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Post by barnabaslives on Dec 15, 2018 19:37:15 GMT
And was it just me or did he really sound like 'Old Sixie' towards the start of the adventure? As in early telly days Six. Full of piss & vinegar and a good bit of arrogance Six. He mellowed out as the thing moved along but at the start it felt like it was very much Six with sharp edges. I suppose I could see that, but to me he came across as more bubbly than blustery which I really enjoyed. I absolutely loved the bit with the printer btw, I suppose that could seem annoyingly show-offy but I thought it was rather endearing. Don't think I could comment further on the relationship of The Hunting Ground to TV Sixie without checking where it falls in his timeline - if it comes before some of the mellowing influences Big Finish seems to have subjected him to, probably most notably Evelyn, it might not be out of character for him to be slightly less restrained or refined?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 22:02:44 GMT
I thought The Hunting Ground was very good. Sixie on audio is always enjoyable but even more so in a really interesting story like this. The Hunting Ground is a mystery story with some fun moments thrown in and it all worked very well to make this a highly entertaining adventure. Colin Baker is on top form, which is par for the course in his BF stories, it was also good to hear the Sixth Doctor solo once again. The sound design definitely deserves a mention too as it was top notch and gave The Hunting Ground a great atmosphere. Ratings wise, this is easily a 9/10 story for me.
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Post by Whovitt on Dec 16, 2018 1:50:55 GMT
While there were certainly some good things in here, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as everyone else seems to have. The Doctor's characterisation just seemed a bit off to me - he was the more arrogant, pompous version from his TV persona, which was fine, but he also seemed to act in a more modern Doctor manner (I sensed a lot of Eleventh overtones going on). While it made the story a bit more fun (the singing printer, for example), it just didn't feel something the Sixth Doctor would do, to me.
I was also finding Yrsa quite irritating by the end. I understand that she was angry and hurt, but she needed to just shut up and listen to her boss when she was explaining things in Part 4, rather than talking over her and jumping to conclusions. It's a trait I've noticed that seems to be becoming a stereotype among Big Finish characters and it's starting to get a little tiresome for me (or maybe I was just in the wrong mood when I listened to disc 2 last night?).
The Marfick's were suitably amusing, and the story was interesting. I was a little confused that the Doctor and the surrogate companion were separated for half the story, as it almost defeated the purpose of there being a surrogate to my mind, though it was helpful to have a fully rounded character to tell the Earth story with. Overall, it was a solid story, though there were a few little niggles along the way.
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Post by Timelord007 on Dec 16, 2018 8:22:42 GMT
Loved it, not what i was expecting which is good because this story took a murder mystery & added something new.
Colin Baker just awesome as the Doctor, Big Finish have fully developed this incarnation superbly.
4/5.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 9:44:32 GMT
I really enjoyed this one, and perfect for this time of year. The only thing I hate are these simplistic 'get-out' plot devices, 'Oh I altered that while you weren't looking', or 'I found that earlier and changed it'. Such cheap and easy ways to defuse situations, it's annoying.
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Post by shallacatop on Dec 17, 2018 13:50:31 GMT
I actually listened to The Hunting Ground on the day it came out, but I've held off posting my thoughts just so I've had time to properly process the story. It's been really interesting reading what everyone else has posted.
Mainly because I have the opposite opinion! I didn't really enjoy this one at all. In the behind the scenes, John Ainsworth says it's a Nordic Noir that subverts expectations. Personally, I don't think it's either; it's trad and completely bland at that. I rather like AK Benedict's work and I really enjoy a Scandi / Nordic Noir, so I was left really disappointed. The characters are forgettable, made all the worst by a bland guest cast that use their natural voices. Not even an attempt to sound like they're from the Nordics. I hope the ending isn't a sign that Yrsa is going to be in further stories. What doesn't help The Hunting Ground is that it treads familiar territory with The Woman Who Fell to Earth, and, to some extent, It Takes You Away, except Jodie's stories are so much better than this. Then there's the resolutions of cliffhangers and plot points being something the Doctor miraculously happens to have in his pocket; how frustrating. The quirkiness is forced. The printer gag isn't too bad the first time around, but it gets worse as the story goes on. The less said about the Marfick's "double act" the better.
The release isn't without its positives, though. Colin Baker is good, playing the Doctor we see on screen and I think that works well. Sometimes I feel Big Finish's portrayal of the Sixth Doctor might as well be a whole different incarnation, so occasionally reminding us of the TV persona is welcome. The soundtrack is great too, with an ongoing beat that is very similar to the Stranger Things theme!
I'm just glad I listened to this before Muse of Fire!
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Post by DavidHogan on Dec 19, 2018 18:18:20 GMT
I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with some of the more recent posts and say I didn't like it much. It was all pretty familiar and plain, and the cliffhanger resolutions... yikes! As someone said earlier in this thread, they were all resolved by the Doctor foreseeing it happening and planing something before hand. Lazy writing at the best of times, but all three cliffhangers?
There were some good bits, don't get me wrong, but when my favourite character was inanimate object singing in beeps and whirls then something went wrong...
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Post by IndieMacUser on Dec 19, 2018 22:40:54 GMT
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Post by slithe on Dec 20, 2018 18:48:52 GMT
Another mixed bag, this one.
As always, Colin Baker shines in the role and clearly puts his heart and soul into any script given for his Doctor. Whilst this story tried to channel the 'early' Sixth Doctor (rather than BF's Old Sixie), the character did not come across as outrightly unpleasant and unappealing to the listener. True, the Doctor was rather smug and verbose in places, but he wasn't unlikeable. More like a child that has had too many colourings. The Doctor is also sympathetic and is still someone we can support and root for - even though he despises the Hunter, he still tries to save him. If this was really TV's Season 22 version, the Doctor might have left the Hunter to his fate or inadvertently pushed him in (see Vengeance on Varos). Baker gets to have some good scenes here and is a key strength of the production.
Unfortunately, this story is rather hamstrung but its striking similarities to the recent Whittaker TV story. If, as I suspect, all scripts have to go to the BBC to be verified, it is a bit puzzling that they continued to keep a storyline that bore such a resemblance to something that would be shown on TV only a few weeks earlier. I wonder if this accounts for the December release date and whether re-writes were necessary to get this one past the BBC Doctor Who production team. If so, it might account for some of the criticisms levied at the story - particularly with regards to plot elements. Personally, it might have been better to use a different story line and/or hold this one over for a while.
Whilst the Scandi-setting is interesting, I felt that it wasn't used to its full potential. Although this adventure is 'Scandi-Noir' with a twist, the Icelandic landscape could have been more effectively utilised on audio - I always think the opening episode of Project: Lazarus with the Doctor and Evelyn in the snow forests of Norway is an effective use of this landscape. I was also a bit surprised that the Hunter turned out to be a 'generic' alien - I was expecting something linked to Trolls or other Icelandic mythos (especially as there was a build up to it in the early episodes). We aren't really left with any motivation as to why the Hunter was hunting on Earth (other than he could) and the real motives beyond the Helion Corporation (except they were alien). Again, I wonder whether this is down to the fact that the plot threads are going to be picked up by another story (hopefully) or that they were lost in re-writes. The ending just seemed rather rushed and the story never really developed.
With the exception of Yrasa, I found the rest of the supporting cast rather bland and two-dimensional. Credit to the writer for not having the Chief Inspector turn out to be Yrasa's mother, but the reason for her decision to protect Yrasa isn't really convincing (or believable). The Government Minister is also ridiculously clichéd as well and his motives are not really developed fully. The two-headed alien was amusing, but a little bit superfluous to the plot. In many ways, it was like Willoway from Lure of the Nomad - someone for the Doctor to interact with for a short while. Sadly, unlike Willoway, it wasn't that interesting in the end.
Sadly, a rare misfire for a Colin Baker audio. Whilst Baker does as much as he can here and deserves full marks, the rest of this isn't particularly noteworthy. The story is passable, but needs developing. I also wonder how much of it had to be changed to avoid conflict with the recent TV episode. If so, then BF should have pulled it and started from scratch. It might have yielded a better production. With Muse of Fire left to go, it seems that Davison has had the best run of stories this year.
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Post by number13 on Dec 22, 2018 1:45:07 GMT
First, a confession (which may be taken down and used in evidence, presumably, as this is a 'cop drama'! ): I started listening for the first time lateish on Sunday, found I wasn't enjoying it much and fell asleep... With hindsight, this was no bad thing because I started over again the next evening with my expectations reset to a traditional, almost TV-era story 'monster' story of the lighter sort, and totally enjoyed it! I had expected a dark Who twist on 'Scandi Noir', and there were such moments and an underlying story of evil hunters and corruption. (Any politician in DW who admits to having ten-course official lunches and likes classical music, lock them up immediately and save time!) But mostly, it's a light-toned and entertaining action monster hunt, with the monster doing the hunting and Old Sixie at his most bumptious and brilliant, full of his early bounce and big-headedness ("The only person who can legitimately call anyone and everyone stupid is me. And I’m not that rude. Today." ) and with a keen eye for an Icelandic doughnut. Carrot juice? Forget it and pass the Kleinur, please! Plus Constable Floki and his (now) musical printer, and I simply loved the Marfiks, administrators so perfect that they rubber-stamped their own death-warrants in the name of proper procedure! Other aliens carry weapons; they have pens. I agree with Whovitt that as the story went on I wanted Yrsa to listen to her boss for a moment, especially as Ingrid was trying to repent and make amends. But Yrsa was under a lot of stress - if a tenth of what happens to her in this story happened to me, I'd be hiding out with the Hidden People! She has a lot of nerve and makes a very good 'companion', holding down the 'human' end of the investigation while the Doctor is planet-hopping with the Marfiks. Excellent, atmospheric sound design and music and I liked the little Icelandic details to give us a sense of place (though I would have liked to hear some more Icelandic accents and there were rather a lot of trees around in this story for Iceland, I thought!) I really enjoyed A.K. Benedict's witty, verbose version of Sixie played with sparkle and energy by Colin Baker, my favourite audio Doctor and always excellent whichever 'version' of Sixie he's asked to perform. To me he sounded decades younger here than the more thoughful, older Sixie of some of the Evelyn or Constance stories (for example.) With so many Companions (and sometimes none) we must be hearing the Sixth Doctor over a long span of his incarnation and I love the way this comes across in different stories. Probably the previous one of this Sixie era from BF was, I think, 'Vampire of the Mind'(?) and it's fun to see this version of solo Sixie from time to time.
An entertaining end to the MR for 2018; it's been a great year.
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Post by elkawho on Dec 22, 2018 5:40:25 GMT
I loved this one. I loved the wit and humor of it. I loved the one-off companion. I loved Colin and the energy he brought to it. I loved the Marfiks. It was perfect for an end of the year romp. A completely enjoyable 2 hours.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2018 13:58:32 GMT
And was it just me or did he really sound like 'Old Sixie' towards the start of the adventure? As in early telly days Six. Full of piss & vinegar and a good bit of arrogance Six. He mellowed out as the thing moved along but at the start it felt like it was very much Six with sharp edges. I suppose I could see that, but to me he came across as more bubbly than blustery which I really enjoyed. I absolutely loved the bit with the printer btw, I suppose that could seem annoyingly show-offy but I thought it was rather endearing. Don't think I could comment further on the relationship of The Hunting Ground to TV Sixie without checking where it falls in his timeline - if it comes before some of the mellowing influences Big Finish seems to have subjected him to, probably most notably Evelyn, it might not be out of character for him to be slightly less restrained or refined? Yeah, he struck me as post- Trial, but pre-Evelyn. Still a bit lost, still trying to find his footing after having his life turned upside down, but at peace enough that he doesn't exude that sense of cautious gloom that he did in things like The Wormery where he was deliberately looking for something to take his mind off recent events. Could be prior to his second jaunt with Frobisher in The Maltese Penguin too. I got the impression coming into this particular story that he was rather at a loose end without a companion. An odd feeling for the Sixth Doctor.
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Post by slithe on Dec 23, 2018 16:28:21 GMT
Yeah, he struck me as post- Trial, but pre-Evelyn. Still a bit lost, still trying to find his footing after having his life turned upside down, but at peace enough that he doesn't exude that sense of cautious gloom that he did in things like The Wormery where he was deliberately looking for something to take his mind off recent events. Could be prior to his second jaunt with Frobisher in The Maltese Penguin too. I got the impression coming into this particular story that he was rather at a loose end without a companion. An odd feeling for the Sixth Doctor. I always find that Colin Baker plays the 'lonely Doctor' far, far better than McCoy does. You always get the feeling that McCoy's Seventh incarnation is quite happy to be on his own, working silently/quietly in the background, manipulating events. Despite his portrayal in the TV series, the Sixth Doctor is always yearning for company and soon ingratiates himself into a group/the action. It happens in The Hunting Ground, the Sixth Doctor could have left his details, but is quite happy to actively help the investigation. He makes friends with the constable at the station, even repairing his printer (a light hearted moment there) and despite bickering with Ursa in the car, she is quite welcome of his company. I suppose that is why Baker's rejection of Mathew Sharpe at the end of Lure of the Nomad is quite powerful - the Sixth Doctor, despite his faults, likes people and tries to see the best in them. You could see the Seventh Doctor doing that quite easily, but not 'Old Sixie' - he even tries to redeem Hopkins at the end of Hour of the Cybermen. McCoy just walks away leaving him doing times tables. I agree that the Sixth Doctor has been at a 'loose end' in these adventures (not just The Hunting Ground). It would be good to see a more developed approach in the next set of releases. Whilst it has been fun to see the Sixth Doctor strike out on his own for a bit, he is, arguably, far happier with company. I suppose that is the real disappointment with the Mathew Sharpe companion - that could have really been developed and, possibly, led to the development of the Doctor becoming a little less trusting.
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Post by eric009 on Dec 23, 2018 18:40:02 GMT
5/5 replay 3 times a poll please
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2018 2:02:47 GMT
Yeah, he struck me as post- Trial, but pre-Evelyn. Still a bit lost, still trying to find his footing after having his life turned upside down, but at peace enough that he doesn't exude that sense of cautious gloom that he did in things like The Wormery where he was deliberately looking for something to take his mind off recent events. Could be prior to his second jaunt with Frobisher in The Maltese Penguin too. I got the impression coming into this particular story that he was rather at a loose end without a companion. An odd feeling for the Sixth Doctor. I always find that Colin Baker plays the 'lonely Doctor' far, far better than McCoy does. You always get the feeling that McCoy's Seventh incarnation is quite happy to be on his own, working silently/quietly in the background, manipulating events. Despite his portrayal in the TV series, the Sixth Doctor is always yearning for company and soon ingratiates himself into a group/the action. It happens in The Hunting Ground, the Sixth Doctor could have left his details, but is quite happy to actively help the investigation. He makes friends with the constable at the station, even repairing his printer (a light hearted moment there) and despite bickering with Ursa in the car, she is quite welcome of his company. I suppose that is why Baker's rejection of Mathew Sharpe at the end of Lure of the Nomad is quite powerful - the Sixth Doctor, despite his faults, likes people and tries to see the best in them. You could see the Seventh Doctor doing that quite easily, but not 'Old Sixie' - he even tries to redeem Hopkins at the end of Hour of the Cybermen. McCoy just walks away leaving him doing times tables. I agree that the Sixth Doctor has been at a 'loose end' in these adventures (not just The Hunting Ground). It would be good to see a more developed approach in the next set of releases. Whilst it has been fun to see the Sixth Doctor strike out on his own for a bit, he is, arguably, far happier with company. I suppose that is the real disappointment with the Mathew Sharpe companion - that could have really been developed and, possibly, led to the development of the Doctor becoming a little less trusting. Oh, absolutely. You can see it at the end of things like Legend of the Cybermen too, where he laments how it all must end. Sixie definitely needs someone with him on either side of Trial, the trouble is that he's not often willing to admit that to himself. Before Ravelox or Thoros Beta, he has a certain complacency about things. Happy to be alive in the prime of his lives with companions that seem to be enjoying things as much as he is. They'll always be there. Then his tribunal happens, his best friend dies and his memory wiped to preserve the integrity of the timeline. Time of Your Life is one of the very few times he repeatedly dismisses a potential companion in the form of Angela. Life on Torrok is a literal TV wasteland, there's nothing for her in the alkaline rivers and broadcast-obsessed gangs, but he doesn't trust himself not to get her killed. She doesn't let him have that choice, mind, she forces him to take her onboard by putting her own life at jeopardy and... she's killed. Ultimately, because he tried to keep her safe. I think events like that are always lingering in the back of his mind whenever he takes up a new companion. He really wants to, but he remembers how badly it can go. He tries disguising his jaunts to Frobisher in Maltese Penguin as flying visits, just to pop in and tell him how well everything is going. When he actually admits to himself that he's lonely, it comes as something of a surprise to himself. Character development that the character himself hadn't actively noticed. He still second guesses Frobisher right at the end, asking if he really wants to go, but the mesomorph seizes the opportunity with both flippers and the Doctor doesn't try to argue. He's not paralysed by his mistakes as he once was. Not quite ready to take on someone else who's new, sure, but a step forward is a step forward. Every new companion a new phase of opening back up to the universe. I like to think that, by Charley, he's actively confronting elements of his Trial in a way he wasn't before. He dares to live his life to the fullest, even in the face of someone who could potentially be another one of the Valeyard's spies/assassins (at least three pop up before Evelyn and potentially one during his travels with her). He's gotten a fabulous character arc over the years. My headcanon for why Frobisher leaves that second time is that they run into bounty hunters and assassins targeting them specifically so often after a while that they stop trusting whole swathes of people. The whifferdill decides to bow out to preserve his friendship with the Doc and put a little less stress on his travels. He's attacked on his own in Her Final Flight, which fails, so to curb his assailant's frustration, Trial of the Valeyard has him take centre stage. That flunks as well, so the Keeper/Valeyard decides to focus on other things, probably inside the microuniverse of the Matrix itself.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2019 13:59:36 GMT
Finally got round to listening to this commuting this week. I really enjoyed it for what it was but I must admit to being disapointed that it wasn't really a Nordic noir at all, I was kinda hoping for Doctor Who to jump into the realm of The Bridge, Wallander and The Killing but setting aside this doesn't really do that at all. As I said though I liked what it ended up doing - a new take on Most Dangeous Game may not be the freshest idea but this was a solid version of that. I can't agree that it felt like TV Colin as some have said though, he's much more whimsical from the start; strolling away from the police politely, making the printer sentient and musical etc.
It's a bit of a shame it came out the same day as the wonderful Muse Of Fire as this is overshadowed by that insta-classic but there's a lot here to commend it. I just wish we can get an actual Nordic Noir Who story one day rather than one that can't sustain that genre for one ep before alien planets and robot wolves arrive.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Jan 7, 2019 16:28:04 GMT
I really enjoyed this one, and perfect for this time of year. The only thing I hate are these simplistic 'get-out' plot devices, 'Oh I altered that while you weren't looking', or 'I found that earlier and changed it'. Such cheap and easy ways to defuse situations, it's annoying. I'm with those who enjoyed this story, but I agree 100% with Rover's comment about the simplistic "get-out" plot devices. One per story you can just about get way with, two or three and it feels like a bit more work was needed on the script. But as I say, overall I enjoyed it.
Liked the ambiguous ending, which Colin Baker draws attention to in the Extras. Will Ysra be Sixie's next companion?
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Post by agentten on Jan 10, 2019 5:48:16 GMT
I thought this was fun and I rather enjoyed the character bits, especially the banter that Baker was clearly having a lot of fun throwing around at his co-stars. I'd be so delighted if Ysra became a companion. She and Sixie had great chemistry.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 10, 2019 10:35:09 GMT
Subscriber Extended Extra DL is in Accounts
Regards
mark687
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Post by nottenst on Jan 10, 2019 15:07:47 GMT
I enjoyed the episode, but I am wondering why Frida saved Yrsa's life after Sigdor messed with the brakes in her car. Or did I misunderstand something there?
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