimensions in a massive way! The humour surrounding the shrunken TARDIS and then miniature one was hilarious and the contrasting reactions between the Doctor and Clara were wonderful. I wasn't a great fan of the Doctor peering out of the figure-sized TARDIS and I really didn't buy into the way he moved it off the tracks sadly. But the siege mode was something I loved the sound of! The setting of a Bristol estate could have been better I thought - it's not the nicest of places with all due respect and that was perfectly shown with the character of Ruscoe who was basically an arrogant bastard. I really disliked him which in turn is what the writer intended and therefore is something I like, if that makes sense. Rigsy reminded me of Courtney from The Caretaker and Kill the Moon, and I'm not convinced that using youth as such pivotal characters in stories is a good direction. I've not a problem with it at the moment but I'd rather it not continue if I'm honest. The Doctor's helplessness in the TARDIS was comical and I absolutely loved how Clara took full advantage of that. For one episode, she was the Doctor. And I loved her approach and it was also lovely to see how much she's learned from her space friend. It was fascinating seeing how a familiar character reacted and approached being in the situation the Doctor's usually in. She really was just beautiful, as always, but I didn't mean physically. Of course, in that respect she was pretty much perfect as per usual. The 'memorial' of the missing people actually being the memorial was horrifically frightening! The danger of a 2D monster turning things into 2D cleverly avoided the danger of seeming childish and cartoon-like which was nice to see. The absorption, if you like, of the police women was a scary scene! The Doctor not knowing literally anything about the situation and his excitement at something extremely new occurring was magnificent. I loved how Clara worked out how to get the TARDIS back from siege mode and to full size by following what the Doctor would do, use the enemy's power against them and that charged the TARDIS conveniently. The emergence of the Doctor to defeat the "killer graffiti" (sorry, Doctor, but that's what I'm calling them!) was fantastic but I thought something more explanatory than the sonic would be how the 2D invaders would be defeated. I loved how the theory of the 2D universe was proved here in this episode and their attempts to break into the third dimension were done so in frightening fashion. Overall, a great episode and an extremely intriguing end scene with Missy. The Doctor seems to know something is going on by saying Clara's excellence had nothing to do with goodness, but I'm more intrigued by Missy claiming to have chosen well. I'm guessing it's a reference to The Bells of Saint John with the phone number but just why did she choose Clara and what for? It's not long until we find out. 

Rating: 8/10

Magic of the Angels

"Amy blinked her eyes. When her vision cleared, she could see that the girl had gone. In the centre of the spiral, amid the spikes, stood the angel statue."

Writer: Jacqueline Raynor

Format: Novel

Released: February 2012

Series: Quick Reads 06

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

"No one from this time will ever see that girl again..."

The Doctor, Amy and Rory round off a sight-seeing tour round London with a trip to the theatre. That's when things start to go wrong.

The Doctor wonders why so many young girls are going missing from the area. When he sees Sammy Star's amazing magic act, he thinks he knows the answer. Sammy's glamorous assistant disappears at the climax of the act - but this is no stage trick.

The Doctor and his friends team up with residents of an old people's home to discover the truth. And together they find themselves face to face with a deadly Weeping Angel. 

Whatever you do - don't blink!

Verdict 

Magic of the Angels was an enjoyable and entertaining little read! I was intrigued prior to reading by the title but I didn't expect a Weeping Angel to actually be a part of a magic show! That was a nice and unexpected surprise. Also prior to reading I was interested in seeing how the infamous New Who villains, easily the best recurring enemies created since 2005, would work in print. Could the statues be as effective in the novelised format as they are on screen? I thought they were going to be and in the more than safe hands of Jacqueline Raynor I wasn't left disappointed. The trio of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory are fantastic together and I just adored the constant references to Amy's redhead beauty. She really is stunning. And her relationship with the Doctor was terrific as always. I liked how we saw the soft side of Rory and the caring nurse in him come out once again. I adored the beginning with the TARDIS trio on the London tour bus and the Doctor was inadvertently amusing the other bus riders with his namedropping and references to past encounters. The Shakespeare Code, Rose and Aliens of London were all excellently referenced. The format of the Quick Reads is still relatively new to me and this was just my second after the fantastic The Silurian Gift and for some reason the shorter length seems to bring it to be a more child orientated target audience which I don't think should be the case. But reading this novel on the usual train journey I found myself whizzing through the chapters and finishing the boom before changing trains after 160 minutes into my journey so with the speed of reading, despite the format, it must've done something correct to keep me delved in. The plot was decent and I think the lack of appearance from the Weeping Angel throughout just bizarrely added to the fear. The idea of an Angel in a magic show is just wonderful and the description of the act with the assistant of Sammy Star being zapped to the past was fantastic. Mrs Hooper and Mrs Collins were lovely characters and the emotion behind their past catching up with them was tremendous, it really was. Rory's relationship with them along with Amy's sweet touch was terrific to see. The story behind Max the dog and the Doctor was a splendid addition. The realisation from Amy when she heard that the magic show was going to be shown on television was frightening. The throwback to The Time of Angels hit her hard in the face. The image of an Angel becomes an Angel. I'm not sure that concept stands for Blink but since the Eleventlh Doctor's encounters I've come to adore that concept. As if the Weeping Angels needed an added fear factor! The climax was a bit dodgy though I thought with the Angel just staying looking at the projected image of itself. All it takes is for someone to move it and it's loose again. I thought that was quite a shame considering the rest of the novel was such an enjoyment. Overall, a decent plot, good references and the return of a brilliant enemy. 

Rating: 8/10

The Tomb of the Cybermen

"You belong to us. You will be like us."

Writers: Kit Pedler & Gerry Davis

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd September - 23rd September 1967

Season: 5.01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

The once-feared Cybermen have disappeared from the universe without trace. An expedition from Earth arrives on Telos - homeworld of the Cybermen - to try and discover exactly what has become of the silver giants.

Soon after the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join the archaeological party, the first mysterious death occurs. With the group now stranded on Telos, it becomes clear that the Cybermen may not be as 'dead' as it was first thought...

Beneath the planet's surface, giant ice-tombs hold the last remains of the Cybermen in a frozen sleep. And someone is working to re-activate them from their slumber...

Verdict 

The Tomb of the Cybermen is an absolute classic. Long regarded as the epitome of what Doctor Who had to offer during its original run during its two decade absence from the BBC archives, it's somewhat difficult to argue with the statement. Like most stories, it's not perfect and there a few elements that prevent it from gaining full marks from myself but it doesn't miss out by much. Since blogging all the TV serials in order from the Patrick Troughton era (after completing the William Hartnell years of course), this story brings me to the first fully complete serial! From The Power of the Daleks up until the nicely referenced The Evil of the Daleks I've had to watch animation or the brilliant Loose Cannon recons to complete these lost stories. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful for these methods of completion but after experiencing a Second Doctor story in its entirety as intended, this story just had that extra touch of gravitas. The arrival of the TARDIS just as the expedition found the entrance to the ice tombs of Telos was fantastic. I loved the idea behind the Cybermen making it so difficult a place to break into. They wanted to have the most intelligent minds for their own use. Cunning to say the least! I thought Victoria did very well in her first serial after joining the TARDIS crew and I loved her disapproval of the shortness of her dress, which easily covered her knees. Typical Victorian era values which I admire. I really enjoyed the expedition characters with Krieg and Kaftan of course standing out due to their evil intentions. The fact they had financed the expedition in the hope of joining forces with the Cybermen was an amusingly bad plan! Surely they knew they couldn't bargain with the Cybermen, right? And their matters weren't helped by the debut of the fantastic Cyber Controller. In the finale of the previous episode we met the Emperor of the Daleks and now here we've met the Controller of the Cybermen. I loved the appearance and the metallic voice was cunningly evil. The scene where the Cybermen break from their tombs at the end of episode 2 seems to go on forever but it's impossible to not love it. After a five century absence from the universe, the Cybermen have awoken. I thought Troughton was once again on top form as the Doctor showing curiosity, intelligence and humour which is a magnificent combination. His pun was hilarious due its awfulness. I loved how he assisted Krieg in opening the hatchdespite  the danger he knew it'd bring. He wanted to know all about the intentions of the remaining Cybermen. The references to The Tenth Planet and The Moonbase were much welcomed and I loved how they provided an explanation for this story's events. The Cybermen were desperate after the destruction of Mondas. The slight change in design was excellent and I just love the appearance of the metal enemies in the early stories. For me, they've never looked better. The introduction of the Cybermats was effective and I loved how innocently mischievous they looked. A great ploy of the Cybermen. The idea of picking up on brain waves is certainly a frightening one! Jamie's shock at the return of the Cyberman was terrific to see and I admired the courage he showed throughout the episodes. His consoling of Victoria, the new girl in town, was also splendid to see. The illustrations of the Cybermen on the walls of entrance were wonderful, a really nice touch. Toberman's character was an intriguing one and I liked how human strength was pitted against that of the Cybermen's. The failed negotiations between Krieg and the Controller were good and set up a very good climax. The Doctor's simple persuasion in the part-converted Toberman to see what evil the Cybermen were up to was great! He soon turned on his converters and literally destroyed the Controller in an epic throw! This story was full of brutality, brilliance and basics and that's what makes it so effective. It was quite surprising how many of the expedition crew were killed but I think that just adds to the horror factor of the Cybermen. The electrocution scene at the climax was a sad way to end things for Toberman and the Controller once and for all. The Doctor permanently locked them in their tombs. It seems in the last two outings he's ridded the universe of both Daleks and Cybermen! But that can't last long, can it? Overall, an excellent story. 

Rating: 9/10

The Evil of the Daleks

"I was merely telling my friend that the day of the Daleks is coming to an end."

Writer: David Whittaker

Format: TV

Broadcast: 20th May - 1st July 1967

Series: 4.09

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis 

The Daleks draft the Second Doctor into distilling the Human Factor. Once implanted, it will make the Dalek race invincible. Jamie's faith in the Doctor is stretched to the limit as the Doctor appears to be collaborating with the Daleks. The Doctor has a few tricks up his sleeve, but then again so might the Daleks...

Verdict 

The Evil of the Daleks is a brilliant serial to conclude what has been a memorable and momentus fourth season! We've had the very first regeneration, the Cybermen debut and then return, the Daleks, the arrival of Jamie, departures of Polly and Ben and now we witnessed what seemed to be the final end of the Daleks as we know them, and in quite spectacular fashion. I really enjoyed this story from start to finish although I did think that episode four was pretty uneventful. But the other six parts more than made up for that! We had Victorian time travel, the origins of a new companion and the Daleks trying to make themselves like humans! I liked how the story directly followed on from The Faceless Ones, the previous serial of course which was neatly referenced. The TARDIS was being abducted after its misplacement at Gatwick and I loved the irony of the signature being from a 'J. Smith'. The mystery behind the beginning with Kennedy, Bob and Perry was terrific and I was very intrigued to know where Edward Waterfield got the pictures of the Doctor and Jamie and also knew that Polly and Ben wouldn't be with them so soon after departing. After the reference at the end of the last serial it dawned on me that the first couple of parts of this story take place simultaneously with The War Machines! A brilliant thought! And perhaps it explains the Dalek reference by the First Doctor in that very story. The use of time travel through mirrors was an intriguing concept and after I completed the seventh and final part I found myself looking in the mirror and being mightily intrigued by the concept. It was of course recycled in Turn Left but I preferred its effectiveness here. The abduction of Victoria was a good way to introduce her and it was great how Jamie immediately took a shine to her. Had he forgotten all about Samantha already? I was surprised by how much of the story was set in 1866 but I did really like it. The idea of taking genuine artefacts 100 years into the future and selling them as mint condition antiques is brilliant! Edward Waterfield was a fantastic character and I liked his relationship with the Doctor in the latter stages of the story after his dealings for the Daleks were over. The arrival of the Daleks into the story was done very well and I loved the episode 2 cliffhanger with the Doctor learning who was behind the scheme to kidnap him and the TARDIS. The references to The Daleks with the static electricity were tremendous. The idea behind the Daleks wanting the human factor was quite a shock! It seemed the Daleks were still bitter at failing to conquer the planet in The Dalek Invasion of Earth and after other attempts to take over the human race they'd failed and whatever it was that had prevented them defeating the human race they wanted it. And I thought that was majestic. The way the Doctor created the human factor from the actions of Jamie was very good but for me it was the Scotsman who was the highlight of the serial! We saw a brand new side to the young companion and after Polly and Ben's departure he was the lone companion but he was disgusted with some of the Doctor's actions and his reaction was fantastic. The way the Doctor and Jamie tied up the problems was nice as the Dalek plans advanced they joined forces to push through a Dalek revolt. Alpha, Beta and Omega were spectacular Daleks! Yes, Daleks had names! They were given the human factor and they were just everything a Dalek isn't. Questioning orders, playing games and calling the Doctor they're friend! The return of the Black Dalek was intriguing as I didn't know there was more than one at a time and gave a bigger insight into the ranking of the Dalek society. The return to Skaro was something I very much welcomed! Seeing the similar forests and city landscapes from the Doctor's last visit was magnificent. I adored the debut of the Dalek Emperor! Looking mighty, undefeatable and all powerful it really was outstanding. The voice was marvellous and really asserted its authority. And then came the destructive climax. After the failings of the Dalek factor thanks to the Doctor, destruction soon ensued in masses after the Doctor tricked the Emperor and produced the human factor into every Dalek! The Daleks were completely obliterated and despite Edward and Kemel dying in the process, the Daleks were nothing but dust on their own planet. The Doctor promised her father that he'd look after Victoria and now it's clear we have a brand new companion, again someone with beauty! But it'll take something special for her to top Polly. Overall, a fantastic serial full of shock and brilliance. 

Rating: 9/10

The Five Companions

"Sometimes it's too easy to keep on going forward. Perhaps sometimes I should give myself the luxury of looking back to appreciate all the good people I've left behind."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: December 2011

Series: Subscription Exclusive X

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Ian, Steven, Sara, Polly

Synopsis 

Inside a cluster of fused-together derelict spaceships, four of the Doctor's oldest friends - and one of his newest ones - are lost and confused. They don't know how they got there or what they're meant to be doing - but as the place is infested with Daleks, Sontarans and dinosaurs, their first priority is staying alive.

To their collective relief, the Doctor turns up and has a reasonable idea of what's going on. If the six of them work together, they can escape this place and get home. But, unexpectedly, others may be working together to ensure they all die here...

Verdict 

The Five Companions was a truly wonderful and celebratory audio adventure. The idea is wonderful and adds a great depth to the masterpiece that is The Five Doctors. Where the TV 20th anniversary special was all focused on the Doctor, I love how this audio focused on those companions who didn't appear as part of the episode, as well as some infamous villains. The story started off terrifically with Ian and Steven reuniting after their encounter with the Daleks in The Chase. Just like in that adventure they were paired together against the deadly Skaro natives in what seemed to be similar corridors of the brief Dalek appearance in the TV story which the First Doctor and Susan used a Dalek to their advantage. The introduction in the story for Sara and Polly was lovely and it was tremendous hearing their reactions when both of them made reference to knowing the Daleks. I liked how despite the reunion or meeting of past companions a brilliant story was being told along the way. We had the Daleks asserting they're own assumed authority and once the Doctor arrived I loved the conflict between Daleks and Sontarans alike. I'm very pleased that these two villains, arguably my favourite, got the chance to have a more prominent role in a Death Zone of Gallifrey. The anomaly explanation made perfect sense and I'm glad that everybody's presence was explained. I adored the Doctor's happiness at seeing some of his oldest companions, now much older, again. And with Daleks, Sontarans and a gateway to defeat, what an inadvertent team that'd been assembled! With Nyssa added in we had some brilliant dynamics that can only be conjured up in audio and that's why it's such a magnificent format. Banter between Ian and Nyssa, Steven and Sara reunited for a new adventure with the Daleks and a quite lovely conversation between the Fifth Doctor and Polly. I just love Polly so much and it was great to hear that the Doctor admired how she would always do, say or suggest the right thing. The reference to The Tenth Planet where she memorably stood up to the Cyber Leader was quite marvellous. I was surprised to learn that Polly and Ben had gotten married it seemed but less so to learn of Ian and Barbara's wedding as I've seen the visual of that in Hunters of the Burning Stone! The reference to the rushed goodbye in The Faceless Ones was nearly added and is the only dampener on two fantastic companions who saw us through the very first regeneration. Polly's lack of understanding to the word regeneration was very humorous. After the events of the referenced The Savages, I loved the idea of Steven seeing off a Sontarans arrack! Sara's being alive is something I'm yet to learn about as I haven't yet listened to her Companion Chronicles but I eagerly look forward to seeing how she survived ageing to death in The Daleks' Master Plan. The conflict turned alliance between the Sontarans and Daleks was superb and I loved the The Invasion of Time reference! The inclusion of a Sontaran Marshall was an added bonus and it was my first performed story to feature one, my only previous was Lords of the Storm coincidentally also featuring the Fifth Doctor. The way the unexpected and unprecedented sixsome joined together to defeat the Daleks and Sontarans, and ultimately the alternative Death Zone, was splendid and I just love how the Doctor truly did appreciate his past companions. And as my opening quote suggests, perhaps one day he'll go back and visit instead of always rushing forward. Maybe one day. But overall, a truly wonderful audio adventure and it's given those who weren't lucky enough, sadly, to feature in the TV anniversary story to still have a role within it. 

Rating: 10/10

Mummy on the Orient Express

"How many people have to die before you start looking the other way?"

Writer: Jamie Mathieson

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 11th October 2014

Series: 8.08

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

On the most beautiful train in history, speeding among the stars of the future, a deadly creature is stalking the passengers...

Verdict 

Mummy on the Orient Express was an absolutely superb episode and in my opinion is the best of the series so far! It really was a masterpiece by Jamie Mathieson and was right up my alley. No rubbish about picking the companion up, no series arc taking away attention, just pure storytelling brilliance. After Kill the Moon, it was very nice to see Clara back on good terms with the Doctor. As we'd seen Danny say, she couldn't give up travelling with the Doctor because she just loved it so much. I adored how she couldn't bring herself to hate the Doctor. I really didn't like how Clara was portrayed in last week's episode but here she was back to the companion I absolutely love. And oh my, how amazing did Jenna Coleman look! Dazzling is a complete and utter understatement. The story itself was brilliant I thought! A kind of homage to Voyage of the Damned with the space train rather than boat this time but this episode worked considerably better. I loved the relationship between the Doctor and Clara throughout, especially when they first arrived on the Orient Express. Clara was explaining how angry she was at the Doctor for his actions, something I think she overreacted to, but he was pretty much ignoring her as he wanted to do his thing. And that thing was beautiful. Oh so Doctor was he that he could care less about personal thoughts and feelings when there was a whole planetary system being eaten away by a black hole. When the Doctor asked Clara if he could tell her about the planets I was in love with the series all over again. Such a simple line but it defined the Doctor magnificently. Speaking of relationships, the one between Clara and Maisie was wonderful. The kind nature that I so love in Clara came out in abundance. The mythology of space is an amazing concept and I loved how the Doctor believed most myths to be true despite the general consensus not being the same. And here we had the Foretold, a mummy who would hunt you in 66 seconds and kill you. But what made this myth fantastic was that the killer could only be seen by the victim. How do you defeat something that only someone who's got a minute to live can see? Brilliant. Mightily impressive. Peter Capaldi has had an incredible debut season with his performance and I just love everything about his Doctor! The voice, the eyebrows and the awkwardness. It's clear how much he cherishes Clara but he doesn't know how to tell her properly which I think is excellent. I loved the character of Perkins played greatly by beloved Who fan Frank Skinner! It was lovely to read his interview in the latest DWM ahead of this broadcast seeing how such a huge fan is living the dream appearing in the show they love. But of course, Peter Capaldi takes that so much further as he was president of a fan club and is now the Doctor! The use of the 66 second countdown clock was eery and efficient and once we got to the latter stages of the episode it was clever but somewhat surprising that the Doctor was only hoping to gain information rather than save those about to die. But to be fair, it's rather difficult even for the Doctor to save people in 66 seconds from a mythological mummy that can't be seen! The appearance of the Foretold was outstanding I thought! Extremely impressive and very frightening! Exactly what it needed to be. The mystery behind Gus was enigmatic and I liked how the reference in The Big Bang has come full circle as just an attempt from Gus to lure the Doctor to the train and solve the mystery. I loved how the Doctor took on his hard to like persona with Clara making her lie to Maisie to get her to the Doctor. And just as with Kill the Moon Clara was outraged at the Doctor lying to her as he knew that the train would be dangerous. The way he transferred the weakness from Maisie to himself so the Foretold hunted him was fantastic and the "surrender" moment was terrific. The Foretold was freed. A soldier with technology glitches was a very good revelation. Gus' ungratefulness was a bit of a shock after luring the team together he was just going to evacuate the air from them and suffocate them! However the Doctor was there to transport them away and Clara was oh so pleased. It was nice for Frank Skinner to get his scene in the TARDIS and I loved Clara's change of heart. No "last hurrah", she was more than happy to stay travelling in the TARDIS. And I'm more than happy to keep her, especially if she continues to wear dresses like she did here! 

Rating: 10/10