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

The Nightmare Realm

"Nothing ever happens here."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: June 2021

Series: BBC Audio 11

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Nardole

Synopsis

Time: the present. Place: Smalltown, USA. A town like any other. A sleepy world of white picket fences, front porch gliders and freshly-mown lawns, a Pontiac or Chevrolet in every driveway. 

But the streets are empty, with not a sound to be heard, and no-one to hear it if there was. Because this town is merely an empty stage, waiting for its players to take their parts. They're due to make their entrance any moment now, strangers in a strange land, somewhere in that timeless space known only as The Nightmare Realm. 

It's into this strange world of shifting sands that the TARDIS propels the Doctor and Nardole, who think they're in 1950s suburbia until an apparent nuclear attack takes them into far darker territory, with a series of terrifying consequences...

Verdict

The Nightmare Realm was was a really great BBC Audio adventure! The prospect of a story featuring just the Twelfth Doctor and Nardole was really exciting and after a recent reward of an Amazon voucher from work, I purchased a number of the BBC Audios and I’m actually quite surprised that this was the last one I listened to out of the bulk buy! We only really saw a full outing for this TARDIS pairing in The Return of Doctor Mysterio which somehow feels a little odd of an episode as we didn’t really have Nardole established as a companion at that point following his apparent demise in The Husbands of River Song. But alas, this was a lovely insight into the gap between Series 9 and 10. The setting right from the off was very exciting and the story didn’t waste time in establishing it. We were firmly introduced to the Nightmare Realm which was intriguing and the effects used were really strong for this range. Credit must go to Dan Starkey for his narration of this as he really was spectacular. It made the episode an absolutely breeze to listen to and the way he was able to differentiate between the Doctor, Nardole and the other characters was very impressive. His impression of the companion in particular was quite stellar! I wouldn’t be against him taking on the role in any future Twelfth Doctor Chronicles for Big Finish. It was honestly that good. The imagery created in the adventure was terrific and whilst the concept of the nightmare realm wasn’t exactly unique, a dream invasion attempt is usually pretty decent. We’ve seen something similar concerning the dream theme with this incarnation of the Doctor before in Last Christmas, so it did unfortunately have something of a minor sense of repetitiveness. I liked how things were rapidly changing in the environment for the Doctor and Nardole, and the way they deduced how light and darkness happened instantly was very clever. Being a dream scape, Greg as a child was the avatar for his older self and he was in a coma meaning the change of light was the actual light switch in his hospital room! That was brilliant stuff and really fun to explore. The Americanisation of the story was a guilty pleasure of mine as I’m not sure why but I love hearing that accent in the form of a public announcement. It just feels right. I thought the pace of the story was good and I did like how the Doctor claimed to always know what was going on. Nardole had his doubts which was humorous. The way things ended as the nightmare realm came to implode was predictable and always going to be the way things headed, and the ambiguity regarding the threat and whether they were inside the realm as it collapsed was nicely done. I liked how once Greg woke up he was set to typing almost immediately for more shows of his hit television series, the mysterious and enigmatic Nightmare Realm. Overall, a really good listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Thief Who Stole Time

"All of time is mine!"

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: September 2017

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 6.09

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis

A god has died. A crime has been committed. And an even greater threat lies beneath the surface. 

On the ocean world of Funderell, Romana has been reunited with her old friend from Gallifrey, Sartia, and the Doctor is investigating the history and religion of this strange world. But events have quickly spiralled out of control. 

Why is this planet of such interest to the Time Lords? What lurks in the depths?

The life of more than one world is at stake. But time is running out. 

Verdict

The Thief Who Stole Time was a terrific episode to conclude the story already started in The Skin of the Sleek and to finish the sixth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures all together! On a personal note, this brings an end to my blogging of the single releases from this brilliant range and moving forward now I should do it in chronological order from Series 10 onwards which is rather exciting. Perhaps my jumping around style is why this as a whole didn’t feel like a roaring finale, but this second episode was definitely an improvement. The stakes were raised and that’s not much of a surprise given that the first part is setting things up! This is where we really saw Sartia in her element as a villain now that the secret was fully out. She was tremendous and I really do hope that this isn’t the last we have heard from her. I’d love to delve more into her history with Romana and their days together on Gallifrey. There’s so much potential there and they were obviously close because Sartia even had the Mana nickname for her. Both were clearly accepting of that moniker which was good and I like the idea of Romana having something akin to the Master for the Doctor. It’s not quite up to that level yet but with further exploration it certainly could be! I thought Lalla Ward was impressive in selling the impact of the cliffhanger where she was left to drown, and it was fun for Sartia to own her action in leaving Romana. She was proud of it and was solely interested in the power within the planet that was Funderell. Exploring more of the planet here was great and the concept of it not having an ocean floor and the core just being pure energy was a little difficult to comprehend, but that was music to Sartia despite her fruitless attempts to offer half in return for the discovery and keeping quiet about it. Her suspicions were roused in a big way quite obviously but she didn’t hold back in dealing with any potential whistleblower! The Doctor was onto her though and that was nicely done. The Time Lord involvement in the planet was intriguing to explore and arguably could have been even more of the focus. I loved the idea of it being a plug in a sinkhole of timelines as the potential there was huge, and I would say not fully realised which was a bit of a shame. Romana being able to save the day in ensuring that Sartia’s own attempts to harness the energy knocked her out, but I can’t help but feel her escape via a time ring was a little weak. She deserved to meet her fate and her getting away with it will be fine if we do get a return at some point in the future. However, as far as I’m aware that is yet to materialise. I thought the enigmatic narration was good in adding to the atmosphere and the planet actually reverting back to its default at the end was actually a little disappointing considering the whacky nature of it! There was more to explore in my opinion. Overall though, a really entertaining listen and a strong villain! Not to mention a fantastic cliffhanger with the Doctor set to be consumed by a Sleek. 

Rating: 8/10

The Skin of the Sleek

"I'm the one chained to time."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: August 2017

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 6.08

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis

On the planet Funderell you can walk on the ocean. The surface holds you when you move, but if you stand still, you sink. Lights shift in the fathoms and great shapes move beneath your feet – schools of giant electric eels know as Sleeks. 

There is no solid land and the only locals are the Wavewalkers, hunters who live in floating villages. But recently some strangers have arrived, pursuing their own distinct agenda. 

When the Doctor and Romana lose the TARDIS to the deep, they need help. Which makes finding a fellow Time Lord on the planet very useful. The fact that Time Lord is Sartia, an old friend of Romana's, is even better! 

But this is a planet of secrets. Be careful when you explore its depths. You may just drown. 

Verdict

The Skin of the Sleek was a decent little episode to kick off the two-part finale of the sixth series of Fourth Doctor Adventures! I must admit I am a fan of the approach of making season finales in this range as two-parters because it allows for greater scope and depth in the storytelling. It also has that sense of a big feel, but for whatever reason this didn't quite have that finale feel. The stakes didn't feel big and that's a bit of a shame. The story in of itself was absolutely fine and I was quite interested in everything that was happening, even if it felt like a little bit of a set up. I do hope that the second half of the story is an improvement and as the actual sole finale ups the ante a little. The setting of Funderell was really intriguing and the concept of a planet that was essentially in flux was terrific. It definitely warranted exploration and it's no surprise that it was the home of an excavation group, but they'd been stuck for thirteen days. Only finding one settlement didn't give much hope of an escape and the moments where the TARDIS was lost were really great. I mention it a lot but the vulnerability of the Doctor and his companion with no TARDIS is exciting because it is unusual and takes away the safety net they so often have. The threat of the planet itself is brilliant as exploring something natural and it proving deadly is magnificent. I liked the idea of walking on oceans and a moving surface, but I don't think it was explored to its fullest potential. I do hope that it becomes more central in the finale, but I do like that standing still is very dangerous. The threat of drowning is obviously a frightening one so the cliffhanger with Romana seemingly going below the surface after being abandoned by Sartia worked well. She was a fascinating character and I admit I did have to research if she actuals had featured in a story before given she was an old friend of Romana's. That was a nice touch with her having a little nickname for our Time Lady in the form of Mana. She also had extensive knowledge on the Doctor which was good with a nice reference to The Invasion of Time and the Doctor being Lord President. I thought the reference to The War Games and beyond was a nice touch for the Doctor as well in mentioning how he had served his time in exile. The Sleeks were a little weird as giant eels and that's not a monster that excites me I must admit it. I'm not usually a fan of taking real life animals and making them slightly alien or giant and that was the case here. I probably would have acted in the same was as Sartia in killing the god of the Wavewalkers. I thought they were a weird old bunch and I think that was the intention, but at times I did find myself hoping for a little more. Linnis needed more time to shine as his relationship in seeing time was excellent. The way he was demanded to see and tell the future in the present was very good and I just wanted more of him to be honest. The shock that came from the shackles literally being off was brilliant. I liked the continuity to The Leisure Hive in explaining K9's absence on adventures in this series, but I must admit he does add something special to this already tremendous pairing. It's a shame they were split up for much of the episode as their chemistry really shines, especially considering how long it took for them to actually arrive as well. Overall, still a good episode to start the finale with a lot of interesting and fascinating ideas! I'm keen to listen to the next episode now.

Rating: 7/10

Redemption

"I sold you to settle your bills."

Writer: June Dawson

Format: Audio

Released: September 2023

Series: Redacted 2.06

Featuring: Shawna, Abby, Cleo, Rani

Synopsis

Cleo is in a race against time to defeat Honour and save the alien refugees of the London Underground. She needs all the help she can get – Abby, Shawna and the Doctor would be useful too. But which side Apex on?

Verdict

Redemption was a somewhat average episode to conclude the second series of the Redacted podcast! I don’t think this series has quite lived up to the first but to be honest that’s to be expected. It’s a shame we didn’t get any appearance from the Doctor and I must admit that I was banking on it happening when the TARDIS hologram arrived, so it was a little disappointing to get the Apex return. It was quite predictable that he would always come back for Cleo and whilst it’s nice for her to finally have something of a relationship where somebody is looking out and cares for her, I’m just not a huge fan of Apex. He’s not the most likeable character but at the same time he’s not someone I dislike. He’s just a bit bland. I think Honour Bray had a lot of potential as the villain but I thought she was a little diluted by her past love for Apex. That was a bit annoying but the moment where she saw the TARDIS was tremendous. That reaction was tremendous and she really did believe that a girl can have everything. The last time machine in the universe and for some reason she thought it was hers by it merely arriving. What she planned to do with the Doctor was left unanswered, but I’d love for the two to meet at some point. The London Underground setting is obviously iconic from The Web of Fear so returning there in modern times was really good. There’s a lot of potential there with the darkness and atmosphere but I don’t think it was wholly suited for the Cobot. That robotic monster had a good threat and it was fun for Abby and Shawna to hack it using Mr Smith. Rani’s presence seemed to dwindle once the threat was dealt with and we went into an extended epilogue, but it was nice for her to be prominent for much of the series. She’s an excellent character! I did enjoy things coming full circle with Apex using the wave disruptor that definitely wasn’t a flute to see of Bray and her threat, and his choice was made that it was Cleo. He was firmly done with Honour now and that was nice. It was nice to hear all three characters doing an episode of their Blue Box Files and getting some references to radiated rats at the docklands was good and I loved the comparisons to Arachnids in the UK and The Green Death. Keep those coming. It made sense that in a finale this would be indicated as the last episode of the podcast for a while as the trio would take a well deserved break, but I do wonder if this will be the end for Redacted as a whole. Obviously that term is a little redundant now as a title but I would certainly be on board for another series, especially if they could the Fifteenth Doctor in for a few cameos! Ncuti Gatwa would be perfect for this. I thought the ending with Cleo and Apex overlooking London was good if not a little cheesy, and I liked that Abby and Shawna left him to his own devices now. They had a bit of a spat when controlling the Cobot but they seem to have got past the honeymoon phase now. The ending loosely tying in with Wild Blue Yonder’s chaotic ending with the ship crashing was excellent, but it’s a shame we didn’t get a quick loose reference to a giggle. Overall, a little predictable and too focused on Apex but far from being bad. I hope there’s more. 

Rating: 6/10

The Lair of Zarbi Supremo

"There was a force on this world which was intent on invading Earth."

Writer: David Whittaker

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1965

Printed in: Dr Who Annual 1966

Featuring: First Doctor

Synopsis

Dr Who finds himself back on Vortis and must rescue groups of humans and Meoptera from an intelligent Zarbi power.

Verdict

The Lair of Zarbi Supremo was a really fun and quirky adventure to kick off my reading of the original Doctor Who Annual! It is only fitting that with this story and the cover of the Annual that the PDF version is a bonus feature on The Web Planet DVD. Now, this adventure is actually one I consider to probably be in my bottom ten least favourite serials of all time, but returning to the web planet known as Vortis is fascinating and I think the story here actually works better with still images and no dodgy costume work. Of course, there's only so far a BBC budget for what was deemed a children's show can go in the middle of the 1960s, but the presentation of the Zarbin and Menoptera in that serial was far from ideal. I thought the description of the Zarbi in particular here meant for a better visual and the artwork that accompanies this short story is nothing short of sensational. The Annuals of the Classic era are often renowned for their somewhat dodgy and inconsistent illustrations, but here I was completely blown away! It looked absolutely stunning and that definitely helped with my enjoyment of the story. It was striking and even the artwork for the look of the Doctor was glorious. Those strokes! The likeness of William Hartnell was captured with effortless ease and that really does make a difference. Unusually from my experience of the Annual stories, this one was actually clocking in at a hefty fifteen pages which really allowed for a full story. This wasn't quick and that added depth to things. The early days of Doctor Who are a wonderful time and so interesting to explore the quirks that contradict everything the mythology of over sixty years now has built up. The Doctor here is described as an Earthman and the human who wonders which is poetic but obviously completely false. It's also fun for him to be described in character as Dr Who which honestly infuriates me. We know the Doctor is a title but to have it in short case here really irked me! It was literally used as his title and not his name. It would honestly help if they had always produced the full 'Doctor' before the 'Who' when mentioning our lead character. Something I am massively intrigued by is trying to place this story into the chronology of the First Doctor era. There's no companion which we never saw on screen and Susan left Gallifrey with him, so where are the companions and why aren't they mentioned? That's a fun quirk to think about. Returning for encounters with the Zarbi is good and whilst I appreciate the efforts in trying to make them replicate Dalekmania, giant ants was never going to be a success. I really loved the concept of having Zarbi robots though and the Menoptera being dummies within was terrific! The illustration of the Doctor within a Zarbi was magnificent and that's honestly a figurine waiting to happen. I would buy it instantly! The Zarbi Supremo as an enemy was good and I like the forefront of a lead monster. It was essentially a queen and I liked the brief exploration of different classes of Zarbi. Most of the ones we'd met were the soldier class and that was really great and fitting. I do think the conclusion was a little weak as I'm not convinced the Doctor was actually required considering he was just doing everything else the other Menoptera were doing in being dummies, but he was quick to take credit! The characterisation for him was a little mixed and I thought the contradiction of the Zarbi Supremo name was amusing. We literally heard that name played on the tape from George Hamilton's father, but then later on it was supposedly what the Doctor had come to think of the villain as. In the Doctor Who Annuals, I'll allow it as they're always quirky in that regard! Overall, honestly a privilege to be reading this considering its age and a fun little start to the book! I sense this won't be the last of the Zarbi and Vortis. A good read. 

Rating: 7/10

The Hero Factor

"When did I ever apply to be a champion?"

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2006

Printed in: Doctor Who Files 01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The Doctor and Rose are enjoying the pleasures of Asskenflatt Minor (the Warp Hotel – the best tea in the known universe!) when they are interrupted by a group of strange creatures with microphones and cameras who start asking Rose what it is like to travel with the future Champion of Askenflatt – the man who will lie his life down to defend the people against Hasval the Destroyer! 

Verdict

The Hero Factor was a good little story to kick off my reading of the short story prose contained within the Doctor Who Files series of hardbacks. Reaching for this book off the bookshelf really did bring a level of nostalgia as I remember when I first became a fan these were a crucial part of fandom as a young child. I don't believe I actually read the new adventure within the books, but catching up on knowledge and even testing it was something I was very keen to do. It is of course only right that a series such as this one starts with the Doctor as the highlight but it was nice for him to have a companion in the form of Rose for the adventure. Any new prose is welcomed and whilst it's unclear where in their run during Series 2 that this story fits in, it feels like a good representation of the era with the Doctor and companion relationship well captured in the words. It's clear from the design of the book and the way the knowledge is presented in a simplistic form that the target audience for this series was for younger children. The very age I was when I collected the books some eighteen years ago. That in of itself is staggering and actually makes me feel sickeningly old at just twenty-seven! I think I enjoyed and appreciated this story more than I would have at the time of release, well shortly there after as I didn't become a fan until Series 3. The actual story itself was good stuff and I really did like the concept of the Doctor arriving on a planet and being recognised as its champion. If that was going to happen to anybody then it would certainly be him! I am not sure what he was thinking in believing that he and Rose could just have a quiet little holiday. Hell, Rose even wanted a holiday home on Asskenflatt Minor and the way that came back into the plot when it was seemingly just a throwaway comment was very well done. The Doctor and Rose being separated was good and the threats that came from what seemed to be paparazzi was unique which I appreciated. The hologram for the Doctor being on the television show ended a little prematurely and if left to linger longer then the reveal could have been more powerful, but I understand the need to slightly rush that with the shortness of the format. The Doctor being questioned on his payment for being the champion against Hasval the Destroyer was amusing and he was perplexed. If a planet or its people were in need then he was there to provide help. Free of charge! The way he was questioned about the weaponry he used and alluding to potential soft fruit being the only thing he'd consider was fun and a nice nod to the satsuma usage in The Christmas Invasion. Hasval turning out to be behind the questioning and television show charade wasn't much of a surprise, but it was a strong moment when it came. I thought Rose basically saving the day by accident by replicating the Doctor's image over one hundred fold was good stuff purely because of the line it inspired in the Doctor admitting that the way he defeats the enemy is by choosing good friends. That was really poetic and exactly the kind of thing you'd expect and want the Doctor to be saying. Hasval revealing himself because Rose suggested living on the planet was hilarious as he just planned to delay invasion when the Doctor was spotted, but now it had to be accelerated. He truly was the Champion and couldn't be defeated. I mean, it was a little easy for Hasval to be defeated by his own weapon but it was nice to know the Doctor's reputation was on an incredible scale om Asskenflatt Minor. Word got around in a big way! Overall, a decent little read. 

Rating: 7/10

The Underwater Menace

"You're not turning me into a fish!"

Writer: Geoffrey Orme

Format: TV (Animation)

Released: November 2023

Series: 4.05

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends find themselves in the lost city of Atlantis, where the crazed Professor Zaroff has convinced the people of Atlantis that he can raise their sunken city from beneath the sea. However, the Doctor discovers a terrible secret behind Zaroff's plan – a secret that could destroy all life on Earth. As the countdown commences to the end of the world, can the Doctor defeat the underwater menace?

Verdict

The Underwater Menace was a great animation of the partially lost fourth series story! I was delighted to hear that this story would be animated when it was announced last year but that's not a surprise as I get excited whenever any story is revealed to be getting the colourful reconstruction treatment. Of course, the animation is far from perfect but this presented me with the first time I have watched the story in a full and consistent form. Sure, the Target novelisation is a brilliant thing to have and gives a complete version of the adventure, but there's nothing quite like the on screen visuals. I always choose to watch the animations in colour format where available as I've now tried to distance myself from these being pure reconstructions and almost like an alternative perspective or interpretation of the story which is itself complete. It's not so weird now to be watching a Troughton era story in colour as there have been several animations of this kind, and the style of animation certainly does take a little while to go on. I don't want to sound too harsh but when I watched the trailer for this release I thought it did look a little amateur-ish which is a bit of a shame. But when there's a full moving story and flow it definitely works. It's fun for this to be Jamie's first adventure after arriving in The Highlanders and he really doesn't take long to get to grips with the travels in the TARDIS. I don't remember them picking up in the attire he was wearing right at the start of this story though. The colour in this animation was very well presented and that's the beauty of the format. It's ironic that the search and desire for completeness actually makes the missing serials the ones I have delved into more often than others. This is the third time I've blogged this story but each one has been in a different form and I really like that. I feel like from my two previous bloggings that I knew the story pretty well although I couldn't quite believe it's been eight years since I read the novelisation! So my focus was all on the animation and seeing the story in complete and colourful form. I thought the Fish People were presented well and I enjoyed the use of animation to present the underwater elements. That was definitely an improvement on the original version and I think the costumes also looked better here, not that it's much of a surprise given the technology available and just the fact it's in colour. The highlight of the story for me is Professor Zaroff as his mad and deranged villain is just magnificent. That famous cliffhanger of nobody being able to stop him now is just as good in coloured animation and is definitely one of my favourites. I think the story itself is really solid and was probably even more enjoyable in a complete and modern version. I do think some of the animation is awkward when nothing is happening as we wait for the next bit of dialogue. Surely some stage directions or a shooting script would indicate something better than just a stare? I did notice that on a couple of occasions which was just odd. I watched most of this in the presence of my young boy who was feeling very sick and I was delighted with how much he was paying attention considering he is only two. I feel like I can now say that Albie's first Doctor Who was this which is very fun and unique! He does like fish and the sea so Atlantis is a fine setting for his first one. It's a nice touch and just made my viewing experience better looking after him with a well deserved cwtch. Overall, a sheer delight to have this story in a completed form and the animation definitely works after a little while of getting used to it. A fine use of colour also and as a whole a great and worthy watch! Keep them coming. 

Rating: 8/10

Subterranea

"What utility does love have?"

Writer: Joanthan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 6.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis

The TARDIS is going underground. When the Doctor and Romana find themselves buried beneath the surface of an alien world, they're soon swallowed up by a giant burrowing machine. This is where the inhabitants of this planet live – in huge, constantly moving, Drill-towns, chewing up the fuel and resources of the planet in order to survive. 

But something else lurks in the earth. Something that feeds on the Drill-towns. Something that is relentless and will not stop. 

The Silex are hunting.

Verdict

Subterranea was a decent little story to continue my sporadic and not entirely chronological journey through the sixth series of Fourth Doctor Adventures! Thankfully, this range mostly works well in listening to stories in isolation but I believe now that I only have this series finale left to complete the single release era of this range. That’s exciting for me and it’s a superb continuation of so many eras for the Fourth Doctor. I do think K9 was sorely missing from this story as the robotic dog really does complement the amazing pairing of the Fourth Doctor and Romana II. They have legendary status and the humour and chemistry is still clear to hear even forty odd years later. It’s magnificent. The reaction to the TARDIS seemingly being eaten was amusing as the Doctor seemed genuinely fearful of where they might end up, but with the TARDIS essentially being indestructible surely they could have just dematerialised even from within a creature or giant ship? The setting of an alien world is not new, but going beneath the surface is definitely more unique and I like the atmosphere that presents. This has a dingy feel and it felt grainy and dark. That was really good and I think even the dark colours of the cover artwork help towards that. It sets the tone right from the off. I liked the concept of the Silex very much even if it did feel like this episode may as well have just featured the Cybermen. The similarities really were obvious and I think it almost bordered on being too similar. No talk of emotion did help to differentiate things though. I thought the cliffhanger was well done and I must admit that I didn’t see the turn of Lucretia coming. She was presented as being inferior to her husband Max from the start almost to the point where I just accepted her as a background character. So that shift was a nice surprise, even to her husband! The nature of the Cathonians and their policy of no waste was good stuff and certainly admirable. It’s certainly an efficient way to live, but it could also mean brutal decisions. The suggestion of Romana’s presence itself being a drain on resources was more than enough to show that they took the policy very seriously! I thought the description of the Silex was good and the image on the cover is almost something of a metallic Pyrovile. It looked impressive and certainly imposing. I liked the way the Doctor and Romana were separated which allowed some strong solo time for the latter before the former was on hand for the rescue. I appreciated the conclusion with Max using the machine to take out the Silex but also sacrificing himself in the process. I kind of figured that would be the route taken but it was still a pretty impactful moment regardless. It was a neat way to tidy everything up but it’s a little surprising that even the Doctor and Romana now seem desensitised to this kind of death. I thought the threat of the TARDIS being thrown out was good and I loved that its lack of being flammable rendered it useless. What utilities could come of that? Overall, a good little story even if it did perhaps go slightly too long. 

Rating: 7/10

The Lagoon Monsters

"You are not the first to challenge faith with reason."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: October 2023

Series: BBC Audio 19

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha 

Synopsis

The waters of the Pacific Ocean form the backdrop of this foray into Eighteenth Century seafaring for the Doctor and Martha, when the TARDIS materialises on board the Blue Groper sailing ship.

Grudgingly accepted as stowaways by Captain Sadler's crew, the travellers learn that the ship is on a mission to Luna Puesta, 'the land where the moon has set'. 

There, just off the coast of New Zealand, Professor James Tomlinson hopes to locate a missing archaeological link between dinosaurs and man.

But what the expedition finds on arrival is far beyond the Professor's wildest dreams...

Verdict

The Lagoon Monsters was a great little BBC Audio adventure! It seems like ahead of the sixtieth anniversary celebrations that BBC Audio really did jump on the bandwagon with a barrage of releases and that's absolutely fine by me, although it would have been nice for them to give us something of an anniversary adventure. We didn't get that, but further adventures with the Tenth Doctor and Martha is all good with me. I was intrigued to see that Sean Carlsen was the narrator for this one as he's obviously most notable as Narvin from the extraordinary Gallifrey spinoff series from Big Finish. I'm not entirely sure he was the best choice as I do always prefer to have an actor or actress that appeared in the television series alongside the TARDIS team if it's not going to be one of the team themselves, and whilst his narration and storytelling was absolutely fine I thought his impressions of the Tenth Doctor and Martha were lacking. It's not a big deal, but it does help when they get close to sounding like our main characters but that's something I never felt was close here. The writing for the characters was more than sufficient to compromise for that though which is testament to the author. I really enjoyed the setting of the Blue Groper ship and going to 1790 in particular was a nice and unique setting. It's not like anything Martha experienced on screen which is tremendous and I liked how they were immediately accepted as stowaways. It's something that happens so often in Doctor Who but with different TARDIS teams and pairings it can always feel new and that was the case here. I liked the idea of exploring science in this time period with Martha's nature as a female and being a doctor almost ridiculed. She had to deal with some strange and unflattering comments on more than one occasion but she dealt with it admirably even if her anger and annoyance was evidence. I loved the concept of Professor Tomlinson trying to tackle the missing link in historical records and evidence between humanity and dinosaurs. Why in all of the dinosaur discoveries was there no record of man? Tying this in with the Bible and religious teachings was delightful fun as it was clear that science very much trumped faith. Dinosaurs came before any notion of Adam and Eve and hearing that tackled with was excellent. I thought Wyn Thomas was a fun character and getting a Welshman involved is always good in my book. It was quite humorous to describe him as having a temper and his relationship with Sadler was very interesting. The titular monsters in the forms of the Mantosaurs were pretty good and I liked the description of the scale. Martha being right in believing that they didn't have evil intentions but were actually studying the human race was great stuff and all along it turned out they had been looking after the missing Payne. The Doctor appreciated that and would help them get home in what turned out to be a somewhat straightforward adventure and conclusion, with a fascinating insight and discussion on the dilemma of faith and reason in the late eighteenth century. I wasn't too surprised to find that Tomlinson wanted to go with the Mantosaurs when they would be going home and who wouldn't want to take up the opportunity to see what was out there in the stars? He knew that the Doctor was alien and the humour that came from his confidence in saying he'd been to Gallifrey was tremendous. It's always somewhere off the coast of Ireland! Overall, a really strong little adventure! 

Rating: 8/10