The Child

"We can't all be warrior girls."

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Format: Audio

Released: December 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

"Tell me another story, Leela. Not the one about the walking doll or the creepy mechanical men. A new one. I want to hear a new one..."

Leela is dead but her soul lives on. She has been reborn as a young girl, Emily, whose 'imaginary friend' tells her amazing tales about a great Wizard and the warrior who accompanies him on his adventures through time and space.

Emily prepares to tell her parents the story of a cold, grey world whose people are ruled over by a Glass Angel. The Wizard is her prisoner and only the warrior girl and her three peculiar friends can save him...

Verdict

The Child was a decent Companion Chronicles audio adventure, and a very intriguing look into Leela during this range. She had an eventful trilogy in the first few series of the series and whilst she makes a welcomed return here, I'm still not sure how her 'death' has been handled. It seems a little weird for Leela to supposedly be dead only for her to have several stories and talking back. Here she took the form of an imaginary friend to Emily which was quite a fun concept in isolation, but we never really got an explanation as to how she was alive to tell the stories. It didn't really feel like she was reborn as the story suggests and for imaginary friends, Emily didn't half bicker with Leela! To be honest, I felt the child was a little annoying and whilst it was fun for her to talk about mechanical men and walking dolls to provide nice references to The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang, her wanting to skip over some of the details she considered boring got a little tedious. What I did enjoy about her was that the Doctor was considered a wizard in the stories as that just feels right, especially when it comes to the Fourth Doctor. The addition of the sonic screwdriver to that title was a nice touch and it was fun for Leela to be telling the story at times in the third person and referring to herself as a warrior. I did like the idea of The Map of Life and its scale was really fascinating and it was always going to provide a lot of questions from Leela. Her interest in the meaning of life was fun and that seemed to consume the mysterious and frankly weird glass woman that took on the role of the villain, even though she didn't arrive until the second part which was a bit odd. I thought the snow actually being little fibres of glass was good and a nice touch with a feel of Alice in Wonderland which I really enjoyed. I liked how the Doctor was taken out of action and tasked with the mathematical theories in finding the meaning of life, but I wasn't overly fussed with the desire. Emily explaining how her purpose was as a lady and to marry a respectable man reminded me of just how much life revolved around conformity in the past and Leela failing to understand that was all she desired was terrific. That was the complete opposite for her! Leela trying to be taught about the appreciation of art was nice and I loved the humorous reference to The Face of Evil with her realising that the Doctor's giant face carved into the rock would be considered art. The Doctor's reaction to that was excellent. I thought the use of the snowdrop to explain the little delicacies in life and what can be appreciated was a good way to provide a representation of the meaning and how life didn't need to be understood. Just enjoy it, and I think that's a fine attitude. Overall, this was an intriguing listen and whilst I thought the format of the story being told to Emily was a little off, especially with her talking over the pre-titles and the cliffhanger, but it was more than decent. A good listen!

Rating: 7/10

The Curator's Egg

"A talking dinosaur that turns out to be my brother, that I didn't expect!"

Writer: Julian Richards

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 2.01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

Zoltan Clarkson (Eccentric Billionaire, Cybernetics Tycoon, Museum Curator) had a dream of a domestic dinosaur in every home. He bought the empty county of Dorset to work on this dream and develop cyborg dinosaur hybrids in a safe, contained environment.

Now Clarkson lies insensate in the infirmary, his twin brother Andrew struggles to hold things together and dinosaurs walk the Earth. With the Doctor and Ben chasing monsters at sea, Polly has only a socially awkward scientist and the world's friendliest dog to help her prevent the rise of the ultimate predators...

Verdict

The Curator's Egg was a great story to kick off the second volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! This was a pretty barmy adventure to kick us off and whilst I wasn't sure about the mix of dinosaurs and the 1960s era of Doctor Who, the audio format really helped here. There is just no way this story would have worked on screen during Season 4 and I suppose that's part of the beauty of Big Finish. One thing this opener definitely had going for itself was that it was extremely fun. I thought the second part was definitely better than the first but it was a solid opening instalment to set up the ingredients and introduce us to the likes of Andrew and establish the setting. I was a massive fan of the setting and whilst Ben and Polly were a little disappointed to be back on their home planet but three centuries into their future, I thought the proximity to the aftermath of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was outstanding and it was tremendous to revisit the Earth as it was rebuilding. The fact that the entire county of Dorset was subjected to chemical weaponry from the Daleks during the invasion wasn't a surprise and it was a clever way of getting Zoltan the room he needed to try and mass produce dinosaurs. That was a wild concept and having commercial dinosaurs is not a new idea. They're popular in films and for toys, but the real article? That was another thing altogether! The fact they were a bit of cybernetic and organic was intriguing and the scope element of working on the dinosaurs was very good. The simplicity of that showed the futuristic setting well. I thought Andrew was a lovely character and I really enjoyed the relationship he built with Polly. She was magnificent and just another reminder of why she is one of my all-time favourite companions, and why we named our cat after her! Her constant encouragement to Andrew to back himself and his scientific ability was brilliant. I thought the arrival of Zoltan into the story was a lot of fun as I really didn't expect it as a dinosaur. Not only that, but he ended up being in the head of every dinosaur. Quite literally. That was extraordinary. He'd been keeping it secret that his mind had swapped places with a raptor but it explained a lot about the condition of the human brother. The description of just eyes watching must have been a very scared dinosaur. I thought the presence and involvement of Scalp the dog was decent and his role in the conclusion and freeing the dinosaurs of Zoltan in their mind was terrific. I thought it was wonderful to have Frazer Hines taking on the role of the Second Doctor here and also having an actual actor for Ben was a rare treat of a multi-cast for this range, even if both the Doctor and Ben disappeared randomly for most of part two. I did like the proximity to The Power of the Daleks though and the Doctor still getting used to his regeneration and struggling slightly with some memory loss. That was nicely done. Ending things with a T-Scalp was amusing and the image of Polly riding a dinosaur was tremendous. Overall, a great story! 

Rating: 8/10

For the Glory of Urth

"I don't need protecting from the sight of death."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: First Doctor Adventures 5.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has barely landed in an alien sewer when a distant scream sends Susan racing to give aid, and the crew split up.

Trying to reunite, the travellers find themselves in something resembling a monastery led by a man half-way between an Abbot and a warlord. They discover that they are in Urth, a barbaric place clinging on to its former glory.

It's somewhere its populace are never allowed to leave, somewhere keeping many secrets from its people.

And today those secrets will be revealed...

Verdict

For the Glory of Urth was a great start to the fifth series of the First Doctor Adventures! I do hope this isn't the last boxset for this cast and TARDIS team as they have really grown on me over the last few months as I've embarked on their series. I liked the continuity from Last of the Romanovs with the TARDIS not working and the Doctor mentioning it needing an update was fun stuff. He initiated an emergency landing and an arrival in some sewers really set the tone. Danger didn't take long to manifest as Susan ran after a scream and with Ian going after her, the main cast were immediately split up. The monastery-like setting was intriguing and the booming voice of Daddy Dominus established the religious theme early. He was praising humanity and the offering of extra work reminded me of Vengeance on Varos a little. The confusion with the Urth spelling and it sounding like Earth was fun stuff but on this Urth, the politics were barbaric. The big rubbery creature that Susan and Ian were chasing was good and described to look pretty grotesque, speaking of which the Doctor and Barbara encounter some alien corpses displayed with 'aliens out' signs around their necks. That was gruesome stuff. Mummy Martial to go alongside Dominus made for an odd hierarchy on Urth and they seemed to have a relationship centred around anger. She was occupied with defence of the realm whilst he was running the civilisation. The genetic elements of the part one cliffhanger was brilliant with only Susan scanning as human after the Doctor quickly initiating a false reading, but even Ian and Barbara didn't register which showed how much humanity had evolved by this time. Brooskin and the Doctor garnered a fun relationship and the humour that came with the alien growing in mass because of the warmth was hilarious. That was the First Doctor at his best. I enjoyed the gestalt link and him liking Ian and Barbara as another part of him was interacting. Sissy was a decent character looking after Susan as she was human and she seemed to think it was an honour to serve Brundle who was a conformed part of the society. The threat of disease to humans was excellent and Dominus was preaching how humanity was the divine perfection with the disease coming from aliens. That was good religious vomit. Ian trying to get to the city and out of the closed system tunnels provided a fantastic part two cliffhanger as he was dragged out to space despite Brooskin's warning, but the resolution was a little poor with him only being in the vacuum for a second. Dominus offering a lottery or war was ruthless and I loved that Susan was offered the chance from Mummy to stop that war. She wanted to use the 'human' for her free thinking which I loved and she was to help the Urth citizens into believing that everyone was free like her despite the state of the society. I thought Mummy's plan for espionage was great and Susan agreeing to becoming the spokesperson if the Doctor, Ian and Barbara were freed was very good. I loved that the grandfather comment was picked up on with the Doctor registering as an alien but Susan 100% human. Earth being long gone and Urth being a satellite rather than a colony was a fascinating look at the future. The twist that Mummy had sent Susan as a disease weapon was terrific and she wanted to kill the invaders with infection. Supposedly human invaders, but they were surprised at the mention of war and believed that all Earth descendants should work together. Mummy wasn't interested in that and would rather kill humanity than lose control over it. That was ruthless. Brundle being brainwashed was very good and his efforts to talk to the humans and be convinced that they were coming to take over was just amusing. The Doctor scanning and one of Mummy or Sissy being an alien was a fun moment. Brooskin wanting an uprising was fantastic and the description of his species having their voice box removed was horrifying. The humans spreading the cure to the plague on Urth was nicely done and Daddy soon resigned as leader after describing the misery of leading humanity. He'd ruled with an iron fist and couldn't be bothered anymore because it took too much. The shock of the population when this was revealed was very good and the moment shared between Sissy and Mummy as they were accepting death was strong. The TARDIS team departing and leaving us on a cliffhanger with Susan seeing the problem with the TARDIS was nicely done. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10

Deceived

"The best spies are the ones who don't realise what they are."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.03

Featuring: Martha

Synopsis

The Master's minions are competing to please him. And agents Beecham and Strand believe nothing would please him more than finding the Doctor's stray companion.

As Martha and friends hide out in Vegas, the Toclafane arrive. How many levels of deception must be uncovered for Martha to reach the truth?

Verdict

Deceived was a great episode to conclude The Year of Martha Jones! I thought this was a solid boxset and a fine exploration of The Year That Never Was when Martha walked the globe as the Master ruled over humanity. I think this was the best story of the series which is a positive for a finale and starting with Francine falling ill immediately provided a tricky predicament for Martha. She was looking to try and communicate with the Sovari but now had the added trepidation of dealing with her prone mother. The quick revelation that the Sovari were a sham was excellent and it was a fine way to reintroduce Miss Beacham as the villain after her appearance at the end of Silver Medal. I was fascinated by the fact she had Toclafane under control and that immediately gave her credence as a powerful person in the Master's world. Strand was less convincing as a potential enemy with his playing with UNIT hologram toys and whilst that was amusing, the argument over the hostage of Holly showed no doubt that it was Beecham in control. The flashback to a meeting at the Cabinet in Downing Street where the Master killed essentially every important politician was fantastic and she was one of the people willing to build the new world order and made no secret of hiding the killer instinct that was required for onboarding. I was glad that Martha finally showed some sort of scepticism towards her mother and just how she could be there as I've questioned that ever since she arrived in The Last Diner. It was clear that Francine was part of Beecham's plan to get at Martha and I thought her familial connection would be used, but in fact she was very much in charge of the plan as Francine was a clone! There were 230 of them in fact and the one with Martha was close to expiry, hence her illness. Francine showing shock that there seemed to be some credence to the rumours that Martha was going around finding the instruments required to kill the Master was a little surprising, as was Strand taking on the form of Holly. The shift in direction from Beecham as she ordered that Strand was killed was very good in establishing her as the main villain, and her heartless vaporisation of the clone Francine in front of Martha was just brutal. Holly warning off Dustin and revealing the truth about the Sovari was good and nice continuity with the previous episode. Beecham wanting to get the details from Martha about what she was collecting and if it meant the Master could die was intriguing and immediately showed her true intentions. I thought the continuity with Last of the Time Lords and Beecham being the one that Martha gained the data on the lightning strike that brought down a Toclafane was terrifically done. She had the means to control the Toclafane and now she wanted to take down the Master and rule herself! That was audacious and Martha laughed it off, as did the Master seemingly as he'd learned of her deception and the Toclafane didn't mess about in seeing her off. I loved that we got a glimpse of the real Francine on the Valiant mocking the Toclafane about the Master's unhappiness knowing that Martha was doing some good and on the right track. Overall, a strong conclusion to the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Silver Medal

"The losers get hungry."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.02

Featuring: Martha 

Synopsis

Martha journeys to a forest camp, hidden from Toclafane patrols. It's somewhere she's been before with the Doctor, more than a century ago – where the silver mines held a deadly secret. 

The resistance are ready to risk everything, but there'll be no prize for second place.

Verdict

Silver Medal was a decent story to continue along The Year of Martha Jones. I like that the boxset is going to be a continuous anthology as we had Martha, Francine and Holly exploring a forest and whilst I am a fan of that, I think it takes away a bit from that Francine look in Last of the Time Lords if it turns out that over the course of that year she actually travelled with her daughter. Their meeting Jessie as the leader of the Hope resistance set up the story nicely and the Hope complex being gigantic seemed a little odd given the roaming Toclafane. I liked how Martha was immediately sceptical of Jessie because of the way members of the camp looked at her and there was an extremely secretive atmosphere within Hope. Marion was a nice character as the tech expert and I was intrigued by the mentions of an alien ally in the form of the Sovari, although they didn't really do much from afar which was a shame. I thought the story that Martha would tell on this visit being linked to the Nevada location was fantastic and it was fun that she and the Doctor had visited the setting in the nineteenth century. I really admired Martha's storytelling and recollection and it was nice for her to remember fondly the tumbleweed that past the TARDIS upon her exit. It was a proper Western! The specific location of Providence was good and I thought the humour of Baby Lizzie's accent was a nice touch and it was good to know that the residents of Hope could still have a laugh. Martha told of the mines and how they feigned being inspectors which was good and I liked the premise of something inside causing disappearances. I must admit, it's a little strange to have a story within a story but it worked as well as it probably could have. It's not an easy format. The threat of the Toclafane coming close to the camp was good despite the cloaking field protection and Jessie was a very strict leader. After a night of grace period, Martha, Francine and Holly were now subjected to the camp's rules of competition in efforts of productivity. Only the winners would eat. Ruthless. Martha explaining how every man in the mine had a silver lump and medallion near their fist was intriguing and when we got a description of silver creatures stomping, I was just waiting for the big Cyberman reveal. I thought the silver that crawled out of the walls would by Cybermats, but it never came which was disappointing and what I felt was being alluded to. Francine pounced on the story detail when the Doctor wasn't around Martha anymore which made me laugh, although I didn't understand the choice of a story where the Doctor wasn't around for a lot of it when the whole idea is to provide the world with hope in his name. Jessie seeing Martha as her competition was a strong development and I was fascinated by her plan to attack the main US base of the Toclafane after the Sovari warned of a solar flare that would provide a seventeen minute period where the Archangel Network would experience an outage. I thought that was good, but one line that I adored in the episode was Martha's comment about patience being mistaken for inactivity. I loved that. Jessie losing her own grandchildren and hearing a similar situation for Baby Lizzy in Martha's story was a powerful moment and it was no surprise she wasn't interested in the Doctor's story. The Argons being revealed as the silver creatures was a little bit of a letdown but they did sound interesting with their silver sentience. The camouflage of the Hope site being damaged and the natural threat of a bear stopping Marion getting to repair was good and realistic given the state of the world, and Jessie not wanting to reschedule her plan showed she wasn't the most temperamental of leaders. The plan to hide in the mine was good and Marion and Dustin finally rebelling against Jessie was overdue and a nice way to conclude. The goodbyes and Martha finishing the story to Dustin was a little awkward with the Doctor simply repairing the ship despite the deaths the Argons caused, but not everyone got that note about the Doctor and the story didn't seem to do that much good in the camp which was a shame. Finding out that it had never been cloaked at all was unexpected, and the arrival of a female villain at the end seems to have set up a good finale. They were her Toclafane, and now she was headed for a showdown in Vegas! Overall, some strong stuff but definitely a couple of weaknesses that held it back slightly. Regardless, a decent listen for sure.

Rating: 7/10

The Last Diner

"Everyone loves a story."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: Year of Martha Jones 1.01

Featuring: Martha 

Synopsis

Martha arrives on the west coast of the US and finds an old friend waiting to make contact.

A desperate group gathers for her stories. But when Francine arrives, escaped from the Valiant, she isn't so keen to hear about the Doctor...

Verdict

The Last Diner was a great story to kick off The Year of Martha Jones spinoff series! I'm so glad that Big Finish have picked up this range and it's lovely to get a performed continuation of a similar style story to that of The Story of Martha. It's wonderful to hear Freema Agyeman back in the role of Martha and whilst she understandably sounds a little maturer here, it was just wonderful to hear her back and spreading the message of hope and the Doctor. I enjoyed the American setting and I have to say that Tucker was a sweetheart of a character. Martha was going around telling tales of her experiences with the Doctor and how he saved the universe or the planet or a people without them even knowing sometimes. Our little glimpse at the conclusion of the story concerning events of Human Nature/The Family of Blood and how the Doctor finished with trapping Daughter of Mine in a mirror was brilliant, but it wouldn't make for an exciting hour for us listeners if Martha just retorted a story we'd already seen on television. That led us to the story of the asteroid which would have made for quite the adventure in its own right! I really liked how Martha was understandably leaving out some details when it came to how she felt when the Doctor left her in the TARDIS and she felt so lonely and abandoned, but she was able to showcase her qualities in how she picked up on the Doctor's earlier lead in the courtroom with the religion of the asteroid. That was sublime stuff. It was nice to have the Doctor present through Martha's stories as once Francine arrived it was a stark reminder of how useless he was after the Master had aged him a century. She just described how he was sad and seemingly waiting for Martha to save the world. And they kept on waiting. I thought the explanation as to how Francine escaped the Valiant was very weak and probably the main reason for my rating not being higher, as I couldn't buy into the fact that the Master had lost focus on his prisoners. I wasn't having that with the Doctor around and his companion travelling the world. Francine was fun though in always questioning Martha's stories and her taking a little bit of scepticism when it came to the effect telling stories of the Doctor would have against the Master. The guest characters at the diner made for a nice bunch and it was nice for Holly to be a former uni pal of Martha's, even if they'd grown apart and she was quite frosty about Martha being cautious about her. But she couldn't trust anybody. Karen as the diner head was a good character too and I liked how she joined in her criticism of Martha's story and its neatness of the conclusion. The Toclafane were a lot of fun and they liked mocking the humans about the rockets. The story from Martha about how they took some people up to a hundred foot and just stayed there until they dropped was horrific, but it was a powerful example of how hope was all some people had and kept them going. The ending was very emotional as a missile struck the diner location with Francine preventing Martha from being inside because of a bad feeling. This showed Francine though that if Martha was being targeted, then what she was doing might just be working. I liked that a lot. Overall, a strong start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10

The Time Vampire

"I saw them age, decayed to dust in front of me."

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Format: Audio

Released: May 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 4.10

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Leela, in her last moments of life, recalls a long-forgotten memory: a time in the TARDIS. The Doctor is worried that K9's increasingly bizarre behaviour might become dangerous. He decides to make a new model, little knowing that the fate of all three time travellers has long since been decided.

As Leela recalls the chilling connection between K9's 'illness', the Z-nai and the haunted sea fort in which the TARDIS lands, she prepares for her final journey: into the land of her ancestors, the Afterlife.

Verdict

The Time Vampire was a very good Companion Chronicles audio! This brought to an end a strong trilogy with The Catalyst and Empathy Games and emotional time for Leela with her on her death bed after the Time War. It's a little heartbreaking to hear her in such a bad way at the end but for a while we got a fantastic outing back when she was travelling with the Doctor and K9. I thought the TARDIS scenes were a lot of fun and it honestly doesn't get much better for comedy than this trio. There's so much to enjoy and even though this audio was from a time before Tom Baker joined on board with Big Finish, Louise Jameson did a stellar job with the narration. She's such a strong actress and is definitely one of Doctor Who's finest. Now, I won't pretend that I understood absolutely everything that was going on in this adventure given the timey-wimey nature of events, but I kind of like that. I do enjoy a temporal focus and having what was essentially a paradox and some past involvement from the Doctor's previous incarnation was a lot of fun. I must say, I thought Holland made for a good villain and the involvement of him going into the TARDIS as a child and taking the temporal suspension cage was excellent. I'm a big fan of when past actions of the Doctor have consequences and having him return here at a later stage in life was very strong. It was really good as well for him and the planet to be experiencing events all at once or at least visually seeing them. The past, present and future were somewhat intertwined and it was to prove a disaster as this was Westropi III and the Doctor had been here before and witnessed the entire planet die. That was a powerful prospect and the cliffhanger revealing that was great stuff. I really enjoyed K9 having a bit of personality in this story and his instructions essentially being classified was very amusing. He needed resetting to be able to fully interpret the instructions which I just loved. The Doctor's reaction to K9 killing someone when adhering to the instructions to protect Leela was very good too and I was also shocked by the actions, but I did understand the interpretation of his instructions. The Z-nai returning again was good and I thought the explanation of the Time Vampire was brilliant. I liked the paradoxical nature of it a great deal. One little criticism of the story would be that it probably went slightly too long and whilst the ending with Leela on her deathbed and K9 coming to her was emotional, it did drag out a little too much. In contradicting myself. I will say that it was excellent to hear Leela's life flash before her eyes with some fun little flashbacks. I thought the demise of the Z-nai was a little too quick but the convenience was appreciated in getting to the key story for Leela. One little anecdote I should also mention was the Scottish accent from Louise Jameson. I thought it was extraordinary and I'm still not sure if it was great or horrendous! But it was certainly noticeable. Overall, a really strong story!

Rating: 8/10

Kidnapped!: The Chiswick Cuckoos

"You were just what I needed."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Donna Noble 1.04

Featuring: Donna

Synopsis

Donna's home, but she's not quite herself. Sylvia couldn't be more pleased to see her daughter finally getting on with her life.

But an alien plot is nearing completion, and the world needs saving. The Doctor is nowhere to be found, so it's all up to Donna – and Nat!

Verdict

The Chiswick Cuckoos was a great avenue to conclude what has been a hugely fun and successful Kidnapped! first series for Donna Noble! I don't know where it would fit in now in terms of the chronology of Series 4 and beyond, but I would love for there to be a second series as Donna is just funny and a joy to listen to. Pairing her up with Nat for her own series of stories has been a blast and this rounded out the story arc started in Out of This World in fine fashion. I was interested by how things started with Donna seemingly living at home and being focused on her career, and Sylvia apologised for the whole speed dating fiasco we witnessed in the first story. But then from out of nowhere attentions turned to Donna and Nat struggling to work the TARDIS manual and the comment about needing cheat codes for the cheat codes was very amusing. The Doctor helping Donna and communicating with the psychic paper was unexpected and it was so good to hear David Tennant feature in a surprise cameo! He needed rescuing from the Collectors himself and it had been a few weeks since Donna and Nat first ventured off in the TARDIS, but Sylvia was none the wiser because as far as she was concerned, Donna had been back living with her for a month! Of course, there had been a duplication somewhere along the lines and the copy was working with Garrison which was fun continuity with Nat. She's a strong character and I'd really enjoy more of her in the future as she was quick to deduce that the Donna she encountered with her husband wasn't the real article and used references to the events of The Sorcerer of Albion to confirm that which was smart. Marge returning was terrific and her meeting with Garrison was strong and showed she was firmly in control despite his business being the one sought out. The theme of data and it being the future was excellent and a great use of writing a story set around 2008 over a decade later. The trends have already been set. The fake Donna being tied up by Nat was an incredibly humorous sequence and she was quick to get back to the real deal, and knew by how clean Donna's room was that there was definitely a doppelgänger. Marge following them there made Donna look incredibly clever when seeing them arrive which was fun. Also fun was the Doctor claiming that Donna hadn't actually flown the TARDIS at all and that it was the HADS. I really liked that. Her arguing with the psychic paper was tremendous and her comment about having it recycled was glorious. The fake Donna being referred to as the Donna unit on the Collectors ship was intriguing, although I felt it was a little too easy for her to take control. Nat as her assistant should have been a trigger warning! Sylvia's outrage at Marge dismissing Donna's future significance was lovely to hear after her badgering in the opening episode and it was only her that could talk down of her daughter. So she got frozen and whizzed off to the Collectors' ship. The Collector Prime returned in decent style and rounded out the series nicely with strong continuity with the first episode, and it didn't need Marge it just needed a vessel and with the copies it now had plenty, including Sylvia which was fun to hear for a few moments. The arrival of UNIT to save the day was brilliant and it was really clever to have Josh feature briefly and in a role that was lower down the military hierarchy of what we hear him in the UNIT spinoff. They would now track down the duplicates and had seen off the Collectors for good in a quick and neat conclusion. Donna having called Martha was nicely done and I liked how she was a mutual friend with Josh. There was a lot to like. The bonus came of the Tenth Doctor was marvellous and it was lovely for him to now stop and ask Donna if she was okay after events at the Library and losing what she thought was her family life. Nat also being back with Garrison was fun as he'd lost his memory, but she was just what she needed. A friend. I thought that was a lovely message. Overall, a strong conclusion to a great series!

Rating: 8/10

Kidnapped!: The Sorcerer of Albion

"Those knights are on fire!"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Donna Noble 1.03

Featuring: Donna

Synopsis

Trying to get home, Donna and Nat end up in the right place at the wrong time – the Middle Ages!

A monastery is under siege from the Burning Knights, and the great Sorcerer Parval calls on the assistance of another great mage. He has summoned Merlin herself – or as Nat knows her, Donna Noble!

Verdict

The Sorcerer of Albion was an excellent story to continue the Kidnapped! series for Donna Noble! I thought this was another fun and great adventure for Donna and Natalie and it followed on right where Spinvasion left off with Donna apparently piloting the TARDIS. That was an amusing concept in of itself and their arrival in the past had me immediately interested as having Donna and Nat ready to interact in history very much excited me. There was an immediate welcome as it appeared that Donna was mistaken for Merlin who had been summoned by the wizard Parval! Well, that was all the ingredients necessary for a romp of a story. There was an immediate threat too with the burning knights and Donna not having a means to defeat was covered up nicely as she did nothing and claimed she wouldn't use her powers before fully understanding the situation at hand. That left things to Parval who banished the knights quite abruptly. We were introduce to Vivien who was a good character as Parval's granddaughter and she was the one Donna appealed to try and get out of imprisonment once Parval decided Merlin had acted inadequately. Nat's husband Garrison being the form that the TARDIS emergency program 12 took on was fun and I loved how she was getting familiar with the time machine and almost saw it as a home comfort. She went there to try and find healing magic in the form of first aid which I adored and the tease of the TARDIS arriving when they had to locate an important book was fantastic. If someone used it they could create a hole in creation which was quite the potential predicament. Parval being ill gave him some desperation which worked well and he needed Merlin's help and power to see him through. It was also probably tiresome maintaining the collection of UFOs! I didn't see that coming for sure. I loved how Nat marvelled at Parval's library and her ability to apparently speak Babylonian before Donna simply explained the TARDIS translation circuits in a quick line. Nat having left the TARDIS doors open was so simple but so effective as she was new to all this travelling malarkey so why wouldn't she? Vivien and Parval entering and being shocked and scared by the hologram of Garrison as the emergency program 'ghost' was very amusing. The threat of the book not being allowed into the TARDIS added to the danger and the eeriness took a dark turn when we met the monks that were somewhat hidden at the monastery. They were literally dead but somehow being powered to write endlessly and the TARDIS program wanting to know what was being written with the threat of the power of words was good stuff. I'm not sure the program should have followed Nat out though. Garrison provoking the Knights because he was a hologram was funny though and he was able to reverse the polarity of the particles making his existence to react badly with their weapons. Parval needing the power to be channelled into him was an intriguing development and this was why Merlin had to gift his power to him. The Knights wanted their freedom which hinted at a tortured existence as they had no strength, of course linking them with the frightening monks. Vivien being convinced by Donna of the wrongs of her grandfather was fantastic and she let out the fake Merlin. Vivien being the one that was the source of Parval's power was very interesting and I liked the simplicity of her cutting the link. The scry glass made for some good late drama and Parval attempting tot take Donna's knowledge of flying the TARDIS to use to his advantage was great stuff, especially when Donna casually admitted she had no idea how to fly it. Nat's reaction was priceless! Vivien smashing the mirror glass to free the Knights was very good and the exploration of the past relationship between Donna and Nat and their oneupmanship was great character building. I wonder if that will play a part in the finale. The book turning out to be the cheat codes needed to fly the TARDIS, I expect they meant manual, was very good stuff and Donna's reaction to learning that the Doctor had been winging things was marvellous. Overall, a brilliant listen!

Rating: 9/10

Kidnapped!: Spinvasion

"Don't think too much about the corpses."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Donna Noble 1.02

Featuring: Donna

Synopsis

Donna and Nat have been stolen – along with the TARDIS – and they find themselves crash-landing on an alien world. 

On the planet Valdacki a very successful invasion is already underway. And it's one that has the very best PR.

Verdict

Spinvasion was another great story to continue the first series of Donna Noble’s spinoff series! We had a quick start with the deaths at the hands of the PR company executives and establishing the importance of public relations to the story quickly was very good. Following on from where the opening episode left off, Donna having no real knowledge of the TARDIS controls was amusing and whilst she wasn’t sure which control was the right one, she knew one made a coffee! She did manage to get the TARDIS flying which was quite something and something I imagine was a fun continuation of what we saw when she was flying it during The Sontaran Stratagem. Valdacki made for am intriguing setting and the idea of it being subject to the Collectors was terrific. I was more interested in local affairs though and the wishing of a Happy Factory Day was excellent. The promotion of employment was fantastic. The Can Torn hoard and the glorious invasion made for great story elements and I thought the idea of enslavement and PR saying it was in their best interest was terrific. Donna planning to take down the Parsnip & Cox Head company given what they were doing and promoting was really good and it was fun for her to use her PR experience. Nat being the one to get offered a job at Parsnip was terrific and I was intrigued by the fact nobody was really interested in rising up against the Hoard with the Free Maniacs. Donna heading to the factories after failing in her bid to get a job was nicely done and her arrival there was pretty emphatic. Parsnip having an exclusivity contract with the Hoard was great and quite the power trip had ensued which meant they could really live in luxury amidst a PR stunt reign of terror. The fact that the factory workers could leave at anytime they wished was a big surprise but they were so willing to stick around despite not gaining any money as they were more concerned about their tax going to those on benefits when they did receive it! That was pretty bonkers but it was a strong message given the current political climate and some parties’ awful comments towards the likes of refugees and asylum seekers. Donna being the one to stand up and leave was expected and she made quite the scene whilst doing so! The Hoard plan to execute half of the planet to ensure the planet stayed profitable and enslaved was extraordinary and the calmness in which Parsnip just needed to come up with a campaign was quite horrifying! Donna going to Coleridge who was in hiding and trying to spark some resistance was good stuff and I loved that she took it upon herself to become the new marketing manager! She just needed to improve the image of Coleridge and the broadcast that followed was magnificent in how it immediately appealed to the gullible population. They’d eat up anything if it was marketed even half decently! The factory workers really were consumed by propaganda and their inability to believe that the fire culling that was coming wouldn’t consume them because they simply worked hard. Of course, that’s not exactly what happened. The sheer volume of people dying meaning that disapproval rate was decreasing was quite funny despite the scale of cruelty that was going on. Donna taking it upon herself to transmit a message and feign being part of Parsnip was terrific and her claim that all interests were in the firm meant that it had a profound impact. Ganthak falling for the broadcast was very good given his ludicrous nature and Nat’s role in using Parsnip’s computer to verify the broadcast was brilliant. She’s a fun companion to Donna. Ganthak terminating Parsnip and the entire building was a neat end to finally see off the firm and with that a rebellion followed to see the Hoard presence eliminated. I was a little surprised that Donna didn’t react a lot to the scale of death that occurred whereas this was all new to Nat and she was incredibly concerned. Donna offering her the chance out was very mature and a nice way to end things as they aim to get back to the present. Overall, another fun adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Kidnapped!: Out of this World

"I'm steering clear of skinny boys in suits."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Donna Noble 1.01

Featuring: Donna

Synopsis

Donna's home, but she's not quite herself. Sylvia has some ideas to bring her out of herself – involving an old friend, and speed-dating...

As schoolgirl BFFs Donna and Natalie get reacquainted, a mysterious stranger dogs their steps. Is the Doctor keeping tabs on her, or is the truth far more sinister?

Verdict

Out of this World was a brilliant start to the Kidnapped! first series of the Donna Noble spinoff! I think this is such a fun idea for a spinoff and whilst it is sparked from a really tough time in Donna's life, she's an easy choice of character when it comes to leading their own series. Catherine Tate is just marvellous and starting off with Donna and Sylvia bickering was perfect. The humour that came with the delivery mishap and the latter's mother not being a fan of 'that' Doctor was delightful. It was right in line with what we saw on television during Series 4. The speed dating invitation was great stuff and Sylvia being the one to set her up there with Natalie was very amusing. Nat going despite being married said a lot about her and I liked that the Doctor's presence was felt with Donna thinking she'd seen him at the dating location. Adrian being a late arrival was immediately sceptical and his going on exotic travels somehow made me instantly suspicious of him, as I'm sure was intended. Donna making up a quick story for each person she was speed dating was just excellent and her comments about breaking the sub-two minute mile and being 119 were glorious. This was Donna at her best. Adrian being curious about the TARDIS added to his shadiness and it was a lot of fun for Donna to think he was sent by the Doctor to keep an eye on her whilst he was away from her. The timeline being established for Donna as being fresh off the events of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead was very good and she was really impacted by the reveal that she never had a husband or children as she had lived out in the Library computer. That was really sad and it was nice to know she had come home to recover. A burglary at the Noble household wasn't exactly ideal but Sylvia bashing the burglar with a golf club was tremendous. Sylvia hiding the note from the Doctor was a little sad and it was nice that he was off investigating on his own for something and warned her not to be suspicious of sighting the TARDIS. Sylvia was so suspicious of the Doctor but she was also dealing with the grief of losing her husband really which was very strong continuity and a nice way to place a timeline on the death of Donna's dad from when we saw him in The Runaway Bride. Donna going off investigating the disappearances that Wilf had assembled knowledge on was tremendous and the fact that humans and their non-human synthetics were being separated was very creepy! Shoes being left behind was an eery image. Nat showing her concern with a secret call to Sylvia was intriguing and I wonder how the dynamic of their pairing will turn out for the rest of the series. Dennis being the prime suspect was good and his apparent monkey testing and suspicious warehouse added to that eery atmosphere. Donna and Nat were denied entry and the comedy that followed about not being defeated by a fence was outstanding. The guard dogs did the trick! Adrian also being there confirmed he was up to no good despite the cover story of fixing the IT maintenance issues. Donna matching with Adrian was great and her conversation to Marge about not having any other matches was terrific. She certainly seemed to care desire not initially wanting to go! Nat matching with Dennis provided the perfect opportunity for a double date and Nat proving there was a bad guy was really good as she showed how all of the missing people were contained in Dennis's file. Dennis describing a break in at the warehouse with missing livers was horrifying especially as there was no surgery involved. That all pointed to Adrian and some alien activity. Dennis wife being missing but him saying she'd left him added to the suspicion on him, but I was torn once Adrian positioned himself to investigate Dennis. Nat being his next victim did seem to add up and the plan for Adrian and Donna to go to Dennis's house first and leave the date early was strong. Donna picking up on Adrian's faux pas of knowing that Sylvia was Donna's mum without her mentioning was good and something I'm glad wasn't let to slip. Marge going to Sylvia and warning her of Adrian but her mistaking the murderer for the Doctor was excellent stuff! Marge going to the restaurant was good but Nat's twist of knowing it was Adrian all along was cleverly done. She knew that it was him that had taken Dennis's wife instead but the murderer was feigning a love interest for Donna when she questioned him after the taxi detours. His reveal that his method was by absorption and literally becoming one not meaning a relationship was great. He extracted the essence he needed to keep his failed organs going and then liquidised what was left. It was gruesome stuff! Marge being in league with Adrian was something I didn't expect so that was a fantastic late twist, and they'd both found the TARDIS which led them to Donna because of the traces of it on her. She had knowledge they needed on it. Marge's faulty transmat only taking human matter provided a brutal death for Adrian but an ingenious way for Donna to get the upper hand on him, and we had a very intriguing conclusion! Marge had the TARDIS and the doors had been left open, only for Donna to claim she was the Doctor and Nat was her companion! I thought that was marvellous and a terrific way to set up the rest of the series. Overall, a really strong start to the spinoff! 

Rating: 9/10

Mind of the Hodiac

"The TARDIS was invaded by the power of pure thought."

Writers: Russell T Davies & Scott Handcock

Format: Audio

Released: March 2022

Series: Lost Stories 7.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

In the depths of space, the mysterious Hodiac is manipulating the Galactic Stock Exchange to raise money. His aim? To hire mercenaries for a deadly quest across the stars.

Meanwhile, on Earth, an ordinary British family is plagued by a series of psychic events.

The one thing connecting these events is a magnificent patchwork coat – which just so happens to belong to the Doctor!

Verdict

Mind of the Hodiac was a great Lost Stories adventure! Ever since Russell T Davies released his draft script for this story back during the Doctor Who Watchalongs in 2020, it was clear that Big Finish were going to snap this up and the very idea of RTD writing a story for the Sixth Doctor is just extraordinary! It's so good for him to have a performed story from the Classic era and there are all the traits we would become accustomed to with RTD in this story with the intergalactic scale and then things being whittled down to an ordinary family on Earth. I thought the concept of the Intergalactic Stock Exchange was fun and the Hodiac was positioned straight away as being ruthless when it came to money and the control and influence it can bring. I must admit that I didn't expect the Hodiac to be humanoid and he did just sound like an ordinary villain, but there was a lot more there when it came to the hunt for his Other. That concept was very good and I liked the idea of a shared consciousness and one half running away and making herself human. The pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Mel was brilliant and they really are an underrated pairing in my eyes. I thought they were terrific here and it was wonderful to hear them reciting words from the next show runner! The cycle of Doctor Who really is something else. They were slowly mingled into proceedings with a lot of the characters we were introduced to but they made a big impact once that happened. The idea of the Hodiac to take control of currency on a galactic scale was fantastic and I really wished that stayed the focus of the adventure as that potential control was extraordinary. However, the focus in part two seemed to shift to the hunt for the Other which was fine but not quite on the scale I was enjoying. It all came down to Earth (literally) with that hunt and whilst it probably dragged out a little, it worked well. The threat of the Tungsten warriors could have been better but it was good that the Doctor knew them by reputation. I thought Mrs Chinn was a very fun character with her religious tendencies and her thinking that her god was arriving when the Hodiac descended was outstanding. She was brutally dealt with as there was a new god now. The family dynamic of the Other-become-human was very good and the younger members not really understanding what was going on was fantastic. I liked how everything became linked towards the latter stages of the adventure but given its position in the synopsis I was expecting more of a connection with the Doctor's coat. I did like how the Doctor was all thought out by the Hodiac and his mockery of the Time Lords was amusing with all their talking. It was also wonderful to have the Shadow Proclamation used as a threat which probably wouldn't have happened if this was made back when it was written. I thought the ending was quite neat and tidy with the mental power of the Hodiac being used against itself which wasn't much of a surprise but I still enjoyed it! The multiples of one mind mentions was good so it was a somewhat ironic end. Overall, a delightful audio!

Rating: 8/10

Flashpoint

"The boy has to die."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: July 2017

Series: Short Trips 7.07

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Cerberin: the famous storm world. Seen from space, it's a spectacle of light and colour that draws tourists in their thousands. 

Escaping an attack by gangster assassins, and separated from the Doctor, Lucie Miller finds herself stranded on the surface. The killers are in pursuit, she has a child to protect, and lightning is striking all around.

Then a shape approaches through the storm, moving with heavy footsteps...

Verdict

Flashpoint was a very decent Short Trips adventure! It was very nice to revisit the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller after what has been quite a while since I listened to the emotional end of the fourth series of Eighth Doctor Adventures, and this slotted in somewhere there nicely. The setting of Cerberin was established quickly and I liked how it would be one of the universe’s seven wonders if they had to be limited to just that many. The Doctor and Lucie arriving on the bubble platform of the platform and it was pretty nice for them to have a beautiful view and enjoying themselves. Cerberin being a storm planet was a good concept and I liked how it was covered in electrical storms on a permanent basis. That gave it an immediate edge. I thought Sheridan Smith’s narration was good and she stepped back into the Lucie role very well and delivered a calm impression of Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor. The introduction of Elric was pretty good and I liked how he was knowledgeable about the planet. Clent being an unfriendly guard hinted at something more for the youngster but before things could be dwelled on the platform bubble was attacked and cracked. Elric being lost from Clent provided trepidation and Lucie instinctively going to him to help was lovely with the hole that appeared in the glass. People actually being sucked out of the hole was shocking and Clent and the TARDIS heading that way too was great. Lucie’s vision going blurry was excellent and I liked the threat of no air before the pillars opening provided a lifeboat. The Doctor still being on the platform was good to separate him from Lucie and Elric but he was able to contact her as he looked to get to the surface. Elric being the reason of the attack was something completely unexpected! Lucie and he arriving on the surface was good and the danger presented from the lightning strikes was fantastic. Heading to a cave seemed logical and we finally learned that it was gangster criminals out to get Elric. The arrival of Rake on the planet surface was interesting and I liked how his accommodation vehicle was a tip. How wouldn’t it be when he’d been in isolation there for twelve years! The vehicle being lightning proof and actually collecting the power was great stuff and I thought we could have used the power. Finding out that Elric’s dad was a judge that had been cracking down on intergalactic gangs was decent but I’d have liked more of an explanation regarding why ‘the boss’ wanted him dead. His mother had been attacked by gangs fighting back and Elric was sent to a safe house with his guard, but talk of an informant seemed to get a little lost which was a shame. Elric running into the storm because of the tattoo he saw on Rake’s arm being of a gang mark was a little comical as that was hardly safer and he knew that the man had been isolating for over a decade. The lightning striking him was expected and Lucie performing CPR was admirable. The dart ships being a hallmark of the gangs was cool and one had a cushioned landing meaning members were on the loose. Lucie standing her ground for Elric was terrific and it was nice for Rake to save her from imminent death. His efforts to treat Elric with him not living the gang life anymore was nicely done but his own gang members ended up killing him! Lucie retaliating with death of her own was a shock and it felt a little odd for her to try and justify it. Taking Rake’s suit to save Elric was good though and I liked how things ended with burying the dead and lighting the message to the Doctor as the TARDIS arrives. Overall, a very decent listen!

Rating: 7/10

Legend of the Sea Devils

"Our Earth will be glorious aqua once more."

Writers: Ella Road & Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 17 April 2022

Series: 2022 Easter Special

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

In nineteenth century China, a small coastal village is under threat – from both the fearsome pirate queen and a monstrous alien force; the Doctor must emerge from this swashbuckling battle with the Sea Devils to save the planet.

Verdict

Legend of the Sea Devils was a fun Easter Special to bring back a legendary Classic villain! I was super excited by the trailer for this episode when it aired shortly after Eve of the Daleks, and this was just a lot of fun. It's not gong to go down as one of the greatest ever stories, but it was just an enjoyable adventure from start to finish and hinted at things to come for our TARDIS trio and their love interests. It only seems like five minutes since Dan joined the TARDIS team back in The Halloween Apocalypse, but now it seems like he's taking an evaluation of his current situation following that phone call to Di. It was nice for her to get another cameo following on from Flux, but for me this was all about the Sea Devils. I thought the design was tremendous and was really great at honouring the Classic era. I liked that the Doctor referenced The Sea Devils and how they had more honour than this batch, and the first meeting with the Doctor and Sea Devil didn't take long at all which was enjoyable. However, I do think the aim of the Sea Devils came into play a little too late and for the first half it was fun but there didn't seem a huge purpose other than the stereotypical pirate aim of finding treasure. I will give props where they're due as this episode definitely felt at home with Pirates of the Caribbean and I should also mention the costumes which looked outstanding. Madam Ching was a tremendous historical figure and whilst I knew nothing about her from history, I thought she was by far the standout here. She really was excellent. Her letting the Sea Devil loose from the statue was an exciting start although I thought the defence was a little too late. It later did provide Ching with a responsibility of Ying Ki and he became a part of her crew at the end which was a nice touch. I thought the new ability of the Sea Devils to transport with the mystery green mist was good and I enjoyed that there was clearly a Chief Sea Devil in control. Their desire to return the Earth as their own was recycled and not new, but the effort to reverse the poles and replace latitude with longitude and vice versa was quite the means of creating chaos! I enjoyed that, it just came a little too late. The use of the TARDIS to go back to the sixteenth century and find the location of the lost treasure felt a bit like cheating, but it was fun for Ji-Hun to still be held in stasis back in the nineteenth century. I wasn't a huge fan of the giant sea monster and it would have been so much better for it to be a Myrka! Restoring that reputation could have been wonderful. I thought the humour that came from Dan's costume was brilliant and the Doctor talking to Yaz and him like they were children was terrific. The real conversation though between the Doctor and Yaz about their relationship was extraordinary and it's so nice to have it addressed. The Doctor basically said she would go out with Yaz, but she couldn't because of who she is and how it would hurt too much. She would outlive them. The comment about her wife and being a different man back then was glorious stuff. As a whole, I thought the Sea Devils being defeated was a little quick and the stabbing of the Chief was very sudden. The gemstone should have been more prominent too. But as a whole, this was more than an enjoyable episode! 

Rating: 7/10

Latter Days: The Rockery

"Let it be known that I hate the countryside."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Torchwood One 3.03

Featuring: Yvonne

Synopsis

Anne Hartman has retired to the country, which comes as a surprise to her daughter. Has Yvonne met a problem even she can't solve?

Verdict

The Rockery was a decent conclusion to the Latter Days third series of Torchwood One! I am still a little baffled that there's an entire series dedicated to retirement, but each story had their own quirks and they worked well and there was no problem at all with the overall direction! It just seems so strange but in typical Big Finish fashion it worked very well and this was a good way to finish. I liked that Yvonne took the limelight as Ianto got that role in Retirement Plan and it was really interesting for us to meet her mother. Anne Hartman was a fun character and very much like her daughter so I was impressed with the writing and her characterisation as you could really see where Yvonne got a lot of her traits and personality from. I liked that Anne knew all about Torchwood and what her daughter got up to, but she was clearly hurt by something with Yvonne being very shocked to find that her mother had retired to the countryside of Shropshire. That was a long way from the flat she had in Kensington and it was clear that the death of Anne's husband, Yvonne's father, still loomed large in their minds. Yvonne challenging to her mother about her depression was a stark injection of emotion and I couldn't blame her for going to the countryside if that's how she felt and was dealing with her grief. William was a very amusing character and he was so nice to his new neighbour and didn't take long to take on her gardening duties which was a nice offering. However, he was a little too nice for Anne's liking which was a bit of a shame as they clearly got on well and their chemistry developed throughout the episode which was nice to hear. I'm glad they got on good terms again after the dinner with Yvonne given how Anne was a little harsh in the garden regarding how nice he was after asking her out. That was a nice moment and I really think they should have just gone with it. Yvonne tasking her mother with looking after an alien plant known as the haunt was good and it was a nice reason for her to come back and visit on occasion, although her mother was challenging her on that once the plant was done for and there was no reason left to come. One element of the story I really enjoyed was the talk of the ghosts that had recently arrived which was a nice link to Army of Ghosts/Doomsday and Yvonne talking of the ghost missions was excellent. It was also an eery foreshadowing of events to come for Yvonne as head of Torchwood as she promised her mother that she would be coming often once the final ghost mission took place, but of course she wouldn't make it past that final mission which was a harrowing reminder of how dangerous Torchwood can be. Anne using weed killer on the haunt was amusing given the effects it had in becoming a widespread killer in the garden, with Yvonne picking up on the squirrel deaths being quite something! Overall, this was a decent story to conclude the series and it was nice to meet Yvonne's mother and explore her family. 

Rating: 7/10

Latter Days: Locker 15

"Memories. That's all some of us have."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Torchwood One 3.02

Featuring: Ianto, Yvonne

Synopsis

A mysterious force is wiping out Torchwood, and the only person who can save London is a cleaner called Dave.

Verdict

Locker 15 was a terrific little story to continue the Latter Days third series of Torchwood One! I must admit that I thought the title that serves as the umbrella for this boxset was going to refer to the last days of Torchwood prior to the events of Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, and whilst there was reference to that with the mention of the sphere being seemingly newly acquired, it appears that the title will actually refer to retirement! I didn't expect that to last for the series following on from Retirement Plan, but things started here with Ianto visiting his uncle Dave at the retirement care home. His efforts to try and get him to remember Torchwood and using Tommy as a character reference didn't seem very family like, but I did enjoy that Dave had worked at Torchwood as learning anything about the organisation's past is always something I'm interested in and it's a big reason of why I am loving this spinoff range. Of course, with Ianto referring to him as Mr Cook it was clear that he wasn't actually his nephew and was feigning a familial connection to try and obtain the locker key to a mysterious Locker 15 that was causing chaos at Torchwood Tower. The only problem was that Dave had been retired for three years now and his brain functions had all but ceased. Quite the predicament for Ianto and Yvonne! Hearing Kara try and deal with Locker 15 herself was good and I liked the danger of anyone getting too close just having their memories wipe. Nobody could get close without that happening to them which was great stuff. It seemed that there were three months until the entire Torchwood Tower was a no go zone which was a strong threat. Yvonne going to Dave and feigning being her niece was perhaps a step too ridiculous, but the outing that was arranged was done well and taking him to the infamous locker may spark some memories. He initially only remembered storing mops as his occupation was as a janitor, but it all began to come back slowly which was paced pretty well. He knew he'd left something in Locker 15 and the little flashback sequences definitely helped with us learning that there were aliens involved. That wasn't exactly a surprise. The bio-lock on the locker was excellent and Yvonne's calm reaction in realising that Dave was effective was good stuff. The skeleton dead body inside was a bit grim, especially with the surprise that it was Dave Cook! I didn't see it coming that the real article was actually dead. The psychic warp field around the locker vicinity was good and more could have been made of tat with two killed from it and I'd have just liked slightly more detail on the alien security node that was within, it didn't seem enough that the alien just wanted to defend itself. Yvonne refusing to abandon the locker was good and I liked the irony of it absorbing the attempted blast. The flashback to the brain waves absorption of Dave was decent and the sequence of the alien actually becoming Dave was good, but then it just hid away and locked the real person away! That was both sad and cruel. Yvonne wanting to restore the core memory to the alien Dave was ruthless and Ianto expressed his worries about the prolonged effect of retcon on an alien, as that happened every six weeks in small doses to the likes of janitors, and now look at the impact! The deactivation of the security node was an expected end amidst an exciting conclusion, but the final touch of Yvonne going back to the home with Dave and suffocating the alien was brutal. That showed just how dark she could be. Overall, a very good audio! 

Rating: 8/10

Latter Days: Retirement Plan

"I'm killing myself next month."

Writer: Gareth David-Lloyd

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Torchwood One 3.01

Featuring: Ianto

Synopsis

Torchwood's Head of Alien Acquisitions is retiring. But there's something very wrong in the idyll of El Cielo. And it's going to kill Ianto.

Verdict

Retirement Plan was an excellent start to the Latter Days third series of Torchwood One! I really am enjoying this spinoff range and probably even more than I expected, and this was quite the opener to say the least. I thought it started in a fun way with Ianto and Tommy and the latter giving the former tips which was amusing. I wasn't expecting the entire story to centre around the unique pairing and Tommy planning on retiring was a solid basis to move things forward. His showing Ianto all of the tips because he was good was a nice compliment to the PA, and the shift in revealing that Tommy planned to kill himself and upload his consciousness into El Cielo was not at all what I was expecting! That seemed very uncharacteristic for Tommy and he was easily able to steal the technology being the Head of Alien Acquisitions. That was a lot of fun. His desire for Ianto to do maintenance on the software once he was uploaded was an amusing prospect but I did love that he was only willing if he could go into the software himself first and take a look. He was plugged in and experienced all that Tommy had put together which was quite brilliant and Jerky John being the basis of all of the characters was fantastic. Ianto's reaction. to him even being the basis for a female within was terrific, especially when Tommy smacked her behind. Yvonne being a character within the El Cielo was incredible comedy and Tracey Ann-Oberman put on an incredible performance with the Spanish accent! It was quite tremendous. I loved the humour of her being programmed to love Tommy only and call Ianto the ugly one. There was quite the contrast when Tommy revealed all about the emotional tale of his wife and how he had to retcon her after finally being able to tell her the truth about his life, and now he had spent half a century at Torchwood so if this was the retirement he wanted then surely he deserved it. The video version of Yvonne preventing Ianto and Tommy from leaving because she'd learned of the magic words that disconnected them was tremendous and she knew that they wanted to fix and make tweaks to the characters! She believed that Ianto wanted to kill them so she retaliated with poison to try and ensure it was just Tommy and her. Things really shifted gear then when Ianto and the 'Elena' Yvonne seemed to get intimate before the introduction of an action-packed second half of the episode with the soldiers coming trying to take down Cassandra Brav. The analogies of the retirement obviously signalled that Ianto was tasked with saving Tommy and the quick adjustment of narratives with Elena skipping ahead to being a double agent was fantastic. I was a big fan of Brav just being another Yvonne and Ianto getting in on the game with his secret agent persona and laser weapon was marvellous. Ianto pondering on whether he wanted to actually stay in the El Cielo was intriguing and unexpected but his having a talking sports car Travis was terrific. Ianto was in fine form and that should come as no surprise given the author. Travis knowing that Ianto always completed his mission was nice and him being the swine that needed to be killed put him in quite the position within the virtual world! Yvonne making herself admin was fantastic but I did enjoy Tommy's plan to get Ianto to the outside to help him. Yvonne using Sandra and Tommy's old dog Lola as a hook was full of emotion but he was contemplating living forever in his old life. I thought that was a strong argument! Tommy was nearly convinced but he'd actually been given the reigns as a result which was a nice touch. The comedy at the end with the true Yvonne being on the outside and having seen everything was marvellous, and there would be no retirement for Tommy. He'd made a binding agreement to Torchwood and it wouldn't be ending now. Overall, an excellent listen! 

Rating: 9/10

The Evil of the Daleks

"There is only one form of life that matters – Dalek life!"

Writer: David Whitaker 

Format: TV (Animation)

Released: September 2021

Season: 4.09

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The TARDIS has been stolen. Marooned on Earth in the year 1966, the Doctor and Jamie set out to find the missing time-machine. Their investigations bring them to a mysterious London antiques shop, where all the antique all seem to be brand new.

Kidnapped by the antique shop's owner, the Doctor is then Brough face to face with a very old enemy – the Daleks. Working from a house in Victorian England, the Daleks have a new masterplan to conquer the universe. And in order to carry it out, they need the Doctor's help.

Verdict

The Evil of the Daleks was a fantastic animation of the sadly lost Classic series epic! It really is a fine finale and one that goes down in folklore given that only one episode of the serial still exists, but thankfully with this animation we have some sort of completeness. I was really impressed with the colour animation and whilst it remained slightly change to be watching a Season 4 story in full colour, they grasped the opportunity well in showcasing some fine directing styles when it came to the Waterfield house and also the depiction of Skaro and the Doctor pushing the fake Omega to its death below. I must admit that I didn't remember a lot of the specifics regarding this story but I was really looking forward to getting that meeting between the Doctor and the Dalek Emperor for the first time chronologically. The images that remain of the Dalek Emperor have always impressed me with the scale and design being so impressive and I thought the animation did the great figure justice. Jamie remarked on its size which was terrific and I liked how booming it was. A fitting design for the Dalek Emperor. I was surprised that so much of the story took place on Earth and I really didn't remember it taking until part six for events to shift to Skaro and that really meant an exciting and thrilling conclusion. I think too much time was spent on Earth but it was nice to have an immediate follow on from The Faceless Ones with the TARDIS being collected and then shifting things between 1966 and 1866. The Victorian antiques being brand new was good and I liked the use of time travel to make a profit from Waterfield. Maxtible was a good character to have alongside him and his desire to help the Daleks in return for transmutating metals into gold was good. He was greedy. Victoria's introduction almost goes unnoticed in this adventure and it's never really established that she joins on board which is slightly strange. It's quite the unfolding of events for her to take in during her first story but I liked that she built a relationship with Jamie and he really did care for her, and not just because she was pretty. The concept of the human factor has always intrigued me and I loved that the Doctor perfected it and named Alpha, Beta and Omega with a sensational part five cliffhanger of him playing games with the Daleks. Hearing them refer to the Doctor as their friend was chilling and I loved the dizzy Daleks sequences. Kennedy was a strong character for the first episode and a bit that he featured with his extermination shocking me and having a big impact. I loved the design of the black-headed Daleks on Skaro to differentiate from those attributed the human factor and both designs looked marvellous in animation. The twist from the Emperor in actually wanting to establish the Dalek factor was brilliant but the Doctor double crossing in the end because he'd reversed the circuitry and was actually enacting the human factor was good, and I thought there was some very intriguing conversations about the Doctor's species which was fun given the chronology. Overall, a fine animation of a lost Classic that hopefully one day is found to see in its original glory. But if that day doesn't come, this is a fine substitute.

Rating: 8/10

Protectors of Time: The Turn of the Tides

"The Moon actually shook!"

Writer: Nina Millns

Format: Audio

Released: March 2022

Series: Eighth of March 2.03

Featuring: Jo, Rani

Synopsis

In the footsteps of Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra is investigating strange weather phenomena, calling on an old friend for help – Jo Jones! But UNIT is also on the case, led by science officer Jac. Soon all three women will be on a mission to the Moon...

Verdict

The Turn of the Tides was a great little adventure to conclude the Prisoners of Time second series of The Eighth of March! I really loved the idea behind this one and reuniting Jo and Rani together some years on from the events of Death of the Doctor was wonderful. I loved that Rani featured and she was all grown up from where The Sarah Jane Adventures concluded and just having Big Finish take on that spinoff show is fantastic and I do hope it is the start of more to come. I thought the premise of the plot was pretty simple and it was nice that both Rani and Jo were investigating the strange weather patterns that were occurring. Although, I'm not sure strange cuts it enough when it comes to what was happening as the patterns were so extreme that even the Moon was shaking! I thought that idea was excellent and obviously the impact that could have on the tides and the planet were very high indeed. The inclusion of Jac was a nice touch to represent UNIT and having the modern version of the organisation blending with Jo was fantastic given her history and stature there. Rani also having been trained by Sarah Jane when it came to paranormal activity and journalism was a lovely touch and Jo admiring her and the woman she had become was lovely. This was probably my favourite representation of women in the series with no obvious male influence, whereas in Stolen Futures we had Romana alongside Biroc and then Noah was around in Prism. This was an all women show though and the trio quickly heading to the Moon was great! The reaction of Rani when it came to finding out that they would actually pilot the ship themselves was fun and I loved how Jo differed in going along with the classic ways and not using modern technology. The UNIT continuity with Project Indigo transporting them to UNIT Gibraltar was excellent and I really liked that with the time difference from The Stolen Earth that it seemed to be in operation now. Matasar made for a good enemy and the twist with Rio standing alongside her true brother worked well and did surprise me a little. Mellissa was also a very good character to feature and her having history with the Doctor and Jo was nice and the former companion was clearly delighted to see her again. Jo taking the initiative and getting to the top by feigning New Earth and New Time was delightful and it was lovely to hear her in action once again. I also really liked Rani's reaction to being in space and comparing it now with what Sarah Jane had said. As a whole, this was a really enjoyable adventure and it was great to have Jo back as her elderly self and reunited with Rani who was wonderful to see all grown up and developed. It was nice for Jac and UNIT to offer Rani a more permanent job at the organisation and I do wonder if this will end up with her featuring in the UNIT spinoff in the future. I'd really love that. However, for now this was just a delightful story to play out highlight the women at their best! 

Rating: 8/10