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| What: | No Man's Land (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 1 July 2007 |
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| Rating: |   5 |
British soldiers in World War I are being turned into unstable psychopaths in the Hate Room. That single sentence is pretty much all it takes to sum up No Man's Land. The story is pretty dry stuff, but then, I've never been much of a fan of historical war stories. There isn't much that's particularly offensive production-wise, except for the out of place electro/drum & bass incidental "music" that pops up now and then, but there isn't much substance here either. And though it's mean to be comical and flirty, I find the banter between Ace and Hex in these stories to be mostly a bit grating and irritating. But overall, No Man's Land is a solid, if mostly uninteresting Seventh Doctor audio.
| What: | World Game (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 1 July 2007 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Between The last second Doctor TV story "War Games" & "The Two Doctors" as well as an excellent & exciting story.
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 | A great story for Martha Jones |
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The Last Dodo is a great book told (largly) from Martha's Perspective.
Fans of the fist and third Doctor will love spotting the referencess from thier era.
Highly Recommended and one of the strongest out of the three Tenth Doctor and Martha novilisations released so far.
Following on from the traditionally written Judas Gift Foi's fanziney scripting comes as a refreshing change The Draconians have bee nbrought into the twentyfirst century and Bernice is a lot more recognisable harking back to tub full of cats cant wait fro the next three and with the books to match a series to rival the new t.v. who.
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| Loved it, pity about Ace. |
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| What: | Colditz (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Chris Harwood, dunedin, New Zealand |
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| Date: | Friday 29 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I loved this story. I was suprised when klein first refered to the Doctor's machine as the TARDIS (it almost made me suspect that she might of been the Rani.).
McCoy was very good, and this recording could translate very well to TV. I loved that we still got the sneekyness of his doctor, but more importantly the 'I don't know what happaning, but i probably have something to do with it'. I have listened to a few of his Big Finishes but this is the only one i think would have worked on TV.
I agree with Jason that the NAZI's would just have shot Ace, but i can over look that. I fact I would go as far as to say that Ace was the worst thing about this CD, she just wasn't needed in this story.
It was also very suprised to hear David Tennant playing a bady in this. I almost expected him to say "Don't be afraid Ace, I'm the Doctor." I wonder if he recorded this kinowing he was going to be the Doctor, because it sounded like we got the 'angre' doctor, as opposed to the 'big red button Doctor' But he did a fantastic job with the lines he got (you have to admit some of his lines were very cheesee". And just a thought if he had of killed the Doctor, would that be technicly be suiside :-)
| What: | The Gathering (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 24 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
As I said in my review of The Reaping, I feel that The Gathering does not suffer as much from the problems that exist to a greater degree in that other story. One factor is that although we see a different Tegan in this story, like we see a different Peri in the other, here it's to be expected, because this story takes place in Tegan's future. And extra points for bringing back Tegan! I wasn't a huge fan of Tegan in the original series, but I found Janet Fielding's performance as an older Tegan here to be engaging and enjoyable, and the central attraction of this story. The Gathering gives us another lightweight plot in other respects, but this doesn't seem to matter as much with Tegan in the middle of it. At the end of the story we are given an explanation of the strange enigma from The Reaping, but the bulk of the story just kind of hangs around or jogs in place. A problem with this one is that in the first disc the action is quite disjointed, frequently moving around between different locations and times, and rewinding a few times to restart a sequence from a different person's point of view. On the positive side, the sound design is very nicely done. Overall, the Gathering goes some way toward justifying the time spent listening to The Reaping.
| What: | The Reaping (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 24 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
Well, it seems that it's suddenly in vogue for the Doctor to "do domestic." The Reaping clearly draws from the new series portrayal of Rose's family, applying it here to Peri. This also exists, but to a much lesser degree, in The Gathering. The end result is that it all comes off as feeling very revisionist, and delivering what is a very lightweight story. Again, the same applies to The Gathering, but to a lesser degree. I suppose The Reaping isn't that bad, but it just doesn't really work very well. One thing it does achieve, though, is that the mysterious connection with the Fifth Doctor in The Gathering generates some intrigue that attracts the listener to that next story.
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| If Only It'd All Been Ended |
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| What: | Genocide (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Martin Smith, England |
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| Date: | Saturday 23 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
Genocide promises a lot really: big questions about wiping out entire races and also the reunion of Jo Grant with the Doctor. Shame it doesn't deliver.
The moral dilemma about whether The Doctor should go back and stop the eradication of humans and thus negating the Tractite civilisation is just woefully written. Sam's "decision" about it is, to be blunt, bloody stupid. It takes her two thirds of the novel to realise that if she were to stop the Doctor saving the humans, she was nullify her own existence (or at least that of her family and everybody she knows). I know she's only meant to be 17, but that's pretty bloody obvious. It would have made more sense for her to try and convince the Doctor to find a compromise between both civilisations rather than the titular genocide.
And then there's Jo Grant. Allegedly. She's barely recognisable as Jo and, crucially, barely interesting, only being worthwhile in her introduction as a divorced single mother. As soon as she gets involved in the action she becomes bland and expendable. Criminally, NOTHING is made of her reunion with the Doctor. Not a thing. You'd think that he'd at least ask some questions. Leonard doesn't even manage to create a believable relationship between Jo and Sam, even though they're stranded together for a while. Even if this sort of plot hadn't been done so well in School Reunion, it'd still be hugely disappointing.
This combined with pantomime villains, a flaccid and awkward attempt at the Doctor and Sam's relationship and slightly preachy ecological undertones creates one very underwhelming novel.
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| Great but more Boots please! |
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| What: | Palace of the Red Sun (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Andrew M, Manchester England |
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| Date: | Friday 22 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
This one had me gripped, great imagination it had bits of the Robots of death, and Carnival Of Monsters. Boots was a total star but had only a fleeting part. Mr Bulis you did us proud on this one.
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| Good book but could be better... |
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This is a splendid book for anyone remotely interested in watching Doctor Who. Pull it out and look up your favorite episodes to find plot holes and goofs you didn't notice or to hear a second opinion about the overall quality. The problem is that this book is organized acording to season number and not by Doctor number which makes episodes hard to find if you don't know what season they were in. But get it anyway. You'll read it.
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| Mostly Classic Series and Not Very Hard |
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This book is good for quizzing friends with but it concentrates almost entirely on the classic series (no good for new fans) and the question are extremely easy.
| What: | Memory Lane (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Friday 15 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Okay, I feel the need to defend Memory Lane a bit here. The other reviews so far are very short, and make it sound like this is a bad story. Unfortunately, I can't say a lot without ruining the story's punchline resolution for those who haven't yet listened to this one, and that's something I just don't want to do. But I'll say this: I think it's necessary to approach Memory Lane with the right expectation. This story is *not* best approached with the expectation of it being a surreal, spooky brain-twister. The beginning is strange and interesting, yes. But it's not so much a bizarre story as a fun story. This is not the Twilight Zone, it's more like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This is not The Girl in the Fireplace, it's more like Love and Monsters. The regulars are in great form here, and are very enjoyable to listen to. They're given some good banter and some great, oddly humorous elements to work with. There are lots of mysterious things going on in the early part of the story, and we are gradually shown the reality behind the mysterious "Matrix" of Memory Lane. I felt that when we finally understand the full truth, it is not just a silly, weak joke, it's the revelation of a very alien race and its society, and a very interesting, if not earth-shattering concept. Approach Memory Lane with the right mindset, stick with it to the end, and you may find this to be a very entertaining installment.
| What: | Robot (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Michael Liddy, Surreys |
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| Date: | Thursday 7 June 2007 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
A terrific Dr. Who story - I always love those unit storys (sic) with Brigadier and Bentons. The special effects were good for the time, though not as good as now with the CGI imagine what could of been achieved now with that storie
Still I must get back to work - I am currently trying to sort out this blocking sheet at work for my colleagues and am giving myself all the best bits because I am rubbish! Joke! Go watch Robot now.
Having giant robots again after the previous release and also robots in Phobos BBC7 gives rise to the thought that there isn't enough depth. Its a good story and the one parter is funny and orginal a shame exotron wasn't but its simples and entertaining - however I would like something that has you listen, a subplot, getting to know the people more and more - or are Big finish saying there is nothing left so its a light hearted plot or nothing?
Phobos like most of this range and like most of the latest Big Finish stories has improved in terms of pace and feel, but there is something missing in terms of depth and feel, there is an attempted subplot but its nothing gripping, you know the headhunter is there but where is the build up. A good story and an enjoyable listen.
| What: | The Monsters Inside (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | alex, sunderland,england |
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| Date: | Monday 21 May 2007 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
this book was cool i loved the way they expanded the allready cool slitheen and brought in the blathereen
My guess is the author was sitting down with a couple of friends, watching TV (Cartoon Network or Boomerang, the classic cartoon channel, natch!) and celebrating his getting to work on a DOCTOR WHO novel. Someone asked "So...what are you gonna write about, mate?" And the author--just kidding, mind you--might have said "What would happen if the Doctor & his friends landed in the world of cartoons?"
I just gotta say some things. One: BRAVO! One of the most imaginative books I have read yet, and I have ALL of the Eighth Doctor's books! Two: I hope you didn't break any copyright laws, because you took characters from three different franchises; Tom & Jerry belong to MGM, the Warner Bros. characters are from Time Warner/WB, and the "Spooky Gang" and "Angel Falls" are really you-know-who and the dog, plus Penelope Pitstop from Hanna Barbera.
What I REALLY want to know is...if you were taking from cartoons...where were Pinky & The Brain? THEY would have made good villians! All in all, a great book! Too bad I can't recommed it to any of my friends--they don't like science fiction!
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| 2 for 1 or Brief and to the point |
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| What: | I.D. (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | writingbluebear, Jersey |
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| Date: | Thursday 17 May 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
ID I found as a light hearted affair, nothing at all original or challanging but it held you. If a 4 parter I would have fallen asleep but with at 3, its pace and energy kept you listening
Phone Booth and the idea of a single story is new and the first effort was entertaining although I'm not convinced over the long term will be appealing.
| What: | Immortal Beloved (Eighth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | writigbluebear, Jersey |
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| Date: | Thursday 17 May 2007 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Focusing more on the moral issues of the surrounding cast this is a strong "traditional" doctor who, dealing with the cost and risks of immortality are nothing new but with a strong cast and good story an enjoyable listen
This is a great story. Great job Nigel.This is well worth a read and I cant help but wonder if people have read the same book. The only thing I dislike was that the book relies on the big bang theory and it is to definate for my liking. The reference to Logopolis is a tad weak. It certainly makes you look forward to the final instalment of the Timewyrm series.
