The Mind Runners

"Because these Mind Runners are criminals, their murders don't matter."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: January 2018

Series: FDA 7.03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

It used to be fun, Mind Running. Hopping into the heads of total strangers to see what they saw, feel what they felt. But one by one the Mind Runners are dying in a wave of suicides. And no-one on the planet Chaldera knows why. 

The Doctor, Leela and K9 arrive in the city that covers all of this dang world as it prepares to evacuate its people, and they immediately find themselves involved in a mystery. Who or what is responsible for the wave of death? Is it the motorised cult known as the Digitals? The enigmatic Mr Shift?

Or did all the victims attempt to run the Night Mind, the demonic consciousness of legend that is so twisted and evil that it drives mad all who touch it?

The TARDIS crew are about to find out.

Verdict

The Mind Runners was another fantastic story to continue the seventh series of the Fourth Doctor Adventure! The first boxset comprising this series is turning out to be rather brilliant thus far and this was no exception. I enjoyed the concept of the Mind Running behind this episode and the way this was introduced at the start with Eldran removing his mind shield for a comfortable sleep being met with horror from Mr Shift who believed everything was compromised and simply threw him off twenty storeys to his demise. That set quite the tone. The introduction for the TARDIS crew into the story was a lot of fun with the Doctor proclaiming them to arrive in New York, only for a returning K9 to announce they weren't on Earth followed by some blue people confirming the fact. Leela misunderstanding the line of New York being the city so nice they named it twice was just wonderful and I thought what followed regarding the tribe of New York and how it was the Big Apple that formed their apple pie was just magnificent. Leela truly at her finest. The population of Chaldera being wary of strangers was interesting and the rocket construction being a way for the people to evacuate was really nicely done. Eldran's death being announced as an accident was good and I liked how dark that felt despite the uplifting tone. The suicide of Doran by train was a very sudden moment and Jacinta seeing that through the Mind Running was very good. Taraneh as the police officer was a great character and I enjoyed how she was denying that it was murder despite the eyewitness accounts of the Doctor and Leela. Their claims that he was killed by something invisible was terrific and Cloten watching on added a good sense of mystery with his lord in the shadows. Taraneh taking hold of the Mind Running device of Doran's was good and I was intrigued by the lord wanting that for himself. The setting of Chaldera worked fantastically throughout and the city also being the planet was a lot of fun. The rocket being the means for evacuation as the world was running out of power. The Mind Runners being referred to as criminals was intriguing and the continued insistence that their deaths weren't murdered fascinated me. Taraneh claimed that they imagined being chased rather than any invisible killer was excellent and it being an effect of the long term exposure to the Running was marvellous. I thought the legend of the Night Mind was fantastic and the demon not being that was something I didn't expect. The Doctor sneakily getting hold of the Mind Runner equipment was fun and the realisation that Raph and Jacinta were all that remained of their group was unsettling. That was a lot of death in a week or so! Jacinta admitting that she was addicted made sense and gave some good development to the Mind Running and her shock at the insinuation that the Night Mind was taking them out was good. It couldn't be random. The Founders being those who were first to settle on the planet was good and I'm really intrigued by their dislike of strangers. I hope that plays a role in the final episode. The Digitals were also superb and them being a cult with a belief that flesh was weak was excellent and I imagine they'd get on well with the Cybermen. Their group mostly being converts on their deathbeds said a lot and just added to their dark nature. Jacinta wanting separation from Raph for protection once she was found by Leela and Jacinta was great and the Doctor being with the Digitals at the same time worked well for the story. Their efforts to take his sanity was disturbing and the same technology for Mind Running being that which allowed the to upload their consciousness made sense. The Digitals desiring the Night Mind was really good and I liked how the Doctor was attached and if he went insane then they had their answers concerting it.. Their desire to remove people from power so they were free to upload all of the fleshings was marvellous and the return of Mr Shift from the form of a puddle and the revelation that he was the initial failed teleport scientist was just excellent. I really liked that. His killing of Taraneh and the claim to Leela that she would be following made for a chilling cliffhanger. Overall, a fantastic episode! 

Rating: 9/10

The Crowmarsh Experiment

"You remember nothing before the dream."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2018

Series: FDA 7.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

When attack on an alien world, Leela falls unconscious... only to wake in another time, another place.

She is in the Crowmarsh Institute on Earth, in London, in 1978, and everyone is calling her Doctor Marshall. They tell her the world she has known is but a fantasy, a delusion, and that this place is the one that is real.

Surrounded by familiar faces on unfamiliar people, Leela knows what is true and what is false. But how long can she believe when everyone around her says it's a dream? What's really happening here?

Verdict

The Crowmarsh Experiment was an outstanding continuation of the seventh series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures! I absolutely loved this episode and I thought it wouldn't disappoint as I was very excited from reading the synopsis alone, something I don't often do. This was a real treat and an incredibly strong showing for Leela as a companion in what was arguably one of her better stories ever. That's no light compliment as I really did think it was that good. The way things started set the tone with the Doctor answering a distress call and the arrival on a planet that was entirely flora was something I liked a lot because that's unique and brings an intriguing atmosphere of quiet. Of course, that all went away once the air-born hostile robots arrived and Leela and the woman warning she and the Doctor off were captured by a tractor beam. The story took an entirely different direction from this point forward with Leela waking up into what was her supposed reality where she was known as Doctor Marshall. That was a lot of fun and trying to convince her that she worked with Jennifer, the woman who'd shouted Leela and the Doctor off from the robots, was terrific. The Doctor being there was a little surprising, but of course the distortion showed that it was far from being the true Doctor at all. The poisoning of Leela will also have a lot to do with that! The continued efforts to convince Leela that all she knew with the Doctor had actually been a dream was excellent and it was good to plant the seeds of doubt in Leela with everything in her new surroundings seeming familiar. The Doctor in this world being George Stuart was good and it was just fun to hear Tom Baker not quite playing the role of the Fourth Doctor. The concept of a weapon against ideologies was something I thought phenomenal and that being described to Leela as what she had tested was tremendous. If anyone dreamed of violence they could just change the dream. The possibilities of power from that was incredible. The emotion that came with Leela seeing Marshall was superb and a really nice throwback to Requiem for the Rocket Men/Death Match after everything she went through there. She was clearly impacted by seeing the one she loved who she thought was dead. As if Leela wasn't going through enough, trying to convince her she had children was so powerful. She was adamant that she wasn't in reality but the moment where the children were actually brought to her and she felt the genuine love they had for her was striking. It was such a moving story for Leela. The use of the croaky radio sounds Leela was hearing as a means for the Doctor to communicate with her from the true reality was good and I liked her reaction when she realised she had been correct all along about Crowmarsh. The organic computer of Project Cichiphus worked really well and I enjoyed the concept of replenishing with organic material and it being the original source of the distress call. Leela's anger when it came to her being able to recite Tennyson was magnificent and the threat of her being subjected to surgery with those who didn't recover from the first tests was great. The Doctor telling Leela of Jennifer's daughter Sophie from the outside was really good and I also loved playing with the prospect of Leela's memories of reality fading in the same way a dream does. Her toying with staying with Marshall and being happy, even when she knew it wasn't true reality, was intriguing to say the least. Jennifer's coming to terms with Crowmarsh being the dream after Sophie was name dropped was really well done and I liked how the repetition of being told one was safe meant those who heard it now believed it. Jennifer ultimately helping was as expected, but it was still a really good moment. The plan to escape and ultimately destroy Crowmarsh was exciting and the Doctor making Stuart disappear after stopping the psychic field and playing with the fact of changing his face over the years was fun. The final plea from Marshall before Leela ignited the gas to destroy Crowmarsh was sublime and a fitting final moment of emotion. The Doctor leaving a message through Jennifer after she was wiped out was good and it worked well in there being a warning that there was nothing but death on this world. Overall, a wonderful, emotional and powerful episode!

Rating: 10/10

The Sons of Kaldor

"I am a huntress, never the pray."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: January 2018

Series: FDA 7.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

Finding themselves in a seemingly deserted spaceship on an alien world, the Doctor and Leela stumble into some familiar foes – the Voc robots from the planet Kaldor – and... something else. Something outside. Trying to get in.

Reviving the robot's Kaldoran commander from hibernation, the travellers discover that they've found themselves in the middle of a civil war. The ship was hunting the Sons of Kaldor, an armed resistance group working with alien mercenaries to initiate regime change on their homeworld. 

But now the Sons of Kaldor may have found them. The Doctor and Leela will have to pick a side. Or die.

Verdict

The Sons of Kaldor was a great start to the seventh series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures! I have jumped around the first six series of this range (excluding the first series) and with them predominantly being standalone adventures, that method has served me well but I must admit that I have been very excited to get started with this boxset and having nearly a full working week of lunch breaks with the Fourth Doctor and Leela! Having the infamous Voc Robots of The Robots of Death return is a fine way to start a new series and I liked the little references to that televised serial that were dotted throughout. There was a good start with the enigmatic feel and the issue of K9 needing repair was fun, but I do hope he isn't out of operation for the entire boxset! Arriving to a crew in suspended animation isn't a new thing for Doctor Who but it's rarely something I do not enjoy. It just works and has a somewhat intriguing feel to proceedings and it's a fun dynamic of the Doctor and his companion being the only ones active until the inevitable capture by someone shady hiding in the shadows. And that happened to be the case here after he and Leela split up and found themselves taken in by the Voc Robots. The writing for this TARDIS pairing was just delightful and I thought the humour that came with the eeny, meeny, miny, moe game and the Doctor ignoring the supposed destination was magnificent. I also loved his conversation with her about not wondering off and Leela's acceptance of that whilst not wanting to be talked to like a child was great. I thought the setting of the ship was excellent and although we don't get the visual benefits of the Voc Robots, their voices were still a good way to provide the subtle creepiness that comes with their mere presence. The moment where the Robots revealed they didn't even know their mission or why they were where they were was intriguing and added to the atmosphere and I liked how there was clearly more than met the eye. They got their minds wiped every two months to prevent enemies extracting their data logs which I thought was good and I enjoyed everything that came with Commander Lind being awakened. She had been asleep a lot longer than she expected with the fact that what she thought was four months was actually two years a brilliant moment. Whilst she had been asleep, the Robots had taken control and that was fascinating. The whole premise of the concept of self for the Robots was tremendous and I loved that V26 was indirectly giving the orders that Lind instructed. The Doctor picking up on V26 repeating them was brilliant and her reaction to having lost control was something I'd describe as calm horror. Rebben Trace made a very good villain and the plot centring around the Sons of Kaldor was nicely done. I thought the attempt of lineage to the founding families of Kaldor and hoping to restore rule there without Robots was impressive and finding out that the war had already been fought and lost as far as Lind was concerned was excellent. A Second Republic had already been declared on Kaldor with robots forbidden. That was a daunting prospect. SV9's revea as actually being in control of events all along was a good twist and I liked the idea of evolution in a robot. The Doctor likening the human body to a robot with just different components was terrific. The cliffhanger with Leela threatened by the hatch opening and the Ferelin arrival was decent, but the resolution was a bit naff. I also thought the conclusion to this adventure felt a little anticlimactic in that it wasn't hugely eventful, but leaving the small crew of Robots behind with the Doctor thinking it unlikely they'd survive was an intriguing finish to what was as a whole a really good little audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Dalek Occupation of Winter

"Nobody in Winter is scared of the Daleks."

Writer: David K. Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: September 2018

Series: Early Adventures 5.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in the capital city of a planet deep in the midst of an endless winter. The population are celebrating a new crop of candidates winning roles at the scientific research centre. Those who go there dedicate their lives to continued service and are rarely, if ever, seen again. Not everyone is happy to see them leave.

As the Doctor, Steven and Vicki watch, the city leader – Majorian – invites onto the stage in front of the happy crowd their 'friend who made all this possible'... and a Dalek appears.

The people of this planet seem to be living in perfect harmony with the Doctor's old enemies. But the TARDIS crew know this cannot be true. So what's really going on?

Verdict

The Dalek Occupation of Winter was an outstanding Early Adventures audio! This range has rarely disappointed when I have dipped into it and after capitalising on a recent Dalek sale from Big Finish, I couldn't not pick up this download and I was so delighted that I did after listening. This really was a sublime adventure from start to finish. The setting of Winter worked tremendously well and the issues that were caused by the Doctor, Vicki and Steven's arrival on the only city on the planet were marvellous. The politics and society of Winter in general was mightily intriguing and establishing some of the characters prior to the introduction of the Dalek was very well done. I loved how there was initially some form of caution from the Doctor when it came to the graduation ceremony and nobody who went to the research centre ever being seen again, but the arrival of the Dalek as the Ambassador was wonderful and the reactions of the Doctor and Vicki sold it so well. I was a huge fan. For the First Doctor era, this was a unique take on the Daleks that nestles in nicely with other adventures featuring the old and deadly enemies. Steven being shocked by the sight of a Dalek was also really good and a stark reminder of how we met him in The Chase. With the TARDIS trio knowing something deadly was at hand, the lack of fear showed by the population of Winter to the Daleks was startling. They obviously had no idea of the truth behind their Ambassador and his fellows, but the revelation that the economy on Winter solely revolved around the construction and creation of Daleks was brilliant. I didn't see that coming so that was very good. Steven actually partaking in factory work to construct parts of a Dalek himself was fantastic and the humour that came with the time it took to assemble the 56 blue bulbs that decorate the base was great. Amala was a tremendous character alongside Steven and I liked how it was her brother that was one of those graduating and going to the esteemed research centre to ensure the survival of the city in its quest for self-sustainability. The emotion that came with her finding out the truth about the Daleks and the fate that befell her brother was really powerful and the loss was clearly an impactful one. Steven explaining to her that the Daleks were not robots but actually living creatures within was magnificent and it was really good for her to realise that everything she knew was a lie. Majorian as the Grand Marshall of Winter was a superb character and his lack of compassion for his people's wellbeing and society was great. He loved his position and also enjoyed toying with the Daleks which was a fun dynamic. He assembled some form of control between both sides of Winter and that made him a really enjoyable character. His betrayal of Vicki was excellent and I liked how his second in Karna arguably ended up as the bigger villain by the end. She was bored on Winter and that alone was enough to make her loyal to the Daleks which was really intriguing and just excellent. The way that she ended up in charge after the Doctor had left with the Ambassador actually surviving the city uprising was fantastic and a unique take on showing that the Doctor doesn't always win. I was surprised a little that he left with Majorian still in charge but he realised his reputation in Winter and left begrudgingly. One of the highlights of the story as well was the humour that came with Vicki telling Steven of the events of The Romans and the Doctor being the one who gave the idea of burning down Rome. The pairing of Vicki and Steven were wonderful and I liked the maturity showed in the former. The way she grasped the situation when it was suggested that the Doctor was a little loopy was tremendous as well and his reaction made me laugh a lot. Overall, this was a superb audio adventure from start to finish! 

Rating: 10/10

Arc of Infinity

"Every time the Doctor returns to Gallifrey there is violence!"

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released:

Series: Target

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

When the Doctor returns to Gallifrey, he learns that his bio data extract has been stolen from the Time Lords' master computer known as the Matrix.

The bio data extract is a detailed description of the Doctor's molecular structure – and this information, in the wrong hands, could be exploited with disastrous effect.

The Gallifreyan High Council believe that anti-matter will be infiltrated into the universe as a result of the theft. In order to render the information useless, they decide the Doctor must die...

Verdict

Arc of Infinity was a great novelisation of the televised serial of the same name! It's always fun for the Classic series to go to Gallifrey and this one was certainly no different. There's usually some kind of political shenanigans going on when the Doctor gets involved on his home and that was certainly occurring in abundance here. It started right from the get go with a mysterious Time Lord in conversation with an alien set out to target destruction and a return to life in this dimension. Of course, having watched the serial a number of times we know that it's Omega but for any readers who hadn't seen the story and knew the reveal, I thought the approach of referring to him as an alien was excellent and something I really appreciated. It was also good to hide Hedin's identity as the traitor and it was done so well that I was actually taken aback when that revelation was made! I think I'd convinced myself that The Five Doctors happened prior to this adventure and so when all links were set for Borusa being the Time Lord traitor, I was sucked in! It was obviously very silly of me given my extensive knowledge of the show and its history, but that's testament to the writing as it was all hidden very well. One element of the novelisation I wasn't a massive fan of though was how often we were jumping around from paragraph to paragraph in a different location or scene. I haven't watched the serial in a long time so I can't really remember if that was happening on screen, but in a book that really jumped out as on one page (and the Target books aren't exactly big!) we had five different paragraphs jumping us around different locations on Gallifrey as well as Amsterdam. It was a bit too much and interrupted the flow a little. I did like that the Earth location was in the Dutch capital as that was very different to what we are used to and it was also a fun way to bring Tegan back into the fold after the events of Time-Flight. It was good to see her getting on with life after the Doctor and we now know thanks to Big Finish that the Doctor and Nyssa had extensive travels without her, but it was nice for the latter to acknowledge that she was missing her old companion. Tegan trying to solve the mystery of her missing cousin was good and it was nice for her to use some of the skills she developed whilst travelling in the TARDIS. The Doctor's fate on Gallifrey was excellent and I really enjoyed how seriously the threat of anti-matter was taken. To prevent any kind of bonding, the High Council had decreed that the Doctor must die. Maxil was relishing his role in carrying out the termination and even though there wasn't really any description, the characterisation for a character played by Colin Baker was tremendous. The likes of Borusa and Flavia in the High Council were great and I loved how once the confirmation came that there was a traitor, the Doctor assumed command and was the one enlisted to put everything right again. Nyssa being welcomed to Gallifrey was nice and I enjoyed her reaction to the Doctor's supposed termination and then the news that he was actually alive and well. Hedin's devotion to Omega was fantastic and it going so far as to take a bullet for him by saving the Doctor was excellent. It was all we needed to know and that adoration coming from his fascination with early Time Lord history was terrific. The ending in Amsterdam with Omega supposedly coming back into our universe, only for his Doctor-duplicated form to waste away and revert to anti-matter was really well done and the action of the chase around the city was magnificent. I liked how the Doctor had to pull the trigger on Omega to prevent the anti-matter explosion. Tegan ending up back in the TARDIS was lovely and I liked that the Doctor didn't mind in the slightest, in fact he was rather pleased. Overall, a very good novelisation!

Rating: 8/10

Uncanny Valley

"Humans find perfection unsettling."

Writer: David Llewellyn

Format: Audio

Released: January 2016

Series: Torchwood Monthly 05

Featuring: Captain Jack

Synopsis

What has made billionaire Neil Redmond emerge from his long seclusion? Captain Jack knows the answer, and is prepared to go to any lengths to prove it.

A couple of years ago, Neil Redmond was in a terrible accident. His recovery has been long and slow, but now he's back and looking better than ever. Much better than ever.

Dark forces have been behind Neil's transformation. Dark forces that Jack has been hunting for a long time. But Captain Jack's never been able to resist the darkness.

Verdict

Uncanny Valley was a decent continuation of the Torchwood monthly range from Big Finish! This was certainly a very unique tale and a good adventure for Captain Jack in the sole lead role. John Barrowman was excellent in the role and the way this casually fitted in with the Committee arc of the first four episodes in the range that came before it was really good. The seamless way that everything is linked whilst being their own individual stories is definitely a big positive of the range and this one certainly was no different. I liked the format of Jack telling a story in something akin to the Companion Chronicles and whilst it was very noticeable that we only had two actors as the main cast for much of the duration, the way the episode was written worked well in covering that. Of course, it helps when one of those characters is duplicated but that was obviously the key plot element. Jack turning up at Neil's home in a threatening way whilst ringing the doorbell was lovely and I liked how he knew all about this billionaire and his past. Jack had been watching the television and knew that the man on screen couldn't be the same man who suffered life-threatening injuries in an accident in France over a decade previously. That was fun and Jack revelled in the knowledge and making Neil uncomfortable whilst also being reassuring. It was an intriguing combination of qualities. I liked how there was no messing around in mentioning the Committee and I was a little surprised to find that Neil had heard of them. They are certainly an organisation out in the open, so much so that they were getting mentions on late night documentaries which I thought was fun. The discussion of conspiracy theories was good and the idea of the best ones being where people didn't know they were a part of one was very good. I enjoyed how almost anyone connected to Neil and his company with the artificial intelligence for missiles and the production factory he shut down mysteriously died. There were no loose ends and everything was being covered up pretty thoroughly. Jack continuing to get messages that former employees had passed away as he feigned being a salesman was quite harrowing. Of course, the main focus of this audio was on NJ, the robotic duplicate of Neil who would go on to take his place. This supposedly being created by Ovid was very good and Miss Trent was a fun character for her little cameo. NJ having to learn how to act more casual and not elongate sentences was decent, but I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of Neil falling in love with his robot duplicate. How can one actually be in love with one's self? I mean, that is a really fun concept but I just found it quite off-putting as I thought that was pomposity on another level. The mental anguish that Neil was experiencing as he lived life through his duplicate was powerful, especially when Jack and NJ got romantic with the latter taking things into his own hands and doing it for spite. For Jack, that was obviously the plan all along and it worked a treat in showing Neil that NJ had a motive and that he needed to be shut down. Except the supposed deactivator was just a plastic toy so that meant Jack had to take matters into his own hands. The way Jack was killed was savage, but the brutality in the way NJ killed Neil was shocking. I thought it was good for Jack to initiate a terrible car crash to kill the robot once and for all, and the seeds planted with the Committee having been invited to rather than invading Earth was great and sets things up nicely for the future. Overall, a good and unique story but there were some unsettling moments for me. 

Rating: 7/10

The Night Harvest

"I'm better than any god."

Writer: Beverley Sanford

Format: Short Story

Released: November 2020

Printed in: I Am The Master 05

Featuring: The Master

Synopsis

A farm worker from a backwater planet, Tala has always dreamed of meeting a stranger from the stars. When the Master arrives, the truth of her world is exposed in ways that will change her for ever.

Verdict

The Night Harvest was a really good little short story to continue my reading of the I Am The Master: Legends of the Renegade Time Lord collection! This has really been an impressive collection of adventures for the Master and getting an extra story for the John Simm incarnation is fantastic as there hasn't really been a lot of room for this. We saw his imminent arrival with the regeneration at the end of Utopia which was such a good reveal, and then by the end of The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords his fate was sealed in the ring that we would see him finally escape from in The End of Time. But by the end of that two-parter, he was sent off back to Gallifrey during the Time War! Of course, more recently we saw the Simm incarnation return in World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls, but unlike other incarnations of the Master there just doesn't seem to be much of a window for his incarnation to have free roam. Of course, the latter Twelfth Doctor finale opens that up as we learn he escaped from Gallifrey, or rather was shunted, but he just doesn't seem to be the kind of Master that would be running around the universe for whatever reason. And I think that's part of the reason why I am so happy to get an extra adventure for him here! I have to say that I thought the author did an impressive job in capturing the characteristics of this incarnation with the childish and eccentric traits there in abundance. This Master likes to play and that was abundantly clear. I do wish he went by his name throughout instead of Xanos, but that wasn't a major issue. It's fun for the Master to play around on a planet where a religious relief has been implemented with such indoctrination and his reaction to Tala's continued mentioning of what her uncle had said was great. His position as High Elder was interesting and the calmness in which the Master delivered bad news was wonderful. Tala's fascination with the Master's TARDIS being disguised as a tree was excellent and I have to admit I'm a little surprised that he kept her alive for so long and even contemplated taking her along with him! I was fully expecting his patience to thin and just kill her. That didn't happen, but he did causally kill her uncle and boyfriend whilst showing her what the plants and Elders were doing through her best friend. The concept of the Night Harvest was good and I loved Tala's shocked reaction to the Master destroying a plant outside of the allowed time frame of the harvest. She was gobsmacked which really said a lot. I thought the revelation surrounding the use of the plants was intriguing with the Elders supposedly bored of living on the same food, so they were using the settlement's own people to feed the plants and provide them with luxury fruits. That was unbelievably selfish and Tala's reaction to that was fantastic. She was stunned, but her efforts to tell the truth to the population were met with mockery which was nicely done. After such a strict upbringing, what else would people believe? Certainly not that they had all been used in a scheme from the Elders! The Master's eventual endgame being to harness the drug from the plants and crashed ships was good and I loved how he was going to continue what the Elders had enacted for efficiency. His 'walking among the people' as Bal'Kalu and appointing Tala as the Elder was a terrific ending to a story where the Master was just having some fun. And I think that's often where he's at his best. Overall, a great little short story! 

Rating: 8/10

Expiry Dating

"Something is happening in your life that saddens you."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: November 2020

Series: Tenth Doctor and River Song 1.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

The first time the Doctor met River Song, he saw her die. And now she's asking him on a date. Well, not a date, exactly... More of a mission.

But the Doctor isn't at anyone's beck and call. Or so he thinks. With billions of lives hanging in the balance, can the Doctor afford not to do whatever River wants? Whichever one of him she asks?

Verdict

Expiry Dating was a very good start to the Tenth Doctor and River Song! This boxset has something I have been incredibly excited about since it was announced and I was very quick to spend my Christmas money on purchasing the set because the prospect is just too good not to listen to. Unfortunately, a combination of work and moving house has meant my wait for the first episode has been longer than I would have liked, but I am delighted to have finally listened and further the adventures of this pairing beyond Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. That in of itself is marvellous and whilst I didn't think the format of this audio with the letter writing was the best use of the pair for episode one, it was still a really fun tale. I just think that to kick off the volume we should have had more of the Doctor and River actually together rather than just conversing via letter. The idea of the pair almost being pen-pals was fun though and the 'delays' between replies on time were amusing. River's desire throughout the audio to convince the Doctor to take an appointment at the Apocalypse Crypt was delightful and I thought River really was wonderful. She revelled in the Doctor not quite knowing who she was and her confidence in the ability she possesses to manipulate the Doctor was terrific. I have to say that the Fifth Doctor's cameo in the story was very amusing with River's drugging of him making sure he was inundated with his future wife! The image of Tegan throwing him against a wall to stop his talking of River was great stuff. The Tenth Doctor catching a glimpse of the Fifth after he was requested to carry out a mission for River was fun and a nice reminder of Time Crash, and the mind virus that prevented the pair from fully recognising each other was a decent addition. The concept of a Quantum Vatican was fun and I thought the highlight of the audio for me was the Doctor's commanding statement when he was under interrogation for theft that River set him up for, when he basically belittled their actions and told them that their god didn't exist. It certainly seems that the Doctor is no fan of religion, and who can blame him? The potential of a fixed point in time being altered was good and the importance that has for the Doctor is clear here, but the way things turned into a misunderstanding with River not actually out to make a profit was terrific and left the Doctor with a lot of egg on his face. To be fair, all indicators pointed towards that being the case and the Doctor's initial reaction to that was very good. The continued missed appointments worked well even if they were slightly repetitive, and I did enjoy how the Doctor left the fate of the fixed point in time up to River as a test for what kind of person she is. To him at this point, she's still a mystery and he's seen her die which is a superb dynamic and I hope that continues for the remaining two episodes. River actually attempting to save everyone through the Doctor was a very good revelation and his reaction to that was priceless. River ending up adding a few zeros to the expiry date of the universe was wonderful and although she meddled, she actually hadn't done anything to break the fixed point in time which I am sure the Doctor must have appreciated. One other notable highlight was the cameo of the Sixth Doctor responding to River's letter and his comments about Mel trying to install a voicemail to bring him into the 1980s. Magnificent. It was quite sad for the Tenth Doctor to realise that he wasn't special with River hoping her message found any one if his incarnations, but that was also superb storytelling. Overall, a strong start and a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

Black Dog

"They live in terror of him invading their dreams."

Writer: Dale Smith

Format: Audio

Released: December 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.12

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

To dream of the Black Dog is to die in terror within the week. The Doctor thinks it nothing but mindless superstition... but then Leela dreams the dream.

Verdict

Black Dog was a decent little Short Trips audio! I must admit that when it came to deciding which audio to listen today, the synopsis for this one intrigued my greatly and became an instant winner after reading it. I have a huge number of Short Trips audios currently downloaded onto the Big Finish app so it's never an easy decision when it comes to deciding which will be the next to blog on my lunch break whilst working from home, and whilst the title of this story didn't exactly interest me the synopsis absolutely did. I thought this story was absolutely right for Leela and the Fourth Doctor and I don't think the Black Dog invading dreams would have worked anywhere nearly as well as it did with any other companion. The only other possible suggestion I would make is that it could work for Tegan if it was set post-Kinda, but Leela's nature and the way she takes things literally along with her tribal background made her brilliant for what this story offered. The concept of the Black Dog itself was good and interesting, but I do think that it was actually better before that idea became an actual character. The very prospect of a dog being a God on an Earth Alliance colony was fun and the Doctor's suggestion that it was actually the colonists who brought the dog with them was very good. Louise Jameson did a good job in the narration as I would expect given her talents and the take provided on the Fourth Doctor was decent enough to not interfere with the flow of the audio. Leela's respect for the Black Dog and what it presented and meant to the colonists was excellent and exactly why she was suitable for this adventure. The moment where she was entering the hotel and didn't want to enter without respect or invitation was fantastic. She really was wonderful. The myth behind the Black Dog centring on a dream was very nicely done and I loved that just as the Doctor was ridiculing what he obviously shunned as fantasy, Leela awoke with the dream having just occurred. Her description of it was good and the acceptance of her fate was decent as well. She didn't seem to ask questions which I liked and I thought the Doctor's reaction to her expected fate was a highlight. He obviously wouldn't accept that she would descend to death and would do everything he could to fight the Black Dog, even if he believed it to be mere superstition. Tackling with what was real and what was not was a good dilemma for the Doctor to be presented with. I must admit that I thought the conclusion was a little anti-climatic with how Leela was able to defeat the Black Dog inside her mind, as I felt some more elaboration or explanation was needed there without the aid of visuals. I think the format and shortness of the story in nature was also a potential contribution there, but it was still a very enjoyable audio as a whole. The monologue at the end by the Doctor and discussion with Leela was a nice way to finish things though. I also liked how the Sevateem were mentioned throughout bringing back links to The Face of Evil which I aways enjoy. Overall, a decent little audio adventure! 

Rating: 7/10

A Master of Disguise

"You are in need of my masks again?"

Writer: Mike Tucker

Format: Short Story

Released: November 2020

Printed in: I Am The Master 04

Featuring: The Master

Synopsis

The Master is forced to engineer a daring and desperate heists in order to save the architect of his many disguises from certain death.

Verdict

A Master of Disguise was an excellent short story to continue my reading of the I Am The Master: Legends of the Renegade Time Lord collection! I loved how this fitted in with the continuity of the Master as a whole throughout all of his incarnations and it is something I had never actually considered. Just where did the Master obtain all of his legendary disguises? Answering that question here is a wonderful use of the short story format that this book presents and it's done such a simple but excellent way. This particular adventure mainly features the Anthony Ainley incarnation of the Master that we would know fondly from Logopolis onwards, but getting a little cameo of the Roger Delgado version that introduced us to the Doctor's arch enemy was very nicely done. With all that Moses would do for the Master, you would be forgiven for thinking that he would receive good hospitality from his forced employer. Essentially, the Master had Moses imprisoned and living off bland water and food that was enough to survive but hardly anything to provide an ounce of pleasure. Moses being an artist and starting off the book with a little character history worked really well and it was nice to know that he initially didn't think of himself as anything hugely special in the art world. Once he sold his first piece and the word of mouth that spread from there, he was on his way and that was terrific to read. He was a very likeable character. His sense of feeling abandoned was good and I liked how his reaction to the Master's new incarnation following all that occurred in The Deadly Assassin and The Keeper of Traken was one of annoyance and sadness because he believed his new guise to be a mask! That truly was delightful. I was taken back a little when the Master's mission for the story was revealed and it appeared that we were going to be getting a rare meeting between the Ainley Master and the Fourth Doctor. We had a couple of pages of conversation and explanation regarding the Doctor warning Tovin that the Master was out to capture the deadly ingredient of Carenophil that would keep Moses alive and ensure the conveyor belt of masked disguises kept coming the Master's way. The way this was written was brilliant and the reveal that the Master had taken on a disguise of the Doctor was just tremendous in every way. It was so good and put an instant smile on my face and it was probably at this moment that this story became the best in the collection so far in my opinion. The fun that can be had with the Master impersonating the Doctor is endless and it was well utilised here, even if he did split up when it came to the blueprints and Clincian Mills being a woman, not a man has he had replied. That blunder was fun because Tovin was now ready for the Master on his escape, but this forced our loveable renegade into a state of desperation and that's often where he thrives. His desire to get more of the Carenophil for him to study was good and I really enjoyed how he was annoyed that he could only obtain limited amounts before setting off any serious danger alarms. The fact that the Master's mission was ultimately a waste of time and that he had been fooled by Moses relatively easy was a superb way to end the book and the explanation of how he fed the Master's ego was really nicely done. The Master took the revelation pretty well considering the ordeal he went through, but the Carenophil was actually enough to kill off Moses as he was way past the due date to prolong his life. The Master leaving his prison as a tomb honouring the Master of Disguises was a nice touch to what was a fantastic short story! 

Rating: 9/10

Fury From the Deep

"She said she'd been stung by some seaweed."

Writer: Victor Pemberton

Format: TV Animation

Released: September 2020

Season: 5.06

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Victoria and Jamie to the coast of Kent, England, where the ESGO complex is daring up natural gas under the North Sea via a huge network of pipes linked their off-shore rigs. 

But the Doctor is convinced he can hear something in the pipes, a heartbeat, something... alive? Others at the complex have heard it too, and one by one contact with the rigs is being lost. But Chief Robson will have none of it, and work will continue. And so it does... until sentient, aggressive seaweed begins attacking the base and taking over the personnel one by one, creating a spearhead from which it will launch its attack and enslave the entire human race... Can the Doctor discover a way to stop the weed advancing? Or does the only real chance of success lie with Victoria and if it does, can a way be found to utilise that without harming of the Doctor's very best friends...

Verdict

Fury From the Deep was an excellent serial thankfully recreated in animated format! I'm a huge advocate of recreating lost Classic serials in animated form because it really does provide as close of a genuine experience of the story as possible. Of course, it doesn't quite have the retro feel of being in black and white and visibly seeing Patrick Troughton or Deborah Watling performing, but from a pure story perspective this is so valuable and much better than the Loose Canon recons (although they are priceless for those serials yet to be animated). Now, while I am a huge fan of animation for lost stories I have to say that the animation for this particular story seemed slightly off in parts which was just a little strange. It didn't help that the first scene pretty much just didn't make sense for me as after we saw the TARDIS descending from the skies and landing in the sea, it was absolutely still! I couldn't believe that as despite the wonders of the Doctor's time and space machine, surely it would have swayed having landed on water? That was really off-putting. Another animation-specific critique came when Jamie was escaping through the roof from the Weed creatures and it just seemed so painfully obvious that what we were seeing on screen did not match the sound and what viewers back in 1968 were lucky enough to see. It was clearly audible that Jamie was being helped out but yet on screen the Doctor and Victoria were merely watching him hang for what felt like eternity. That was baffling. Now, onto the positives and it has to be said that is a fine serial and a hugely impressive story. It's paced very well over the six episodes and serves as a fitting finale for Victoria's run as a companion. She probably did scream a little too much in the role, but that being a proponent for defeating the Weed here was a lot of fun, even if some of the direction leaned towards highlighting that perhaps slightly too soon. I really enjoyed how it was hinted throughout that she wasn't happy constantly getting into trouble on her travels with the Doctor and the length of her departure for the end of episode six is really nicely done. I thought Robson was an outstanding character and his stubbornness when it came to refusing to shut off the gas early on in the serial was brilliant. His continued consideration that the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria were prisoners despite the help they provided was excellent and I just loved the way he was dedicated to his job. His use as part of the Weed creature was brilliant and I thought the imagery of the cliffhanger at the end of part five with hi consumed and at one with the creature was very impressive. Harris was another terrific character and I really enjoyed his relationship with his wife. His reiteration of the need to shut down the gas was very good and I liked how Maggie fell victim to the Weed creature after his file was taken. That was a fun plot point. I am very much a fan of the Weed creature and whilst it probably loses a bit of its fear factor in coloured animation, the way it was used was still impressive and it did look like it was part of the sea with a somewhat slimy look which I liked. The scene towards the end with the helicopter was amusing as the Doctor piloting a helicopter was a delightful sight. The way the giant Weed creature was used their was also a fine benefit of the animation. Overall, a delightful story recreated to enjoy all over again!

Rating: 9/10

The Eyeless

"Living in the shadows is better than dying in the light."

Writer: Lance Parkin

Format: Novel

Released: December 2008

Series: NSA 30

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

At the heart of the ruined city of Arcopolis is the Fortress. It's a brutal structure placed here by one of the sides in a devastating intergalactic war that's long ended. Fifteen years ago, the entire population of the planet was killed in an instant by the weapon housed deep in the heart of the Fortress. Now only the ghosts remain.

The Doctor arrives, and determines to fight his way past the Fortress's automatic defences and put the weapon beyond use. But he soon discovers he's not the only person in Arcopolis. What is the true nature of the weapon? Is the planet really haunted? Who are the Eyeless? And what will happen if they get to the weapon before the Doctor?

The Doctor has a fight on his hands. And this time he's all on his own.

Verdict

The Eyeless was a decent novel to kick off my reading of the Tenth Doctor's solo novel run! I thought this one started really well and whilst it perhaps didn't quite live up to its beginning, it was still a solid read overall. I thought the use of the Tenth Doctor travelling solo following Journey's End was very good and it was clear throughout that he was missing companionship. That really was evident throughout the book and I do think this story would have worked better if the Doctor had someone travelling with him. Of course, this is far from being the first solo adventure for a Doctor but it was noticeable here more so than other stories which was intriguing. I loved the setting of Arcopolis and learning of its past was terrific as I really did like the predicament that the current society was in. The aftermath of a weapon being used on the planet to literally wipe everything out in an instant was quite something and the fact that there were around 37 people left to repopulate the planet fifteen years on was excellent. The opinions on the planet differing for males and females based on the ability to reproduce was extraordinary and the Doctor's reaction to that was great. I was a big fan of Alsa in what was probably the closest character to a companion role and her psychotic nature was superb. Her relationship with the Doctor was brilliant and I really liked how she was challenging him whist needing his abilities. The whole presence of the Fortress was brilliant and the booming nature of it overpowering the skyline of Arcopolis was very impressive. Its role in the events of fifteen years previously was good and it also being the home of the reason why the Doctor was on the planet was great. His efforts to come and destroy a weapon were brilliant and I liked that he knew of its significance and that it couldn't end up in anyone's hands other than his. I thought the mystery behind the Fortress was really good and I actually preferred the novel before the Eyeless were actually introduced. I wasn't a massive fan of them despite them being the titular characters. I did enjoy their hive-mind nature and the description of them being glass men was magnificent, but they didn't really live up to being the centre of attention for the book in my opinion. The way they read minds telepathically was good and I enjoyed that they were on the planet to take the TARDIS rather than the weapon, but their equations soon altered once they found out what else was in play. That was an impressive dynamic that worked well, but other than their relationship with Alsa I didn't think they offered much. There was too much going on with them to follow clearly which was a bit of a shame. There was a huge chunk of action around the two-thirds mark of the book that probably went on a bit too long for the format. I rarely find that action works well for long periods in novels, at least for my preferences. One element I did very much enjoy was the Doctor's take on the Welsh language and how he hadn't bothered with that, as well as having a book translating Gallifreyan to Cymraeg! I wonder who wrote that? Although, the continuity here didn't exactly fit with the Ninth Doctor's translations in Boom Town. Speaking of the Ninth Doctor, the implication here that this incarnation travelled for an extended period before Rose on his lonesome was interesting and works well with the Big Finish audios featuring him. The use of the ghosts in the book was very good although I wasn't a huge fan of them being blast shadows. That didn't seem to work for me but I did appreciate their role in the plot as a whole. The ending with the weapon getting used made for a good chapter cliffhanger but I'd have liked some more explanation as to why the Doctor, Alsa and Dela surviving. The final chapter showing the Doctor accidentally dropping Alsa off twenty years in the future once a semblance of normality was restored to Arcopolis was a nice touch though. Overall, a decent read!

Rating: 7/10

Field Trip

"We're here to stop an invasion."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: Twelfth Doctor Chronicles 1.04

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Osgood

Synopsis

Osgood gets an offer she can't resist when the Doctor drops in – her first flight in the TARDIS!

The Doctor is calling on Osgood's expertise to stop an invasion, but what begins as a fact-finding mission quickly becomes something far more dangerous. Osgood's intergalactic field trip is about to get very hands-on!

Verdict

Field Trip was a very good little adventure to conclude the Twelfth Doctor Chronicles! This has been a great set of audios to further the stories of the Twelfth Doctor and concluding with him taking Osgood on a trip in the TARDIS is just wonderful! I have always enjoyed Osgood as a character and she fits in so well with UNIT, but having the Doctor land in her office and whisk her away to her first alien planet was magnificent. The moment where Osgood stepped foot in the TARDIS as she headed for her first journey with the Doctor was outstanding and definitely a highlight of the audio with the simplicity of her saying "at last" just magnificent. The continuity from The Day of the Doctor and The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion with the Doctor asking Osgood which one she was (of course meaning human or Zygon) was very good and made it fit in very well with the rest of the Twelfth Doctor era. The Doctor having a special mission with political connotations for Osgood was amusing because she literally does that for a living so that was fun for it to be her first venture in the TARDIS to her alien planet. Osgood expecting the Doctor to side with the rebels when it came to the issue at hand was very good and I did enjoy his slight of hand when it came to him mentioning how they were going to talk to the political leaders instead with the plan focused on consultancy. I'm not sure that this was what Osgood expected, but it worked well and she seemed to understand. Jacob Dudman shone once again as the Twelfth Doctor with a seamless Peter Capaldi impression that has just been tremendous to listen to. The revelation that none of the politicians were actually on the planet was good and they were in fact on their respective home worlds with communications travelling faster than the speed of light to ensure a seamless network. The Doctor and Osgood searching the communications for a mention of the planet Albencey (sp?) was intriguing and I liked that they were there to prevent an invasion of the planet and prevent it from becoming part of a galaxy-wide planetary conglomerate. I thought it was fun to have Osgood in captivity and what would the full Doctor experience be without getting captured? It was unusual for that to be of a 4* quality though! Sane Bell was a very good character and her position as a lone spy was something I really liked. The Doctor having been told to speak to her made for a good relationship between the pair and the humour that came with Osgood's inability to withhold information was fantastic. Blace was another decent character and his position at the end of the audio explaining how he wanted to incorporate Albencey for the Lisbann Corporation purely for his own bonus. That selfishness really irked the Doctor and Osgood. The latter's lack of remorse once she found out that fact was a nice development, especially considering the sale of the explosion. Their arrival on Albencey to stop the installation whilst hiding their presence worked really well and made a lot of sense for the plot. Lacer not being impressed with people on her land was more fun and the use of Osgood's signal blocker that ultimately saved the day was tremendous considering she stuffed it into her pocket quickly when the Doctor initially arrived at UNIT. That was a nice way to finish the episode and the conclusion after dropping Osgood back off was fantastic with the other Osgood, whichever one she was, arriving and mentioning the possibility of a trip was terrific. She wouldn't get it though! Overall, a really good audio to finish what has been a very enjoyable boxset. 

Rating: 8/10

The Top of the Tree

"We've climbed for miles."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 1.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Kazran

Synopsis

On one of their annual jaunts, young Kazran Sardick and the Doctor find themselves in trouble when the TARDIS is tangled in the branches of a very strange, very large tree.

They emerge into a habitat where myriad species fight for survival; an ecosystem of deadly flora and fauna, along with a tribe of primitive humans.

This is a mystery which can only be solved by climbing. But what will they find at the top of the tree?

Verdict

The Top of the Tree was a very decent continuation of the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles and an incredibly intriguing listen! I love the idea of giving us a full tale for the Eleventh Doctor and Kazran Sardick in the midst of the annual visits to Abigail that we would see during A Christmas Carol and bringing things back to that Christmas Special episode was very good throughout. Given what happened at the end here with the Doctor's sacrifice and the months he spent healing before returning to save Kazran and the rest of the tribe, that episode takes place over an incredibly long time for our resident Time Lord! I thought the concept of this audio was interesting and the idea of the TARDIS landing on top of. tree was delightful, especially with the Doctor exiting and simply plummeting below. There was no geronimo on this occasion! Kazran following suit was humorous and I have to say that I quite enjoyed their pairing. I wouldn't be surprised if we got at least a couple more adventures with Kazran alongside the Doctor for their annual adventure and the fact that we even got this one just shows the potential of Big Finish audios and that they can do pretty much anything! I mean, we already had Kazran with Churchill in Living History so having him here for a full outing with the Doctor was definitely a positive move in my eyes. It was clear that he was learning over then course of his travels and the fact that they had encountered the Draconians together is just an audio begging to be made! Jacob Dudman continues to impress with his take on Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor here incredible. He really is a tremendous talent and it's just lovely to be able to get audio stories with the new series Doctors when the actors aren't available to reprise their lead roles. He shines. Learning more about the ecosystem of the trees and their giganticness was very good and I liked how they were so big that they couldn't possibly be on Earth. It's a little strange to think an entire audio took place amongst the trees and whilst I thought the setting was brilliant initially, it didn't quite have the ability to sustain my interest for the whole hour. There was excitement and tension though when it came to the climb up the trees to escape the impending oil-like sap that was on the rise and it really was a chilling moment when Awkward revealed that the old had a purpose. The Doctor didn't quite realise what that was at first despite it being painfully obvious, but it meant that they stayed behind and fell victims to the oil and insects while the mothers and children and so on climbed ahead in the hope of safety. That was the highlight for me. It was also good to have the Doctor utterly defeated and hopeless as insect bites meant members of Awkward's tribe were literally falling to their death in the terrible substance below. One thing I wasn't overly fussed on was the use of the TARDIS in that surely it should have been impossible for the Doctor to have found it after he sacrificed himself by dropping below the deadly oil to find the old girl and eventually return to save Kazran and everyone else. That was a bit too much for me, but I did love the comment when he opened the TARDIS doors of asking if it was raining. He was so proud of what he'd done and arriving at the last gasp. The revelation that spatially the trees were close to his home planet and that Awkward's tribe would be provided safe rescue there and actually become his people's ancestors was terrific! Imagine having a hand in the formation of your own society! That's quite the feat for Kazran. His love of Abigail shone through in such simplicity with a smile at the mention of her name and that was good keeping with the continuity of the Christmas Special. Overall, a decent little audio! 

Rating: 7/10

The Selachian Gambit

"You do not give the orders here."

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Audio

Released: February 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 6.08

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie

Synopsis

The Doctor doesn't normally need money, but when the TARDIS is immobilised and a fine has to be paid, a loan from a bank in the sky seems the solution to his problem.

But then the Selachians arrive, and the Doctor and his companions find themselves as hostages in the middle of a heist.

Death seems an absolute certainty. But the Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben have outwitted death before...

Verdict

The Selachian Gambit was a really good and fun Companion Chronicles audio adventure! This one was never likely to let us down given the cast of both Anneke Wills and Frazier Hines as they are both tremendous actors and hearing them reprise the roles of Polly and Jamie never ceases to be old. I love their respective impressions of Ben and the Doctor and with them performing together, this genuinely did feel close to the real article of a Second Doctor tale from way back during Season 4! That's a big compliment. Things started humorously with the TARDIS having a force field around it in the form of a parking fine! That's so much fun and the Second Doctor just seemed the perfect incarnation to tackle this issue given his clumsy and buffoon-like nature. He walked around like he owned the place and hearing the earlier claim that he believed he was not subject to the warning signs was magnificent. Hearing him try and bumble his way through the Galacti-Bank's requirements of opening up accounts and queueing from one person to the next was superb stuff. The image in my head of the Doctor's cross face certainly made me smile. I thought this audio did a good job in bringing back the Selachians who I actually recently encountered in my blogging of The Murder Game. I was surprised that there was no reference to that novel, but it was subtly shown that Ben in particular had encountered them before whereas Jamie had not. That did a good job of refreshing the listener as to what exactly the Selachians stood for. Their voices suited my expectations which was good and their efforts to break into a vault and take the weapon within was a good basis for the plot. I loved the development of the vault being impenetrable to brute force and opening it without anything other than the correct code simply opened a doorway into space. That was really nice done and I liked how Tomkins as the bank manger tried explaining that to the brutes intent on breaking their way in. The Selachians taking hostages really did show their evil intent which was good and Polly ending up as one just enhanced that. She was terrific throughout and is such a great companion! I'm a massive fan. Jamie's efforts to tackle the Selachians with his Scottish aggression was really good. The cliffhanger with the bomb threat announced from Ben was decent but considering the potential that presented, it should have made more of an impact in my opinion. Scallon was an interesting character and his efforts to take the Galacti-Bank by force was an unexpected but decent plot move and the revelation by the end that the Selachians had received a tip off, that element of the audio worked pretty well in my eyes. The whole thing being a cover up to claim  insurance was an enjoyable revelation but I don't think I was actually expecting the whole bank to go up in an explosion! The fact that everyone was safe in the pocket universe of the vault was good and the call back to Resistance from Jamie and Ben to ensure they got there in the nick of time was a nice touch, but I did feel that the way the TARDIS was saved and returned safely to the Doctor and his companions was slightly too easy. I should also mention that the glue bombs spaced throughout the audio was very well done and a nice extra touch. Overall, this was still a very strong audio! 

Rating: 8/10

The Parting of the Ways

"You hate your own existence."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 18 June 2005

Series: 1.13

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

As the Daleks make their ultimate assault on Earth, the Doctor must make the ultimate sacrifice to save Rose's life. The insane Dalek Emperor launches his full-scale and final attack, and the only hope for mankind lies with a small band of people trapped on the Game Station...

Verdict

The Parting of the Ways was a phenomenal episode to conclude the story that started with Bad Wolf and to finish the first series of the revived era! This really is a tremendous finale and such a strong showing for a series that was in its infancy in the current format. The way it evokes emotion and really makes the Daleks fearful and almightily is just outstanding. It follows on immediately with the Doctor saving Rose as he promised in exciting fashion and I really liked the scenes in Space with the TARDIS evading missile destruction. Some of the special effects throughout the episode were actually fantastic and fitting for a finale with the imagery of all of the Dalek saucers and then the absolute sheer volume of Daleks that exit with their sights set on the Game Station. I loved that and I liked how there wasn't much time messing around when it came to introducing the Dalek Emperor as the lead villain and head of the Daleks. The continuity with the Time War was brilliant and I love how the Doctor is constantly shocked by the presence of his old enemies. The image where he's inside the TARDIS and has a moment with his head against the door is superb and says everything needed about the threat posed by the Daleks. I think Dalek helps with that a lot as we could see what just one singular Dalek could do so to now have such a big number present means trouble is certainly ensuing. Jack's knowledge of the Daleks and the Time War was intriguing and I liked how he was rallying the troops of the Game Station against the impending Dalek attack. The battle floor by floor was really good and I thought the death of Lynda in particular was magnificent. The Doctor clearly cared a great deal for her and promised to get her out alive, but he failed. The Assault Dalek looked really good and I liked that twist on the Dalek that showcased their capabilities further. The Dalek Emperor looked incredible and I have been so pleased to recently pick up the Eaglemoss figurine that I have longed for ever since it was released. The maniacal and almost religious nature of the Emperor was sublime and I love how that just made him even more crazy than the Doctor knew. The Daleks having a concept of blasphemy and the Emperor being worshipped as a God was tremendous stuff. The scale of his hiding and rebuild operation was magnificent and I liked how the new army of Daleks had been salvaged and harvested from the discarded of the human race. The Daleks being impure and hating their own existence was really well done. Seeing them retreat in fear of the Doctor was sublime though and I thought Eccleston was once again fantastic as the Ninth Doctor. The Doctor saving Rose without telling her was admirable and I liked how she was also determined to get back. The way the Bad Wolf arc came full circle is really great and whilst I thought it was a bit harsh on Mickey for her to say she had nothing left on Earth in her own time, the way she wanted to help the Doctor was great. Captain Jack accepting death long before the fight started was superb and I thought the image of him actually getting exterminated was very good and shocking. The return of Rose through the heart of the TARDIS and literally becoming the Bad Wolf is tremendous and such a powerful way for her to rid the universe of the Daleks. That coming after the Doctor admitted he was a coward was great stuff. Jack being brought back to life only to be left behind must have been quite a shock for viewers on broadcast but the story from there is all about the Doctor. He takes the power of the Vortex from Rose and of course, nobody is supposed to do that. The way regeneration is introduced to the modern audience is done well and pretty quick which I am sure would have made a big impact at the time. Overall, a superb finale! 

Rating: 10/10

Bad Wolf

"This isn't just a game."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 11 June 2005

Series: 1.12

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack have to fight for their lives on board the Game Station formerly known as Satellite 5. A dangerous threat is lurking just out of sight and the Doctor soon realises that Armageddon is fast approaching...

Verdict

Bad Wolf was an excellent episode to serve as the penultimate episode of the first series of the revived Doctor Who and to kick off the season finale! I was excited to watch this one again because I know just how good it is, but I don't think I was excited as Gemma as this is her favourite of the Ninth Doctor outings. She's a huge fan of reality television so seeing the Doctor in a futuristic Big Brother house was right up her ally. And to be honest, the idea behind this is outstanding and it's so close to the borderline of silliness and stupidity that the fact it doesn't cross it is what makes this work so well. Despite it being set 200,000 years into the future, this episode is so noticeably of its time with the 2005 broadcast and having the likes of Big Brother, The Weakest Link and Trinny & Susannah turned into Doctor Who is just so good. I love how the pre-titles sequence ends with the Doctor called to the Diary Room of the Big Brother house and Eccleston plays the reaction ever so well. He's absolutely sublime throughout and the unique nature of splitting the TARDIS trio for much of the episode provides a really good dynamic. We get introduced to some really good characters and of course the highlight of those is unquestionably Lynda. Her adherence to the rules of the Big Brother house and the Game Station in general is really good and she's a wonderful way to introduce us to the society and state of the outside world. The prospect of the games carrying a deathly end was brilliant and the Doctor's reaction to the first eviction was magnificent. It bucked him into action and the simplicity of him going from being relaxed to sitting up and showing attention was very good. I liked the continuity from Boom Town with it referenced how they had returned Margaret the Slitheen to Raxacoricofallapatorious before a dangerous outing in Japan preceded their being transported from within the TARDIS. The Doctor cottoning on to the fact he was wanted on the Game Station was very well done and it was fun to see him use that status when it came to forced eviction. His realisation that he was back on Satellite 5 a century after the events of The Long Game was great and I loved how Lynda was able to explain how everything went wrong from the moment the Jagrafess was defeated. The Doctor's realisation that he was the reason for history going wrong again was an incredible moment full of power and a huge sense of guilt. Rose's reactions to her surroundings on The Weakest Link were amusing and I loved how they soon changed following the first vote off and the disintegration that followed. Jack's humour with his robot makeover was right up his character's ally and the line about viewing figures going up was so much fun, as well as some of the places he touched the robots! His pulling out the laser gun was just delightful. The highlight of the episode for me is the Doctor's motionless reaction to Rose's apparent disintegration after she loses in the final round of The Weakest Link and the direction cut to the dust along with Eccleston's performance is simply sublime. The Bad Wolf arc coming full circle with the emergence of BadWolf Corp here was great and the little montage of references throughout the series was a lot of fun. The Controller is such a unique character as well and her reveal as bringing the destruction of her masters in the form of the Doctor was sensational. I was a huge fan and I liked how the Daleks were revealed as the puppet masters that had been controlling the human race for centuries. The Doctor's reaction to seeing so many Daleks was fantastic and the way he assures Rose he's coming to get her without any plan or weapon was just excellent. Overall, a tremendous episode!

Rating: 10/10

Boom Town

"Nothing is more important than human life."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 04 June 2005

Series: 1.11

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

The TARDIS crew take a short holiday in Cardiff, but the Doctor soon encounters an enemy he thought was long since dead. A plan to build a nuclear power station in the heart of Cardiff disguises an aline plot to rip the world apart...

Verdict

Boom Town was an excellent episode! As we reach the final stages on the Series 1 rewatch, this serves as a fine sequel to Aliens of London/World War Three! The idea of following on an adventure later in the series when we have already had a two-parter is arguably a bold one given that it ends up taking around a third of the entire series up, but it's really good stuff! The setting of Cardiff might have something to do with that given my locale to the city and it being my capital, and I must admit that I enjoyed finding some little faults with the use of the setting. For one, Mickey just wouldn't be getting off at Cardiff Central train station when he was heading to the Bay so that was privately amusing and I also thought the idea of a nuclear power plant in the location of Cardiff Castle laughable! There's just no way such an iconic landmark that is absolutely central to the city centre and a huge tourist attraction would be demolished. The plans behind that though were interesting and the return of Margaret, at least that was the Slitheen's disguise, as the new Mayor of Cardiff was wonderful. The plans showing that the plant was almost designed to fail was good and I thought it was great that it was actually close to the final stages of approval. The TARDIS being parked at the Rift for fuel was nice and the continuity from The Unquiet Dead was delightful. The trio of the Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack were just magnificent and seeing how much they were loving one another's company was delightful. Throwing Mickey into the mix was marvellous and it worked well for the enemy at hand to be one he was familiar with having played a big role in their initial defeat. The moment where the companions high five and literally sing about their adventures in time... and space! is just marvellous. I love that. The Doctor's reaction to Mickey clearly seeing Jack as a threat to Rose in the looks department was terrific and I really liked that they were all just having a good time in Cardiff. What better place for it? The Doctor's reaction when he sees the front cover of the newspaper with the familiar face of the Slitheen was excellent and the way things shifted from fun to serious was sublime. The moment where the Doctor asks to see the Lord Mayor and her assistant tries to cover up the fact she's climbing out of the window is so well done. I liked how there was no messing around in showing that Margaret was actually a Slitheen this time around, but she was clearly impacted by the loss of her brothers at the Doctor's hands. Her inability to kill upon learning the news that the journalist was married and expecting a child was really good, but the shift in her plan after the meal with the Doctor was superb. I loved that she wanted one last meal and the way she was treating the Doctor as her executioner was fantastic. I was a big fan of that and her efforts to change the Doctor's mind in taking her back home to her death were admirable. The sequence of the last meal is sublime stuff and Eccleston plays it so well. The pair work so well together. The danger of the Rift opening up after her extrapolator cottoned onto the TARDIS for energy was brilliant and the image of Rose running back to the Doctor was excellent. I loved the simplicity of Margaret just unzipping her arm to hold Rose was a fine image but her actions resulting in literally opening up the heart of the TARDIS was magnificent. Margaret was inundated with what she saw and that was a brilliant moment followed by a humorous ending as she reverted back to an egg. The Bad Wolf moment shifting from being incredibly serious to being disregarded to laughs was lovely and I loved that it was in Welsh for this episode. Overall, a fantastic episode! 

Rating: 9/10

The Doctor Dances

"Are you my mummy?"

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast:

Series: 1.10

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

The Empty Child's plague is spreading throughout wartime London, and its zombie army is on the march. The Doctor and Rose form an alliance with the intergalactic con-man, Captain Jack, but find themselves trapped in the abandoned hospital. The answer lies at the bomb site, but time is running out.

Verdict

The Doctor Dances was an excellent episode and a wonderful conclusion to the story already started in The Empty Child. This two-parter really is sublime from start to finish and it really is no surprise that this story is so revered amongst fandom. I absolutely love the resolution to the cliffhanger with the Doctor barking the approaching gas-mask brigade led by Jamie to go back to their rooms. It is tremendous and the comment afterwards where he was glad that worked just made it even better. This really might have been Christopher Eccleston's finest performance as the Ninth Doctor. His reaction when Rose presumes he cannot dance is just delightful and after a dark start, it's lovely to see some charm and humour come out of this incarnation of the Doctor. It's quite ironic that this occurs in a very dark episode! Captain Jack is just tremendous and with what he becomes in later years and with his very own spinoff, it's easy to forget just how fun and cheeky he is here. The relationship he shares with Rose is incredible and what his presence brings to the relationship between her and the Doctor is outstanding. I absolutely love the Doctor's reaction to Rose clearly thinking Jack was in another league when it came to the looks department and his actions were just marvellous. The use of the London Blitz setting continued to be terrific and whilst it wasn't as centred on the focus of the episode, it was still a brilliant backdrop. Jack's role in events with his warship charade to try and con the Doctor and Rose out of some money clearly backfired and the scene at the site of the crash where the Doctor tells all in such brutally quick fashion is outstanding. Jack was adamant he had nothing to do with the happenings concerning Jamie and the gas-mask plague, but when he heard what the Doctor had to say about the nano-genes, well his face said everything required. Nancy continued to be a fantastic character and the moment where she was held captive with a soldier who had the infection was superb. The transformation into a gas-mask zombie was brilliant and when he calls his superior mummy is just outstanding. Jack facing something similar when trying to charm his way into the bomb scene was also magnificent. The creepiness and just outright disturbing nature of the transition into a gas-mask zombie was chilling and still holds up all these years later. It really is Doctor Who at its darkest best. The use of the nano-genes healing the Doctor to introduce them was good and I loved everything that happened inside Jack's ship. The Doctor and Rose dancing and not realising they had teleported was great stuff and playing that full circle to finish the episode with the TARDIS saving Jack and him not realising there was a way out behind him was just wonderful. I loved how the Doctor and Rose were dancing and I thoroughly enjoyed when Jack came into the TARDIS to join the show. The Doctor's absolute joy at the way the episode ends with the nano-genes recognising Nancy as Jamie's mother and correcting the DNA and then the Doctor spreading the update to those already impacted was just superb. Everybody lives! Now that is a rarity. It really is a tremendous episode to conclude the two-parter and even after how many times she has watched it, seeing Gemma jump next to me early in the episode told me all I need to know about this chilling adventure. Overall, just brilliant! 

Rating: 10/10