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| What: | Destiny of the Daleks (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 29 November 2007 |
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| Rating: |   8 |
This story suffers from comprasion with Genesis of the Daleks, one of the all time greats (THE greatest in my opinion)thats not to say its not enjoyable, it is, its just that the faults, wobbly daleks, sub standard Davros stand out more. On the plus side the chemistry between Tom Baker & Lalla Ward is wonderful & the location is pretty good. A,as per usual,good range of bounus features. Watching the story with added CGI effects added to the enjoyment & a cracking, if short, documentry on Terry Nation plus some very funny Australian TV adverts for computers featuring Tom & Lalla.
| What: | Earthshock (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Liam, Ireland |
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| Date: | Wednesday 28 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
One of the best stories of Davison's era as the Doctor, Earthshock succeeded not only in resurrecting the Cyberman (after the dire Revenge of the Cybermen) but also managed to make Adric a likeable character for once (before giving him a moving send off). Peter Grimwade's direction keeps the pace zipping along frantically, so the action never lets up long enough for the few inconsistancies in the writing to show up. All and all, Earthshock sits on the upper tier of Doctor Who in the 80's. It's also almost worth buying the DVD, just for the animated short "Episode 5" which reveals what REALLY happened to Adric :)
| What: | Scherzo (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Monday 26 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Robert Shearman has done it again. Produced one heck of a script for big finish, and with top notch direction this story is very different yet as scary as hell. Paul and India are all on their own for this story. This has more of a horror feel to it than pure sci fi. The spooky effects of something trying to communicate with them were particularly chilling. And i did literally jump out of my seat in a few occasions, see if you can guess which parts. Certainly i was expecting scherzo to be mind numbingly dull, but i was glad that it was nothing of the sort. Rob again gives us a great setting and great ideas welded into a classic doctor who. This is a great story for the introduction to the divergent set of eighth doctor audios...
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 | A great yarn, a feel of the old series!! |
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| What: | The Murder Game (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 24 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Steve Lyons is one of the safest and best Dr Who writers to try to look for as his stories are never over the top and never lacklustre either though. They all seem to be solid little stories with plenty of interesting ideas going around and lots of action for every character involved.
The Murder Game is an excellent story with a real feel of the second doctors era on tv about it. The doctor is very well portrayed as are Ben and Polly. The Selachians are a believable race and this story never pauses for breath from the word go to the brilliant finish. What with so many doctor who stories having far too many twists and turns for their own good, its good to find a writer for the series whose stories you can actually enjoy and read properly at the same time. This is excellent stuff and well worth a buy!
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| Great Concept, Disappointing Execution |
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| What: | Frozen Time (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
I was really looking forward to listening to Frozen Time. I thought the synopsis sounded like this could be another classic, fantastic story. I guess it probably sounded a lot like some of the more intriguing of the New Adventures novels, and of course, the problem is that you really can't do a novel on audio (or video, for that matter). Frozen Time is nowhere near as mysterious and intriguing as my mind saw it being, and the "menace frozen in time" is a rather bland one. Oh no - not *them* again, is what I found myself thinking when their identity was finally divulged. Yawn. Well, at least we get the Seventh Doctor with amnesia (again) for a while, which makes for some interesting scenes - Sylvester McCoy does "befuddled" rather well most of the time, when it's called for.
Not bad, not great. Don't have much more to say about it.
| What: | The Wishing Beast (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
The Wishing Beast is a fun, spooky tale for the Halloween time of year. It reminds me of what I can remember of the Grimm's Fairy Tales that were probably at least partly responsible for some childhood nightmares when I was very young. That is to say that though this could be frightening to a young child, it's really much more in the spirit of a kind of deliciously impossible but fun dark fantasy to an adult. The Sixth Doctor and Mel have a great story to work with here, though it is a departure from what Doctor Who fans are accustomed to, and they play off of each other quite well. The Wishing Beast is technically well-produced, and mostly well-written and scripted, but the ending really makes no sense. Since this really is a very heavily fantasy-based story, that can be excused to an extent, but it remains a glaring inadequacy, which keeps me from giving this story a higher rating.
Following the 3-part Wishing Beast is the 1-part story, The Vanity Box. Set in a Northern town, it's somewhat of a change of pace from The Wishing Beast, and it features a scene with Colin Baker that is quite funny, and must be heard to be appreciated! (And believed.) And the ending gives all of it a nice twisty kick.
Overall, very entertaining. Just don't expect anything too serious.
| What: | Casualties of War (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
A really excting gothic ghost story for the 8th Doctor. Recommended.
| What: | The Face of the Enemy (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Martin Smith, Tewkesbury |
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| Date: | Tuesday 20 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
Face of the Enemy suggests two interesting premises; what happened to Ian and Barbara when they got back to Earth and what would UNIT do without the Doctor; and somehow manages to fudge them together into one story that almost works, but doesn't.
Ian and Barbara's introduction into UNIT is laboured and unremarkable, leaving me as nonplussed about it all as they were.
The Master's involvement with UNIT is generally more interesting, but it takes far too long to get to it, instead spending much too long following dead-ends involving his criminal organisation.
This reflects the generally bad pacing of the book, which draws out the preamble and squeezes the interesting bits down. Really, it has a very long beginning, a shortened middle and practically no end. There's no real sense of closure here, McIntee just sums a few things up in the Brig's head with a couple of paragraphs in the epilogue, like he'd suddenly reached his page limit.
On top of this, the prose is generally blunt, laboured and tiresome, while the author gets distracted trying to account for the whereabouts of practically everyone ever involved with UNIT in an attempt to mask the flagging plot.
There's a good story in here, somewhere near the end, it just takes an awful lot of work to get to it and enjoy it.
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| Brilliant stuff, after some let downs |
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| What: | The Mind's Eye (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 16 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The story is very well written. And there is plenty of action and yet again a new fresh idea to bring to the Doctor Who world. The Doctor lands on a planet full of intelligent and dangerous plants, but at first you think that all of the stories are seperate, but it is actually very cleverly written to keep you guessing. Also, the idea allows for a lot of things you otherwise wouldnt hear or see in any Doctor Who. Since when have we ever had a companion settling down with a family? Never. And as per usual the actors are great and the cliffhangers are great. This is far better than the last few big finish works, and left me far more satisfied. Mission Of The Viyrans is a great one parter too, which really could be confusing if not for the ending. But a great and different tale. I hope nothing happens to Erimem in the near future, shes a great companion...
| What: | The Hollow Men (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Andrew M, Manchester England |
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| Date: | Thursday 15 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Well what can I say a great read. A story set largely in a School and Village with Scarecrows as the monsters. Sound familiar? Did these guys get a credit?
The wild hunt what a concept excellent. Some of the drug stuff and Liverpool spoilt it a bit in my view but very enjoyable.
| What: | Dying in the Sun (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Andrew M, Manchester England |
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| Date: | Thursday 15 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I enjoyed this one, the second Doctor thrown into the glam and glitter of Hollywood is interesting to begin with. The film Dying In The Sun would be every movie makers dream come true. The thing is if we had the opportunity would we drink the liquid gold? Hell yeah!
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| Good idea, should have been better |
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| What: | The Monsters Inside (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Steve Gray, London, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
I'm not a fan of the Slitheen as monsters as I think the associated humour is purile. That being said, the idea of opening up the universe relating to them is a good one, even if the physics used in the book is a bit on the dodgy side.
Well written sequences, believable characters and as a Prisoner fan I quite liked the rovers.
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| An intelligent novel, not a rehash |
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| What: | The Clockwise Man (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Steve Gray, London, England |
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Very well written, excellent characterisation and an intelligent well thought out plot.
Highly recommended.
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| Three CD's, 40 years' worth of Who |
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| What: | Zagreus (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Paula, Johnstown, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 12 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Really, it is. The story is chock-a-block of the in-gags that have been scattered throughout the Who universe since its inception. No, not every era gets its equal time in the limelight (limespeaker?), but what is here should get a knowing grin or ten from those who know classic Who.
The cast list is interesting, if a little bit frustrating. There are loads of companions, and obviously four Doctors turn up, but the majority are not playing those for whom they are known. In fact, the past Doctors don't really show up as incarnations of the Doctor until quite late in the story, which is somewhat frustrating (although the "Author! Author!" bit was a long overdue hoot).
Everybody's a lot of fun here, but I especially enjoyed listening to Sylvester McCoy. After what I've heard on the CD's, I wish I could've watched Paul McGann recording this. India Fisher gets some fantastic lines (her reference to the "boys" had me laughing out loud), and Charley really comes into her own here.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I have a sinking feeling that someone at Big Finish wanted to come up with a big story event for the 40th anniversary but didn't quite grasp all the implications of the story as outlined. There are indeed holes here, to be sure, and they send the Eighth Doctor down a continuity that has me scratching my head when I regard the Lucie Miller stories (precisely what does the word "never" mean to these people?!).
Ultimately, I thought "Zagreus" was worth it. (I only wish it came with more liner notes!)
To this point, the Big Finish audios have been advancing in how they use their medium to the greatest effect. They outdo themselves this round, because the audio-only format sets up a fantastic punchline that adds some depth to the universe (did you really think everything was _just_ about the Doc and company?) and completely catches the listener by surprise. Seriously. You won't see this one coming. Others may disagree, but I thought this one worked out beautifully.
I could give more explicit praise, but I just might hint at the conclusion that puts the whole mystery into place. Don't go into this one with any preconceived notions. Just observe what happens, and step back to consider the setup just after the trap springs. Enjoy!
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| Excellent and well realised |
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Well done Big Finish! I have to admit to getting a little bored of the DW audios and so I wanted to find something to temporarily replace my interest. Thank God for this one. The Unbound series is such an excellent concept and this CD is a good twist to the mythos of DW. No spoilers here - just get it and trust me, you'll enjoy it.
This book has everything you need even the unfinished co-ordinates of the Dalek fleet (PotW)
| What: | Gallifrey: Panacea (Gallifrey audio dramas) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 5 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
It seems that time has run out for the Gallifrey series. This final installment of the third series makes a sudden attempt to tie up a number of loose ends, bringing together a few elements that we've seen before and lurching Gallifrey into a very strange state of being.
After a brief visit to Romana's Lungbarrow-like family house of Heartshaven, the Free Time virus explodes back onto the scene, and Gallifrey is suddenly and preposterously becoming overrun by "zombified" Time Lords. (No, that's not a joke.) It turns out that both the Free Time infection and its cure (the titular "panacea") were a brilliant plot to take down Time Lord society and sink Gallifrey, so as to benefit other races in the galaxy. And this all involves experimentation with and infestations of pig rats. Oh dear. But somehow, it actually does all fit together well enough, in a very odd sort of way. Seemingly on the brink of economic collapse, Gallifrey is negotiating the sale of Pandora's temporal weaponry. But that's not all that's thrown into the pot. A mystery figure comes back onto the scene (I won't spoil this detail), and a big fact about Darkel that comes out of nowhere is revealed.
By the end, what we have is a rushed attempt to tie up the series that is a very strange ride, but actually does set Gallifrey up nicely for the coming Time War, as spoken of in the new t.v. series. What is unforgivable, though, is the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers at the end. The story ends before it ends - prepare to be very frustrated by the ending. Will there be a Gallifrey series 4? It seems unlikely, and if not, the end of Panacea is a real cop-out.
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| Let's Get Ready to Rumble |
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| What: | Gallifrey: Mindbomb (Gallifrey audio dramas) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 5 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
Mindbomb was entertaining and kept my interest throughout. There's not a whole lot more to say about it - the production was competent, and the dialogue fairly well-written. The story is pretty much all about an anything goes, interpret and reinterpret the law as we go, race for presidency of Gallifrey. There are more turnabouts here than in a professional wrestling match, and they are executed with about as much sense. The recent events involving Pandora and imperiatrixes, and the civil war have left the leadership of Gallifrey open to any number of intrepretations and legal loop-holes, and pandemonium reigns.
| What: | Seasons of Fear (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Paula, Johnstown, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 5 November 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I enjoyed this one quite a bit, for the most part. The romps through various historical periods and the Doctor's explanations thereof to Charley put me in mind of the historical veins of early Who. Too bad the one little smidgen of American history to make the script wasn't even true (Franklin was never President... pedant, me...).
I enjoyed McGann's narration in this one, but with one minor quibble... The placement of the narration relative to the dialogue tends to make the switch a bit jarring when it sets in. Other than that, great episode. I find that I very much enjoy listening to Charley and the Doctor (considerably more than I like listening to Lucie's adventures in the TARDIS later on, actually).
