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| What: | Other Lives (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 6 February 2015 |
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| Rating: |   8 |
Really enjoyed this. A different 8th Doctor story, no aliens or criminal masterminds, just people who's loves collide. All the TARDIS crew are used well and the support cast are excellent. Reccomended.
| What: | Just War (New Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 29 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I'm a newcomber to the Virgin New Adventures so while I'm familiar with Benny, Roz and Forrester are new charcthers to me but despite that I really enjoyed this book.
A cracking story with some excellent scenes particularly between the Doctor and a leading Nazi towards the end.
This is a very adult book with some graphic scenes of violence particularly with Benny being tortuted by the Nazis.
A clever story with good ideas and neat twists.
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 | Magrs and Sense Just Do Not Mix |
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We have to be thankful that this series brought Tom Baker back to playing the Doctor. It is a testament to how well he fits the role that there seems to be no break from 1981. That is all very good. After that first thrill, though, we have the thing itself to deal with. And the thing itself suffers mostly from its writer. Paul Magrs simply sees no reason to craft a plot that makes sense. This one seems to work by crafting what amounts to three short inside a frame tale comprising part 1 and part 5. We get a silly villain, many throw-away bits that are just there because Magrs thought it was clever or funny, and a very 19th-century feel to the whole thing even though it supposedly takes place in the 2000s. The cast is great; the vehicle disappointing.
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| A new Rani with padded shoulders |
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| What: | The Rani Elite (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Bringing back the Rani was always going to be hard and Rani elite is a good attempt. The new incarnation is cold and calculating with a plot that matches her TV appearances.
The story isn't over complex, perhaps too simple with lots of dialog making the plot feel padded. So welcome back Rani let's hope the next one is a little more exciting.
If you plan on getting 'The Romance of Crime and The English Way of Death" I suggest grabbing this limited edition set. The two Gareth Roberts Missing Adventures adaptions are both excellent with The English Way of Death getting a slight nod over Romance. Well worth it to spring for the LE set.
| What: | The English Way of Death (Big Finish novel adaptations) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The Tardis crew of the 4th Doctor,Romana2 and K-9 are at last re-united to the excitement of many fans(myself included). The question most have asked themselves is how will Tom and Lalla come across considering their past. Wait no more!! The magic between them is still there and it feels as f they were never apart not skipping a beat.
I am not going to have any spoilers as this is brand new and I am sure many have yet to find the time to listen. This story will appeal to not only Doctor Who fans but fans of the "walker" genre. If you are fan of the classic 'City of Death" team then you will not want to pass up the Gareth Roberts set.
| What: | Speed of Flight (Missing Adventures novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 20 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
This is the third Paul Leonard novel I have read, and I can see a pattern emerging. This, like the others, is quite violent. As in the others, Leonard has aliens cocoon or cover one or more of the TARDIS crew in muck that takes over their minds. As in the others, Leonard strives very hard to create an alien culture that is both alien and culture. The idea for this one is interesting, sort of a more complicated and more thought-out version of the idea of a transformative life-cycle on the human scale that was in "Full Circle." In "Speed of Flight," we get a full birth-death-rebirth cycle, organic material constantly recycled. Leonard provides a fairly logical reason for this, and I am not giving away too much to say that it is artificially created, since that seems fairly obvious from early in the novel. The question for all this would be why, and therein lies another interesting idea. So, why can't I give this novel a higher rating? There are a couple of problems with the mechanics of the world he has created. The gravity is supposed to be similar to the Moon's. Leonard seems to remember this only when it is convenient for him to do so; otherwise, our TARDIS crew act as if everything were Earth-normal. The early part of the novel that involves getting Jo and Mike into the TARDIS is rather contrived and clearly designed only for the function just mentioned. The ending is unnecessarily ambiguous about who killed whom and whether certain people really died or not. If they had died and been resurrected, which is strongly hinted at, then that poses a whole new set of problems that the novel just does not deal with. So, I like the concepts that are built into this world, but don't think the plot holds together as well as it should.
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| Moving through the wasteland |
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| What: | Masters of Earth (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The best big finish stories capture a real sense of atmosphere, masters of earth is no exception. a clever plot puts the Doctor in earth during the Dalek invasion but at the far edges trying to do everything he can to hide his identy and get away. Masters of earth is a steady paced story, hunted by the daleks and old monsters from Skaro, betrayal and plot twists abound as they move through the wasteland of earth under the daleks, all delivered with real atmosphere. In the latest run of stories involving Peri her character is more confident having a real a voice, this story tests and develops her relationship. All in all an excellent story.
| What: | Unnatural Selection: (Miscellaneous factual books) |
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| By: | Nicholas Caluda, Mandeville, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I've got good news: this book is absolutely fantastic.
Even as a physical product alone, it's something special. The dual cover it features is extremely clever, as is the "autograph". It's the little things that make Miwk Books that much more special.
Which is not to say that the text itself isn't magnificent, because it absolutely is. These pages showcase not just the development of one of the most thought-provoking stories in all of Doctor Who but also some of Jim's other pitches. These proposals are fascinating and showcase just how special a talent Jim is. The annotated script of the play itself is another treat, especially for those interested in writing. In addition, one particular revelation about cuts from the script will no doubt shock readers – it certainly shocked me!
Every page is loaded with new information. If, as Stephen Sondheim is fond of saying, "God is in the details," then this book's as close to heaven on earth as you're likely to get.
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| Confusing, silly but sometimes funny |
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| What: | The Widow's Assassin (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 1 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
Peri's exit and how they would get back together is one of the stories we've all been waiting for. This mad capped confusing and silly plot, with far too many twists (in one moment the random voice of sil pops up) is just a big wasted opportunity. With just a few moments of humour and only part 4 pulling the story back this is the worst Big Finish production for a long time.
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| Breathing life into an old classic |
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| What: | Revenge of the Swarm (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Bringing the doctor back to a classic enemy has become a growing trend both on TV and audio, which doesn't always work. In this case it does and closes the circle with a cleverly paced story. Hector/Hex continues to struggle with his new world as do the Tardis crew.
| What: | Mask of Tragedy (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Arriving in Athens in the middle of a war with Sparta, during peak alien visiting season feels silly. Well it is silly but the pace of dialog mixed with light hearted banter makes this a very enjoyable story which seems to glide along. Hex starts to find himself and continues to challenge ace and the doctor.
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| how many can you fit in the same planet |
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| What: | Signs and Wonders (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Signs and wonders is an excellent story with just one flaw, which is eventually there has to be a limit on the number of Gods/aliens/monsters from the past bursting out of the planet.
Putting that aside, this is a great story, bringing two plot lines to conclusion whilst continuing to develop those left behind. Difficult to say much without spoiling it for others, so listen, enjoy and just ignore the fact that there must be thousands of gods, aliens, monsters still left buried in the earth.
| What: | Domain of the Voord (The Early Adventures audio dramas) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Friday 12 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Big Finish has fine tuned the art of creating wonderful Doctor Who audio dramas. For years now the 5th,6th,7th and 8th Doctors have been travelling through time and space giving us brand new adventures. A Very successful range for Big Finish but there was always something missing. What could be missing one may ask. The answer to that question is; the first 4 Doctors are not represented. So what you want but Hartnell,Troughton,Pertwee and Baker are what I consider to be the "Classic Quartet". Then BF hit the jackpot when Tommy Boy finally decided to stop being so damn difficult and once again helm the controls of the tardis. The stories,acting and overall feeling that Doctor Who is officially back in full force. Now the question is how to represent the 3 deceased doctors. The "Companion Chronicles"!!!!!! What a wonderful idea! The door was opened for not only the 3 doctors but all the companions too.
The Early Adventures to me is a great mix of full cast adventures and companion chronicles rolled into one. Half narration and half flashbacks helps to immerse you into the stories setting and plot. Domain of the Voord hits a bullseye with this story capturing the first doctor's demeanour perfectly . I highly recommend this new range. Fans of "classic" will not be disappointed.
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| Big Screen was Big Mistake |
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| What: | Dalek Movie box set (Miscellaneous TV spin-offs) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Thursday 11 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
If you are a fan of classic Dr. Who television but have yet to see the 2 feature films be advised it is nothing like what you are used to, It feels (because it is) like just another movie adaption that gets it all wrong. Made by people that have no interest in Dr. Who. I LOVE Peter Cushing and all the Hammer Horror films he has played in but not these.
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| *BREAKING NEWS* another flight shot down |
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| What: | Time-Flight (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Thursday 11 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 3 |
Decided to go through all the stories lacking any type of review and/or opinions and give people a little info as what to expect on said story. So here goes........
First let me say I do not pick apart every second of the story like some that write a novel telling the enitre story ruining it for those yet to watch. I am more concerned with whether the story is fun viewing without the spoilers.
I am not a huge fan of the 5th Doctor and even less for the 6th and 7th. It is mostly due in part to JNT's dismantling the whole premise of Doctor Who turning the show into awful pantomime. Time Flight is just plain Turable! The acting is atrocious and the sets/effects even worse. The outdoor scenes where the cast is just standing in place against what is the worst background I have EVER seen. If you do get the DVD listen to the commentary. It is soooooo funny to hear the cast make fun of it themselves.. In fact some of the worst Dr. Who makes for the best viewing when commentary is on. It is for that reason I give it a 3/10.
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| The Last Great Horror Film |
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| What: | Last of the Colophon (Fourth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 11 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
You're always sure to get a brilliant story from Jonny Morris. He has such great, bold characters! And the fact that this is truly in the vein of a Phil Hinchcliffe/ Bob Holmes horror take show, then you're sure to be onto a winner. Its also great to hear Gareth Thomas as a real nasty piece of work, in the form of Morax he's really nasty just like the best of villains from the early Tom Baker years on tv. And yet again, this take on the classic universal film The Invisible Man works really well indeed. This could have fitted seamlessly into the original series! Another great addition is hearin Jessica Martin again, I Loved her first appearance on the show in Sylvester's time and am glad to see her name again!
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| Great Concept, Poor Quality |
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| What: | Doctor Who Mad Libs (Miscellaneous activity books) |
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| By: | Andy Roberts, Melbourne, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 9 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
Positive: Great Concept for an activity book aimed at the fan who likes word play.
Negative: BUT, very cheaply put together using poor quality material.
Overall, I was not impressed with the quality and certainly would not buy it as a present for anyone
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| Essential must watch for ANY Whovian |
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| What: | The Talons of Weng-Chiang (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 9 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This is not just a good 4th doctor story. Talons of Weng-Chiang is one of the greatest Dr. Who ever produced. The last remnants of the Hinchcliffe era delivers everything we all love about Doctor Who. This story introduces the Jago & Litefoot characters that now have their own audio adventures. As this is not a formal review I don't give away spoilers because if you haven't seen this before then most likely you are a new fan. Most long time fans should have watched "Talons" many a moon ago. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
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| Monkey See then Monkey........Review! |
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| What: | The Horns of Nimon (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 9 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
I have never quite grasped as to why "The Horns of Nimon" is so hated that it shows up at the bottom of almost every list. The only conclusion I can come up with is that it has become so engrained into classic Dr. Who that season seventeen minus "City of Death" is the most atrocious season ever produced. With "Nimon" automatically put at the top of the list. I am by no means claiming that "Nimon" is a classic but I can think of several stories that are far worse.. The Web Planet? The Gunslingers? Most all of C. Baker and McCoy stories(not the actors themselves) are completely unwatchable to me. So being honest to those that have NOT yet had the chance to watch "Nimon" ,it isn't as bad as it is made out to be and if you want to watch all the Tom Baker stories I wouldn't get in any hurry for this or 'The Sunmakers". Depending on taste you may even find it to be a fun watch.
