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 | Season 17? Not really...but... |
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| What: | The Romance of Crime (Big Finish novel adaptations) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 17 November 2015 |
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| Rating: |  10 |
The seventeenth season of Doctor Who may not be the most applauded in the shows history, but it boasted wonderfully over the top characters and extravagant plotlines and also the firm foundation of both Tom and Lalla who spark off each other so well. Nothing can be all bad with these ingredients in the mix.
The Romance of Crime was a brilliant novel, and here it is now in almost perfect audio reproduction: nearly perfect meaning a few lines are tweaked and a few scenes slightly added to, but on the whole this is a great, superb audio novel adaptation. Gareth Roberts perfectly captures the feel of the rock solid bonding of Tom and Lalla, but also with this novel now audio story, gives them a good story as well as the larger than life villain. In fact, the deaths sound rather disgusting and euggghhhhh here, so probably this may well have been more of a Philip Hinchcliffe production than a Graham Williams, but still its a really great story that big finish have done brilliant things with! Miranda Raison shines as the psychotic Xais, whilst Michael Troughton joins Drax, Milo Clancey and Rory Williams in the lovable idiot brigade splendidly!
And the Ogrons are voiced very well indeed, easily bringing back a brilliantly realised visual monster, but they still work so well in this story on audio. And at last the ogrons have names. And the sugarcane slapstick humour of season seventeen is present in some of the scenes with the big apes!!!!! This is a brilliant adaptation by John Dorney. I like this story even more than ever now.
| What: | The Whispering Forest (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 14 November 2015 |
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| Rating: |  7 |
"The Whispering Forest" is very much like "The Face of Evil." We have a primitive society that is the degenerated descendant of a crashed space ship. The society is in conflict with a high-tech second force left from the same crash, in this case some robots. The degenerated society's language and rituals are made up of bits and pieces from the original high tech culture, misinterpreted through generations of transmission. The society is in a contest between those who want reform and those who like the old ways. As a formula, this is not a bad one to choose. We get a stock baddy in Sister Mertil, a fanatic after power. There are some pointless bits of self-sacrifice late. We are told repeatedly in part 4 that Sister Seska is ill and feverish, then about 10 minutes before the end this is completely abandoned, not even referred to again. All told, a mixed bag with some interesting ideas and some loose bits of plotting.
| What: | Wolfsbane (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Friday 6 November 2015 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
This novel is a split story so that we can get two Doctors in one book without having them meet. Set in Somerset, 1936, the novel starts with Harry Sullivan inexplicably getting left behind when the TARDIS takes off without him. Seemingly stranded, Harry finds himself tangled up with the goings on of a local werewolf. Meanwhile, Doctor 4 and Sarah try to get back to Harry, but arrive three weeks after they left him. They discover his grave and become determined to piece together what happened. It's an interesting enough start. The rest of the novel is the problem. First, Harry meets a handsome stranger called the Doctor, but this Doctor is seemingly not "the" Doctor, though there are tantalizing clues that he might be. The reader will learn that this Doctor is the amnesiac Doctor 8 from the BBC main series of 2000. Of course, if one hasn't read any of those one is none the wiser. The novel switches back and forth between the two stories - Harry and Doctor 8, Sarah and Doctor 4.
The main problem is that this story is pure British fantasy. In the ordinary scheme of Doctor Who, one expects that the werewolf is only apparently a legendary beast and that magic is really an alternative or superior technology. Raynor has not even bothered trying to make a science fiction connection. Instead, we have both Doctors simply accepting that werewolves exist and follow all the legendary characteristics attached to them, that forests can "come alive," that sorceresses can cast spells, that dryads are real, and that King Arthur's court was real. It all runs so counter to Doctor Who that it makes the two Doctors, Sarah, and Harry all seem as if they are occupying the wrong story. Further damage to the story comes from Raynor's "everything including the kitchen sink" approach to storytelling. In addition to all that was just mentioned, we also get a mad English minor aristocrat who believes he is Mordred reincarnated, local villagers with pitchforks (in 1936!), Nazi plans to use werewolves as weapons, oh and the holy grail thrown in for good measure. The explanations for all these things amount to "just because." Finally, as if realizing the problematic nature of the story within the Who universe, Raynor gives a multiple realities denouement.
It is safe to conclude that I really didn't enjoy this one at all.
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| Just amazing, really... WOW |
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| What: | Regeneration (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
So impressive, I love it!!!! £50 well spent...
| What: | The Mind of Evil (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Just amazing Pertwee, a great watch!!
| What: | Revisitations 1 (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Three of the best episodes of all time... All with tons and tons of special features!! I can't believe they stretch over SEVEN discs!! I'm seriously impressed by this set, it has to be my favourite box set released.
The Talons of Weng Chiang
My favourite of the set. It perfectly blends comedy, drama and sci-fi to make one exciting and truly enjoyable experience
The Caves of Androzani
Coming in a close second favourite, Caves sees The Doctors finest hour as he tackles the difficult war between Sharaz Jek and the army of Androzani Major with him and his new friend Peri's life threatening spectrox toxaemia... Solid drama, excellent acting and spot on writing all add up to one of the best Doctor Who stories ever.
The Movie
So underrated, so enjoyable. I absolutely LOVE Grace Holloway; the chemistry between her and the Eighth Doctor is a beautiful thing to watch! This episode is one of the ones which has so much potential but fans ignore it! It is sooooo good!!!
| What: | The E-Space Trilogy (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Bloody awful trilogy. Three of the worst episodes ever, with warriors gate being my least favourite of all time, state of decay being in my bottom 10 and full circle in my bottom 25. Can't stand Tom bakers last season.
| What: | Time and the Rani (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Fantastic fun, really exciting and fun to watch from beginning to end!
| What: | The Twin Dilemma (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
What's with the hate for this one?? I don't get it, I just don't get it!!
| What: | The Deadly Assassin (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Got it for my birthday and I honestly couldn't be happier...
| What: | The Underwater Menace (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | David Harding, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 27 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
The reconstructions are pathetic. They really are pathetic. The story is OK at best. The documentary fishy tales is excellent, but there are only two features, censor clips and a photo gallery here. I can't believe the BBC are charging £13.99 for this when it probably cost less than that to make!!
However, the cover for it is, in my opinion, the best piece of Doctor who art I've seen (and I was pretty impressed with nightmare of Eden and inferno special edition DVD covers)
| What: | The Lost Stories: Thin Ice (The Lost Stories audio dramas) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Monday 26 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
"Thin Ice" is the first of what would have been the 1990 series. It has the same general tone and feel of the 1989 series, with The Doctor and Ace on a mission that coincides with some plan that The Doctor has for Ace. Now we find out that The Doctor wants to make Ace a Time Lord, though not why he would want this. The usual trust issues erupt between Ace and the Doctor. The story itself is basically a heist/cold war spy story set in the Soviet Union 1967. It involves the Ice Warriors, who get a better role than many of the old time aliens get. The story moves along nicely, but has a few too many plot holes.
| What: | The Rani Elite (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
"The Rani Elite" features a new incarnation of The Rani, because of the death of Kate O'Mara. Siobhan Redmond is an excellent replacement, instantly making the character her own while keeping in touch with O'Mara's particular brand of cool snide. The story also follows logically from the pattern set in the TV series of The Rani's trying to create some kind of superbrain that will give her access to the secrets of the universe. It's standard fair, not particularly original or deep. It has some funny moments and a few jokes that miss their targets. The major drawback is the amount of speechifying and pontificating from The Doctor. Yes, probably Doctor 6 was the most prone to making speeches, but it happens just a bit too often in this production. These speeches really slow the pace.
| What: | The Lost Stories: Power Play (The Lost Stories audio dramas) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
"Power Play" originally began as "Meltdown." The story got shelved when Doctor Who went on its first hiatus. The story itself involves multiple story lines that seemingly have little connection, but come together at the end. An interplanetary police force of two rather incompetent lizard aliens is after The Doctor. They manage to force the TARDIS to land near a nuclear power station, where some protesters are picketing a special project that produces high amounts of waste. Among the protesters is The Doctor's old friend Victoria. The project seems to be managed by a mysterious second in command, whose intention does not seem to be increasing Britain's power supply. The story is rather typical of the complicated multi-setting approach of the 1984-5 season. The soundtrack music is also highly reminiscent of this period. What brings the story down somewhat is the amount of it that is predictable. The Victoria and Doctor meeting scene has the expected "You're not my Doctor" bits. There are the hypnotized companions bits. There is a noble self-sacrifice by a secondary character. So, high marks for nostalgia and medium marks for originality.
| What: | A Device of Death (Missing Adventures novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
"A Device of Death" is probably the best Christopher Bulis novel I have read. It works well conceptually, with the three lead characters separated and then brought back together consistently with the central idea. The Doctor, Sarah, and Harry get blasted off course while traveling back to Nerva Station via the time ring. They each find themselves in a different section of a long interplanetary war. However, the war is not quite the war that it is publicized as. Bulis does a good job with the companion characters, making both Sarah and Harry believable and clever. Harry gets some especially good characterization, with something to do that makes a real change. The trick at the beginning of the novel that gets our heroes thrown into their separate situations seems too contrived. There is also some timey-wimey stuff at the end that also comes off as contrived and a bit convenient. However, these are minor flaws that do not detract from the overall entertainment of the novel.
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| Good Despite OTT Ranting in Part 4 |
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| What: | The Lost Stories: The Elite (The Lost Stories audio dramas) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 3 October 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
John Dorney completed an outline for an episode Barbara "Enlightenment" Clegg supplied for the 1983 series. This would have slotted in before "Enlightenment" had it been approved. The story involves the Doctor and companions swept off course by a freak event and finding themselves in an enclosed city in constant preparation for war. No one is over 30. The rationale for all this is that The High Priest arrived in a blaze of light from the sky and convinced everyone in this city that they must perfect themselves, starting with weeding out all the lesser types from surrounding cities. The story plays very well in exploring the strange appeal of fascism. The last part loses some prestige when the church leader turns into a raving megalomaniac Professor Zaroff style. The background music is probably meant to recreate the 1983 style, but doesn't. Other than that, this plays very well, following the logic of the story to its dire end.
| What: | JN-T: (Crew biographies) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 30 September 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
JNT was a a person who lived life to the max and it really shows in this excellent, well written book.
Richard Marson, who's excellent biog of Verity Lambert is highly recommended, chronicles the good, the bad and the ugly in the amazing life of JNT.
All the main players are there and everything, warts n all, is included.
For me JNT comes through as a pretty decent person, loved by nearly all who worked with him, unlike his partner Gary who comes through as a pretty unlikable person.
An excellent book
| What: | The Man Behind the Master: (Cast biographies) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 30 September 2015 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
A well researched, well written book that after reading still leaves the reader with no clear idea who Anthony Ainley really was. This isn't the fault of the writer, it's just that Ainley was such an intensly private man that no one, not even those who knew and worked with him, knew him really well.
Nonetheless this is an interesting book about a fascinating person.
| What: | The Auntie Matter (Fourth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 30 September 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
"The Auntie Matter" sees the return of the Doctor 4 - Romana 1 pairing. This would probably be the start of season 2 for this pair had Mary Tamm stayed. As it is, the program would have fit very well into the Graham Williams era of Doctor Who. It is light, with bits of adventure and danger, and has many British cultural references. The basic idea is to mix Doctor Who, P.G. Wodehouse, and Agatha Christie. The Wodehouse gets the bulk of the material, though. So, the story is all about a rather stupid upper class bachelor, his exceedingly helpful butler, and his attempts to please the latest in a succession of overbearing aunts. We get mixups, and a plot involving the Doctor and Romana going to exactly the same place, meeting exactly the same people, and never once crossing paths, not even knowing that the other is there. Julia Mckenzie plays the latest two aunts, who both happen to be the same aunt, sort of. For the first, she does an uncanny Maggie Smith impersonation. It's all good fun in that Wodehouse way. Of course, this is Doctor Who, so it cannot be left just there. An alien, two robots, and a crashed spaceship serve to provide the requisite science-fiction spice to this stew. It's all good fun, quite lighthearted, but does not go beyond being just good fun.
The box set contains two stories from the 1960s rediscovered. One is the aborted pilot episode for a proposed Daleks series in the US. This is a very Terry Nation script. It involves a military taskforce trapped in a dangerous environment. The planet has bizarre, flesh-eating monster plants, as in many Nation scripts. A main character is Sara Kingdom, from Daleks' Masterplan. However, this is a very different Sara Kingdom from that one. In this story, Sara is generally a whimpering, emotional "female" and not much else. Since this is a pilot episode, it is mostly all setup for what would happen later in the series.
Two is a script commissioned for the 1969 series but dropped presumably because it was too humorous. In this story, the Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe stumble into a future Earth in which the feminists have taken over, turned men into second-class citizens, and instituted a dictatorship under the leader Chairman Babs. The story moves along briskly, with a mix of humor and danger. This story is very much part of the 60s women's lib period with many jokes about gender roles. Naturally, it will be sexist in various ways compared to today's attitudes.
Both the episodes here are treated as dramatic readings rather than full cast dramas. The narrative interludes are not too obtrusive. Jean Marsh does well in changing her vocal registers between narrator and Sara. Prison in Space gets dual narrators with Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury. Hines does an extraordinary impression of Troughton's Doctor.
The stories here are really products of the 60s, so most of their flaws derive from that period. One should give credit to Big Finish for leaving these in and going with the spirit of nostalgia. The sound design and background music are all done to bring back that 60s feeling. The signature tune for the Daleks episode is perfect in recreating this musical genre.
The stories here are good fun. If I could, I would give it 7.5 rather than just 7.
