lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,813
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Post by lidar2 on Dec 9, 2019 9:20:01 GMT
Prisoner vol 3 this week
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Post by number13 on Dec 9, 2019 9:33:32 GMT
TW The Last Beacon Very funny, very earthy, very Welsh and filled with affection for the valleys and their people, affection as full and warm as a steaming coffee maker. (There were fewer kebab shops - yummee! - in the valleys in my great -grandmother's time and not a coffee maker in sight but I bet the community spirit of the place wasn't so different.)
Super story by Gareth David-Lloyd, I loved it!
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
Likes: 5,063
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Post by ljwilson on Dec 9, 2019 18:32:22 GMT
A second listen to the excellent Spare Parts. There are certain audios that just conjure up images in my head and this is one of the most vivid of the lot.
I think the overall atmosphere of this story is brilliant. I can see the doomed underground city on Mondas like I'm stood in the dimly lit streets.
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Post by slithe on Dec 9, 2019 20:06:11 GMT
A second listen to the excellent Spare Parts. There are certain audios that just conjure up images in my head and this is one of the most vivid of the lot. I think the overall atmosphere of this story is brilliant. I can see the doomed underground city on Mondas like I'm stood in the dimly lit streets. On my list of stories to listen to. For some reason, I missed this one first time around. So glad that the DW Production Team didn't do Genesis of the Cybermen in the 1980s - a script was submitted for Season 19 if I recall. I am surprised that BF hasn't tried to dig this out and give it a go as a lost story...
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Post by slithe on Dec 9, 2019 20:08:44 GMT
Static
I do like a ghost story for before Christmas and 'Static' has become a fixture in my December listening list. Part spooky ghost story, part classic Who science fiction, I love it from the gripping opening scene all the way to the end...
And it reminded me again what a splendid TARDIS team this is - and they've been recording again! Hooray! A story that genuinely could have benefited from 6 episodes. So much unresolved - why is there the guilt between the couple (I always liked the idea that there was an affair)? How did the Resurrection Machine stay hidden for so long - surely Till cannot have done it all by himself? Where does the Static come from? What is the effect of the conclusion on Sixie and the TARDIS crew?
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Post by glutamodo on Dec 9, 2019 20:10:39 GMT
I was unaware that such a story was ever in the TV pipeline. However, I'm totally not surprised that once BF put the own spin that topic, they would not be wanting to make an alternate of what they did.
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Post by polly on Dec 9, 2019 21:20:38 GMT
Primeval
Another solid release (what's that, like 7 in a row now?) I'd gotten so caught up by Eye of the Scorpion that I kind of forgot about poor Nyssa. Which was silly of me, because I think she's a great companion, and this is a great idea for a story. The TV series never really played with any long-term grief or anger out of her about the loss of Traken or what became of her father. So revisiting home before it was destroyed seems like a fine idea for Big Finish.
It's a really well-drawn exploration of Traken's society and how it came to be. Which I wouldn't think would be as interesting as it is. There's a nice sense of inevitability about things. Given that it's a semi-prequel, we know things have to be a certain way, and that things will end badly for the planet as much as we might wish otherwise.
I'm not entirely sure what to make of Kwunderbar. He was given a fairly detailed explanation and yet I still felt like I didn't know the nature of the beast. I like that air of mystery and unknowable horror when it comes to mad gods and cosmic things of that sort. But at the same time, I was not entirely impressed by him, and I can't quite put my finger on why.
It appears I have a Christmas treat (?) coming up next...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 21:31:26 GMT
Static
I do like a ghost story for before Christmas and 'Static' has become a fixture in my December listening list. Part spooky ghost story, part classic Who science fiction, I love it from the gripping opening scene all the way to the end...
And it reminded me again what a splendid TARDIS team this is - and they've been recording again! Hooray! A story that genuinely could have benefited from 6 episodes. So much unresolved - why is there the guilt between the couple (I always liked the idea that there was an affair)? How did the Resurrection Machine stay hidden for so long - surely Till cannot have done it all by himself? Where does the Static come from? What is the effect of the conclusion on Sixie and the TARDIS crew? I personally rather like that we never got an explanation for the origin of the Static or the Resurrection Machine. It’s a big universe out there full of infinite possibilities and the fact that even the Doctor cannot provide all the answers I think only adds to the atmosphere of the piece. As for the conclusion, I feel like this undoubtedly will be followed up in a future Six/Flip/Mrs Clarke trilogy.
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Post by timegirl on Dec 10, 2019 0:23:02 GMT
Just finished listening to The Widow’s Assassin, I have to say I love everything about this audio but especially the glorious body swap between 6 and Peri! They are so good and funny at doing each other’s voices🤣 I also love the fairytale feel to it, the twists and turns, the concept of the Doctor having a childhood imaginary enemy is a really clever one! I think this is one of Nicola Byant and Colin Baker best outings together!
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melkur
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 3,967
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Post by melkur on Dec 10, 2019 1:07:07 GMT
On Thursday I listened to 'The Ghosts Of Christmas Past', which I absolutely loved (who knew I needed a crossover between Dorian Grey & Sherlock Holmes?). Sat at Woking station for an hour this evening, I listened to 'Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence' which was a lot better than I remembered it to be when I listened to it a few years ago (time allowing, I'm planning on listening to 'A Collinswood Christmas' at some point in the next week or so.
Last week I listened to 'Nocturne', I believe for the first time, and found it decent enough.
Dribs & drabs allowing, I've been listening to 'Night Thoughts', which is a decent 'little' release (though I wonder how the three-part TV version might have played out?)
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Post by project37 on Dec 10, 2019 1:21:27 GMT
I was browsing the Hoopla app and on a whim, decided to revisit Seasons of Fear for the first time in ages.
WOW. It was so much fun to go back to these early exciting days of Big Finish Doctor Who, when for all intents and purposes, the McGann episodes were "The New Series". The overall quality of his second season was such a tremendous leap forward and this particular story moves at a great pace with humor, style, and confidence. The Doctor's dynamic with Charley is a joy, and there are some little moments that seemed quite bold at the time - namely the Doctor getting a DNA sample of Alex Grayle via Charley's mouth (ahem) and Charley casually mentioning that she'd once attended an orgy (!).
Fantastic villain, an exciting cliffhanger with surprise aliens, and a mysterious "auditor" taking stock of events...foreshadowing the epic season finale that would send heads spinning and jaws on the floor.
I know it makes me sound old, but I kind of miss this era of Doctor Who, when the release of each monthly DW audio was an event and there was room to take time with the stories and discuss them in detail (as opposed to multiple releases competing for attention every month). So for me, Seasons of Fear ended up being an enjoyable trip down memory lane on that level as well.
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Post by number13 on Dec 10, 2019 2:18:04 GMT
A story that genuinely could have benefited from 6 episodes. So much unresolved - why is there the guilt between the couple (I always liked the idea that there was an affair)? How did the Resurrection Machine stay hidden for so long - surely Till cannot have done it all by himself? Where does the Static come from? What is the effect of the conclusion on Sixie and the TARDIS crew? I personally rather like that we never got an explanation for the origin of the Static or the Resurrection Machine. It’s a big universe out there full of infinite possibilities and the fact that even the Doctor cannot provide all the answers I think only adds to the atmosphere of the piece. As for the conclusion, I feel like this undoubtedly will be followed up in a future Six/Flip/Mrs Clarke trilogy. More about the Static and what happened next at Abbey Marston is explored further in JM's 'This Sleep of Death' in the UNIT 8 boxset and it's another great story, but still leaves much to be explained. So I'm hoping he will give us a third installment sometime. As we're dealing with something buried for many centuries, who better to hop back and further back and find out its origins than River?
I'm also looking forward to the next Sixie/Flip/Constance trilogy to see what effect it all had on Mrs. Clarke. Surely something.
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Post by slithe on Dec 10, 2019 10:11:16 GMT
I personally rather like that we never got an explanation for the origin of the Static or the Resurrection Machine. It’s a big universe out there full of infinite possibilities and the fact that even the Doctor cannot provide all the answers I think only adds to the atmosphere of the piece. As for the conclusion, I feel like this undoubtedly will be followed up in a future Six/Flip/Mrs Clarke trilogy. I totally agree... I think that it is good to have some ambiguity for a change. I just thought that Static was one of those rare stories where we could have had more. Usually, they are trying to extend stuff to fit. Personally, I think that's why the 2 x 2 parters have been a success this year - short, snappy stories in the style of the new series. No info-dumping, needless cliff-hangers and padding. Technically, even Tartarus was a 2 x 2 (the first story in Ancient Rome, the second being exploring the other world).
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Post by slithe on Dec 10, 2019 10:14:39 GMT
I was unaware that such a story was ever in the TV pipeline. However, I'm totally not surprised that once BF put the own spin that topic, they would not be wanting to make an alternate of what they did. Yep, Gerry Davies submitted a script called 'Genesis of the Cybermen' to the production office for Season 19. I think Saward was working on Earthshock at the time, so the script did not go anywhere. I also think, not sure with this, that there were problems with it and the style was not what the TV production team were looking for (I think there was a more fairy-tale approach rather than the Nazi-esque inspired Genesis of the Daleks). The last Davies script - Revenge of the Cybermen also needed significant rewrites for Season 12, which may have played a part. Interestingly, David Banks also submitted a script for Season 23. It involved the Cybermen in a maze. Perhaps BF could do this one? His Iceberg novel (not great) might also be worth a revisit. Personally, I hope that BF remake Killing Ground by Steve Lyons (Sixie and Markham could be a good series of adventures).
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2019 11:04:01 GMT
I was unaware that such a story was ever in the TV pipeline. However, I'm totally not surprised that once BF put the own spin that topic, they would not be wanting to make an alternate of what they did. Yep, Gerry Davies submitted a script called 'Genesis of the Cybermen' to the production office for Season 19. I think Saward was working on Earthshock at the time, so the script did not go anywhere. I also think, not sure with this, that there were problems with it and the style was not what the TV production team were looking for (I think there was a more fairy-tale approach rather than the Nazi-esque inspired Genesis of the Daleks). The last Davies script - Revenge of the Cybermen also needed significant rewrites for Season 12, which may have played a part. Interestingly, David Banks also submitted a script for Season 23. It involved the Cybermen in a maze. Perhaps BF could do this one? His Iceberg novel (not great) might also be worth a revisit. Personally, I hope that BF remake Killing Ground by Steve Lyons (Sixie and Markham could be a good series of adventures). There's some astonishingly good writing for post-Trial Sixie and the Cybermen in Killing Ground. The step-by-step documentation of cybernisation from the perspective of someone being converted is peerless ("My eyes have been scooped out and replaced with ruby ocular crystals."). Lyons had a fantastic understanding of why the Cybermen became the subject of people's awe and terror. The only thing I think they could improve with an adaptation is weaving the Sixth Doctor into a more active role in the events on Agora. I'd pay good money for that vitally important scene of him on the Cybership. Dangling from a cable and dying of radiation poisoning wondering if it'd be worth it to continue.
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Post by slithe on Dec 10, 2019 12:12:54 GMT
There's some astonishingly good writing for post-Trial Sixie and the Cybermen in Killing Ground. The step-by-step documentation of cybernisation from the perspective of someone being converted is peerless ("My eyes have been scooped out and replaced with ruby ocular crystals."). Lyons had a fantastic understanding of why the Cybermen became the subject of people's awe and terror. The only thing I think they could improve with an adaptation is weaving the Sixth Doctor into a more active role in the events on Agora. I'd pay good money for that vitally important scene of him on the Cybership. Dangling from a cable and dying of radiation poisoning wondering if it'd be worth it to continue. It is a very good book and one of the few MAs that actually held my attention. It does focus on the real body horror and tragedy of the Cybermen, which has rarely been explored elsewhere. I agree that Sixie could be more involved here, but the idea of him trapped in a cell is probably an allegory for his era on the TV and what Saward/JNT did with the character. The ending is good - the Sixth Doctor wondering whether to give up, with the Seventh Doctor perhaps willing the incarnation to die so that he can take over. This would be a good adaption - Baker doing a 'dying Doctor bit' with McCoy whispering 'give up Doctor, let yourself go' (almost a reverse Androzani Regeneration). Sadly, as BF are moving away from adaptions, I doubt we will ever see it.
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Post by number13 on Dec 10, 2019 13:00:33 GMT
Ooh 'eck, for a Muse of Fire
I do love this story, inspired brilliance from Paul Magrs and the all-star cast, a work of genius that's welcome in my salon any time!
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 10, 2019 17:47:20 GMT
I was browsing the Hoopla app and on a whim, decided to revisit Seasons of Fear for the first time in ages. WOW. It was so much fun to go back to these early exciting days of Big Finish Doctor Who, when for all intents and purposes, the McGann episodes were "The New Series". The overall quality of his second season was such a tremendous leap forward and this particular story moves at a great pace with humor, style, and confidence. The Doctor's dynamic with Charley is a joy, and there are some little moments that seemed quite bold at the time - namely the Doctor getting a DNA sample of Alex Grayle via Charley's mouth (ahem) and Charley casually mentioning that she'd once attended an orgy (!). Fantastic villain, an exciting cliffhanger with surprise aliens, and a mysterious "auditor" taking stock of events...foreshadowing the epic season finale that would send heads spinning and jaws on the floor. I know it makes me sound old, but I kind of miss this era of Doctor Who, when the release of each monthly DW audio was an event and there was room to take time with the stories and discuss them in detail (as opposed to multiple releases competing for attention every month). So for me, Seasons of Fear ended up being an enjoyable trip down memory lane on that level as well. Seasons of Fear is one of my all-time favorites. I would find it hard to point out negatives. It is just pure fun. And Charley is amazing in this.
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 10, 2019 17:52:17 GMT
Needed some cheering up so put Time in Office in last night. Still have "Night Thoughts" on my re-listening list, but could not make myself go through with it... A lady needs her sleep. Tonight I might continue with Blood on Santa's Claw... I already listened to the free first story and it was quite good.
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Post by newt5996 on Dec 10, 2019 19:53:04 GMT
Blood on Santa’s Claws for some good Christmas fun to mark the halfway point in my exams.
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