Catfish

"I thought everyone would treat me differently now I have a boyfriend."

Writer: Kate Thorman

Format: Audio

Released: April 2020

Series: Class Vol 3.02

Featuring: April, Ram, Charlie, Matteusz, Tanya

Synopsis

When a new student transfers to Coal Hill Academy, everyone goes out of their way to make him feel welcome, and Tanya is especially surprised by how much they have in common. Will she sacrifice best friends for her very first boyfriend?

Verdict

Catfish was a great story to continue the third volume of audio adventures for Class from Big Finish! This was a strong start to life as Tanya for Joanna McGibbon in the recasted role and she really did do an admirable job. I thought she sounded authentic in the role and the character exploration that took place in the story really allowed her to settle in and be accepted very quickly. Tanya is a bit of a strange character with her position as almost an outsider to the main group and that was very much the theme of the story as her new boyfriend Paul was always hanging out with her friends whilst she was back home studying or doing coursework. I think Tanya's position as only being allowed to hang out with the likes of April, Ram and Charlie if it has an educational purpose is a shame and parenting to the controlling extreme and it was obviously having an adverse effect for her social life. She learned through Paul that her friends were often hanging out without her for a little day trip to Brighton here or a quick lunch there. Tanya never got the invite because her friends were now in the position that they just assumed she wouldn't be able to come and that wouldn't go down nicely for her. It was very much understandable why that upset Tanya and considering Paul was quite a new boyfriend, they seemed to get into little spats on the phone or tell each other not to be upset rather easily. I have been in my relationship for over five years now and I wouldn't dream of telling Gemma 'don't get upset' as that's just not my right. Tanya was justified and I definitely understood her feelings throughout this story. For much of the adventure, there didn't seem to be any kind of threat which was almost a little refreshing but it was always clear that Paul would be involved in some way. The simplicity of Tanya mentioning that she wouldn't come to school one day to prove a point of not being noticed if she was missing sparked her Ecuadorian boyfriend into revealing his true colours as an alien displaced in war that couldn't live alone. So after a little initiation and experience, he'd decided he wanted Tanya's life after hearing of all the complaints she had despite him seeing that she was clearly loved. I liked that realisation for Tanya and it was also the catalyst for April, Ram, Charlie and Matteusz to realise that they'd been guilty of not always involving Tanya when they really ought to have done so. The threat of Paul actually killing Tanya was quelled quite quickly and the humour that came from both Tanyas being present was good. I thought April took good initiative in deducing which was the real version. Tanya thinking she was in an alternate dimension was amusing, although I think talking to herself went a bit too much and wasn't incorporating the audio format well enough. It didn't take anything away from the story though. I liked the simplicity of the ending and it incorporating the continuity of Class with the tears in space and Paul taking the random plunge through for another new start. He'd tried to kill Tanya so couldn't fit in with the misfits here, but he'd showed Tanya she was loved and that was a nice touch. Overall, a strong audio to continue the series!

Rating: 8/10

The Soers' Ditch

"We don't have werewolves in London."

Writer: Carl Rowens 

Format: Audio

Released: April 2020

Series: Class Vol 3.01

Featuring: April, Ram, Charlie, Matteusz

Synopsis

After a disastrous double date night, Charlie, April, Ram and Matteusz find themselves transported to another level of reality. Can they survive the Soers' ritualistic traditions? And more importantly, can they save their friendships?

Verdict

The Soers' Ditch was an excellent start to the third volume of audio adventures for Class from Big Finish! I must admit that the perception of this series in my head is not the best and when we have two main characters like Tanya and Miss Quill being recast, I was very trepidatious about actually purchasing the sets but when they came on offer I couldn't resist. I have already sold them on eBay at nearly full money back so I can't complain with the downloads! And thankfully, this one didn't have any recasted characters with the quartet of April, Ram, Charlie and Matteusz. I liked the idea of them having a double date as that just seemed something so simple for students of this age to be doing in an evening. But the evening soon developed from friendly competition at bowling into a game of a very different kind. I really enjoyed the unique approach of going sideways by having the Class characters in a slightly different realm or dimension. That was refreshing and was a fun way to make the audios stand out. Whilst Shoreditch was actually very important to the story, the contemporary version we saw on screen was not the main setting for this one which was good. I liked how we were in a different reality and it was a very subtle shift to get there from the listener's perspective. The Soers were an intriguing race and them being divided into Urbans and Ruralists was well done. Splitting the main cast with April and Ram on one side and Charlie and Matteusz on the other was a nice approach. The hunter and prey style of story was excellent and whilst taking this approach, there was plenty of time to ponder and provide some strong dialogue. The relationship between Charlie and Mattuesz in particular was strengthened here and they really did proclaim their love. Matteusz was determined to get out and promised Charlie they would simply because he loved them. The presence of werewolves was fun and I liked how hidden they were for much of the story as it enhanced their fear factor and the anticipation of their presence. Agen was a fun character and I liked the confusion and hysteria that came from Charlie as a Prince of Rhodia not being human. His threats of bringing the Shadow Proclamation in was really nice continuity with wider Doctor Who and the fact they were actually half an hour away was excellent by the end! It was a little easy for Matteusz to find the flag that was the aim of the hunt at the end, but the fact there was one at all surprised the pair! The use of Ram's artificial leg coming into play on more than one occasion was very good and I really do enjoy his relationship with April. I'm a big fan of hers anyway. Her wanting to edit the Wikipedia page to showcase the events they experienced here was amusing, but the history of Shore Ditch and how that came from the Soers' Ditch and the game they were a part of in this story was magnificent. That tied things up very nicely. The ending with Matriarch and Patriarch and the punishment rolled out after being shunned from Earth after centuries of presence was eery and I do wonder if they will make a return. Overall though, an excellent start to the series! 

Rating: 9/10

Night of the Fendahl

"I'm your victim."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: March 2019

Series: Torchwood Monthly 25

Featuring: Gwen

Synopsis

Torchwood vs Monsters!

Marco makes films. You wouldn't like them. The lighting's shoddy, the sets are cheap and the sound's appalling. But there's an audience for them. Because they're films in which bad things happen to women. 

Marco's latest venture is based on real events. Events which took place in Fetch Priory many years ago. It's an anthology piece, and Marco needs one final victim. But the last victim is not who anyone is expecting. 

Death has returned to Fetch Priory. And Death is no-one's victim.

Verdict

Night of the Fendahl was an outstanding Torchwood monthly adventure! I've been excited to reach this point in the Torchwood stories from Big Finish as the idea of members of the team tackling monsters from Doctor Who is incredibly exciting, and what a way to start here! I must admit that the Fendahl was not my most anticipated of monsters for the Torchwood team to take on, but after reading Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl yesterday, I just had to delve straight into this story and it certainly didn't disappoint. I thought the approach of turning those classic events into a movie was fascinating and unconventional in the very best sense. Gwen was clearly not herself right from the off in an absolutely stellar performance from Eve Myles. She was already in the grasp of the Fendahl but I always had a suspicion that she had allowed herself to end up that way. After the mention of Jack Hartman in the novelisation I read yesterday, the revelation here that he would go onto actually be the father of Yvonne is tremendous and really brilliant attention to detail. It was a glorious way to explain Torchwood's interference in Fendahl events. Marco being a Fendelman was terrific too and I liked how he was trying to continue with the family aim of becoming the Fendahl core. His knowledge on that showed he was a little crazed and I liked the mentions of the events not getting out into the public domain. Continuing the theme of the fear of the number thirteen and having it explained here was really well done. It was a nice historical lesson on the Fendahl and the story in which they first appear. The eeriness of Gwen being the victim and her constantly referring to herself as such was brilliant and I liked the mature nature of Torchwood being incorporated here. The inference of Gwen having a sexual appeal for those crazed fans that would watch the film was creepily excellent. The moment where Gwen wanted the Fendahl to first be named was good comedy as the thunder boomed and allowed a very different and explicit F word to be said, but the alluring nature in which she wanted the Fendahl said aloud was fantastic. I loved the moment where Gwen was giving her first performance on camera and the monologue she gave was so impressive. It caught Marco off guard but of course it was the Fendahl talking through her. I really can’t give Myles enough props for her performance here. The moment at the end when she switched from Fendahl control back to herself was glorious and the confrontation she had with Phil was nothing short of incredible. It turned out he’d been part of a horrific sham where women were murdered as part of the films and the victims actually became part of the 13 required to recreate the Fendahl. Phil offered nothing as a response to Gwen and she was absolutely in control which I adored. This was Gwen at her very best and wasn’t going to take atrocities against women well. She left him to suffer along with the rest of the Fendahl which was appropriate in my eyes, and the desperation of Phil wanting to start again was terrible. He got all he deserved. Overall though, this was a truly brilliant audio adventure and a more than fitting return and welcomed addition to Torchwood for the Fendahl. 

Rating: 10/10

Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl

"Man did not evolve on Earth!"

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: July 1979

Series: Target 34

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

"The Fendahl is death," said the Doctor. "How do you kill death itself?'

The ultra-modern technology of the Time Scanner combines with the ancient evil of Fetch Wood, and brings to life a terror that has lain hidden for twelve million years.

The Doctor and Leela fight to destroy the Fendahl, a recreated menace that threatens to devour all life in the galaxy.

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl was a terrific novelisation of the Fourth Doctor serial! I have never been a massive fan of the televised story so I must admit I was a little trepidatious about reading this beforehand, but it turned out to be a really great adventure and I think prose is definitely the format that works best for this story. That may have something to do with the lack of special effects in imagining the Fendahl, as that was a little bit iffy on screen but with the power of imagination and the beautiful artwork adorning the book's cover, the Fendahl was a much better threat here. I felt that the setting of Fetch Priory was really strong and well suited to this type of dark adventure. One thing I did notice was that with the approach taken by Terrance Dicks, the pace was frantic and really added some strong excitement to the tale. At only 109 pages, there wasn't much room to mess around here and there was a lot of shifting between characters which only added to the thrill. This was such an easy read and it didn't take much longer than two hours which makes for a fine afternoon! I enjoyed the characterisation of the Fourth Doctor and Leela, particularly when it came to the bookending scenes in the TARDIS and referring to K9 as a 'he'. That was terrific stuff and just a lovely way to incorporate their relationship. I liked the focus on the Time Scanner and the idea of looking into the past as a way to date an impossible skull. The skull was really good and it doesn't come much scarier than that as a symbol, so for it to predate human evolution by around eight million years was very exciting! Fendleman was a fantastic character and he was quite crazed along with Stael in what he was discovering. I loved how he referred to as the first step of a giant leap forward and with it not fitting into the existing theories, it all had to start somewhere and this was the first step. Mitchell was a strong character too and his death was so emphatic in prose. He screamed and he died. It really was that simple. Thea was a terrific character as well and I loved her role in the gestalt of the Fendahl needing 12 Fendahleen and a core to reach its full power. The idea of recreation from contact with the skull was brilliant and the energy reserves to last over twelve million years really were staggering! The Fendahl being from the history of the Time Lords was excellent and a really insightful look into Gallifreyan history. The description of the fifth planet breaking up and the Time Lords taking quite drastic involvement was really good stuff. The Doctor and Leela aiming to interfere in the Fendahl as they were too powerful by this point was decent in selling the threat. I liked the use of the implosion to ultimately deal with the Fendahl and see Fetch Priory basically destroyed, and it was fun for the Doctor to threaten this and then follow through on the promise. The use of Granny Tyler in being freed as they eat cake from her fine china was delicious. Overall, a really great read!

Rating: 8/10

The Dream Nexus

"One single organism covering one entire world."

Writer: Adam Christopher

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Interludes 02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel, Hebe

Synopsis

In the distant future, Earth's empire is held together by the Network, an AI interface that connects all its citizens. But the Network has collapsed, trapping millions in a dream with no way out. Could there be an answer in the fungus forests of Zoda-Kappa? While the Doctor and Hebe use their scientific training to help the research, Mel joins the research too – in a far less pleasant way...

Verdict

The Dream Nexus was a decent adventure to go alongside the first series of Sixth Doctor Adventures and a welcomed bonus outing for the Sixth Doctor, Mel and Hebe! It probably didn't help that I listened to this story straight after finishing Water Worlds as it's never going to be the same moving from a full cast series into an Interludes adventure like this with just one actor performing the roles of the main characters I have just listened to extensively, but I still think it was a solid outing. There was nothing particularly wrong with Toby Hadoke's performance but it just couldn't capture the glory of the likes of Colin Baker or Bonnie Langford. I thought his take on the Sixth Doctor was actually closer to that of the Seventh Doctor which was a little strange and slightly confusing in parts, but the writing of all three main characters was more than solid. I liked how Hebe featured and although this might sound strange, the fact she was in this story seemed to legitimise her more for me as a companion! There are a vast array of ranges and stories in Big Finish that it's often the norm for characters to appear without the actor voicing them, and that was the case here. I liked how the terrain was described as being flat for her wheelchair which is important given the unique and bumpy locations the TARDIS often lands on. I was intrigued as well that she seemed to know the Daleks by name when the Doctor mentioned not even them having conquest like the organism had on Zoda-Kappa. Perhaps hinting at a future adventure to come? I do hope so! I enjoyed the concept of the 'planet of the mushrooms' as Mel so elegantly put it and she was off on a very long walk in her new and intriguing surroundings. I feel like I'm a bit like Mel myself in that regard as I just love walking and exploring. Hebe and the Doctor were a little more interested in the science which I liked with Hebe's marine biology background seeming coming into play. However, as the story progressed it was clear that it was actually Mel's computer algorithm skills that would be crucial which was nice. Whenever a new companion joins alongside an established one there's potential for them to get lost in the crowd without focus, but this remedied that possibility very nicely. I loved the concept of half of the Earth Empire being in a dream state following the collapse of the Network, and I enjoyed the futuristic setting and the number of colonies tying in with what we know of times to come. I liked the little look at some of the Doctor's collection and having a memento from the opening of Llandudno pier was nice from a personal Welsh perspective. I thought the Holomorph being in Hebe's head was really good and playing on the metal of her wheelchair and then actually speaking through her provided some decent eeriness. I thought their arrival came perhaps a tad late as the explanation for the organism and the dreaming, but Mel working out the algorithm to free the dreamers was nicely done. I'm a big fan of hers and I still don't think she gets the love she deserves. It was perhaps a little sneaky and efficient in just having that code then passed onto the rest of the Empire, but as a whole I thought this was a solid adventure that definitely would have been improved from a full cast. Overall, a good listen! 

Rating: 7/10

Water Worlds: Maelstrom

"I'm wearing a stolen body."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 1.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel, Hebe

Synopsis

The Doctor, Mel and Hebe visit the archipelago world of Veludia, only to discover a planet beset by electromagnetic storms where three survivors traverse the seas in a ramshackle township. These survivors are 'corps' – bodies used as hosts for minds stored in the vessel's 'mind-drive' – and the Doctor, Mel and Hebe are seen as welcome replacements. But there's something lurking in the waters below, something of rage and power that wishes to destroy them all: the Maelstrom!

Verdict

Maelstrom was a great audio story to conclude Water Worlds and the first series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! This has been a thoroughly enjoyable opening series for a new TARDIS trio and it concluded very well. I've enjoyed the water theme and that's fitted in well for Hebe as a marine biologist, something I am sure will play to her strengths as her adventures continue in the future. I enjoyed the setting of Veludia very much and it didn't take long for us to delve into the issue at hand here with only a few survivors left. These survivors were unique though as whilst there were three bodies, there were a vast number more minds that could be downloaded into the corps. That entire concept was fascinating and mentioning it in the frame of being efficient and seeing bodies as resources was incredible. It was a little uncomfortable to hear how natural those minds felt the process to be, but they'd been living like this for nearly ten years. The threat of the three remaining corps not having long to live didn't tie in well for the Doctor, Mel and Hebe's arrival as they were seen as replacements, and it didn't take long for Mel to fall foul of that. Alef being downloaded into Mel's body was really well done and I thought it was a nice change for her to not be happy with her father for using the body without the original host's permission. That's not usually the case when we have mind or body swaps so that was a change of pace I appreciated. I thought it was fun for Alef to try and convince the others that she was still Mel and from past adventures, we know that doesn't exactly work out well. Hebe caught on rather quickly and it was fun for Alef to say she should have kept it secret. The incorporation of Hebe's wheelchair use was done well given the difficulties of the terrain on the planet, and the Doctor pushing along a bumpy ride was quite fun in parts. With the desperate situation regarding the lack of corps, finding out about Saskar's experiments was very good. Hebe spotted the research and it turned out she had actually been experimenting on the local fauna life to see if they could act as hosts! That explained the initial conversation between the Doctor and the marine life on the TARDIS arrival, and when they had been rejected Saskar simply through them back into the sea. Except they weren't always dead or wholly failed. That was disturbing and just intriguing. I liked how the link was intentionally broken to prevent Alef's presence being detected, something she also didn't agree with. I didn't think the titular Maelstrom was as emphatic as the synopsis made out, but it did provide us with a decent cliffhanger. The action that came with the combined effort to access all of the minds again and link the systems back up again was nicely done, and the moment the Doctor deduced Jom as the culprit was really well done. Speaking of cliffhangers, I liked how Hebe's call with Elise was a little distorted and resulted in a nice lead into Purity Undreamed as she also had an SOS from Evelyn that she was now signalling for, and it wasn't the only source of trouble being detected! I look forward to hearing where things go from here. Overall, a strong end to a brilliant series! 

Rating: 8/10

Water Worlds: The Tides of the Moon

"The heavens don't need my help."

Writer: Joshua Pruett

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 1.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel, Hebe

Synopsis

For Hebe's first trip in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Mel take her to the nearest available 'water world' – the Moon, two billion years in the past! Its advanced humanoid inhabitants, the Gilleans, are terrorised each night by their monstrous enemies, the Sheega. Even more worrying is that in a matter of hours, this ocean world will be laid waste by the gravitational interference of the blue-green planet next door...

Verdict

The Tides of the Moon was an excellent audio to continue my way through the Water Worlds first series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! I am absolutely loving this new TARDIS trio and I really am impressed with the start they've had. It would take some doing to follow the outstanding opener of The Rotting Deep, but this did a stellar job for Hebe's first trip in the TARDIS. She had quite the destination outing visiting the Moon over two billion years in the past! I loved the uniqueness of the setting and I thought Hebe was a lot of fun as we heard everything new through her. The idea of there being ramps in the TARDIS was a lovely touch and I thought it was great that the Doctor implied that they weren't present before Hebe's arrival with it being a suggestion that the ship liked her. I thought that was really nice and just hearing her reaction to the TARDIS materialisation sound was wonderful. That was so simple but it was a stark reminder of her newness and it really is a beautiful sound so why wouldn't she react to it? Hebe's reaction to seeing a totally new and alien planetoid and species was intriguing and her marine biologist background came in brilliant use. She quickly inspected the local plant life and realised that it wasn't always out of water, meaning something like a tide would be due soon. The foghorn sounding was pretty booming and the waves that came were crashing in a big way. The threat that posed to Hebe given her wheelchair using was added and I liked how she was audibly scared and quickly gave permission to be held. It was also nice that she was able to use her stick and walk on an alien surface. Wulk was a good character and the importance he provided in Hebe just going up to him and prodding him because he had gills was superb. She straight away realised how awful that was and how she felt when people treated her differently because she was in a wheelchair. I thought that was really important and did a stellar job in introducing her to life in the TARDIS. The Gilleans as a whole were an interesting race and I was a little surprised that they didn't originate on the Moon, but it all tied in well with the threat of the Sheega that the foghorn warned about every night. Except the warnings were getting closer now. The Doctor realising that the threat was all a myth by the lack of bodies was brilliantly simple and the fact that he allowed the Sheega to eat his coat, and then have a Gillean regurgitate it was a horrific image but one that was so effective. The Gilleans and the Sheega actually being one and the same was great and the gravitational pull of the Earth being the cause of their transformation was good. The entire city actually being a ship was something else I didn't see coming so I enjoyed that, and the use of touch to tell the ship what was needed in order to escape back home and away from the gravitational pull was terrific. Hebe was a little saddened that history would not remember the Gilleans, but she would know and now the Moon would become what she knew in her day. It was a little easy to say time heals all in regards to the Earth not getting too close, but as a whole this was another brilliant tale!

Rating: 9/10

Water Worlds: The Rotting Deep

"There are seven of us left alive."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 1.01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel, Hebe

Synopsis

A mysterious SOS summons the Doctor and Mel to an oil rig in the North Sea where a dwindling group of survivors awaits rescue from a lethal menace. One of their number is Hebe Harrison, a wheelchair-using marine biologist who is definitely more than she seems. Can our heroes escape the rig? And just what is killing off the rig's beleaguered crew?

Verdict

The Rotting Deep was an outstanding start to Water Worlds and the Sixth Doctor Adventures! It's always fun when we get a new companion, especially for a Classic Doctor, as that really does open up a whole new world for a specific incarnation that is not limited by what we know on television. This really did feel like a fresh start and any range being produced by Jacqueline Rayner is going to go down well in my book! I really do like the idea of introducing Hebe as a companion and having her as a wheelchair user is good representation for disabled people and I was impressed with how well that was utilised for both humour and deep discussion. I think it's important that Hebe herself was able to play with the comedy aspect of her messing about sometimes when seeming offended by being told to run, but then the seriousness of her conversation with the Doctor at the end after she was manhandled just because her body didn't work in the same way as most other people was tremendous. I was a big fan of hers and I thought Ruth Madley did a tremendous job in her debut. I really do look forward to hearing where things go for this new TARDIS team and how Hebe's limitations might have an impact. I thought it was hilarious for Mel to think she might be a Dalek when just hearing something gliding once arriving in the oil rig! That rig setting was excellent and it was a nice touch for the Doctor and Mel to be answering an SOS call and it certainly didn't take long to establish why help was needed! The barrage of seagulls at the windy rig really set the scene well and it got to the point of being uncomfortable and disturbing. Very few things annoy me more than seagulls so I was put off as a listener but in the absolute right way. It did its job brilliantly. I thought it was eery to have Hebe as the lone survivor of the crew at the rig after starting with seven when the Doctor and Mel arrived, but it showed the scale of trouble at hand. I thought some of the other crew members were good with AM as the cook having a terrific link to poetry with the rig being named the Albatross and the belief of it being cursed. Jonah was a humorous character as despite everything that was going on, he was only concerned with creating a documentary about what was happening to sell once he reached safety! Unfortunately, he wouldn't get the chance to make that pitch after drinking the contaminated water. Sky being the main culprit in killing the rest of the crew with her having been infected for a long time was excellent and the fact that she was doing so because they may recommend that the rig be discontinued was just great. Hebe as a marine biologist was actually on the side of maintaining it, at least below the sea, which was good stuff. I loved that Hebe wanted to travel with the Doctor and Mel after overhearing their conversation about aliens, with Mel having to convince her that she was actually born in the 1960s despite appearing a similar age. Hebe's reaction to the TARDIS interior was magnificent and I adored that the SOS call was made from her after being given the device by an old friend in the form of Evelyn Smythe. A really nice touch! Overall, a sublime start to the series!

Rating: 10/10

The Stuff of Nightmares: The Tivolian Who Knew Too Much

"What are the chances of bumping into a Tivolian in Rome?"

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: July 2022

Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 3.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

    

Taking an Italian holiday, the Fourth Doctor and Leela encounter another tourist very far from home. Timble Feebis is a particularly timid Tivolian, but he has much to be fearful about!

Guarding a vital data-chip, the three visitors are soon caught up in the machinations of a crime boss and his gang, and a dangerous alien assassin...

Verdict

The Tivolian Who Knew Too Much was another fun little story to continue the third series of Classic Doctors, New Monsters! This follows in the footsteps of The House That Hoxx Built nicely in having another unique monster from the new era of Doctor Who to encounter the Fourth Doctor, as I don't think the Tivolians would be an expected candidate to feature in this range! It's fun though and whilst they weren't exactly the focus of their two on screen appearances in The God Complex and Under the Lake/Before the Flood, that was more so the case here which I enjoyed. It was really fun to have the setting as Rome in 1977 and the idea of the Doctor and Leela being on holiday was very nice. It was lovely to hear how impressed Leela was by Rome and she was the perfect companion to have for a Tivolian return. I was excited by the potential dynamic of having the noble savage come up against a race that yearns for surrender but I must admit despite my enjoyment of the episode I don't think that was utilised or explored anywhere near as much as it could have been. I think that typical Leela humour was missing a little and she could have, at least initially, belittled the Tivolians for their nature. A species evolved to surrender just wouldn't be something I could imagine Leela accepting lightly! It was nice though to get a more evil Tivolian in the form of Steasel. A criminal Tivolian seems a little odd given their nature of being ruled, but I really enjoyed how he used that as a way to prove that Leticia of Galactipol would not shoot him. What would it say for her reputation if she shot a Tivolian? That was fun scheming. I thought Timble made for a good character and his being shunned off with the data-chip worked very well. The search for that chip throughout the episode gave us a solid direction and it was fun that it contained the means to free the Krevellons from a containment shield. With this, the Tivolians could be ruled and the Krevellons would have a world to rule over. Except, there was slightly more to it than that with the Krevellons actually planning to devour the Tivolians as a feast! I thought that was a fun twist and really gave the Doctor something to prevent! Dr Kleeb was a fun little character too as the therapist for Timble and he really did pick his moments in conversing with her! When he was in a stressful situation, it was down to her to make him calm and think of the relaxing blues of the sky and sea. It was not the best of holidays for the Tivolian! The conclusion with the Doctor pretending his sonic screwdriver is a gun and Timble blurting that out before all was sealed was tremendous and some fine humour. The Doctor was surprisingly calm in that situation! I thought it was a nice touch after all that had gone on that Timble got offered a job at Galacticpol by the end. I didn't see that coming after the torturous Mr Quave, Steasel and the rest of his cronies had got up to. Overall though, a fun little audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Elysian Blade

"Anyone else got a memory they wish to relive?"

Writer: David Bishop

Format: Audio

Released: February 2019

Series: BBC Audio 05

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

Fleeing from the rising tide on a distant planet, the Doctor and his friends are attacked by a swarm of what appear to be tiny insects. Wracked by hallucinations, Jamie is transported back to his home in the Highlands, whilst Victoria sees her late father.

The travellers meet the survivors of Elysian Fields, a travelling hospital that offers patients a choice between the Blade of Longing and the Angel of Forgetting. When next the spaceship lands, the TARDIS crew are offered the chance of a lifetime.

For Victoria, the promise of meeting her father again proves too alluring to resist. But what terrible price must she pay, along with anyone else who makes a pact with Elysian Fields?

Verdict

The Elysian Blade was an excellent original audio! I think this was definitely one of the better stories from the BBC Audio range and I think a lot of that is down to the talents of Frazer Hines. It really did feel like a Companion Chronicle from Big Finish with Hines able to perfectly transition in performance from his own companion Jamie and then the stellar impression of Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor. It really is uncanny and it makes such a difference in giving the story an authentic feel. I really liked how this one started by placing the TARDIS trio in some danger with the escape from the threat of a rising tide but they just ended up face to face with another one in the form of a swarm! Jamie noticing right away that the blackness coming was alive was terrific and it was fun for the format of him narrating and giving his opinion in places. It really was a Companion Chronicle with just one actor in all but name and that worked so well. I thought the trio of the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria was presented very well and I was impressed with Hines impersonating Victoria as well, it seemed to work pretty decently. Victoria always seems to get into some kind of trouble so having her lose her sight was quite the predicament. She was surprisingly calm in dealing with that which impressed me and it was nice for the Doctor and Jamie to want nothing more than to help her despite everything they had going on as well. The Doctor being on hand to have some of the local currency was amusing and Jamie's reaction to that was glorious, so it was pretty fun at the end with him tapping his pockets when he didn't have any money to cure Victoria! I thought the little visions we got were really intriguing and it was nice for Victoria to reflect back on The Evil of the Daleks and the loss of her father, as with everything that had gone on for her since then meant that she'd actually forgotten what he looked like. Jamie commenting on being a little envious of that relationship really showed just how much of a connection Victoria had with her father, because he didn't have a bad one with his parents but it just couldn't compare. Jamie's flashback taking him back to Culloden was great stuff and I always enjoy him back home and in fighting for Scotland. Algos and Avriel were really good characters and them being the ones to essentially steal and sell sense was quite something! It was a fine concept but the terms and conditions signed for were not exactly what they entailed. Later research detailing that this was an analogy for Brexit was something I found incredibly fun and I commend the author, as that really has been a disaster politically! Don't get me started on passport queues. I thought the Angel of Forgetting was terrific and I liked the dynamic of it with the Blade of Longing. Jamie concluding the audio with him mentioning he'll always remember the kiss with the Angel was amusing, I really did like the titular blade and the whole audio worked really well. A fantastic listen!

Rating: 9/10

The Power of Thoueris!

"No god's spoiling my holiday."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: August 2003

Printed in: DWM 333

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

Egypt, quite a while ago: The Doctor has decided to take a holiday... which of course mean that something is bound to turn up and ruin it for him. It just so happens, that a wannabe Osiran God is the answer...

Verdict

The Power of Thoueris! was a terrific little comic strip to continue my sporadic reading through The Flood graphic novel! I have really enjoyed this collection so far and with this one being only one part long, I must admit I feared the worst as those do not always tend to be of the highest quality because there just isn't enough time to provide the depth a good story needs. However, I thought the pace on this one definitely aided my enjoyment of the reading and it was very frantic and exciting! It was amusing to think that the Doctor could enjoy a holiday as if history has taught us anything, there would always be something that would crop up and interfere with his plans for relaxation. It just so happened that on this occasion it was a wannabe Egyptian god from the planet Phaester Osiris which I loved. The continuity of the Osirans is strong and I really like that they never seem to venture far from the Doctor across his many incarnations. I liked how the Doctor mentioned the Osirans being told to go home by Horus and I was surprised that there wasn't a mention of Pyramids of Mars and Sutekh given the connection shared by Thoeuris, but that didn't make the story any less enjoyable. Ediphis filling in the companion role for the comic strip was nice and I just enjoyed the idea of the Doctor getting to know an Egyptian in the old times. I would have preferred getting a specific year for the setting in Egypt, but it was actually quite fun for the simplicity of it actually stating in the comic strip that these events were 'quite a while ago'. The title of the adventure also acting as dialogue was a nice touch and probably where the almost exclusive to comic strip exclamation mark comes from. I thought the artwork was pretty funky for this comic as well as it almost seemed blocky which was a lot of fun. The Doctor was not in his usual attire which was a refreshing little change and I was intrigued in my research after reading that the hat adorned was intended to be the same one of the Fifth Doctor's! That's a nice little touch. I liked the focus of the Nile as a resource and the Doctor explaining how it was a fine example of stopping people hunting with the constant fish supply and developing holidays was fun. What else would be a prime example of a developed civilisation? I really liked how the Doctor didn't take anything for granted and when Thoueris quickly established herself as the god and in control of the land, he got into gear and cut his holiday short. He wasn't having any of it with her being essentially a big bully, although it was amusing for her being big and glowing as enough to represent a god as far as Ediphus was concerned. The Doctor and Ediphus teaming together against Thoueris was really good and some fine action, as the former was able to take out her control and have the crocodiles in the Nile that she previously commanded to attack her and weaken her enough to send her back to her own domain. The reaction of Thoueris when the Doctor mentioned her own planet and people immediately took any credibility away from her, which was really impressive as far as the Doctor's authoritarian demeanour was concerned. Overall, a great little comic strip! 

Rating: 8/10

The Stuff of Nightmares: The House That Hoxx Built

"By restoring the house... you've restored its ghosts as well."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: July 2022

Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 3.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Sarah Jane

Synopsis

When the Third Doctor and Sarah journey far into the future of Earth, the last thing they expect to find on the planet is a haunted house!

Invited to dinner by the Hoxx of Balhoon and his ovine ward, the TARDIS travellers experience strange and disturbing phenomena, and the Doctor is determined to discover the cause...

Verdict

The House That Hoxx Built was a great story to kick off the brand new third series of Classic Doctors, New Monsters! I have long been waiting for a return of this range and I can't quite believe it's been five years! It's such a wonderful idea and there really is an abundance of potential to mix Doctors of old with monsters of new. This was an intriguing and unique place to start as I don't think the Balhoon was high on the fantasy list of nominations for fans dreaming up combinations that could exist in this range, but it works well and it's a strangely brilliant dynamic to mix them with the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane. I was so happy to be listening to a new story with this TARDIS pairing and having Tim Treloar and Sadie Miller playing the roles respectively was done very well. They did justice and beyond for the characters and their chemistry was really strong. It was an easy listen. The humour that came from the Doctor being the one to have to work in the kitchens was terrific and a dynamic of presenting men as inferior that ought to be utilised more often considering the depth of places Doctor Who visits! I did enjoy that the setting was extremely far into the future which played in well with The End of the World and it made for a very unique setting for the Classic era. The titular house made for a strong setting and I loved the concept that adorns my quote with the recreation of an old house also bringing back the spirits and ghosts that haunted it. I really liked that. The house was said to be the most haunted place on the entire planet which gave it some credibility, something Sarah almost immediately lost on their arrival when nearly blurting out she was from Earth. The tackling of publicity versus disturbance for Hoxx when it came to promoting the house commercially was a great dilemma and I really loved the protective relationship he had with Francesca. The familial connection between them was nice to hear. The fact that we had a butler called Butler was amusing and I thought it was fun for him to be a digihuman that glitched. It made for a unique conversation for sure! The idea of the house actually being the Earth's tomb was unexpected but one I really appreciated, and it seemed to sadden the Doctor who had a bond to the planet – even when he didn't want to during his exile! I liked the placement of this episode being very close to Planet of the Spiders as the Doctor felt that his time was coming soon which was rather eery! Francesca being held below and the culprit being the Butler was fun and I enjoyed how the Doctor knew that all along. The reveal of the Benighted as creatures of the molten tide worked well and I liked how they were living in the planet's core, something that seemed impossible! The explanation of their frequencies asking for help being the paranormal activity because they couldn't be interpreted was brilliant and it was a simple resolution in the end with the Doctor freeing them from the core and setting them on the way. Overall, an intriguing and fun way to kick off the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Carnival of Angels

"I saw myself die."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Diary of River Song 7.04

Featuring: River

Synopsis

New York. 1930s. Melody Malone is new in town and her detective agency is called on to solve an impossible murder. 

River's investigations lead her to a curious carnival ride, offering trips to either Heaven or Hell. But with Angels in waiting, Heaven may not be the best choice...

Verdict

Carnival of Angels was an excellent story to conclude the seventh series of The Diary of River Song! I've enjoyed this volume with it firmly being focused on River and what she gets up to when the Doctor's not around, so having a prequel to The Angels Take Manhattan with River already in New York amidst a swarm of Weeping Angels prior to the arrival of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory was a magnificent idea. It served as a fine finale and it was a lot of fun to have her as a private investigator in New York. Marty Stone arriving to her with a special case requiring investigating was excellent as what he described was pretty awful! Marty actually saw himself die which was easily explained by the presence of Weeping Angels, but just imagining dealing with that was tremendous. Such a striking image! The coin containing Heaven and Hell on alternating sides was very good and I loved the description of Angel wings adorning it. River unsurprisingly took the case and having her accompanied by Luke as her assistant was a nice throwback to Animal Instinct where he helped her with the Decaying Master. His quest for information on the coins was really well done and I liked how River was on hand detecting the issues and interference in Time. That did well for explaining the disturbances that would be mentioned in the aforementioned televised episode to come. Her insistence on staying with Marty to try and prevent him from being touched by an Angel was really good and their relationship was pretty quirky. Some of the American accents in the episode were amusingly questionable! I thought Miss Quirke made for a tremendous villain and her owning the Carnival of the Charmed and Strange put her in a prominent position. River wanting the chance of getting to Heaven on the carnival ride was terrific but things took a dark turn when Marty was being hunted by an Angel in the mirror board. River trying to create a paradox to save him amidst the time disturbance was exciting, but his fate was inevitable as he didn't keep his eye on the Weeping Angel. The fact he was only sent on a short hop as more of an Angel snack than full feed seemed good, but River knew that meant a much more powerful Angel was in New York if it was controlling a number of weaker ones. The Trip to Heaven ride acting as a source of food for the larger Angel was really good and fitted in well with the carnival theme. If you got to Heaven, you didn't come back. So of course River wanted a ride! The suggestion of the Liberty Angel being in control was brilliant and I also thought it was good continuity for Luke to still be fighting the mutation. His taking things upon himself despite the Angel threat was admirable. Quirke being in telepathic contact with the Angel was a nice way to incorporate them into audio and I was intrigued by her desire to use the Angels as a time taxi and go back in time. Her plan to turn off the power and plunge the carnival into darkness for an Angel feast was magnificent, but the Angel was unhappy with the numbers harvested and she was brutally killed. The lightning strike on the sand fusing the crystals and keep the Angel staring at itself was a unique resolution, and I loved the temporary nature of the trap given the Doctor's impending arrival. Overall, a terrific episode to conclude a strong series! 

Rating: 9/10

Barrister to the Stars

"I've already been murdered."

Writer: James Kettle

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Diary of River Song 7.03

Featuring: River

Synopsis

River stands accused of murder. Her one hope is being allowed to choose the legal system under which she'll be tried.

Enter Roger Hodgkiss: curmudgeonly barrister, plucked from a 20th Century English courtroom. He may be out of his depth, but he'll always stand up for the underdog.

Verdict

Barrister to the Stars was an excellent episode to continue the seventh series of The Diary of River Song! This was definitely my favourite of the volume so far and it was just a lot of fun whilst being a very unique kind of adventure. Of course, a trial is not new to the Doctor Who universe but inserting River was certainly a different approach and her arrival was emphatic. The idea of there being justice technology in the 32nd century was intriguing and River had identified Roger Hodgkiss as the barrister she wanted to defend her. Why did she need defending? Well, she was accused of murder of course! I loved the idea of her being tried by any legal system of her choosing and that was such a fascinating element of the Institute of Reconciliation and Restitution. She had chosen English law at the turn of the millennium because she needed time, and that famously always took the longest! I thought that was very amusing. The Contingent made for a strong character and it being a telepath communicating with Roger was amusing with his attraction for her being appreciated. River needing to find the true killer of the Duke of Ferrox was a good direction for the story and being able to communicate with him in a digital afterlife was an unexpected treat. Having a Scottish accent for a warrior species worked fantastically, especially with the Queen at the end! Rodger being confused by River's romantic comments was a fine moment too. The Integers were a fun element of the story with them doing all of the jobs on the Institute and Roger's relationship with them had a big impact on their evolution by the end. River explaining that she chose Roger as her barrister because he always stood for the accused no matter what was a terrific reason! The Integers suggesting that the last of the Unnatural Children - a brilliant name - saw them prior to the crime was very good and it was clear that they knew it wasn't River who was the killer. Stark as another Ferrox was a fine character and his anger at his master being taken was brilliant at the start. He didn't like River and Roger investing the crime scene and them finding the works of Wordsworth was not expected! The humour of the incomplete quatrain revealing that the Duke was one for poetry despite being a warrior was tremendous. The Unnatural Child existing out of time and being half an hour behind was a lot of fun and actually became helpful in identifying the true murderer! Hodgkiss trying to use the Contingent's telepathic ability to prove River's innocence was admirable but that had no place in English law. The Contingent actually getting into his mind provide comical scenes in the courtroom as well as Hodgkiss fought with his inner self. The reveal that the Contingent was having a fling with the Emperor of Eternal Abundance was fun given the two make ups of those species and hearing River's delight in being the one to spill it was fantastic. Roger confronting the Duke on actually being a warrior seemed strange, but it was all a fine ploy to show that it was Stark who killed him because his love for poetry! I thought that was brilliant. River suspecting this all along and being one step ahead in ensuring Stark's weapons were turned on himself to kill hm was very Doctor-like in not revealing the truth which I appreciated. Integers gaining independence was a fun aspect of the conclusion, as was the Duke's suggestion he would read Wordsworth slowly to Stark over and over through the afterlife. Overall, a fantastic audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Abbey of Heretics

"The unknown does tend to be frightening."

Writer: Lizbeth Myles

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Diary of River Song 7.02

Featuring: River

Synopsis

Outside the walls of a remote 12th Century Abbey, England is at war. 

Inside, a strange sickness runs rife, and there are rumours of a devil in the woods. Death stalks the novices. When Sister Melody arrives in search of a book, she may be their only salvation.

Verdict

Abbey of Heretics was another decent episode to continue the seventh series of The Diary of River Song! I was excited about the setting of this one and with the CD artwork being incredibly striking, the prospect of River Song impersonating a nun had a lot of potential! Whilst I don't think I was necessarily let down by that aspect of the story, I do think there was a little more fun and cheekiness to be had with her in that role. However, it did mean we got a slightly more serious River which is not always the case and I couldn't help but enjoy her frustrations at the devotion of the sisters to God. Whenever a threat was coming, they just prayed and believed it all to be God's plan which was just silly. I don't try and hide my Atheism and distain of organised religion, so anything that makes humour of it is something I appreciate with science most definitely winning this race. It was amusing for River to take on the moniker of Sister Melody and that just had a really nice ring to it. Her interest in The Book of Stars was intriguing and I liked how it was an old and mysterious book, even by the twelfth century. Her description of the artwork as showing two different constellations and them meeting in the middle was poetic and something I admired. The threat of the nuns coming down with a disease was good and provided the threat, with some of the guest cast certainly impressing. Ursula as the library curator was a fun character and her reaction when River tried to touch a rare book was fantastic. Sister Magdalene was an older nun and after welcoming River to the Abbey, Sister Patrick wasn't interested in her interference. The way she was questioned on her medical knowledge and the uses of cinnamon in particular was a lot of fun. I thought the line about books not being able to kill people but their words being able to was outstanding. The arrival of a spacey monk was a little bland with it seeking assistance, and I'm not sure we needed another extraterrestrial threat. Keeping it as purely historical as possible would have been in its favour in my book. Thomas Aspley's arrival was good and I liked the dynamic of Patrick assisting him. The story of the Mother Abbess dying just before everyone got sick was obviously no coincidence, and I thought the suggestion of suicide having serious implications at this religious point of time was a great use of the setting. Her bones were smashed, but she could have been pushed. The user interface needing assistance being referred to as an apparition was neat and its clutch on Patrick was quite disturbing at times. Ursula not being who she seemed was a nice twist and the suggestion of her creating The Book of Stars was a big surprise. The scanning of the entire Abbey was decent and I quite enjoyed the effort of weaving the membrane which was causing the radiation sickness in the sisters. Her only having one way home worked well and the Abbess being her last surviving colleague was a strong explanation. The idea of The Book of Stars being their story was good and their way was to blend in, so much so that they had seemingly developed faith. Magdalene burning the books was an unexpected conclusion as she and Patrick didn't survive, and neither had the books. River performing her angelic disappearance at the end was nicely done. Overall, a decent listen! 

Rating: 7/10

Colony of Strangers

"We don't really have crime here."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Diary of River Song 7.01

Featuring: River

Synopsis

On the bleak Nordic colony of Bondar, bodies are washing up on the beach.

The Mayor and the police are mystified. But then a prime suspect turns up. A suspect who might be their best hope of solving the case. 

Verdict

Colony of Strangers was a decent start to the seventh series of The Diary of River Song! I am so happy that this spinoff range just keeps on going and having a series seemingly focused on River in detective mode is definitely exciting in my eyes. It seems for the bulk of this seventh volume we won't be too heavy on past continuity or connections with Doctor Who in general until the final story, and that's absolutely fine and an approach that has worked well for other series in the past. It allows River to really take centre stage and shine, and she was certainly the highlight here! I thought the setting of Bondar was a little odd in that it didn't quite feel like a colony but was so clearly not Earth and that uneasiness probably worked in its favour a bit. I think there may have been an attempt to create that popular Nordic feel but in space in almost futuristic version of It Takes You Away, but in my opinion the result was not as strong. I liked the way River arrived just as things were taking shape on the colony and addressing that was amusing in a wider way as when the Doctor or River in this case arrive, things suddenly start to go wrong. I liked the approach of River being sent to this colony by the Doctor and it's nice to know that he trusts her to put things right, especially in a place where he didn't want to go himself! He was getting his wife to do the dirty work and that's quite fun knowing their relationship. I must say, I was not a big fan of Karl as the detective, partly because he was in that role with no experience whatsoever. When an actual crime occurred, he was helpless and that just seemed to defeat the point of there even being a detective! It was a harrowing realisation though when he explained that there was no crime because the people on Bondar had nothing. That was a very powerful line. The way he spoke though seemed odd and I just didn't get on with the performance, it really felt a bit boring and took me out things as far as he was concerned. On the other hand, I was very much a fan of Gudrun as the mayor. She was a really strong character and the twist that she was actually trying to stop the slow invasion of the creatures was something I didn't see coming. I really did anticipate her to be helping them arrive given her position. The concept of the slow invasion and replacing the population one by one is decent but definitely not unique so certain elements did feel repetitive, even if the execution was very well done. River revealing all she knew was a terrific moment and the helplessness of Karl when she commented on him already being replaced last night was fantastic. I love it when River is in control. I thought the conclusion was a little quick in how the threat was prevented from a simple shot, but River doesn't like to leave a mess! It would have been fun for a little cameo of River going back to the Doctor, but alas it's nice to know that this was a successful mission! Overall, a good little start to the series.

Rating: 7/10

House of Blue Fire

"The age of man is over."

Writer: Mark Morris

Format: Audio

Released: August 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 152

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

aquaphobia n. An abnormal fear of water, or drowning.

blattodephobia n. The morbid fear of cockroaches. 

cataptrophobia n. Fear of mirrors, or seeing one's own reflection.

There's a whole ABC of horrors at Bluefire House – as four young people, drawn together to this tumbledown hotel at the edge of nowhere, are about to discover. But whatever the ancient and foul thing that has emerged from the wilderness to drag them here, speaking of it will only strengthen it.

The Doctor alone knows what lurks at the heart of Bluefire House. But the monster of his childhood dreams is coming. The Mi'en Kalarash is coming...

Just this once, the Doctor is afraid.

Verdict

House of Blue Fire was an excellent audio to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! I've really enjoyed the trilogy of solo adventures for the Seventh Doctor going back to Robophobia and The Doomsday Quatrain and I was a little surprised that he didn't feature right up until the cliffhanger of the first part. Sally and Rachel as No.18 and No.5 respectively more than carried that opening episode and I really did come to like them as a pairing. They were suffering from the effects of a mind wipe which was brilliant and placed them in a very tricky predicament. Sally was inquisitive from the start and I took a real liking to her character as she deduced that she could remember the society, but not her place within it. That was a terrific concept and must be very frightening to not know who you are or where you fitted. That theme played out well in the Bluefire House setting which I thought was tremendous. It sounded very cool and the result was not a disappointment. I loved the idea of each member of the house having a specific fear and the way they varied from cockroaches to mirrors was really good. The Doctor being there was always going to come, especially when Sally and Rachel had spotted him from afar briefly! I thought he was actually going to end up being the master of the house, but his reaction to them mentioning 'the master' was glorious! He suspected his old enemy was back for more shenanigans. Alas, that was not to be but he was not missed! I thought the cliffhanger to part two was definitely the best and really extended the life of the adventure as we found that the Doctor was actually in a facility and had hooked himself up to the Blue Fire system. I did not see that coming so that was something I particularly enjoyed. The fact he'd created the House of Blue Fire from his own mind was great and his comments later about the Mi'en Kalarash needing rope rather than thread as an analogy for the strength of his mind was amusing. The concept of the Mi'en Kalarash was fantastic and I liked its position as an Elder God, something that the Doctor was even potentially afraid of. Exploring the Doctor's fears is always intriguing and I'm glad this one stayed away from the more cliche threats of the Daleks or Cybermen. The Doctor suggesting that he was scared of the Old Times returning was magnificent and would be a fun direction to take his audio adventures moving forward. Dr Soames was a good character as the host of the house to start with and his role expanded nicely before his death which was pretty gruesome. The idea of your physical body also dying if the mind body died was strong and eliminated any suggestion of safety in a different realm. The Mi'en Kalarash being linked to Pritchard from when she was a youngster and hit by a car was fascinating, and with her temporarily in between life and death it pounced on her as it was something that could inhabit the gap between realities. I thought that was very strong. The feeding on emotion and it being strengthened just from being spoken about was great stuff. The Doctor was on hand to rid it from this dimension though after being the one to actually bring it through, and his desire for escape even when it seemed impossible was a nice touch and a terrific trait! The continuation of the TARDIS being black is a little strange as I wonder what the endgame there is, but having Sally seemingly join on board will be a nice refresh for the Seventh Doctor for sure! Overall, an excellent audio. 

Rating: 9/10

The Deepest Tragedian

"I'm not a mystery to be solved."

Writer: Penelope Faith

Format: Audio

Released: Apri 2022

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 3.04

Featuring: Zoe

Synopsis

Zoe is brilliant. Zoe loves to prove it, helping the Doctor and Jamie in their travels, coming to the rescue with a realisation or solving a puzzle. But she's about to meet a puzzle that's difficult to solve. A puzzle with a face. A puzzle with a heart. A puzzle that spells doom for the Doctor...

Verdict

The Deepest Tragedian was a great story to conclude the third volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! Well, I say the Second Doctor but he didn't actually feature in this episode which was an intriguing twist. Zoe is brilliant as the synopsis states though so he wasn't missed and the mysterious Tom was still out for the 'travelling man' and to find the TARDIS which implied that the Doctor was wanted. I read after listening to the audio that Tommy was perhaps a Time Lord sent back in time to recruit the Second Doctor to the Time War, and whilst it does make sense with the sky trenches mentioned I must admit that this wasn't a vibe I got from listening. I think it would be fun if that's the case though given what happened with the Time War implications of the third volume of First Doctor Companion Chronicles as well. The theme of drama in this episode was fascinating with Tommy often performing words and scenes as a means of continuing the story and just communicating. It had a very weird feeling and that was definitely a positive! I like when adventures give an uneasy feeling and are just unique, which this one definitely had going for it. Zoe continuously seeing Tom as a puzzle was excellent and I liked how she was committed to solving it. Tom's reaction to constantly being referred to as a puzzle instead of a person was enlightening though and something I really appreciated being mentioned. Tom was clearly a troubled character and his shifting between different characters he had performed as was great and didn't make Zoe feel comfortable in the slightest. That definitely resonated with the listener too. Any mention Zoe made of the Doctor and the TARDIS were latched onto with aggression which just added to that uneasy atmosphere, although slightly more on why Tommy was out for the Doctor would have been beneficial. It did seem a little odd for Zoe to be on her own for much of the story, but with the cliffhanger mentioning the Doctor I was pleasantly surprised that it lasted. She was tremendous, and Wendy Padbury seemed to have some fun when it came to the improvised acting in a number of impromptu performances. Tom revealing that there was more than one of him that had been splintered in time did add to the potential of him being a Time Lord given the weaponry available in that temporal war, and it was no surprise that he was a little crazy especially with each remnant seeming to hold the combined memory. That was nicely done. I liked the nature of the story in how it literally seemed to just fizzle out as Zoe returned to the TARDIS. I was expecting a cameo from Frazier Hines as the Doctor and Jamie, but it probably worked better to not get that and really show that this was all Zoe's adventure, and what better for her than a puzzle? Overall, an uneasy but great listen to conclude the set.

Rating: 8/10

The Mistpuddle Murders

"Nobody likes their true story."

Writer: Simon A. Forward

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: Short Trips 8.11

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

Welcome to Mistpuddle.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here. I'm sure you're all wondering why the village is home to woodland creatures with a taste for tea, cakes and secrets. And I'm sure you're' all wondering where the Doctor has vanished to. The truth is not as quaint as the pretty cottages and mostly cute residents would have you believe.

Murder has come to Mistpuddle. And no-one is leaving until we uncover whodunnit."

Verdict

The Mistpuddle Murders was a good little Short Trips adventure! For most of the story it was headed by Nyssa as you might expect with this kind of format and Sarah Sutton as the only actress, but it was a pleasant surprise as well to see how much of Tegan she incorporated into the narration. I liked the style of the story with Nyssa and Tegan almost taking it in turns to recount the events leading up to the whodunnit and that allowed them as narrators to indirectly address the listener which was rather fun. I was taken aback by Sutton's impression of Tegan and for the first couple of lines of dialogue I actually thought it was a two-hander with Janet Fielding! It was uncanny with her Australian accent which must go down as being very impressive. It was really nice to be able to showcase Nyssa as she led the investigation but the surroundings of Mistpuddle were pretty peculiar to say the least. I thought the idea of a wooden audience was intriguing and the idea of characters being created by an author and then coming to life. Given the format and it only being a story of thirty-five minutes in length, there isn't much fleshing out of the details which is a shame as I think given an extended runtime this could have been something special. Incorporating something like the Land of Fiction here would have been tremendous! The confusion of Lynne Woods as the creator and then there also being woods named after her was amusing and the dynamic between Nyssa and Tegan in detailing the key events was a delight. I really was impressed with how well Sutton was able to transition from each character. Pricklethorp turning out to be the murderer was good and I thought the absence of the Doctor throughout was hardly warranting of his face adorning the cover art. Sutton's take on Peter Davison's fifth incarnation was less than impressive, but with the Doctor only featuring for the last five minutes or so that hardly made a lasting impact. I thought some of the twists were interesting with the idea of two sugar cubes in the tea being the way to cause the murder a fresh take. One sugar cube on its own was harmless, but mixing two that contained vicious chemicals when combined meant death. That was unique and a fine crime in the circumstances, Nyssa had even analysed every sugar cube without finding anything suggesting this was the method. Pricklethorp's reaction to being accused was fantastic as even though it was clear he was the enemy, he took such offence. I always like it when that happens as it's just a bit barmy. The arrival of the Doctor from the fridge of all places was not expected, but it was nice how he just took the floor when arriving. He has a certain presence which is just unmatched. He of course could name the murderer and that was that really. Overall, a fascinating journey to a really unique place of Mistpuddle! A worthy listen.

Rating: 7/10

The Haunting of Bryck Place

"Nothing better than a punctual ghost."

Writer: Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: June 2022

Series: Interludes 03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Hackney Village, the 1540s. Bryck Place is a new construction: the first house in London built from bricks – but it already has a ghost. The apparition of a young woman, dressed in black, walks the halls nightly, whispering strange incantations. Nobody knows what this entity is, or what it wants, until Ace and the Doctor arrive to unlock the mystery...

Verdict

The Haunting of Bryck Place was a very good Interludes audio adventure! This was a really good bonus to go alongside the Silver and Ice first series of Seventh Doctor Adventures and it was nice to get new content with Ace, as I would argue she is more synonymous with the Seventh Doctor than Mel. However, as there is so much Ace content out there I'm glad the main bulk of the series is focused on Mel. Anyway, into the story at hand and I thought it was a really strong outing. It was nice for it to be a pseudo-historical and just having the Doctor and Ace in 1540s Britain during the Tudor era was excellent. Ace liked to think that she knew London better than anyone, but with it being almost like an assembly of villages at this point in time her sense of direction wasn't quite there which was fun. The number of characters in the story wasn't actually that many, but it was far from obvious that Sophie Aldred was the only actress performing which is testament to her qualities. It was a brilliant job from her with the narration! Her impression of the Seventh Doctor always amuses me as whilst the noticeable quirks of Sylvester McCoy are often there, the Scottish accent is pretty mad. So it definitely caught me by surprise when in the story Ace exclaimed that the Doctor wasn't Scottish! The idea of the Doctor and Ace visiting the first brick house in London hardly seems like the most exciting trips in history, but when that new house was seemingly already haunted with a ghost then we had a strong pull. I liked how Ace was quick to reference Gabriel Chase and the events of Ghost Light with the clear similarities and parallels with that serial, but considering the two lead characters are the same this adventure did well in being different. I was impressed with that. The sceptre being seen in the house depicting the image of Ace was fascinating and I loved the reaction after chasing when she was actually flesh and blood. It was fun for the Doctor to claim that he knew all along what was happening in the house simple from a new frame in a new house depicting an old painting, but that's just good characterisation of the Seventh Doctor! Ace was the star of the show though as you would expect and she really does get a chance to shine. When the Doctor explains that the painting is a memory vault I really liked the concept and the conversation they were having after getting lost being that of which they heard from the sceptre was nicely done. It brought everything full circle and the memory being one from the future was a fun twist. I liked the emotion that Ace invoked when the Doctor almost dismissively asked her to deposit memories and preserve them in the house, but she was abundantly clear that her memories were her own and not for anyone else. I thought that was excellent and I appreciated that the Doctor later apologised for asking that of her. As a whole, the story was brilliant in capturing the feel of Tudor London but then really delving deep into a haunted adventure. It was a terrific balance. Overall, a very strong audio!

Rating: 8/10

Deadbeat Ecape

"It's been raining here forever."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Torchwood Monthly 24

Featuring: Bilis 

Synopsis

"Welcome to the Traveller's Halt. You're in luck – we have one room left. My name is Bilis Manger. Let me show you to your room."

Verdict

Deadbeat Escape was a great audio adventure to continue the run of monthly Torchwood adventures from Big Finish! I love the idea of Bilis getting his own adventure as he made such an impact in Captain Jack Harkness/End of Days and certainly goes down as one of the show's most memorable villains. It was lovely to hear how effortlessly Murray Melvin reprised his role and whilst this wasn't the first time I've listened to him back as Bilis in a Torchwood audio, it was excellent to have him in the lead role. It really worked well having such a small cast with only two other performances which really added to the cramped and eery atmosphere of the hotel. The Traveller's Halt made for a fine setting and the constant backdrop of dripping water was terrific. It really did establish a feeling that never really went away which was certainly a positive. Mr Roberts arrived as a guest on his way to Cardiff but the rain drew him into this small hotel and I was intrigued right away by the fact that Bilis was insistent on him writing down the date when checking into the place. Bilis obviously has tendencies with time so there was clearly something not right there. Later learning that recent check ins spanned a time of over 150 years but not in order and across very spontaneous visits was fantastic. Roberts was very shocked by the fact that Grace's passport showed her to have only been born two years ago, but she was visibly in her nineties. Bilis coming to Grace's room when Roberts was in there on more than one occasion was a lot of fun, but I thought the calm nature in which he revealed that he didn't actually work at the hotel was magnificent. He just came to fix a clock, but there wasn't actually anything wrong with the clock. The problem was with time. The little flashback scene to his initial arrival at the Halt was good and I liked the twist of Bilis being trapped there as well, rather than it being something of his own making. Finding out that the trap was by the Committee fitted in nicely with the continuity of Torchwood at Big Finish and he was not best pleased by the amount of time it had taken him to get out! Roberts was devastated at the fact he wouldn't get out to see his dad whom he had come to say goodbye which provided a lot of emotion, but I loved the villainy of Bilis not wanting to come back and save everyone once he'd escaped the trap of the Deadbeat Escape. I thought the concept of the titular device was very strong and I liked the surprise by Bilis that Torchwood hadn't already come and tried to solve the situation. Perhaps they knew it was a trap for Bilis? Roberts showed a lot of emotion when going out into the rain and ageing twenty years very quickly, and his anger at the phone call clearly not being of his time and getting through to the hospital at St. Helen's when it was a workhouse didn't provide any clarity. He just wanted to say goodbye to his father, but would never get the chance as Bilis was very cold in nature and left all by himself, not looking to fix the trap for all of the others caught up in it! Overall, a really good audio! 

Rating: 8/10