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 | Suitably different from the first two... |
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Kinda and Snakedance were always two of my favourite Peter Davison stories back in the eighties. They had far more depth and imagination than a lot of the other Davison Era tales. They were clever and the characters were all 3D and all that maybe slightly let them down was that massive rubber snake at the end of Kinda, (which was greatly improved for the second tale)
But what is good and strange is this one isnt a Tegan story. She does as usual possess her guts and strength and her attitude all the way through this audio venture for the Mara, but it Peter Davison who certainly shines within the confines of this excellent story.
I love this TARDIS team. They all just go together so very well indeed. It is like they havent been away since all those years ago in the eighties. Sarah and Janet just go back together like two pieces of the jigsaw, with Mark's Turlough their to brilliantly upset the mix decently. And great that he is far more involved again here even though he has to share script with two other companions.
Also of note is the fact that very little of Kinda or its sequel has much impact on this tale. I love the first scenes with Tegan's rather funny yet at the same time rather dark dream, with the Doctor entering to get rid of that demon snake. The Mara is far stronger also here, for I would have expected the Doctor to withstand the snake better than anyone else. But if there was a Doctor who'd falter then it would be the most human one wouldnt it? And Peter really does steal the show. That hissing serpent effect is pretty great too. This story has it all: pace and many great characters. One would expect no less from a Marc Platt story!!!!
| What: | The Wreck of the Titan (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Monday 27 December 2010 |
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| Rating: |  10 |
Giant Squid. Polar Bears. And the land of Fiction. Titanic and the Titan. This tale is very very entertaining to say the least. It doesnt feel like its nearly two hours at all. The plot unfolds at a brisk and brilliant pace. And Fraser Hines is particularly good here. He has always been a favourite of mine. Its good to see him back in full force after so many years.
The cast is small, and this gives more time to let the characters grow and get deeper than those audios with a far bigger cast list. This is a good thing. I love the characters within this tale. This Colin and Fraser trilogy has been excellent overall.
The giant squid and the polars are brought to audio life rather well here, and the score again goes perfectly with this type of story. This is yet again another Big Finish success story.
| What: | The Seeds of Doom (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Huw Davies, Taunton, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Monday 27 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
'The Seeds of Doom' is one of Doctor Who's best, and a great end to the super 13th season. The story is intricate and well thought-out, and retains pace, mainly due to the switch in location from Antarctica to England in Part 3.
The characters are wonderfully portrayed and are all unique, especially Amelia Ducat and Harrison Chase (the latter a very good villain).
Extras on the 2nd disc are good as well. Highly recommended
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| Excellent clima to a brilliant series... |
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| What: | Demon Quest: Sepulchre (Nest Cottage audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 24 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This isnt like the slight letdown to the last series of five audios. Tom Baker gives his best in a far more acceptable and different climax to this run of five stories.
The reliance on fewer characters again pays dividends. They have more chance to shine and the actors get more of chance to really get their teeth into the roles.
The plot again isnt too over the top again either. This is a usual bit of Paul Magrs brilliance. The reliance on clarity and the story being easy to follow has always been a good trait of this writer.
And its a surprise to hear the Hornet's back again. One was totally surprised by the sudden appearance of them half way through this last tale. Although, to be totally honest one wasnt beyond the point of thinking those nasty little things might wiggle their tails again sometime in the future in one of these series. And for once it isnt stupid. The hornets are a deliciously nasty little swarm.
And what I like is the fact that the three main stars all still gel together so very well indeed. They sound like a real family. And the climax to the tale is genuinely funny and silly, a great end to the second run of five stories to feature Tom Baker. I really do hope their is a third very soon.
And I wonder if it might come to pass that that Demon might rear its ugly head again too? Be brilliant if it does...because some aspects of just who this demon is is untold.
Richard Franklin at last gets to do the lead narration. I always thought he was really competent and a really easy narrator to listen to. And his acting hear is excellent as ever.
Paul has captured the Tom Baker period very well indeed. I want the BBC to make sure more and more of these series come about in the very near future. Ive missed Tom's Doctor, and its great he's back in all his unrefined brilliance. Its as if he has never been away. I have been totally satisfied with this whole DEMON QUEST season. Its one of the best ever....
First, I need to admit that I am not a big fan of Charley Pollard and the Eighth Doctor. I think Charley is a bit too pathetic, and I much prefer the later stronger Charley.
However, this story is very good and sees lots of backwards and forwards in time (timey wimey) which I really do enjoy! Paul McGann is an excellent Doctor (though again I prefer him in later audios for radio, etc). Finally, I like the conclusion to this and much much better stories to come - Charley and the Sixth Doctor really do work well together & create a very exciting set of stories to come....luckily anyone reading this in 2010 do not have a long wait to hear them. You can do it right now.
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| Not the best, but not terrible either... |
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To be honest this CC is not the best that they've produced - too much of Ace shouting and being tough. However, it's an interesting breather from the Key2Time cycle of stories, and it's an interesting way of developing Zara's character.
Definitely listen to this audio if you want some background to Zara.
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| Not the best, but not terrible either... |
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| What: | Cryptobiosis (Big Finish subscriber bonuses) |
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| By: | Matt, Aylesbury |
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| Date: | Thursday 23 December 2010 |
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| Rating: |  7 |
This is not the best audio story in the world, but it's not the worst of the "freebies" (that lies with either Return to the Web Planet or Return of the Krotons - groan).
I agree with the person below that Mermaids (Mermen!) is a bit silly and far fetched - but then isn't most of Doctor Who?! I think it sits as a nice enough story, and I like the fact that both the Doctor and Peri work out the issue without the help of the other. Sound effects are pretty good, and the acting is great. PS, I really like the cover too!
In the end these freebie CDs are not going to be as good, but they do make nice additions to my massive BF collection.
| What: | EarthWorld (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Graham Pilato, Washington D.C., USA |
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| Date: | Wednesday 22 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Jackie Rayner gave us Fitz, the 8th post-Earth Arc, and Anji, bold and assuredly the most character-centric novel of the line in ages. Fitz is actually better dealt with than he has been since at least Frontier Worlds, possibly further back. Anji is actually likeable, if still clearly not a great choice for a companion, after her thoroughly unlikeable debut in Escape Velocity. And the 8th Doctor is a marvel here. So much fun and still throughly growing with every moment of wide-eyed uncertainty as he remembers/relearns how to do this traveling the universe thing. The story itself is a bit of a mess, and that's also to be expected from Jackie, as her stories are so rarely plotted well, but always deliver in comedy and character. This one's her first Who novel, and amongst the most important of all for series character development. If you care about that sort of thing, this one's unmissable. If all you're in for is a Justin Richards style twisty runaround, then this IS NOT your book. I, however, really dig it. And, by any stretch, it's still miles better than Escape Velocity -- more fun, more emotionally interesting, more gripping. The drama is all in the leads' own gorwth her, though. And the last few pages are gutwrenchingly lovely.
| What: | Find and Replace (The Companion Chronicles audiobooks) |
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| By: | Matt, Aylesbury |
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| Date: | Thursday 16 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
When these Companion Chronicles first started, I found them really hard to get used to – you really had to listen to them to understand what was going on. However over time I am getting more and more settled with them, and this story was truly excellent. You really feel like it’s an episode from the Jon Pertwee era.
This is a story about nostalgia and it does it wonderfully well. I love all the name checks too – Benton, The Master, Brigadier, etc. Let’s please have an adventure with The Master narrated by Huxley.
Katy Manning is a really excellent actor and we really feel like Iris and Jo Grant are both there.
Well done, Big Finish. 10 out of 10.
I really like this book because i wanted to get to know matt more and it is really interesting. A must buy for any Doctor Who fan!
| What: | Return of the Krotons (Big Finish subscriber bonuses) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Sunday 12 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
"The Krotons" is one of the few full-length Troughton stories remaining. Many people lament that fact, since it is among the weakest of the Troughton era. "Return of the Krotons," despite its unimaginative title, markedly improves over its predecessor.
The Doctor and Charley arrive on a planet, go sightseeing, get caught up in the local power struggle, and then find something truly sinister is even more dangerous than the local political ruffian. These Krotons are more technologically advanced than in the first story. Philip Madoc is excellent as the corrupt colony leader.
The Krotons themselves, though, are a bit of a weakness, not the most interesting of villains. They certainly do not get the best lines in this story. There are a few too many cliches, a few too many times where one sees what will happen before it happens. Also, the process for creating the Krotons out of the mental "energy" of "high brains," makes no sense.
This one is a good, but not great, little adventure.
| What: | Cryptobiosis (Big Finish subscriber bonuses) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Sunday 12 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Doctor Who meets the Little Mermaid? Really? Have we sunk so low?
| What: | The Wreck of the Titan (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
One of my favorite "Doctor Who" story types is the "unreal reality" story, the kind in which normal perspective gets tweaked, the physical rules of cause and effect go out of whack, and reality just is not what it should be. "Doctor Who" is formatted well to suit this kind of story. That is what we have here, an adventure in a world ruled by adventure story logic. The Doctor and Jamie arrive on what they think is the QEII, but discover that it is really the Titanic. Or is it? The details are just not right, the surface more facade than fact. Then, reality twists. There will be several twists to come, all moving toward an inexorable conclusion that pushes logically toward the third story in the "Jamie" trilogy. The writing is brisk, the soundscape convincing.
I have only one strong complaint, and this is levelled at the "Doctor Who" audios of the last 2-3 years and not just this one. This is the habit of having the Doctor ask a pointed question, only to have the answer deflected by some sudden intrusion. I keep wondering in these things why no one ever wants to give a straight answer to a straight question. I know that the trick increases suspense, but it does not have to go on and on several times in one story. Toward the end of this one, all anyone says to the Doctor's questions is something like "You will find out soon." Too many times for this makes it more irritating than suspenseful.
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| Good Beginning For A Trilogy |
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| What: | City of Spires (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 11 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Since Nick Briggs took over the "Doctor Who" line at Big Finish, the general quality of scripts has gone up. "City of Spires" is solid "Doctor Who" in the grand tradition. The Doctor lands in Scotland, gets immediately embroiled in the politics, but finds something decidedly wrong about the whole arrangement. Along the way, he meets his old friend Jamie, who strangely has forgotten more than he should have. The story runs along at a good clip, with plenty of adventure, action, derring-do, captures, and escapes. The story also works well as a setup for the "Jamie" trilogy. We get the mystery of the "black water," the anachronisms, and some indications that someone else is working behind the scenes.
What works against the story is a weak finish and unconvincing sound effects of a mob rioting revolution. There are some suspiciously coincidental meetings in which the Doctor and Jamie are looking for each other and just happen to find each other. At the end, the Doctor just takes off with Jamie and does not investigate the mysteries, especially the time problems. He just does not seem sufficiently outraged that someone must be manipulating time.
However, the story is a good adventure, well paced and functional.
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| A great comeback in two tales overall! |
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| What: | The Paradise of Death (Miscellaneous audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 10 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Good on yer mate!
This is what I say to Jon Pertwee for having the sense to realise that Doctor Who could work just as well on radio as it did for all those years with the classic series run. Jon Pertwee too gave one of the finest and most assured of performances as the errant Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterberous. He always seemed to command attention as soon as he appeared on the screen. And his moral focus and centre was very strong and very appealing and pleasing to me then and now. Liz Sladen and Nick Courtney too just slide so effortlessly back into the roles that made them both household names. Sarah and the Brigadier were always two of the best companions in the classic series. Its good to hear Peter Miles again too, again playing a sadistic nutter, here perhaps even more of a git than in Genesis of the Daleks. And what is also nice is to hear Maurice Denham again too, always a very fine and respectable actor.
The pace of this tale is a little better than the Ghosts of N-Space, with a lot less padding on the whole. I cracked up with the totally human scene of the Doctor and Jeremy lambasting a car driver! What a brilliant little nugget in what is overall a very strong return for the third Doctor and the UNIT crew.
"Dont let them both be eaten, a corpse might be good publicity" strikes the note of how sick and disturbed Barry Letts makes the Parakon people appear and sound within this story. A new brand of psycho in the vein of the Master and Shockeye and all those brilliant villains of the past.
The later episodes still do seem to stretch on a bit too long though, with less action than the first two episodes. But all along the way there are some rather interesting points, and good use is made of the central premise of the story. The characters all are well rounded and well voiced.
Thanks Barry for making such a welcome comeback for the third Doctor, thanks for getting it nearly right! (Sad, now even Barry has gone) And thanks to the BBC for producing this very good story overall. Gratitude in abundance!
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| Not brilliant, but not disastrous either |
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| What: | The Ghosts of N-Space (Miscellaneous audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 10 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
It is so sad that this story was the last one ever to feature Jon as the Doctor. One thing that is plainly evident here is just why so many loved his portrayal as the Doctor. His flair and rather more authorative character lit up all his stories like a light bulb. And he wasnt one for letting the oppressors get away with just a stern chat either. He brought action and charisma too, a very fine actor indeed. And he again does shine here, although it is noticeable how old he was here, as his tone is more cracked and graspy, but one would expect that considering he was over 70 here!
He is joined once more by the ever dependable Liz Sladen and Nick Courtney, who again both shine in their respective roles of Sarah and the Brigadier. And what is also really nice here is to hear Harry Towb given more than just a five minute Doctor Who scene! Stephen Thorne too once more is excellent, perhaps giving his finest performance as Max Vilmio. And I just love that grating, irritating voice of Sandra Dickinson. Her character is a dimension of light relief against the more harsher moments of the script. And Jeremy Fitzoliver is a splendidly over the top creation, and seems to go so well working with Sarah Jane Smith, the dialogue between these two characters is humourous and memorable, and makes for some entertaining listening.
The sound and music score here too is excellent, a really menacing and certainly chilling theme.
What lets the story down a bit along the way is the clear padded sections. There are some excellent moments, such as Maggie rupturing and Max getting stuck in the wall and his final showdown with the Doctor and the Poltergeist scene, but there are long moments that seem totally unnecessary. But this is nowhere near as bad as Ive seen and heard a lot of people say. (But I do admit I dont like the language used at times here too, Doctor Who is better without this common trait)
This is a far more adult tale too. I can see little kids being frankly upset by some of the content within this tale. Some of it is quite explicit, the sound design being rather realistic and well produced and directed.
Overall this is a very worthy last hurrah for one of the best actors to play the errant Time Lord. It really is sad Jon Pertwee is no longer with us. I'll miss his Doctor Who and his Worzel Gummidge a lot.
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| Works better in the audio format |
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| What: | The Monster of Peladon (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 10 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The Monster of Peladon works in the visual medium well, despite the stack of flaws evident throughout the six episode tenure of the story.
But one can hear how good a tale this is even more so in the audio format. Afore there are no visuals to go by, therefore you can just relax and listen to the story unfold.
The Monster of Peladon works very well indeed within the audio format I think, and Elizabeth gives assured and snappy linking narration, and she doesnt sound bored doing it either.
So that rather woeful fight scene and Max Faulkners rebirth within ten minutes and the door that melts then reforms again then melts once more arent evident at all whilst being played
out here when just listening to the story. And one cannot escape the fact that Ralph Watson gives one of the best performances of a support actor during this story.
This story is renowned it appears for being tedious and slow. No, the pace is realistic and there is plenty of action along the way. But this miners strike satire works well in audio because there are long bouts of speech, which seem fitted well for audio. What I also like is the new scene actually included in Episode One, a nice little treat for the die hard Who fan to get their teeth into.
And once again I will say that the portrayal of the Ice Warriors here is the best of the four original tales to feature them in the original series. Alan Bennion steps up a notch of villainy and severity here with Azaxyr in particular.
Frank Gatliff too is a voice that stands out within the audio format, his voice booms through the speakers. And I still have nothing but smiles for the wonderful Nina Thomas as that hopeless and hapless Queen Thalira. Rex Robinson too makes a strong appearance as Gebek. Yes, all the characters here really do make the script come alive. And Ian gives a rather subtle, but very convincing portrayal of that Idiot Eckersley. And Ysanne Churchman gives that oh so memorable voice to Alpha Centauri, with a bit more high pitched whining and concern this time I feel.
And doesnt the third Doctor have a rough time of it within this tale? Thrown into a pit, thrown in jail, beaten up severely, and then just to add to all these insults nearly gets his brain scrambled at the end. With all this happening to just the central character how can the story be labelled boring?! I dont have the answer to that one.
And another thing I dont agree with is the notion that the Miner's plight doesnt manifest itself very well in the script. What are all those fights then? What is the attack on the armoury? What is that absolute hotheaded Ettis all about?! I dont think feelings could be expressed any higher within a story than it is here in this story.
So one cant see that despite the fact that this story had a lower budget than the earlier Curse, it works far better for me.
The acting on the whole is very strong, and the vocal inflection by most of the cast is very strong indeed, which too makes it a suitable tale to listen to simply in the audio format, as Ive said.
The only bad thing here is the pathetically short interview with Liz Sladen. There is no point doing an interview this short, we get no detail on anything hardly at all!!
I for one am glad that the BBC made this story. It has stood the test of time in both the visual and audio formats. And this comes particularly recommended from me in this audio release.
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| Warp thrust achieved Baby! |
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| What: | Max Warp (Eighth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 9 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
One is so glad to be able to hear Paul McGann getting his teeth into the role he only had the chance to play on screen once. One is glad BFP also gives him stories as funny and inventive as this one.
I am certainly not a fan of Top Gear, so I wouldnt know just how much like Top Gear this all is. But what I can say is that just going by the story itself its so good.
I love Lucie Miller. Sheridan Smith has been a real revelation as the girl with the strong attitude and grudging liking of that right old frock coated Ponce that is the eighth Doctor. Its so good to know Ive got plenty more to get of her! And if theyre as good as this then all the merrier!
The dialogue within Max Warp is extremely witty and whimsical. There is a strong vein of humour running through this tale. Which for Jonny Morris is quite rare as the most of his tales are timey wimey and serious. This happens to be one of his strongest stories so far.
I like the plot here. That there should be no murders at all when one starts out believing there is a really clever plot twist. Its handled well and isnt too over the top. The Ferret shouldnt be kept in his cage either! What brilliant characters here.
"Stick your bits out" is a bit tongue in cheek but it still made me giggle. One gets the impression that this Paul and Sherry like of tales are overall of a far higher calibre than the Paul and India line. I think that maybe partly to do with the fact that the stories are shorter and faster to get to the point and not have ten minute speeches.
Warp Thrust achieved. Should have a sequel to this story in the very near future I think. Come on BFP!
| What: | Demon Quest: Starfall (Nest Cottage audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 9 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
One has to wonder how that Paul Magrs bloke can keep on churning out these brilliant stories, whether it be for the BBC or BFP. Some people just know how to write brilliantly all the time.
Yet again, simplicity is rife and the story again is so easy to follow. The score is definitely american, and the acting is no worse than one has to come to expect from these single episode stories.
Tom Baker is getting better and better. Richard Franklin gives stirling support, and Susan Jameson is her usual whimsical Wibbsey self. And here within this tale the set pieces are truly fun, and yes, truly like they were out of a comic book.
The villain is well portrayed, and still the corpses are mounting up, and one still doesnt know just what this creature truly is yet and why it needs the Doctor. The suspense just keeps on growing.
I really like the characters within this episode. Mimsy is one of the usual Paul Magrs great creations, in the vein of Iris Wildthyme and yet not as openly lovable as she. More dark and multilayered for a start.
What also really helps is that these stories arent too overly long. And what also helps is the character list is smaller so theres a chance to get to know the fewer characters a whole lot better.
Doctor Who is still as fresh within the audio medium. Its a pity the new TV series cant follow suit.
One cant wait to hear the final installment of this series which has beaten Hornet's Nest for its wit, interest and slightly darker story content. So far this is one of the best running series of Doctor Who stories done to date.
One is so glad the BBC has had the sense to bring back Mike again. He was a bit of a missed chance after that debacle with the Dinosaurs. One is glad that Richard was able to do it. He's a great actor. He always did have a three dimensional character though.
And Paul has again managed to write perfect fourth Doctor once more. It genuinely sounds as if Tom Baker is really enjoying doing these audio stories. This comes very highly recommended from me.
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| Once in a blue moon cometh a dud.... |
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| What: | Blue Forgotten Planet (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 9 December 2010 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
This story tries to hard to impact. And it distinctly fails in my opinion. The story is easily convuluted and grows scarily like the over the top brand of new TV adventures.
Charleyas her final end, and it should have been far more monumental and grand, considering her reign has been nearly ten years old. The Girl Who Never Was IS better than this weak story by far. Nick Briggs didnt do quite so well this time, which is sad after his excellent Patient Zero. But everyone has their bad days.
Even Colin and India cant save this this time. I find the plot a trifle stupid at times. I could have thought of a far better ending, but sadly it wasnt forthcoming. (Unevolving humanity? Considering the fact that we didnt evolve in the first place)
The sound score may once more be up to a high standard, but what substitute is that when this story is stiff, bland, unengaging and tepid to say the very least. If youre expecting lots of grand bangs and flashes to end India's run as Charley, then youre going to be very dissapointed by this outing.
Yes, this is one of the very rare duds that manifest in the Big Finish range. What a great relief that the next Colin Baker trilogy is far better than this run. But it is only this silly ending that is poor in this trio. Nick shouldnt have done two so close together. This is nowhere near the Nowhere Place.
But at least duds are still far more sparse within the BFP line than they are in the new series.
