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 | A tiny bit less than enthralling... |
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| What: | The Ice Warriors (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 7 October 2010 |
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| Rating: |   5 |
The fact that for the bulk of the story the Ice Warriors do little other than bully Victoria like lily livered hard nuts, and shoot one man. Well, it just doesnt really make for a totally awesome and brilliant tale. Whilst all the warriors may possess characters that are defined properly for once, in all other respects this is weak.
And thats a shame when one sees the cast list for this story. Because all the human cast are excellent. The sparks between Clent and Penley are amusing and some golden dialogue emerges from these two characters mouths.
Also though, the fact that aside from episode one nothing major happens to the glacier is hard to believe. What with Varga cutting such big holes out of it to his warriors!!! Flipping silly stuff. The snow mountain surely would have wobbled at least a little bit.
Pat Troughton again gives a brilliant performance though, with his hating of computers in the Doctor's mind coming through on screen very well indeed. And poor Frazer doesnt get too much to do either though. And to top it all off, Victoria is told to go back to the TARDIS half way through the last part!! Really nice! And Id like to know how the Doctor and co got the TARDIS back up properly when they arrived and toppled over...
So altogether, the Ice Warriors werent really needed for this story. Whilst their design is formidably brilliant and memorable, their standing around being bossy green prats isnt. The human characters are all that save this, and even then theres a few who dont get to really shine....
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| Not too long at all mate... |
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| What: | Marco Polo (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 7 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
When Doctor Who premiered, it must have been quite a revelation. I will give the production team of that time their full due, at least they had the sense to let historical stories come thick and fast and brilliantly. They had a show which was so memorable back then not just for the Daleks and the sci-fi, but also for shows very tightly done and brilliantly realised. For me, Will Hartnell's historicals are some of the very finest shows in Doctor Who history. We got so many in his time, and for me this was never ever a bad thing. When I first watched Doctor Who i thought all the monsters were brilliant and some highly original, but most of the sci fi is not too high on emotion or character definition. But character definition is highly rife through these brilliant Will Hartnell historicals. Not only are the supporting cast of an excellent calibre, but the main cast members are at their peak, acting to perfection whatever story comes along. The first line up of the series remains for me one of the very strongest ever. They beat Rose into a copped hat to say the very least.
Marco Polo is the story for me where all the characters come into their own. Ping Cho and Susan's friendship for a start is awesomely done, realised to the full. It feels like one that really is believable and firm, and one wouldnt have been surprised if Susan had decided to stay with her too, but no, she went off with that wet fish David instead. But one cant always have everything. The plot threads these two alone share within the story are brilliant and make the tale shine. Then we come to Derren Nesbitt as Tegana, as fine a portrayal of a Who nasty as I have ever seen, devious and cunning and totally without scruples of any kind. And yet still his presentation is 3D, and very believable.
And the fact that the story is literally narrated by Marco Polo is an innovative and different approach that sadly was to never be contemplated again. The journey to Cathay is long and arduous and perilous. This story feels far more like a film than a tv serial. It is that good. The sand storm and fights along the way seem very well directed too, Waris Hussein really does his utmost to bring the whole thing alive off the page. And the sets are of a very high standard indeed. One grips the feel that this is ancient China in almost every aspect. And just to top it all off, William Russell's narration is informative and very well delivered all along the way.
I lament the notion to end pure historical tales in Doctor Who, Im glad Big Finish at least had the sense to do them in audio format. But woe to the BBC, what shortsightedness. Especially when they originally came out with The Massacre, The Reign of Terror, the Aztecs, The Highlanders, The Smugglers, The Gunfighters and Marco Polo....
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| NOT BRILLIANT, BUT NOT TERRIBLE.... |
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| What: | The Savages (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 7 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
This story does have a lot going for it. Peter Purves for one gets to bow out in very fine style, remaining to be a leader for the elders and savages. He always was a good and solid companion, an excellent lead on from the brilliant William Russell as Ian. But in some instances Peter was right in saying the character brief he had been given at the start wasnt always realised well, but at least here in his last story he gets a grand exit that is believable and memorable all at once.
The plot again is simple and easy to get your head round, and it is quite well presented. The labratory use and the effects on the female savage are particularly well done. One can feel the deep impact this evil machine has had on the savaged just through her. But with all the other rather blandly charecterised savages it falls badly, and isnt quite so readily believable. Its like only the female savage has anything nearing real fear of the Elders in the perfect city. And with regards to the Elders too, only Jano has a resounding voice and the others are barely even noticeable in audio format. Flower may also be a bit better charecterised than the rest, and for once its good to see Jackie Lane really getting her teeth into the action for once and wandering off and having a mind of her own.
And from the limited shots of footage still available from this story, it is obviously one with very good production values too. The scenery looks very realistic. The story also keeps to a steady but not bland rate.
Jano's absorbtion of the Doctor's essence though is a very potent and strong element in this tale. And as he is embued with the Doctor's moral centre, he becomes an even stronger character than when we first meet him. Frederick Jaeger does an excellent job in presenting Jano as a not totally evil, but just misguided man. His change around at the climax of the story is also well handled.
Steven's farewell to the Doctor and Dodo rounds the tale off a high note, although as I said the poor charecterisation of the other savages somehow lets the story down a bit in some areas. But despite this, the story is still a very enjoyable and very moral tale too. A lot better than Pyramids of Mars and The Brain of Morbius for a start, thats a dead cert.....
William Hartnell deserves to be far better remembered for the great character he brought to our screens first. If you want to see him at his moralising best, then this is one of the stories to start off with....
The Hollows of Time gives us more quirk from Christopher Bidmead. This time around, it's just kind of strange and pretty boring. At important points, including the episode 1 ending cliffhanger and the buildup of the story around the midpoint of episode 2, I really had no idea what was going on. Something about a car that merges with the TARDIS and shoots the Doctor out into space, and trippy but mundane time corridors. Most of this story takes place in a boring little village, and features elements like a fake 11-year-old boy (played mostly well, but perturbingly, by Susan Sheridan), a hokey mechanical turtle, and tractators that can now create their own time corridors (huh?).
This story often has a feel to it similar to the whimsy of the old Fourth Doctor lost story, Shada, all professors and wild technobabble and so on. At the same time, though, there is some good dialog, mostly from the Doctor, well-delivered by Colin Baker, who gives this one his best effort.
The character Professor Stream was originally to be the Master (Stream is an anagram of Master and vice versa), presumably to be played by Anthony Ainley. Adding this in just serves to further confuse what was already a very strangely ambiguous, gloppy story.
| What: | The Abominable Snowmen (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 3 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
Where this story fails is in its climax. Somehow i just cant see the muttering of chants and the breaking of a pyramid banishing the so powerful great intelligence from Earth. The Web of Fear had a far more believable and memorable ending. Here credulity is stretched to the limit ann snaps like a broken elastic band for me.
This is sad as the build up to this anti climax is very compelling indeed. The design of the yeti is excellent, and all the actors get their teeth into their roles along the way. Especially Jack Watling. And the setting in Wales used for Tibet is breathtakingly shot. And for once it actually appears cold and unforgiving. The characters interplay is also well cemented. Just sad about the abismal inept ending. One of the very few weaker Pat tales.
| What: | The Celestial Toymaker (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 3 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
The Celstial Toymaker is clearly a departure from the norm for Doctor Who. But it is a departure that works very well indeed. ALthough it is very sad indeed that only the final episode is remaining in the visual cannon, you can catch the scale of the story from Peter Purves delivery of the very well written narration.
Michael Gough as well is very well cast as the Toymaker. His mix of charm and menace is completely spot on. The games he devises too are nasty and baffling. And the characters of the cards and the dolls and Cyril all make for a really creepy outting for the Doctor and the TARDIS crew.
The costume design too appears of a very high standard indeed. The clowns especially are rather unsettling and this makes for many memorable scenes. Whilst the constant game playing might for some be repetitive, for me it is nothing of the kind.
Its just sad that William Hartnell was getting so ill later on in his career in Doctor Who. It is more evident than usual, his absence from the bulk of the story here. And whilst his speaking double does a reasonable enough job at impersonating William, he is no William Hartnell. But its good he is back even just for the last episode. His usual presence is marked and brilliant. And his defeat of the toymaker is original and funny. This story deserves all the praise it gets. Overall it is never short of entertaining and creepy.
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| Another story that suffers... |
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| What: | The Myth Makers (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 3 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
What worries me here is the Doctor seems to be on the wrong side. The camp of troy is the one under seige, and yet here the Doc is, giving the greeks the idea of attack! And this then leads to the slaughter of the Trojans. Most remiss of Donald Cotton. The Doctor doesnt usually help the idiots!!! This is a very major failing in this story for me. The only hint we ever get of the true loathing of evil by the good Doc is his timid lambasting of the leader of the raid on Troy.
Yes, again this is a story that has one major fault that lets it down, for in all other ways this story is engaging and memorable. Maureen O Brien seems to give her swansong all the gusto within her. It is her here who takes on the mantle of the real moralist, as the Doc seems to be having a bad off day. And the introduction of Katarina at the end is a surprise and not a mistake. It would have been so much nicer if she had lasted longer than just two stories. She was played to perfection by Adrienne Hill. She was compassionate, brave and trustworthy, all the best ingredients of a companion. What were the BBC thinking in only keeping her on for so short a time?
And the cast is of a very high order indeed. The characters are all well characterised and believable, all except the Doctor, even if he is mistaken for a God.
And again Peter Purves shines, given more to do as with the Massacre. And I imagine the wooden horse was actually quite a great design for the BBC at the time. But its still the Doctor's oh so different stance within this tale that is the most tainiting and damaging thing about it...Sad again.
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| Somehow rather confused.... |
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| What: | Galaxy 4 (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 3 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
The main problem with Galxy Four is the Chumblies portrayed in the way they are. If they are supposedly servants of the peaceful Rills, then why do they act so uncharitable to the crew of the TARDIS, and why try to blow up the TARDIS in episode two? I really dont get the point of this if the Rills are the peaceful race they claim to be. If it werent for this woeful portrayal that contradicts the Rills pleas of pacifism, then this would have been a far far better story. They could have just ordered the chumblies to bring the crew to their shipw without the threat of firepower.
For on the other hand, the characterisation of the drahvins is spot on. Maaga is as good a female baddie as the series ever put out. Her treatment of her test tube underlings is brash and callous and nasty. Her character is well thought out and approached with relish by the actress.
And also, the TARDIS crew are all on top form. William Hartnell gives his usual abrasive but charming portrayal of the central character. Peter Purves is excellent, and is really gelling with Maureen O'Brien. They bounce off each other so very well indeed. And the Chumblie and Rill design is excellent too. Just such a shame about the woeful contradiction inherent in this story. Otherwise this would have been another 10 out of 10. Sad.
| What: | The One Doctor (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 2 October 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I really enjoyed this story it was nice to have a break with a light hearted comedy style story, I didnt know what to expect at first but once into the story I didnt want to turn it off, because I only get a chance to listen in parts, I suppose it gives the feel of episodes. The only thing is I would have liked to know more about the Cylinder and why they were after the Doctor ( hopefully there might be a follow up about this)
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| The Doctor is very upset about going. |
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I recomend them to any one who likes Doctor Who but hasn't seen this. I love it!
| What: | Castle of Fear (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 30 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Because I think is rather a brilliant start to the Stockbridge trilogy of audio stories starring Peter Davison.
The scene is set very well, beginning after the main bulk of the story has taken place, with the Doctor going back in time after its revealed that the natives of Stockbridge have put on a play about him coming to save their skins from an alien invasion.
The rutan is very very well charecterized and realised, its voice echoing the tones of the oriinal rutan that appeared in Horror of Fang Rock. That this should turn out to be the rutan in pursuit of Commander Linx too is a nice little piece of continuity. This story is very solid indeed and the comedy isnt as weak as most of the other reviewers seem to think. It is never less than funny and gripping and highly rewarding. The boars running amok for a start is a well crafted scene. The Earl of Mummerset is a real comic character realised very wekk indeed. And also the cliffhanger is a very good one indeed, beating a lot of others into a copped hat.
And as per usual Sarah Sutton is excellent as Nyssa. She always shines as such a likeable and dependable character. And the rest of the cast help to bring this story to vivid believable life. Not a bad start at all to the stockbridge trilogy.
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| This is better than the new Doctor Who! |
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Elisabeth Sladen always was one of the strongest and most enduring of the Doctor's companions. She had guts and was never afraid of shpwing what she feels about every situation she found herself in. But after the Tom Baker story Robot, her character seemed to become on the whole rather 2d, lacking the initial punch of he first Jon Pertwee season, where she was mouthy, took iniative, and wasnt just there for asking silly questions.
But now she is back again with a fantastic series of her own! And wow was the first series good or what? She grabs the role and breathe tonnes of new fresh life into it. She now once more has the gusto of her first season of Doctor Who, and that is a brilliant thing indeed. She has a moral strength missing in most other so called tv heroes of our day.
These stories on the whole are far better than most of the new series Doctor Whos. The characters are actually very likeable indeed and the villains are far from forgettable and characature. This series may well have been formed with children in mind, but it is so good as to be of the highest quality entertainment for a 24 year bloke like me even. There is so much going on, so many interesting twists and turns along the way. The writers have all been very well chosen and the stories are decent and involving. And the Trickster especially is a pretty creepy creation, as good as any Doctor Who villain. The Eye of the Gorgon is another very well produced episode, and all the characters, especially Phylidda Law's are excellently acted and totally believable.
The Lost Boy rounds the first series off in very fine form indeed. This is as impacting (in fact even better) as any of the new series Doctor Who climaxes. This is more special and watchable too. I am so glad the BBC saw the potential in Liz's character Sarah Jane Smith and crafted such a brilliant story that really does make the most of her character. And boy, this was only the debut series. A very high standard indeed.
One laments the slacking and sliding of many of the new Doctor Who stories. So why is this series so much better? Because of many elements, you have to get it and watch to discover just what i mean, but you wont regret it. This is one of the finest shows on TV, of any genre. Great stuff!
| What: | City of Spires (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 29 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Frazer Hines.
That is the main reason for me wnting to get this story. I loved his portrayal of Jamie on the TV, the most likeable of the Doctor's companions. Strong and dependable and reliable. Fiercely loyal to the Doctor through all their many travels, overcoming even the relevant hiccup in The Evil of the Daleks. And that is why I liked him so much in those classic stories.
And now that dear Pat is gone, he is one of the few remaining reminders of that series. And so what was he like once more appearing with Colin Baker?
The answer is excellent.
This is a pseudo historical that starts the Doctor/ Jamie trilogy off very well indeed. Their are real characters here. But Georgia Moffett and Frazer definitely shine along the way. But the whole cast is fine picked and brings the story to life. Red Cap is an interesting little villain too.
Frazer is as great as he ever was. He gels with Colin just as much as he did with Patrick. He is such a fine actor. And the end of this story is marvellous. It leaves questions and so you really want to find out what happens next in the trilogy.
| What: | The Lost Stories: The Macros (The Lost Stories audio dramas) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 29 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
1: The Nightmare Fair began this series on a rather high and interesting note.
2: Mission To Magnus was such fun, with Sil and the Ice Warriors together for a story of the battle of the sexes really. But so very amusing.
3: Leviathan was the nit and grit of this run, like a Bob Holmes tale this one, so very many good elements in it.
4: The Hollows Of Time had a really twisting plot but was highly entertaining.
5: Paradise 5 was a creepsville tale, with many bold script points. A particular high of this run of stories.
6: Point Of Entry was the horror story of the series. Full of grimness and brilliance and subtlety.
7: The Song Of Megaptera was a real space opera. And it worked. The idea of the space whales was awesomely realised.
8: And now here we are for the finale.
Colin Baker leads a really good cast in this finale, written by none other than Ingrid Pitt with her partner. Really, what were the BBC thinking of, not publishing this script? For goodness sake this script as with all the others of this lost season boasts so much that is enjoyable.
Linda Marlowe is frankly excellent as Osloo. She seems to play the tyrant with relish and her demise is brilliant too. It may be a little similar to Pangol in the Leisure Hive, but it is done great here. She is as good as any of the actors to act these sort of parts in the original series.
And the plot is easy to follow but innovative and different. This could have fitted in perfectly into the Colin Baker era of Doctor Who. And there are some very good scenes, such as when the deck of the ship is disintigrating. And there is some nice moral pointers along the way too.
So all in all, this first lost season of adventures has been of a very high standard indeed.
| What: | The Wheel in Space (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 29 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Patrick Troughton never had a really bad story. About the worst is 7 out of ten. But this is an often wrongly maligned classic of the series, as it boasts so much that is excellent.
The cybermen are back to finish the fifth season of Doctor Who, and it is no wonder they are such a popular monster when they are portrayed as they are here: the original outline for the monster: totally emotionless and flat and just determined to gain their objectives simply and effectively. These monsters were always excellent, but later in the series they seemed to be a little bit more emotive (although that in itself aint bad, its a big universe...different corners of it may have had different types of cybermen) But here in the Wheel In Space they are the most emotionless they have ever been. They are expertly written. They just tower over all the cast as well.
And for the introduction of Zoe, Wendy gives a brilliant performance as the cheeky astrophysicist! I love her character as I love all the other female companions of this time. She immediately seems to gel with Pat and Frazer, and they work so well together. They steal all the scenes they are in. The way she joins the crew is brilliant too.
And the rest of the cast are of a very high class indeed. And one can easily forgive Pat's huge fluff (you know what it is) as the story is so brilliant. The cybermen may be in the background, but their presence is shadowy and very menacing indeed. And especially considering the fact that they only had two complete cybermen for this whole story.
The "I imagine you have orders to destroy me" scene for me is one of the best of the whole series. And again, the plot here isnt too over the top and isnt difficult to follow. David Whitaker has just given us a classy piece of Doctor Who. There were many brilliant episodes to come with all the following Doctors in line, but they never had a complete run of excellent stories as Pat did, except maybe Sylv McCoy. Pat for me was the best Doctor, but all the rest are excellent too. Just a great shame that the new series isnt as consistant as Pat's time in the series.
It is so sad that this story only has two television episodes remaining. Its a travesty that all the best stories suffer such cuts. The BBC should have auctioned all their stuff off. Theyd have got money for it!!!!!! Just glad that it is available on audio, that at least!!!!
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| The Sixth Doctor at His Very Best |
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Yes. Now this is one lost story I definitely like! Since Colin Baker was on TV screens in the 80s, I felt that his was an interesting Doctor but that with the possible exception of one or two, he never got any really good stories to work with (until the audios). Leviathan is a really good Sixth Doctor story, that gives us a Doctor who is robustly heroic and physical in ways we really never saw on television. He is very much the Sixth Doctor of 1984, yet scripted in a much more impressive and satisfying way in a story of high quality. Leviathan is a bit like an early Tom Baker story on steroids, directed by someone like Joe Ahearne, Euros Lyn or James Hawes (of the new series). As such, this really doesn't feel much like a Season 23 production, as it's too good, but I suppose one can dream. As it turns out, this story was actually commissioned for Season 22 and rejected, probably due to budgetary constraints. To say much about the plot would be to spoil it for those who haven't heard it yet, but I'll just say that the Herne and the Zeron are superb, monstrous characters for audio - they sound great here. Again, doubtful that we'd actually get something as well realized as these in Season 22 or 23 though, as even three seasons later, the Destroyer (of the story Battlefield) couldn't measure up to these characters on screen. So Leviathan gets a failing grade for fitting into this "lost season," but because it's so good while doing so, it doesn't matter.
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| It may well be silly but... |
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| What: | The Underwater Menace (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 28 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
For me The Underwater Menace is nothing short of entertaining. Yes, it may well be silly and camp and may be full of cliches as the other reviewers below have said, but the way they are all portrayed has never been more entertainingly done.
Joseph Furst maybe one of the most over the top actors here as the insane Zaroff, but this for me is by no means a really bad thing. You can sense the fun people had making this kind of story. It may not be oscar winning stuff, but for me it is so flipping cool and brilliant that that doesnt really matter or bother me in the slightest.
And as for any Doctor Who, there are some rather nasty bits thrown amoungst the laughable bits. The shooting scene on screen of Thous and his guards may be far from convincing, but on audio it doesnt matter, and Joseph's delivery of that oh so famous line is oh so memorable. But the drowning of Zaroff is again memorable and pretty explicit. And actually, the plot of the story isnt too unbelievable either.
And the fish people design isnt too bad either. And you cant see the strings on audio holding the poor fellows up. Theres even a shark filled well and a pet octopus. So this is not the allround goof so many people seem to think it is, by any means. Robots of Death and Pyramids of Mars are far more tedious than this nice little ott tale.
And the cliffhanger ending to episode four is excellent too, really making you want to come back to see what will happen to the crew of the TARDIS. The episode endings of Pat's time have always been amoung the best the series ever done.
And Pat Troughton again is in fine comic form. And yet again he fits all his disguises so very well indeed. Pat brought so much brilliantness to the role of the Doctor. Him as the gypsy sailor is one of the most memorable of his disguises, he does look rather wierd to say the least with those glasses!
And the thought of being turned into one of the fish people is a good plot line for Polly. Though she doesnt quite get as much to do as in some of the surrounding stories. But she is such a good actress and it is clearly evident on screen or as in here, just on audio.
Perhaps the only oddity here is that there is no narration at all to explain the fish strike action bit in episode three. So for nearly two minutes one still wonders what the fish people are actually doing. It could have been explained so its totally clear. But aside from this, I still really like and enjoy this romp which was Pat's third story in the role of the Doctor. And he already seemed to know the part so well, with all his foibles and isms.
Patrick Troughton's time in Doctor Who for me ranks as the best period in the shows history. Never again would Doctor Who for me continually boast the brilliantness of his era. He was a clown and a buffoon, but also caring and deep, and still true to the original outline of the character, in that he still kept the mystery inherent in the character. One can never quite figure him out. And that is a good thing.
So, the Underwater Menace is silliness. But its about the most highly enjoyable silliness ever to have been experienced by me!!!!
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| An excellently read piece... |
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One thing you can be sure of with Terrance Dicks is a sure and solid story, whether it be all his original novels, or his novelisations of the classic series of Doctor Who. He is a man whose writing has never before dissappointed me. He may not go for the absolutely mind blowing twisting plots of many other Who writers, but that is no bad thing as his stories are always so very very easy to follow or read or listen to as is the case here with this new reading of Planet of The Spiders by Elisabeth Sladen.
And what really helps here is Elisabeth has got such a nice voice to listen to. Her reading is never less than enjoyable, and in places is wickedly pronounced and memorable. Some readers never can quite bring all the many characters to life in audio readings, but Liz seems to manage it with consumate ease.
The story here is written in Terrance's usual way. Never too thick on explanations, more just getting on with telling the story, so as to not leave one bored after a few minutes of reading. And what also really adds to any audio reading is new sound effects and music. This also helps to stilt any boring long chapters, and Planet of the Spiders is never boring.
The characters are all very close to tv serial of the same name. The only slight let down of this audio reading, and this is by no means Liz's fault, but the spider voices here are so very far from scary. Excpet for maybe the more guttural sound of the great one. But the Queen and the other spiders just sound so babyish. But otherwise this audiobook is very well done. Liz's characterization of Tommy and Cho Je are particularly impressive, and add 3D to the characters.
The prologue is also an excellent little intro to the story that could have been done with the serial but wasnt, sadly. A nice little bit with Jo sending the crystal back to the Doctor and starting all the trouble without even realising. And just the notion of the spiders crowding in to eat Lupton's body near the end of the book is rather nasty and very well done. Another element not featured in the serial on the screen. And as you never see anyone being eaten by the spiders on the screen, at least you get the notion of it happening here, which adds a bit more realism to the climax of the story.
So,all in all this is very well done indeed. Oh, yeah, but they could just have had the Doctor Who theme too in there, would have made it feel even more authentic as part of the Doctor Who label. But im not complaining. This is very good stuff indeed.
| What: | Invaders from Mars (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Sunday 26 September 2010 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I admit that during my first listen, I was not fond of "Invaders From Mars." However, when I listened a second time, I found the whole thing very amusing. The story is set in New York, 1938, but one that is more like a collection of movie cliches from that period than the real thing. We get stereotypical gangsters, stereotypical spies, stereotypical social gadflies, a seemingly stereotypical hardboiled detective mystery, and several horrid accents to top it off. In other words, audiences are fairly warned not to take any of it seriously. Then come the aliens, sort of space bat versions of the Dominators, with one ready to kill and destroy just about anything he sees and the other constantly talking him down by pointing out just how stupid it is to kill and destroy everything. In this sense, the story sends up not just films of 1930s New York, but also certain aspects of "Doctor Who" itself. There are many genuinely funny lines, such as the aliens' mistakenly thinking that Cosmo Devine's name is Scum Devine. The only perplexing thing about it is the Doctor's naive innocence throughout the story. Who could possilby be fooled by the name "Glory Bee"?
In terms of the revival of the original Season 23 "lost stories," Mission to Magnus achieved the desired effect even better than The Nightmare Fair. My rating of 7 on this is not for the story, which isn't actually that great, but for the overall production. The entire cast, most notably Colin Baker and Nabil Shaban, really threw themselves into this fully, and the result sounds quite competently like an audio soundtrack from a TV story made in 1985. Colin Baker really recaptured the sound of a younger Sixth Doctor here. And in this story, Sil actually provides some genuine humor on the whole, rather than being mostly nasty, as he was in the televised stories featuring him.
So far, these alternative Season 23 stories look like a kinder, gentler route, which unfortunately probably would have also produced a rather lackluster season. The Trial of a Timelord, while offering the very intriguing ideas of the evil half-Doctor as it were, and the Time Lord cover up of the Ravalox/Matrix situation, just didn't work well in its final form. Mindwarp was the most troublesome story in that season, with its very dark tone and the confusion around the falsifying of the Matrix record of what actually happened. I actually would have much rather seen Mission to Magnus instead. And speaking of that story, it is now difficult to know how to look at Mission to Magnus if you're talking about what is canon and what isn't. Mission to Magnus clearly would've taken place after Mindwarp, and this is a fairly unsolvable problem. So it's probably best to look at Mission to Magnus as a standalone, or an alternate universe story, or something...
Part 2 of the CD extras includes some of the funniest banter I've yet heard on these. However, I would have liked to have heard something from William Townsend who was notably absent in the extras. He is the child actor who plays Vion in the story, and does it fairly well, I'd say.
