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| What: | The Five Doctors (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Huw Davies, Taunton, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 6 April 2008 |
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| Rating: |  10 |
I recently bought the new UK deluxe edition for the 25th anniversary of this story, and i must say it is an absolute corker! You get 2 versions of the story, one the original and the other an updated one with special effects, zillions of extras, and the most amazing Doctor Who DVD Easter Egg ever! I'll say no more: now go find it for yourself!
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 | This is so dire its moronic.... |
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| What: | Voyage of the Damned (BBC new series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: |  1 |
David Tennant has been such a great doctor, he has suffered though from being given quite a few weak and i would even say irrelevant stories during his run. And Voyage of the damned takes the top pole in regards to rubbish.
Enlightenment and The Robots of Death elements are stolen and weaved, or rather squashed, into a dull as ditch water rehash. I mean, an angel losing a hand just like a robot in Robots is bordering on oh boy...
Even the deaths of the passengers isnt very well performed either. I was expecting a very sad tale, and it was for all the wrong reasons im afraid to say.
Ballakaffalatta is one of the few things that saves this from being a 0 from me. Even Kylie Minogue isnt all that brilliant. And the end scenes is over the top too. This is nothing like a Christmas treat.
I shall review Time Crash seperate. Peter Davison makes a great return to the screen. David plays well off him too, this is real great stuff. The eight minutes of Time Crash are much more entertaining than the main rubbish on this disc....
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| The ark in space for Peter Davison |
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| What: | Three's a Crowd (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
This all feels so cramped and so coolly like the series of old. Its great to hear big finish wanting to keep some elements of the old series.
Lucy Beresford is what makes this story though. She is so brilliant as Bellip, what with all her lovely breathing and nice and easy to listen to voice. Deborah Watling is back too! Yippee! Nice to hear her again too. But im afraid its lucy who's the very best shining star in this story. This story is very interesting for its ideas too. A colony cut off and lost deep in space, with a space station, full of nasty alien eggs.
But i dont feel that the Kellians are overtly evil here though. Despite the fact they are eating people, they have to survive. Usually the doc just would get the aliens away from harming any more people, like he did with the Gravis in frontios, but here, no. He seems a bit rash here for my liking. But maybe the kellians are a bit set against anything else but eating the colonists i suppose. (i forgot actually that he does say a little something about getting them away, or asking them to leave the colonists in peace, never speak too soon!)
And i still really like the feel of this story. Harks back to the Ark In Space. The sound design is brilliant too.
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| A celebration....very nearly.... |
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| What: | Zagreus (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
The Three Doctors was class for me.
The Five Doctors was a let down to say the least.
The Two Doctors was excellent stuff.
The Sirens of Time was blinking excellent stuff.
Project Lazarus was brilliant too.
But the question is does Zagreus offer as much excitement as many previous more than one doctor tales? The answer is yes, but only just.
This really is a Charley story. India Fisher is a great find as a companion. She works so well alongside Paul Mcgann, but they are seperated nearly all the way through this, and that is why i dont think some elements of this story work too well. The other doctors arent really given massive parts either, not as great as Pat and Colin in the Two Doctors. But they are not bad in what they do get to do. This has all the feel of a massive comic strip actually. I can imagine this being a large sized magazine entry. Some of the characters are funny though. And there are many very good moments, you just have to find them thats all. Lisa Bowerman and Sophie Aldred defintely deserve a big mention. Elizabeth Sladen's part is poor only because shes basically only in one stupid scene. And the use of Jon Pertwee in this story is a delight though, and wonderful to hear him again after so long. Very interestingly done. Nick Courtney as the voice of the TARDIS is very impressive too. But all the other elements dont deliver as well as they could have done. And yes, maybe this is just a little too long a story overall. But by no means is this a total waste of time. The final gethering of the doctors is a great scene. And Nick and Paul get together again for clamatic last scenes as the TARDIS lays bear its soul.
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| Yes, this is pretty mediocre... |
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| What: | The Time of the Daleks (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
The Daleks are back again. And for once the again i used in the first sentence is a word written with a sigh. Justin really wrote excellent scripts for Red Dawn and Whispers Of Terror, so what is this mediocrity? A load of mirrors again, this worked well in Evil of the daleks, but is just blandly recycled here in a dissapointing rehash of basically very old ideas. Even the daleks saying they love shakespeare is nothing great either. I really found this story hard to get into, better after a few listens but still not great by no means.
| What: | The Chimes of Midnight (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I was scared by this story.
Rob Shearman builds on The Holy Terror.
Paul Mcgann and India Fisher really are gelling so well now.
This is as scary as hell i can tell you.
The first episode really is something to be bargained with.
The characters are all so memorable and well played by all involved.
This is the heights the new series should start to reach soon...
I hate the death scenes, if this was viual it would be too much i think.
the house having a voice is creepsville.
Spooky is an understatement for this story.
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| A MAZE OF......FOUR PEOPLE.... |
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| What: | Caerdroia (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Caerdroia is another experiment. A Scherzo with two extras. But does it work as well as that story? Yes it does im afraid to say.
Paul Mcgann is on supreme form and really gets to shine as the doctor! So the doc is in a maze trying to find the TARDIS, it sounds dull, but this story is not at all. And he gets split in three! What a load of ha ha!
Charley and C'rizz get put with two different aspects of the doc, weird and angry. They all work so well together, and the different aspects of the doctor really are done so well by Paul Mcgann. I love the library scene too. The cuckoo clock and all that too is great. And Stephen Perring as the Kroka being cut down to size is brilliant too, the Doc trapping him in his mind and all that. Ah, what a play.
| What: | Doctor Who and the Pirates (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I agree with PJ on this one. This is defintely an experiment, but for me it works so well im afraid.
Jac Rayner has crafted a tale with so many laughs and yet with an overtone of sombre reflection as some mistakes cant be avoided when you travel in time.
Jac always seems to be writing her best for history or moments and events set in history at any rate. The Pirates is a real treat on the ear for me.
Colin Baker immediately grabs the ear with perfect delivery in the singing sections of this highly theatrical production. This should really be done on the stage i can tell you all out there. And the lyrics are side splittingly funny to say the least. Gallifreyan buccaneer is blinking hilarious. Perfect musical direction i must say.
I too also like the POV of Evelyn and the doc in this story as they try to comfort Sally who feels bad for having killed someone in a horrible accident. This really is an intelligent piece of drama.
Maggie Stables once again reminds us of how great Evelyn is as a character too. Not a loud mouth like many younger companions of the doc.
Bill Oddie is the perfect casting choice as Red Jasper, he really takes centre stage as the decididly bonkers pirate.
This is doctor who at its best
this nearly beats all the rest
the whole story is very satisfying and just plain cool.
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| Dalek was too cut down from this... |
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| What: | Jubilee (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Dalek was a real dissapointment. I heard it had been taken from Rob's script for Jubilee. Rob himself is right when he says some stories cant be told in 50 minutes. Dalek on screen is so nasty in the end for being so boring. Jubilee is over an hour longer, yet still is brilliant.
Man this is such a relief after the sadness of the sandman. Colin Baker gets to play off very very well at last against the daleks, or in this case for most of the tale, a single dalek.
Robert seems to always hit the right notes of horror and comedy and emotion in every one of his scripts ive noticed. When it comes to Dalek, he should have said no!
But Jubilee is a great anniversary tale for Doctor Who, the dalek is so manipulative of everyone too, a real character this dalek has for a change, not just the usual exterminate all the time.
Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres really impress as Rochester and Miriam. A real evil pair if ever their were one.
The best acting part is still Colin though as the doc with his legs cut off, quite a gross picture if ever there was one. Colin is so good and its nice to see him having a chance to be a great doctor, which he always was, but now these audios like Jubilee really highlight how good an actor he is!
Hide, the daleks are coming!!!
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| The worst big finish tale in the world |
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| What: | The Sandman (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
Just didnt get along with this dire story at all. Listen to it again only to hear Colin being great as the so called sandman. Evelyn gets nothing to do. Even the galyari dont save this story at all. And the final defeat of the real sandman with birds is pretty stupid. Sorry, didnt get on with this story at all. The weakest big finish story ive heard i think.
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| The Mummy? Nah, sadly.... |
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| What: | The Eye of the Scorpion (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
The real saving of this whole story is Caroline Morris making her debut as Erimem, the pharaoh of wherever it is. She is my favourite audio companion, and its sad that The Bride oF Peladon has now come and gone. But her finale was far better than her debut. Not her acting, just the script. I was expecting this story to be a real big one, like a doctor who version of the mummy. But this isnt anything like Pyramids of Mars, even with the scorpions and battle scenes.
Nicola Bryant and Caroline do seem to gel well, its just a pity the rest of the story is pretty much run of the mill. The aliens, whoever they are, arent overly impressive either. This is one of the few weaker big finish tales.
Peter Davison being out for nearly an episode doesnt help either, and he just comes back in episode three. The only effective scenes are the battle at the end, and the 10 minute court scene. Otherwise this is pretty dull stuff. Egypt is pathetically represented too. No real eygptian sound scape either. Plain.
| What: | The Wishing Beast (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Paul Magrs always has his own style of writing that sets him apart from all the other big finish writers. His stories always seem to have great character pieces, that are always larger than life to say the least. Now we get his take on a grim fairytale. But a great one is all i can say!
The Doc and Mel land on a barren asteroid, which suddenly changes and they emerge into a dark wood with sppoky cracks and cries, so they find the house belonging to Jean Marsh, hurrah, what a great return from Jean! I was longing to see or hear her again in a story! And she is so great as the first sister of the strange pair of old women who live in the house. They also have a hoover for sucking up ghouls. But the ghouls are not evil. The sisters are the bad ones. A usual fairytale plot, but so well done and directed that this doesnt matter. A real piece of comedic ghoulish stuff. and then you get the perfect addition of The Vanity Box. Ah, the sixth doctor in drag, that would have been a nappy wetting thing to see! What a brilliant eye for comedy Paul has, and the wishing beast is a mostly unexplained phenomenon, as with most ghost stories. Bonnie Langford shines again as Mel too i can tell you.
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| A trip down memory lane.... |
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| What: | Memory Lane (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Im so glad that Paul Mcgann was okay to return to the role of the eigth doctor in audio. He really gives brilliant performances. He seems to me to be the most laid back of all the doctors, taking everything in his stride. And therefore makes a suitable own style for his doctor. And its even better when he gets given great scripts!
Memory Lane is a great and interesting idea to say the least. There is a whole street as a prison, for a person who really actually hasnt done anything wrong at all. Mawvik should have had said more than just one line though, the only downpoint in this otherwise excellent story. Strong character performances and strong production all along the way guarantee a great story. A great first script from Eddie Robson, a great new doctor who writing find! This story actually never loses gravitas as it goes on, the suspense and intrigue is kept up right til the very end of the story. This is yet another very good outing from big finish!
| What: | Red (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
There always was the people and viewers of the classic series who thought that at times doctor who was too violent. Poppycock. Compared to todays standards most doctor who violence pales in comparison to many a horror movie or normal everyday soap or something. But this story is a brilliant exploration of a pertinent and worthy subject. And as it is Stewart Sheargold's first script for a doctor who, it is formidable to say the least.
This story really has a papable sense of menace ringing right through it. From the exploration of the effects of violence in a controlled society. This is so well presented and explored as to be one of the most memorable audio stories from big finish in quite a long while. Add to that Sly Mccoy being excellent in his performance of the Doctor yet again. And i dont think his rolling "r"s are that annoying. Maybe im just weird though.
Bonnie Langford is back again on fine form as Mel. Boy i love Melanie Bush, this story proves that she can be a great character, even though she always was in my book. Then there are the great supporting actors as well. John Stahl as WHitenoise is memorable as the potty and slightly disturbed computer.
I suppose you would call this story a real psycho-drama, a dramatic exploration of real and important subjects. Violence really does get you nowhere at the end of the day. This story comes highly recommended from me.
| What: | Davros (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
If stories like this one had been put on screen at the turbulent times during Colin Baker's tv reign as the doctor, then it may not have even had to go through that 18 month cut. It would have grown in popularity instead of dwindling down to nothing, even though really Colin's period had some of the best action scenes ever in the history of doctor who. If only Lance had been there and written Davros for the season!
Terry Molloy is excellent as Davros, an intense and gripping performance from a fine actor.
And Wendy Padbury is nice too. Great to hear her again after so long i can tell you. Great that she doesnt scream the place down though. Here she is tough and even a bit catty.
Bernard Horsfall aint all bad either. This is a thrilling piece of Doctor who. An intense drama centred around one of the biggest gits ever in Doctor Who. Davros is mental and disturbed to the core of his soul.
Colin Baker needs no intro for this story either. He's as brilliant and solid as ever facing off again one of his greatest enemies. The anniversry year for big finish productions really did turn out some cracking good stories. The villains trilogy is the finest trilogy of stories ive ever heard in my life.
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| The return of Tegan...ye hee! |
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| What: | The Gathering (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Janet Fielding was always a favourite of mine. PlAYING such a feisty air stewardess with a wicked sense of humour but also a great sense of compassion. She isnt and never was just a mouth on legs, she was a great companion. And here is her final and yet triumphant return to the world of Doctor Who. Janet was never an actress who pansied around, always delivering a fine performance even if the stories were rubbish, she always grabbed the bull by the horns and made me like her very much indeed on screen. So here she is notably older and a lot wiser and yet again Janet is exceptional in a fine character piece. I cant believe she never actually in interviews seems to have overly loved doing Doctor Who, but she is so great in the role and she must have liked it a bit to have stayed for over 2 years!
This is very emotional and definitely better than many of the family oriented new series tales. Tegan having a brain tumour is shocking and unexpected too. All those years of time travel have talen their toll on her, but she still keeps on plodding on. Pity she wont be back again in the future. This is a wonderfully crafted story from Joe Lidster yet again. The big finish scene is so brilliant even still.
| What: | Frozen Time (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
There is one thing about big finish productions-way out happenings that are presented very realistically and you still believe all that is going on. Here it is the fact that the Doctor has been frozen for centuries, and still survives the ordeal. He must have the constitution of an ox or two at the very least. Yet another fresh and imaginative idea in an exciting tale with the long overdue return of the ice warriors.
Nick Briggs really impresses as Lord Arakssor, giving a fine nasal performance to a nasty git of a warrior. Really in the same vein as Azaxyr in the monster of peladon. Nick Briggs always could do brilliant voices.
Sylvester Mccoy doesnt need much of an intro in this one. His acting as usual is excellent, i love the cocoa scenes with Maryam D'abo, totally cool. Im not very happy that Maryam isnt going to be a companion. One in a long line of great one off characters that should have been a companion. She shines even better than she did in Bond all those years ago. I love her voice.
And the rest of the actors involved are pretty good in all. And this is a gripping sci fi yarn with everything a doctor who tale needs to make it great. Nick Briggs has set a tale in the harshest of environments, and you really feel like youre their in the antartic. Its very atmospheric and gripping. More of these types of story please...
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| Explosive finale for Charley.... |
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| What: | The Girl Who Never Was (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I love the harking back to the past with the brilliant sounding cyber planner. I love the Invasion especially for the cyber planner, and to hear it strong and alive again lovingly recreated by big finish is a cool thing to behold indeed. And the cybermen are as moronic as ever. here they really are rusty and loopy in a tale that is a fine end to the first chapter of Charley's life with the doctor. India Fisher really seems to give her all in a great story. ALan Branes delivers a really good tale. This to me actually even feels a little bit like a fairy tale with many elements that make up the best of them. Poor old Charley gets taken over by the cyber planner! And the resolution of the doc's and charley's relationship is nice too. They never hated each other did they. Its just that everyone has arguments. Just glad this story ends on a very high and emotional note indeed...
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| Ah man, this is wicked!!! |
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| What: | The Dark Husband (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The opening scenes of this particularly comedic play are hilarious but not too over the top as to be totally rediculous. So the good old Doc is put back together with Ace and Hex for a memorable tale. In which the Doctor very nearly gets married to Ace. Man, the flow of ideas in some of these big finish adventures is cool to say the very least.
The Doctor and his companions arrive on the planet Tuin, and there has been a war going on for centuries between the two races in the story. But this is not just a silly little tale of the Doc tying the knot. This is the story of a planet making kit that has gone very very wrong indeed.
Oh boy some parts of this story are a hoot, like The One Doctor and Bang Bang a Boom. David Quantick delivers a cracking good story that never stops and never plods along. And then theres the great voice of the planet too. Creepy and atmospheric. Enough serious moments to stop the comedy being too much of a pain, a perfect balance of humour and suspense and action.
I for one love the many great comedy moments in Doctor Who. Some are very funny and some are light hearted relief. Somehow this cool story manages to be both at the same time. This is what i want to hear more of from the great guys at big finish. I am also glad that this story is not packed so tightly into 25 minute episodes, a chance for real character development again at last. You really dont know whose side to be on in this tale. It would have been great if the Doc had indeed got married to Ace, but the story is so brill that it makes this one expected thing pale into insignificance. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone. The big finish crew are still bringing in great writers who deliver stories of very high quality indeed.
Philip Olivier also gets to do a bit more as well, and impresses as Hex, with his nsot covered hair and all that. You can tell that Hex really has the hots for Ace cant you? It isnt a crime to let this interest develope....
Sophie Aldred is also as sure and solid and reliable as Ace. I love her line: I am brave! Cracking up moment again there!
Sylvester McCoy again is excellent as the Doctor, and he seems to really like this story for his acting is great. He is still my favourite audio Doctor. And if i needed a story to showcase the talents of this fine actor, then it would be The Dark Husband.
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| Not the best, not the worst.... |
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| What: | Singularity (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 4 April 2008 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
I think the main reason Singularity suffers as a story on the whole is Turlough once again being relegated to doing basically nothing at all through the whole story. Mark Strickson deserves far better than just being a bad tempered school boy all the flipping time. Singularity would have been excellent had it not been for the woeful presentation of Turlough. What is usually called a run around for the character is all that i can think of to say for him. But the story is not all bad though by a long chalk...
The setting of Russia is different, and the aliens are rather soulless and and balck hearted and evil. And they are given a good voice too for once! And of course Peter Davison is good, even though for the first two parts of this story even the Doc doesnt seem to do much except walk around places talking and not doing much at all. But their are enough good scenes to prevent this story from being a total wash out. Please though, if you ever have Mark back again Big Finish, then please present with a script with at least something exciting to do. He is still one of the biggest missed opurtunities as a companion...
