From Raxicoricofallapatorius with Love

"Whatever next, the bionic blusher?"

Writers: Gareth Roberts & Clayton Hickman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13th March 2009

Series: 2009 Comic Relief Special

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, K9

Synopsis 

When Sarah Jane and her young friends are gathered in the attic and carrying out maintenance on Mr Smith, they get a visit from the most unexpected of visitors...

Verdict 

From Raxicoricofallapatorius with Love was a terrific little minisode. Just when I thought my viewing of the Sarah Jane Adventures was over for a while, I go sky discover this little gem on the DVD boxset of the second series. However, it's not as easy to access as you might expect from a DVD! I mean, it's not really that difficult to get around to finding and watching it but once you access the not so well hidden secret files, there is a quiz section had to access the minisode you have to answer five questions in a row correctly. Obviously, they're all about the series that this is the boxset of but I actually started off with an incorrect answer as I couldn't recall what Rani's star sign was from Secrets of the Stars. However, the fifth and final question that I did answer correctly was the star sign of Sarah Jane so after working for it, I was able to sit back and enjoy the little special. I think it's great that a spinoff of Doctor Who got to do a minisode for a charity appeal and Comic Relief is obviously a good cause and I liked how similarly to a Christmas special, the running theme of the charity night was heavily present in the story. We had Ronnie Corbett appearing which is brilliant enough in itself but the fact that he was a child Slitheen was just magnificent! It really was quite a humorous five minutes or so and I liked the Slitheen's disguise of being a galactic ambassador that had come to reward Sarah Jane and her young friends for all the hard work they had been doing recently in battling aliens and defeating evil. She initially felt honoured but once the new arrival started shedding gas, the disguise was up and everybody knew that he was actually a Slitheen. It was quite intriguing that his name was shortened to Rani and with that name already being synonymous with Doctor Who, it was strange to have two characters named that here without either being an evil Time Lady. There was a great deal of comedy fitted into five minutes which was good and while the plot of the story wasn't exactly thrilling, it really didn't matter. This was purely meant to get laughs and that's exactly what it achieved. Mr Smith analysing the Slitheen and even the reemergence of K9 confirming his alien identity was brilliant because the Slitheen still continued to deny that he was one of them! Rarely does a story physically make me laugh but that did occur here with Ronnie Corbett so it definitely did something right. The comments about the sonic lipstick were excellent and the use of red nose antlers and even one appearing on K9 was a good and funny way to end the minisode. Overall, a lot of fun!

Rating: 8/10

Enemy of the Bane

"I'm not past my sell by date yet."

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1st-8th December 2008

Series: SJA 2.06

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Brigadier

Synopsis 

Gita Chandra is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood. This thrns out to be a snare for Sarah Jane. Mrs Wormwood has joined with another it Sarah Jane's enemies, Commander Kaagh. As they prepare to settle old scores, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend.

Verdict 

Enemy of the Bane was an excellent stort and served as a great series two finale of the Sarah Jane Adventures! It was brilliant for a number of reasons as it had not one but two returning enemies, a very good plot and an incredible surprise return for an old friend of Sarah Jane's. When you name a story after the returning monster, I think you have to introduce them pretty early on and not needlessly build up to the big reveal. It's in the name, we know it's coming. Thankfully, within the first few minutes we were reintroduced to Mrs Wormwood and it initially seemed that she was after revenge for the events that occurred in Invasion of the Bane. However, that wasn't quite the case. Wormwood was being hunted by the Bane Kindred and as she had been the head of a failed invasion, she was now expected to accept her fate of being eaten alive. That was the punishment and her species were determined to see that she served it. Wormwood had come to Sarah Jane for help, and that obviously did seem a little too good to be true. And if that's the case then it usually is a trap. Wormwood trying to make an emotional connection with Luke throughout the story was interesting as it really did seem genuine. She cared for her creation very much but it didn't go as far as love. She just wanted to use Luke to access her means of ruling the universe. That wasn't love. How could it be? The story was wonderful in the fact that it saw the Brigadier return to our screens after a very long absence. Although he didn't get to appear in modern Doctor Who, this is as good as and to have reunited with Sarah Jane really was wonderful. There were fantastic references to The Invasion, Spearhead From Space, Terror of the Autons, Day of the Daleks and Terror of the Zygons and I also enjoyed the continuity from The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky with the Brigadier's recent whereabouts. Hearing Nicholas Courtney once again really was magnificent and although he couldn't do much other than drive a car, I loved how his walking stick was packed with weaponry and he managed to use it on Kaagh! His return alongside Wormwood was a big surprise and although they made an unlikely alliance, their quest to find Horath was very good. Kaagh's insistence that he wasn't working for a female was great and his honour really had been damaged since he first encountered Sarah Jane and her 'half forms'. I really liked the references to Secrets of the Stars, The Mark of the Berserker and The Day of the Clown and when it came to explaining the Dark Archives of UNIT, the reference to Tooth and Claw was terrific. Wormwood claiming that Sarah Jane was merely the wet nurse when it came to Luke was quite a striking claim but Luke was correct in maintaining that Sarah Jane was his mother. He wasn't good at dealing with his first nightmare but he would play a major role in assuring that he wouldn't get another. The scenes at the stone circle were quite impressive and Kaagh going out in honour and actually saving the universe was a surprise but an excellent one at that. Sarah Jane's enemies defeated each other and overloaded the circuit meaning Horath would not manifest. The Brigadier and Sarah Jane swiftly said their goodbyes and it was just marvellous to see him in the modern era still going strong. Overall, a fantastic finale!

Rating: 9/10

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

"I will do battle once more with Sarah Jane Smith."

Writer: Gareth Roberts 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 17th-24th November 2008

Series: 2.05

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

When Sarah returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure to 1951, she realises she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. Is it a trap? Sarah and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by the Trickste

Verdict 

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith was an incredible adventure and has quickly overtaken Secrets of the Stars as my favourite story from the Sarah Jane Adventures so far! It was simply outstanding and a real treat to watch. We had a brilliant recurring villain, a very strong plot and all the focus on Sarah Jane herself which despite the spinoff series being based around her, hasn't happened too much so I was glad of that here. I liked how the story got straight into the thick of the action and wasted no time in revealing that the Trickster was returning to do battle with Sarah Jane. His methods this time though were different and instead of taking her out of time, he was hoping to lure her into a trap to cause chaos. It was more than that though, as the Trickster wanted to manifest in reality. Before we've seen him in mirrors and through the shadows but he wanted a physical being and came very close to securing it. Sarah knowing that the time fissure was a trap but wanting to go and meet her parents anyway was interesting and a little bit surprising as well because she's usually so cautious when it comes to dealing with aliens or time disturbance. But the temptation really was too much to resist. The Graske had lured her in with the disguise of Oscar and when Sarah Jane found out that she was in the village she was born a month before her parents abandoned her, despite admitting to herself that she couldn't stay, she always knew she would go back. The reveal of Oscar being the Graske was good and although it was expected, it was still a terrific moment to see the reactions of Clyde and Rani. The references to Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? were brilliant and I liked how Clyde remembered that Maria used the Verron puzzle box to keep her memory whilst the world changed around her. That box would be vital in fixing the problems present here as Sarah Jane was not only tempted to go and meet her parents, but she actually went as far as saving them. That gave the Trickster a new lease of life and as he physically formed, Sarah Jane went back through the fissure and saw London ravaged. She refused to believe that a small change like that could have a huge effect but the world was now the Trickster's domain. The cliffhanger was superb and I also thought that Clyde getting through to the Graske on an emotional level and offering him freedom from the Trickster was terrific. Rani being able to go back to 1951 and help Sarah Jane and Luke put things right was good and her knowing where the arrival of the Trickster occurred was a big help. Barbara, Sarah Jane's mother, was a fantastic character and after Rani arrived and blew the Victoria Beckham disguise, she worked out what was meant to happen. It was a bittersweet moment then as Luke pointed out that Sarah Jane was not abandoned by her parents, she was saved by them. They drove off to their destiny and would die but the world was saved and the Trickster tasted defeat. Throughout the story we had excellent references to The Monster of Peladon, Invasion of the Bane, Revenge of the Slitheen and The Last Sontaran which were terrific but I think the highlight for me was Sarah Jane wanting a reward for all the good she has done. She more than deserves it. She had met her parents and saw that they loved her. That's all she could have asked for. Overall, a simply wonderful story.

Rating: 10/10

The Mark of the Berserker

"Bannerman Road. It's where it all happens."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: TV

Broadcast: 3rd-10th November 2008

Series: SJA 2.04

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Maria 

Synopsis 

An alien pendant which gives its wearer the power to control others is stolen from Sarah's attic. Luke and Rani enlist the help of Clyde's mum to track down Clyde and his father, who has the alien pendant. The chase leads to a terrifying waterside confrontation when the pendant takes control of Paul and begins transforming him.

Verdict 

The Mark of the Berserker was a very good story and continued the high standard of the second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It just goes to show how good this spinoff series is because when a story of this quality is the worst of the series so far, you know things are good! It does indeed get the lowest rating so far in series two but it was still a brilliant story. I thought it was interesting that Sarah Jane didn't appear much and that's probably a major reason as to why the story didn't score in the upmost highest regions but with the rating it has, her absence wasn't felt too much. I think it allowed for Rani to step up and fully get on board with the whole alien thing that she's slowly been getting used to since the events of The Day of the Clown. Luke and Clyde seem to be enjoying her company and Sarah Jane has been more than welcoming which is great and she really has established herself as Maria's replacement very quickly. It was wonderful to see Maria back though in this story as although it hasn't been long since she departed in The Last Sontaran, we were still reminded about her and Luke clearly missed and valued her. I liked how they actually required Alan and his computer skills with the small task of hacking into UNIT. His reaction to Maria knowing what that stood for was magnificent. The concept behind the Berserker pendant was interesting and something having the ability to control people just by a simple command really was a deadly weapon. Jacob had used it and Rani shortly followed but when she learned more about it, she was planning on leaving it to Sarah Jane to deal with it. She simply left it in the attic with a deactivated Mr Smith and it looked like that would be it. That was until Clyde's Dad showed up at his doorstep. The humour between Clyde and Luke at the sleepover, mainly concerning Carla, was brilliant but things soon took a sour turn when Paul showed up. Clyde wasn't happy to see him and wanted some answers for his absence over the past five years. He wasn't a likeable guy at all really and hearing what he had done was petty despicable. I was surprised Clyde spent so much time with him but he didn't have too much choice with Paul using the pendant considerably. He was on his way to becoming a Berserker and that definitely didn't look like a comfortable process. He made his own son forget his friends, his mother and a lot of his own feelings which was pretty horrifying. He used the pendant to jazz himself up with a new sports car and flashy suit and all of his actions were just everything I despise in a human being. That's maybe a little severe but I think it's true. I did though enjoy the references to Revenge of the Slitheen and The Lost Boy. Maria and Rani getting to have a conversation was fantastic and I think if they met in person they'd get along just pleasantly. Sarah Jane dealing with her own troubles in a hospital was intriguing but I liked how she emerged at the marina and talked Paul and the Berserker he was becoming into defeat. She owned the place when she arrived and she was one person that Clyde did remember due to her absence. He confided in her and with words Paul remembered who he was and that was enough to revert himself to normality. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10

Secrets of the Stars

"The stars work in mysterious ways."

Writer: Gareth Roberts 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 20th-27th October 2008

Series: SJA 2.03

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

Astrologer Martin Trueman causes a stir with his uncanny insights and predictions. Sarah doesn't believe in astrology, but she does believe that all is not as it seems with Trueman. Around her, people are falling under Trueman's sinister spell and even Mr Smith doesn't understand what's going on.

Verdict 

Secrets of the Stars was an incredible story to continue the second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures! In what is probably surprising, it now ranks as my all time favourite story from the spinoff series and sees the show finally get a perfect rating. It's certainly been coming with the recent high standard and I'm very glad to have finally been able to award the perfect ten to a SJA story. I thought part one was absolutely flawless and part two wasn't very far behind but I had no qualms in awarding the story the full marks. The idea behind the plot was simply genius and a story based heavily on astrology was a great move. In the Doctor Who universe, I think it was about time that it got explored and the Sarah Jane Adventures was the perfect platform for it. The heavy focus on the signs of the Zodiac was excellent and I liked how at the start of the story we saw Martin Trueman admit that he was indeed a fraud. He made his astrology and predictions up and took money for it. Cheryl had fallen for his claims but soon ended up serving him after the Ancient Lights made their return to the universe after 13 billion years. Mr Smith failing to identify the power that Trueman possessed was really intriguing and I then loved that Luke worked out that the power came from a universe that no longer existed. The one that was present prior to the Big Bang. That immediately caught my intention and although I've never been big on astrology (I'm a firm non believer), the concept playing out in the story was superb. I must say I thought Russ Abbott was absolutely brilliant as Trueman and his performance really was a large reason in my decision to give this story the full marks. It absolutely deserved them. I really liked the references to The Hand of Fear and The Lost Boy and I thought the flashback to School Reunion was very good in showing viewers that Sarah Jane had a past relationship with the Doctor. I do wish they'd show a flashback to her travels with the Third or Fourth Doctor and I'm sure they'll get there in good time so I'm happy to remain patient. When the story quality is as good as it was here though, hoping for flashbacks is not going to concern me. Trueman's knowledge of the Doctor was fantastic and the reaction that brought out of Sarah Jane was absolutely brilliant. She didn't want it known and she couldn't quite believe that he'd come to it so easily. Rani was wonderful in the story and it's terrific to see how quickly she's established herself as a main character. Sarah Jane has taken a liking and Maria already seems to be forgotten about which I think is definitely a bonus. There's no doubt that I enjoyed Maria, but Rani has replaced her now and she's who we should be talking about. I really enjoyed the mention of Draconia and it was also interesting to see some emotion from Luke regarding his lack of birthday. I can see why that bothered him and for the first time it seemed that his being different was having an adverse effect on him. It was great though that his lack of being born but rather activated in Invasion of the Bane was the reason for stopping the Ancient Lights and their hold on Trueman. Sarah had been laughed at for her attempts to thwart him but Luke worked out how Clyde was stopped and that was because Luke had no star sign. He wasn't born and that saved the day in an excellent resolution. It was nice that Luke wanted this to be celebrated in place of his birthday and it was a nice touch to finish on. Overall, a simply superb story!

Rating: 10/10

The Day of the Clown

"Even clowns have their dark days."

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 6th-13th October 2008

Series: SJA 2.02

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

Rani Chandra is the new girl on Bannerman Road. She is haunted by a sinister clown. Does it have anything to do with local children who have gone missing? When Clyde's friend disappears, the trail leads to a strange circus museum and the legend of the Pied Piper.

Verdict

The Day of the Clown was another brilliant story in the Sarah Jane Adventures! Series two has started off extremely well with two very good and consistent stories and with a major change in cast to be accommodating along with the storytelling, I have been mightily impressed with Phil Ford's writing. He had the difficult task of writing Maria out in the last adventure and in this story there was the harder task of replacing her. Rani immediately caught the eye and I loved how her character has a keen eye for the strange and the interesting. She was very similar to how I imagine Sarah Jane was at her age and the thirst she had for the truth was really quite excellent. Clyde immediately took a shine to her and whilst he was winding Luke up about fancying Maria, there was no subtly in what Clyde thought of the new occupant on Bannerman Road. Luke clearly was finding it difficult without Maria around and although he liked Rani well enough after they'd first met, he found their relationship difficult without being able to tell her the truth about the aliens. I thought the plot was excellent and I think this was definitely the scariest story yet from the Sarah Jane Adventures. It was about fear so that is hardly surprising but clowns are something I know a lot of people have a fear of so their use here was excellent. The story acting as Doctor Who's take on the Pied Piper was pretty incredible and I loved how it was linked with modern day missing children as well as Odd Bob the Clown. Bradley Walsh playing the role of Spellman as well was brilliant as I'm quite a regular viewer of The Chase, it was rather strange to see him dressed as he was. I must say though that he played the role fantastically well! The dialogue between him and Sarah Jane was excellent and I liked that we learned of the origin of her fear of clowns. After everything she has seen in the universe, that moment in her childhood still scares her. The reference to Revenge of the Slitheen in explaining why the school had a new headmaster was very good but I think the best thing about Mr Chandra was his relationship with Clyde, and the latter's reaction to finding out that he was in fact Rani's father. Clyde couldn't believe his luck but he did actually end up by having his tea made by his new headmaster so things weren't all bad. I thought the references to Warriors of Kudlak and The Lost Boy were also fantastic and I'm loving that this spinoff series is not shy when it comes to mentioning past stories. I also think it's brilliant how consistent the series with this story marking the fourth adventure in a row to score such a high rating. I've been very impressed I must admit. The cliffhanger was pretty good and although the resolution was maybe a little shaky, it didn't alter the quality of the story as a whole. The revelation that Spellman was actually a manifest of the emotion of fear itself was quite something and I loved how Rani provided Clyde with the means to defeat the evil clown. Jokes. Clyde defeated an alien with humour, and some terrible jokes at that! Sarah Jane overcame her fear in the end and the comedic element helped with that. Overall, another excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

The Last Sontaran

"One Sontaran is all it takes."

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29th September-6th October 2008

Series: SJA 2.01

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Maria, Clyde 

Synopsis 

Reports of strange lights around the Tycho Project's radio telescope lead Sarah, Luke, Clyde and Maria into a terrifying forest encounter. Sarah comes face-to-face with her oldest enemy. Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.

Verdict 

The Last Sontaran was an oustanding adventure to kick off the second series if the Sarah Jane Adventures! I think it just about ranks as my favourite story to date from the spinoff series and I love how it deals with the after effects of the Doctor's actions in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky. It pretty much served as a sequel to that fantastic story and I think it definitely helped that I only recently watched it around a week or so ago. The references to it in the story, along with a flashback of the Sontaran ship's destruction, were terrific and I thought Commander Kaagh was an excellent Sontaran. We've had numerous individual Sontarans in the past and I think it was good to see how frustrated this one was getting with Sarah and co running him ragged through the woods and at the scene of Tycho Project. He was very annoyed and I think that added to him being a good character. He's obviously a Sontaran but even for a clone race, we've encountered very different personalities amongst the race and Kaagh here was just another on the list. I was intrigued by the cloaking that he was able to use as I can recall a Sontaran using that ability before but it was just another attribute to their impressive list of skills. As well as a return for the Sontarans, this story was also significant for saying farewell to Maria as a regular character. It's a shame that the actress had to give up her role due to her GCSEs, which is of course understandable, as the relationship she was building with Sarah Jane really was wonderful. Sarah's reaction to Maria telling her about the move to America seemed to mirror that of the Fourth Doctor's reaction to Sarah mentioning leaving in The Hand of Fear. I thought that was very clever writing. Sarah Jane's reaction to seeing that she was up against the Sontarans was incredibly good and really sold how fearful of an enemy they were. We've had the Slitheen show up twice in the Sarah Jane Adventures but she's been able to deal with them along with the help of her young team but with a Sontaran in town, she immediately wanted to retreat and call in UNIT. She believed it was simply too big of a task but Sarah Jane actually ended up handling it wonderfully. I mean, she got lucky with the arrival of Alan and Chrissie to strike a heel into Kaagh's probic vent but when has the Doctor been without some luck? I really liked the references to Invasion of the Bane, Revenge of the Slitheen, Eye of the Gorgon, Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? and The Lost Boy and I also thought that this was Luke's best showing in a story yet. He seems to have come out of a bit of a shell from the first series and I like how he is showing a bit more emotion now. He didn't want Maria to leave and his friendship with Clyde seems to have been much enhanced in the break between each series. I loved the references to The Time Warrior and The Sontaran Experiment especially with Sarah talking to Kaagh and mentioning the ongoing war with the Rutan Host. Clyde's refusal to refrain from calling a Sontaran a spud or potato was good and I liked his confidence in being chased by an alien that Sarah Jane feared. The ending was very good and I liked that it ended in sight of the Tycho Project. Professor Skinner was soon brought around and Chrissie now knew about the aliens in Sarah's life, but Kaagh was sent flying back defeated by Sarah Jane and her half-forms. Overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD

"The Daleks are the masters of Earth!"

Writers: Milton Subotsky & David Whittaker 

Format: Movie

Released: 26th July 1966

Series: Movie Adaptation #2

Featuring: Dr. Who, Susan, Louise, Tom 

Synopsis 

Policeman Tom Campbell stumbles into TARDIS on a normal day and ends up being taken to 2150 AD by Dr. Who. The future seems to be deserted, but the group soon finds out that the world is controlled by the evil Daleks. The human survivors hide, lest they be turned into Robomen. The Doctor teams up with the survivors to try and take down the Daleks.

Verdict

Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD was actually a pretty decent film and certainly a bit of an improvement from the previous movie of Dr. Who and the Daleks. Despite all the deviations from the television show that is Doctor Who, it's still quite incredible that two movies were adapted from the series back in the 1960s. That really does bring home how much of an impact the Daleks made by having films produced based on their first two serials. The one bonus about these films is seeing the Daleks of the 1960s in wonderful colour. There was again quite a range of colours for the Daleks and that really brought them to life which was terrific. I thought the special effects for the Dalek saucer were actually incredible and I think that's what impressed me most of all about this movie. Considering this is now fifty years old, I was mightily impressed. It really gave more credibility to the Daleks and their invasion where The Dalek Invasion of Earth couldn't due to budgetary restrictions. The Daleks themselves were quite different with the absence of the infamous sucker and the smoke effect of the extermination. I didn't much like the latter and I think that's where the television series bettered the film, by quite a lot actually. The plot is obviously outstanding in both the television serial and the novelisation but with some things missed out and others rushed, it didn't quite seem as great in this movie which was a shame. There wasn't really much emphasis on the Daleks having conquered Earth which was a surprised but they were here and the streets were deserted. I was quite surprised that the characters of Ian and Barbara were replaced by Tom and Louise and the way the former stumbled into TARDIS was a good start to the film I must admit. It was very interesting to see a young Bernard Cribbins in a Doctor Who story, even if this wasn't canonical. He was still instantly recognisable and his companion character was very good. I was intrigued that Louise was said to be Dr. Who's niece as we got closer and deeper into his family, even if he wasn't quite the Doctor. I thought the Robomen were pretty poor in the film which was a great shame as I loved them in the television serial but where they seemed so robotic there, they were full of energy here which was a direct contrast. The scene with Tom following their in sync routine was absolutely hilarious though I must admit. That was a gem and although it went perhaps a little longer than it should have, I thought it was brilliant. It seemed strange that in a story based off what it was, we didn't see a Susan farewell. I know the portrayal of the character in the films is mightily different with her being so much younger than the televised character but it was strange but the replacement finish was good with Tom stopping the robbery that we saw at the start of the movie. That was actually a paradox but I'm not going to argue semantics about it. The way Dr. Who dealt with the Daleks was much different to the televised serial and the magnetic addition was very clever I must admit. I did think he contacted the Robomen a bit too easily though. Overall, still too much deviation for my liking but not bad at all.

Rating: 7/10

The Sleeping Beast

"It wasn't every week that a whole planet just upped and left for a new galaxy."

Writer: Unknown

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1977

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1978

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah 

Synopsis 

The Fourth Doctor takes Sarah Jane Smith to visit Shree, an old friend of his from two bodies past. However, upon arrival they are taken captive and the Doctor's old friend is quite changed...

Verdict 

The Sleeping Beast was a pretty decent little short story but I think it could have been better. That's usually the case with a Doctor Who Annual story and I must admit that I am surprised with myself in how long it's been since I've blogged one. As I started to pack ready for my return to university this weekend, I found this little gem in my collection at the bottom of a drawer and I can honestly say that I forgot I had it! I've read and blogged the two comic strip adventures from it earlier this year but with the summer being busy and back at home, I put this copy away and almost forgot all about. I can safely say that this will be coming back with me when I move across the border in a couple of days and when I need something quick to blog, I'll be reading the remaining stories from this Annual. I thought this story started a little bit slowly and just seemed to give us information on Shree and the Guerners which whilst good, didn't really contribute much at all to the plot. The fact that it was the Second Doctor who had previously met Shree peaked my interest and although I have severe doubts, I'd love it if that encounter was depicted in a Doctor Who Annual of the late 1960s that features Patrick Troughton's incarnation. Those Annuals are a little more difficult to come by and whilst they're available often enough on eBay, they can be extremely expensive. I'm sure I'll collect them in the future but it will be after I have finished university when money isn't such a worry for me. I must admit that the artwork that accompanied the story wasn't that great and as in the two comic strip stories also printed in this Annual, the drawings of Sarah in particular were pretty horrendous. Her likeness was barely captured and I can only recall her having two lines of dialogue in the whole story which was quite a surprise. I know it's short but even at five pages I would expect Sarah to speak more than twice. Her presence really didn't seem necessary which isn't what you want out of a companion. The characterisation of the Fourth Doctor was pretty good though and there definitely seemed to be much more of an effort gone into presenting Tom Baker's likeness. I liked how he recalled his previous meeting with Shree and I loved how the Doctor's two regenerations since then were mentioned. You don't often get that in a Classic era story so I enjoyed that. The Sto-cat was an interesting enemy, well if he was an enemy at all, as I liked how it was activated a lot earlier than was intended. It was good that we got a drawing of it to help with the visuals of the story and that's one thing I do enjoy about these short text stories. Visuals accompanying a story is definitely a good thing. The Doctor saving the day simply by words was very good but things seemed a bit too easy. The story was pretty decent but I feel like there was more danger needed and a bit more excitement to get a higher rating. Sarah also having more of an involvement would have been good. Overall though, not bad but certainly room for improvement.

Rating: 6/10

Voyage of the Damned

"A silent night I believe they call it. A silent night."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25th December 2007

Series: 2007 Christmas Special

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis 

A spacecraft set on an apocalyptic collision course with Earth, a host of killer robots and an evil severed-headed mastermind - it's just another Christmas for the Doctor...

The Doctor is astounded when his ship is struck by the Titanic - a space-going reproduction of the luxury ocean liner. Venturing on board, he meets several of the alien tourists, but when the ship is devastated by a meteor shower, the Doctor and his new friends find themselves stranded in the wrecked, timebomb of a craft set on collision course with Earth...

Verdict 

Voyage of the Damned is an excellent episode of Doctor Who and certainly serves as a brilliant Christmas special. I can't quite believe it's nearly been nine years since this story broadcast and even at nineteen, that fact is really making me feel old. Time is going by so quickly and the next festive story will soon be upon us. I think it was good to be watching a Christmas special in September as the fever surrounding the event hasn't yet started so I was purely judging it on its content and quality. I thought it was action packed and I enjoyed the immediate continuation from the surprise ending of Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords with the Titanic having crashed into the TARDIS. As we were reminded by the Fifth Doctor in Time Crash, the TARDIS shields were still down but the Tenth Doctor soon saw to fixing them and seeing his ship repaired. But the Titanic crashing into his time machine was just too much for the Doctor to ignore and he immediately made the short hop on board. I thought the references to Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel and The Lazarus Experiment were great when commenting on the Doctor's tuxedo. It really did bring him bad luck! There were also terrific mentions of The Christmas Invasion and The Runaway Bride when the Doctor met who he would later know as Wilf. I've only recently watched The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky and the references to this story in that were fantastic. I thought Astrid was a wonderful character and I was quite surprised that the Doctor seemed genuinely smitten with her. He was flirting, talking tales of the stars and even showed her a brand new sky which she just adored. They did get on pleasantly and as much as I liked Donna, I think it would have been brilliant to have Astrid as the companion. It does seem our Tenth Doctor has a thing for blonde girls. I'm quite the opposite. Midshipman Frame, or Alonso as we later knew him after a comedic moment with the Doctor, was excellent and his quarrel with the ship's captain that got him shot was quite a surprise. There was a meteor storm coming and the captain attracted it towards the ship. It was obviously intentional and what did he care, he was dying anyway. Foon and Morvin were a great couple and I loved how the Doctor instantly got along with them. He even humoured them with the sonic screwdriver. Mr Copper was also fantastic and his apparent knowledge on Earth, and particularly Christmas, was rather hilarious. He later revealed that his degree wasn't much at all to brag about and that he'd lied to get the job on board. He was one of the few to survive and ended up on Earth with a healthy supply of £1 million. Rickston wasn't such a likeable character but Gray O'Brien played that role superbly and that's what made him a good character. Bannakaffalatta was also a fantastic character and full of humour and emotion when it came to Astrid. The infamous speech by the Doctor was an episode highlight but I also loved the scene where he went arm in arm with the Host after Max had died and Astrid with him. The Doctor was sick of death but after saving the planet, which contradicted Turn Left a little, he couldn't save Astrid. He gave her a last kiss but her molecules went flying amongst the stars. It was quite an emotional end to what was a fantastic episode. Overall, very good!

Rating: 9/10

Three's a Crowd

"We've forgotten what it is to be human."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Audio

Released: May 2005

Series: Main Range 69

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Peri, Erimem

Synopsis 

On an almost lifeless planet in a remote star system, Earth Colony Phoenix is struggling to survive. The colonists, utterly dependent on transmat technology and unable to leave the security of their Habitat Domes, have developed severe agoraphobia... not to mention an inability to deal with visitors... 

The TARDIS crew arrives on an apparently abandoned space station in orbit above the planet and soon discover that they and the remaining colonists are in the gravest danger.

To survive, the Fifth Doctor, Peri and Erimem must uncover the colony's darkest secrets before it's too late.

Something inhuman is stalking the colony...

...and it's hungry!

Verdict 

Three's a Crowd was another very good Main Range audio from Big Finish and really explored the character of Erimem which was something I was very pleased with, especially after the most recent story to feature her. The Roof of the World was heavily referenced at the start of the audio with Peri hoping to comfort Erimem following those emotional events in Tibet. The name of the story was very ambiguous and that was good. I must admit I thought this might have been the end for Erimem and although it did refer to the current TARDIS team, it was more so referring to the colonists and their inability to deal with being in a room with more than one person. I really loved Bellip and I thought Lucy Beresford gave an absolutely wonderful performance in capturing the shock and fear that her character had when meeting other people and entering large spaces. Her thoughts on going outside were initially quite funny but when we realised how scared she was I felt genuinely concerned for her. Peri was doing her best to comfort her but was growing impatient with the speed that she was walking. They did get along nicely though which was a positive. Erimem being alone for a large portion of the story was good and it allowed for further character development which is always a bonus with what is still a relatively new character. The Eye of the Scorpion was referenced which was very good and it is interesting to see how far Erimem has come since then. She's learning a lot more but she's still some distance off from being as knowledgeable as Peri when it comes to time and space travel despite her recent arrival in Planet of Fire. Peri was by far the most mature of the companions and you could really see that maturity shine through in the story which was good as we didn't see that much in the television stories. Peter Davison gave another good performance as the Fifth Doctor and I'm very happy with that as some of the reviews concerning his audios have been critical of him but I've had no qualms in the recent stories. It was fantastic to hear Deborah Watling back in a Doctor Who story and although she wasn't playing Victoria, she played the character of Auntie very well. Her relationship with the Doctor was good and I thought the dialogue they shared together was great. Butler was quite a humorous character and he worked terrifically. Bellip's relationship with Laroq was intriguing and the moment they met in the flesh for the first time was a really nice scene. I thought the Phoenix was a good setting and the fact that simple corridors were considered wonders by the colonists was really good. The simple things really did amaze them and that was excellent. The Khellians were an interesting race and the truth behind their presence on the ship was quite disturbing. The Doctor was displeased with that and would soon put a stop to it and I liked how the resolution involved getting rid of the atmosphere. It was pretty much as simple as that. The plot itself was good and I liked the cliffhangers  as they definitely helped the pace of the story which is obviously a good thing. The TARDIS scene at the end was interesting as the Doctor still doesn't seem absolutely at home with Erimem travelling with him. Peri pushed his thoughts but to him three was a crew and I liked that comment to finish. Overall, a very good audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Abandoned

"Nothing makes sense today."

Writers: Nigel Fairs & Louise Jameson

Format: Audio

Released: July 2014

Series: FDA 3.07

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis 

The Point of Stillness. A place the Time Lords are forbidden to go. It cannot be drawn, it cannot be whispered, it cannot be thought. And yet somebody is very keen to reach it.

Deep within the TARDIS, something unusual is happening. One of the ship's oldest secrets is about to be revealed, and once it is, nothing will ever be the same again.

As danger materialises deep within the ship, spectral strangers lurk in the corridors and bizarre events flood the rooms, someone long-forgotten is ready to reappear. The Doctor and Leela are soon to discover that their home isn't quite the safe stronghold they thought.

Verdict 

The Abandoned was an outstanding audio adventure and may just rank as my favourite Fourth Doctor Adventures audio so far. This was simply superb. I've listened to a decent amount of the range, albeit in a jumbled order after the first series, but I think this is definitely the best of the lot so far. This past weekend, Big Finish offered every story from the first three series of the range to download for just £2.99 and whilst I was only able to buy one due to university upcoming and all the fees that go with that, it was simply an offer I could not refuse and I was actually a little disappointed that I couldn't purchase at least another one. However, after listening I am certainly delighted with my choice! I thought it was terrific. I loved that the story was set entirely in the TARDIS and the idea of exploring the history of the TARDIS itself is fantastic. I was intrigued by the fact that Louise Jameson co-wrote the story and I must say now that I am mightily impressed with her skills. She's just wonderful and the relationship between Leela and the Doctor in this story was at its very best. The humour was there in abundance and that's exactly what you want when these two are the TARDIS pairing in a story. I think it was only natural though that given the events of the story that comedy would be a factor. In parts, it was completely bonkers but that was what made it brilliant. Importantly, it wasn't silly but it was barmy and there's a fine line between those two types of story but this one worked beautifully. It just had to feature the Fourth Doctor and Leela and it really could not have happened with any other pairing, past or future, that have stepped foot inside the TARDIS. The story was written for this brilliant pairing and I think that's very good because it definitely didn't seem generic. It was absolutely unique and that's always a good thing in a Doctor Who story. I love the formats of these hour long stories with the cliffhanger breaking things up in the middle and the build up to the cliffhanger was sublime. It was just pure craziness and that was absolutely the way it should have been. The border between fantasy and reality was explored wonderfully and the focus on the Point of Stillness was superb. The Doctor trying to explain that to Leela was great as she initially seemed to understand the concept but things didn't really stay easy when it came to mathematics and paintings. I thought the way Leela read the poetry was adorable and I didn't expect that to be as pivotal to the plot as it was but it created a link with the former owner of the TARDIS and would set her free from her imprisonment at the centre of the TARDIS. The fact that Lady Marianna was the previous owner of the TARDIS was incredible and it's something I've not even given a thought to previously but it seems so obvious now that before the Doctor stole her she had a previous owner. Even in The Name of the Doctor it's stated that the TARDIS is in the repair shop and was faulty and that could be as a result of Marianna's going to the Point of Stillness. The imaginary characters in the story were excellent and I really liked that we got to meet the Doctor's imaginary friend. I liked the references to The Face of Evil and hearing the emotion behind Leela seeing what she thought was her father again was quite striking. His death must have hit her hard and she felt uproar towards Marianna for laying claim to creating the beast that killed him. The volume of laughter and pure insanity in this story was incredible and everything worked tremendously well. Everything just clicked and I really liked the ending with Marianna actually resetting time and ending up back in her imprisonment. The Doctor and Leela were back in the control room and were drawing their breath after some quite chaotic events. Overall, pure and brilliant insanity. Absolutely barmy but absolutely brilliant.

Rating: 10/10

Catch-1782

"History is fact and ghosts are fiction."

Writer: Alison Lawson

Format: Audio

Released: April 2005

Series: Main Range 68

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis 

When the Doctor and Mel visit the National Foundation for Scientific Research as it celebrates its centenary, Mel expects only to be able to catch up with her uncle. She doesn't expect to meet her own ancestors...

What is buried in the grounds of the Foundation?

What secret has Henry Hallam kept from his descendants for three hundred years?

Can Mel escape her own past?

Visiting your relatives can sometimes be trying, but surely it should never be this difficult?

Verdict 

Catch-1782 was a terrific audio adventure that continued my listening of the Main Range from Big Finish in tremendous style. I really did enjoy this one from start to finish and it was intriguing to delve into some of Mel's family history without the presence of an alien threat. There was no enemy and that can sometimes hinder a story's rating from me but there was no such trouble here. I thought Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford were both brilliant together as the Sixth Doctor and Mel and it was nice to be listening to them again so quickly after The Juggernauts. They're an excellent pairing and it's just wonderful that more adventures with the pairing can be listened to thanks to Big Finish as we didn't see much at all of them on screen with just the latter half of The Trial of a Time Lord pitting them together. They work really well and I'm not sure what it is but they just seem to be a refreshing partnership. Mel visiting her uncle at his invitation was good and I thought the Foundation served as a good setting in both time periods. I loved how Mel fell through time from 2003 back to 1781 initially but by the time the Doctor and John got to her she'd been there six months and it was now 1782. The Doctor seemed genuinely hurt that Mel had to suffer at the mercy of Henry for all this time and she really wasn't mentally well. She suffered from severe memory loss after falling through time and she couldn't even remember her own name but I did enjoy that she recalled details about her family tree. She was now visiting her ancestors and Henry wanted to marry her! I must admit that was a little bit disturbing given her mental condition and Dr. Wallace was of the same opinion. He was determined to marry her though and even admitted that bedding her was his intention. The Doctor was pretty aghast at that. I really liked McGregor and her relationship with Mel was a particularly highlight of the story. The Doctor's relationship with John was also fantastic and I thought they got along pleasantly which was really nice to hear. The Doctor isn't always too good around the family members of his companion, or at least he wouldn't be in future when meeting them became more common. Doing a pure historical is something I really enjoy and I think they worked very well during the First Doctor era so it's a shame in my eyes that they seem pretty much extinct on television at the moment. Henry's obsession with Mel really did get borderline sickening towards the end of the story and when the Doctor's arrival rebooted Mel's mental stability and returned her to her normal self, she was horrified that Henry wanted to marry her. The fascination surrounding the family tree and who Mel had become was superb but the Doctor soon realised that it was all a fiction, and there would be no paradox. Everything just about worked out well and the Doctor even admitted his surprise at the fact there was a pleasant and happy ending for once. It is rather rare in a Doctor Who story. Overall though, a fantastic audio adventure!

Rating: 9/10

The Poison Sky

"The Doctor's infamous vessel in Sontaran hands..."

Writer: Helen Raynor 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 3rd May 2008

Series: 4.05

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna, Martha 

Synopsis 

As the Sontarans choke the Earth, the Doctor battles to keep both Martha and Donna alive. As the truth behind the Sontaran's plan is revealed, the Doctor faces impossible odds to save the planet and humanity from falling into the hands of his old enemies...

Verdict 

The Poison Sky was a superb episode and continued the story already started in The Sontaran Stratagem in excellent style. It really was a brilliant second episode and the story has a whole was mightily impressive I must say. The Sontarans were well and truly back and with the modern revamp, I think they were absolutely improved and that was seen particularly in this second episode. I thought the action was very good and I liked how well equipped the Sontarans were in their battle against the UNIT soldiers at the ATMOS base. As Skorr commented, to the Sontarans it was merely sport rather than war. They were killing UNIT soldiers left, right and centre with barely a casualty. That was partly due to the bullets not working though and the Doctor was quick to challenge the honour of the Sontarans on that. He called them cowards for sitting above the planet and watching it choke rather than be on the field of battle. I thought the resolution to the cliffhanger with Sylvia smashing the windscreen in was good and I loved Donna's reaction to learning that her mother owned an axe. Wilf's continued encouragement of Donna's involvement with the Doctor was fantastic and I liked how emotional she got when ringing her mother and grandad from inside the TARDIS after it had been taken on board the Sontaran ship. Her continued inability to pronounce Sontaran correctly was good but I did love the scenes where the Doctor was guiding her through to fix the teleport. The three finger moment was particularly good. I loved how the Doctor caught on almost immediately that Martha was actually a clone and his later explanation regarding it was terrific. Once he found the real Martha I thought it was excellent how he had no sympathy for the clone. Martha was keeping it alive but he sure got information out of it by using Martha's personality within it. He discovered that they were trying to convert Earth into a clone world and that the poison from ATMOS was actually clone feed. The war with the Rutans was mentioned and it seemed that it wasn't going very well for the Sontarans if they needed to convert a planet for breeding on this kind of scale. The Sontarans not fearing death is an amiable quality and when Skorr died I thought it was fantastic that he referred to his own death as wonderful. Staal was a great general once again and despite claiming not to fear death, his reaction to Luke taking the Doctor's place at the end of the episode really did speak a thousand words. The emergence of the Valiant was good and I liked the reference to Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords that was pretty much inevitable. The best reference in the story, and possibly in modern Doctor Who, was that of the Doctor recalling The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances when commenting "are you my mummy?" when putting on a gas mask. That is one of my few memories from watching a Tenth Doctor story on broadcast and I remember howling with laughter when that line was blurted out. It really was sublime. The ending was very good and I liked how the Doctor used the Rattigan Academy to find the resolution. His vision had been but a Sontaran trick and when prompted to do something clever, he had the last laugh by igniting himself and the Sontarans with him. Earth's atmosphere had been terraformed back to normal and then we had a good little lead into The Doctor's Daughter with Martha remaining on board for a TARDIS trip. Overall, an excellent end to an incredible story!

Rating: 10/10

The Sontaran Stratagem

"He's like fire. Stand too close and people get burnt."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26th April 2008

Series: 4.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna, Martha 

Synopsis 

Martha Jones summons the Doctor back to modern-day Earth, but an old enemy lies in wait. Reunited with UNIT and his former companion, the Doctor is in a battle against the Sontarans and the dangerous ATMOS which is in every car on Earth. But what is the Sontaran plan?

Verdict 

The Sontaran Stratagem is an excellent episode and kicks off this two-part story in tremendous style. It really doesn't put a foot wrong and credit must go to Helen Raynor for that as her writing really is terrific. This story has the perfect mix of emotion, action and humour and with such contrasting emotions present in different areas of the episode, it can be quite striking. It certainly has a great effect on the audience, or at least it did for me, as there was a lot going on but things never seemed complicated. We have the Sontarans returning which is just fantastic and I remained impressed today with the modern take on the superb Classic villains. The costume revamp is very good and I like how their body armour has improved. The head design is also improvement but I must say it did look a lot more like the commonly referred to potato which was quite funny. Martha Jones also returned in the episode but she hadn't quite been gone as long from our screens as the Sontarans had. Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords was referenced very well and I loved the initial meeting between Martha and Donna. The former seemed a little deflated by the latter's being there but they soon got along very nicely. They bantered about the Doctor in a similar way Sarah Jane and Rose did in School Reunion and that really was wonderful. UNIT were also back in this story and featured more heavily than in their previous appearances since the 2005 revival. The Doctor referencing the dating controversy was good and I also liked his dismissal of salutes and guns. Donna though was very keen on a salute which was another brilliant injection of comedy. ATMOS was a great concept and the idea of the Sontarans using every car on the planet as a weapon was pretty frightening I must say. Each one was fitted with poisonous gas and that sparked disaster for the planet. Luke Rattigan was an excellent character and I adored it when the Doctor corrected his English. The Sontarans mentioning the Time War was good and I loved how they were disgusted at not being allowed to take part. That will be further explored in an upcoming audio adventure with the War Doctor I believe, so I look forward to that. Donna returning home for the first time was great and I thought the scene where the Doctor thought she was permanently leaving was comedy genius. This pairing really is hilarious. Ross and the Doctor got on splendidly as well and I loved the timing of the former's pun when driving to the Rattigan Academy. The Doctor also enjoyed it which was great. Harris and Gray were very good characters and I liked how they were converted to the Sontaran cause. It was intriguing to see the cloning process of the Sontarans in detail for the first time and I loved how they then cloned Martha to suit their ordeal. The cliffhanger was outstanding and with the Sontarans learning of the Doctor's presence, they advanced their plans and set off their 400 million weapons. Each car was fitted with ATMOS and that meant poisonous gas. Wilf was trapped in his car and I can't recall the Doctor looking so helpless. This spanned worldwide and there was quite literally nothing he could do. There was worldwide disaster. Overall, an excellent episode and a sublime start to the story!

Resurrection of the Daleks

"Exterminate the Doctor!"

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: TV

Broadcast: 8th-15th February 1984

Season: 21.04

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis 

Earth, 1984: the TARDIS becomes trapped in a Time Corridor and is drawn off course, emerging in London's deserted docklands. Deep space, the far future: a prison ship comes under attack from unknown forces. Two seemingly unconnected events - but both linked by one terrible purpose. The Daleks are back, and once again they are in search of their evil creator, Davros...

Verdict 

Resurrection of the Daleks is an excellent story and really does resurrect the Daleks in style! It had been quite a while since their last outing by the time this adventure was broadcast and this incarnation of the Doctor was yet to meet his greatest enemies. That all changed here though and just in time too with a regeneration not far away at all. I am aware that the story was broadcast as a two parter with both episodes consisting of 45 minutes. However, I was unable to view the story in that format which was rather annoying as the DVD release did not seem to offer any way of watching it in the two extended parts. There was nothing wrong with watching it in four parts (the majority of the Classic era consists of that length stories) but I would like to have watched it as the audience of 1984 had. I thought the balance between the present day Earth and Dalek ship settings was done very well and I really liked the Time Corridor concept. The problems that posed for the TARDIS were good and it provided some rare action in the control room. The trio of the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough has always seemed a bit of a contrasting one to me but I think it actually worked really well in this story. Turlough found himself on the Dalek ship after stumbling across the Time Corridor and that left the Doctor and Tegan together which can sometimes be a very bad thing. I thought the Daleks were fantastic here and I loved how the production team weren't afraid to cause damage to the props! We must have had at least three Dalek explosion and we even had one chucked out of a building. There was a lot of action which was brilliant. With the Daleks returning, that also meant that Davros was back and it seemed that he had been in frozen isolation ever since the events of Destiny of the Daleks. He was conscious for every second and was then horrified to find out that the Movellans had defeated his prized creations. Their virus was deadly and still present and that obviously served as the means of the Dalek defeat. Stein was a superb character and I loved the cliffhanger where he revealed he was actually a Dalek agent. Lytton was a very good villain and I liked how he escaped death in what was a very casualty heavy story. It wouldn't be long before his return in Attack of the Cybermen. I thought Laird was also a wonderful character and she reminded me a lot of Osgood which was excellent. The confrontation between the Doctor and Davros was brilliant and any scenes where they're in the same room rarely disappoint. They're just sublime together. The Daleks using duplication was a bit of a throwback to The Chase but I loved how they wanted to duplicate the Doctor and his companions so they could go to Gallifrey and assassinate the High Council of the Time Lords. This could be an origin point for the start of the Time War but Genesis of the Daleks was also referenced and some argue that acts as the starting point. Tegan's departure was quite a sad one because the Doctor didn't want to see her go. I couldn't blame her for deciding to stay on Earth though with the amount of death that occurred. That's what happened when the Daleks were around and for her just stopped being fun. Overall, an excellent story! Braveheart, Tegan.

Rating: 9/10

Dreamtime

"Believe your eyes..."

Writer: Simon A. Forward 

Format: Audio

Released: March 2005

Series: Main Range 67

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex

Synopsis 

'The Dreamtime is living Time. The Dreamtime is living myth.'

A city travels the stars, inhabited by stone ghosts. At its heart, an ancient remembrance of Earth. Mythical creatures stalk the streets and alien visitors have come in search of trade. But there is nothing to trade. Only fear. And death. And the stone ghosts.

For Hex's first destination in the TARDIS, it's about the strangest place he could have imagined. Weird and very far from wonderful. Adjustment to his new life could prove tough. But he will have to adjust and do more, just to stay alive, and Ace will have to be his guide through this lost city of shadows and predatory dreams.

And the Doctor is the first to go missing.

The Doctor has crossed into the Dreamtime.

Verdict 

Dreamtime was a terrific audio adventure and continued my listening of Big Finish's Main Range of releases in fantastic style. I've not listened to as many audios from this range as I would have liked to over the summer break from university with this just being my fifth (not including Her Final Flight) but I do hope I can squeeze a few more in before I go back next week. I was looking forward to this one prior to listening because I was interested to see how Hex would be following his arrival as companion in The Harvest. That story was referenced very nicely and I thought it was a very strong showing from Philip Oliver in his first story as a regular companion. Adding a third main character to the pairing of the Seventh Doctor and Ace is something I'm definitely in favour of as that pairing hasn't always been my favourite so I think Hex will help freshen things up. His reaction to seeing the aliens in this story was good and I really enjoyed his description of the inside of the TARDIS. His poetic wisdom regarding the TARDIS interior at the end of the story really was wonderful as well. I thought he did really well for his first adventure in time and space. Ayer's Rock, in space, was a mightily intriguing setting but it definitely worked well. There was a split setting really between the Doctor and his companion for most of the story which is good and that allowed Ace to show her maturity as the veteran companion. She was used to seeing things like the Galyari as she'd been travelling with the Doctor for a long time now. The Galyari returning after their stint in The Sandman was unexpected and I liked the continuation from that story surrounding the Doctor, despite the change in appearance. Their disapproval at being called lizards was quite funny and their love towards birds was most intriguing. I really enjoyed Sylvester McCoy's performance as the Seventh Doctor and although I would still say he's my least favourite incarnation, I'm liking him more and more as I listen to these audios. I do need to try and quicken my pace but there's just so much I still haven't blogged from other formats as well as ongoing commitments such as Doctor Who Comic. The Dreamtime concept was very good in this story and the Doctor experiencing it was terrific. I thought the cliffhanger to part one was superb as the Doctor had quite literally turned into stone. I found this story a little difficult to visualise but I did like that the explanation was quite clear so it wasn't so much of a problem. The story maintained excitement despite dropping off a little during the middle stages but I thought the overall pace was decent. I would imagine that Australian fans would have enjoyed this audio as there was a lot of referencing of their culture which was only natural given the setting. Ace and Hex got along pleasantly and I liked how he was still reluctant to call her by her preferred name of Ace. That allowed her to distinguish the fake Doctor later in the story. The way the Doctor solved the problem surrounding the Dreamtime was good and I was also glad that we got some terrific guest characters. Whitten and Baiame were probably the standouts but Vresha and Wahn were also very good. Overall, another fantastic audio that was consistently solid throughout.

Rating: 8/10

Underworld

"The quest is the quest."

Writers: Bob Barker & Dave Martin 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7th-28th January 1978

Season: 15.05

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis 

At the very edge of the known universe, the TARDIS materialises on an aging spacecraft, the R1C. On board, the Doctor and Leela meet Jackson and his crew, who are doggedly pursuing their mission to recover the Minyan race banks from a ship which left their home planet centuries earlier.

Closing in at last on the P7E, Jackson risks everything to follow the trail into the heart of a newly-formed planet. Can the Doctor help Jackson face his greatest challenge yet, and secure the future of the Minyans?

Verdict 

Underworld was a very good little story and one that I feel is underrated amongst fan opinion. I fail to comprehend why this has ranked as the worst Fourth Doctor story in the recent polls from Doctor Who Magazine as I don't think there's a great deal wrong with it. That's not to say it's perfect, and although the story doesn't get an incredible rating from myself it still does an excellent job and scores very well. I liked that part one started with the Doctor and Leela in the TARDIS and the former being dressed in his best painting gear was superb. I loved how he referred to he and Leela as a pair as 'intelligent and semi-intelligent' beings and I really do think that we get some of the very best of the Fourth Doctor when he's travelling with Leela. Her reaction to being pacified by Orfe was hilarious and she soon snapped out of being calm and dreamy to her normal warrior-like self. There was a lovely reference to The Face of Evil and it's great that it's obvious Leela has been travelling in the TARDIS for a while now by the point of this story. I thought K9 was a real highlight of the serial and his interactions with the Doctor never fail to amuse. Leela was trying to sound more intelligent around them but it sadly wasn't working very well, despite it being quite admirable. This story serving as the reveal of Time Lord policy on non-intervention was a real treat and it was fantastic to hear the Doctor explain that particularly part of his people's history. The Minyans sounded an intriguing race but the involvement of Time Lord technology in their lives and society ultimately doomed them. I thought it was good though that they referred to Time Lords as gods, especially with the Doctor just arrived on board the ship. Their constant reminder that the quest was the quest was good and it was quite staggering to hear that the Minyans had been seeking the P7E for over 100,000 years. I know they had their purpose but that is some serious commitment. Seeing their method of regeneration was intriguing as the age process was simply reversed and I loved that the Doctor commented on his own previous regenerations. It did not appear to be something he enjoyed undergoing. I guess by this point he still wasn't used to it. The setting of the underworld was very good and despite some popular negative opinion, I really liked the cave and tunnels. They fitted the story extremely well and everything seemed very closed in which was very good. Jackson was a brilliant character and he got on with the Doctor splendidly which was good to see. I know that this DVD was included in the Myth and Legends boxset (as I bought it) but I can't say I was aware of the myth that the story was based upon. After doing a little bit of research after viewing I can see the similarities and things worked well. The cliffhangers were pretty decent and although the resolutions weren't terribly exciting, the ending was with the Doctor almost unintentionally saving the ship and allowing it to escape. He handed back the grenades and kept ahold of the true race banks which meant that the newly formed planet of the Seers wouldn't last much longer. The Doctor saved the descendants of the Minyans and brought them aboard the ship before the planet was ripped apart and I loved how quick he just left and went back to the TARDIS. There was no more than a quick goodbye, which is usually the case, and off they went again. Overall, a highly underrated story. It's not bad at all, in fact it's pretty darn good.

Rating: 8/10

The Only Good Dalek

"Bravery, courage and determination against unfeeling, pitiless monsters..."

Writer: Justin Richards 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 16th September 2010

Series: Graphic Novel #1

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

'Station 7 is the most secret establishment in the whole of Earth-Space. Even our own people don't know it exists. It's beyond top secret. There's no way the Daleks can ever find it.'

Station 7 is where the Earth forces send all the equipment captured in their unceasing war against the Daleks. It's where Dalek technology is analysed and examined. It's where the Doctor and Amy have just arrived. But somehow the Daleks have found out about Station 7 - and there's something that they want back.

With the Doctor increasingly worried about the direction the Station's research is taking, the commander of Station 7 knows he has only one possible, desperate, defence. Because the last terrible secret of Station 7 is that they don't only store captured Dalek technology. It's also a prison. And the only thing that might stop a Dalek is another Dalek...

Verdict 

The Only Good Dalek was an outstanding comic strip adventure and it really was one of the very best stories of its format that I've ever read. I loved it. From start to finish it was just superb and I must say I love the idea of an extended graphic novel housing just one story within its pages. Having a comic strip as detailed and long as this was a real treat and it really was an absolute pleasure to read. It was a wonderful catalogue of Dalek history with Robomen, Ogrons, Varga plants and even a Slyther appearing! The start of the story was incredible with the minor recreation of The Daleks with the petrified jungle and Magnedon. The story immediately captured my interest and it never let go. I was hooked throughout and considering the graphic novel was over 120 pages long, I felt like I absolutely whizzed through it. The pace was really good and I also felt that the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor was very good which isn't always the case in the comic strips featuring Matt Smith's fantastic incarnation. I think the length of the story might have had something to do with that. It was good to be back doing a story with Amy and I liked how she referenced The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone as well as Victory of the Daleks getting an obvious mention. The imagery of a Mechanoid and Special Weapons Dalek was terrific and I also loved the references to The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Chase and especially The Daleks' Master Plan. The Doctor mentioning Bret and Sara was sublime and I really enjoyed how he reacted to the claim that he must have been very young during that time. The artwork was tremendous in this story and with a lot of visuals in space, that made the story so much easier to read. The idea of a good Dalek has been tampered with before and The Evil of the Daleks probably presents the best view on that theory with the human factor being used on Daleks. However, we actually see a good Dalek and it's outside of its casing. The Abomination was mightily intriguing and the history behind it with Weston was fantastic. The Daleks going all out in force to destroy one of their own turned good was just brilliant and so typical of the Doctor's greatest enemies. I liked how they recognised his presence and I also loved how the Doctor flat out refused to believe that the Daleks could be controlled, irrelevant of the circumstances. Tranter was a great character and I must admit I was shocked by the revelation that he had been working for the Daleks without even knowing it. It was true that he was a former prisoner of the Daleks but he was allowed to leave rather than escape as he believed he had done. Kustler was another good character and I also loved Jay. Her relationship with Amy was a real highlight of the story. They got along pleasantly which was delightful to see. A war between humans and Daleks isn't new in Doctor Who but one featuring the Paradigm Daleks is. I'm not sure how that fitted into Dalek history but I certainly wasn't objected to it. Things need to be concurrent with the television series and with this being released in 2010, the right design was absolutely used. The ending was very good with an exciting climax and a whole lot of action and explosions. The Abomination's involvement in that was brilliant and I thought it was interesting to see how many people sacrificed their lives to get Weston's information out and away from the Daleks. It represented hope and the cost paid was worth it. The Daleks were blown to smithereens after the reactor exploded but the ambiguous ending surrounding Jay's escape and the reveal of another Dalek agent was terrific. Overall, a quite incredible comic strip that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Rating: 10/10