Big Finish Productions has released the first of a two-part audio finale for the Seventh Doctor, and it’s a bit of a confusing jumble, which is often typical of this particular incarnation of the Doctor. The Last Day- Part One is written by Matt Fitton and Guy Adams and has Sylvester McCoy returning to the mic as the Seventh Doctor. Samuel Clemens is the director.

Almost all of the Seventh Doctor’s friends and foes come out to play in this one. Sophie Aldred as Ace come back and gathers a team that includes The Master, played by Geoffrey Beevers, Edward Peel as Kane, and Stuart Margolin as Garundel.

Other followers of this audio range will recognize Lisa Bowerman as Professor Bernice Summerfield, Philip Olivier as Hex, and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush.

All of reality is at stake yet again. Ace is recruiting various adversaries to go against the threat, but that appears to be the Doctor, who is up to some grand plan or other.

Yet again, the performances and the nostalgia of these characters returning helps, but it does seem a little trite to have the Doctor in a such a convoluted mess.

The story is supposed to take the fans up to the moments before the Doctor regenerates in the 1996 television movie which introduced Paul McGann.

There are some interesting moments, and I am sure the second part will clear up some of the threads being laid out here. Still, the ambition by the writers seems to not take account of the challenge of keeping a coherent image in a listener’s mind as this is playing.

I have never been a fan of just throwing every major villain and allies in one story, even if it is supposed to be a finale. Also, I am not sure that McCoy is actually not going to do more of these audios. Also, the whole of reality or the universe being at stake is not a plot that really interests me. One of the best regeneration stories in the series involved the Doctor trying to save the life of his companion.

Fitton and Adams are long-time contributors to Doctor Who fiction in various mediums, but it does feel like they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

Yes, I will purchase the second part to this story and hope the conclusion is more compelling than I anticipate.