War Room: Allegiance - Collateral Victim

"You can die ignorant or you can die informed."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: August 2022

Series: Gallifrey 13.03

Featuring: Leela

Synopsis

Rasmus, Leela and Veklin are despatched into dangerous territory: a place where time itself is in tatters. One TARDIS and its crew has already been lost – will the Norvis system claim another?

Verdict

Collateral Victim was an excellent episode to continue my way through the Allegiance volume of War Room to serve as Gallifrey's thirteenth series! This was definitely the best of the boxset so far and the format was right up my alley. I'm a sucker for a story involving time and the jumping around Mellacron's history was brilliant. There was a complete lack of control for much of the story which was great and I really enjoyed the unpredictable nature of what was happening. There was no knowing when they would end up! I thought it was fun to split the group up and the dynamic between Leela and Rasmus in particular here was strong stuff. It was obvious that their minds were not their own for much of the story and that led to Leela challenging Rasmus in a big way when he was willing to see the people of Mellacron destroyed. They literally were just considered as collateral damage and I adored Leela's counter to his argument that they shouldn't exist. The fact was they did exist and so they needed help! That was tremendous. I am a big fan of her compassion and that is certainly something that seems missing from the Time Lords during the Time War. The search for Bandar was a good direction for the story but the more intriguing character was certainly Sorn. The truth regarding him as Bandar's very own TARDIS that had developed a conscience was excellent but it didn't stop there. A sentient TARDIS is more than enough for entertainment in its own right, but the achievement of trapping an entire galaxy within its interior dimension was incredible! That's a sensational concept and the fact Rasmus was considering it as a means of ending the Time War was very good. I'm all for finding ways to end the Time War, but I would have appreciated getting an insight into Rassilon's thoughts on this as a means of victory. I get the sense that he would not be content with the Daleks surviving in essentially a pocket universe believing they were victorious. He would want them completely wiped out in my opinion. I really liked Ephra as a character and her connection with Bandar was terrific. They'd built quite a relationship since he'd initially arrived and the way she utilised his ability to manipulate reality was fantastic. She gave Leela the power to merge TARDIS interiors which was delightful and something she revelled in as the means just came to her. The emotion that came from the episode drawing out with Bandar losing his mind and slowly his power was sad stuff, especially with Veklin once again showing her ruthlessness in killing Ephra and using her as a shield. She's a dark horse this one! I'm a big fan of her and she is quite the asset for Ollistra to have in her arsenal. Sending the planet as a temporal bomb literally straight into the Dalek fleet was quite the fate for this planet that had experienced a lot, but this really was wartime. There were no lengths the Time Lords were seemingly willing to not go, but they did accept that the plan of trapping the Daleks within a universe inside a TARDIS interior was not feasible when accounting for the natural expansion of the universe. They would have to continually be building battle TARDISes and that wasn't entirely feasible. It was an exciting idea though and one I absolutely got behind. Overall, an excellent episode! 

Rating: 9/10

War Room: Allegiance - The Passenger

"What difference does one more madman make?"

Writer: David Llewellyn

Format: Audio

Released: August 2022

Series: Gallifrey 13.02

Featuring: Leela

Synopsis

Cardinal Rasmus arrives in the War Room and vies for control with Ollistra. But first, they have a mystery to solve: a sole survivor from a Dalek attack has returned home – but is he a hero, or a threat?

Verdict

The Passenger was another really strong episode to continue my way through the Allegiance first series of War Room, serving as the thirteenth series overall of Gallifrey. We've come a long way over the course of this spinoff and this was an intriguing look into the Tine War and the depths the Time Lords would go for even a small victory. I thought the concept behind the plot was really good and it always works well to have a Time Lord thought lost returning. Even better when that Time Lord is coming back on a Dalek ship! That was really clever and I liked the mystery of his identity. It's a fun quirk on Gallifrey that given the nature of regeneration there would be no way to confirm he was who he said he was on appearance or even DNA. It needed to be the Matrix and utilising that here was really good. I thought restricting Leela to more of a cameo role was an intriguing move given the build up to the series, but it did allow for some good character development between the main characters in this story of Ollistra, the General and Rasmus. This was my first experience of the latter and he was a good character, I was a big fan of his enigmatic nature and he definitely did seem to not be on the side of Ollistra and the General. He would certainly be someone to challenge them at the very least which was terrific. His honour in meeting Leela was also a nice touch and I like how the General has started showing her some considerable respect in a way to get the best out of her. There was no longer a collar and he even demanded Ollistra show her the respect she deserved. The reveal of the passenger being Cato Kelgoth was good and the more we learned about him the better. He was the sole survivor of the Candassia which was a Time Lord ship thought lost in a pocket universe for refuge, except it was actually destroyed by the Time Lords at the behest of the General and Ollistra to wipe out the couple of hundred Daleks concerned with it. Of course, that meant two thousand Time Lords going with it. That's some sacrifice! Cato knew all about that though and he'd devised his own plan starting with using the weapon of his own devising from salvaged Dalek technology and to wipe out Area 5 and a thousand Time Lord scientists! That was bold and rather extraordinary to happen. I did think it was predictable when he was issuing the instructions for the instruments in his ship that something was going to go awry, but it was still a fun moment when it happened. The War Room was defeated and Cato showed no remorse in the slightest. I thought the discussion on his punishment was fascinating as a simple execution would not be sufficient. That was quick and easy, but the actual fate of being exiled and using the chameleon arch to turn him into a mortal human was pretty cruel! The Gorgon being used to destroy the Candassia was good but that paled in comparison to the instructions of Ollistra to Veklin to assassinate Cato was brilliant. It didn't stop there though as she went even further to erase his memory! It was funny to hear the General and the likes pondering on the name of the Time Lord that did cause Area 5 to vanish. The Death Zone setting of that was fun and I think as a whole this was a strong look into the make up of the Time Lord war effort, both past and present. Overall, a strong listen! 

Rating: 8/10

War Room: Allegiance - The Last Days of Freme

"You need to let Romana go."

Writer: Lou Morgan

Format: Audio

Released: August 2022

Series: Gallifrey 13.01

Featuring: Leela

Synopsis

Leela is assigned to the War Room by Lord Rassilon himself. There, she finds an earlier incarnation of Ollistra, restored from the Matrix to oversee operations. She has a mission for Leela, and will go to any lengths to ensure compliance...

Verdict

The Last Days of Freme was was a great start to the Allegiance instalment of War Room, serving as the thirteenth series of the incredible Gallifrey spinoff! After such an eventful run in the four series of Time War, the ending to Homecoming with Romana being exiled and Rassilon taking Leela as his prisoner was tremendous. I’m not entirely sure that the stakes in this opener matched the ending of the previous boxset, but that would be incredibly difficult to achieve and I think we’ll have a good build up as this series goes on. It’s a nice change for the Gallifrey series and it definitely feels like we’re geared towards the latter days of the Time War with Rassilon’s continued talk of ascension. It’s a staggering goal and it’s clear he’s rather deranged. I’m a big fan of this incarnation of the infamous Lord President. He’s extremely chilling and doesn’t always feel like he’s in the room which is a huge compliment. It’s a fine villain. It’s a little strange to think that the lone savage of Leela is our only protagonist for this series with no Romana or Narvin this time around. She’s much more experienced now than when she was travelling in the TARDIS and I adore that her savage routes and instinct are attempted to be harvested for the benefit of the Time Lord cause. Leela’s devotion to Romana and her aim for Gallifrey is magnificent and I like that she was playing the game. She essentially did talk the people of Freme into blowing up their own planet in an effort to thwart the Daleks. The Time Lords having a lack of respect for their own Laws of Time is intriguing during wartime as they don’t seem to have a second guess when going back in time to stop the Daleks ever being in a position to take it. The Fremians were an intriguing bunch and whilst their planet was no longer their home, I enjoyed that its symbolism was important. Leela being the point of contact there was good and the only logical thing really. I’m really enjoying the continuity of having the General in the incarnation we saw on screen in Hell Bent present, but crikey he seems so inferior to Rassilon! It does add some credibility to the series which I’m all far. I was also delighted that Rassilon had extracted an earlier incarnation of Ollistra to see over some Time Lord operations. She was the one handing out the mission here which was great. I was a big fan of her return and I’m looking forward to hearing her direction for the series ahead. I think it’s quite fun that the TARDIS chameleon circuit failed upon arriving on Freme and that provided an almost instant sense of vulnerability. Leela was firmly in control in the forestry environment there despite the horror of her being controlled by a collar! She did please Rassilon in having them part of a Time Lord alliance which was good and there were some very Doctor-like elements in the conclusion there. I was impressed with her skill and intelligence. Overall, a really strong opener that has set things up with a nice sense of intrigue moving forward. A great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Fugitive of the Daleks

"I always dreamt of one more adventure in the TARDIS."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: January 2024

Series: First Doctor Adventures 3.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Dodo, Vicki

Synopsis

Years after ending her travels with the Doctor, Vicki finds herself back in the TARDIS. The Doctor desperately needs her help, and she's only too happy to oblige. But in the process, the two of them fall into a series of perilous encounters, with the dreaded Daleks never far behind them.

What is the mysterious presence inside the TARDIS? And precisely what damage do the Daleks and their agents intend to cause to the flow of Earth's history?

The Doctor and Vicki must call upon all their guile and bravery to discover the truth and save the day.

Verdict

Fugitive of the Daleks was an outstanding story to serve as the third series of the new First Doctor Adventures! I really did think this was a sublime adventure and definitely worth the three hours plus running time. I usually do prefer for releases to have multiple stories, especially when we only get one instalment of the First Doctor Adventures each year, but this was just magnificent. It felt like the continuation of Dalek stories for the First Doctor era on screen and that's a huge compliment. There really was so much going on. We followed up the mysterious cliffhanger to The Incherton Incident with the TARDIS randomly arriving at the time of a familiar former companion. And it was unlocked! Having Vicki just saunter back into the control room was wonderful and I loved how her maturity was now presented given her old age. We've seen in The Time Meddler Tales of the TARDIS and from the cover artwork how she looks now, so that was a real treat to have her reunited with the First Doctor once again. Of course, this time around he's played by Stephen Noonan who I think did a fine job and the writing definitely helps in giving this a genuine feel. It certainly is authentic and having the Daleks involved helps with that. I loved the continuity heavy nature of the story with allusions to the Doctor wanting a sonic screwdriver and Vicki recognising that the TARDIS must have had a translation circuit. There was also a nice reference to The Doctor's Wife with the Doctor mentioning how if any room was jettisoned in the TARDIS, any lifeforms would just be deposited back in the console room. I loved how the story was essentially The Chase 2.0 in having the Doctor and Vicki for the most part jumping around from numerous destinations. Except the Doctor accompanying Vicki was actually the robot duplicate she saw in the Dalek Time Machine in that very aforementioned serial! That was honestly extraordinary and whilst I did suspect something was up when the Doctor mentioned only having memories up to waking up in the jungles of Mechanus, I didn't see that coming. It was magnificent. The Doctor's disappearance that Dodo witnessed turning out to be him skipping a time track and that was still being felt at the end so I suspect that's something we'll take further moving forward in the range. I'm certainly intrigued to hear where that element goes. I thought some of the different settings were really good and I think the opening one of Perpetuity Station in particular was really good with the robots not knowing they were robots. Anytime it was mentioned their programme quickly reasserted their story. It was also a good way of stabilising the Doctor when the listener didn't know he was also a robot! I thought the humour that came from the quick visit to Earth and the twentieth century was just tremendous as we heard the back end conversation of two workers who had been knocking down police boxes after their decommissioning. And yet here was a brand new one appearing right as their job was being inspected! The fact it had disappeared and the confusion that caused to the two council workers' superior was just wonderful. So simple but so good. The true article Doctor turning out to be within and imitating the Dalek Supreme was not expected and the links back to The Daleks' Master Plan to explain that was really good! It was on the right line of silliness in that it was just about believable. The robot Doctor aiming to self destruct himself in 1911 at the gathering of many of human history's most important scientists in a way to lure the real Doctor was intriguing and that sparked an emotional reaction from Vicki. She knew he wouldn't be coming because she'd wished for him on many occasions throughout her life. I liked that she saved the day on her extra journey in the TARDIS. The meeting she had with Dodo was really nice too and it's easy to forget they never travelled together. It was really nice for Vicki to learn of what became of Steven in The Savages and I also liked how important family was to her. She wanted to stay with the Doctor, but he and the TARDIS knew that she needed to return home to her grandchild. She was a widow now, but she still had family. The Doctor could deal with the Daleks! Having them trapped in ice was brilliant and rather ingenious of Vicki. The fate of the robot Doctor was staggeringly good as Vicki's deactivation warned off the Daleks, but then the Doctor set him off to become the Abbot of Amboise! That obviously has some rather fun implications for The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, but it was a fitting end to what was a sensational adventure! Overall, an excellent listen. 

Rating: 10/10

Stamp of Approval

"I'm thinking of starting a collection."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2006

Series: Doctor Who Files 02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

After the Doctor decides to take up stamp collecting, Rose writes a letter to her mother from 1840 Bath to reflect on events and a mysterious encounter with an inky monster...

Verdict

Stamp of Approval was a decent little story as I continue my adventure through the Doctor Who Files short stories! It's nearly two decades too late, but it's better late than never and I feel like now is a good chance to tick these off the blog list before my little toddler menace gets too handsy with his pens! He loves to write and draw in nearly all of his books and these seem appealing to him with their target audience being aimed towards younger fans. He's not just a fan yet as I don't see him graduating from Bluey or Dino Ranch just yet, but maybe one day we'll get there and I can pass off the books for him to enjoy. The story itself was unique and I really liked that there was a unique format in having the entire story take the form of a letter. Rose writing to her mum was really nice and I would imagine it's something Jackie would really have appreciated, but sadly we didn't get to know any kind of response. That's fine though as the letter itself was more than enough and it was just pleasant for Rose to be writing. I thought it was a fun idea for the Doctor to want to start stamp collecting and whilst that feels like something I might expect more of the Fifth or Eleventh Doctors, it was not wholly out of character for the Tenth Doctor. Of course, having a time machine helps when it comes to being able to collect stamps and it definitely seems right that the place to begin is at the start with the very first stamp. The famous penny black! I echoed Rose's comments about even I had heard of that one without having any kind of knowledge about stamps, but I do know about their value and some of it can be pretty staggering! We didn't really delve into any kind of monetary values, but the mentions of printing errors being incredibly valuable was really good and was actually something I knew about thanks to an episode of The Blacklist in its final season. That one was focused on the Sicilian Error of Colour, but here I imagine the price of an alternate version of the very first stamp would be worth an incredible amount! And here Rose was sending one to Jackie through time. I thought the characterisation of Rose could have been a little better as whilst I do understand the target audience of the stories within these books, it did sound like Rose was much more immature than her age. I know she's young, but it did feel at times like a child was writing. With the Doctor Who File focusing on Rose, it's only natural that she is the star of the show in the story in her book. With Queen Victoria adorning the stamp, I liked how Rose compared her appearance to actually meeting her in Tooth and Claw, but that was forty years into the future so of course she would look different! I thought the concept behind the Hobothies was average and probably came a little late in the story to be honest, but it was fun for the link with the ink and the mess that would make! Rose actually dealt with the Hobothy rather quickly and in emphatic fashion with a kick that was a little too conveniently timed with the press of the stamp, but it saw the psychic link broken with a bang rather suddenly. I liked the message at the end with Rose pondering on the stamp collecting and maybe even getting started herself whilst also acknowledging that it was her who saved the day. Overall, a solid little read! 

Rating: 7/10

The Children of the Future

"A gift from the Doctor. It's from the future!"

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Sontarans vs Rutans 1.02

Featuring: Third Doctor, Sarah Jane, Brigadier

Synopsis

The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans has been going on for millennia. And is likely to continue for millennia more. A terrible conflict with no care for consequences or collateral damage. Billions have died with no end in sight.

The Brigadier is used to the Doctor acting strangely, but this time there's something decidedly different about the whole affair. As he looks into the Time Lord's odd activities outside of UNIT, there's a mystery that'll take Lethbrdige-Stewart to a site very familiar to Sarah Jane Smith. 

Can the Brigadier trust his old friend? Who are his mysterious new allies? And is the future of humanity really at stake? A Sontaran threat could spell the end of their long-standing friendship... and the entire planet!

Verdict

The Children of the Future was a great episode to continue my way through the Sontarans vs Rutans celebratory series! This is a tremendous idea to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Sontarans debuting in The Time Warrior, and despite them not actually featuring in this episode I really enjoyed the links to that debut serial. I think it's wonderful that we get another Sarah Jane story linked to the Sontarans and Lindsay Castle. It's obviously an important time for her to remember as it was her first trip in the TARDIS, and I liked the little line linking back to The House That Hoxx Built in claiming she and the Doctor had just come back from the end of the world. That was really nicely done and placed things continuity wise. I'm always a fan when that happens. I also thought it was powerful for the Third Doctor her to realise that he was getting towards the end of his incarnation. He linked things back to the emotional events of Doctor Who and the Silurians when he was fresh in his current body, but with Planet of the Spiders looming it's fascinating to know that he knew his time was almost up. The pairing of the Brigadier and Sarah Jane was magnificent and I liked how they took things into their own hands when it came to investigating the mysterious actions of the Doctor over the last month or so. He was obviously up to something but it would be so much easier if they could just trust him! I do think much of the episode was predictable but that didn't make it any less fun. The Doctor claiming to be helping the Earth Defence Force of 1994 was interesting because it just didn't sound right. The remnants of people coming back through time to escape a Sontaran invasion of Earth. His plan to have them procreate with the people of the past in a bid to prevent the future was incredible, but Sarah knew that those weren't the normal actions of the Time Lord. The EDF were of course actually Rutans which was good and I like how that rounds things out for Sarah regarding this endless war in meeting both sides alongside the Third Doctor. I thought Tim Treloar was terrific once again as the third incarnation and I am so used to him in that role now. He's a delight, as are Sadie Miller and Jon Culshaw in bringing Sarah Jane and the Brigadier to life anew on audio. It's a real treat. Stanley as the little shop owner was a lovely little character and it was clear right from the off that he was a Rutan, but he was different. He just wanted peace and to live a life. He didn't react much to overhearing Sarah and the Brigadier work out what had happened and why the faces at the Cascade Project all look familiar. They had been replicated from the Herald newspaper! That was the obvious giveaway of the Rutan presence, and the Doctor trying to limit their presence on Earth with the staggered use of the time tunnel was good. Of course, the blundering in of the Brigadier and Sarah set things back a bit, but I did really enjoy the moment where the Rutans took on the form of the Doctor as well. The Brigadier was posed with the issue of having to pick between them, and the way the real Doctor revealed himself by harking back to the line where he used his full name when mad at the Brigadier was a really good touch. That brought things full circle for the episode in a very neat way! I like the ambiguous ending with the Doctor and company not knowing full well what the Rutan aim was, but I get the sense that we'll get an answer in the finale of this little series. I like that things will all tie back, or at least it feels that way, but as a whole this was a really good episode to continue the series! 

Rating: 8/10

X and the Daleks

"The Daleks offer us nothing but fear and death."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs 

Format: Audio

Released: November 2012

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Dark Eyes 1.04

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Molly

Synopsis

'Subject is called Molly O'Sullivan. An inhabitant of Earth. Born Earth year 1891. Has travelled in space and time with Time Lord known as the Doctor.'

With Straxus and his TARDIS destroyed, the Doctor and Molly have tracked the mysterious 'X' to the planet Srangor. It is here that the truth of the threat to the universe will finally be revealed. 

What is the Dalek Time Controller's ultimate plan? What exactly is the space-time projector? Who will survive this epic battle for survival?

Verdict

X and the Daleks was another fantastic episode to conclude the first series of Dark Eyes within the Eighth Doctor Adventures! Considering that there are still three more boxsets to come in this range, I was actually surprised by how much of a finality feeling there was at the end. This was really strong stuff and served as a fine conclusion to what has been a tremendously consistent set of stories and a superb story arc! I absolutely love Molly as the companion and I'm intrigued by how things were left with her here. She did seem to have something more of a scared feeling in the episode but that didn't stop her from showcasing her brash confidence. She was needed when the Doctor was taken out and she pulled her weight, quite literally, when called upon. The mystery regarding X, who we already knew as Kotris, was really strong and I enjoyed finding out more about him. The concept of a Time Lord willingly becoming part Dalek is sensational and I love the idea of looking objectively at the universe and seeing that the Time Lords were more guilty of causing death than the Daleks. That's a bold claim, but for Kotris that was what he believed and so much so that he wanted to revoke his own species. As if that was not enough, the truth regarding his origins was most unexpected as he turned out to be the next incarnation of Straxus! That was pretty amazing and I loved that Kotris was just the family name. He didn't want the name of the previous incarnation anymore. The discussion between Kotris and Straxus was really interesting stuff and the former actually stopping his future self by sacrificing himself was extraordinary! The implications for the web of time there were really interesting as for Molly, that meant her dark eyes had never become a thing because Kotris had never come into being! He had plaid an important role by saving the Dalek Time Controller, but now his life had never happened. Molly saving the Doctor and flying the TARDIS back to France so she could fulfil her role in providing care for Kitty was a lovely ending for her and really rounded out her arc for the series. The exploration into the importance of her dark eyes was excellent and I loved how defensive she was when she thought the Doctor was mocking her. She'd experienced enough of that in school which was quite sad to hear. The eyes being a result of her injection of retro-genitor particles. The idea of her being a weapon was expected, but the concept of inhibiting regeneration thanks to the radiation was really good! I thought it was wonderful for Molly to want to sacrifice herself if it meant saving people as she knew that she was infected and the key, so if she died everyone would be safe. The Doctor was having none of it, especially when she seemingly fell to her death! The Doctor wasn't dealing with that well, especially considering how much he was still reeling from Lucie's death. Nadean was a strong character too and I loved his determination to save Molly. Even if it meant the Daleks surviving. The involvement of the Time Lords in this Dalek plot is intriguing and definitely has the feeling of being a precursor to the Time War, especially when it came to the Time Lords being in control all along and knowing the effect of Molly's bonding with the Doctor would have on the particles within her. That was really nice. I'm fascinated to hear how things move forward from here with the Doctor being united again with Molly, especially when the whole Dark Eyes angle seems to have concluded! This felt final, but it's lovely to know that it is not! Overall, a fantastic listen and a fitting finale for what has been a magnificent series. 

Rating: 9/10

Tangled Web

"I got lost in the storm."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: November 2012

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Dark Eyes 1.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Molly

Synopsis

Something happened when Molly O'Sullivan was just two years old, and the Doctor thinks it's high time they found out exactly what it was. 

Meanwhile, the Daleks are fully activating their Temporal Chamber. And while the Doctor and Molly get closer to the terrible truth, the nature of reality itself seems to be in question.

Verdict

Tangled Web was was another excellent episode to continue my way through the first series of Dark Eyes Eighth Doctor Adventures! Whilst each individual episode has stayed just shy of a perfect rating, I can’t heap enough praise on this series so far. I’m absolutely loving the pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Molly and the mystery surrounding the importance of the new companion was put even deeper here. I liked how things started with Molly as a two-year-old who’d gone missing on her second birthday. The person who’d found her? The equally mysterious Kortis. He’s a fascinating character with him being a Time Lord on the side of the Daleks. That’s a dangerous place to be and the suggestion at the episode’s conclusion from Straxus that he was genetically modified by the Daleks was very exciting. Just what is he then if a Time Lord altered at the genetic level in favour of the Daleks? I can’t wait to find out. The Time Lords having designated him as simply X does seem a little naff, but I’m very much looking forward to finding out what role he has in wiping out the Time Lords and what sort of role Molly will have. I think she’s absolutely tremendous and her accent is to die for with how she pronounces Daleks and still refers to the TARDIS as the Tardy-box. I just love it. I think it’s really good to have her as a quite innocent woman who does believe that there could be good Daleks. Her analogy to the men of war and the German women doing what she was doing on the front was tremendous. She certainly hasn’t forgotten her routes which I love. The Doctor though, here in his eighth incarnation, refused to believe that there could be any such thing as a good Dalek. And yet here Daleks were hoping they wouldn’t get cold in a cave, laughing with children, and apparently mutating to the point that they only went in the traditional Dalek casing as a comfort point for a nap. That was extraordinary! Hearing the Doctor wish that this could be true and that there would be some non-evil Daleks was very good, as he knew it just couldn’t happen. His little reference to Davros as being a madman was glorious and I thought this was a stellar performance from Paul McGann. He evoked so much emotion and dealt with whatever was in the Doctor’s head with genuine anguish. Just when he was becoming himself, he’d be essentially comatose and that’s a dangerous place for the Doctor. It allowed Molly a chance to explore the peaceful planet of Skaro where even flowers now grew. There were no longer any petrified forests. Of course, this wasn’t reality which was kind of expected but discovering that it came from the Doctor’s mind was really fun. Does he really desire the Daleks to be good? I really liked the further exploration of Molly’s ability to pilot the TARDIS and it’s clearly just instinct. She remembered being in the TARDIS of Kortis when younger which was intriguing and her mind is certainly tangled. Overall, a really fun episode that continued the emotional development of the series in a fine way that sets us up for a fun first boxset finale! I can’t wait for more. A fantastic listen. 

Rating: 9/10

Fugitives

"Do you go in for this time travel lark all the time?"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: November 2012

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Dark Eyes 1.02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Molly

Synopsis 

With the first objective of his mission reached, almost nothing is going to plan for the Doctor. He finds he cannot contact or return to the Time Lord's home planet, Gallifrey. And just when Molly O'Sullivan thinks she's escaped one conflict, she finds herself in the thick of another one.

What is it that connects the Doctor, the Daleks and the mysterious Ides Scientific Institute?

Verdict

Fugitives was another excellent episode to continue my way through the first series of Dark Eyes within the Eighth Doctor Adventures! After only two adventures I must say I am absolutely loving it so far. This story really gave us a fine plot that furthered the mystery of Molly O'Sullivan whilst also continuing the intrigue of what direction things will head towards as the rest of the series and beyond unfolds. Following on from the cliffhanger at the end of The Great War, Molly gets to escape with the Doctor inside the TARDIS and her familiarity with it is very interesting. I was a huge fan of Molly's already just from her opening story, but now she really is quite the enigma! Her Irish accent and being from the First World War are brilliant qualities in themselves, but now she can fly the TARDIS? The Doctor was as perplexed as this listener was. It wasn't that big of a deal initially that she could open the TARDIS doors as that's a singular control and she certainly wouldn't have been the first to replicate that, but to actually take off and dematerialise in quick time to get away from the Daleks? That required skill and immense calculations which she just did by instinct. Whilst all the information is far from being out there, it's no wonder the Daleks are after Molly too. Getting a bit more of the conversation Straxus had with the Doctor about giving him hope and providing the mission to save Molly was good, but with her on board the TARDIS the inability to contact Gallifrey was proving difficult. She'd have to stick around. I really enjoyed how Molly came out of her shell throughout the course of this episode and the Doctor was not holding back in being sympathetic to her lack of knowledge regarding time travel and when she was from. The jump to 1940 was good and Molly dealt with that somewhat well, even though she learned there was a Second World War, but the jump to 1972 was where things got really interesting. That was a bit too far in the future for her liking, but they were expected! The Ides Scientific Institute being at the Doctor's old residence of Baker Street was very good, especially when the Doctor had unknowingly sent them £1 billion for an experiment! The message coming in the top secret computer system was good fun too. I liked how the seeds were dropped on what's to come and I really do look forward to discovering how everything ties together. The Daleks didn't do an awful lot in this episode but when they were present they were rather deadly! Molly was scared to see them again so soon which sold their fear factor, not that it was required! I loved how she deduced that the Doctor had lost people to the Daleks before and that he'd been fighting them for a very long time. I also loved the Gallifrey being in Ireland line featuring again here, but this time it actually works in a non-cliche way! I absolutely adored Molly constantly referring to the TARDIS as the tardy-box and her sarcastic nature of emphasising 'the' Doctor is glorious. She's an instant hit as a companion. So what makes her so special to the Daleks and the mysterious Kotris? Getting a glimpse of him with the Daleks was intriguing and the suggestion of their actions falling everything into plan was very good. They do seem to have control which is terrific. Molly getting to grips with time travel and the potential of the TARDIS was tremendous and I really loved her bonding with the Doctor when she asked to go somewhere fun as they waited for the Time Lords to come calling. The humour of the anti-gravity waves and Molly being thrown about was just lovely. The Doctor was finally able to let his hair down for a bit, but there's still so much more to come. Overall, an excellent episode! Let's keep the dark eyes comments coming.

Rating: 9/10

The Great War

"Is the view from the end of everything so terrible?"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: November 2012

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Dark Eyes 1.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Molly

Synopsis

Voluntary Aid Detachment nursing assisant Molly O'Sullivan spends her days facing the horrors of the Great War. Little does she know that a man from another world has arrived, looking for her. 

But what are the strange sounds coming from the battlefield at night? Where is the glowing gas coming from? And is everyone who they claim to be?

Verdict

The Great War was an excellent start to the Dark Eyes series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This is a hugely exciting time for me personally as after twelve long years since release, I've finally delved into this range. I've actually owned all four boxsets for four years now but it's finally time to get rocking. I believe I'm up to date on everything required to know before starting the series and I was glad that this didn't have the feeling of being a hard reset on all things Eighth Doctor. He was still quite clearly reeling from the events of Lucie Miller/To the Death with everything that happened there for Lucie and even his own granddaughter. In his delirious state thanks to the gas in this episode he would mention them and that was rather touching. I like that we know there is something of a Time Lord mission at hand here but the details are still more than hazy and that's good to maintain interest as the series goes on. I don't need to know about it yet and building towards all of the information there will be great stuff. The moments we got with with Straxus were very good and I liked the insistence that whatever is at foot, the Doctor is the one required. We got a stark and quite scary reminder that the Time Lords can still control the Doctor's TARDIS and having him be that vulnerable in his own ship was startling. He was determined to reach the destruction of the universe which I found intriguing and would definitely be somewhere I'd love for the Doctor to go. It's good knowing that the Daleks will play a focal part in this series and I love the description of them being silver, but for me this episode is all about introducing Molly O'Sullivan. I was delighted to hear that she was Irish as that's an accent I can't ever tire of hearing on a woman, and she was so headstrong! I was really impressed with her debut. Her position as a VAD in the Great War was terrific and I loved her interaction with the Doctor. She wasn't going to be swept up by everything that makes him the Doctor. Hearing her use 'the' rather emphatically each time she mentioned his name was brilliant. I think I'm really going to like her. The way she dealt with Isabella was fantastic and she didn't want to show the injured men anything that might want to make them interested. Top buttons done up! That was hilarious. She really did respect the men she was trying to help heal though which was lovely. The threat of the gas was really intriguing and I very much enjoyed the train journey. The Doctor's helplessness when it came to the Matron confiscating the sonic screwdriver, or penny whistle as he referred to it here, was glorious. He was so defeated! The way he did get it back to fix the train track was good though and I liked the danger there. A train full of injured men has its problems! Kitty being eaten by the time wind was a shocking moment and I also thought Isabella's death in cold blood at the hands of Sturgis was absolutely brutal. He was a good villain and the attempt to infuse the Doctor with O-Positive blood was quite something! Molly's importance was soon revealed and I enjoyed the Doctor's earlier comment about her eyes. I'm intrigued by her significance. Just what did Sturgis and the Daleks want with her? The emergence of the Daleks at the cliffhanger was good and I imagine they're the last kind of race the Doctor wanted to see after his recent events! He was also rather angry at the Time Lords for not telling him they would be present. Overall, a really strong start to what looks set to be an excellent series! I already cannot wait for more.

Rating: 9/10

Dominion

"Spiders are supposed to run away from us."

Writers: Jason Arnopp & Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: October 2012

Series: Seventh Doctor Adventures 1.01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Raine, Klein 

Synopsis

The universe stands on the brink of a dimensional crisis – and the Doctor and Raine are pulled into the very epicentre of it. 

Meanwhile, on Earth, UNIT scientific advisor Dr Elizabeth Klein and an incarnation of the Doctor she's never encountered before are tested to the limit by a series of bizarre, alien invasions. 

At the heart of it all is a terrible secret, almost as old as the Time Lords themselves. Reality is beginning to unravel and two Doctors, Klein, Raine and all of UNIT must use all their strength and guile to prevent the whole of creation being torn apart. 

Verdict

Dominion was a great story to act as the entire second series of UNIT adventures from Big Finish! There was understandably very little, if any, continuity to the first series and that was a good move I think as this was more of an instalment in what would become the Seventh Doctor Adventures. This one is seemingly placed somewhere close towards the regeneration in The Movie with the appearance of the Doctor on the artwork and Raine as a companion indicating that. I thought it was good continuity with Intervention Earth to have Ace on Gallifrey and only appearing in a couple of cameo scenes, but I must say I would have preferred her featuring here alongside the Seventh Doctor and Raine. For whatever reason, I couldn't quite get on board with them as a pairing but it might be due to the fact that for much of the story there was another 'Doctor' in town. Unfortunately, I knew all about the twist in this tale regarding the mysterious Other Doctor and the fact he was actually the Master, but whilst listening in hindsight it did seem a little obvious. Maybe for listeners at the time it was a surprise, but for me even with the knowledge it did feel like things were always pointing in that direction. That's not to say it was bad in the least! I thought the part three cliffhanger was tremendous and the anticipation and build to get there was marvellous. Nearly from the very off the Doctor was suspicious of his apparent future self and I do think that Alexander Macqueen played the part very well. This was my first experience of him in the role of the Master and it has been a long time coming. I love the little nod on the CD cover art for part one showing the TARDIS exterior used by the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor to indicate him being a future version of the Doctor, but right when the Doctor wonders why a different TARDIS looked like his own police box design the game was up. I thought the focus on Klein was brilliant and her finding out that she was actually a Nazi from an alternate timeline was tremendous. She soon found out why the umbrella man was stalking her dreams and reality. He needed to ensure she hadn't reverted back. That was great stuff. I thought the overall plot here was good and I really enjoyed the idea behind the Dimensioneers. Diving into the depths of other dimensions is really strong and certainly feels like the kind of thing the Master would try. Why rule one dimension when you could have them all? That was right up his alley and I enjoyed the audacious nature of the plan. The attempt to disguise himself as the Doctor to get the dimension node was fun stuff and I really enjoyed his relationship with UNIT. Wilson was a really nice character and I liked the realism of him struggling to cope with the job amidst his baby nearly being born. There's a whole load of pressure there! He was able to be something of a hero by the end. Arunzell was decent as well but I wasn't overly sold on the booming voice. It didn't quite work for me but its fate in sealing the Master behind before falling to death at the Time Lord's hands was very well done. At four hours long, there probably was a little too much going on for one adventure with the likes of the giant spiders and floating heads quickly getting forgotten. The news report on the latter was a nice touch though. I thought Doctor's internal struggle with the Master was very good and I love the way Sylvester McCoy says 'Master'. It adds a huge quality of almost distain. The Doctor pondering on how he and the Master had gone in such different directions despite having the same upbringing was really intriguing to explore, as was the idea of Raine and Klein coming to terms with the fact the Doctor left the Master to die. We all know he comes back though, he always does, and I look forward to further exploring the adventures of this mysterious incarnation. Overall, a lengthy tale but a really strong one! 

Rating: 8/10

Victory of the Doctor

"I always find a way to beat you."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 6.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Valarie 

Synopsis 

He told them to run. They should have listened.

Verdict

Victory of the Doctor was a superb end to the sixth series of the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles bearing the same umbrella title. I'm not entirely sure how much of a victory it actually was for the Doctor, but I did enjoy the play on words with this being the New Dalek Paradigm and their first episode being Victory of the Daleks. It was clever stuff and this was a pretty fitting end for these large and colourful Daleks. They oozed power but there was also dissension in the ranks with the different roles meaning some very different thoughts on what was right for the Dalek race. The Supreme was understandably less than pleased with the idea of them not being pure or superior, and I liked how the Doctor was taunting the Daleks on some of their hierarchy. Who elected the Dalek Prime Minister? What exactly was a Parliament of Daleks? I mean they were certainly valid questions and I do enjoy when he pokes fun at his greatest enemies. I think it's really nice that we get to hear the relationship of Valarie and Roanna reach something of a wedding, although being ordained by a Dalek was eery stuff! The pair were a little confused but the Doctor was working on sending the Daleks to hell, starting with this singular one. Of course, it wasn't feasible for them to work on each Dalek separately but it was a good start. I liked the continuity from the past few series in having the Surge play a role and by some time, with Roanna really embracing her position as a temporary mutant when exterminated that can destroy Daleks. It wouldn't work on the entire race, but it was a good start. I also liked how important the Darinthium blight (sp.?) was to fully defeating the Daleks and it was a glorious moment to have the Doctor gloating to his companions. He couldn't tell them his plan but when Valarie realised he'd had a very good one all along it really felt like the upper hand wasn't with the Daleks for the first time. The apparent plan of distraction and keeping the Daleks busy didn't seem wholly feasible, but it was fun to think that a large bunch of Raston Warrior Robots had wiped out all of the Special Weapons Daleks. That would be some battle! The Doctor's encounter with the Dalek Eternal was bordering on the lines of torture which was extraordinary and almost reminiscent of Heaven Sent in how each time he paid a visit to it that the length of eternity's passing had increased. From hundreds to thousands to eventually billions of years. And all it was doing was fighting. The anger of the Supreme in the episode was good to hear although one small issue I had was that the stakes didn't quite feel as high as previous stories in the series. I really do think that The Last Stand of Miss Valarie Lockwood was a fitting finale to a number of loose strands in the series, and now this was just finishing the Daleks off. They were trapped in the pocket universe after all and hearing their smugness at thinking they were the last remaining species excluding a rather important system was good. They were Daleks supreme, they'd even wiped out the Sontarans, but then the Doctor had defeated them whilst they thought they were conquering the universe once and for all. The Doctor having doubts was slightly concerning and seemed to eliminate any finality to his victory as just one Dalek may have survived in this universe and that's all it would take, but it did leave things open for further Dalek encounters which we would of course see. The goodbye to Valarie was a really strong and emotional one and it's nice that this version of the companion gets her happy ending. Her travels with the Doctor were over, but it was a fitting end for him to be her best name. Roanna taking the Lockwood name was a really nice touch and after going through a whole lot during her time in the TARDIS, it's lovely that Valarie's story ends on a high note. Overall, an excellent episode to conclude a sublime series! 

Rating: 9/10

Victory of the Doctor: The Last Stand of Miss Valarie Lockwood

"Everything that I had was taken."

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 6.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Valarie 

Synopsis 

R.I.P Valarie Lockwood, 6th October 5324 - 1st May 1893.

Verdict

The Last Stand of Miss Valarie Lockwood was an excellent episode to continue my way through the Victory of the Doctor sixth and seemingly finale series of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! For a penultimate episode this was really impressive and really did round out a lot of continuity that has been in place dating back to the Geronimo! third series, but first in the run for Valarie Lockwood as companion. As the title suggests, this would be her last stand and whilst she will obviously feature in the finale, the way she took matters into her own hands and found her way to Chicago and Hayden and ultimately her death was tremendous. There was a lot of emption at the start of this episode given how things finished in Daleks Victorious with Roanna losing her home, but the Doctor knew the stakes were a whole lot higher than that. There was some strong conversation and almost argument between the Doctor, Valarie and Roanna which was almost uncomfortable. It did a superb job in selling the threat of the New Paradigm Daleks and this series in particular just feels right in terms of Dalek continuity after Victory of the Daleks. I would argue the Daleks haven't really been utilised all that well since that episode which was amazingly fourteen years ago now, so to have them as such a prominent enemy here is brilliant. The Daleks should always be the biggest threat in Doctor Who and I love that this is how the New Paradigm are being presented here. This version of the Daleks never felt that way on screen so I'm delighted that Big Finish are giving us that opportunity here. The prospect of the Doctor ultimately defeating the Daleks and wiping them all out is intriguing as we know that doesn't happen as his next incarnation and beyond would encounter them, but maybe the New Paradigm will be? I'm very excited to hear what happens in that regard in the finale. But before we got there we had a great deal of setup! We finally got the answer regarding the mystery caller that's been following the Doctor and Valarie around on much of their travels, and I really enjoyed the similarities to The Big Bang in having a time machine explode in order to reset time. Except this time it wasn't the Doctor's TARDIS, but the return of Tim as the Dalek's own version! I liked how he initially called Valarie as her mother's contact in her phone and that's not something she was overly thrilled about. He wasn't exactly consoling of her either after Roanna was killed, but that was because he was offering to save her. And not just her but her mother and even the Doctor as well. The Time Lord's plan to trap the Daleks in a pocket universe by utilising the Archaeon device was good and I loved the emotion behind that decision. He would not let Valarie into the TARDIS because he knew she would try to come with him, but that couldn't happen as he would have to stay in the pocket universe with the Daleks in order to keep them there. No chance of survival. So Valarie's decision to essentially kill her own mother again was incredible and showed the trust she had in the Doctor. She went back to before Medruth was destroyed and Roanna was surviving, even showing through contact the Doctor what she had done. She met a version of herself and this would allow her now to go onto Chicago and keep the timelines intact, whilst her alternate past self would help the Doctor and Roanna go on and ultimately defeat the Daleks. At least that's the theory! Valarie's comments to the Doctor about the Daleks being defeated properly this time was brilliant. It was a fitting end for Valarie, who has been nothing short of incredible as a companion. Not for a long time has a character injected so much emotion into a story arc. This run has been superb and I look forward to hearing how it finishes! Overall, a fantastic listen. 

Rating: 9/10

Victory of the Daleks: Daleks Victorious

"The Daleks aren't going to take our future."

Writer: Felicia Barker

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 6.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Valarie 

Synopsis 

Everything dies when the Daleks arrive. Friends, loved ones, even hope itself. As the people of Medruth are about to discover, nothing can stand in their way. After all, the Daleks have won the Last Great Time War. Right?

Verdict

Daleks Victorious was a great story to continue my way through the Victory of the Doctor sixth series of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! This really followed up nicely with where things were left in the previous series on Medruth seeing Valarie reunited with her girlfriend Roanna and her alternate timeline husband Hayden. It's quite amazing that these two characters get on so well given their completely different relationship with Valarie, and how she only has love for Roanna. For Hayden that must be incredibly difficult to accept considering he led a life with her as his wife, but she has no memory of that. Of course, after a lengthy and teasing build this episode sees the full triumphant return of the New Paradigm Daleks. They didn't get a chance on television and I think in the audio format they can actually flourish. Let's not sugarcoat it, the change of design in Victory of the Daleks wasn't the best move as they did just look a bit clunky and too big. The colours weren't exactly intimidating either, but exploring more about each colour's role was good stuff. The Doctor's comments about the orange one and his likening to orange always being different was really fun. I thought the conversation with the Eternal in particular was brilliant and I loved how eery and enigmatic he sounded. I got real Dalek Caan vibes and I loved the Doctor likening him to a Dalek historian. I think it's fun for the Doctor to have removed himself from the Dalek Pathweb, but fully exploring why that wasn't a good idea worked very well for the basis of the story. Removing the fear of the Doctor from the Daleks meant they were essentially unstoppable. They feared the thought of not being the superior beings, so when the Doctor emerged as a Time Lord it meant they hadn't quite won the Last Great Time War after all. Or had they won it in the first place? That was really fun to explore, especially when they considered some previous unaccounted for defeats going back to the likes of Spiridon, Kembel and Exxilon. That was fun and so the Doctor's presence and existence might have been the answer. The Supreme getting in touch with the Dalek Prime Minister was very good and I loved the exploration of different types. One highlight that adorns the artwork is the modern take on the Special Weapons Dalek! That was brilliant and painted quite the image. I liked the build towards the Daleks trying to assert their dominance and the link with the Yearn was really interesting. I wasn't wholly sold on that link with the Dalek Pathweb but it was good for him to infiltrate it and listen in. The drama of it becoming whole was a good way to take out most of the Daleks but for whatever reason something just felt a little off there, not in a bad way but not enough to go past the current rating. The sacrifice of Hoster was really emotional as the battle for Medruth really took its toll. Roanna's reaction was understandably a sad one and it just seems that every time the Doctor gets involved in someone in Valarie's life, something terrible happens. It's the bloody Daleks again and hearing the Doctor pondering on having to become a warrior again was powerful stuff. Valarie's in danger and destined for death and the Daleks are causing pain. It's a tantalising set up for the next episode to come! Overall, a really strong story that rounded out a lot of continuity from these Chronicles whilst setting us up very nicely for the final two episodes. I'm very excited and now a little bit cautious! 

Rating: 8/10

Victory of the Doctor: Didn't You Kill My Mother?

"I have to exterminate the loser."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Eleventh Doctor Chronicles 6.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Valarie 

Synopsis

Another day, another set of clients needing arbitration. However, this case is special. It's the kind of case that could make a career. It could definitely earn you a promotion. The case? Lockwood versus Hendricks.

Verdict

Didn't You Kill My Mother? was an excellent start to the Victory of the Doctor sixth series of Eleventh Doctor Chronicles! This release is one I have been anticipating ever since concluding the Everywhere and Anywhere fifth series and this series since Valarie came along has been nothing short of excellent. It might go down as the best run from Big Finish in quite a while and that's the beauty of having continuity and a story arc developing with each series. It's something the Ninth Doctor Adventures could learn from, and the emotional stakes as we head to this finale are incredibly high! The Paradigm Daleks are on the brink of universal domination and we all know that Valarie is destined to die, so how will we get back to Chicago in 1893 and will that actually be her fate? I'm a huge fan of her character but I certainly hope her demise stays. It's raw emotion and sublime storytelling. I love how much of a threat the New Paradigm of Daleks are being presented as and it's a much better job than what we saw on television with Victory of the Daleks and barely The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang. These are new Daleks and they're actually proving difficult to stop which I really like. The makeup of the legal case here between Valarie and Hendricks was really intriguing and having the Doctor as the arbitrator was good fun. The details were hazy which would surely create all sorts of legal loopholes, but just having Valarie and Hendricks in a small room together was superb. Valarie is a really emotional character and here she was faced with the woman who essentially killed her mother. It's powerful stuff but hearing her defence was fascinating. Referring to what Valarie considered the victims as soldiers was a big moment and one our part-cyborg companion didn't agree with, but Hendricks was building a way to defeat the Daleks. It's not a bad defence, especially with the Doctor holding the power over the decision! It was nice to get a little reminder of events regarding Hendricks and her efforts, with the Surge obviously being the most successful to date. Whilst it did save Roanna, Valarie didn't appreciate her girlfriend being a test subject. Valarie still hasn't met the Daleks which she was keen to point out which was fun and considering their presence has been felt for the last few episodes that's an often forgotten fact. She's had one hell of a run though! I thought Tim was a sensational character and his true nature was bold and audacious to say the least! A sentient Dalek time machine that was far more than Hendricks' consultant. The way that was built to and revealed was excellent and full of anticipation. He was built by the Cult of Skaro themselves which felt like good continuity with where Dalek chronology was at on screen at this point in the Doctor's timeline, and was supposed to infiltrate TARDISes on Gallifrey. A magnificent idea and I'm usually a fan of new types of Daleks or Dalek technology. The possibilities really are endless and the way he interacted with the Doctor here was good fun. He was the only other lawyer and the Doctor quickly deduced that his surname wasn't Doctor and the use of 'the' when introducing himself was correct. There was no exit and the only way out was to decide the case by using a Dalek blaster on the loser. That's not too far removed from the Dalek legal system I might expect, but it was powerful stuff! I was really impressed. The conclusion was very eventful with Tim taking matters into his own hands and deciding Hendricks was the guilty party and serving her punishment, although a new AI version was brought in to keep the timelines intact. Some consultant that is! Overall, an incredibly strong opener and a fun little take on law. 

Rating: 9/10

The Body Bank

"You stump up the cash and rent out your body to someone else."

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2007

Printed in: Doctor Who Storybook 2008

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

Close to the year five billion, on the planet Fraxinos, Natalie Sharrocks is attacked by a Chelonian. It accuses her of destroying a Chelonian breeding planet, but how is that possible? Natalie's been at the Body Bank for the past year. Can Natalie discover the truth? It seems, not without the Doctor...

Verdict

The Body Bank was a great short story to continue my reading of the 2008 Doctor Who Storybook! These particular releases can be a little whacky and that was evident in this book's opener of Cats and Dogs, but this was something more of a traditional Doctor Who story and one that I thought worked very well! I very much enjoyed going to the far future and whilst we were still a couple of hundred centuries earlier than what Martha experienced in Gridlock, the proximity was good and referencing that episode was a good indicator to show roughly when we were. This was the far future and technology had moved on, but so had junk food. The concept behind the titular Body Bank was actually fantastic and absolutely rife for a Doctor Who adventure. I was a big fan of the selling point for the Bank that I took as my opening quote as it must be incredibly appealing and enticing for someone else to just take your body and do the work out! I am speaking as someone who has taken up running this year and I'm in the middle of a fundraiser for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity where I'm running 100k in February, and I could definitely be convinced for someone else to do an early morning run in my own shoes! Especially if it just felt like my mind was asleep when the created minds took over my body. That's brilliant, but of course it would be used for evil here and it was done so in a very clever way. Colly as the Body Bank owner was a good character and I liked how he seemed inferior almost right away when the Doctor brandished his trusty psychic paper to show that he was actually an officer and investigating the claim against Natalie Sharrocks that she had murdered several Chelonians. The threat from the Chelonian that was on the hunt for her throughout the first half of the story was good and I liked how that came to fruition at the climax, although I do think the Doctor was able to explain the situation perhaps a little easily. A consequence of the limited word count perhaps? It wasn't bad by any means but it definitely could have been shown a little more. The death of the true culprit within the body of Baxter was a nice way to tie everything up, but a little bit quick as well! He died from the shock which was a little difficult to buy considering the death he had caused in Natalie's body, but it did provide a really nice moment for Martha to showcase her medical instincts and rush to his aid. But there would be no pulse to find. I thought the illustrations that accompanied this story were really good and I was a big fan of the layout as well. It looked artistic and really helped with the flow of the story. It was an easy read and the background art was a great help in visualising the adventure. It only complimented the story which is a huge positive. Martha's reaction to the concept at the Body Bank was one of interest in the future technology, whereas when the Doctor heard those two words he was rather disgusted. He seemed to work things out pretty easily which I liked and he wasn't a fan of the organisation at all. The characterisation of the Tenth Doctor was decent but not overbearing. There wasn't much of a chance for the humour of David Tennant to come out in the prose, but that wasn't bad at all. As a whole, I thought the concept behind the story was fantastic and I definitely think it could work even better in a longer format. For now though, a really strong adventure! A great read.

Rating: 8/10

The World Traders

"You can't own people."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: January 2021

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 10.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis 

When a day out in 21st Century London leads to the TARDIS being impounded, the Doctor and Leela find themselves getting involved with the mysterious Amapan Investments, a company that's managed to become remarkably successful in a remarkably short amount of time.

So what's their secret? The Doctor and Leela are about to find out. 

The Usurians have come to Earth. And they have big plans.

Verdict

The World Traders was an excellent story to kick off the tenth series of Fourth Doctor Adventures! It's staggering really that we now have this many series of stories for the Fourth Doctor, especially with how late to the game Tom Baker was with recording for Big Finish! It's superb stuff and I loved the continuity here in revisiting an old species in the forms of the Usurians. This was not a sequel to The Sun Makers or anything like that, but exploring the intergalactic operations of the Company was magnificent! It's a bit of a shame that the synopsis spoils their appearance as it's a fun return for the race, and having them dive into the world of modern British politics was delightful. They do both love a tax! It's no wonder the British Government had Secombe working on their behalf with the Company. The fact that they'd given them essentially diplomatic immunity on company land was a lot of fun because it meant that any property left for over an hour on their land instantly became their property. So of course this was where the TARDIS would land. The Doctor was far from pleased at it being taken and he was rather impatient to get it returned. The manner in which he scoffed at the concept of him no longer being a TARDIS owner was brilliant. Leela wasn't a great deal of help when it came to getting it back either but her nose for a hunt got her into a fun situation with Max. The way she taunted him and wanted to hunt one another was terrific, she was right in her element and her confidence was tremendous. Some of the characters in this story were fantastic and the highlight of the bunch for me has to be the Director. She was a fine representative of the Company and certainly served its interests well. The legal bartering over contracts was good stuff and the idea of Secombe actually selling off the UK to the Heliari was quite something! That did lead to a lot of amusement regarding legality of the intergalactic sort and the timey wimey nature of the story in particular was great. The Doctor would exploit that to the maximum when it turned out he had it ratified in court that he owned the land that was initially sold all along, ratified in an intergalactic court, and the grin on his fourth incarnation's face was clear to see in audio form. I think the only element of the adventure that didn't grab me was Mozz and his whole consolidated being. It was a decent concept but I don't think it entirely worked when not the focus. It wasn't bad by any means though! Emma Freemantle was a fine character to serve as a semi companion for the scenes where Leela was separated from the Doctor, and her shift from being a journalist out to expose the truth surrounding Amapan Investments to following the Director blindly was superb. It showed the influence had by the Company and they would do anything to exploit. They were all for the business interests. The way timelines changed after Secombe cut the deal with the Heliari was fascinating and I always love looking into potential futures. Except this had happened and required the Doctor going back to fix it! Earth had never seen the evolution of humanity and New Heliari was a frightening place. The Director and Max only survived from being in the TARDIS which was good, but they didn't seem too bothered by everything. Follow the profit! The way things ended seemed a little harsh and something of a cliffhanger for the Director, but I would definitely be in favour of exploring anything more from this story. It was excellent, even if the Doctor didn't get any help from UNIT! That was good continuity with what we were seeing on screen in the Thirteenth Doctor era during this time period. Overall, a terrific listen! 

Rating: 9/10

The Sons of the Crab

"How dare you treat me like a specimen?"

Writer: Walter Howarth

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1965

Printed in: Dr Who Annual 1966

Featuring: First Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor arrives on the planet Wengrol in the Crab Nebula, inhabited by shapeshifters. Taken as a specimen by humanoid scientists who believe he is a shapeshifter stabilised in single form, the Doctor has a biological fight on his hands...

Verdict

The Sons of the Crab was a terrific little short story to continue my reading of the very first Doctor Who Annual! I truly do feel privileged to even have the chance to be reading this collection of adventures some six decades on from its release, and that time difference really is felt. This story in particular felt very retro and it's just wonderful to think that for fans of the show back when this was released in 1965 that William Hartnell was the current, and only, Doctor. The illustrations showing him are glorious and whilst I do think the artwork for this particular story was a little repetitive, as a whole the colour and design was brilliant. It certainly brought the story to life which is obviously a big help. It definitely aided with my enjoyment of the story and I thought the characterisation of the First Doctor himself was very well captured in the prose. It was definitely an improvement on the way he was written in the previous The Lair of Zarbi Supremo, and a lot of that was because he didn't take too kindly to his treatment. It was classic First Doctor in terms of his reactions. It was very strange to hear the Doctor refer to himself as human and from Earth, but that offers such a fascinating insight into how Doctor Who was viewed at this time. It didn't have the incredible depositary of mythology that it has today. It doesn't add up with the Doctor's comments in An Unearthly Child about being from another world and of course we saw someone else from that world in The Time Meddler, but it's still tremendous fun. It still feels wrong to refer to the main character as Dr Who but that feels incredibly retro so it does put a smile on my face. The idea of the Crab Nebula is intriguing and I love the idea of depicting the Doctor's first foray into a different universe. There wasn't too much of a crab theme there but it was certainly different! The Yends were a fascinating species and I liked how they thought so little of the Doctor when they captured him. They referred to him as 'it' and spoke as if he wasn't there. The Doctor didn't take too kindly to that as you might imagine! It was great fun. The shapeshifting nature of the Yends was intriguing as it seemed to happen on a slow motion basis, but the real story was in the horribly misshapen mutations. They were uncontrollable and grotesque and at one point it seemed the Doctor was going to get caught up in them in deadly fashion. The way he fought science and belief in the Chief Yend to show that he wasn't a shapeshifter and that has singular form was just normality was good stuff. The world of Wengrol was too far gone with the devastation of the radiation effect, but the take on in vitro fertilisation was an unexpected one! It made sense for the Chief Yend to want to give his race a chance to live on elsewhere and that was the term of the Doctor's being released. He took the phials of fifty of each gender but upon his escape back to normality and the Milky Way, not one of the embryos survived. That was incredibly somber! Of course, we know now that IVF is more than sufficient for giving birth but I was amazed to read that this story was released some thirteen years prior to the first IVF baby being born! Social commentary in these kind of Doctor Who stories is so interesting and that's the beauty of reading this far in hindsight. It's an entirely different perspective and I really appreciate that. Overall, a fun read even if the crabs weren't exactly present. A captivating read. 

Rating: 8/10

Wish You Were Here

"He seems to have turned into an artificial life form while I was sleeping."

Writer: Guy Clapperton

Format: Short Story

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips 13

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

From Neolithic Earth to the furthest reaches of the universe in the far future, Short Trips brings together established Doctor Who authors and first-time writers in a collection of stories exploring the ever-changing worlds of the Doctor and his friends.

Witness the last days of the siege of Masada with the First Doctor and meet the Fourth Doctor's extraordinary 'old flame'. An evil enemy makes life difficult for the Seventh and Third Doctors, and while the Fifth Doctor is under attack on a sinister ship shrouded in fog, the Second may soon be guilty of a grave error of judgement... The Sixth Doctor's hopes of a holiday are dashed when he discovers a pleasure planet is hiding a shocking secret, and the Eighth Doctor is caught up in a deadly drama played out during the construction of Stonehenge.

And, of course, that's just the beginning...

Verdict 

Wish You Were Here was not the greatest of short stories to continue my way through the first volume of Short Trips! I was looking forward to this one prior to reading purely based on the title alone as it sounded enticing and rather interesting. But unfortunately I didn't find it all that great for much of the story. It was just a bit jumbled and not exactly clear what was happening. I think that's a big issue and it didn't really become all that clear until much later in the story which is a shame and not ideal! Perhaps I just didn't get it which might absolutely be the case, but this is purely my own rating of my enjoyment of the story. Which for was bang average and I must admit I've probably been a little generous in my allocated rating because I appreciated some of the concepts being explored, even if the detail was not there for my enjoyment. A tourist planet isn't new and is something that can absolutely work in having unfamiliar peoples arrive at a destination that might not exactly resemble the brochures. That's a good basis for a Doctor Who adventure, but this didn't feel all that touristy. I thought the introduction of Janis was actually good and the concept of her being fearful of the Doctor stalking her was a little odd but it certainly intrigued me! I wanted to know all about her because if the Doctor was following her then she had to be important. Except she was just one of many like K'tarth who was almost a bit part player. He had a history with the Doctor but one we hadn't explored and I must admit the story of the Doctor aiding him didn't sound all that enticing. I did find it very humorous with how he introduced himself to the Time Lord though in impersonating a Dalek and threatening the Doctor causing him to duck for cover! That was good stuff and probably the story's highlight in all honesty. I didn't get much of a sense of the motive for Lakksis and whilst it wasn't really the robot's fault, that just made things seem insignificant. It was a programming error that was causing issues and the Thetrans were to blame, but it wasn't malicious. It's very rare that this kind of resolution serves as a pleasing one in my opinion so admittedly this was a bit of a let down for me. There was no evil threat or anything for the Doctor to stop, just some programming to put right. Considering the story was released in 1998, it's a pretty progressive one to be exploring artificial intelligence in the way that did it, but perhaps the lack of modern technological knowledge is what held it back? I'm not sure but there was clearly something missing. The characterisation of the Sixth Doctor was a bit of a mixed bag but I did like how he fondly remembered Peri when it came to hearing the American accent. It was also nice for him to look back well on K9 and Kamelion as old robotic friends. The dentist for a broken leg conversation the Doctor had with the robots was fun as he tried to make them see logic in not just providing the tourists with everything they would ordinarily want and more. It didn't work that way and it actually worked in the opposite direction! The nonchalant description of the TARDIS dematerialisation at the end felt a little off and the author almost seemed lacking of a bit of respect in my opinion with his 'that sort of thing' line. It didn't feel right. Overall, a decent idea at the heart of the story but the clarity and execution was lacking. Not my favourite read unfortunately.

Rating: 5/10