Real Time

"The Controller wants the Doctor to succeed him."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Webcast

Released: August-September 2002

Series: Webcasts 02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

On a planet known only as Chronos, two scientific survey teams have vanished. Inexplicably. Without warning. But with just one clue supplied – a single screamed word: "Cybermen!"

The University of they worked for has called in the Earth security forces who despatch a third team, a mix of military and scientific might, under the auspices of a University Administrator. If the kind of volatile grouping isn't bad enough, three strangers have been added to the mix – a young human expert in Cybermen and a mysterious traveller in space ad time, the Doctor, along with his companion, Dr Evelyn Smythe.

But can they solve the riddle of the vanished survey teams before the Cybermen harness Chronos' unique temporal gifts and rewrite the history of the galaxy?

Verdict

Real Time was a solid story and an intriguing watch! I say watch as the only option for me in covering this adventure was by webcast. Considering it was released some twenty-three years ago now, it's not a massive surprise that it is currently inaccessible on the now archived BBC website where it was hosted. Thankfully, all six episodes are remastered on YouTube to my delight and in case they got taken down I made it a priority to watch almost right away. This has long been on my list of stories to cover but I've always wanted to ensure it was the webcast version as I deem that the 'true' version. When I was listening I was fascinated that this was claimed to be listened to as an audio or watched as a webcast regardless. I'm not so convinced. I don't think I would have enjoyed or even had a full understanding of what was happening without the visual aids. I must say, I love the idea of providing animation for Big Finish adventures and it's a shame that there are yet to be any further webcasts after Shada (another on my list to cover soon and I've found source!). I thought the colour and the animation style was excellent and whilst this is clearly nothing similar to the animation reconstruction of my recent The Celestial Toymaker watch, you have to take it for what it is. There's no mouth movements which is fine and whilst some of the directorial choices were a little odd – why so much focus on the cat brooch of the Doctor's? – it was really great to watch. I'm not sure why but this feels like something of a hidden classic so it felt like event viewing in my kitchen as I was rocking and keeping my ten-week-old daughter asleep! I thought the design of the Cybermen was excellent and just perfect for an animation of this kind. This is where things could get really creative so the idea of them only being half converted just added to their nightmarish nature. I thought the graphics when the history of the Cybermen was being described was magnificent with the different designs ranging from The Tenth Planet to Earthshock and beyond all evident in the background. It really added a lot. The story making references to Sword of Orion and the wars that came there was magnificent continuity with Big Finish adventures in the Cyberverse. The Cyber Controller looked absolutely superb. It was a wonderful redesign and the animation just enhanced the quality. He took up the whole screen on something that was akin to a throne and why wouldn’t that be fitting for the head honcho of the Cybermen? The prospect of him being so far in the future that time didn’t measurements didn’t quite matter was fascinating and I liked the use of the time portal found at the Chronosphere. Getting the visual for that was really good. Speaking of visuals, this story has become something of a famous one for the attire of the Sixth Doctor. I think it really suits him and whilst I understand the decision was made due to logistics as the traditional multi-coloured coat would be difficult and time consuming to illustrate, I think it’s a good representation of the softer Sixie that has been present in the Big Finish version of the incarnation. It’s really striking and I can finally say I’ve seen the story for which I have the action figure from! There are actually two versions which is just baffling (and an Eaglemoss figurine!) but I’ve got the original release and it certainly stands out. I thought Savage turning into a Cyberman after going through the portal really set the tone for the story and Goddard was an intriguing character. There was always going to be something more to him, but I’m not sure him being a Cyberman on the inside entirely worked. It almost felt like a little too much was being done with the Cybermen in this adventure. I also felt like we were missing a part as the way we just dive into the story felt a little rushed. There was no TARDIS interior or arrival scenes and the Doctor and Evelyn were already apart! I appreciate delving right into the action but there’s a pace required. I thought the plan of the Controller was admirable but attentions soon turned to Goddard when he has the virus that the Cybermen used in his timeline to subject the human race to death, eradication or conversion in 1927. He was just four days old but he’d now brought about a grandfather paradox which is fascinating! The cliffhanger finish is tremendous and it’s such a shame that it won’t be resolved. The idea of Evelyn going on to become a Cyberman is incredible and her being injected with the virus as the Controller had actually reversed it was superb. Goddard did try to warn the Doctor before obliteration but it was too late. And off they set to 1927 to set the whole thing into motion. But up until now it’s gone completely unresolved which is a shame, other than a little hint in Spiral Scratch which is better than nothing I suppose! I do think there was probably a bit too much going on by the end and things got confusing timeline wise, but I love the concept. The animation works well for me and I love the design and use of the Cybermen for the most part. Overall, a fascinating watch! It just needed a bit more pacing out and some extra elaboration. But an absolute joy to have ticked it off!

Rating: 7/10

The Defectors

"I'm guessing I'm not quite the Doctor you were expecting."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: April 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 198

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

Jo Grant is shocked to find most of her colleagues are missing. Then she discovers that the Doctor has inexplicably changed.

But there's no time to worry about it, as she and her misplaced Time Lord friend are whisked to the mysterious Delphin Isle on a matter of national security. There, they encounter a disturbingly odd form of local hospitality and learn of a highly classified incident that took place during the Cold War. 

Why exactly have they been brought here? And what is the truth concerning the bodies in the harbour and the vast project being undertaken beneath a cloak of secrecy?

Verdict

The Defectors was a strong story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! This is something of a slight personal milestone for me as I remember when this was released and being quite gutted at how far behind I was in what was then the Main Range. I love the idea of matching up wrong Doctors and companions so I'm very excited about the prospect of an entire trilogy. I do wonder if they will be related as we didn't get a firm explanation as to why the Seventh Doctor replaced the Third at this point in time with Jo and UNIT, but I quite like that ambiguity! I thought the opening two parts in particular were excellent as we explored the mysterious setting of Delphin Isle and it was clear right from the off that things weren't as they seemed. The posh nature of Captain Cornelius and Commander Wingford added a lot and it just added credence to the involvement of the British Government. I thought the continued use of things being a matter of national security was great and that served as a really good perception filter from the truth behind what was happening. I liked Jo's reaction to UNIT essentially being pushed to the background and the new crew in charge seemed to know a lot more than they should. Their recognising of the Doctor also gave them away as this was not the incarnation that should be present. With this featuring the Seventh Doctor, I thought it was quite fun to essentially still treat this as a Third Doctor tale. I mean, they even used that era's theme! That was a cool little nod and it caught my attention immediately. I thought the brief use of the Brigadier as a trick was good and the muffled signal just about did enough to conceal and convince at the same time. It could be viable that he was present, but the Doctor knew better. His gag to himself in claiming to have an in-joke with the Brigadier was a neat way to confirm he wasn't actually present at all. I thought the Europans revealing themselves actually harmed the story slightly as I did get the feeling this could become something of a classic, but they just became a bit annoying. In principle, I like the concept behind them and their position not being one for invasion or killing certainly took Jo by surprise. But it was just slightly difficult to take them seriously with their silliness regarding being grossed out by humanity. It wasn't even anger or frustration with them being tested on by humanity when they were first discovered which would have worked better as a motive. I'd be more on board with that. However, I can appreciate that they also just wanted to leave and go home. That felt real too. I liked the Doctor's stance on being in the wrong place and body with a possible suggestion that in the seventh incarnation he might act differently and as needed compared with his third self. That playing a part in Jo costing the Europans and the island their existence was quite shocking actually as she didn't want the TARDIS depleted of its energy source because of what that would mean for the Doctor's own future. The scale of death and destruction at the end was unexpected but I really liked the impact it had. The Europans were going to destroy the island in taking off anyway but Jo inadvertently helped them to destruction, or so it seemed. I thought their quick return only to be wiped out by UNIT at the end wasn't exactly necessary, but the appearance of the Third Doctor returning and her forgetting ever encountering the Seventh is fascinating. Even Shedgerton forgot him too! He was a strong character and his being the focal point for the explanation on what was happening with the Defectors and the blue liquid was terrific. Having them sleeping face down in water was quite an image! Overall, a really strong start to a fascinating trilogy. I still think there was room for improvement but a very good listen nonetheless!

Rating: 8/10

Time After Time

"When the Doctor's body wore thin, I helped him to renew himself."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Short Story

Released: July 2024

Series: I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box 02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria, Zoe

Synopsis

The Doctor has a unique bond with their TARDIS. They've always loved the 'old girl' for the way she's gone looking for trouble anywhere in the universe. The Doctor says they stole the TARDIS from Gallifrey. The TARDIS disagrees... she stole them. She hasn't always taken them where they want to go, but she's made sure to take them where they needed to be.

For the TARDIS is dar more than just a time machine crossed with a spaceship. Her life reflects the Doctor's life – a shared wanderlust and longing to explore. Now you can revisit the Doctor's adventures as seen through the eyes – or the flashing rooftop light, at least – of the TARDIS. From the time the Doctor stole her from Gallifrey to her latest adventures with the Fifteenth Doctor, the TARDIS reflects wittily on her epic, incredible history – past, present and future! 

Verdict

Time After Time was a somewhat average continuation of the I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box collection. I remember being worried in my blogging of The Answer's at the End as the book's opening story that I was worried for the direction of the stories moving forward and I think they were justified after reading this adventure. I say adventure, I'm not entirely sure if these would actually constitute bloggable entries but now I've started I feel like it is too late to go back. I just don't feel like I am really getting anything new with things being from the perspective of the TARDIS and it's basically just a recap of in this case the adventures of the Second Doctor. I don't really find the nicknames of the companions all that amusing and I think referring to Jamie as 'Kilt Boy' and Victoria as the 'Screamer' are awfully harsh and don't really do justice for the contributions they made whilst travelling in the TARDIS. I do like that the TARDIS recognised that Jamie stayed travelling with the Doctor for a long time and if it wasn't for the Time Lords during the events of The War Games then he might have stayed forever. Touching upon the Second Doctor's finale was strong and it was fun to hear the TARDIS recall trying to evade capture from the Time Lords even if it was useless. They were always going to find the Doctor once he had called them in. I must say, given that this was focusing on the Second Doctor in the TARDIS it didn't much feel like he was the focus of the recollection. Perhaps I have misinterpreted the meaning of the book, but all of the photos were from this era! I think the design of the book is gorgeous and that continued here as I do think the images add something to the recollection, but perhaps more of them could actually be inside the TARDIS? I think this segment missed a trick in not delving deeper into the TARDIS's experience of the events of The Mind Robber in the Land of Fiction. That was a big missed opportunity. I did though enjoy the discussion on the HADS in some fun The Krotons memories. That was a good use of a TARDIS component. My favourite aspect of the story was the insinuation that the continued arrivals on Earth and predominantly being in the 20th century was out of habit from trying to get Ian and Barbara home. That was lovely and I really like that as an explanation of why it would keep happening with future incarnations. There's something really poignant about that and trying to give some sort of in-universe rationale for the frequency of visits is all good in my book! I wasn't a fan of the journey log section in this story because it really did seem to be a mad dash across the Second Doctor's era. There was barely a line on classics such as The Power of the Daleks and The Abominable Snowmen. I also thought the mocking of the claw cliffhanger leading into The Macra Terror was just a bit silly and for an incredible space and time machine like the TARDIS, she didn't half feel juvenile! I know we saw her be a bit whacky in The Doctor's Wife but there's a difference between that and just sounding immature. Just look at the Eleventh Doctor. This perspective of the TARDIS felt slightly off, but the rating comes from the bulk of the Ian and Barbara explanation and the accompanying imagery looking wonderful. 

Rating: 6/10