TV Action!

"I'm trapped on a parallel Earth, being pursued by a galaxy of 1970s light entertainment stars intent on zombifying my brain?"

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1999

Printed in: DWM 283

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Izzy

Synopsis

The Eighth Doctor and Izzy have a brief meeting in a parallel universe with an old enemy of the Doctor's known as Beep the Meep, where one of the Doctor's adventures are nothing more than televised programmes and science fiction.

Verdict

TV Action! was a very good little comic strip adventure to continue my reading of The Glorious Dead graphic novel! This story also marked the twentieth anniversary of Doctor Who Magazine in a really fun way. The idea behind this adventure was really clever and just amusing. It was a perfect use of the comic strip format as something like this just could not be done on television, in a book or for an audio adventure. It just wouldn't have worked. I'd have liked it established that this adventure took place in the Land of Fiction, but as we didn't get that confirmation (if that even is where the TARDIS was transported to) I'm going to pretend that's where the story was located. I thought it was good to have the first page dedicated to how the TARDIS was transported into another dimension with the live chase that Izzy observed on the Goggle-Box playing a big part in opening up the route. Izzy finding things familiar without being able to put a firm answer on her surroundings was good and after I concluded the story, I found that this was actually supposed to be the Blue Peter garden! There were a lot of references dating back to 1979 and the date of the story occurring on the release date of the first issue of Doctor Who Magazine was tremendous. I thought that was a really nice touch and a very clever way to celebrate the anniversary. I was also intrigued to find that this was Izzy's birthday and I think that would have been even better if she debuted in the first comic strip adventure. Unfortunately that wasn't the case but it's hardly surprising! A twenty year run as a companion, even in a comic strip, would be quite something. Further research upon finishing the story showed that there were also cameos from stars from the likes of Fawlty Towers and Blake's 7 which is really fun. The image of Izzy walking onto a TARDIS set was magnificent and the return of Beep the Meep was really great and a fitting return for the anniversary. Beep is one of the most barmy villains that have featured in the comic strip and having him return in a world of fiction was fantastic. The appearance of the Fourth Doctor to tackle Beep with the Eighth Doctor absence and to save Izzy was marvellous. Having some direction for a comic strip's events being depicted was great and I was fascinated that Beep the Meep was a monster in a story that would have been broadcast on television as I really do not think he would work well there. As a whole, this was a quick fire but brilliant celebration of Doctor Who Magazine and its continuous comic strip, which really is incredible and has given so many extra adventures with so many different Doctors and companions. The final panel of this adventure having the Eighth Doctor holding the first issue of Doctor Who Weekly in his hand was outstanding and another fine use of the format. As Izzy said, it would explain everything and I think that's brilliant. I just wish this was longer! Overall, a great anniversary comic strip.

Rating: 8/10

The Road to Hell

"A new age is about dawn."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May-August 1999

Printed in: DWM 278-282

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Izzy

Synopsis

The Eighth Doctor takes Izzy to 10th century Japan, or so he thinks. It turns out the TARDIS has actually dropped them off in the 17th century at a time where the Eastern country is very much an isolationist, where foreigners are not welcomed...

Verdict

The Road to Hell was a decent and good continuation of The Glorious Dead graphic novel! I thought it was probably a little long at five parts, but I appreciated how unique it was with the seventeenth century Japan setting. That was really good and an era and country like no other we commonly see the Doctor and companion arrive. After a couple of single-part adventures bookending a longer story, it was good to get a feature-length comic strip story here and that was testament with the Doctor and Izzy not arriving until the final pages of the first part. I thought the artwork was very good for this story with the nano-drones dragon creation looking very impressive. Thankfully, this is one of the final stories to be produced in black and white and I think a bit of colour and vibrance would have really benefitted. The pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Izzy is definitely one of my favourites in the comic strip and it was a lot of fun to have Izzy referred to as a boy by some of the locals. She didn't take well to that! The Doctor felt like he was quite isolated in this adventure with Izzy quick to be captured Katsura and they actually ended up enjoying quite the good and positive relationship after a shaky start. Asami turned out to be a pretty good villain and her patriotic nature towards Japan was very good, and I liked how she saw into Izzy's mind to see the future fate of her country after the Doctor denied her entry. He was a Time Lord of course so seeing into his mind was not as easy. The images of Hiroshima served as a good cliffhanger and Asami taking the fate of her country into her own hands was magnificent. I liked the comments about the evil westerners and that felt a little more of its time of 22 years previous. Rikushira was a decent character and I liked how he felt important. That was a big positive of the story as a whole to be honest with the historical characters all feeling like they had a significant role in society. The use of the TARDIS bringing the Doctor and Izzy to the wrong time period is always fun and the position of Japan at this time being very different from what he expected was good. The Gaijin as observers and wanting to study the concept of honour was intriguing, and I think more could have been made of them. It didn't seem right that they just observed when it was clear that Asami was doing more than acting naturally. That was my main qualm with the comic strip story is that the Gaijin were quick to see that Asami wasn't as she claimed and a slightly predictable conclusion. I enjoyed that they were designated a name and didn't have that concept, but I think some sort of verdict on their study of honour would have really benefitted things. I liked them as a species and their ability to observe with them drawing some good parallels with the Doctor and the Time Lords. As a whole, it was probably one part two long but the idea at its heart was sound, we had a good villain and intriguing species observing along with some impressive visuals. A good read!

Rating: 7/10

Unnatural Born Killers

"I'm one of a kind. I've got a soul."

Writer: Adrian Salmon

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April 1999

Printed in: DWM 277

Featuring: Kroton

Synopsis

As the Sontarans seek to colonise another planet, a Cyberman unlike any other stands in their way. He won't be letting them ravage another world. And there's nothing they can do about it...

Verdict

Unnatural Born Killers was a very good little comic strip adventure to continue my way through The Glorious Dead graphic novel! The significance of this story is yet to dawn on me but considering Kroton is placed alongside the Eighth Doctor and Izzy on the graphic novel's cover artwork, I think he's going to play a pivotal role! This is why I have favoured the approach of reading in release order because it just makes sense to have an understanding of who Kroton is and how he was created going back to Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman and Ship of Fools. I just cannot comprehend the decision to print the stories out of order and if anyone did read in the order in which they were printed, something I imagine most readers would do if they hadn't been around in the late 1990s to collect the comic strips within the issue of Doctor Who Magazine each month, what benefit is there in learning about Kroton after the major story has taken place? It just seems baffling. I mean, his genesis was alluded to here and whilst this story pretty much does give you all you need to know about him, why not just print the backup stories first so we know a great deal more about him before the major events start? Anyway, enough about the graphic novel silliness to the story itself and considering it was only six pages long, I thought it held its own very well for a single-part adventure and the lack of Doctor or Izzy was absolutely fine, probably because there was so little time! The idea of the Sontarans colonising a planet isn't new but it was wonderful to have them come up against a Cyberman here. They got more than they bargained for with Kroton though, but just the image of a Sontaran and Cyberman doing battle was magnificent. I really enjoyed that both had knowledge of the other and Kroton using the probic vent weakness was great stuff. Kroton proclaiming to have a soul was a nice throwback to his origins and it was nice for him to protect the planet. I was a big fan of the lack of dialogue and how what we read was the inner thoughts of Kroton, rather than have him actually speak it. That worked really well. I was also a big fan of the different artistic style which worked really well for the monsters and whilst I wouldn't favour it for the drawing of humanoids, it was perfect for Sontarans and Kroton here. It felt a bit jazzy and although it seemed more like something you would find in comic strips aimed at a younger audience, it fitted in really well here. Kroton made pretty light work of the Sontarans in the end and despite their intentions being colonisation followed by genocide if that failed, the fact they got to go out with an honourable death and it was their Field Major that was the last to be defeated kept them strong as a villain. But there's no shame in going down to a Cyberman with a soul. I'm very excited for what comes next an the anticipated meeting between Kroton and the Doctor has me eager to read the next story in the collection! Overall, a very good little adventure.

Rating: 8/10

The Fallen

"They all drown within me."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 1998 - March 1999

Printed in: DWM 273-276

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Izzy, Grace

Synopsis

The Doctor is reunited with Grace Holloway, but soon finds out that her career has taken her and her colleagues down a dark path, and a dangerous one... though the results of their experiments may not be the most deadly thing in the area...

Verdict

The Fallen was a decent comic strip adventure to continue my reading of The Glorious Dead graphic novel! This was actually the first time I felt like I was doing a proper story within the collection after all of the one-part comics that have preceded it in release order of course, so it was really nice to have a fleshed out adventure of more than eight pages or so and to actually have cliffhangers too! It was a solid story and I didn't think that there was anything particular wrong with the adventure, it didn't fully grasp my attention for the four parts to a level where I would say it was great. It was very much good though and a lot of that had to do with the ending of part one and the surprise cliffhanger of Grace's return! I had no idea whatsoever that she would be in this story so that came as a great surprise to me and would have been as if I was reading back in the late 1990s! I thought the idea of bringing her back after all that went on between her and the Doctor in The TV Movie was excellent and I wasn't expecting the relationship that was presented in the comic strip here. She had moved on a lot since that fateful New Year's Eve night in San Francisco and with us now being in 2001, Grace had arrived in England and was working for MI6 that was headed by the mysterious Leighton Woodrow. His relationship with Grace was intriguing, but it was her past with Stark as the doctor that really interested me. The continuation from her first televised appeared was good and I liked how she still had some of the Master's DNA on her, except that by this point he was far from being a Time Lord so her efforts to hold back death and bring regeneration to the human race was quite something! The Doctor was appalled and really went to town on her which I didn't see coming. It seemed a little uncharacteristic for the eighth incarnation to react to Grace in that way, but the fact it caught me off guard quite excited me. The fact that Stark was an egomaniac was presented quite amusingly and I found it to almost be in mock fashion over Doctor Who villains of the past with the Doctor realising that his personality meant he knew exactly what splicing DNA with the Morphant meant. That being a creature from Skaro was good, but I wasn't a massive fan of what it resulted in with the fluid and liquefied state of Stark. His appearance opting to be a wave just felt weird and whilst that was a fun advantage of the comic strip format, it just didn't quite have a factor of seriousness associated with it for me. It was humorous though! I thought Izzy was left behind a little in the story which wasn't a huge surprise given the appearance of Grace, but I did love her comment at the end by the TARDIS where she referred to herself as the kid while the Doctor was off kissing his girlfriend. For the companion to have her life flashed before her eyes at some point, it really is something that she felt like such a minor character. The resolution with her thoughts of the Doctor saving her didn't work well for me either. I thought the ending was really intriguing and a great way to keep readers coming back as we apparently have the use of a tissue compression eliminator which could only mean one thing! And in a brand new incarnation. Well, that is awfully exciting and definitely ended the comic strip story on a high. Overall, a good read!

Rating: 7/10

Happy Deathday

"You must do battle with every single enemy you have ever defeated."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 1998

Printed in: DWM 272

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Izzy, Seventh Doctor, Sixth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Fourth Doctor, Third Doctor, Second Doctor, First Doctor

Synopsis

The Beige Guardian has kidnapped all eight incarnations of the Doctor, tied them up and placed them on a huge birthday cake with hissing dynamite 'candles' strapped to their heads. The Biege Guardian produces every enemy the Doctors have ever defeated, and they are forced to defeat them all once again...

Verdict

Happy Deathday was an outstanding comic strip adventure to celebrate Doctor Who's 35th anniversary! This really was a wonderful read from start to finish and I can't quite believe so much was done in just eight pages. It was a huge amount of fun from start to finish and was the perfect level of humour and self mockery to go along with what was actually a great plot! The idea of capturing all (at this point) eight incarnations of the Doctor is brilliant and the image of the opening panel that I have used as the picture above was just sensational. All eight Doctors side by side along with a description of their own personality was brilliant and I loved the satirical nature of the artwork that was carried throughout the comic adventure. That really helped in highlighting that this story shouldn't be taken too seriously and was just about having fun! The fact that all of the Doctors were lined on a cake was very good and in line with the theme surrounding the purpose of the story, but from there we were introduced to the culprit behind the snatching of all of the Doctors from their time stream - the dastardly Beige Guardian! He was magnificent and so silly which made him excellent and his recollection of the day where the Guardians got their colours assigned was so amusing. The pairing off of Doctors into the Mouth of Madness was really fun and I loved that we had the Second and Sixth Doctors together and their mentioning of trials after these two were the incarnations that stood trial on Gallifrey. We've seen them together before of course in The Two Doctors but getting another chance here was most welcomed. Them initially being confronted by what they thought was a Raston Warrior Robot but actually a Wildean Wit Enforcer was tremendous because he was one to punish bad puns! Having the Doctor around was a big liability then. The encounter with Davros and the Daleks was great and I loved the image of the Second Doctor against Davros because we never had that on screen. The pairing of the Third and Fifth Doctors was very good and the contrasting styles was fun in how they dealt with a combination of (drunk) Ogrons and Sontarans. The Fifth Doctor sitting back while the Third got on with some Venusian aikido was great, but he was able to shine with a cricket ball after discovering a Zygon in disguise! The Seventh and Fourth Doctors made for an intriguing pairing and the latter's fascination with a macadamia nut allergy was very amusing. They were more interested in each other than the band of enemies they were presented with which I thought was brilliant. Some of the artwork of the ensemble of enemies previously defeated was superb with comical images of the likes of Vervoids, Krotons, countless Cybermen, Omega, and even the Gods of Ragnarok! It was so good. The Eighth and First Doctors being the ones left behind to battle the Beige Guardian was great and they made a good pairing and light work in the end thanks to a fun catapult. Each of the Doctors then getting their own take on a final line was sublime with the First Doctor's lengthy, the Seventh dark and conniving, whilst the Fourth was more chilled and fun. Scott Gray absolutely found the voice of each incarnation of the Doctor which was so impressive. The ending with Izzy turning out to be playing a game on the Time-Space visualiser with some rather interesting game names also available! A game of Measles of the Daleks, anyone? Overall, just wonderful. 

Rating: 10/10

The Runaway Bride

"Get me to the church!"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25 December 2006

Series: 2006 Christmas Special

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

No sooner has the Doctor said a tear-stained farewell to Rose Tyler, he finds himself face-to-face with a women in the TARDIS, and she's dressed in a fluffy white wedding dress.

Who is she? Who is she supposed to be marrying? And how did she get on board?

Verdict

The Runaway Bride was a very fun episode to serve as the 2006 Christmas Special! Following on from watching the first two series of the modern era and the first series of Torchwood with Gemma earlier this year, on the eve of becoming parents we thought it would be a lovely time to watch the Special and provide some humour. It's still a while to go until Christmas, but with the wedding focus it didn't feel too much like a Christmas episode which actually works in its favour. Right from the off, there's excitement and humour and they are two brilliant ingredients for an adventure. Donna's reaction to being in the TARDIS is tremendous and the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate is so good. Those initial scenes where she opens the TARDIS door and realises she's in space, sees the jacket of Rose and accuses the Doctor of conspiring with Nerys kidnap her are just magnificent. They really are so fun. The slaps the Doctor receives are pretty warranted as he is quite intrusive on Donna with his scanning and then he tells her she's not special or important. The innocence of the Doctor at his best. A favourite thing of mine and Gemma's to do is pick out some questionable special effects and it's fair to say that some haven't aged well here with the overview of London and the motorway chase not being too incredible. I think there were also some production errors with at least one sign having Welsh on it despite the London setting! I thought the drama of the Robot Santas returning was great and really good continuity from The Christmas Invasion, events Donna didn't remember due to a hangover which I found fun. Learning of her relationship with Lance was good and I was amused that it was she who was begging for the wedding after only six months together. I've been with Gemma for over four years and that still feels a little while away yet despite the imminent birth of our baby boy. The after effects of Doomsday are felt in just the right amounts here with the Doctor seeing Rose at the reception in a blonde friend of Donna's, and I like how he doesn't name her to Donna until the very end despite alluding to her a lot. Donna's reaction to having the reception without her is terrific and she really does shine. Her constant reference to the Doctor being a Martian is wonderful as well and he has to just go along with it by the end. The emergence of the Racnoss as the power behind the Pilot Fish is good and I think the creature looks very impressive. Its position as an ancient race was excellent and the significance of Gallifrey getting named for the first time in the new series is not lost. It's an emphatic moment, just as it should be. The idea of the Racnoss being at the centre of the Earth is certainly intriguing and the plan to use the Huon particles was good, with Lance's reveal as the one poisoning Donna a very good moment, just when she thought an axe was axe. The ending is incredibly powerful with the Doctor drowning the Thames to drown the Racnoss children stuck below the large drop, with the web star then destroyed in quick fashion. The Torchwood continuity works very well and I like the dark atmosphere of what ultimately ends as an upbeat special. Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 9/10

He Jests at Scars

"I am the Time Lord and you are the mere human."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: August 2003

Series: Unbound 04

Featuring: Mel, Valeyard

Synopsis

What if... the Valeyard had won?

The thing about meddling with time is that one moment something is real, the next, it's been erased. Probability becomes just a possibility. Established truth becomes a theoretical falsehood. Like dominoes, as one timeline falls, the others come cascading down around it. You can engineer new timelines, new possibilities but before long, the distinction between what is, what was, what might be and what never can be becomes blurred.

Out of this grow myths, lies and legends. The Doctor was one such legend, but no one knows whether he truly ever existed. Well, not now they don't. The Mighty One, ruling the multiverses from the eternal city of Chronopolis has made sure of that.

Verdict

He Jests at Scars was an outstanding audio adventure! I thought this was a magnificent listen and definitely my favourite of the Unbound series so far. The what if concept here was excellent and playing with life after The Trial of a Time Lord in a scenario where the Valeyard was actually victorious was fantastic. What’s more, I loved that we got an insight into the travels and adventures of the Valeyard in his TARDIS and how this came alongside a companion in the form of Ellie. She was quite amusing in also not being too bothered by all of the destruction being wrought by the Valeyard, but it was clear there was a significant position of power in the TARDIS and it certainly didn’t belong to her. She was chastised for calling the Valeyard as the Doctor which was fun and I thought Michael Jayston played the role so well. It was a great take on the Doctor and despite it being released far before the incarnation was created, there were definitely vibes of the War Doctor there for me. Except this version of the Doctor went so far as to embracing evil and acting upon it, something he supposedly was surprising for all of his previous lives. That comment in itself was quite something, but the Valeyard now going so far as to try and undo a lot of what the Doctor had achieved in the past was terrific. That really was a brilliant concept for a story which worked ever so well. Starting with the events of Logopolis was a fun place to begin as I really enjoy that adventure and the Valeyard interfering with the time ram and shooting both the Fourth Doctor and the Master into oblivion was great! But then of course, issues with time ensued as the Valeyard had inadvertently committed self suicide. The chaos that stemmed from that was brilliant and we learned that the First Doctor and Dodo walked the streets of Logopolis. The Valeyard wanting to go as far as killing Dodo to try and put history back on the right track was quite something and it just showed how this really was the amalgamation of everything evil about the Doctor. Mel’s involvement to try and put things right after the Matrix began to decay was terrific and I really enjoyed hearing a darker side to her character, something we definitely didn’t get on screen. She killed the last Tharil which was a surprise but she’d come so far on her mission that she didn’t even care. That spoke volumes! Finding out that if she never met the Doctor in Brighton, as the Valeyard ensured through some simple interference by Ellie, that Mel would die of a brain tumour at the age of 48 was heartbreaking and I found it surprising that this wasn’t confirmed as not happening should time be restored, although it was stated that the reason was from radiation from communication devices on Earth. The uselessness of the President on Gallifrey was so much fun and that really allowed Vansell to shine as he observed events. He wasn’t overly keen on saving the Doctor from the Fantasy Factory, and he just saw it as an overdue mission completed when the Valeyard had gone back in time on Skaro and given the Thals an equation to wipe out the Daleks before they even began. There was then such an exciting finish with the Valeyard reflecting on all his interference and the possibilities and timelines created from interference in the lives of every incarnation of the Doctor. The mentions of the likes of Moroks and Nimon were good as well and I loved how there was just so much going on. The ending with the Valeyard and Mel stuck in the TARDIS after it had exerted all of its power to keep up the projections was excellent, and the irony of the Doctor and companion together for eternity was sublime. Overall, a superb audio!

Rating: 10/10

Timewyrm: Apocalypse

"If everything is perfect then there's no need to progress."

Writer: Nigel Robinson

Format: Novel

Released: October 1991

Series: New Adventures 03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

The end of the Universe. The end of everything.

The TARDIS has tracked the Timewyrm to the edge of the Universe and the end of time – to the lush planet Kirith, a paradise inhabited by a physically perfect race.

Ace is not impressed. Kirith has all the appeal of a wet weekend in Margate, and its inhabitants look like third-rate Aussie soap stars.

The Doctor is troubled, too: if the Timewyrm is here, why can't he find her? Why have the elite Panjistri lied consistently to the Kirithons they govern? And is it possible that the catastrophe that he feels impending is the result of his own past actions?

Verdict

Timewyrm: Apocalypse was an excellent novel to continue the New Adventures and Timewyrm series! It was a little shorter than the first two books comprising the story arc but that allowed for a good pace and it didn't actually feel that much shorter. The setting of Kirith was really unique and I really enjoyed the experimental society of its people. There was a lot going on here and whilst I thought the initial opening chapter establishing the planet and its people, with the hierarchy concerning the Panjistri, was a little bit too much of an info-dump, what followed was brilliant as we learned more gradually of what life was like on the planet. Establishing the timeframe the story was based was also brilliant and using a quote from the Logopolis novelisation to reveal that we were at the end of the universe where it had past its expiry date was fantastic. I thought the potential there was great and I enjoyed how that meant a lot of time had passed for the Timewyrm since the last encounter. I liked the presence of the Timewyrm throughout the book as we read some brief thoughts at the start of most chapters, but she only came into prominence towards the end where she combined with the Great Matriarch. That woman made for a good villain and I liked how despite the organisation she had created with the likes of Fetch as her devoted assistant and the Panjistri, she was very selfish and everything was centred to her own end goal. She was always influenced by the Timewyrm, and that influence also captured the Doctor. The little flashbacks and memories from the Doctor harking back to the Second Doctor era was really intriguing and I enjoyed the brief cameos of the likes of Ben and Polly, and Jamie and Zoe, with Victoria also remembered. The concept of the Timewyrm hiding in the Doctor's past due its links with the TARDIS was excellent and I loved that it picked a time where the Doctor was most vulnerable following his first regeneration. I'm not entirely sure how Lilith fitted in with The Power of the Daleks, but her ending up as the Great Matriarch made for a good story and some fun continuity. Ace had a really strong story, probably her best of the New Adventures so far, and she developed a really strong relationship with Raphael. She had the advances of a number of men on the planet because of her unique look among a physically perfect society, and her comment to one about getting started without her was perfect for Ace. The story surrounding Darien's disappearance and the memory wipe was really intriguing and played out well. I thought the Homunculus was quite the contraption and the idea of the Panjistri trying to create the perfect being with their God machine to save the universe was quite spectacular. Their needing Ace and her aggression as the final component was fun and it was a good use of her different qualities as companion. Miril was a good character as well as a senior statesman and father figure to Raphael, and his death was a very shocking moment! But they had to move on quickly. The attack from the giant creature was full of action and I thought there was a good build to the action of the climax. I thought it was a clever twist to have Raphael take over the God machine and quickly separate the Great Matriarch and the Timewyrm at the time of success, after five thousand years of waiting, was denied. Ace realising that his lack of wanting to kill, as evidenced by his distraught at shooting the Homunculus to save Ace, showed that the Timewyrm was merely banished and not killed which sets up the next book very nicely! Overall, a great read!

Rating: 9/10

The Suffering

"All men shall feel my pain."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Audio

Released: February 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 4.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises in England in the year 1912, a time of great social change. The Suffragette movement is lobbying for votes for woman, and the skull of the so-called 'missing link' has been discovered in Piltdown.

While Vicki falls victim to a strange influence, the Doctor and Steven investigate the fossilised remains. The Suffering has been unleashed. Can the travellers survive its rage?

Verdict

The Suffering was a good Companion Chronicle adventure, if not a little too long for the format. I think if this was streamlined a little then it would have gone down as a really great story! However, it went on slightly and I realise already that I sound negative when I really ought not to be as this was still very much a good adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed the start and the explanation as to how the story's recording and narration came to be with Vicki and Steven inside the TARDIS post the events that we would come to listen to over the course of the two-and-a-quarter hours or so. That was really clever and enjoyable and the self-mocking of Vicki not sounding like Steven and even later at the start of part two where Vicki basically tells Steven off for repeating the cliffhanger was tremendous. That was so much fun and it's no surprise to me to find Jacqueline Rayner was the author. That sort of quickness is exactly what I would expect of her and it didn't let me down. I was a big fan. I thought the pairing of Vicki and Steven was actually brilliant in this audio and it was a really nice insight into their relationship. It was still relatively early days for them as established by The Time Meddler reference and how Steven hadn't eaten since 1066, with his days as a prisoner as seen in The Chase still being felt as well. The companions' lack of historical knowledge of the twentieth century was amusing and their incredulity at the fact that women didn't have the vote here in 1912 was excellent. I like the dynamic these two bring as companions with them both being from the future. The links Vicki had with the Suffering and particularly harking back to The Rescue and her failed trip to Astra which resulted in the crash we would see the aftermath of was fantastic. I really liked the use of Vicki's voice and the mental aspects of them as an enemy. The gender theme was a powerful one at times and the Suffering wanting its namesake to apply only to men seemed apt for the adventure to be set at the time of the Suffragette Movement. That was a clever choice. I loved how it was Vicki that stood up for men and used the likes of the Doctor, Ian and Steven and their care and compassion for her as evidence that not all men should suffer. Sure, society at this time was predominantly man-centred and discriminatory towards women, but that wasn't a time Vicki knew. The Suffering's links to the fourth galaxy was something that really intrigued me and I like to think that they have some sort of links to the Drahvins, although at this point the trio hadn't encountered them. I thought the explanation of the Suffering's home world and what men did to women and then centred them on pain was very harsh and obviously bad, but it did go on a little when it came to the story. I also thought the way the Suffering was actually defeated lacked a bit of excitement and action whilst going long, although I appreciate the difficulties associated with the format and having just two actors. They did a fine job though and at its heart, I thought the story was a good one that just perhaps went a bit too long. Still, a more than enjoyable listen!

Rating: 7/10

Moving Target

"Frozen... everything? Everyone!"

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: June 2016

Series: Torchwood Monthly 10

Featuring: Suzie

Synopsis

Suzie Costello would never describe herself as a hero. Not even if she were the last woman on Earth. Turns out, she's the second last woman on Earth, and that'll just have to do.

With the Earth frozen in time, Suzie becomes locked in a battle to save the planet and the life of Alex, the last woman alive. Hunted by alien warriors, and, with every hour that doesn't pass, the stakes are only getting higher.

Suzie Costello would never describe herself as a hero. But she would say she's someone who always makes the right choices. Wouldn't she?

Verdict

Moving Target was not the greatest of monthly Torchwood releases from Big Finish unfortunately! For whatever reason, I just couldn't find myself getting too invested in this adventure which was a big shame as I was really looking forward to exploring more of Suzie following on from her appearances in Everything Changes and They Keep Killing Suzie. She's a really interesting character and I just don't think this was the best use of her character. She represents part of the Torchwood team prior to where we join when the series starts, but this story closed her off from the rest of the world which would have worked better with a more familiar character in my opinion. I liked how there was a different take on the usual Torchwood introduction where the twenty-first century is where everything changes and Suzie reflects that she really should have been ready, but from what we know of her she very much was not. The concept at the heart of the episode in of itself wasn't bad and having time frozen and being able to explore the world and interact with it whilst everyone and everything remained frozen represented an incredible opportunity. I don't know what I'd give for that! Suzie realising that the time distortion generator she had 'borrowed' was inactive so deduced she wasn't the cause of whatever was happening outside, and she soon realised that she wasn't alone with Alex being another woman unaffected by the freezing of time. She seemed a fun character initially and very much ebullient, but I didn't grow to her and I think finding out the reason for her being the target came too late. I liked the concept behind her being future proof and the fact she would have a limited impact on the timeline as her pregnancy was ectopic and her fiancé was actually cheating on her with her best friend which would lead to an overdose. It was quite an abrupt series of revelations and then after a whole episode of escaping the hunters, something that dragged too long for me, Suzie went and killed her anyway! I really wasn't expecting the truth to be that the hunt would only end when the target died. I quite like the idea of being caught off guard like that, but it still just felt a little bit off. The whole hunt pausing for three hours after ten hunters were killed just felt wrong and Suzie only reading the rulebook bit by bit had a feeling that the rules could just be made up as we went along. I did enjoy the relationship built between Suzie and Alex until the vodka came out, and then we saw the damage that can be caused by alcohol. Alex calming that Suzie wasn't saving her out of selflessness but actually because she wanted to be important. There was clearly some foreshadowing of Suzie's fate, and that was also sparked by the Referee who turned out to be an incredibly annoying robot. I didn't like him at all. As a whole, this did have a brilliant concept at its heart but I think this was a failed opportunity to explore Suzie and her involvement in Torchwood. It had its moments, but as a whole it failed to get me hooked which was a shame. 

Rating: 5/10

The Ultimate Foe

"I want you to meet my darker side."

Writers: Robert Holmes & Pip and Jane Baker

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29 November - 6 December 1986

Season: 23d

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

The Doctor is on trial for his life. Plucked out of time and space by the Time Lords, he is charged with transgressing the First Law of Time. He must defend himself against the prosecution led by the sinister Valeyard...

The Doctor has tried to prove his innocence, but the Valeyard is certain of his guilt and will stop at nothing to carry out a sentence of death. But there is a surprise witness waiting in the wings; one who knows the truth...

With the trial in disarray, the Doctor flees into the Matrix to confront his enemy, into a nightmarish world of torture and punishment. Trapped within, he will have to fight for his life against the ultimate foe...

Verdict

The Ultimate Foe concluded The Trial of a Time Lord in a very unique way to say the least! This really does have a feeling of being so different to the three instalments that preceded it and taking the approach that I have with the titular adventure that comprises Season 23 of Doctor Who, this felt even whackier! It really does have so much going on and one thing it definitely has going for it is intrigue. It's just whacky and that makes it different and I think it pays off. It's a fun tale that doesn't mess around and whilst it does have that feeling of picking pieces up with all that was going on with the writers and production team behind Doctor Who at this time, but it somehow manages to work. The Master is injected which is brilliant and I love seeing the Anthony Ainley version alongside the Sixth Doctor as we didn't get a pure meeting between the pair on screen, but this was as close as it got. I think the way that he calmly announces the true identity of the Valeyard is fun and my only qualm with his appearance is that the Inquisitor doesn't know who he is. I think that fails in terms of continuity from the likes of The Five Doctors and just the general standing of the Master on Gallifrey. It was fun though that as soon as he turned up chaos ensued and the Doctor's claims that the Matrix had been tampered with were found true. The image of the Master from within the Matrix itself was impressive and whilst I found the Keeper of the Matrix pretty pathetic, the audacity of the renegade Time Lord to run riot within the very fabric of Gallifrey is excellent. The Doctor and the Valeyard doing mental battle of sorts was great and I think the fantasy factory and land within the Matrix was brilliant. It was so different and probably a bit ahead of its time, and the cliffhanger is quite the visual. There were a lot of good visuals in the story to be fair. It was definitely a highlight. I think the directing in this one was smart and would have benefited from a time where technology was superior, but I appreciated the effort and the style that was being attempted. The arrivals of Mel and Sabalom Glitz into the adventure were pretty fun, even if they didn't end up doing an awful lot. Glitz having a business relationship with the Master was something fun to explore and I liked that Mel was challenging him on their arrival. Her spoiling the Doctor's plan was amusing as well and I thought Colin Baker performed that cunningly. He took on the verdict of genocide and forced death to ensure a confrontation with the Valeyard, but he didn't quite get it. Popplewick wasn't my favourite of characters, but the confusion that came from so many different versions of him was good. I enjoyed the Master's TARDIS featuring heavily and his desire to help the Doctor over a jealousy of putting him to the sword was amusing, but sure if he defeated the Valeyard then he would get his goal in the end? The concept of the Valeyard is excellent and at the time I imagine it would have been rather fun to explore. Of course, we've now gone past the Doctor's thirteenth incarnation but I can still appreciate that it was all of the dark elements of our famed character. The ending with him having survived was a nice touch and it's a shame there was never a follow up! Overall, a good ending to the season but I maintain that the serial should be viewed in its entirety rather than as four chapters. It just flows better.

Rating: 8/10

#HarrySullivan

"What do you call a freighter full of journalists?"

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: August 2019

Series: Short Trips 9.08

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

En route to answer the Brigadier's summons, the TARDIS is dragged off course. The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry find themselves trapped on The Zephyr, a spaceship that is going at full speed and yet is unable to move. With fuel running dangerously low, their only hope lies on Deraxas, a nearby world exclusively for the famous and celebrated.

However, Alderasea has never heard of them and has no intention of letting them land...

Verdict

#HarrySullivan was a good and fun little Short Trips adventure! I must admit that the title of this story has intrigued me ever since it was released so I'm delighted to have finally delved into it. I was intrigued right away to find that Louise Jameson was the narrator despite Leela not appearing in the audio and I thought that was going to be a bit strange and somewhat off-putting, but I actually thought she did a stellar job and it actually helped with her usual character not being present because we didn't have a familiar actor doing impressions and interacting with others that her character was engaged with. That was definitely a big bonus. I think the trio of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry is excellent and the way they were written here was really impressive in capturing the era of Season 12. I felt authentic and I liked the continuity we had with Revenge of the Cybermen and how this fitted in after that serial but before Terror of the Zygons with the Brigadier's summons not being answered immediately after a slight highjacking. The scenes inside the TARDIS with that were a lot of fun with the Doctor blaming Harry for touching the controls on the console, but Sarah was there to back up his innocence. It really was greta characterisation of the Fourth Doctor. The freighter that they arrived on of the Zephyr was good and I liked the concept of it being stuck in a zeno field was really intriguing to explore. Getting a hint of that inside the TARDIS with the doors and the console constantly appearing to get further away was interesting and I liked how they were stuck right in the middle. That was clearly troublesome, but with regards to the freighter this was a deliberate occurrence from the occupants of the planet Deraxas who didn't intend on letting them land. The freighter being full of journalists was decent and allowed Sarah Jane to be right at home, and finding out that the planet only let in people who were famous was magnificent. I really enjoyed that concept and even though it was a little slow to really kick into gear, the moment where Harry realised that he was going to become the story was certainly a highlight. He was socially awkward and he wasn't overly comfortable becoming the heart of the story, but it allowed Sarah Jane to shine and use her skills in a field close to her own. She was used to writing stories and now she could create the basis for one. It didn't take long for Harry to become the talk of the town which was good, but when he arrived on the planet it didn't seem as interesting as it ought to be. I liked that everyone seemed quite pompous and happy with their status, and I think some visuals for Harry fitting into this environment would have been really beneficial, but ultimately we didn't have time to waste and he went straight to the point of asking for the freighter to be cleared to land. That wouldn't be possible due to the request of an incredibly high profile guest Carla Colini. However, she didn't last in prominence too long as it was found that there was a true story at hand where she had been replaced and rather have that leaked, Harry was able to orchestrate a bargain that would keep the truth hidden but allow the freighter to land. It was a pretty simple and quick fix, but it tied everything together rather nicely. Overall, a fun little listen!

Rating: 7/10

Storm of the Horofax

"Memory is time travel."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: August 2017

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 3.02

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

During a North Sea military exercise, the crew of the destroyer HMS Nemesis detect what they suspect is a submarine following them. But it's actually a futuristic ship with an alien occupant, Arianda. 

The Doctor and UNIT are called in, but things are already running out of control. The damaged craft is leaking particles and containing the Nemesis with time disruption.

But that's not the biggest problem. For Arianda is being followed by the warships of the Horofax, who have picked precisely this moment to invade. Soon the destruction of humanity's future will begin.

Verdict

Storm of the Horofax was a very good adventure to conclude the third series of Third Doctor Adventures! Following on from the excellent The Conquest of Far, this rounded out was probably my favourite volume from the series. I was a big fan and this complimented the opener with a really solid story that really felt authentic of its era and would fit in well in any of the seasons involving the Third Doctor and Jo. I have more than warmed to Tim Treloar in the role of the third incarnation now and I really enjoyed the relationship the Doctor had with Jo here. The involvement of UNIT really helped with the genuine feel and it was actually quite refreshing to have some unfamiliar soldiers on hand rather than the usual suspects of the Brigadier, Benton and Yates. The focus was very much on Paul Hardy who initially piloted the Doctor and Jo to the scene of Arianda's arrival in then submarine, but he was soon forgotten about because of time being altered. The use of time in the story was excellent and I'm always a fan of playing around with it. Arianda made for a fantastic villain and she was pleased to come up against the Doctor knowing that he was a Time Lord. Her position as provost of the Horofax was great and a fun revelation, even if it was clear that she was never going to be the innocent historian she claimed to be at the start. I thought she was far more interesting than the titular Horofax, but her position as leader made that absolutely fine. I loved the use of time to build an army of Horofax and finding out that they weren't a race but rather an army of those conquered by essentially just altering the perception of history was terrific. That really was very unique and there was a feeling of Cold Blood midway when Jo was forced into forgetting who the Doctor was. He didn't hesitate in undoing that and Arianda realising early on that she wasn't under her control anymore was a fun moment. I liked that Arianda had returned to this time in particular because amidst the Cold War, there was a potential for the human race to destroy each other and that means being through nuclear warfare. She was hoping to orchestrate the right moment to position the powers against each other and begin the end of humanity, because her time sensitive abilities had foresaw that humanity threatened the Horofax far in the future and that their empire would not last. Jo working that was brilliant. I liked the time locking of the planet and the Doctor not being subjected to it, and Paul Hardy returning after initially being wiped from time was a really good moment. He was there at the time of the Auton and the Axons which was good continuity, but time had now been rewritten and he was never there. I thought that was really well done and a good example of ensuring that things could actually change. The action of the conclusion was exciting and full of action which seemed the right way to go considering there were so many UNIT personnel present. The Doctor ensuring that Paul Hardy would be remembered was a nice note to end on after what was as a whole, a really solid story! Overall, a great listen.

Rating: 8/10

Timewyrm: Exodus

"Hitler couldn't lose because the devil was on his side."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: August 1991

Series: New Adventures 02

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Verdict

Timewyrm: Exodus was an excellent novel to continue my reading of the New Adventures books and served as a great second instalment of the Timewrym series! I really enjoyed this one and so much so that after planning to read it over two days, I was so enthralled that I barely put the book down and read in one sitting! It was a great start to Terrance Dicks and his writing of original novels and he more than lives up to his reputation from the novelisations. It's such a great read and I liked how this was split into four parts, although it was actually more like two given the small lengths of parts two and four. I liked how we started things in 1951 with the intention being to visit the Festival of Britain, but it was a much changed London to what established history showed and Ace's reaction almost immediately to find a swastika adorned across a tower was brilliant. Whilst I really enjoyed Timewyrm: Genesys, I thought this book had much stronger characterisation of the Doctor and Ace and they just felt more like the characters from TV. That was a big bonus. The manipulative nature of the Seventh Doctor was still very much present, so much so that he actually got Ace arrested and interrogated which resulted in her getting quite the bruise from a backhanded slap, but she understood and I loved how strongly she was written in shaking that off as being nothing worse than what she had once endured on the playground. I thought the incorporation of the Timewyrm into the book was clever in that it was always present, but not prominent or even a big part of the plot. The Doctor continued to believe that it wasn't she that had interfered in time and put history off the beaten track, and his instincts turned out to be correct! Instead, the culprits were the War Lords once again headed by the War Chief which was an unexpected treat! We had some loose follow on from The War Games which I really enjoyed and I loved that we had that as a chapter title as well. The explanation as to how the War Chief survived was good and I liked how the War Lord here was the son of the one we saw the Second Doctor encounter. The description of the maps and control room was reminiscent of what we had previously seen with the War Lords which I really enjoyed. I thought the arrogant confidence of the Doctor in establishing himself as a figure of authority to the Nazis of both 1951 and 1939 was excellent and that really did feel at home with the seventh incarnation. The reference to Planet of Giants with the Doctor recalling nearly going down the plug hole was amusing, and he really was in the land of giants here playing with life and death. History had gone so wrong and what we saw depicted in 1951 was so intriguing. The BFK were roaming free and doing as they pleased, threatening the Jewish pop-up cafe owner and coming full circle with that once history was put right was delightful bookending. Hemmings was a very good character and he wasn't best pleased with how the Doctor had treated him, believing him to be a fake all along. His annoyance at the Doctor evading the rigged microphones in his room was wonderful. From 1951, we headed to Munich in 1923 which was pivotal for Hitler and the rise of the Nazis, and the idea of the Doctor giving Hitler hope and belief to go on and conquer Germany is a scary prospect. I think that could possibly go unnoticed given the involvement of the Timewyrm and the War Lords in his rise. The Doctor having always believed Hitler was aided was intriguing and it's fun to explore Doctor Who's take on history's most controversial and horrific figure. Ace was ready to blast him to pieces with nitro-nine-a, but the Doctor was almost comforting at times which felt a little uncomfortable! But he was seeing the bigger picture. The link from 1923 back to 1939 was excellent and I liked how Hitler was trusting the Doctor. I thought the conclusion was good and exciting, but perhaps a little rushed with the War Chief and War Lords perishing in the battle with the SS, only to come back as zombies and then be blown up by the castle reactors. We then headed to 1940 and the Doctor convinced Hitler to not advance at Dunkirk and restore established history, whilst also prizing the Timewyrm out of his head in sheer mockery. The speed in which that was dealt with felt very quick and needed more explanation, and was probably my only qualm with the book and why it doesn't get full marks. We learned that it was essentially extending the TARDIS forcefield, and I liked that the Timewyrm was sent into many pieces but its will was so strong that it would be restored. The ending with the Timewyrm appealing to Hemmings was interesting, because should he technically not exist anymore? At least in the way we experienced him? I'm intrigued to read what's ahead! Overall, a fantastic book.

Rating: 9/10

Forever

"Our conquest of space and time is at hand!"

Writer: David Wise

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Gallifrey 4.04

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Gallifrey stops.

Romana has been assassinated... The Time Lords have never existed... Gallifrey's secrets are lost.

On a world they barely recognise. Narvin and Leela find themselves fighting to stay alive. Against all their expectations, brutality and barbarism reign. And Gallifrey's slaves are rising up to face their masters.

Before this day is out, their lives will change forever. And the world they know might end before it has even begun...

Verdict

Forever was a very good story to conclude the fourth series of Gallifrey! I have found this series a nice and much needed shift from the political complexities of the first three series and I have enjoyed serval different takes on alternate Gallifreys. This was another intriguing version and things started with a bang (pun intended!) as Romana was assassinated before the credits even ensued. Of course, this was the Romana of the alternate timeline but that was still a pretty big occasion! It was a fun twist to have our Romana get instantly involved in the affairs of this Gallifrey as they quickly realised that this was a version where brutality was very much the common way of life and the history of Rassilon's involvement in the Eye of Harmony spoke volumes. I really enjoyed the prominence of the alternate Narvin as Chancellor and the true version's distain for that role and how it was the worst position to hold on Gallifrey was terrific, especially when Romana gave him that very promotion by the episode's close. That was a lot of fun. I liked how there was a threat of losing access to the portal back to the Axis for this adventure and I think that kind of jeopardy was needed at this point when it comes to the story arc as a whole. The concept of slaves on Gallifrey just doesn't seem right in the modern era and having Carole Ann Ford play one was quite something! It was a loose and subtle insinuation that the Doctor's offspring, and perhaps even the Doctor himself, amounted to nothing on this Gallifrey. A stark reminder of where things had gone wrong! I thought the fact that her character got referred to as grandmother at one point was wonderful though. I could really appreciate that. The ease in which Narvin got Romana to admit that she didn't actually have a double that was assassinated and was a different version to his President was so amusing and made Romana look like a real amateur. He would never stoop to marrying her! That was great. I liked exploring Gallifreyan history there, even if it was an alternative version, and learning of how things went sideways with Rassilon and the Eye of Harmony was very intriguing. Here, there was something living at the heart of the black hole and it scared Rassilon so much that he had prevented the power of the Eye ever being harnessed. That was until our Romana came along with her Time Lord knowledge and revealed all about the role of the transduction barrier. Once again, she had caused death and destruction and that's a theme I really am finding intriguing. Leela noticed that Romana was not herself and I'm keen to explore that further as the spinoff roles on into a fifth series. The fate of Leela at the end here was emotional and a good cliffhanger to leave us on as she was devastated to see that K9 was sacrificed and lost. She had already seen enough in recent times with so much death and even Braxiatel having to make the ultimate sacrifice, and so she ran off with no intentions of seeing Romana or Narvin again. I'm fascinated to hear where things go from here and if we will be staying put on this brutal version of Gallifrey. Overall, a very good end to the series!

Rating: 

Annihilation

"We'll bring daylight back to Gallifrey."

Writers: Scott Handcock & Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Gallifrey 4.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Gallifrey dies...

Romana and her comrades find themselves in the dank and grubby wastelands of northern Gallifrey, trapped between two forces in a long and ancient war.

One side bides their time within their nests, whilst the other draws up troops across the trenches. Both sides have their secrets, their means to win the war – and both want Romana fighting alongside them...

After millennia of warfare, the final assault approaches. The Ancient Enemy and the True Lords want this world. And before this night is out, there will be bloodshed. 

Only the late Lord Rassilon holds the key...

Verdict

Annihilation was another very good episode to continue the fourth series of Gallifrey! This really is shaping into a very unique and intriguing boxset of adventures as we got another sidestep into an alternate Gallifrey, only this time it was also in the past which opened up a great many opportunities and was a very clever approach to take. I think there probably ought to be more of a firm aim throughout the series than just having Romana, Leela and Narvin jumping around different versions of their home planet to try and find a home after what occurred with the Free Time virus on their own version, but what we're getting is so fascinating so it doesn't really have any true bearing on the enjoyment of the episode. Gallifrey was at war during this adventure which was good and even though it was an alternate version, it was a rare journey into the planet's past and a time where the Vampires were present and doing battle with the True Lords. I thought them having that name as they believed themselves to be just that of Gallifrey was fun and the whole idea of incorporating the war between Time Lords and Vampires was excellent. I liked how Rassilon's name was almost spat upon with distain and the calm nature in which Lord Prydon announced that he killed hm long ago was great. I thought he was played fantastically by Geoffrey Beavers and it was nice to hear him in a role other than the Master. He has such a calm and callous voice that makes perfection for a villain. His little nod to playing the Master towards the end was a very nice subtle touch. I enjoyed the fascination he had with Romana and getting a bite to work out that she was from the House of Heartshaven was magnificent. The revelation that came later with Romana having transferred some of her own antibodies and Vampire immunity was fun. I thought Leela had a strong episode and I loved that she became one of Borusa's hounds and got her sight back, along with the heightening of plentiful of her other senses. It was also interesting to explore the relationship between her and Narvin which was really nice and with all that has happened recently, she's all that he has left which was tough for him to admit. The version of Brax depicted here was a horror show and demonstrated the dangers that Leela had should she go through with becoming a hound. I thought Lady Borusa was a very good character and I liked that it allowed Katy Manning some time to shine in a completely different role to what we're used to! She was central to the War and it centring around the Great Key and destroying the transduction barriers that enclosed Gallifrey was very good indeed. I liked that there was a constant state of war between the two factions. The power we know each side is capable of helped sell the scale and danger of that. Romana going on to embrace her role as the destroyer of worlds was telling of how far she has come during this spinoff range and I'm not so sure the Doctor would approve! But here she is, continuing to make the same mistake and it's a theme I'm a big fan of continuing as I'm not sure where she goes from here. With one episode left in the series, I'm intrigued to hear where things finish and if the Gallifreyans will find a version of their planet to settle on. Leela is ageing, but is that stumped by her becoming a hound? I'm not sure, the potential she has to truly become a savage now is exciting. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

Disassembled

"On this Gallifrey they have a very active policy of intervention."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Gallifrey 4.02

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

The President of the High Council wants Romana dead. The Temporal Intervention Agency has been dispatched to hunt her down. Its mission: to eliminate her from the timelines forever. It would be as though she had never existed...

Only an old friend can offer Romana any hope of survival. An acquaintance she and Leela once shared. One they haven't seen in years.

But time is running out. Death is fast approaching. And this time, not everyone can survive... with or without the Doctor.

Verdict

Disassembled was an excellent episode to continue the fourth series of Gallifrey! This really was a fantastic take on alternate Gallifrey and it only seems right that when venturing into potential alternative universes and timelines that we got to a Gallifrey where their policy was to interfere, rather than observe. The potential abuse of power there is incredible and whilst we didn't quite get something along the lines of Reborn with them selling off regenerations or TARDISes, we did have them going back and changing time at specific moments if it suited their desires. The arrival to this particular Gallifrey was fun and I liked how Romana was feigning being the true copy as High President. There was a lot going on for the true President on this version of the planet and her outrage when she discovered the anomalies and finding out that one was herself was really good. I loved that we also had an alternate Leela as the Interrogator General which was something we heard a little hint of at the end of the previous episode and she seemed a perfect character to have in that role, even if her past was firmly put behind her. I was hugely impressed with Lalla Ward and Louise Jameson's performances in this story with them getting to play two very different versions of their characters. They differentiated well which is important in the audio format and it was just a lot of fun to hear this sideways step. The interaction between the pair of Leelas was magnificent and 'our' version reacting to hearing herself was marvellous. She could take being tortured, even if her alternate self would know how to make her speak, and the Interrogator getting more than she bargained for when taking all of Leela's memories for herself was fantastic. She also became blind! That was really good continuation and it worked well because just for a moment we had our Leela with the upper hand, and then got an example of how this Gallifrey could put things right pretty quickly. The appearance of Colin Baker as the Burner Doctor was excellent and I loved how K9 recognised his bio-data was present. Narvin's confusion when K9 had located the 'master' was terrific and I liked that he wasn't actually on the side of Romana and company. Braxiatel was on hand to provide some intriguing history regarding Burners on Gallifrey and how nobody escaped a kill. The history between Brax and the Doctor was really interesting and I liked how they went out together to avert the paradox. It all tied up rather nicely in the end with quite an emphatic way to exit the Axis! The push sent them tumbling without coordinates to who knows where so I do wonder if this is the last we have heard of Brax in the range, given how the post-credit scene would seem to indicate he is off on the start of his adventures with Benny. That was a nice little touch and some fun continuity. As a whole, this was a really good sidestep into a Gallifrey where intervention was the norm and it was so different to the Gallifrey we know full of order. I'm intrigued to hear where we go next, but for now this was a lot of fun to have the Doctor, albeit not the one we know, interacting with the Gallifrey characters I have come to enjoy and love! Overall, a brilliant listen!

Rating: 9/10

Reborn

"You can't sell regenerations!"

Writer: Gary Hopkins

Format: Audio

Released: March 2011

Series: Gallifrey 4.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Gallifrey survives...

Lady Romanadvoratrelundar has returned to her homeworld, seeking a cure for the Free Time virus that rages across the planet. Leela of the Sevateem and her companion K9 are revered as heroes. Narvin is a traitor. And Braxiatel knows more than he's letting on.

Amidst all the confusion, the High Council of Time Lords is poised to take the planet into an all-consuming war against the cosmos. They're selling their secrets to the highest bidder, equipping the universe with temporal technology it should never have been allowed.

And Romana's son will lead them into battle...

Verdict

Reborn was a very good and intriguing start to the fourth series of Gallifrey! If I was a contemporary listener I am not sure I would have coped well with waiting nearly five years for a new series after the way Panacea ended the third series on a ludicrous cliffhanger, but what we had here was certainly worth waiting for and an interesting direction appears to be on the horizon for the series. I like how we are sticking with the core characters of Romana, Leela, K9, Narvin and Brax and the latter having saved them by time scooping them to the Axis was some good continuity and an explanation for their survival. I was expecting more of a continuity from the previous episode, but given the gap between series I can't say I'm surprised with the approach taken. I love the idea of the Axis and it's good that we know all about it following The Axis of Insanity. I like continuity such as that so having that appear prominently in this audio was certainly welcomed. I love the idea of an alternate Gallifrey and it allowed a great use of Romana I once again. She hadn't regenerated on this Gallifrey, and it was a fascinating take on the Time Lord world! This Gallifrey was intent on economic gain and was selling off regenerations and ensuring that every home had a TARDIS. That was so much fun and with it even going off world, the dangers were clear to hear. I think a bit more exploitation of that could have been good, but it was still terrific to think about and the potential really was endless. Narvin was a little quiet for this episode which was a stark contrast to what we're used to from him, and I found it very amusing at the start in another alternate time stream that he and Leela were to be wedded, with Brax even proposing to Romana in a very unromantic way. Leela assuming the position of High President on this alternate Gallifrey was amusing as it was she who accompanied the Doctor in the quest for the Key to Time in this timeline. The power she wielded from that made her lack of being Gallifreyan irrelevant. Her appointing K9 as the Castellan was magnificent too. He was loving that role and seemed genuinely upset when he was relieved of his duties! Antonin was a good character and I loved his position as Romana's son. That wasn't something I expected and him recognising his alternate future mum was very good and he wanted to travel in the alternate timeline. That posed numerous issues. I liked how Romana I recognised her alternate future self but still maintained that her son was going crazy. Of course she would recognise herself! Dondequest was a very good character and I really enjoyed her role on this alternate Gallifrey, which really was such a stark contrast to what we are used to from the Time Lord planet. Rexus and Vansell were good characters too and filled out a good set of characters for this Gallifrey. I liked the simplicity of the ending and the story as a whole really with Narvin casually shooting Antonin to wound rather than kill, ensuring he wouldn't make it back through the portal. Brax staying behind to manage the portal was good and I suspect he'll show back up at some point! The post-credit scene with Leela in an aggressive interrogator role was interesting and something I'm sure that has set up the next episode. Is this series going to provide us with a number of alternate Gallifreys? If so, I am very much on board! Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

Paradise Lost

"Devils can take any form."

Writer: Darren Jones

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: BBC Audio 09

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

On the edge of a nebula, the TARDIS lands on the strange planet of Foss, which is covered in dense and intricate minerals and vegetation.

The spindly, insect-like Fossians are suspicious of the Doctor and Clara, believing them to be on the side of the large, spider-like Drak-Arzin. But when the travellers meet the Dark-Arzin they discover that Foss is far more than a planet: it is, in fact, a giant life-form, nearing the end of its life-span. But what secret lies at the heart of the Fossians' mine?

With the help of a young Fossian named Anura, the Doctor and Clara try to intermediate between Foss and its two warring peoples.

Verdict

Paradise Lost was not the greatest of original BBC Audio dramas! That is putting it lightly which is a real shame to say as there were a lot of aspects of this that I enjoyed, but I just couldn't get on board with the plot and the way it was presented. It just wasn't all that exciting and seemed to drag on a little. When there is just one actor playing the role of narrator and voicing every character in the adventure, you need that little bit of magic to hook the listener into the story but I never felt like that occurred in this instance. It's a frustration because things actually started well with the Doctor and Clara arriving on Foss and encountering a contingent of insect species. The talk of the TARDIS translation circuits and the issues it had in deciphering insect language was really good. I loved that this was used as an explanation for why we couldn't understand the Zarbi way back in The Web Planet and it was just a fun concept to think about! Despite being male and the difficulties that brings to the role, I was pretty impressed with Jacob Dudman's take on Clara and I think the writing is also testament there. It definitely felt like a Clara story and she fitted in well as the companion. We don't tend to get a huge amount of content with her and the Eleventh Doctor so that particular pairing here was a real treat, and makes it all the more disappointing that I didn't really enjoy much of the story. I thought Dudman's introduction as the Doctor was fantastic and the way he portrays this incarnation is sublime. His take on the mannerisms of Matt Smith is incredibly impressive and definitely gave the audio an authentic and genuine feel. Something that worked completely against that though was the actual writing of the narration. I just couldn't for the life of me understand why there was so much 'said the Doctor', 'added Clara', 'said Anura' comments. Dudman was so good at portraying different characters and making them sound distinct that this was completely unnecessary, and honestly it could have become a drinking game they were so frequent and just interrupted my listening. I thought the setting of Foss was pretty decent but I wasn't a fan of how this one just felt like a bit of recycled melee of ideas. The planet that was sentient, the war between two peoples who couldn't understand each other, the ark, the ship having recorded everything. It all just felt a bit repetitive which was a big shame as there could have been so much more potential. I liked the planet and the idea of the Drak-Arzin thinking the Fossians to be vermin was good. There should have been more on that, rather than the emphasis on communication. It's an important lesson of course, but there could have been more of an impact in the adventure. It all felt a bit same old from an early stage which is of course not what you want. I rather enjoyed Anura as a character and I thought her position in the species worked well. The theme of devils was good too but as a whole, I just don't think this flowed well and seemed a bit of a jumble. Overall, not my favourite of audios that's for sure!

Rating: 5/10

Timewyrm: Genesys

"Morality. The weakness that marks the fool from the genius."

Writer: John Peel

Format: Novel

Released: June 1991

Series: New Adventures 01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Mesopotamia – the cradle of civilisation. In the fertile crescent of land on the banks of the river Tigris and Euphrates, mankind is turning from hunter gatherer into farmer, and from farmer into city-dweller.

Gilgamesh, the first hero-king, rules the city of Uruk. An equally legendary figure arrives, in a police telephone box: the TARDIS has brought the Doctor and his companion Ace to witness the first steps of mankind's long progress to the stars. 

And from somewhere amid those distant points of light an evil sentience has tumbled. To her followers in the city of Kish she is know as Ishtar the goddess; to the Doctor's forebears on ancient Gallifrey she was a mythical terror – the Timewyrm.

Verdict

Timewyrm: Genesys was a brilliant book to kick off the Virgin New Adventures books! It's been a long time coming for me to get started on this range and whilst they can be somewhat difficult to come across at a reasonable price, I've managed to pick up the first seven books in the series so I couldn't wait to get started. I've read a lot about the reputation this series has so I was excited to get going and also to just have some sort of series and arc over a series of books, rather than individual adventures. It was clear that the events of this story took place shortly after Survival and I liked the continuity there. Starting with Ace having her memories lost was a nice subtle way to introduce Doctor Who to new readers who may have stumbled across the books and the Doctor had to describe everything about his life, the TARDIS, Time Lords etc from scratch. I wasn't a huge fan of the characterisation of the Seventh Doctor in this book as it didn't quite seem befitting of Sylvester McCoy's incarnation, and he was quite forward and brutish which didn't seem right with his personality. He's more quirky and mysterious on screen, but this felt more like the early days of the Sixth Doctor for me. Thankfully, it didn't impact on my enjoyment of the book and I look forward to that developing as the series goes on. On the other hand, I was a big fan of Ace and I liked how she continued to question her Professor on everything that he was doing wrong. He was considering the big picture, but he really should have kept her in the loop. The setting of Mesopotamia in 2700BC was magnificent and so unique. I really loved the politics there and the issues that were present between Kish and Uruk were really good. I loved Giglamesh as a character and the King and he was so brutish and exactly what I'd expect of the era. His attitude towards women was obviously questionable and it didn't seem right that the Doctor didn't have much to say about that or defend Ace, in fact he was pushing her to stay with him and venture off in search of Utnapishtim. I thought Ishtar made for an excellent villain and I really liked the prologue we got where we learned that she was far more than a mere human. She was forced to deceive her own people and fake a crashed landing to Earth where she had become a goddess. She loved her status and suited it well and the control she exerted with her Touch was terrific. I was a big fan of hers and the power she wielded. Her people believing the Time Lords a myth was great so the moment the Doctor got to reveal his species was terrific. He was enjoying his position and the challenge of Ishtar, and it's fair to say she wasn't easy to put down! We had the virus, then she was even shunned off into the Vortex, but still she came back. The warning from the Fourth Doctor from the time of The Invasion of Time was really good and I liked the irony of these events in turn creating Ishtar into the Timewyrm. It was a nice way to bring everything full circle for this book, whilst also kicking off the range and taking us into the next adventure. I liked that the Doctor still felt regret towards the deaths of Katarina, Sara and Adric and the former warning of the temple was a good way to start. Some of the characters in this book were superb with the likes of Ninani, Ta-Nin and Ennatum amongst the standouts. I really liked the female presence and status despite the era. Enkidu as the Neanderthal was a fun character too and the Doctor's reference to Ghost Light to assure him his species lived on was really nice. The excitement of the last few chapters was very good and I liked the tension and the task at hand being dealt with for the book, but not for the four-volume series. Overall, a great read!

Rating: 9/10