Tag: television

Doctor Who Audio Review: The War Doctor Signs Up

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The War Doctor Begins: Forged In Fire is the beginning of what appears to be a promising series of Doctor Who audio dramas released by Big Finish Productions. Jonathon Carley steps into the role created by the late John Hurt of what has become known as the War Doctor. This is when the Doctor as regenerated into an incarnation intending to enter the Time War as a participant. This Doctor has rejected the moniker he has used for centuries because he is about to engage in methods of fighting that none of his other selves would condone. This trilogy is directed by Louise Jameson, who is basically immortalized in the Doctor Who canon as Leela of the Sevateem. Jameson has been indulging her creative talents outside of acting and seems to be doing quite well at it. Nicholas Briggs returns to voice the Daleks. Adele Anderson, John Dorney, Helen Goldwyn, and Tracy Wiles are some members of guest cast making their welcome contributions.

The first of the three episodes is entitled Light the Flame by Matt Fitton. This picks up moments after the Eighth Doctor has regenerated on the planet Karn before the Sisterhood of the Flame. The War Doctor already has to decide what his fight in the Time War will entail, but he first has to save Karn and the Sisterhood from a ruthless plan concocted by his own people.

I am not too sure of the main story, but Carley puts in a wonderful performance. It is almost eerie how much he can make his voice emulate John Hurt’s. As the War Doctor regains his footing after a traumatic regeneration, the audience gets treated to a compelling emotional journey as the differences from his pervious selves becomes more evident. It’s not always easy to follow, but Fitton still provides a strong introduction for this actor and this early version of the War Doctor.

Lion Hearts is the second story provided by Lou Morgan. The Tharils, who were first seen in the television serial, Warriors’ Gate, are now caught up in the Time War. The War Doctor has joined a rescue operation of a captured friend, but that of course becomes even more complicated than he anticipated. Morgan does a really good fake out as she teases the audience with how ruthless the War Doctor may actually become. I really enjoyed the story once I remembered how I first saw the Tharils and could more properly picture them in my head. Yet again, Carley continues to impress with his version of the War Doctor.

It is long-time contributor Andrew Smith who closes this set out with his script, The Shadow Squad. The War Doctor is going after the Dalek Time Strategist, but he learns of an even more devastating weapon. The Daleks has developed a plan to erase the contributions of certain Gallifreyan fighters from all of history in order to turn the Time War into their favor. The War Doctor meets the Temporal Eradicator, and he will find out just how merciless he is willing to be in order to end this terrible threat to the cosmos.

It gets a little confusing discussing this series since the main character has rejected his title and identity at this time. I guess for purposes of clarity, the audience knows this is still the Doctor in spite of his protestations. However he wants to be addressed, Carley seems to be the right actor to carry off the role. I was skeptical when the producers of the television introduced this secret incarnation in the fiftieth anniversary episode, The Day of the Doctor, however I think I will enjoy these releases and exploring this era of the Time Lord’s long life.

Big Finish continues to display a mastery of the sound design and casting of talented actor. The scripts are all interesting at varying degrees. As usual, I have a preference, but all three stories are solid. Even though John Hurt’s death is sad, Carley’s performance is more of a way to honor his legacy than actually replace him.

There are still a lot of other ranges I will be listening to, but it will not be long before my next foray into the era of the War Doctor.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Genesis Revisited

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Big Finish Productions does not make that many mistakes when it comes to their Doctor Who audio range, however Daleks! Genesis of Terror appears to be one of few outright missteps. This is basically a retelling of the classic serial known as Genesis of the Daleks, which starred Tom Baker. This version is based on the first draft submitted by Terry Nation. Baker returns to perform the first part and is joined by Sadie Miller as Sarah Jane Smith and Christopher Naylor as Harry Sullivan. Nicholas Briggs provides much of the narration, and other cast members read much of the synopsis for the remaining five parts.

The Doctor is sent by the Time Lords to the early days of the creation of the Daleks where he is tasked with trying to avert the terrible genesis. He meets the creator, Davros, while the war between the Kaleds and the Thals raged mercilessly.

The screen version is one of my favorite stories, but this is essentially a repeat of that although most of it was just summarized by Briggs and several other narrators.

I guess there is some mild interest to be found here, but I am not sure retelling one of the most popular serials was all that necessary. Big Finish releases this as part of the Lost Stories range, but this was just an early draft or treatment of something that’s already considered a classic among the fans.

There is another release of this sort from Big Finish based on The Ark in Space, and I am not that motivated to try that one…at least not yet.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Sea Devils And Beyond

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Big Finish Productions returns to Tom Baker’s era Doctor Who with the audio drama release Storm of the Sea Devils, which turns out to be quite enjoyable, which is not surprising with this version of the Time Lord. Nicholas Briggs returns to the director’s seat. There are actually two stories in this audio set. Baker is joined by Christopher Naylor as Harry Sullivan, who was originally portrayed by the late Ian Marter. Eleanor Crooks is a recent addition to the TARDIS crew in this range as Naomi Cross.

Storm of the Sea Devils is written by David K Barnes. The guest cast includes Tracy Wiles, Silas Carson. Nicholas Briggs, and Satnam Bhogal. Although some previous audio dramas have included Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross, this one actually sets up their meeting. For Harry, he also is reunited with the Fourth Doctor. He is supposed to be in holiday in Calcutta, but Naomi Cross intercepts him and wants him to look into the sudden cancellation of a new hotel’s opening. There have also been sightings of strange figures that appear familiar to UNIT. The Doctor is also on hand conducting his own investigations. There is a mysterious prisoner at the hotel, and its continued internment may have dire consequences for the human race.

The fact that Tom Baker is in the lead is already going to give this story a huge advantage, but the episode does get even better than that. The Sea Devils are an interesting adversary because, like the Silurians, they are part of a civilization that thrived on Earth well before the humans came along. The Sea Devils are not necessarily driven by the most evil of motivations, but they are still dangerous, especially when one of their number is in captivity. Naomi Cross is becoming one of the better creations by Big Finish as a companion to the Time Lord. Crooks has an interesting voice and is developing some nice chemistry with Harry. There is also a fantastic scene with just her and the Doctor in which the Doctor uses a bit of subterfuge to convince the Sea Devils that not all humans operate out of a sense of fear or bigotry. That was really well written and of course performed brilliantly by the pair.

I have to say that Naylor is doing quite well capturing the essence of Ian Marter’s portrayal of Harry Sullivan. I am a little ambivalent about Harry’s presence in the television series, but the writers for Big Finish make him more interesting as a character.

Storm of the Sea Devils does a great job of blending some of the traditions of the Fourth Doctor’s era with something fresh, most notably the inclusion of Naomi Cross.

Then we get to Worlds Beyond written by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. The guest cast is comprised of Anthony Howell, Amaka Okafor, Oscar Pearce, and David Shaw-Parker.

Naomi Cross gets her first trip in the TARDIS with Harry Sullivan and the Doctor. They find themselves in a resort world where the holidays are custom-made after a brain scan. The Doctor has a stimulating chess match with Alan Turing while his companions find other diversions. Since they are traveling in the TARDIS, this idyllic getaway has a terrifying secret, and the Doctor will have to fight for his mind to keep it from being fed upon by a dangerous alien presence.

This story is pretty good as well, but not quite as engaging as the first one. The cast, as usual, are up to the job. The Doctor encountering historical figures is almost always a delight. Of course, when that Doctor is played by Tom Baker, one is not quite certain how the entertainment will be enhanced, but it never becomes a disappointment. This one may take another play for me to grasp some elements of the plot better. Still, it’s a solid contribution for the range, but it’s not just that uniquely memorable.

The release as a whole is well worth the time. The sound effects are beautifully realized, but one is always able to predict that when Big Finish puts something out. Crooks is likely going to turn out to be one of my favorite casting decisions. I have heard some other Naomi Cross episodes and have grown to like her more with each episode. It is great to have Harry Sullivan continue to be represented, even with the original actor no longer able to step to the mic.

Storm of the Sea Devils is likely to be a favorite of mine of the 2024 Big Finish releases.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Vicki Takes Another Spin In The TARDIS

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Fugitive of the Daleks is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions that sees Stephen Noonan doing another pretty good impression of William Hartnell’s version of the Doctor. Jonathan Morris returns as scriptwriter with Nicholas Briggs pulling double duty as director and the voice of the Daleks. Maureen O’Brien reprises the role of Vicki, who has lived as Lady Cressida in Earth’s distant past. Lauren Cornelius is also back as Dodo, who was originally portrayed by the late Jackie Lane. Ashley Cousins, Mark Elstob, Genevieve Gaunt, and Gary Turner make up the guest cast.

Vicki has lived a long, prosperous life after being left behind by the Doctor and Steven in the doomed city of Troy. She has raised a family and told tales of her previous travels in the TARDIS. She is informed that a strange blue box has appeared, and she recognizes the description. She is reunited with the Doctor who seems to be mysteriously injured and suffering from some sort of amnesia. He is restored to health on a space station with three survivors of a mysterious plague. They soon realize that the Daleks are on their trail. Vicki starts to notice some peculiar inconsistencies in the Doctor’s behavior. A mysterious presence is on board the TARDIS. Another chase has ensued, but Vicki is not sure that she can trust the Doctor as she did in times past.

Noonan’s performance echoing the vocal mannerisms of the late William Hartnell continue to improve. O’Brien is now about 80 years old and still sounds fantastic. There is a moment in the cast interviews where Nicholas Briggs assured O’Brien that she did not need to sound like an old lady even though she was playing a Vicki close to her own age. It was the right call because Briggs was right when he pointed out that many older people retained a youthful voice, and there was no need for O’Brien to sound more like an old crone. O’Brien still manages to easily slip into her “Vicki voice” and is fantastic in this release. Dodo doesn’t appear until pretty late into the story, but Cornelius doesn’t disappoint either when she finally makes her appearance.

There are some pretty good twists that offer some interesting callbacks to some of the television episodes. I am not sure that liked the final twist all that much, but I am not going to spoil that one.

My first instinct is that Morris is just echoing a little too much the television serial known as The Chase. I am a little annoyed that there is some repetition here, but there is just enough unpredictability to help me forgive it. Morris has been one of Big Finish’s most consistent and competent writers. Although I do not rate this one as a top tier contribution, it’s still pretty good.

Even if I have to work at it a bit to enjoy the First Doctor, I still appreciate Big Finish’s efforts to bring new stories to represent the era.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Sontarans In Ireland

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Sontarans vs Rutans: The Battle of Giant’s Causeway is another triumphant beginning to a pretty fun series of Doctor Who audio dramas from Big Finish Productions. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary since the introduction of the Sontarans in Doctor Who, and Big Finish decided to mark the occasion by a short series of dramas that feature aspects of the ongoing war between the Sontarans and the Rutans.

The first episode features the return of Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. India Fisher reprises her role as Charlotte Pollard with Conrad Westmaas returning to the role of C’rizz after fifteen years since audiences heard the tragic departure of the character. This is basically a flashback story that sort of tantalizes the nostalgia for long-time Big Finish listeners. John Banks and Dan Starkey return to voice the absurdly militaristic Sontarans. Lizzie Hopley wrote the script, and Ken Bentley returns to the director’s chair. Michelle Fox and Amanda Hurwitz round out the guest cast.

A temporal tidal wave throws the TARDIS to Ancient Ireland, and the Doctor, C’rizz, and Charley encounter Sontarans behaving like Roman Legionnaires. They have landed in a region known as the Giant’s Causeway, and something has shut the TARDIS down, leaving the Doctor and his friends stranded in the midst of a brewing war between two alien forces who have been displaced and the savagery of those who are supposed to live in that time and place.

Doctor Who is a pretty strange show on the outset, and this script is up there when it comes to odd plotlines. Hopley is talented enough to make this work. The Sontarans are acting odder than usual, but Starkey and Banks still manage to make them compelling and amusing. McGann, Fisher, and Westmaas easily recapture the chemistry that made them a popular team in earlier times. I would not consider this script to be one the greats, but it’s still pretty enjoyable. Hopley shows some creativity in bringing in some fresh amusement in the depiction of the Sontarans and the Rutans. Yes, we’ll be hearing more from the Rutans in this little mini-series. Hopley gives this range a pretty decent kick-off.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Elves, Daleks, Old Friends, And The Doctor

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Big Finish Productions has continued their range of Doctor Who audio dramas with the Seventh Doctor in a reasonably entertaining release entitled Sullivan and Cross-AWOL. The Doctor is reunited with former companions, Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross in two new episodes directed by Bethany Weimers.

Christopher Naylor returns to the role of Harry Sullivan, who was originally played by the late Ian Marter in the television series alongside Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor. Eleanor Crooks plays a new Big Finish created companion named Naomi Cross. Nicholas Briggs is back behind the voice modulated mic voicing the Daleks in the second story. Sam Stafford, Saffron Coomber, Carly Day, and Hywel Morgan are included in the guest cast.

Long-time Big Finish contributor, John Dorney, provides the script to the first story entitled London Orbital. The story starts off with a young Harry Sullivan discovering a peculiar massacre at a house, which influenced his decision to join UNIT many decades ago. Harry and his colleague, Naomi Cross, have been misplaced in time several years in the future. Strange elves are appearing, and a killer is stalking the streets and recognizes Harry from a previous encounter. The Doctor has returned as well, but in a different form from which Naomi and Harry are familiar. They find a different London the shadows of the familiar one. Another dimension has crossed into ours, and the Doctor and his friends find themselves trying to head off an unearthly war.

Dorney has delivered a pretty reliable story here. I enjoyed the new dynamic between the Seventh Doctor and his two companions. Sylvester McCoy still sounds great as his iteration of the Time Lord. Familiar companions with a different Doctor never fails to intrigue a fan such as yours truly. It’s a fun story, but I didn’t find it to be all that memorable. Naylor does fine with his version of Harry Sullivan. Naomi Cross is supposed to be another fearless, no-nonsense, woman traveling with the Doctor. She’s fine too, but not much feels terribly unique or interesting about her character. There are some expected amusing moments with the companions, and Naylor and Crooks have pretty good chemistry. Dorney has some interesting ideas and threw in some decent lines, but I don’t consider this to be one of his better contributions.

Scream of the Daleks by Lisa McMullin is actually the better entry here even though the Daleks are a bit overused, in my opinion. The Doctor, Harry, and Naomi arrive during a Halloween festival in 1969 and find that nightmares are coming to life. The Doctor and Naomi trace the cause over centuries and find that the Daleks are trapped in some kind of dimensional portal and are trying to manipulate the Time Lord into lending a reluctant hand.

The second story is better, but it’s not really a standout among all of Big Finish’s output. It’s another reasonably enjoyable episode with a few clever quips that did actually make me laugh out loud. I like the plot for the most part. The performances are quite good, as usual. Of course, the sound effects are convincing. Nicholas Briggs does his usual compelling job voicing the Daleks.

On the whole, the set is enjoyable and has some interesting ideas and characters, but I doubt there is much I will remember in the next couple of days. As with all of my Doctor Who collection, I will likely listen to it again in the not-so-distant future.