Tag: tom-baker

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Silence And The Queen

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Last Queen of the Nile is a set that contains two Doctor Who audio dramas released by Big Finish Productions and features Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. Baker is joined by Louise Jameson as Leela. Jon Culshaw reprises his interpretation of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who was originally portrayed by the late Nicholas Courtney. There are two episodes to discuss in this post, so I will get on with it.

First of all, Conspiracy of Silence by Jonathan Morris gets things going with the return of the Silence, which were a creation of the rebooted version of Doctor Who. Nicholas Briggs provides the voice of the spooky creatures who are forgotten once one looks away. Charlie Hayes plays a female UNIT soldier named Nolan while Jon Culshaw returns with his impressive imitation as the Brigadier. Of course, John Leeson must be mentioned as one’s favorite robot dog, K9.

The Brigadier has asked for the Doctor’s assistance to investigate the mysterious disappearance of an oil rig crew. The Doctor, Leela, and K9 accompany him to the rig to see what answers can be discovered. They find the Silence waiting in the shadows and disrupting their memories of their encounter.

The Silence is an interesting creation in the series, and it seems hard to have them conveyed just through the audio format. This story does end up working in spite of an unusual structure. The second half of the story backtracks and fills in some gaps since our courageous heroes couldn’t remember their fight with the Silence.

Morris handles these challenges quite well, although it takes some concentration to follow how the narrative unfolds. All of the main cast are in top form even though they are quite up there. I think Tom Baker was in his eighties at the time this story was recorded, and he still has much of the same energy displayed on the television series over four decades ago.

Morris delivers another solid script that gives the actors some great moments and fans another dose of fun nostalgia.

The Last Queen of the Nile by David K Barnes has the TARDIS crew get ensnared within the tumultuous love story between Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The guest cast is comprised of Pippa Warner-Bennett, Timothy Blore, Samantha Lawson, Michael Lumsden, Ben Porter, and Blake Ritson.

The Doctor, Leela, and K9 encounter Mark Antony just outside Alexandria in Egypt. He eyes K9 as a gift for his beloved Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra. The Doctor and Leela are forced to witness one of the best known and tragic romances in history as they fight for their lives and escape within the TARDIS.

This is also really quite good. Bennet-Warner and Lumsden are pretty compelling as the two powerful yet doomed lovers. I am not sure how historically accurate this adventure actually is, but it is arresting. The bond between Leela and Cleopatra is well performed and seems to be quite natural to have Leela so drawn to the most famous queen in history.

Tom Baker performs with his usual cheeky yet commanding air as the Doctor. Big Finish continues to keep the traditions of the eras while also exploring new aspects of familiar characters. The writer even has the Doctor and Leela at odds to an extent, which was not something really seen in the television series.

Anyway, the set as a whole is quite good. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson continue to display a familiar and reassuring chemistry while still relating fresh stories.

Even if the first story may take more than one play to better follow the plot, it will be worth it.

Big Finish Audio Review: Jago And Litefoot Get A Little Help

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Jago & Litefoot Series Three is a pretty decent addition to the audio series reuniting the two Victorian investigators of infernal incidents with an old friend in the shape of Leela, portrayed by Louise Jameson. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter reprise their celebrated roles of Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot in this new collection of episodes released by Big Finish Productions. Lisa Bowerman returns as Ellie, their favorite barmaid. Conrad Asquith reprises his role as Sergeant Quick. There are four episodes to discuss briefly here.

Just to review, the Jago & Litefoot series is a spinoff of Doctor Who. They met during the television serial entitled The Talons of Weng-Chiang during Tom Baker’s era in the role of the Doctor. Louise Jameson returns to lend a hand in this series as Leela. Leela has been sent from Gallifrey to help close some time breaches which have been plaguing Victorian London. It’s fun to hear them banter back and forth once again.

The first story to discuss is Dead Men’s Tales by Justin Richards. Beings known as Wet Men have been lurking around the streets and alleys of London. They have risen from the Thames looking for a lost member of their crew. The idea of ghosts from the future are first explored here.’

Leela gets to go undercover as a barmaid under the tutelage of Ellie Higson, portrayed by Lisa Bowerman, and the moments is hilarious. Jameson is quite an experienced actress and handles the moment quite deftly.

Anyway, it’s a fairly interesting story, but Richards has done better in the past.

The Man at the End of the Garden by Matthew Sweet explores the idea of a fairy tale coming alive. It was an okay script, but it was not that memorable. I did like that Big Finish actually cast a child for the role of a little girl at the center of the problem. They do not always do that. Eden Monteath is the name of the young actress, and she did a good job. The cast interviews at the end revealed that she took the part seriously but likely had fun as everyone attests to happening when recording at the studio.

Jago and Litefoot get a taste of the future in John Dorney’s Swan Song. More ghosts from the future haunt the New Regency Theater, which was recently bequeathed to Henry Gordon Jago. In the future, a lab will be built where time experiments are being conducted. This was a much more engaging story than its predecessors, but that’s not surprising considering it’s from Dorney.

Finally, another long time Doctor Who contributor, Andy Lane wraps up this set with Chronoclasm where the mastermind behind the disturbances is revealed. Philip Bretherton steps from the shadows as Elliot Payne. Jago, Litefoot, and Leela get some unexpected help from another Henry Gordon Jago.

It’s another competent script from a talented writer, but Lane has also done better in previous works.

Overall, it was an enjoyable listening experience, but the inclusion of Leela just seems like such an obvious move. Still, Louise Jameson does that part so well, so it was still nice to have her join in the hijinks.

The set serves the purpose of being enjoyment accompaniment in the car, but there is not much that I found to stand out other than the guest appearances.

Doctor Who Audio Review: A Carriage To Chaos

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Lord of Misrule is a Doctor Who audio novel from Big Finish Productions that is kind of an average story that is helped by a masterful narration and performance by the incomparable Jon Culshaw. Paul Morris is the writer and manages to craft a decent if unremarkable tale for the range.

The adventure features the Fourth Doctor, who would have been portrayed by the equally incomparable Tom Baker is this wasn’t an audio novel performed by Culshaw. It takes place starting off in 1901 and also features popular Victorian denizens Professor George Litefoot and Henry Gordon Jago. The Doctor is accompanied by Romana, as portrayed by the late Mary Tamm.

The story in London 1901 where the Doctor and Romana are visiting friends, Jago and Litefoot when they are made aware of people being taken off in a ghostly carriage. Other people with scattered memories appear in their place. It seems the carriage is ferrying people between the years of 1901 and 1801. When Romana and Litefoot are counted among the mystery, the Doctor and Jago pursue them and find themselves in a strange predicament with an alien influence at the heart of it. Also, an aristocrat wants to usher in an age of chaos and is wanting to be the one to choose the Lord of Misrule. The Doctor has his hands full with trying to find his missing friends, locate the alien influence that takes resides in the minds of unsuspecting humans, and trying to keep the fabric of society intact.

I usually don’t mind a lengthier Doctor Who story, but this one felt a little slower than usual. I also think that Jago and Litefoot run the risk of being overused by the writers.

The upside is Jon Culshaw is a masterful narrator. He has been doing impressions of Tom Baker for years and is the likely solution once Baker is no longer able to perform since he is now in his 90’s. He also really nailed the distinctive vocal range of the recently deceased Christopher Benjamin, who originally portrayed bombastic theater manager, Henry Gordon Jago. Unfortunately, he has a much harder time imitating Mary Tamm, but that is quite forgivable for obvious reasons. Culshaw’s enthusiasm for relating the story is infectious without feeling overacted.

The production of this release is first rate, but I had some trouble staying engaged with the actual story. It seems that Paul Morris has yet to be counted among one of my favorite Doctor Who contributors.

Still, it’s a release that doesn’t need to be ignored. I will likely revisit this one since it really isn’t a terrible effort. Culshaw’s performance really saves this one from a more pronounced rejection.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Fifty Years Of The Fourth

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Curse of Time is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions and is a special effort to commemorate fifty years of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. Jonathan Morris writes a pretty good script, which is directed by Helen Goldwyn. Baker is joined by Sadie Miller as Sarah Jane Smith and Christopher Naylor as Harry Sullivan. The guest cast is comprised of Rosemary Ashe, Scarlett Courtney, Angus Dunican, Andrew French, George Naylor, and Terence Wilton.

While answering a summons back to Earth, The TARDIS is pulled through the time vortex into what is thought to be medieval times but is in reality in the far future after humans had fled solar flares that threatened the planet. They have returned, but they are dark secrets awaiting them as well These are the descendants of the humans from a certain Ark in Space. The Doctor and his friends have become legends, but a secret enemy is lurking in the caves, and he needs some help from the Time Lord and is not just going to ask for it.

An aspect of this story that I liked is that Morris doesn’t lean on the trope of bringing an old adversary out to face the Doctor. The story is a sequel to some of those in nineteenth season, however the plot is pretty original. It does a decent job of celebrating the Tom Baker era.

Sadie Miller is really sounding more and more like her mother, Elisabeth Sladen, who originally played Sarah Jane. Naylor is also pretty close to sounding like Ian Marter, who played Harry Sullivan in the television series. Tom Baker sounds pretty well and is as enthusiastic as ever, but I am starting pick up his nearly nine decades in his voice.

The episode isn’t spectacular, but it’s still pretty good. Even if it touches on some earlier stories in the television era, there is enough originality in the plot to feel like an unnecessary sequel.

This felt like a pretty good way to celebrate fifty years of the Fourth Doctor. Big Finish Productions avoided some of the usual trappings of such a milestone and gave its audience something more creative and unexpected in making this almost an ordinary Fourth Doctor romp.

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: Even The Doctor’s Memory Could Use Some Repair

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Broken Memories is the title of the latest Doctor Who audio collection from the Classic Doctors New Monsters range, and Big Finish Productions once again releases an intriguing and enjoyable collection of tales featuring numerous incarnations of Time Lord.

The premise of this series, which is directed by Barnaby Edwards, is to have Doctors from the classic era face monsters and adversaries that were introduced in the current run that started in 2005. It’s an ambitious idea that almost always pays off. I tend to enjoy the series, and there are four in this particular set to briefly examine.

Tom Baker is up first as the Fourth Doctor in Invasion of the Body Stealers by Jonathan Morris. He is joined by Sadie Miller, who has taken the role of Sarah Jane Smith. Miller’s mother, Elisabeth Sladen, originated the performance, so Sadie is able to breathe new life into one of the most popular companions to enter the TARDIS. The Doctor and Sarah arrive in time to offer aid to crashed spaceship and encounter the body-swapping criminal organization known as Harmony Shoal. I am not that fond of the title, but the story is actually pretty good. Baker still sounds great, and Sadie Miller does a pretty job emulating her mother. There is a truly chilling moment when one of the supporting characters is about to have his brain ripped out of his skull, and the sound effects and score actually freaked me out a little. Anyway, it’s a promising start to this collection.

The Queen of Clocks by Jacqueline Rayner features Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, and he is accompanied by the always welcome Bonnie Langford as Mel. The Clockwork Droids are invading a kingdom with a peculiar obsession with time. The Doctor and Mel are about to learn of a tragedy that had started well before their intervention. In spite of the absurdity of the plot, there is a clever yet heartbreaking twist on the horizon. Baker and Langford, as usual, perform this one beautifully. There were some moments that were a little picture to pull into imaginary focus, but that’s always a risk when listening to Doctor Who in this manner. Rayner has contributed to the franchise in some form or another for many years, and this contribution affirms that she has earned the repeated invites to write something new. It has one of those revelations that I wasn’t expecting but felt that I should have been. Anyway, Rayner’s offering here is quite engaging, but there is little reason to expect anything less.

David K. Barnes has a two-part story featuring the race known as the Silence. Once someone turns away from a member of this race, they cannot retain the memory of that encounter. The Eighth Doctor arrives in the city of Sunset during the events of The Silent Priest and to find some solace from the Time War. Paul McGann delivers another masterful performance here. Two rival criminal gangs are at war, and a mysterious priest who no one can remember meeting holds the key to bringing peace. Nicholas Briggs voices the Silence with the correct amount of creepy, sibilant whispers and hisses. This was pretty good, and the Silent featured here was much more interesting than I remember from those in the television series. The overdone Eastern American accents were a little off, and that distracted me a bit. Overall, it was an interesting story and sets up the concluding story quite well.

Sylvester McCoy returns as the Seventh Doctor as he arrives sometime after his future self. The Silent City finds the Doctor looking into an unusually successful casino which has come into being after crime has apparently disappeared. The Doctor is facing the outcome of an adventure he has yet to experience. McCoy is back in all of his Scottish glory, and he also delivers his usual enthusiastic, r-rolling vocal talents. It’s great to see him, and this story ties matters up quite effectively.

I liked all of the stories, although the first one stands out a bit more in spite of its questionable title. All of the Doctors featured showed their formidable talents in spite of their advancing years. This is a collection that is worth the time.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Never A Box Of Delights For The Doctor

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Box of Terrors is a Doctor Who audio novel released by Big Finish Productions. Lizzie Hopley is the writer while Jon Culshaw steps up to the mic to perform this eight-hour behemoth of a story. It’s a really a behemoth by Doctor Who standard. Culshaw is a well-known impressionist in the UK and does quite an uncanny impersonation of both Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee.

The Doctor’s third and fourth incarnation unite against a threat that could release several powerful and malevolent forces into the cosmos. Also, the Doctor’s companion, Sarah Jane Smith, has the rather unique experience of encountering herself. The Master and Omega are at the heart of the chaos as well. They turn out to not be the only dangerous Time Lords to cause an intergalactic mess for the two iterations of the Doctor to unravel. Hopley throws quite a bit, including a metaphorical kitchen sink, into this story.

The release has some pretty fun elements to it. Culshaw is a fantastic narrator as well even when he isn’t slipping into the vocal impressions of the two Doctors featured in this story. His enthusiasm for the franchise and Big Finish is infectious and really helps out when listening to even the more average of stories. Big Finish always does well with the sound effects, and this one is no exception.

Hopley is a competent writer, and she had some interesting ideas, however the story here sometimes felt bloated with so many villains and different versions of the same characters running around. The basic idea is intriguing to fans sometimes, but this felt a little too busy at times and bit too challenging to keep everyone straight. Some of the descriptions and events were a little hard to picture in the mind’s eye, which was distracting at times. Fortunately, Culshaw’s performance really makes the experience worth the time.

To be fair, I am not a Doctor Who fan who just relishes multi-Doctor episodes. Big Finish usually handles these stories better than the television producers for the BBC, and this contribution is still better than what we would have gotten onscreen, more than likely. Fans now have an experience with these two particular Doctors, and that’s fine. I just wish I had found a bit more enjoyment out of it.