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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).
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| Overall good, but not 100% |
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| What: | Shada (Miscellaneous audio dramas) |
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| By: | Paula, Johnstown, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Monday 29 October 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Given that the majority of this is the Douglas Adams script, most of the lines are written for the Fourth Doctor's style, and it shows. McGann worked extremely well with what he was given on the pages, but the bottom line is that, even with the continuity re-work, this is not an Eighth Doctor story. McGann's version of the Doctor simply does not speak or behave in this manner.
That said, I'm thrilled that the full version of the story now exists in a form beyond the Tom Baker video. The sound design is fantastic, and the guest voices are excellent. This is definitely a worthwhile purchase, if for no other reason than its release to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Who.
This is obviously the TV story, though it is well written. The big shock is the end. This is of course the famous first regenaration and the book is very different. *SPOILIER WARNING* In the TV broadcast the doctor falls to the floor & regenarates in front of Ben & Polly, in this book he lies down & pulls a sheet over himself. When the sheet is pulled back the new Doctor is reveled.
| What: | Bullet Time (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 25 October 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
A good, excting story told at a cracking pace. An unusal story with a meeting of the 7th doctor & Sarah Jane. Lots of action well told & a sex scene for Sarah Jane !!!!
It's all a bit silly and rubbish! However, there are some good bits - the singing and I like the story being told from their POV. The rest is absolute drivel though.
| What: | Invasion of the Dinosaurs (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Jamie Hardwick, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 21 October 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Amazing! One of the best Who episodes ever! Should be out on DVD already!Jon and Elisabeth play the parts brilliantly with the supporting characters great!
After the recent devastation brought about by the civil war and the Pandora virus, Gallifrey is defenceless - the transduction barriers are down. The alien races who have recently been duly irritated by the Academy disasters are still hanging around, and immediately take advantage of the opportunity to invade. A new war has begun, possibly more devastating than the one that has just ended. But has it actually ended? Now the key players are engaged in attempts to seize the presidency through controversial political maneuvering. The legal mumbo jumbo is flying fast and furious, while the desperate struggle to repel the invaders goes on...
Though the dialogue gets rather ridiculous at times when delving into Time Lord law, Appropriation is much more focused and less ambitious than Warfare, so it is much easier to follow. A competent and interesting story.
| What: | Circular Time (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matt, London |
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| Date: | Wednesday 10 October 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I really liked the four completely different stories. Very well written with interesting and different views of the 5th Doctor than we are used to - particular note was the last episode.
| What: | Silver Nemesis (Target novelisations) |
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| By: | Matt, London |
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| Date: | Wednesday 10 October 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Again this is a good book compared to the tv episode. Very impressive.
