The Decayed Master Part Three

"I want to be healed."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: September 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 6.03

Featuring: Third Doctor, The Master

Synopsis

With the Master bearing down, Naava flees through a skiproad to the plague-infected streets of medieval York. She's seeking her old friend Calix, the greatest of the chronosurgeons, to warn him of the nightmare that pursues her. 

But something else is emerging from the skiproads, something twisted and deadly, tearing chunks out of the panicked city. Naava has only one hope to set things right and escape the Master's clutches, and he's hundreds of years in the future, listening out for ghosts of the ancient city.

Verdict

The Decayed Master concluded in excellent style with this third and final part of the story! Dark Gallifrey's sixth series/story certainly went out with a bang and I'm delighted to find that there are another two series to come next year. I'm sure when this range was announced a couple of years ago that it was initially only six series, so to be getting more is very exciting stuff. I love the Master but I do hope that the Time Lords focused in those two stories are not different incarnations. I suspect at least one will be though! The decaying incarnation here was written brilliantly and he has an air of the War Master about him with how calm and callous he is. He really is collected and so nonchalant which brings such an eery quality to him knowing his appearance. It's also great to explore his desperation as he refuses to accept death at the end of his regeneration cycle. I really appreciated how much this episode did in establishing the background on Gallifrey for Naava and Calix as I really do think this series should focus more on the Time Lord home planet itself. It was good to get a proper link to the whole Dark Gallifrey concept which has ironically probably been lacking in a number of stories within this range. It was an even darker experimentation than the skiproads and was a big reason why Naava was able to access them. I really liked that as an explanation and it all just tied in very nicely. The cliffhanger finish to part one was pretty extraordinary as we heard the Master at his demonic best. He had already killed Calix and made Naava watch her mentor die in agony before he subjected her to an endless state of torment. The emergence of the Third Doctor then as a means of saving her was great stuff and I liked that he knew Naava and she knew him. She was almost jealous of him for being a renegade and getting off Gallifrey. She was also in agreement that the Time Lords were too limited and I particularly enjoyed how she disagreed that there needed to be limits on things. No wonder the Master was so obsessed in tracking her down with her efforts to extend the limit on regeneration. I thought that was just really strong as a concept and I do hope we can somehow get more of Naava because she was a really intriguing character. I love exploring Time Lord history anyway but she knew the Doctor and expanding on their backstory could be tremendous. I don't see it happening but one can dream! I thought her acceptance of the sacrifice required to destroy the skiproads was impressive and the logic behind opening one within another to have them basically cancel each other out and be removed from reality was excellent. It had logic even if I don't know the science behind that. It's temporal science though and it sounds right so I'm just going with it. The Doctor being Naava's lifeboat essentially in dealing with it if she was wrong was a nice touch and I also liked how he considered the Master as his responsibility. His fate was disastrous as always with his TARDIS seemingly goners too at the end, so this survival effort is certainly impressive. I like how this incarnation meets the Third Doctor and it's not beyond the realms of possibility to have this after Frontier in Space and before The Deadly Assassin. It's a nice gap to fill. Overall, a fascinating and fantastic end to the story and series! 

Rating: 9/10

Too Much Reality

"I'm seeing ghosts in every shadow."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.04

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Jago and Litefoot meet their equivalent infernal investigators in this world – Aubrey and Betterman. Together they investigate sightings of a strange 'demon' and bodies that mysteriously fade away...

Before long they discover a crashed spaceship, and find out the truth behind Mrs Bartholomew and the Chapel of Night. But even with this mystery sold, will they be able to get home again?

Verdict

Too Much Reality was another great episode to conclude the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I thought this was a really nice finale and it was rather poignant as the last performed story for Trevor Baxter before his sad and untimely death. What a legacy he leaves at Big Finish with Professor Litefoot. A tremendous character that I will always cherish. I really did feel emotional as the episode reached its closing stages knowing what I did and it made me just have a moment of reflection on what an incredible run of adventures this spinoff range has been. I think it's terrific to place Jago and Litefoot on a parallel world and not only were they now interacting with their alternate counterparts, but they were also getting to know Aubrey and Betterman who were this world's infernal investigators. I thought that presented a strong dynamic and I like that they were able to tell stories of their experiences and investigations. So many similarities and yet so many differences. Perhaps the change of voice from alternate versions of Jago and Litefoot given the audio format was why the decision was made to have different people in that role? It makes sense as I do think audio is a difficult place to fully tackle alternate versions of the same character because there's just nothing to differentiate when all we can hear are the voices. The cliffhanger to How the Other Half Lives with the warning from Betterman about Jago and Litefoot being on their path sounded quite sinister but he and Aubrey were actually pretty friendly which was nice. They made a good team and I liked how once our version of Jago and Litefoot stepped back through the tear in reality to try and make it home, the quartet were going to acquaint themselves fully and set up base at the Red Tavern. The alternate Jago and Litefoot could definitely assist with infernal investigations! I thought that was a really nice setup and a good way to leave the parallel world. I thought the continuity with Chapel of Night was good stuff and I liked how we encountered a very different version of Mrs Bartholomew. The entire concept of feeding off the corporeal makeup of others to make herself real and able to interact and physically manifest in this dimension was great. She did seem to regret the side effects of death for those whose essence she took, but she was selfish too and still continued. I thought the very nature of Jago and Litefoot not being from this world was a really strong resolution to her threat and them not fading away and actually destroying Bartholomew's converter was terrific. It was clever too because Jago and Litefoot just went along with knowing it was a pretty safe bet. It was an intriguing end to the investigation and I liked the atmosphere that came with this episode. Crashed spaceships and the like felt like they should only occur at night and I definitely got that vibe here. Maybe the frequenting at the pub helps too! I thought the cliffhanger finish with Jago and Litefoot perhaps not arriving back on the correct version of their world after all was fun stuff and I look forward to the next and final series to hear where things go, but it will be a very different experience altogether. What a run. A glorious spinoff range, but we're not quite done yet. Overall, a great finale! 

Rating: 8/10

How the Other Half Lives

"The strength of the stilton will hide the taste of the opium."

Writer: Matthew Sweet

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.03

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Perhaps inevitably, Jago and Litefoot meet their counterparts in the world where they now find themselves. The Litefoot in this world still owns Greel's time cabinet, while Jago is also married to Xiu Xiu, a bar maid. But Greel's cabinet is not the only thing to survive from his time in this world – there is also a giant rat on the loose in the sewers beneath London...

Verdict

How the Other Half Lives was another great episode to continue my way through the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I thought this was a really fun hour spent with the infernal investigators and I was delighted that in parallel world we heard them encounter their alternate counterparts! It was also quite emotional hearing them basically be in hiding and not having a place in this world. I feel like there is plenty of potential for more time to spend in this alternate world as it does seem like there's so much untapped exploration, but given how things ended I suspect they will provide the route home. I'm also conscious that the next episode I listen to will be the final 'proper' episode within this range before the devastating death of Trevor Baxter. I feel that will be an emotional listening experience as I have absolutely loved this range. But I'm keen to enjoy them together here while I can and we sort of got a double dosage! I think the idea behind Jago and Litefoot meeting their alternate selves is fun and just had to happen, but I don't think audio is the best format for that to occur. These kinds of adventures have happened before across the audio section of the Whoniverse and without visuals and just the voices to go by, it can often be a little difficult to follow and keep up with which version is which. I don't feel like that was a huge issue here but I do think these work better when we can actually see and differentiate the versions with an item of clothing or a hairstyle for example. The perfect example is Inferno but this was never going to live up to that instant classic! I loved how this was a kind of sideways sequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang with the use of Greel's time cabinet and the threat of the rats in the sewers. Jago and Litefoot have come so far as a listener since that serial and encountering the man again so this almost did feel like a bit of a backwards step. That sounds negative but I don't mean it like that at all, more so that Jago and Litefoot were prepared and ready to tackle this kind of threat. They'd done it before and the urgency in which Jago wanted to prevent the alternate Litefoot from utilising the cabinet with the key already in place. The danger was very real indeed. I thought Xiu Xiu was a very comical character and if anyone was going to be the wife of Jago, it had to be someone like this. I must admit though I was thinking it was going to be Ellie in this alternate world before she was introduced! Now that would have been something. I'd like to know just where this alternate dimension sidesteps from that of N-Space because Jago and Litefoot barely recognised each other here which was intriguing but also a bit of a shame. I thought the threat of the rat was good and this is certainly something that works better in an audio format than on screen! A lack of visuals and just a vivid imagination make this threat much more imposing. I liked the continuity too and something as simple as this injects a fear factor because it is relatable. I must say as well, this audio made me jump on three occasions with the eery and spooky background music which really did catch me off guard. I mean, my one-year-old daughter was napping as I was listening and I may have initially thought it was her making the noises, but it added an uncomfortable element which I was impressed with. The emergence at the end of Aubrey and Betterman was a nice touch and Jago and Litefoot potentially being challenged by other infernal investigators is certainly interesting! Overall, a really good episode to continue the series. 

Rating: 8/10

Chapel of Night

"Will you make the choice not to die?"

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.02

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Trapped in a parallel world, Jago and Litefoot are enlisted to help inspector Quick investigate the mysterious Chapel of Night run by Mrs Bartholomew. Needless to say, there is more to the chapel – and Mrs Bartholomew – than there initially seems. Soon our heroes are caught up in another horrifying and dangerous adventure. But more to the point, can they ever get back to their own world again?

Verdict

Chapel of Night was another great episode to continue my way through the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! I make this the fiftieth regular episode in the spinoff range and that's an extraordinary feat so to have Jago and Litefoot now travelling and exploring a parallel world is tremendous. I really like the concept and whilst they have been to the future before, this is an altogether different prospect. It certainly is a similar situation to that but the world in which they found themselves should have been pretty identical to the one they had left just with a couple of minor discrepancies. That seemed to come in the form of Jago in particular not being known. That was a fun element of the story as whilst Quick did know Litefoot, he had no memory at all of the theatre runner. Still, he didn't exactly know Litefoot in the way the professor was expecting anyway as he wasn't someone who had a relationship with him other than using him for his expertise in a purely medical sense. Certainly not when it came to anything mysterious and extraterrestrial. That was really well done and I thought it was good to have Litefoot suspecting of his surroundings almost from the word go whereas Jago was very accepting that they had made it home after the concluding events of The Stuff of Nightmares. Whilst that is fun and does make sense, surely even for Jago after everything he has experienced by now he wouldn't be so readily accepting of the world in which they had arrived? Especially if Litefoot was suspecting? That's not a big deal because of the comical good that Jago often is, but I would like him to be a little more intelligent at times! That was displayed well at the end though with his impersonation of the god-like figure that Mrs Bartholomew was attempting to summon. That was really well done and he wasn't wholly unconvincing which was good stuff. I thought she served as a strong villain for the piece though and with Jago and Litefoot entering this parallel world from elsewhere, I thought it was a smart choice to have her exploring different times and sideways steps as well. She needed to tap into energy from the Vortex and here was Jago stumbling right into the lion's den. That was glorious. He really is the loveable baboon. I thought the Chapel of Night was also excellent and really felt Victorian. One thing this series continues to achieve is just how authentic it feels of its time. It is such a strong representation of history and just feels like how the late-nineteenth century is supposed to be. Even in a parallel world! I think Ellie not recognising either of them was a shame as their relationship is obviously deep rooted but it presents a strong dynamic with the pair basically going things alone now and not knowing anyone. Just how they are going to navigate their way back to their own world remains to be seen but I'm absolutely on board for the journey! I don't want to get there just yet though as having Jago and Litefoot explore an alternate world is a wonderful idea and could fill the rest of the series and beyond! Overall though, a really mysterious story that perhaps ended a tad prematurely with Jago eradicating Bartholomew just by not being who she thought he was. Still, a great continuation of the series! 

Rating: 8/10

The Stuff of Nightmares

"Shouldn't the fact that you were dead have dulled your senses?"

Writer: Paul Morris

Format: Audio

Released: April 2017

Series: Jago & Litefoot 13.01

Featuring: Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

Litefoot and Jago are both suffering from strange waking nightmares. They resort to hypnotherapy to try to diagnose the problem. But meanwhile a Time Agent is looking for them – as a way of tracking down the notorious criminal Magnus Greel. Before they know what is happening, our heroes find themselves trapped in a dystopian future where nothing makes sense any more...

Verdict

The Stuff of Nightmares was a strong start to the thirteenth series of Jago & Litefoot! It really is an extraordinary run for this pair of infernal investigators and it's incredible to think how far these characters have come since The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and now this episode serves as a follow on from it. I feel a little dumbfounded by the prospect of seven series since The Final Act taking place over the course of just three years as Litefoot claims that to be the timeframe since last encountering Magnus Greel, but I'm not going to ponder on semantics when it comes to timelines. This was just a really good opening story to what I'm sure will be another stellar series of this wonderful spinoff range. Starting with a nightmare from the perspective of Litefoot was good because he's usually the more composed and accomplished of the lead pairing, but the very idea of being aware and awake whilst your body was seemingly dead and ready to be cut open is an understandable nightmare indeed! It reminded me a little of Dark Water and the darkness surrounding death and the dead there, but we actually could hear Litefoot pleading with Jago! Having him undergone a psycho analysis was good and I enjoyed how Jago and Ellie also went that route later in the story. Ellie's nightmare involving her vampiric past was terrific and her being addressed as the Old One was fantastic. I love that about Ellie's character and it's always good to be able to tap into that. The concept of a nightmare being explored in of itself is a very strong idea and I liked getting the Victorian slant on that. I have no idea how advanced science was in the late-nineteenth century when it comes to the dream state and beyond, but it was fun to explore for sure. I thought Cara made for a pretty good character and whilst she did lack a bit of charisma, that could be explained in her efficiency when it came to performing her role as a Time Agent. Given the time technology to hand, it does seem a little odd that she couldn't arrive at the right time and was actually at least three years late, but her desire to bring Greel to justice was admirable. Jago and Litefoot having to relive events concerning Greel could be described as a nightmare on its own but they weren't exactly revealing when it came to the information concerning him as dead. Cara confirming that with the remains of which there wasn't exactly much identifiable was immersive! Technology of the fifty-first century obviously works differently. I thought the use of Chronoplasm was fascinating and something fun to explore, especially with the difficulties that came from its leakage. I wasn't expecting such an emphatic end for Cara as her manipulator self destructed which meant she had a pretty terrible fate and death. That took me by surprise but it's opened up a fascinating world moving forward. It will be a bit of a waste if the resulting portal that opened amidst a world of doom would just take Jago and Litefoot home. I hope it's some kind of parallel universe or another dimension because we already had Litefoot linking minds with another version of himself that understood the futuristic technology, so surely we can explore more now? Overall, a real strong episode to start the series and I'm enjoying the direction presented here! It feels unique which at this point in the range I think is important. A great start! 

Rating: 8/10

The Garden of Statues

"It was as if they had vanished into the air."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 01

Featuring: Weeping Angels

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

The Garden of Statues was an excellent short story to kick off my proper reading of the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! I am delighted that I have never read this set of intriguing and folk-like tales before because of the extra add-on at the book's conclusion with The Doctor and the Three Witches to compliment the ongoing Circuit Breaker multimedia saga, but it now feels like I'm starting the book properly with the first story to be printed inside. This also feels more poignant now knowing that the entire original collection was written by Justin Richards who sadly recently passed away. His contribution to written Doctor Who and beyond is incredible and substantial so I'm delighted to be reading more of his work now. He's a tremendous writer and I know he played a huge role with Jago & Litefoot at Big Finish also which is a favourite spinoff series of mine. Starting off a collection like this one is no mean task and it's a bold move to go with in writing about fairy tales for a species like the Time Lords. We've seen mentions on screen by the Doctor of stories as a child and now we get to read some of them ourselves. I think that's magnificent. This one captures the very essence of the Weeping Angels almost faultlessly. They're a sublime villain as it is and probably the most iconic monster to come out of the modern era, and with them being famously assassins from the dawn of time it makes sense that they would find their way into Time Lord fairytales. Their being quantum locked is obviously iconic and I thought incorporating people with no knowledge of them was really clever. We really did learn all about the Weeping Angels through Tarmin and Izmay and it was great to have the advantage of knowledge as the reader. It was quite fun to know what was inevitably coming for the pair of children and the tension building as the Angels got closer and started to look more sinister. I was really impressed with the description of their appearance and it was perfectly resemblant of Blink in the writing which is what you want. We know they've returned numerous times on screen now but I'm not sure any modern episode has laid such a lasting imprint in the subconsciousness of fans of all kinds than that one. It's an iconic design and an incredible story. I thought the whole story of the children being scared of the haunted house with the older people now gone who used to look out over them was great, but the way that came full circle and turned out to actually be Izmay and Tarmin as older people was beautiful. The use of the same words that started the story and then ended it with them looking on at the children that were actually themselves and their friends was just stunning. That instantly upped the rating for me a mark because it was just so lovely. Even in a story that set the tone for everything that the Weeping Angels are and showed why they were feared, an emotional human story was at its heart. I thought that was just glorious. I like the paradoxical nature of the fates of Izmay and Tarmin in their elderly actions actually bringing them to the point in their lives that they were, and them presenting the silver tray for the sweets was great stuff. Overall, a superb start to the collection! I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

Rating: 9/10

Reunion: Broken Home

"I'm used to people thinking the worst of me."

Writers: Guy Adams & AK Benedict

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

Once a traitor, always a traitor?

Vislor Turlough returns to Trion at last – and promptly hands the Doctor and Peri over to the occupying forces. Has Turlough learned any lessons from the Time Lord he was once tasked with killing? And in order to liberate his broken home, who is he willing to sacrifice?\

Verdict

Broken Home was a great episode to conclude the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! The umbrella title for the boxset certainly comes into fruition here as we finally get to see Turlough at home on Trion. It's not quite the home he remembers though with then planet completely taken over by the Avokan. That was an intriguing place to put Turlough but it definitely helped that he was expecting that and ready for the cause in brining his people back to rule on Trion. I thought that was admirable and he really did go it alone with some very strong The Invasion of Time vibes in how he denounced the Doctor and Peri on arrival and seemingly had a pact with General Hesht! That shifted the dynamic of the entire series very nicely and I enjoyed how betrayed Peri felt. She is perhaps a little gullible in this episode which is a shame as I think as a whole she is a better companion than was portrayed here, but I did like that the Doctor was willing to trust his companion. They have had a somewhat rocky relationship ever since Mawdryn Undead and I wouldn't really want that to change because it's quite fun that even after all of this time, there was still a nagging doubt that he might actually be working against the Doctor. I never believed it, but if it occurred as a twist I wouldn't have thought it outrageous. The Doctor and Peri being confined to a cell was good and the subtle harsh humour from the former towards the latter with her plan of running on the spot to wear away the very fabric of their confinement was great stuff. That felt very Season 22 and I was all for it. Whilst this is very much the softer side of the Sixth Doctor, I think it's good to keep that cheeky personality in at times. It just works but wasn't offensive here. I thought Hesht was a really strong villain and the story of how she killed her father was absolutely brutal. I can understand as a father of a five-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl why silence would be wanted, but noise is just a constant in my house that. have accepted. I'll be wary now of any toy monorail sets to not get strangled by! That painted her in quite the light and showed why she was the ruthless woman she now was leading the Arokan takeover of Trion. The propaganda message that played throughout Trion sporadically was incredible in how it just reminded the population that they were nothing and had nothing. Talk about crushing morale. I thought the way Turlough took matters into his own hands showed his maturity and how much he has grown as a character, but with the Doctor in hand why wouldn't you utilise him? He's the perfect asset to have. I thought the use of personality matrix and tapping into the TARDIS to obtain that was unique and hearing Hesht talk like the Doctor at the cliffhanger was magnificent in how uncomfortable it was. Peri was also shocked by the end to hear what had happened and why everyone was talking like the Time Lord. Turlough planning things so that he got no credit was a little odd in that he was captured by his old friend and still thought of as a traitor, but he pushed the Doctor and Peri away to safety so he could carry that burden alone. I'm fascinated to hear if we will be returning to Trion for any kind of follow up, but the Doctor seems to have already sorted things in playing the message where Turlough revealed the plan in private just as he was about to be executed. Talk about timing! It seems time is up for this trio and I'm pretty fine with that as I don't think it should be a long term thing but it was fun for this kind of reunion with a different Doctor and giving the two companions a proper chance together after they met in passing during Planet of Fire. An intriguing series and they saved the best until last. A great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Reunion: Poison's Reach

"All we know is lies."

Writer: Paul Sutton

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

The civilisation of Freefall is powered by a natural radiation stream rising from its moon. That's the official story.

Engineer Sandra Silva knows the truth. She's determined to expose the Stelta Corporation's crimes, and she has a trio of time-travelling sightseers on her side. 

Turlough is about to learn that, to achieve a worthy goal, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice has to be made...

Verdict

Poison's Reach was another good episode to continue my way through the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! This set has been pretty run of the mill thus far with two pretty solid and consistent episodes to kick us off, but I feel like the finale will have a bit more at stake and a stronger emotional pull judging b the way things concluded here as Turlough ponders on finally returning to Trion. I'm excited to hear where that goes next but his relationship built with Sandra here really did set him on that path. She was a strong character and definitely the standout of the story, but I must say it got pretty tiresome to hear her full name spoken every time. It just didn't seem necessary and became a bit of a boring gag by the end of things. I thought there was some deep-rooted intrigue behind the Stelta Corporation and the official word surrounding the radiation stemming from the rising moon was good, but I'm not sure how much I could accept the way that truth was hidden. I love the idea of exploration misinformation but it went a little too far for me here that it wasn't entirely believable. It's a shame as the story has so much potential but this took me out of things a little bit. For a family to be convicted of the murders of over three-thousand people, the situation is obviously going to draw attention. But for that to be forgotten and basically copy and pasted over in less than a century feels like an incredible reach. Turlough rightly points out that there would be records of the trial and the court conviction, but somehow the Stelta family have not only gotten past that but they're in a position of power? I'm not having. I did appreciate Sandra's desire and efforts in wanting to expose the truth, but I just couldn't grasp that it had been buried in the first place. That just wasn't something I could accept. Priss served as a pretty strong villain as the head of the Stelta family and corporation now and finding out that he and Sandra were actually second cousins was a fun twist I didn't see coming. It made the emotional pull of her investigation all the more deeper and gave even more sympathy from Turlough. She had seen the TARDIS arrive and couldn't believe that this was actually Turlough and company's shift, but he was very serious in offering her a way out. She had accepted her fate though and despite exposing the truth despite how dark it was, she accepted her fate for her experimentation. She would serve time and somehow Priss was still on track to get reelected. People can always decide what they do with the truth and they rarely choose the right option! No matter what you tell them, the mind of society is often already made up and it's extremely difficult to change it. That felt like a good message that is prevalent in the politics of today. I enjoyed the Freefall setting but I must say I don't think the Doctor or Peri offered a great deal to proceedings. This was definitely Turlough's story from a point of interest. Disappointingly, I thought the cliffhanger was pretty naff for the second episode running and to be honest I don't really see why they are needed in these kinds of adventures/boxsets of three one-hour stories. Hopefully the finale has a special one though! Overall, some good character development for Turlough and a decent episode to continue the series. I'm excited to see where things conclude.

Rating: 7/10

Reunion: Save the Date

"A machine deciding the fate of empires."

Writer: Matthew Sweet

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 11.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

London, 1969, and the Eternal Joy dating agency has a new secretary: Miss Perpugilliam Brown. 

Peri's undercover. Her mission: to find the source of the sonic boom that rang out across London, discover the secrets of Eternal Joy's big pink computer... and set the Doctor and Turlough up on a double date with two young ladies.

Verdict

Save the Date was a decent episode to kickstart the Reunion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! I was intrigued by the name of this one right from the off as doing a story all about dating doesn't exactly seem well suited to the Sixth Doctor on paper! It wouldn't seem right for Turlough either but perhaps that was part of the charm? Two wildly uncomfortable characters not suited for doing well in the dating game and impressing women? I guess that's why Peri was in her element in quickly obtaining the position of Secretary at the Eternal Joy dating agency. I thought the agency was definitely interesting but I do think I got a little tired of Mary Joy as the face of the organisation. Her voice was so slow and made me sleepy which in an audio format wasn't ideal for over an hour! I think we needed slightly more of an injection of excitement or urgency but that was never coming sadly. I do like how the softer side of the sixth incarnation was explored here with the Doctor feeling really apologetic towards Val for his actions. She was somebody that had signed up to the dating agency for the right intentions in wanting to find companionship and a partner, whereas the Doctor took that role but had no intention of fulfilling it long term. He grew accustomed to her which was a nice touch and he did genuinely seem to like her, but just not quite as much and in the way that Val was hoping for before they matched. He was always going to hurt someone with Peri's plan but the wider cost was much more important and in need of prevention. With the 1969 setting of London, I was absolutely delighted to hear the Doctor return to the Inferno nightclub as the scene from The War Machines! That was tremendous and I must say I don't think the Sixth Doctor is any better suited to attend somewhere like that than the First! Little elements of continuity like that really make me happy and it's just so simple. It works. I thought the mystery surrounding the pink computer was decent although it did seem a little strange for it to just be in a cupboard with the control and power it was able to wield. The plot did get a little convoluted for my liking when it came to intergalactic viewing figures and a bigger story regarding reuniting extraterrestrial loved ones in order to save an entire planet. Peri going off plain quite literally was good and I also thought the character of Stephanie was decent, if not perhaps a tad underutilised. I was surprised Turlough was as accommodating towards as he was even with her thinking he was from Ireland and pronouncing his name very wrong indeed. But this is an older version so perhaps he has matured with age? It's a nice thought. I didn't think the cliffhanger worked all that well and didn't strike me as anything impactful. I was actually surprised to hear the end credits follow the line as it just didn't have that feeling of an ending to a part. I thought the ending perhaps went on a little too long also but it was logical and it was somewhat nice to get a bit of a happy ending, especially with Turlough working things out with the dog and flying the TARDIS safely. He was very hands on with the TARDIS in this episode which was good and I like the prospect of him getting a little too big for his boots. I'm still not sure it's wholly necessary for him to be around the Sixth Doctor and Peri, but I'm still interested and intrigued to hear where things go from here with this unique trio. Overall, a good start to the series even if it definitely could have been more. 

Rating: 7/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Wanted Dead and Alive

"Do not die."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

The Doctor dies on the shores of Lake Silencio; it's a fact known across the universe. Only someone has arrived early, an old friend of the Doctor, ready to do whatever it takes to save him...

Verdict

Wanted Dead and Alive was a great episode to conclude the Hidden in Plan Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! I thought this served as a strong finale and I must say that I was surprised that Captain Sydon hung around from Tyranny of the Judoon/Gambit of the Judoon, but it did ensure some really smooth continuity. There's no gap between the episodes of this series and I quite like keeping things continuous. Taking the Eleventh Doctor to the scene of his death at Lake Silencio is a strong concept and I'm surprised it's not one that has happened before now. I do think the timeline for the Doctor is perhaps a little too soon with this spinoff range taking place after the events of The Wedding of River Song, but I guess there's no saying just how long after? It also ties in nicely with the umbrella title for the series and keeps us guessing for more when it comes to someone trying to alter history and the Doctor's death as a fixed point in time. I think that's really good and I like how this series is beginning to explore the consequences of Series 6 which didn't really have a chance to happen on screen with Series 7 focused on the emotional departures of Amy and Rory prior to Clara's arrival. This fills the gap nicely and I like that we have an ongoing story arc now. Announce the third series please! I thought Malk was a fun little character and his interactions with Eleanor were terrific. His stuttering speech was good especially when that came full circle and was happening to Eleanor too, and she really did feel like the star again which is ironic considering this was all about the death of the Doctor. Sydon being abrupt as you might expect from a Judoon was good when it came to the mines and initially I thought they were going to be Dalek hand mines! Alas, that wasn't the case but what we got still worked well. Malk having history with the Doctor dating back to his first incarnation was a bit of a surprise but I'm always here for an Ian and Barbara name drop. I do wish this was a character we had met previously as I'm not a fan of unseen adventures or characters, but I suspected that was always going to be the way with the friend trying to save the Doctor. Malk definitely went a bit far though in threatening Eleanor's life if the Doctor wouldn't save his own! That seemed awfully uncharacteristic of a friend of the Doctor's but it certainly injected a shock value moment. Eleanor pushing the Doctor on information for his survival was good and I liked how he had worked it all out long before. Malk was insistent on wanting to know how too and with Sydon's fizzing, it was clear there was an ulterior motive. I liked that and the Doctor being one step ahead of the game is always great. I liked the toll this took on Eleanor with her being in a prison of her own mind whilst her body was controlled and an imposter Doctor also works well. She wasn't buying it though. I loved that she found the whole concept of regeneration as ridiculous and labelled it a logic gap! If only she knew. She wanted to go home though but judging by the cliffhanger finish, she might not quite get there. I look forward to what I expect to be another series now! A very good listen to complete the series.

Rating: 8/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Gambit of the Judoon

"You cannot possibly be the Doctor."

Writer: Ben Tedds

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor

Synopsis

From: INVIGILATOR KOLLO

To: ALL STAFF

Subject: OPERATION PERSEUS

The two persons of interest remain at large. There is a strong possibility they may attempt to infiltrate the Shadow Proclamation. Inform me or Captain Sydon if any and all developments, no matter how small. 

Additional reminder: I am not to be disturbed during my lunch hour.

Verdict

Gambit of the Judoon was a decent episode to continue my way through the Hidden in Plain Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! This is basically a straight second part to the Tyranny of the Judoon opener but it does a good job in feeling unique and its own thing despite being an immediate continuation. I think the story does really well in terms of its chronology and placement in the timeline of the Eleventh Doctor. This feels like it could come soon into the life of this incarnation and doesn't feel like too much time has occurred since the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. That's a big compliment because the use of then Judoon and the Shadow Proclamation were really good. I thought the Judoon felt much more like a neutral party here with the Slitheen emerging now as the main enemy of the piece. I thought that helped with the differentiation in terms of feel from the opening episode, but I still felt underwhelmed by their presence. I'm not entirely sure why either because it was brilliant to keep them as a surprise but I just didn't entirely get on board with them here which was a shame. I don't think the voices were entirely perfect in representing what we saw on screen which is definitely part of it, but maybe they do just work better with visuals? I feel like as the listener we would have known earlier that the Doctor was actually a Slitheen in disguise and that would have helped. It's like the Martha clone in The Poison Sky as we're just waiting for the Doctor to call it out. We'd have had a similar moment here but it's not easy to tell in audio which is fine and I must admit it was a twist I didn't see coming, even though in hindsight I felt I should have. I thought Eleanor took a bit of a backseat in this part which was a shame because she's truly wonderful as a companion. Five episodes in and I can't wait to hear more and more of her. The appeal to her by Kollo was good stuff as it was a stark reminder of just how early into her travels in the TARDIS she is. I think she started to realise it too as she questioned just how much she knew him. Did she know him at all? She was thought of as a Slitheen and kept captive but the Doctor actually being portrayed by one was something she didn't quite see. I thought that was good in taking advantage of her newness. I thought Eleanor touching back on her financial background was well done and something we could have had more of when she was likening things to a startup investor presentation. Captain Sydon teaming with the Doctor was good although I did think it was a tad strange when the latter was going along with a plan of the former! The use of the magnetron and the planet actually being in witness protection from the Slitheen worked pretty well but the whole concept there is a little defeated when they're already present! Harking back to vinegar is a logical conclusion for the Slitheen and the couple bickering as the crashed planet was coming towards them was amusing, but I still don't think elements worked for me. Maybe just the combination of the Judoon and the Slitheen was a tad much? As my rating reflects, this is still a good episode but I just know it could be more. It concludes things neatly and the cliffhanger warning from the Judoon of someone wanting to save the Doctor's life at Lake Silencio makes for an exciting finale ahead! Word had gotten around that the Doctor was dead which was good continuity, so now I'm excited to hear just what happens next!

Rating: 7/10

Hidden in Plain Sight: Tyranny of the Judoon

"We are here to protect you."

Writer: Ben Tedds

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Eleventh Doctor Adventures 2.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Eleanor 

Synopsis

An ominous threat has left the people of Hefestis living under the shadow of the Judoon. But award-winning journalist Octavia Cain is here to sniff out the truth. She's even found two Shadow Proclamation detectives who'll help her unmask it.

If only the Doctor and Eleanor were actually from the Shadow Proclamation...

Verdict

Tyranny of the Judoon was a great start to the Hidden in Plain Sight second series of Eleventh Doctor Adventures! I really enjoyed The First Question opening series and Eleanor Fong made an instant impact as a very likeable companion. I was delighted to see that a second series was coming pretty quickly and starting off with a Judoon two-parter is definitely appealing! I've always thought of the Judoon as a more neutral monster rather than an enemy and given that they are essentially an intergalactic police force that makes sense. That wasn't quite the case here though and that was good to have them in a more antagonistic role. They suited it well and whilst it was clear that the Shadow Ambassador was the central villain of the piece, the Judoon more than played their part! Eleanor is already very well settled into her position as companion but it's good to maintain that things are still new to her. She was revelling in the sights here and even in her description of the Judoon it was just good. She's really likeable and she isn't afraid to take initiative which I also admire. It's a really strong companion trait and I have nothing but good things to say about her at the moment. I hope this run is a long one, even if it is download only! I hope that isn't putting people off from experiencing her because she really is tremendous. I thought the setting of Hefestis here was intriguing and the politics of this society were clearly not all they ought to be. That was evident from the role of Octavia Cain who was a superb character as a journalist. Knowing that the second episode of this series is basically a part two of this one, I feel like she was killed off way too quickly! It was an impactful moment for sure and Eleanor goes through a lot in blaming herself because it was she who Octavia told to run on and buy a little time for, but she was just so good! She was really fun and I loved how she reacted in finding that the Doctor and Eleanor were also off worlders. The plan of the Ambassador was dastardly indeed in basically trying to terraform the planet into another, and then move it! It's an audacious plan but the Judoon fit in nicely there with the links to the Shadow Proclamation and the legalities being proclaimed. Cromarty was a bit of a fun and lighthearted character in a story that was otherwise subtly rather dark. I'm not sure he offered all that much other than some lodgings but potentially with Octavia out of the picture now he'll take a more central role in the next episode? It'll certainly be interesting to hear. I wasn't all that fussed by the cliffhanger with the Ambassador and company revealing themselves to not actually be all they appeared to be. It was definitely a feeling of imposter and plans were clearly more advanced than the Doctor thought! It was very reminiscent of Aliens of London for me with the skin shedding, although in a way that seemed like a little bit of a knock off which was a shame. I thought the bulk of the episode was really strong but I don't think the next episode will have the same feeling which is a shame. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but the cliffhanger didn't do much for me! Overall though, a really good episode to kick off the series.

Rating: 8/10

The Decayed Master Part Two

"Only the dead and the dying can enjoy him."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 6.02

Featuring: The Master

Synopsis

Across the canals and through the swirling balls of 18th century Venice, stories of Lupo's genius fill the air. The greatest mask-maker in the Republic's history, the delicate brushwork of Lupo is legendary. But Lupo has a dark past, on a burned-sienna planet galaxies away. He made a pact, and an exceedingly powerful enemy. 

And now that enemy is coming, through the ancient, legendary 'skiproads', to tear apart everything Lupo has built and unleash his nightmarish powers on the majestic floating city.

Verdict

The Decayed Master continued in excellent style with this seductively good second part! I think the nature of this decayed version of the Master means that stories feel slow but boy do they deliver. I think the pacing is so important and it is similar in some regards to the War Master incarnation, but the nature of this Master being so desperate and close to the end of his life means that things are more measured and calculated. He's also more vulnerable and that brings a different dynamic to things as well with how he is. I thought that was exploited well with him being tied down and there really didn't seem much hue could do against Naava. His strength in this incarnation is most certainly mental and not physical! I am loving the Venice setting in the eighteenth century as incredibly that does feel like somewhere he would be able to blend in. The use of masks is iconic in Italy and particularly in this city so to have that as a strong focus was really good. There just feels something really authentic about a mask maker at this time and Il Maestro supposedly being one of the best around was a delight. I think Lupo as the great one though that came to confront the Master was terrific but the Time Lord was hardly too worried. Hell, he'd seen past the deception and the disguise immediately! I thought Naava had a pretty quiet opening half of the episode which was a shame as the recap quickly reminded me of just how exciting she was in part one. It's strange but it feels like an awfully long time since I blogged the opening part of the story! Lupo having a deal in place beyond mere Earth was intriguing and I'm very interested to hear how things conclude in the final part with the Master now getting pretty whacky and firmly having the upper hand. I thought Naava's slip of the tongue when it came to her experience and knowledge of the sliproads was good because instantly you could hear the machinations in the mind of the Master ticking. I was already loving the exploration of getting him a whole new regenerative cycle which feels like a pretty important thing for this incarnation and a constant goal. It really is incredible to think of his longevity in this incarnation as he continues to be on the brink of death. The Master versus Lupo feels like a fun potential for the finale and the setup here was really strong. Just what will come on the other side of the sliproads? The threat they provide just from their very makeup and the spits in the continuum of time and space is very exciting. Nightmarish powers indeed as the synopsis says. I think the Master getting to interact with another Time Lord like this is a delight and just having them somewhat casually discuss the works of Rassilon and how things could be mistranslated was terrific. I'd love more of that. Oh and a word for Geoffrey Beavers and the way he pronounced Madame Zanetti's name. Chef's kiss in the accent and it was just great to hear the Master that way! I thought the little ten minute add on after the end credits with the history of York was a little strange but I'm sure it's something that will become clearer as the finale or the series itself goes on. I thought we were getting a throwback to The Meddling Monks for a second! Overall though, a really strong setup for what looks to be an exciting finale! Delicious.

Rating: 9/10

Vampire of the Mind

"You may have a new body, but you never change."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: May 2016

Series: Monthly Adventures 212

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

Somewhere off the South Coast of England, there's a lonely island. On that island stands a solitary castle, long since abandoned – haunted, they say. But the truth is, that castle houses something far worse than mere ghosts. 

The castle is what lies at the end of a trail followed by the Doctor in search of several missing scientists – all of them connected to the top secret Dominus Institute and its elusive CEO, Sir Andrew Gobernar...

But the Doctor will soon discover that he's the one being haunted, by a ghost from his past... or perhaps, his future.

Verdict

Vampire of the Mind was a great audio adventure! It seems I'm taking the long route round on this Master trilogy as it's been a fair few months now since I listened to And You Will Obey Me and I don't even own the finale at the point of writing! But this also allows a chance to fully view the story in isolation and it works really well. As I was listening I was thinking that we haven't actually had much of the Sixth Doctor taking on the Master. Of course, the pair met twice on screen in The Mark of the Rani and The Trial of a Time Lord, but I feel like they were both overshadowed by the Rani and the Valeyard. We haven't had much of Sixie and the Master just going at it. So I was intrigued to see this incarnation of the Master ready to take on the Sixth Doctor, but it was a mashup I was very excited to hear! I thought the use of memory was excellent and of course something had to be done about this Doctor meeting this Master otherwise Dominion would not make much sense at all! I was so glad that we didn't get a standard memory wipe as that trope is way overused now at Big Finish even if it is sometimes necessary for fun combinations. But the use of memory was actually part of the plot! That was really clever and something I very much appreciated. The plan of the Master here was pretty evil and twisted even for him with the condition he'd left the Blanks in. The whole scientific concept of saving and even extracting memory is fun to think about. It doesn't feel like it would be possible but it's an incredible idea. It's no surprise that it peaked the Doctor's interest! I thought it was intriguing to have the Sixth Doctor travelling alone but Heather more than filled the companion role for the story. I thought she was great and could easily have carried on full time after this outing! She had a connection with the Doctor with her being the daughter of his old friend Professor Threadstone and the mystery of him having not actually entered the USA. The situation regarding the missing scientists was good and the audacity of the Master to claim it was all to lure the Doctor in was incredible! Even for him. I thought the Master having gaps in his memory was fascinating and hearing the post-regenerative trauma in play and this incarnation post-regeneration reacting to his new everything was fabulous. The plan to utilise the Doctor's memories to fix up his own TARDIS was good. I got strong vibes of Evolution of the Daleks when it came to the fate of the Blanks and the Master's fail-safe being to kill them all at the push of a button. That was a heartbreaking moment. I loved that the Master had laid trap during his captivity somewhere between The Daemons and The Sea Devils, but returning to the site of his former prison was superb! He'd returned to reap the spoils of an old trap finally come good. The mind leech served as a good cliffhanger at the end of part three, but I think the threat cooled off incredibly quickly and the Doctor was clearly trying to help her. She was subjected to the Master and help was at hand. I thought the Doctor sacrificing his own short term memory for the Blanks was really clever and hearing them repeat infamous phrases of other incarnations was good fun. It also was perfect for the Doctor not knowing this incarnation of the Master and it was pretty humorous to hear him discussing with Threadstone and company about recent events. His memories now were incredibly selective! Overall, a great audio adventure. 

 

Rating: 8/10

The Doctor and the Three Witches

"The Doctor's body was frozen, trapped in the story of her future self."

Writer: Janelle McCurdy

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 16

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

The Doctor and the Three Witches was an excellent story to continue the ongoing Circuit Breaker multimedia adventure! This was a really strong short story and whilst it is a bit funky to include an instalment on the end of a new paperback edition of a collection that was released quite a few years ago now, speaking for my own preferences and personal experience I am quite lucky as I have not actually delved into this collection before! I'm lucky there that I'm not buying the whole book again just for one short story, but it might have been worth it! I've started at the end here with Time Lord Fairy Tales but I felt I had to stay on track with events for the Fugitive Doctor. It followed the style of a fairytale really well and just having an adventure start with 'once upon a time' is always good fun. This did feel like a story about a story which works well when you're playing with witches. The continuity from Don't Blink! was perfect and it felt like an immediate follow on of the overall story arc. That's obviously what you want in this kind of storytelling. The transition across different forms of media has been pretty seamless so far and that's pretty darn impressive. I thought the story was terrific fun and having Martha transport herself into the Carrionite orb was an unexpected delight! Whilst she was prominent in the previous instalment after being called in by Osgood, here she really was playing the role of companion again and it was brilliant to read. The pairing of her and the Fugitive Doctor was magnificent and the foreknowledge Martha has of who the Doctor will become and her experience with the Carrionites from The Shakespeare Code was used brilliantly. Toying around with the power of word is great potential but there was a lot more at play here. This was a world of story and fairytale and incorporating that into the plot for this collection was superb. The pace was frantic and I really enjoyed the blend of real life fairytales and Lilith showing the Doctor adventures of the future to come. The Fugitive Doctor really is being tested throughout this overall story by the image and reputation of her future self and I do think that's a little unfair. Is she not good enough just as she is? Martha playing her part there when the Doctor worked out a plan to escape the orb was to end the fairytale and an option there meant following the finale of Hansen and Gretel and burning the witches in an oven! The simplicity and just logical instinct of the Doctor thinking that way when she was on her way to the kitchen was incredible! It was a brilliant representation of a very different incarnation indeed. I think we need more of that. I thought the introduction of the Conductor was really good stuff and I love that we got what seems like some really strong story arc development. We now have a name for the cloaked figure we have seen popping up so far and whilst I still suspect it to be Andrew, I'm very excited to learn more. The Doctor bringing the water Wizard of Oz style to melt the Carrionites painted quite the picture, but they were not defeated in their own orb. In fact, they had carried out their mission and obtained strands of the Doctor's hair for the Conductor. DNA confirmed indeed. But for what use? I can't wait to find out! Overall, an excellent short story! 

Rating: 9/10

The Young Lions

"You can't just creep up on a soldier."

Writer: Alice Cavender

Format: Audio

Released: September 2017

Series: Short Trips: Rarities 2.05

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

The Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller have stopped off in Little Morton for a fry-up. It's not the healthiest way to start a day, but better than some: the Major from then local barracks has just fallen to his death. Or has he? A visit to the hospital highlights the surprising levels of health in the soldiers. There's clearly something going on beneath the surface at Little Morton: and it's about to come to light...

Verdict

The Young Lions was a pretty average story to continue my way through the Rarities spinoff range of the Short Trips series. I don't think this one was inherently bad by any means as despite it being rare for me to give this low of a rating, it's still not terrible. This was a fine listen and I think it just wasn't for me as a whole. I'm not a big fan of the military so I didn't have the connection there and it was all just slightly mundane for large chunks which was a shame. I've really enjoyed my recent blogging of a number of stories from this range and I'm still so delighted to have found it as I really did think they were just readings of stories from the Short Trips prose range which I'm also quietly making my way through. Alas, this is the last of the batch I purchased in the sale from Big Finish a couple of months ago but there's at least another quartet within an Eighth Doctor collection that are on my radar amongst others so my experience with this range is far from over. I'm glad about that because I wouldn't want to finish in a slightly lower quality mood. I was excited to hear that this story would feature the pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller because they're an iconic duo and it's been an incredibly long time since I have blogged anything with them. That's down to the fact that I've nearly blogged everything in which she features! That's exciting and also a bit of a shame because she's such a strong companion. That comes across here as the TARDIS arrives in 2005 which is a fun setting as just a couple of years prior to her contemporary time. Her reaction to being inside a pub and the smoking ban not yet being in place was fascinating and that really is something that feels an awfully long time ago. I was only nine in that year but I'd often accompany my dad to watch the football in the pub loving life with a packet of crisps and a J20 or something, but the fact that it was just commonplace for people to smoke indoors is almost barmy. I'm so glad that has been eradicated. It's such a small element of the story but it resonated with me. It's a shame not much else did. I thought Little Morton was a typical British setting that we've had so many of before and Lucie's knowledge of the cup final was amusing as I'm not sure describing a penalty shootout as a thrashing is the right lingo, even if it did go 3-0 or 4-1. I thought the soldierly theme was fine but just not perfect for me and it should have dealt more with the trauma. The Major falling from the barracks was presented adequately and whilst I don't have the answers, I do think more could have been done there. The threat posed by the Quitoxins was just fine but nothing that immediately captured my attention. I am always a tad let down when the resolution is for the Doctor to take the alien menace away because I'm not wholly convinced that counts as a victory. Joe was a good character element in the story but it almost did become like there was too much going on for a Short Trip. It was easy to get lost with just the one actor and that's a bit of a shame. Overall, not bad but not enthralling. I just don't think one was up my alley and there's nothing wrong with that. Still a worthwhile listen.

Rating: 6/10

Walkies

"Has it been fun to be a real dog?"

Writer: Nicola Bryant

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: DWM 633

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, K9

Synopsis

With the Doctor needing some seclusion, he programmes the TARDIS to take Peri on the most incredible dog walks in the universe. 

Verdict

Walkies was a good little short story to serve as this month's Brief Encounters in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine! I am so happy wth this new feature that is a redo of one from the 1990s in the same manner and what better way to have a Peri story than Nicola Bryant as the author! Who knows the character better than the woman who played her? I think it's lovely to be getting brand new prose and I think this is the perfect opportunity to give actors the chance to write for their characters. Keep it coming I say and I just love getting new content. This is only two pages long and barely takes ten minutes to read, but it doesn't feel like a quick thing and that's great. The illustration to accompany the story really helps with the visualisations and I just love the idea that was central to things here. Peri was out exploring the universe on dog walks and as a canine owner myself in the past year, it's a good way to explore. I've found myself off the beaten track on a number of occasions and I like to just walk without really knowing where I'm going so having the TARDIS programmed to explore a number of exciting and appealing locations would be right up my alley! Peri was enjoying things but I think it's safe to say she had come to the end of the enjoyment. She was ready to do something different and who could blame her. I think it's lovely that K9 featured here and I can't actually imagine the robot dog getting on all that well with the Sixth Doctor. Here he was though basically used to babysit Peri while the Doctor had some time alone. That felt very apt for the sixth incarnation. He does like to ignore his companion from time to time so having her confront him about that at the end was pretty fun. The central premise though of K9 being a real dog was incredible. How has that not been done before? It's so obvious and yet it's nothing I've ever considered. I saw the illustration and the name of the story when flicking through the pages of DWM and just assumed we'd be catching up with an older Peri post-The Trial of a Time Lord after she'd settled down back on Earth somehow and gotten herself a canine friend. That was far from the case though and that was actually all the more fun. I'm not sure she was as attached to K9 as the Doctor thinks she was, but she certainly had some sort of love for the dog in naming him Frisky when her old dog was called Whiskey. She could never replace the original and I liked how obviously emotional she got about that. Her family dog clearly meant a great deal to her and it was obvious how strong her missing feelings were. I love the idea that she and K9 have gone for a walk on Rhossili Bay and Aber Falls with both of those being great locations in my homeland of Wales. I haven't actually taken my dog to either of those though! I need to amend that. I thought having much of the second page inside the TARDIS but in a natural landscape like the desert was good although the Doctor wasn't exactly likeable in how off-putting he was towards Peri. It was time for K9 to go away now and the robot dog accepting that from his master was nice in terms of friendly obedience, but he pointed out how much this might hurt Peri. It almost feels like we need a part two with them potentially going to get a real dog from Battersea! The very idea of one running around the TARDIS with this incarnation of the Doctor in particular is good fun. Definitely don't get a cocker spaniel. Overall, a very fun little read! 

Rating: 8/10

Run Fast, Be Kind: The Second Death of the Daleks

"All hail the Daleks."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Twelfth Doctor Adventures 1.06

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Ash

Synopsis

During the last days of history, a lone wanderer crosses the wastes of Kersarin. Everywhere he goes, he delights those he finds with stories and songs. He provides a little hope in the dark.

His name is Ash Wilton, and I swear we've done this episode before. We definitely killed that Dalek.

Verdict

The Second Death of the Daleks was an excellent episode to conclude the Run Fast, Be Kind first series of Twelfth Doctor Adventures! I am delighted that thanks to the Power of 3 podcast it is already confirmed that there are another six episodes to come with this pairing at a minimum, and it ended on quite the cliffhanger! I liked how this was basically a sequel with some temporal looping of The Second Death and that also works brilliantly with the title and the cover artwork. They're so simple and I think that's actually pretty clever to incorporate. Returning to Kersarin was good but this wasn't quite the world that Ash remembered. I liked the replaying of sequences from that opening episode with some noticeable shifts and intrusions of the reset when it came to the Daleks. I thought the continuity with Victory of the Doctor was superb as the Doctor was dumbfounded to find that the Eternal Dalek had survived. I'm so impressed with how well the timeline for the Daleks is being utilised as this all just feels so natural for the New Paradigm from Victory of the Daleks and beyond into the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles. It all just feels right and that's such a compliment to the writers. It fills gaps and extends the life of the Paradigm which is a delight. I think the Doctor addressing the Eternal here as Colonel Mustard and La La the Tellytank was tremendous and perfectly in line with the Twelfth Doctor. Jon Culshaw is firmly settled in his impersonation of Peter Capaldi to the point now where I've almost forgot it's not the original actor! I really liked the enigmatic nature of the episode when people who should be dead were not and the reboot of time was causing havoc. Ash got excited by essentially being back at the start and whilst it was clear he still needed to travel with the Doctor, a lot could be reversed. Did Sky have to die? Would he now be able to avert himself from shooting Mundar? The Doctor warned him to be careful as not everything was free game. Breen being back was pretty pivotal to the entire episode and her confidence of Dalek puppets being in play was pretty powerful stuff! It was also just really interesting to hear her relationship with Ash but also how much she was basically hated by her children. That was pretty sad. The mystery behind Alan was fun to explore, especially by the end of the episode when it was clear he was from some sort of parallel universe or dimension. The truth was far more fun though! I loved the concept behind the Eternal Dalek and whilst the Doctor making it good isn't exactly a novel concept even for this incarnation going back to Into the Dalek, I did love that we got an explanation for how this particular Dalek escapes death. It isn't always the same Dalek but it's the casing that reprogrammed the mutant within and linked to the Dalek Pathweb to ensure all necessary information was provided to ensure the continued survival of the Daleks and that the Empire went until the end of time. That was terrific and makes perfect sense! The Doctor taking some solace in the fact that even though he's sure he'll face the Daleks again in his future, he knows at the end that the last one sees good. I think he's a bit too trusting there but he always tries to see the good. Discovering that Ash wasn't the true article and actually visiting his grave was not anything I expected but the revelation of him being the manifest of the story told of Ash Wilton was sublime! He's from the Land of Fiction! What an exciting cliffhanger to take us into the next set of stories. I can't wait to find out more and to just explore what will now be an incredibly different dynamic. There's still so much in play despite numerous answers here and that's what you want in a finale. Bring on the next set! I hope they continue the weekly release as that has been a lot of fun. Overall, a fantastic finale!

Rating: 9/10

Don't Blink!

"I spent years being hunted. I know how it feels to become prey."

Writer: Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Series: Circuit Breaker #7

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor, Martha, Osgood

Synopsis

The Fugitive Doctor finds herself facing a damaged TARDIS, an unexpected friend from the future, and a lonely assassin who will stop at nothing to reach her.

Verdict

Don't Blink! was a really strong short story to continue the ongoing Circuit Breaker multimedia adventure! I have been thoroughly enjoying the overall story so far and it's been great to see this getting such positive reviews. It really does feel like the 'current' adventure and with the current situation and unknowns surrounding Doctor Who on television, I think this is a wonderful substitute. I will follow this story and anything Doctor Who to just about anywhere, but I do hope this being on the UNIT website allows a large number of people to experience it because it's a darn good story and it's just a delight to have it for free! Unfortunately, I just can't get to grips with the Lost in Time mobile game so I haven't and won't experience Castling, but I like the little reference to it here with the Sontaran helmet. It's a bit of a surprise that we returned to them so quickly after The Honourable Society, but maybe there's more of a link there? I thought this adventure did a really strong job in catching people up on events so far and the situation for the Fugitive Doctor, Osgood and Andrew which is always beneficial. Things did take a bit of a darker turn though and rightfully I think suspicions are placed on Andrew. Might a future version of him be the mysterious cloaked figure we've seen on a couple of occasions now? It makes sense but is it almost too obvious? It's somebody in UNIT and somebody that has been in the TARDIS. At the moment Andrew fits that bill and I liked how Osgood did question him on it even if she did feel a little awkward in doing so. I do think he is the one in the cloak because I'm still sceptical on how he had the technical knowhow to build the resistor and that's something I thought right away when reading Calling the Doctor and I'm sticking with it. Sometimes the logical and obvious answer is the right way to play things. I wasn't expecting to see the Carrionite orb in play until the next instalment in the saga, but it seems to have set up that adventure very nicely with the cliffhanger finish also! I'm jumping ahead but the Doctor actually getting sucked into the Carrionite orb and having an image of that was delightful. The Fugitive Doctor coming up against some trapped witches? I'm all for that next time around. I thought the threat of the Weeping Angel was excellent and I think the author captured the fear factor they provide really well for a short story. The imagery of the blue energy surrounding the Angel as they almost engulfed the Doctor was splendid. I was a big fan of the images to accompany this story as they helped with the visualisation of the adventure and really captured the Black Archive. This incarnation of the Doctor having history with the Angels was touched upon really nicely. The link to The Shakespeare Code in having Osgood call in Martha for her expertise was wonderful and it was so nice to catch up with her in 2026! It's pretty scary to think it's nearly twenty years now since Series 3 aired! That's frankly ridiculous. I liked how she was called in for the orb but then it was actually her experience with the Weeping Angels that came into play. I thought she was really mature and strong in standing her ground. She held firm with the Fugitive Doctor and she actually liked how different this version was. I'm not sure she shared the same sentiments as Osgood regarding this incarnation although she did realise that she was perhaps wrong to try and push her into being the version of the Time Lord that she knew way into her own future. Having this Doctor use a sonic screwdriver throws continuity into raptures and I quite like that. As if a police box-shaped TARDIS wasn't doing that already! I think this story developed the arc really well in putting suspicion on Andrew, bringing Martha back and setting up the next segment, but after such a strong threat of the Weeping Angel I was a little down by them being contained again purely from a mention in brackets by Osgood! That felt off in what was an otherwise very exciting story. A great read to continue the adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

Daleks! Genesis of Terror

"It seems even the dead have a part to play in this war."

Writer: Terry Nation

Format: Audio

Released: May 2023

Series: Lost Stories 7.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

In a paved garden outside time, the Doctor is presented with an awful prophecy: the conquest of all time by the Daleks. To prevent this terrible fate, the Time Lords have decided on a radical course – to weaponise time themselves, and destroy the Daleks before they were ever created. And they want the Doctor to carry out this extraordinary task! 

Soon, he and his companions Sarah and Harry are on the battle-ravaged planet Skaro, where a war has been raging for centuries. The war is now waged by teenagers using the last surviving weapons. Everything is desperate. But the Kaled's chief scientist has a new weapon that he things might just change everything...

Verdict

Daleks! Genesis of Terror was an intriguing Lost Story, if that is what it even could be described as. I remember being a little surprised when this was announced and released a few years ago and after seeing that it was just part one that was retold in full cast version, I decided against purchasing. I don't think the reviews were all that favourable and I think that was mainly down to the marketing. It wasn't clear that this wasn't a full release in the same vain as The Ark was in its alternate version of The Ark in Space as part of the same Lost Stories series and I do think that criticism is fair. I've still been fascinated what this story would be like to experience though and with this being reduced to less than £4 as part of a recent clearance sale at Big Finish, it was time to dive in and explore. It's unique that's for sure and is unlike any other Big Finish release, but I'm not convinced it really constitutes being within this series. I mean, the story was made! And it's an absolutely revered classic. It's talked about as one of the all time greats and whilst I don't quite hold it on such a high pedestal, I know it's excellent. So this being an early version of the story isn't something I would constitute as being 'lost'. The story just evolved like any other script does with early drafts. So I'm not sure this actually needed to be released and I imagine the decision to keep stage directions in as read by Nicholas Briggs was to help differentiate it from Genesis of the Daleks. This version of part one did work well and I liked the retelling of the concept. The stakes feel a little darker and the Time Lords a little shadier than what we saw on screen which was good. I also liked how the image in my mind of the barren landscape and the mines on Skaro was reminiscent of what we saw on screen in The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar. It's good to have those modern visuals now and apply them backwards to stories like these. I thought Nyder was glorious and he's such a strong character so any new content with him is welcomed in my book. And even though it was just a glimpse, getting to hear Davros is always a delight. The first insight into the creator of the Daleks here is terrific. I love the concept behind the Thousand Year War between the Kaleds and Thals and just being on Skaro at a time where the Kaleds are in play is exciting. I think it helps that I've not long read Dawn of the Daleks where that was prominent so revisiting the televised story in alternative means was a nice delve into nostalgia. I wouldn't say all that much was altered on a grand scale and the gist of the story is still very much there, but it is fun to explore the description of the early Daleks and the first sight of them as primitive and without their sucker. That's not quite the Daleks we know and it's certainly not what we saw of them in Destination: Skaro! I thought the guest cast did a fine job here but I do think the flow was somewhat interrupted by the stage directions even if they were really fascinating to hear. I do think the decision to have cast readings of the subsequent five parts was a little strange as I'm not sure what benefit they were to the release. It just felt like a huge jump ahead after a strong opening part and then wham, ten minutes later and we've reached the end of part six! I think if this was sold as just part one but an extended and earlier draft version, then it would have been much better received. Thankfully I'm listening three years after release and fully aware of what it entails. I enjoyed it and it was certainly different, even if I'm not convinced it was needed! Overall, a good little listen.

Rating: 7/10