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| What: | Loups-Garoux (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 7 August 2010 |
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| Rating: |   9 |
reading the review on the back of the CD case I didnt think I would enjoy this story as much as I did the characters were great as was the parts they played like te grey wolf being taken from the real life story, it had a really good horror feel to this story nice background eeling to go with the characters it was hard to stop listening.
| What: | The Gunfighters (TV episode audio soundtracks) |
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| By: | Huw Davies, Taunton, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 6 August 2010 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
'The Gunfighters' is not one of Doctor Who's best. Although the premise of the rogue dentist and the mistaken identity thread do work reasonably well, there are just too many problems with the story to balance this out.
For a start, the whole thing is riddled with historical innacuracies - clearly the 'education' message of Doctor Who had been lost by 1965!
The story itself is pretty flat generally. The characters are pretty poorly portrayed, and the "American" accents of some of them are god-awful!
However my main criticism is something that runs throughout the story and just won't go away - the bloody Ballad of the Last Chance flippin' Saloon! It's a bad song for a start, and when it's played as almost the sole incidental music it just gets tedious.
Hilarious! Amazing Performances! Biggins!
It's a story that the greats of Holmes, Dicks and Adams would have applauded. It's perfect who right down to the action, you'll love it, the great exploration of classic who with the comedy which goes hand in hand with it. It'll please everyone. Stand Out of the rest of the cast outside the two TARDIS/ STARDIS crews is Matt Lucas as the Jelliod, it was written for him! The Best scene involves some a game of monopoly. Buy It, Colin is great, Bonnie is amazing. If you only listen to one Doctor Who Audio make it this, I'm sure it'll make you want more and more.
It's like a Doctor Who Panto, it's even got Biggins...
The Accents are rubbish, the aliens are crummy and facts are wrong (cause of the web of time), on paper this is a recipe for disaster but some Gatiss genius and perfect casting makes this a fun filled adventure. Gatiss says he didn't like the fact Americans put it down cause of the accents, fair point English just grit there teeth when the US shows do an awful English accent, I just got on with it and just enjoyed it. The aliens are perfect for the episode, we became used to 'nearly' unstoppable aliens that it seems stupid to have a rubbish set of invaders but it makes sense. Charley is on form in what feels like a small portion of the action but as always with Doctor Who, the Doctor is great. Paul proving that Gareth Roberts statement every Doctor has been right if it goes wrong it's not cause of them. The idea is great and the plot carries ok through the story. So if you want the whole the invaders are unstoppable game, this ain't for you but if you want a laugh and a romp of rubbish aliens and great performances then this is for you. It's not amazing but highly enjoyable and not bad.
| What: | Solitaire (The Companion Chronicles audiobooks) |
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| By: | David Thomas, Liverpool |
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| Date: | Monday 2 August 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I love India Fisher as Charley so was thrilled she came back to do this CC. It is one of the best too with David Baillie also on fine form. Totally recommended.
This story brings this trilogy to end and very successful it is too. Great to hear John Leeson as K9 too and Louise Jameson excellent as ever.
One really should review the whole "Hornet's Nest" fiasco instead of just each one part at a time. That said, here goes part one. Fans will go dewlally at the return of Tom Baker, so many will likely ignore the obvious weaknesses of the story and realization. Just why Paul Magrs is called "acclaimed" I have no idea. Though set in the 21st century (other parts have trips back in time), the whole thing has a 19th century feel to it. It opens with narration from Mike Yates, taking a train ride to meet someone in response to a mysterious newspaper ad. Immediately, one is plunged into 19th-century dialogue and storytelling technique, with a slowly developed exposition. Apparently, Magrs just loves the word "benighted." He finds out that the Doctor, incarnation 4, placed the ad, though why he just couldn't use the phone or the internet becomes the first of many unanswered questions, but again, one must remember that Magrs really wants this to be 19th century. So, the Doctor is living in a country cottage, and has a strange housekeeper something like Mrs. Danvers from "Rebecca," but without the obsession. Strange goings on happening, haunted house style, provide excuse number one for what will be a sequence of awkward plot "developments" meant primarily to provide some character with the occasion to do some storytelling. And tell they do. One of the main weaknesses is that the whole thing is more narrated than dramatized. Again, this is all 19th century storytelling, like "Wuthering Heights," wherein a narrator goes to a strange house, in which strange doings are afoot, and then gets told in backstory what it is all about by other characters who take over the narrator role. The first part of the backstory itself is fine enough, typical UNIT type Doctor Who with animated stuffed animals terrorizing locals and only the Doctor to figure out how to stop it. However, the telling of most of it instead of the dramatizing of it reduces the tension and drags out the story, especially when all the narrating is in languid 19th century elocution. I am not quite sure what the BBC producers of this series were really thinking to accomplish.
| What: | Cobwebs (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | writingbluebear, jersey |
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| Date: | Wednesday 28 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
It's great to have the old gang back together all bumbling around fighting and squabbling with each other. Without giving it away the crew are brought back together smoothly and believably, quickly thrown into a fast story that gets you thinking how will it end. Nyssa stands out in the story and the plot is perfect for her, it would have been a 10 but the ending was a little to easy in parts for me.
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 | Making Ace having is difficult |
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Rapture starts off in typical style, with the compelling idea Ace has finally had enough of all the doctors tricks and watching people die. But this strong start in parts one and two, quickly tumbles into a weak fumbling plot which just seems to ramble on. Whilst good to finally see Ace's long standing subplot resolved, she is ready to start moving on, but Rapture is just a bad story.
| What: | Adventures in Time and Space (Miscellaneous annuals) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 23 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
I enjoyed this book alot more than the normal annuals because i was full of stories and it didnt have all the fill up bits like quizzes and pages and such I thought it was a good read with stories from different Doctor's.
| What: | Winter for the Adept (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
I thought this story started out Ok I was enjoying listening to it Nyssa is quite good on these audio adventures but I didnt like the ending I think they could have left aliens out of this because they didnt really play much of a part until the end and then I thought that was rushed and badly finished, but I enjoyed the rest of the story.
| What: | Phantasmagoria (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I loved the way they didnt reveal the mystery until the end, it seemed a bit out of character for Turlough wihich can only be good instead of him standing about complaining he gets his own part of the story and might have been better on the TV series if hewas given the chance one thing that I couldnt understand was when ( Lovemore/The Maid ) was talking to people before going after Valentine telling them I think ive found them Ill try to meet him, then when they found him says she was on a revenge mission alone and didnt contact anyone after that. when I was listening to this I could vision the Fourth Doctor doing this story very well, but Peter did it very well and I did enjoy it.
| What: | The Architects of History (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Steve Lyons is a really good writer for Doctor Who. He seems to know exactly how to make me really interested in everyone of his tales for Big Finish. Competent and believable tales with big themes running throughout. This tale really feels like an epic ending to the Klein trilogy.
And at last we get the brilliant shark heads! The selachians were my fav monster in Steve's previous novels The Murder Game and The Final Sanction. They could and should have been included in the original series. Pity they were thought of after it had already been stupidly removed from our screens. They are a very brutish and appetising race.
What also grabs the attention is the usual likeable characters that Steve pens. Rachel and her friend are two rather sad individuals. You feel genuinely upset at their fate towards the end of the story.
I am sad though that this is the last story of the Klein trilogy. This could have gone on for so much longer. Tracey was brilliant as Klein. Despite the fact that she is nazi you cant help but find her not the usual 2d ranter youd expect a nazi to be characterised as. This was just taking off as a brilliant story arc and then it comes crashing to a halt.
And the final scene is actually very confusing for me. So what happened after the Doc took Klein away once more in his TARDIS? Are we supposed to believe she joined UNIT? Or is it a totally new timeline that the Doc has fiddled with? I find this last scene confusing in what is otherwise a brilliant and exciting tale. Can someone explain it to me cause I think I may be a bit dumb...
| What: | A Thousand Tiny Wings (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
...that this is a rare kind of story. It may not be absolutely brimming with action all the way through. It is more focused on unravelling at an easy pace and is therefore very easy to follow.
The return of Tracey as Klein is such a good idea. The Cayliss happen to be a really interesting and different race of aliens. Rather pretty but deadly hummingbirds from another planet.
This also is highly atmospheric. The sound score is paticualrly impressive, giving a real feel of this being in the middle of Africa. The plot is easy to follow and so that is another good thing.
Sylvester Mccoy and Tracey make this story though. They roll off each other in really good ways. And all the characters here are interesting and well acted by all those involved.
Yet again just a little grating evolution talk once more. Gets a little boring after a while. But apart from this this story is highly recommendable. One of the best audio stories from Big Finish in recent months. A real creepy tale.
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| Beginning to think im strange.... |
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| What: | The Robots of Death (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
I am starting to wonder if im wierd or something. Because it seems to me that a lot of Doctor Who stories people rave about around me to me just seem to drag on tediously and arent really all that entertaining.
The Robots Of Death is another one of those tales to me. its nothing to do with the acting or the design. the voc robots are very impressive indeed. But the plot just seems like another one of those easily figured out who dunnits. Whilst David Bailie is brilliant as Dask, he isnt enough to keep the story from being tepid and strained. It is probably just me, but this story is boring. It doesnt fall apart in the last episode like in Pyramids Of Mars, but it is still another let down for me. I just cant get into it in the massive way so many others have.
| What: | The Dominators (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Patrick Troughton has always been my favourite man in the role of the Doctor. It is his childlike entusiasm and wonderful comic timing that make him shine.
They say that The Dominators is one of the very worst examples of Doctor Who in Pat's time. But I would not agree with this statement in any way at all.
There is so I enjoy about this underrated story. The first is plot. Unlike quite a few Doctor Whos it is not overly complicated, and unfolds at an acceptable and followable rate.
The action scenes are well done, as are the explosions. The typical high standard of recording from the BBC.
And in this story for me the characters are all likeable and well defined. There is no deeper than deep something or other lurking in the wings to spoil the flow of everything.
The Quarks too are quite a lovely design. Some may say they are childish and rediculous, but I just find them pretty camp and amusing. Its no wonder they were so popular in the magazines of Doctor Who for so long.
And Ronald Allen and Geoffery Ives are excellent as the two squabbling and officious Dominators. Good to see a bit of depth to a villian and some in fighting. Quite a few aliens in Doctor who are all just single minded. But here not so.
And theres even the appearance by Brian Cant. Now with all these elements the story sint bad at all. So, the skirts the blokes are all wearing may not be very flattering to the male physique, but everyone just gets on with it and the story is better for it.
This story sums up all i love about the series. Good plot, decent dialogue, and good acting by all those involved. Let me say id rate this story over Pyramids Of Mars and The Brain of Morbius at any rate.
Thanks for doing this story all you guys back then in 1968!!! Its appreciated.
| What: | Castle of Fear (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Phil , London |
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| Date: | Saturday 17 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 2 |
Well enough played but laborious comedy.
| What: | Storm Warning (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Andrew Shaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 16 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
I was apprehensive at first about the 8th Drs return especially his first story nut I did enjoy it and thought he played the Dr very well I found it hard to get into at first but then I got into it I thought they could have left the Vortisaur bit out and changed that bit and I thought Charley a good character but would she really be bossing about and arguing with special agents and army officers.
An almost total Rip Off of Seeds of Doom.
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| Well....not a total hit series... |
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| What: | Series 5: Volume 1 (BBC new series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 15 July 2010 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
But Matt Smith is an excellent Doctor, that much cannot be disputed. Just sad that first the THE ELEVENTH HOUR and then that shoddy and oathetic finale were such tripe.
The Eleventh Hour isnt as bad as the finale though. It does boast some good scenes, like the food scenes for a start. But otherwise what the hell does Prisoner Zero do other than stand about hissing at people? It does scrap all else along the way. So it takes on the image of a man and a dog..wow, highly original stuff I must say...NOT. I am surprised that after the brilliance of BLINK and Silence in the Library Steven Moffat should come out with pure nearly disastrous rubbish. The only thing that saves this story at all is the nice hark back to the past foes and Doctors scene, and Matt and Karen's acting. Otherwise this story is tedious and totally forgettable.
Thank goodness the series really picks up with THE BEAST BELOW, one of the best examples of the new series, and basically one of the few of them not to suffer from many bad elements along the way. This is a classic tale. The Star Whale is sadly only seen at the very end of the tale though, the one bad thing about it. But it is a lovely looking creature. The plot runs along at an engaging and brillaint pace though. The sick scene is good fun and this is what the new series should have been more like: very entertaining with a good storyline to go with it.
And then we come to the only just about good Victory of The Daleks. They copy almost word for word there statements in power of the daleks, doing the same deception all over again, making sure humans believe them to be on their side and then change as soon as the Doctor turns up. And yet again no one believes him until its too late. And then we get spitfires in space...well, didnt Mark already write something similar in his bbc novel Last of the Gaderene? Well, maybe im just too picky but please stop just reusing elements of the past and think of something new. The daleks slatted new sections make them look like christmas trees in all. The normal battle daleks are far better and more mean looking than these techinclour oafs. What saves this tale again is mostly the acting of all involved. Sad that overall this first set is such a let down. And for the rest of the series its just as up anf down im afraid in my opinion....
