Tag: doctor-who

Doctor Who Audio Review: Once the Doctor, Now The Wild Card

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The War Doctor Rises: Unknown Soldiers continues the intriguing set of adventures in which the incarnation known as the War Doctor continues his participation in the all-encompassing Time War in this range of Doctor Who audio plays presented by Big Finish Productions. Timothy X. Atack is the scriptwriter with Helen Goldwyn returning to the director’s chair.

Jonathon Carley resumes his efforts to portray this darker version of the Doctor and continues to perfect his impression of the late John Hurt, who originally portrayed the part onscreen and did his own set of audio plays not long before his death.

The Daleks are once again voiced by the incomparable Nicholas Briggs. Isla Pars, Andrew James Spooner, Phillipe Bosher, Simon Kane, Amanda Shodeko, and Adam Martyn make up the talented guest cast.

The War Doctor gains a new moniker, Wild Card, as he is recruited by fellow Time Lords and a ragtag group of fighters as they hunt for someone known as the Blind Bomb Maker. For once, the War Doctor isn’t calling the shots, but he is instrumental in this latest stage in the Time War. He was not renamed Wild Card without reason.

The story is a bit long and somewhat complicated for audio format; however, it is still a worthwhile experience because of Carley’s continued excellence in this role. The war Doctor being part of a somewhat strange unit that includes a talking squirrel-like creature seems kind of unusual. Now that I write this, it sort of gives off Guardians of the Galaxy vibes.

There is also an exiled Time Lord who is known as a traitor, but her memories have been partially erased where she cannot explain why she committed a supposedly treasonous act. There is a dying Movellan with a cheeky attitude, which is rather strange since that is an android race.

Atack provides a pretty intriguing group of companions for the War Doctor. The War Doctor not quite in the lead is rather unusual, but I found that it gives the expectations a needed shake-up. Fans shouldn’t worry because he still gets plenty to do and does help drive the story considerably.

Anyway, it’s another solid addition to the range and a nice feather in Big Finish’s cap.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Turlough Rejoins The TARDIS With A Different Doctor At The Console

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who-Expulsion is another audio boxset released by Big Finish Productions featuring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant picking up another one of the Doctor’s more intriguing former companions. Samuel Clemens and Scott Handcock share directing duties for this trilogy of episodes in which Mark Strickson reprises his role of Turlough.

I often get weary of the tendency to the practice of mixing up Doctors and their traditional companions, but I make exceptions when Turlough makes an unexpected appearance. How he reacts to this particular version of the Doctor is quite a treat, although they do find some equilibrium in their relationship as the stories unfold.

Nev Fountain begins this collection with The Reckoning which has Eve Winters and Nigel Fairs lending their voices as the guest cast. The TARDIS is forced to materialize in seventeenth century France where they encounter the famed playwright, Christopher Marlowe. Kit Marlowe has somehow lived well beyond the point where history records his death. A deal has been made, and Turlough seems poised to betray the Doctor.

It’s a pretty strong opening, but the return of Turlough seems to almost guarantee a promising bit of entertainment. The situation is not quite what it seems, and the solution is a sort of anti-climactic. Still, the performances make up for the flaws. Winters’ performance of the mysterious Tess is actually pretty memorable.

Turlough seems to be back to keeping secrets, but it seems understandable since he has to reestablish some trust with a Doctor that seems unrecognizable to him.

It’s still an enjoyable episode and offers a promising start to this collection.

A Crucible of Queens has the TARDIS crew in fifteenth century France during the conflicts between the French and England. The Doctor is asked to examine a king who has apparently lost his mind. Turlough has befriended a French heir to the crown. Two empires at odds are about to make history, and the Doctor has to make sure that it runs as it should while trying to reunite his friends.

Debbier Chazen, Julie Dray, Narayan David Hector, and Laurent Lafuma are included in this production as the guest cast.

This story served well enough as what fans call the “purely historical” addition. I liked that Big Finish actually cast French actors for this one as opposed to using those who try to emulate the accent. It does give some insight into some likely overlooked historical events.

Baker, Bryant, and Strickson continue to hit the right marks when it comes to the continued portrayals of well-known characters.

I didn’t find the story itself all that memorable, but it was by no means a terrible addition.

Finally, we get a return to Viking lore with Julian Richards serving up The Curse of the Duergar. An accursed sword is at the center with a malignant entity able to control minds, even the Doctor’s.

Lara Lemons and Daniel Hawksford are included in the guest cast.

There is an interesting performance from as there is an audio glimpse of a previous Doctor. Turlough still has secrets but seems to have finally come around to accepting this Doctor as an ally.

Overall, the return of Turlough is what makes this set a treat. The stories are fine but exactly ones that are expected to be considered classics, in my opinion.

It looks like we have Turlough around for a bit more in a future release, and I am still up for that ride..

Big Finish Audio Review: Jago & Litefoot In The Twentieth Century

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Jago & Litefoot Series Five contains four audio plays featuring the two Victorian gentlemen with a knack for finding the most unearthly adventures after their first encounter with the Time Lord known as the Doctor. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter are reunited within the studios of Big Finish Productions to continue their adventures as the theatrical Henry Gordon Jago and the crusading intellectual, Professor George Litefoot. Lisa Bowerman directs this set as well as continuing her portrayal of their trusted and now seemingly immortal friend, Ellie Higson.

Jago and Litefoot were last known to be traveling briefly with the Sixth Doctor when they were dropped off back in their familiar surroundings of the Red Tavern. After the Doctor bid his farewells and left, they realize that they were misplaced several decades into their future which is now well into the twentieth century. They encounter their old friend, Ellie Higson, who has not seemed to have an aged a minute since their last encounter. It is 1968, Jago is a television star, and Litefoot is running a modest antique bookstore. As usual with these two, trouble still is lurking in the shadows, and the pair of displaced Victorians find themselves once again preserving the future of London, if not the whole world.

Big Finish has once again assembled a formidable guest cast to either help or hinder the efforts of the duo. Ken Bones, Raquel Cassidy, Chook Sibtain, Duncan Wisbey, and Jamie Newall are included in this engaging collection of audio plays.

The stalwart and engaging Jonathan Morris starts off this set with The Age of Revolution in which the story the begins several months into Jago and Litefoot’s temporal exile in 1968. As it happens, they have made the most of their unusual circumstances, with the aid of their friend Ellie, who has avoided the more severe consequences of old age. She has become a successful restauranter and member of polite society while still maintaining her more endearing and selfless qualities. Jago has become a popular television host while Litefoot has been able to indulge his more cerebral pursuits running an old bookshop. A detective is investigating a strange disappearance and meets Jago and Litefoot. They recognize the detective as a descendant of an old ally from their Victorian days. A lot of this story sort of explains in flashbacks how Jago and Litefoot adjusted so agreeably to their new surroundings. In the meantime, a new enemy is the beginning of new and supernatural troubles gathering to challenge the resolve of Jago and Litefoot.

Morris has some interesting things going on and does a good job of catching the listener up as to how Jago and Litefoot are coping in their new situation. Baxter and Benjamin continue to exercise their chemistry with their usual aplomb. It isn’t the most memorable of plots, but it serves well enough to orientate the audience as to the unusual circumstances the protagonists find themselves.

Another prolific Big Finish contributor, Marc Platt, serves up The Case of the Garrulous Guru. in which Jago’s impressive appetite works against him as he belches his way through this investigation of apparently food that consumes the eater from within. Litefoot once again has to save his friend from his own indulgences.

This is apparently meant to be the more humorous of the episodes and mostly works. The belching and carrying-on do get a little distracting. Jago is a naturally bombastic and exaggerated character, but he gets to be a little too much here. It’s also another story where Jago falls under some malign influence and needs to have his fat pulled from the fire. Platt is still an interesting and properly venerated writer for Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, but this story tested my patience a bit.

The more interesting episode to follow is The Bloodchild Codex by Colin Brake. There is a secret book of spells that is said to bring immortality to those understand it. A malevolent figure from before the time of Jago and Litefoot is about to return, and more adversaries are becoming more obvious to the intrepid pair of Victorians.

This one is probably my favorite out of this set. The premise is not that original, but it still works well. Jago and Litefoot really come off well. They are both displaying their unique courage, even though Jago is still the same cowardly clown who somehow manages to come through in a pinch. Brake finds the right balance of menace and humor with this one, and how Jago and Litefoot sort of cope with these supposedly terrible occurrences remain as admirably amusing as ever.

Finally, Justin Richards brings the curtain with The Final Act, in which all sorts of old foes have come back from the dead or had only been inert. This turns out to be a pretty shameless sequel to the Doctor Who serial that introduced the audience to this pair, The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Richards is one of my favorite writers in this world, and he does elevate a story which could be dismissed as a sort of expected trope and still makes it pretty engaging. It’s not exactly hard to predict how things are going to wrap up for Jago and Litefoot, but Richards still make this worth the time.

This set a solid continuation that manages to avoid having any real failures on the whole. Some stories work better than others, but the characters have become so vivid and entertaining that much can be forgiven.

The fifth series of Jago & Litefoot is not without some flaws, but it remains engaging enough to keep me motivated to purchase the next one.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Time War Would Indeed Be Hard To Chart

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Pursuit is a reasonably entertaining audio boxset which is the second volume in the series known as Time War Uncharted. Paul McGann is back before the microphone in the Big Finish studio. The set was directed by Ken Bentley and is comprised of four episodes. The Eighth Doctor has had his TARDIS stolen by his great-grandson, Alex Campbell, played by Sunny McGann. Emma Campbell-Jones returns as Cass, who is accompanying Alex on his escapade separated from the Doctor.

The mysterious Hieronyma Friend, whose face is often changing, is played by Lizzie Hopley and then Niky Wardley. Friend seems to be in the employ of someone or something else and seems to shift from being an ally to an adversary. Either way, the Doctor needs to remain wary.

Dan Starkey returns as various Sontarans encountered throughout the set. Sontarans are apparently now Time Lords as a consequence of the Doctor’s meanderings through different realities. A Time War does strange things to the universe, and even the Doctor will have a challenging time keeping up with the sudden shifts in reality.

As mentioned before, there are four episodes that should be given some brief impressions.

Spoil of War is written by Mark Wright and brings Alex and Cass to an estate where an unusual auction is about to take place. The Doctor and Friend are on their trail but have problems of their own. The Time Lords are now Sontarans. The Doctor is about to discover bow navigating the consequences of the Time War is going to throw many obstacles in his pursuit of his stolen TARDIS and his renegade great-grandson.

Once again, the performances make an otherwise average story a little more enjoyable. The strange relationship between Friend and the Doctor provides enough intrigue to keep one engaged, but I find the plot somewhat unmemorable.

The Tale of Alex by Katherine Armitage sort of sets up Alex as taking up the legendary mantle of the Doctor. Sam Stafford is on hand as a kind of bard and narrator and does a good job with it.

It’s kind of an obligatory offbeat sort of story but has the sense of being done before. Armitage still manages to have a story that feels overdone because we have heard this type of poetic narrations before. She does a good job with it, but it does not come off as original as intended.

James Moran dips a bit more into the spookier aspects of the series with See-Saw with another sometimes-overdone trope with creepy children reciting whispering nursery rhymes. Alex and Cass sole the mystery alongside the Doctor and Friend without being able to see of communicate with each other, which is actually quite intriguing. I sort of like creepy tropes in Doctor Who, and this episode is probably the one that gripped me the most. It’s actually a pretty clever idea in spite of some of the story elements having a history of being overused.

Finally, Tim Foley brings this collection home with The First Forest. John Ramm plays a strange hermit type character who finds an injured Alex, who is separated from Cass. The Doctor and Friend finally find Alex and are close to the purloined TARDIS. Of course, more mysteries are revealed even when the Doctor accomplishes an important goal.

This was a little mid of a muddled episode, but the performances and the climactic encounters make the time well spent.

On the whole, it was an enjoyable but unremarkable set. This series in which we get to experience the Eighth Doctor’s somewhat limited participation in the Time War is a fascinating venture. Of course, he will become more active when he regenerates into the shunned incarnation known to us fans as the War Doctor. Paul McGann is a still a joy to hear in these episodes.

I don’t know how one can chart a course through a Time War, but I am still enjoying the ride.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Miracles, Time Loops, And Fools

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Helter Skelter is the latest Doctor Who audio boxset to feature Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor released from the incredibly prolific Big Finish Productions. The director is Ken Bentley, and listeners get the added treat of having Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson reunited as companions, Tegan and Turlough.

Other cast members include Jack Barton, Paul Cottle, Helen Pearson, and Emily Woodward.

This set does have the Doctor and his friends facing some new adversaries, so that’s a good start. The first and third stories are interlinked, which is evident in that the script writers were Lauren Mooney and Stuart Pringle.

They kick this collection off with Field of Miracles in which the Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough arrive in a small English village in 1951. Things seem to be going a little too well for the people there in a nation that should still be recovery from the Second World War. All sorts of wishes are granted, including the return of those who have died. Of course, there is a terrible price to be paid for these miracles, and the Doctor encounters a malevolent alien presence that is too pleased to collect.

The story is a pretty good idea, although something like this has been explored before in the genre. The leads are continuing to put forth compelling performances, as expected. The chemistry between the TARDIS crew still carries the story confidently in spite of any questionable choices. I wouldn’t judge it to be a standout episode, but pleasant and engaging enough for me to not to be terribly harsh in my opinion. Mooney and Pringle manage to prove themselves to be reliable enough for me to stay interested in their contributions to the series.

Helter Skelter is next on the list. This was written by James Moran. The Doctor’s efforts to take his friends on a holiday are thwarted by the bio-engineered planet and amusement park getting blown up with them on it. Then the day resets, and Tegan Jovanka is the only one who recognizes they are caught in a time loop.

Another story that is amusing because we have a bit of a role reversal with the Doctor being a bit more in the dark than usual. It’s Tegan who recognizes the problem and has to steer her friends toward the resolution of this time loop. It’s another fun and interesting notion that has frankly been a bit overdone. Fielding does get to have fun with Tegan’s seemingly natural state of exasperation. Ultimately, the Doctor does save the day, which I hope isn’t too much of a spoiler, but I was relieved that some traditions were spared in this episode.

It has some amusing moments and performances throughout the episode, but it still is not likely going to resonate all that deeply with the listeners.

Finally, the Doctor and his companions encounter the wish-granting aliens from the first episode in Land of Fools, once again written by Lauren Mooney and Stuart Pringle.

The TARDIS arrives in London, 1980, where Tegan realizes she can say good-bye to a friend who died then. Some new company seems to be running things around there, and London seems to be in some kind of restricted state. The team is split up, and the Doctor starts to realize that some recently encountered enemies have cropped up again.

This story is actually pretty good and serves as nice conclusion to this set. I didn’t find the Asteri to be all that compelling because they were described as crystalline, and it was hard to picture them in the imagination. There were some moments that were more emotionally significant.

As a whole, this release is fine to add to the collection, but not much of it stood out. As Peter Davison ages, it does get harder to imagine him as he appeared onscreen during his era. His performance is still fine, but that aged raspiness he has developed is a little distracting. I still look forward to his participation and hopes he has more scripts heading his way than he knows what to do with.

I am not sure we have had the joy of having Turlough and Tegan together on their own before. There was a series with them alongside Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, but that was not onscreen. It was pretty cool to revisit that era because they are a favorite TARDIS team of mine.

Helter Skelter didn’t quite hit the ranks of phenomenal storytelling, but it sure was not anywhere near the rubbish heap. There is still much to enjoy.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Doctor Always Shatters The Illusions

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Beware the City Of Illusions is a pretty compelling Doctor Who audio play from Big Finish Productions and is likely to be one my favorite First Doctor adventures. Nicholas Briggs has written an interesting script which he also directed. He also composed the score.

Stephen Noonan is back with his rendition of the First Doctor, in which he channels the distinctive vocal peculiarities of the late William Hartnell. He is joined by Lauren Cornelius as an older version of Dodo Chaplet, who was originally portrayed by the late Jackie Lane. Anneke Wills reprises her role of Polly Wright. Other cast members include Barnaby Edwards, Amy Rockson, Becky Wright, and Anna Crichlow. Briggs even manages to get a little bit part as well. The guy is everywhere on this one, which is by no means a complaint.

The Doctor has been whisked from his TARDIS and is apparently floating around the time vortex when he is deposited on Earth where he encounters a companion he has yet to meet from his point of view. Polly Wright is doing some work for the British government in her later years and is investigating a city that is designed to lower carbon emissions or something supposedly environmentally beneficial. Of course, it seems too good to be true, and the Doctor is caught up in the investigations. Also, Dodo Chaplet is also involved and has a secret alliance with Polly, who are acting on a cryptic warning the Doctor once gave a long time ago. There is a peculiar benefactor who seems to have an agenda that is not as friendly to the human race despite appearances. The Doctor may not know the reason for his strange warning himself, but he is soon to find out and has two friends to back him up, even if he has yet to recognize one of them.

This particular episode deals with elements that come up more in recent years as far as the plot goes, but Briggs knows Doctor Who enough to make this work. He does a good job of making this version of the Doctor somewhat sharper than he often appeared onscreen, but he still manages to keep him quite familiar. Noonan’s impression of Hartnell’s impression is getting better. He can’t quite sound exactly like Hartnell, but that’s getting more forgivable with each performance in these audios. It is also fair to expect that Noonan will add some of his distinctive style into the performance. The writing is also good enough to allow me to just enjoy the ride without being overly critical. Noonan is said to really study Hartnell’s performance each time he is commissioned to do one of these things, and that does show. Even if the First Doctor isn’t quite my favorite, I still have found plenty to enjoy in that era immensely, and I look forward to hearing the next installment in this range.

The story is a somewhat standard science fiction trope of an intended utopia going off the rails, but Briggs does a good job with it. The inclusion of both Polly and Dodo, albeit older, is also quite charming and done with a certain audacious creativity that I can respect.

Crichlow plays a character named Lillian Maggs, who was Polly’s assistant and friend, and had the right amount to spunk to spark with the Doctor. She was another sarcastic, likeable woman who seems to get a little overused in this series, but I couldn’t help but enjoy her banter with Polly, and eventually with the Doctor.

The Doctor displayed his usual crustiness and suspicion, but he also came across as shrewder than he was often written, and I found myself enjoying that. Noonan also does intentionally throw in some of the gaffes that Hartnell was known for in the original series, but it seems less distracting here.

It’s a long story, but Briggs manages to avoid most of the traps that tend to lead to a dragging middle. He writes it well enough for me to just enjoy being in this Doctor’s orbit without sweating any potential plot holes.

Anyway, this particular audio experience is likely one of the stronger ones to come out this year, which is usually how I feel about a Nick Briggs script.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Even The Short Trips Can Be Hazardous

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Short Trip Rarities is a collection of audio short stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, as played by Paul McGann. McGann isn’t really in these since they are narrated by a pair of compelling performers. These stories were previously released only to Big Finish Productions subscribers. Hugh Ross narrates the first one while Stephen Critchlow relates the remaining three.

Late Night Shopping by Matt Fitton has the Doctor and Lucie Miller help a shop worker fend off some peculiar alien tomatoes or something like that. It’s a strange yet amusing tale. There’s not much very notable here, but at least it wasn’t terrible.

The Caves of Erith by Alice Cavender has the Doctor and Lucie spending Christmas at a remote village. There are some strange bats living nearby, and the innkeeper has a secret of his own.

This story was a little better. Steven Critchlow is a talented enough narrator. He has shown up in much of Big Finish’s works.

Tuesday by Tony Jones has the Doctor reunited with an old friend in the shape of Harry Sullivan, however Sullivan has no recollection of his previous encounters with the Time Lord. Also, this is no ordinary Tuesday. It is supposed to be Christmas, but that doesn’t appear to exist either.

I am not one who needs to have old companions revisited all the time, but I sort of liked this meeting. Harry is older and maybe a little wiser but still familiar. Jones did a good job imagining Harry at a different stage in life than what was seen onscreen.

Finally, Paul Starkey’s An Ocean of Sawdust brings this set to a close. The TARDIS brings the Time Lord to a young boy’s bedroom where a wooden eel acts as the flooring, and the boy won’t get off his bed, which he treats as a life raft. The Doctor may be trapped in someone’s imagination and is not sure how to return to reality.

A rather imaginatively surreal story is presented here that is a little hard to conjure in one’s mind.

This is a reasonably entertaining release, but there is nothing that really stands out here.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Hearts Can Be The Hardest To Mend

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Broken Hearts is a pretty good audio play from Big Finish Productions with only two performers in the shape of Jacob Dudman and Safiyya Ingar. Lisa McMullin is the writer of the script which has Helen Goldwyn skillfully leading the production as director.

Jacob Dudman is winding down his time as the Eleventh Doctor, who was initially portrayed by Matt Smith. Ingar portrays cybernetic companion, Valerie Lockwood, and also puts forth a powerful performance.

Dudman and Ingar also portray two search and rescue robots on a desolate planet which was once visited by an earlier incarnation of the Doctor. Recent adventures have fractured the friendship between Valerie and the Time Lord, and they have the time during their own investigation of a distress signal to come to terms with heartbreaking decisions that were made.

Dudman gives a phenomenal impression of Matt Smith’s unique take on the Doctor giving Ingar plenty to play against in her own performance. Valerie is a Big Finish creation, and the writers did a pretty good job with this one.

The cast also portrays a couple of robots dubbed Lionel and Augustus, whose relationship is supposed to kind of mirror the Doctor’s and his companion. It’s a somewhat intimate performance with a pair of actors who have been recording together for some time, which is coming to a close as the range goes into other directions.’

There is another moment which is often repeated in the series, in which the Doctor reminds his companion of the tragedies he had witnessed during the Time War and the terrible decision he was forced to make which resulted in the destruction of his own people. Dudman hits that moment out of the park as he portrays the boundless sorrow and pain the Doctor still lives with in spite of his cheery and reckless manner.

Ingar gets her fair share of heart-wrenching moments as well which compels me to agree with the Doctor’s sentiment stated to his TARDIS that he doubts he would ever be ready to say good-bye to Valerie Lockwood.

It’s a poignant interlude in the Eleventh Doctor range and gives two fine performers a deserved moment to shine together before the curtain call.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Will The Real Liz Shaw Please Stand up?

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Imposters is a Doctor Who audio drama which turned out to be a pretty average story featuring the Third Doctor with Tim Treloar in the role originated by the late Jon Pertwee. Long-time contributor Alan Barnes is the author and is talented enough to avoid turning in something truly awful, but this just isn’t one of the better ones. Nicholas Briggs has returned to the director’s seat, which is also likely why I was able to get some enjoyment in spite of some reservations about this particular release.

Treloar is joined by Daisy Ashford, Sadie Miller, and Jon Culshaw in their respective roles of Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, and Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, who were also initially played by actors who have been deceased for some time.

Other cast members include Grace Darling, Simon Kane, Mark Elstob, and Gary Turner.

The Brigadier and the Doctor are trying to trace some stolen advanced technology and find themselves embroiled in a peculiar plot involving an egotistical schoolgirl, a gregarious wrestling star with abilities that were not taught on Earth, and a dubious military officer from France. There is more than one alien invasion afoot this time, and Doctor finds himself in the midst of a battle in which the attacks are threatening from all manner of directions. He also encounters an old friend in the shape of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw who doesn’t appear to be herself. She may not be the only Liz Shaw in the midst of this unearthly trouble.

I am basically of the opinion that there was a bit too much going on in this story to be all that coherent for an audio release, at least on the first listening experience.

The performances were outstanding from both the main cast and the guest actors. Big Finish never seems to fall short when it comes to finding talent. Treloar continues to present a pretty convincing facsimile of Jon Pertwee’s vocal patterns. Daisy Ashford is playing the part of Liz Shaw, who was played by her own mother, and likely has an easier time replicating that initial performance by Caroline John. Sadie Miller is also doing well in her role as Sarah Jane Smith, which was originally played by her mother, the cherished Elisabeth Sladen. Jon Culshaw, who is known as a talented impressionist in England, is more than convincing as the Brigadier, initially portrayed by Nicholas Courtney.

Alan Barnes is an ambitious writer and likes to throw in a lot of conflicts in his scripts. I look forward to hearing more of his works, but this particular script felt a little too padded at times. I understand that he is trying to replicate the Pertwee era as close as he can while coming up with new plots. This episode just felt longer at times. The wrestler, Sam Samsonson, could be amusing at times, but I found that I was relieved he was not likely going to be a recurring character. I know that one needs to forgive a bit more over-the-top acting when it comes to audio, but I found this guy to be a little more wearying than usual.

The adventure was not devoid of charm and wit because Alan Barnes is still immensely imaginative and just a gifted writer. He understands Doctor Who in each era, which shows even in this script, which did not impress me as much as usual. Of course, the cast and post-production team are certainly reliable enough to keep the whole thing from being a disaster.

I certainly want more Third Doctor content and Alan Barnes’s input, but this story just kind of missed the mark for me but fortunately not by that much.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Case Of Choices

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins: Enemy Mine is another compelling audio play boxset with Jonathon Carley continuing his performance as the War Doctor, which was originated by the late John Hurt. Helen Goldwyn served as director for this collection of three episodes. Also, Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor, is included in the cast.

Ajjaz Awad continues in the role of the cybernetic hybrid known as Case who has been weaponized by both the Time Lords and the Daleks. Nicholas Briggs continues his role as all sorts of malevolent, scheming Daleks. Adele Anderson, Tiegan Byrn, Beth Chalmers, Louise Faulkner, David Monteith, and Becky Wright complete the talented cast.

Case herself has written the first episode entitled The Hybrid’s Choice. Case is in the custody of the Daleks and is encouraged to embrace that side of her nature. The Daleks now have a therapist for her. The War Doctor had thought she had died, but he soon learns the truth and tries to regain his former companion before she unleashes the full capacity of her weapons on the Time Lords.

It’s an interesting idea which stretches the Daleks’ capability for deception and manipulation. Awad gives an impressive performance. Carley continues to perfect his vocal impression of John Hurt. He also gives a compelling performance and continues to develop this hidden version of the Doctor, although we are not supposed to call him that anymore. It’s a great start to this little series.

Fear Nothing by Mark Wright continues the Time War. The War Doctor is recruited to captain a TARDIS dreadnought. Case is sent by the Daleks to assassinate a Time Lord asset. They are about to clash, and the War Doctor is as dangerous as he has ever been.

Wright has contributed to Doctor Who for many years, and this episode indicates that he should continue to add his talents to the mix. The War Doctor is finding himself in ever evolving alliances with his fellow Time Lords, who do not always trust this version of the renegade who is much more willing to engage in battle. The War Doctor also shows a complexity in that he wants so much to have a relationship like his previous selves did with their companions.

This is another strong entry into the set. Both the leads are engaging, and Case’s plight and emotional journey is fascinating to hear.

Finally, Matt Fitton closes out this set with Exit Strategy. The Dalek Time Strategist wants to have Case readjusted, and the War Doctor wants to rescue her even though the Time Lords want a more permanent resolution. Case gets to indulge in a fantasy in which she can interact with her other self before the enhancements that turned her into the Daleks’ most dangerous weapon. The War Doctor turns to another version of himself who has yet to become the Time Lords’ most effective warrior.

The conclusion to this set is quite thrilling a little heart-breaking. It’s always good to spend a little time with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. He has to help his future incarnation with extricating Case from the Daleks.

All three of the stories here are very engaging. The development of the character known as Case was fascinating. Carley does a bit more than impersonate Hurt’s peculiar voice and delivery and gives a powerful performance.

I was not sure I would enjoy this range as much since I was hesitant to deal with a version of the Doctor that was not known of until the fiftieth anniversary episode.

The War Doctor is done beginning, but he is soon to start rising.