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 | "Revive... the warriors!" |
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| What: | Beneath the Surface (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Huw Davies, Taunton, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 30 August 2009 |
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| Rating: |  10 |
Yes, we know - apparently Warriors of the Deep is rubbish. Well, I actually find it reasonably entertaining. More on that later, though...
'Doctor Who and the Silurians' is long by name, long by nature - the first of Season 6's 7-episoders. As highlighted in the super documentary What Lies Beneath it is a super portrayal of 1970s Britain, and with a homegrown threat this a reasonably unique story.
'The Sea Devils' is my personal favourite, simply because it is much more action-packed and fluid. The Navy's involvement boosts the story to the max, with hovercrafts, diving bells and warships taking to the sea to combat the Sea Devils, a cooler version of the Silurians from the depths of the ocean. Plus a welcome return from the Master - his Clangers scene is certainly not just that. Also a mention of "reversing the polarity of the neutron flow" - now we've never heard that before!
'Warriors of the Deep' isn't (in my opinion) as bad as everyone says - the Myrka is god awful, yes, but elements of the story are good, and considering this was broadcast in 1983 when nuclear strikes weren't exactly a distant fear it must have had an added sense of realism. My favourite of the extras package is the BBC Schools feature with Kjartan Poskitt about Doctor Who's visual effects, mainly because I met the guy recently - a fascinating chap.
| What: | The Three Doctors (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Huw Davies, Taunton, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 30 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
We all know the criticisms associated with The Three Doctors - that it's done for the sake of it, that the monsters look rubbish, that the sets are tacky.
This is all untrue. The simple fact is that The Three Doctors is exactly what it was originally conceived to be - classic Doctor Who. We have sets made of wood, Bessie, UNIT, the Time Lords, smatterings of continuity and real world references, and of course a gravel pit. The story of the Time Lord's power loss and the only help available being the Doctor's other selves works well and the blobby monster that kidnaps Ollis, Bessie and UNIT HQ is mysterious and in my mind effective.
The extras on this reasonably early release are OK, with several interviews; the one which sticks in my mind the most is the one with Patrick Troughton as the moment he started talking my sister fainted (she was having her first earrings put in at the time).
All in all, a good story, and for a 2003 release the extras are first class.
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| Remember remember - the 5th of November |
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An excellent book with wonderfully dynamic and written characters. Definitely recommended, one of the best new past Doctor adventures.
after recieving this book from amazon two days ago, i haven't put it down. an excellent storyline and classic 10th doctor style action. a must read.
| What: | The Eyeless (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Dean , West Midlands |
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| Date: | Wednesday 26 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I think that this is one of the best Doctor Who novels that i have read. The doctor on his own creates a new dynamic that has not been explored before. The mystery of the planet, the weapon and the eyeless is great throughout the book and come to a great climax at the end of the book.
The descriptions of the appearance and technology inside the fortress is great and really puts an image in the readers mind. The Eyeless make great enemies in the story and i would love for them to be brought into the TV series.
The tenth doctors personality is perfectly shown in this book as his fun and joking side is set against the stern and all knowing side that the doctor has.
A great read and an all round great story. Well worth a read 10/10
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| A mixed bag with a couple of stonkers |
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I have to say I wasn't looking forward to this, but I was really surprised. Scoring individually Mary was an outstanding 10, Benny a strong 9, Izzy a good 7 but Fitz an average 6. Overall really enjoyable and have listened to Benny and Mary several times.
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| Pace, energy, original, Excellent |
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Wirrn dawn has high energy and pace, although at the start very simular to a certain space bug movie, it is still fast and fun a great listen
| What: | The Burning (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Andy, Gosport , England |
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| Date: | Saturday 22 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
A fantastic and very bold new start for the EDAs, as the Doctor has no recollection of who he is or where he is from. The disposing of so much baggage that the books had built up is a breath of fresh air, and here we have a great 'jumping on' point for fans new to the book range.
A great setting, story and characters all make this book something to be thankful for.
Heartily recommended.
Disc One Mawdryn Undead 8/10
Fun Story but let down because it's confusing but great opening story for turlough
Disc Two Terminus 8/10
Interesting Idea but let down by a poor props but still a emotioninly goodbye of Nyssa
Disc Three Enlightment 10/10
Best story good for people who prefer modern who as it is modern acting
Disc Four Enlightment Special Edition 10/10
Makes a good story better
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| Robot Violence and Causality Loops |
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| What: | The Cannibalists (Eighth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 16 August 2009 |
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| Rating: |  8 |
The Doctor Who comics come to audio! Woo-hoo! But hold on. First, prepare yourself to endure what is some fairly disturbing violence at the opening, even if it's entirely among robots. Pretty nasty. Brought a few vague flashbacks to the original Iron Legion story in the comics (well, the original that made it to actual comic book format in my neck of the woods, anyway). This is some pretty crazy stuff here, sort of robot horror meets cyberpunk, playing out stuff you'd never expect on TV. In spite of the nastiness, the story shapes up into a fairly interesting one by the end, even offering a bit of inspiration to those who are dreamers, have seemingly silly pursuits or who are a bit different. Ah. If only having a real chance to change the world could be as easy as finding the Reset button...
Some good performances here, and a well-written story that reaches a satisfying end of its cycle in two episodes. An extra point for freshness and the gutsy move of producing this.
The Slow Empire is different and weird enough that it remains interesting throughout, despite some marring flaws. Personally, I found the Jamon de la Rocas first person parts tedious and repetitive, seeming to fill the word count rather than contribute much to the plot. And the plot needs some contribution. It's a little muddled at the end, and it could have benefited from being a little less rushed. Despite this, there is some good stuff here. The Doctor, Fitz and Anji are all written very well, and the wacky scenes on Goronos are very intriguing, as are the Collector, and the Vortex Wraith attack at the beginning. Although there is the feeling of something lacking at the novel's conclusion, it is still one of the better Doctor Who books and a perfectly acceptable read. And a few of the notes are pretty funny, too
| What: | The Angel of Scutari (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | KJ, Hrycek |
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| Date: | Thursday 13 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
10/10
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| Brilliant - will recommend any time |
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Brilliant - will recommend any time
| What: | Punchline (BBV Audio Adventures in Time and Space) |
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| By: | Dean, Melbourne, Australia |
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| Date: | Monday 10 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
This adventure is very much in the style of season 24. However, in this case the production crew get away with something that may have seemed very silly in the hands of JNT and crew. Stories that work better in audio format are always superior in my judgement.
There is nothing intrinsically bad about Planet of Giants. It works well in its truncated three part form and the story does not get very dull anywhere. The sets are good, and the regulars turn in good performances, even if the guest cast are fairly boring (although to be honest, the whole of their plot is not that entertaining). Despite these good points, and the occasional inventive streak, such as the Doctor and Susan climbing up inside a drainpipe and standing around in a sink, the story never feels particularly dramatic or important, especially as a season opener. Although at least the stakes are raised somewhat by Barbara being infected by the pesticide. Above average then, but nothing special.
Thakfully, I had held back on buying 3 of the 4 stories which had alreadly been released, so I only have a spare copy of Genesis. The Boxset is well laid out and the Big Finish audios are excellent and really fit in well with the Tv stories
| What: | The Scapegoat (Eighth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Tuesday 4 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
The Scapegoat starts out with mysterious strangeness, seeming to offer some promising intrigue. We then get some more good humor from Lucie, and a bit of shock value gore. From there, things get just plain strange and kind of hokey, and the spell wears off. The story is basically a little sci-fi twist on The Portrait of Dorian Gray, set in Nazi occupied France during WWII. Unfortunately, we are no longer entirely escaping the fake accents here (see my review of The Beast of Orlok), though they are still being mostly restrained. It is a change of pace to have a companion - Lucie Miller - who is actually a better comedic presence than the Doctor, but it works. Lucie's great ad-libbing on stage in part one calls for an extra point or so in the rating, but this story, with its alien goat people in WWII France, is one that left me a bit cold in the end...
| What: | Wartime (Miscellaneous direct-to-video spin-offs) |
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| By: | J, Suffolk |
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| Date: | Tuesday 4 August 2009 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
ok, so it's not perfect. the first thing which i believe suits the programme really well though was the fact is was roughly the same length as a who episode from the 1970s. the idea of incorporating characters from WHO was another excellent idea too. the only bad thing was the episode itself. the plot at the start is rather confusing, and the fact there are parts which go in slow-motion, and that the episode keeps going round and round the same location makes it boring. i would say that at least 5 minutes of the programme features the same material, repeated but marginally changed. the plot gets better towards the end when you start to understand what is going on, which is rather different than described on the video case.
but then, just when you think it's got really good, the last few seconds are rubbish. you would never see that sort of thing in WHO and it doesn't suit. perhaps, for a first attempt, it is not bad, but if you are intending to buy any reeltime productions, i would reccomend downtime and shakedown before war time.
a nice little piece though.
i thought COE was totally exceptional. i found episode 4 a little boring, but apart from that it was totally excellent. whether or not you saw the series on TV, this DVD is a reccomended buy.
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| Gripping Part 1, Strange Part 2 |
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| What: | Wirrn Dawn (Eighth Doctor Adventures audios) |
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| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
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| Date: | Friday 31 July 2009 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Part 1 of Wirrn Dawn really captures a bit of the feel of 70s Doctor Who, combining it with the newer Eighth Doctor elements for an interesting result. This is a very gripping episode, with some good action segments, great sound design, and genuinely humorous dialogue, in the midst of the deadly dangerous situations. The "blue button" shtick between Lucie and the Doctor in their space suits is laugh out loud funny!
When we get into the second episode, we know there's a particularly nasty thing happening to one of the characters, but the way the Doctor handles it, or doesn't, as it may be, seems to run counter to what we would expect from him. Or maybe it's his calm acceptance of what's happening that is so strange here. Is this bad writing, or is this simply stretching the Doctor's character in an interesting way? I'd be more inclined to say it's the latter, but somehow it leaves me with mixed feelings, and a mild sense of dissatisfaction with the ending...
