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Post by shallacatop on Jun 23, 2022 11:03:00 GMT
Dreams of Avarice is a lot of fun like others have noted. Tom is on fine form, DI Alan Probert makes for a nice foil, The Nine makes for a refreshing change to The Eleven and it’s witty. However I thought the whole thing was so bloated; Guy Adams does a cracking 60 minute story but anything above that and you can typically pre-empt what it’ll be like. Unfortunately this was the case here.
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Post by masterdoctor on Jun 23, 2022 16:19:33 GMT
The Dreams of Avarice was really good, almost amazing, though part 3 drags a little. John Heffernan is a lot less OTT than Mark Bonnar which offers a nice change of pace. Richard Dixon is a great temporary companion and he and Baker really bounce off each other.
Peale Season is my favourite of the set, with Mervyn Peake someone I was completely unfamiliar with, but really enjoyed learning about. I think Mark was on the money saying it’s an Adamsesque episode of New Who, just featuring the 4th Doctor! A standout celebrity historical. My one qualm is the occasional habit of BF doing 40 minute episodes, here it’s not too bad, but generally they drag way too much!
Shellshock on the other hand… I hated it if I’m being honest. This is no shade to the writers or actors or production team in general, but none of it worked. The entire story feels dense and wordy, and yet very little happens for most of it. The performances feel so camp compared to what the story being written, which reflects poorly on the directing, as it creates this massive disconnect. Even Tom Baker was annoying in this!
I think I remember in a news announcement or Vortex that David Richardson and Nicholas Briggs disagreed on whether they should bring back Margaret or Nurse Schumann, and I have to say that I am really glad that Richardson won and they chose Margaret. Nothing about Schumann is very interesting and the performance from Ambrose-Bayly feels one note and the character doesn’t at all seem like someone The Doctor would connect with.
Like I said this is nothing against the team behind Shellshock, because they’ve all done great things, but this is a case of a great team just missing the mark.
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Post by IndieMacUser on Jun 26, 2022 10:21:55 GMT
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Post by Chakoteya on Jun 26, 2022 14:53:51 GMT
Fourth Doctor stuff is pretty much a guaranteed early buy and listen for me. Avarice was a good romp, but I have to admit that the 9/10/11 is not my favourite character, mainly because they throw in all those other character voicess and leave me baffled most of the time as to which is which.
But having the Doctor lose his dimensional stabiliser, just like he did to the Monk all those lifetimes ago... yes, nice one.
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Post by martinw8686 on Jun 27, 2022 20:37:38 GMT
Really enjoyed the previous 4th Doctor set Solo and Dreams of Avarice but have seen a few poor reviews for Shellshock, is it really that bad?
Normally happy to rush into any audio with Tom but I'm worried about starting Shellshock.
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Post by elkawho on Jun 28, 2022 1:24:44 GMT
I thought it was pretty good. I liked the other stories just a bit better, but I gave it a 4/5. It's definitely not bad enough to worry about listening to. I think you'll enjoy it.
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Post by shallacatop on Jun 29, 2022 15:17:54 GMT
I really didn't like Shellshock at all I'm afraid. I usually find a positive in a story, or try to suggest what I'd do instead, but I'm really stumped with this. The story is utter nonsense; nonsensical dialogue trying to disguise a non-existent plot. The cast feel like they've been allowed to do whatever they want, even Tom regresses back to his Hornets' Nest / S1-3 4DA persona, and none of the characters are particularly likeable. I really can't imagine what Hannah would've been like aboard the TARDIS, particularly with Leela. It really listens like a script was written and given to the cast and little else; the director and script editor really dropped the ball here.
And then immediately after we have Peake Season which is terrific fun! I think part one was a touch bloated and the ending didn't quite stick but I loved the journey. It's quite unique and whimsical in its own right, but more so when in a set with two other stories I didn't massively care for.
The two instalments of Series 11 are chalk and cheese, but I really liked that they gave Four the opportunity to fly solo for a time. I hope another long-term original companion for him is on the cards.
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Post by Chakoteya on Jul 2, 2022 10:55:40 GMT
Really enjoyed the previous 4th Doctor set Solo and Dreams of Avarice but have seen a few poor reviews for Shellshock, is it really that bad? Normally happy to rush into any audio with Tom but I'm worried about starting Shellshock. Don't worry about Tom, he's fine. He even gets to reverse the polarity of... at one point.
The story is okay, another WW1 gets hi-jacked by nefarious aliens thing with a bit of spookiness thrown in then thrown away.
Says a lot about the attitudes of the top brass to their underlings when it comes to war, though.
Hmm, wonder what's living under the Kremlin at the moment...?
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Post by Chakoteya on Jul 6, 2022 16:12:50 GMT
Peake Season... Very Gormenghast-ish. (maybe I should do a re-read, although it will be coloured by the TV production with Ian Richardson.)
As for the final scene... great!
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Post by aemiliapaula on Jul 6, 2022 21:05:15 GMT
just listened to it the other day. the description of the lemon cake in the last story sounded so good that when I saw one in the store today I had to have it!
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Post by Timelord007 on Jul 16, 2022 12:10:53 GMT
Listened to Shell-shocked, I loved it such a great story that delves into PTSD & the horrors of war.
Tom Bakers on great form here.
9/10
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Post by Kestrel on Jul 17, 2022 10:27:27 GMT
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Post by kfbate on Jul 20, 2022 16:58:36 GMT
Just got round to this little 4th Doctor gem. When we got to the Peake Season story. I did get a tad over excited, at the idea, the notion if you will of the Doctor, sparring and then perhaps having adventures with Tolkien. However on retrospection of this thought, set against me enjoying the story, and, of course not giving anything away here, that it was in fact the also excellent writer of the Gormenghast series of books. it is not that much of a stretch as the story expands to see the references abound. However, back to my Tolkien and Who - given as the Mayor of Glimmer quotes a calming cup of Earl Grey and a sit down, pardon my misquote, I thought, you know, it wouldn't work. You have what to me would be the unmovable force of Tolkien all tied up and secured in his own realm, against a time traveller open to all and any ideologies and seeing the good in almost all. It would be like oil on water. But you can imagine for a moment. What if....
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Post by Digi on Jul 21, 2022 23:14:50 GMT
Bit behind, still working on this set.
I absolutely loved The Dreams of Avarice, not one complaint. This is one that I'll revisit over and over.
Shellshock, I am still working on. This story is an absolute chore to get through--I've already taken four breaks and the thing is still not over. Only 15 minutes to go, thank goodness.
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Post by masterdoctor on Jul 21, 2022 23:40:23 GMT
Bit behind, still working on this set. I absolutely loved The Dreams of Avarice, not one complaint. This is one that I'll revisit over and over. Shellshock, I am still working on. This story is an absolute chore to get through--I've already taken four breaks and the thing is still not over. Only 15 minutes to go, thank goodness. Much the same for me for both. And its quite unfortunate that Shellshock just doesn't work for me, as I can tell everyone tried the best and I see what it was going for. If it helps, Peake Season was much better IMO.
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Post by Digi on Jul 22, 2022 16:41:16 GMT
Bit behind, still working on this set. I absolutely loved The Dreams of Avarice, not one complaint. This is one that I'll revisit over and over. Shellshock, I am still working on. This story is an absolute chore to get through--I've already taken four breaks and the thing is still not over. Only 15 minutes to go, thank goodness. Much the same for me for both. And its quite unfortunate that Shellshock just doesn't work for me, as I can tell everyone tried the best and I see what it was going for. If it helps, Peake Season was much better IMO. Aye, I'm a little ways into it right now and it is indeed MUCH better than Shellshock. And bonus personal amusement at the Tolkien mixup at the start -- I just did a LOTR marathon a few days ago!
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Post by nottenst on Aug 16, 2023 22:03:34 GMT
Just finished the series. I was a bit surprised that given the Boxset Volume was titled The Nine that the Nine was only in the first story. I was expecting him to show up in some way in the other two, but they were completely independent.
Still, the three were quite enjoyable.
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