Tag: doctor-who

Doctor Who Audio Review: Turlough Makes His Choice

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Reunion is another collection of audio plays from Big Finish Productions that continues the rather intriguing series of adventures that has former companion, Turlough, return to the TARDIS alongside the Sixth Doctor and Peri. Turlough has to contend with a Doctor with an unfamiliar aspect and make his way back to his home planet in the throes of an invasion., He may first have to endure a couple of other adventures alongside before he faces the ultimate test of his loyalties.

Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant are reunited behind the microphones of Big Finish with Mark Strickson reprising his role as the complicated, and seemingly duplicitous Turlough which culminates in a homecoming fraught with peril. All of this is under the steady direction of Samuel Clemens

The first of the trilogy is Matthew Sweet’s Save the Date. The Doctor, Turlough, and Peri are in 1969 London and come across a rather unusual dating agency which seems to have an alien influence. Peri is hired on as a secretary while her friends take on the roles as very eligible bachelors looking for love in the deadliest places.

The guest cast is comprised of Annette Badland, Jo Castleton, and Faith Omole.

This episode kicks off with a more humorous tone. The Doctor does display a more tender side to his often-spiky persona, which Baker performs quite nicely.

It’s not the most remarkable of stories, but it’s a solid enough entry into this set. Turlough trying his hand at romance is also an amusing venture. Turlough, with of all of his complications, seems to have become a favorite companion of mine over the years. I am not one instinctively drawn to the idea of bringing back companions from other eras, but somehow the idea of pairing Turlough with a different Doctor does seem to work.

Writer Paul Sutton then follows up with Poison’s Reach in which the Doctor and his companions must prevent a catastrophe for a colony known as Freefall.

Rosie Jones and Charlotte Harris join the TARDIS crew as a couple of guest performers.

This episode really is the middle story and not all that memorable, Turlough does have an almost romantic relationship with a scientist, which does help spike the interest a little. Of course, the courage displayed by this woman does inspire Turlough to finally make a choice reveal a secret involving his own home.

The story is a key to that brings about the climax to this set in which the audience finally gets to join Turlough during a very complicated homecoming.

Finally, AK Benedict and Guy Adams bring us to the home stretch with Broken Home. Turlough;’s home planet has been invaded by another alien species, and he has brokered a deal which places the Doctor and his TARDIS in their hands. Turlough seems to have betrayed his home and his friends, but the Doctor gambles that his trust is not misplaced regardless of the complicated history between the two friends.

Ryan Gage and Rachel Atkins are included in this guest casr.

Turlough going back to his roots is a welcome addition to this set. The performances are great, and Strickson really gets to sink his teeth into this role.

Although some aspects of the ending are predictable and a bit trite, this story is still kind of a treat, The writers sort of fall short of convincing anyone that Turlough has actually gone that far off the rails, but Strickson still manages to keep one invested in the character.

Nicola Bryant does put forth a powerful performance when Peri really believes that her trust in Turlough has been in vain.

The relationship between the Doctor and Peri has really grown on me since this a period where Peri has rejoined the Time Lord after her abrupt and strange departure in The Trial of a Time Lord. She had lived as a warrior queen for a time and is much more mature than the precocious young woman which was first introduced to the television audience. Yet Big Finish and Bryant still manage to keep her familiar to the audience. She and the Doctor seem to have a much more comfortable and trusting relationship, and I find it quite refreshing.

Anyway, the audience gets to see Turlough take another exit bow, which isn’t too much of a spoiler, but I do hope this is still far from the last time Mark Strickson steps up to the microphone figuratively dons that familiar school blazer yet again.

Of course, I am also always game to have Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant take the helm of the TARDIS on their series of adventures.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Reality Without The Doctor Scarcely Bears Thinking About

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: The Haunted Windmill is an audio boxset from Big Finish Productions which has the Second Doctor, played by Michael Troughton, escape into an alternative reality where his various interventions in Earth’s troubles never happened. There are three episodes all written by Alan Barnes and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Troughton continues his efforts to channel the spirit of his late father, Patrick Troughton, and bring a fairly impressive vocal performance that at times almost matches the elder’s. Anyway, I really like the Second Doctor, and Barnes is a reliable writer who once again delivers a solid contribution to the lore.

Fraser Hines returns to the mic as Jamie McCrimmon and a descendent of his, who is revealed. Wendy Padbury is also on deck, returning as Zoe Herriot. Other familiar characters from the Doctor’s past also gather around him in spite of the unfamiliar circumstances.

Also, this TARDIS team has picked up another companion in the form of the Time Lady, known as Raven, who is portrayed by Emma Noakes. Raven has been a presence for a little while in the Second Doctor Adventures, and she has been growing on me.

To be clear, this is a period after the Doctor was sentenced to exile in The War Games but before that sentence was actually carried out. He has yet to regenerate into his third incarnation. He has been reunited with Jamie and Zoe who are now older in this range.

Anyway, Alan Barnes usually comes through with some entertaining and pulls it off yet again.

The Haunted Windmill starts off with the Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, and Raven don’t want to be dragged back to Gallifrey, so they make their escape into a parallel universe and arrive on Earth in 1963, which is not entirely identical to what the Doctor remembers. After Jamie and Zoe suddenly vanish, the Doctor and Raven find an abandoned windmill where they must set up shop to repair the TARDIS. Detective Inspector Lethbridge-Steward, played by Jon Culshaw, is investigating a series of strange thefts. A ghost has been sighted on the marsh. A pair of youngsters are drawn into the Doctor’s presence. This reality may not be what the Doctor remembers, but dangerous adversaries are starting to find their way to him.

It’s not a bad start because the chemistry between the Doctor and Raven is really starting to develop with Jamie and Zoe sidelined. Although Padbury and Hines are still around as a part of their lineages, and it works well. In effect, the Doctor gains two new companions in the shape of Bertie and Lucius, played by Olivia Woolhouse and Ilan Galkoff, respectively.

Besides, who can fail to be intrigued by a haunted windmill?

The Crystal Ship is the second story and probably isn’t going to count as a favorite, but it’s a fine addition. Daisy Ashford makes an appearance as Liz Shaw, a role originally brought to life by her mother, Caroline John. The Doctor finds that an experimental rocket plane has been taken over by some familiar adversaries, but they have not encou8ntered him before in this altered reality.

There are some fun performances here. Roger Ringrose seems to really get into his role as the obnoxious Professor Quigley. I thought bringing Liz Shaw in was a bold decision, but it does work pretty well.

Michael Troughton continues to improve in his performance. He says that he is not trying to a carbon copy of his father’s performance in interviews and believes that his father would approve of his efforts to leave something of himself on the performance. He is probably right, so I try not to be too critical of his participation. What is more important is that Michael doesn’t manage to wreck the nostalgia and still keep his version of this Doctor familiar. He is accomplishing that much.

Anyway, I am not sure this is Barnes’ best effort, but it gets the job done and manages to keep me pretty close to the right amount of suspense.

Finally, this set comes to an end with The Hungry Glass in which the Doctor and Raven come across a peculiar mirror which contains something more than reflections. Another old friend is trapped behind the glass, and very familiar old enemies are also lurking. The Doctor’s past is converging on him even more, and his future becomes even more in doubt.

Overall, I did enjoy this set and the efforts to scramble the canon just enough to keep things interesting without tossing the whole history into the trash can.

Alan Banes was a great choice to continue this range. I am not one of those fans intrigued too much by the mythical season 6b, but Barnes does a good job playing with some of those concepts. Of course, I am willing to give a lot of leeway which it comes to the Second Doctor.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Another World Inside The Flat

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Snare is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions which reunites the dream team of Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. Tim Foley is the writer with Henel Goldwyn directing once again. Camille Coduri returns as Jackie Tyler with Alex Austin and Hannah Brown rounding out the guest cast.

The Doctor and Rose Tyler have returned to the Powell Estate to take a brief rest from their recent adventures. A childhood friend of Rose’s has also returned after his father recently died. Kevin finds that his father had some otherworldly secrets tucked away, and the Doctor identifies a most unusual trap sprung by a hidden extraterrestrial vessel. Kevin’s father was known to have some mental issues, but something else seems to have been tormenting him. The Doctor finds that a brief rest is just not likely to be in the cards for him.

Foley delivers a good one here, and Eccleston and Piper slip into their best-known roles with ease. Coduri is also on her A game with her performance as well.’

The story does weave pretty easily between action and something a little more emotionally relatable. Foley offers a pretty compelling depiction of a complicated father-son relationship in a short time without compromising the main plot.

This episode is apparently kind of early in the Doctor and Rose’s relationship as well, and they are fresh off the heart-wrenching events of Father’s Day.

The Doctor is also at his most vulnerable due to the consequences of the Time War, and the decisions he had to make during that ordeal.

The episode has a sort of Jumanji vibe without directly stealing from it. There is no weird boardgame, but a strange wilderness seems to have merged with a flat.

Anyway, this episode gives a promising start to a new and unexpected range, and I have little reason to complain about more episodes featuring the pair that kicked off the television revival in 2005.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Perils Of Progress

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Lethal Progress is somewhat disappointingly average collection of audio dramas directed by Helen Goldwyn and released by Big Finish Productions. Tom Baker back in the role as the Fourth Doctor does help it not be a complete waste of time. Sadie Miller is alongside the Doctor as Darah Jane Smith, an iconic role first played by her mother, Elisabeth Sladen.

The guest cast includes Alexander Cobb, Sean Connelly, Orlando Gibbs, Dawn Murphy, and Nisha Nayar. The casting was fine, but none of the three episodes in this set really resonated all that thoroughly with me.

Baker and Miller in the lead roles do make this still a worthwhile listening experience even if the episodes themselves were somewhat bland.

Tim Foley starts off with Green and Pleasant Planet in which the Doctor and Sarah meet a British space expedition on a strange world which contains a peculiar model village. The lifeforms are even stranger and become more lethal.

There are some interesting ideas here, but Foley just doesn’t present them all that coherently sometimes.

The Continuum by John Dorney places the Doctor and Sarah on a space station that is about to go through hyperspace, but there is a dangerous presence aboard, and the whole endeavor turns even more chaotic.

This story is a little better, and Dorney is considered one of the more reliable writers for Big Finish Productions. I appreciate where he was trying to take this story and what likely influenced this episode. It helps to think of the film Event Horizon which had a similar setting. Anyway, it seems a little too confusing for an audio play at times. I can respect the ambitious idea though. Dorney will likely impress me with his next contribution.

Finally, Lizzie Hopley brings this collection to a close with The Audience. The Doctor and Sarah visit a planet in which artificial beings who want to have real feelings use theater as a means to experience something more than just stark programming. The problem is that the plays get a little too real, and Sarah may be forced to give up her life for the sake of an unwanted role.

It’s a little bit of an overused idea in science fiction, but Hopley is not too bad in presenting her take on the concept.

Baker and Miller continue to display a solid chemistry. Tom Baker’s age is starting to show a bit in his performance. He kind of goes a little over the top, although I still enjoy his participation very much.

This release was recorded during the COVID lockdowns in 2021, so that may explain some of the dip in quality here. The set is not terrible, but it just came across as more mediocre than I am used to.

Not every release is going to be the great, and I get that. Tom Baker can still hold court in his performances. Sadie Miller does well in resurrecting the part originated by her mother,

The postproduction work is still well done. The stories just didn’t hold my interest all that consistently, but that’s going to happen from time to time, even with a stellar track record like Big Finish’s.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Kraken, The Master, And A Ravenous Sea

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Companion Chronicles: The Legacy of Time provides a pair of Doctor Who audio dramas featuring the First and Second Doctors as related by some atypical companions for these incarnations. This set is a spinoff of the celebratory boxset The Legacy of Time which was commemorating Big Finish Productions being able to produce Doctor Who content for twenty years. Nicholas Briggs has returned to the director’s chair, which will certainly almost guarantee more than one thing to enjoy.

Stephen Noonan returns to the mic as his version of the First Doctor doing a fairly decent impression of the late William Hartnell. Michael Troughton takes on the role originated by his father, Patrick, as the Second Doctor. There is even another Doctor who appears, but I will avoid spoiling that one.

The first episode is written by Barbara Hambly and is entitled The Kraken of Hagwell. The cast includes Jon Culshaw narrating this tale as the stalwart Brigadier Lethrbridge-Stewart. He also takes on the role of the Master, who was initially portrayed by the late Roger Delgado. Genevieve Gaunt is also lending her vocal talents.

A village has been decimated by a sea monster, and the Brigadier encounters an earlier version of the Doctor than the ones he has known before. The Master is also on the scene to try to harness this creature for his own malevolent purposes. The Doctor has been misplaced from his time stream and is not sure how he seems to have slipped into his own future working with UNIT.

Hambly has a long history in the science fiction and mystery genres, and it’s kind of a coup that Big Finish was able to get a submission from her.

I found her contribution to be pretty good, but I wouldn’t call it a stand-out. The performances are fine. Noonan has gotten better in his impression of Hartnell. Culshaw’s talent and enthusiasm really holds the thing together.

I liked it well enough, but I doubt I will consider all that memorable.

Long-time contributor Simon Guerrier serves up a decent enough tale with the Second Doctor, as portrayed by Michael Troughton, who is channeling his father. The Heartless Sea has the Doctor team up with Naomi Cross and Harry Sullivan, played by Eleanor Crooks and Christopher Naylor. Naylor is playing a role that originally was played by the late Ian Marter.

Harry and Naomi arrive at Warehouse 9 in order to investigate some apparent haunting when they encounter the Doctor who has suddenly appeared it out of nowhere. The Doctor is in his second incarnation. When they enter the warehouse, they find there is some giant invisible spirit and a portal that takes them to an alien sea that is alive and hungry.

This story is told from Naomi’s perspective, and Crooks does deliver a compelling performance. The story has some imagery that is a little difficult top picture in the imagination at times, but one of the advantages of audio dramas is that the imagination can often provide a better visual than cinema.

Troughton’s impression of his father has gotten a bit better, but I prefer Frazer Hines’ performance as the Second Doctor. Still, Troughton hits the mark close enough so that I can still enjoy a good Second Doctor story.

Overall, the episodes didn’t quite hit the level of anything spectacular, but the concept of these earlier Doctors meeting companions and trusted friends from their future is charming. It’s not something that needs to be repeated too much, but I can appreciate the intent to freshen things up a bit while still indulging the fans. I am just glad that Big Finish has chosen to represent the earlier eras of the series and found a way to do that while honoring the legacies of Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.

There are a couple of good twists that link this set with the initial The Legacy of Time release, and the performances and post-production efforts help lift this a bit above a mediocre listening experience.

It’s a fun diversion, and I will probably find some more enjoyment once I go through it again sometime in the not too distant future.

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.