Here's an interview with Simon Guerrier, the writer of the Second Doctor's tale in the Destiny of the Doctor anthology series that discusses the above stuff.
Last Doctor Who Story you listened to?
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Damn, that's a shame. Thanks for the interview link.
Guardians of Prophecy - Fantastic! A real slice of 80's Who - the good kind! It also benefits enormously from the fantastically talented Jonathan Morris, who is so good at both adapting the material and making his own mark in the story! Lovely references to the Traken stories, and an overall fasinating story to listen to. Loved it.
Power Play - Victoria's back... and thats about it. Not a bad story overall, but the way Victoria deals with the Doctor's new appearence dissapointed me, quite frankly. An OK story, if not a bit messy.
The First Sontarans - Third time listening to this, and its become a lock with Time Warrior as my favorite Sontaran-baddie story. What a lovely origin story, and not in the same way as Genesis of the Daleks or Spare Parts, but in a suitably tragic circumnstance. The Sixth Doctor is also at his most compassioante by the way he interacts with all principals.
It also has a big battle between the Rutans and the Sontarans... a MUST listen! Still one of my favorite BF audio dramas, ever.
Whispers of Terror - Lovely story that plays with the audio format beautifully. The direction is particularly masterful, and the overall atmosphere, in what is a great whodunnit. Unfortunately, the culprit is a bit obvious, but besides that, this is indeed a lovely story to behold. Loved it.
Power Play - Victoria's back... and thats about it. Not a bad story overall, but the way Victoria deals with the Doctor's new appearence dissapointed me, quite frankly. An OK story, if not a bit messy.
The First Sontarans - Third time listening to this, and its become a lock with Time Warrior as my favorite Sontaran-baddie story. What a lovely origin story, and not in the same way as Genesis of the Daleks or Spare Parts, but in a suitably tragic circumnstance. The Sixth Doctor is also at his most compassioante by the way he interacts with all principals.
It also has a big battle between the Rutans and the Sontarans... a MUST listen! Still one of my favorite BF audio dramas, ever.
Whispers of Terror - Lovely story that plays with the audio format beautifully. The direction is particularly masterful, and the overall atmosphere, in what is a great whodunnit. Unfortunately, the culprit is a bit obvious, but besides that, this is indeed a lovely story to behold. Loved it.
...ish - I rather used to love this one, and I still am very fond of it, but I admit that it pads out a little. Still, another lovely story that uses audio, and specifically language, to its maximum potential.
The Reaping - This, is a stone-cold classic. Essentially a six-parter, this adventure really delves into the background of Peri, and the drama is both palpable and feels real. Its an extraordinary tale that also manages to be one of the better Cybermen tales, and the cameo from the Commander from Spare Parts is a lovely, lovely touch. Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant have rarely been this good on TV, and I'd argue this is their best story together (thoughDavros might be the better story overall, and Vengeance on Varos and The First Sontarans are firm favorites, too). Loved it.
Recorded Time and Other Stories - Eh. It was okay.
Cryptobiosis - Well, this is a fairly standard enclosed-space story, but with a thriller element because its set on a ship sailing turbulant seas. There are twists in this that I don't want to spoil, but suffice to say, its one of those stories that would absolutely not have worked at the time. But they work so great on audio anyway, and I really liked this.
Slipback - The first audio story ever (along with The Pescatons), and written by Eric Saward, to boot. Sadly, its his most lazy effort ever, though surprisingly not as violent as all his other scripts. The ending is especially dumb, basically relegating the involvement of the Doctor and Peri meaningless. Not recommended - though I guess its a "must", given its status on Who history.
1963: Space Race - Yet another underwhelming effort. I wasn't fond of the Common People audio story, but at least it was OK on an overall level. This... is kinda bad. The plot is laughable, some of the villains are literally cartoony, at best, and the whole situation just isn't believable, even for Who. Disliked it, intensely.
The Year of the Pig - Now, thats more like it. A suitably tragic tale thats full of lovely dialogue and even more lovely conversations. Not one of BF's best, but its well acted, certainly.
The Reaping - This, is a stone-cold classic. Essentially a six-parter, this adventure really delves into the background of Peri, and the drama is both palpable and feels real. Its an extraordinary tale that also manages to be one of the better Cybermen tales, and the cameo from the Commander from Spare Parts is a lovely, lovely touch. Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant have rarely been this good on TV, and I'd argue this is their best story together (thoughDavros might be the better story overall, and Vengeance on Varos and The First Sontarans are firm favorites, too). Loved it.
Recorded Time and Other Stories - Eh. It was okay.
Cryptobiosis - Well, this is a fairly standard enclosed-space story, but with a thriller element because its set on a ship sailing turbulant seas. There are twists in this that I don't want to spoil, but suffice to say, its one of those stories that would absolutely not have worked at the time. But they work so great on audio anyway, and I really liked this.
Slipback - The first audio story ever (along with The Pescatons), and written by Eric Saward, to boot. Sadly, its his most lazy effort ever, though surprisingly not as violent as all his other scripts. The ending is especially dumb, basically relegating the involvement of the Doctor and Peri meaningless. Not recommended - though I guess its a "must", given its status on Who history.
1963: Space Race - Yet another underwhelming effort. I wasn't fond of the Common People audio story, but at least it was OK on an overall level. This... is kinda bad. The plot is laughable, some of the villains are literally cartoony, at best, and the whole situation just isn't believable, even for Who. Disliked it, intensely.
The Year of the Pig - Now, thats more like it. A suitably tragic tale thats full of lovely dialogue and even more lovely conversations. Not one of BF's best, but its well acted, certainly.
The Holy Terror - Wow, this was fantastic. Although I was quite as scared or frightened, as its reputation has it be such, I still found the story to be fundamentally exciting and wonderfully told. The Doctor doesn't get to do much, but what he does do is effective, so he serves a purpose alright (hear that, Moffat?!), thus making Frobisher's part in the story both a function for the story and not taking away from the Doctor's importance in the proceedings.
Speaking of Frobisher.... The Maltese Penguin - Man, that was a lot of fun! Frobisher was a fine companion in THT, but in this one he truly shines. Robert Jezek is simply amazing as the metamorph Detective, and the whodunnit, while silly, its decidedly so, given how it also decidedly evokes the classic The Maltese Falcon and I love just about everything in it.
Robert Shearman wrote both, and his writing shines throughout. He shows a clear understanding of the Doctor Who structure, the character and the universe he inhabits, and manages to exhibit a real sense of reality in them - not our reality, but the kind that DW inhabits. And among other things, his stories are infectiously fun! I can't wait to listen to Jubilee.
Speaking of Frobisher.... The Maltese Penguin - Man, that was a lot of fun! Frobisher was a fine companion in THT, but in this one he truly shines. Robert Jezek is simply amazing as the metamorph Detective, and the whodunnit, while silly, its decidedly so, given how it also decidedly evokes the classic The Maltese Falcon and I love just about everything in it.
Robert Shearman wrote both, and his writing shines throughout. He shows a clear understanding of the Doctor Who structure, the character and the universe he inhabits, and manages to exhibit a real sense of reality in them - not our reality, but the kind that DW inhabits. And among other things, his stories are infectiously fun! I can't wait to listen to Jubilee.
Haven't listened to The Maltese Penguin, But, I love The Holy Terror and Jubilee
I've listened to a bunch of stuff recently, but the one that really stood out is Year of the Pig. A strange, quiet, slow (but in a good way) story set in coastal Belgium (I haven't been to Ostend but I appreciated all of the Belgian references) that's equal parts charming and introspective. Plus, it features Maureen O'Brien playing an Iris Wildthyme-esque character and Michael Keating as someone as far away from Vila Restal as possible.
Seriously, it boggles my mind Big Finish hasn't done more stories with Frobisher.
All the big talking bird!
Seriously, it boggles my mind Big Finish hasn't done more stories with Frobisher.
I finally got around to listening to the 50th-anniversary story, The Light at the End. I've only had the collector's edition on my shelf for a year.
The best I can say about it is that it was functional and adequate. I'm not really clear what the problem was, what the Master was trying to accomplish, or how and why the CIA was involved. That was probably by design; the plot problem was important insofar as it got a bunch of Doctors together so they could do stuff. The big flaw, imho, was that, for as important as Bob Dovey (or whatever his name was) was to the Master's "conceptual bomb" plan, Dovey was completely non-functional and undeveloped as a character, so I'm not clear why Nick Briggs even included him.
I thought William Russell's Hartnell impression was terrible. Nothing about it reminded me of Hartnell.
India Fisher's voice has changed or her acting has matured; she doesn't sound like the "Edwardian Adventuress" any more.
The best I can say about it is that it was functional and adequate. I'm not really clear what the problem was, what the Master was trying to accomplish, or how and why the CIA was involved. That was probably by design; the plot problem was important insofar as it got a bunch of Doctors together so they could do stuff. The big flaw, imho, was that, for as important as Bob Dovey (or whatever his name was) was to the Master's "conceptual bomb" plan, Dovey was completely non-functional and undeveloped as a character, so I'm not clear why Nick Briggs even included him.
I thought William Russell's Hartnell impression was terrible. Nothing about it reminded me of Hartnell.
India Fisher's voice has changed or her acting has matured; she doesn't sound like the "Edwardian Adventuress" any more.
I agree about Russell's Hartnell. Why couldn't they get John Guilor do the voice? Its one thing for Russell to voice First's lines in the Companion Chronicles, but he plainly sucks here. Hines' Second is very good, and I thought the Third was OK.
As for the Master's plan... I think he just simply wanted to paradoxically erase the Doctor from reality, and I think he used CIA's technology to do it.
Anyway, I love that story. Its the proper 50th anniversary, even though it missed out on NuWho Doctors.
As for the Master's plan... I think he just simply wanted to paradoxically erase the Doctor from reality, and I think he used CIA's technology to do it.
Anyway, I love that story. Its the proper 50th anniversary, even though it missed out on NuWho Doctors.
I relistened to The Kingmaker today. A divisive play for its level of barmy nature and unconventional ending, it's also well-known for Jon Culshaw's brief performance as The Fourth Doctor on a tape recorder, five years before Tom Baker finally returned to reprise the role. However, what really stands out for me this play (both times I listened to it) is how much Stephen Beckett as Richard III sounds like Christopher Eccleston. Maybe they have similar accents (or at least to this untrained American's ears), but it's something that caught my attention immediately, for the better. Beckett's performance is top-notch and really carries the play. Interestingly, The Ninth Doctor even makes an off-screen appearance.
Ah, The Kingmaker! I love it because it's plain bonkers. It's the Doctor Who equivalent of "The Trouble with Tribbles." Except even funnier.
I don't try to make it fit history or continuity, because that way lies madness. Nicola Bryant and Caroline Morris were in particularly good form in the story; Peri and Erimem play off each other very well. (I know people who ship them, but I don't buy that.)
I don't try to make it fit history or continuity, because that way lies madness. Nicola Bryant and Caroline Morris were in particularly good form in the story; Peri and Erimem play off each other very well. (I know people who ship them, but I don't buy that.)
I love The Kingmaker! The only thing I'm iffy about, is how Peri and Erimem lived in that place for two years, without the Doctor... how likely would it for for two young women from different time periods to settle in the 15th century?
Fan-theory: The CIA fixed it.
Not only that, but he even delivered the line just like Eccleston did.
Seriously, why does this flourish?
Listened to all of the Evelyn-Sixth Doctor stories, finally, except for Thicker than Water, which is a Mel audio, and I want to get there chronologically speaking.
As far as these audios go... with the exception of the Thomas Brewster trilogy (whose stories with Six just didn't work for me, really), this is one fantastic run of stories! Six continues to change from season 23 in a meaningful way, with Evelyn basically acting as his surrogate mother-of-sorts. Absolutely wonderful run, with Jubilee and Project: Lazarus being a particular highlight. In fact, it might be the best run of stories with a single companion since Four/Sarah Jane in seasons 12/14.
Really sad that there's no more of her to listen to, at least for a while.
Listened to all of the Evelyn-Sixth Doctor stories, finally, except for Thicker than Water, which is a Mel audio, and I want to get there chronologically speaking.
As far as these audios go... with the exception of the Thomas Brewster trilogy (whose stories with Six just didn't work for me, really), this is one fantastic run of stories! Six continues to change from season 23 in a meaningful way, with Evelyn basically acting as his surrogate mother-of-sorts. Absolutely wonderful run, with Jubilee and Project: Lazarus being a particular highlight. In fact, it might be the best run of stories with a single companion since Four/Sarah Jane in seasons 12/14.
Really sad that there's no more of her to listen to, at least for a while.
... and since then, have finished all Sixth Doctor audios, except the ones with new companion Constance (sans the one from the Last Adventure box-set). And really, it was a blast, for the most part. Several boring, forgettable stories, sure, and I honestly don't know what else to tell of the Sixth by now, but... a lot of really good, really great DW stories that not only redeem the Sixth's run on TV but enhance it by making the one Doctor who developed the most from all the 80's Doctors, going the most distance from his Twin Dilemma schizo self to his selfless, sacrificing noble self in The Brink of Death.
Really enjoyed this run a lot. Might be my favorite 80's Doctor now - although PD has a special place in my heart.
Started McCoy, in concurrence with the BBC stories, too, and I'm at the beggining of the Hex era... and aside from several lovely Seven-Mel audios (including the masterpiece that is Fires of Pompeii) and some good Ace audios, I'm not exactly sold on him. But anyway, thats a conversation for another day.
Really enjoyed this run a lot. Might be my favorite 80's Doctor now - although PD has a special place in my heart.
Started McCoy, in concurrence with the BBC stories, too, and I'm at the beggining of the Hex era... and aside from several lovely Seven-Mel audios (including the masterpiece that is Fires of Pompeii) and some good Ace audios, I'm not exactly sold on him. But anyway, thats a conversation for another day.
