Main Range 241: Red Planets (August 2018) SPOILERS

I always listen to Big Finish at night in the dark for extra atmosphere, the sounds seem to heighten ones senses.

I agree with omega . Best outing for this team so far!

Sometimes the weaker entries in the Ace and Mel stories reminded me of the early Fifth Doctor scripts that had been written before the authors knew that Nyssa would be a part of the story and which had to be hastily adapted to include her. Mel too often seemed a tad superfluous, but that was absolutely not the case here. Bonnie even gets to sing!

The best televised Seventh Doctor stories are the ones where Ace and the Doctor split up and they each have their own parallel adventures. I think that’s part of the reason why this story works as well as it does. Ace in one storyline and Mel and the Doctor works extremely well and was a very shrewd move on the part of McCormack.

Writing Ace is a lot like making pizza, I think. Hard to get perfect, and even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good, but at its best, it’s sublime, and Sophie is absolutely at the height of her game here.

It reminded me of Requiem in Hell done right. Kudos for use of a word we’re hearing a lot in the news lately: 'Kompromat'. I assume that’s coincidence, as the 2017 setting leads me to believe that’s when the story was probably written, but it’s an interesting one.

Recent stories have been a bit slow to get underway (there were a few that felt like they didn’t properly start until the episode 1 cliffhanger), but Red Planets begins with a bang and never lets up! The cover art was gorgeous, the direction was top notch, the leads were excellent, and the supporting cast were great. I especially enjoyed the exchange with Mel at the end, which promises interesting times ahead.

I’m also a bit of a sucker for Russian accents, so I enjoyed those too. This had everything I want out of a Doctor Who story!

This is one of those stories that gets in your head and doesn't want to leave. I love when that happens. I'll be listening to this one again soon.

Excellent intriguing audio drama, might require a couple listens get all the plot points but this a cleverly conceived slow burner which maintained my interest as Big Finish deliver another fantastic audio drama.

I'd rate it 4/5.

From a monthly range which a couple years ago was looking tired this range now is back to full throttle.

Hhhmmmrm. A comment or two

Context: discussion after conclusion amongst TARDIS team on whether or not the guy would have made it over the wall.


Ace notes she convinced the guy (how did I forget the name? Tom maybe?) not to try to make it over the wall. She thought he wouldn't have made it, recall. Either Ace or Mel wonders if the team was the cause of the alternate timeline in light of her intervention. However, the Doctor notes Ace's earlier comment that she thought Tom was about to be shot and that's why she intervened. He remarks that that may have been the fix that preserved the original timeline. BUT.....

...but consider that for a moment. Might that not mean that in fact, what the Doctor considered "original timeline" was not the original timeline at all - it was an alternate timeline he created and protected in this very episode. He wouldn't have known it until then, in his earlier carnations. Three had no idea about future companion Ace in 11/1961, after all. But this "original timeline" would not have existed but for early-middle 7th Doc depositing Ace in 11/1961 in time to interfere. Further back, if Fenric hadn't moved Ace to Svartos in time for early-7th to arrive and pick her up (Dragonfire). See also Gods and Monsters


In short: if the Doctor's remarks are right in this episode, what he considers the "original timeline" is an alternate timeline invented between him and Fenric, ensured here.

Just finished listening to it. I thought it was quite good and I hope by the end of this mini-series of episodes we find out why the timeline was disrupted in the first place. The whole mist thing seems pretty weird as that would seem to imply something further back in the timeline disrupting things. Anyway, another strong entry and I am looking forward to the next.

One exciting thing was 3 cliffhangers at the end of part 3.

The Monthly Range has been on top form since September 2017: an excellent 6th/Flip/Constance Trilogy, a fantastic 5th/Nyssa/Tegan/Adric trilogy and 3 excellent (pardon the pun) stories with Baker again. In short, a very good strike rate and a massive improvement in quality (with only the Mathew Sharpe story being a bit below par). So, it comes to McCoy's trilogy and I am suddenly feeling a bit queasy. Why? I think the 7th Doctor is just as good as the others and McCoy is a good actor - why did I anticipate his Doctor's return with mixed feelings? Well, if I'm honest, with the exception of probably 'We are the Daleks' and 'The Two Masters', most of the McCoy releases for several sets have been below par.

It was interesting, that before Red Planets was released, I was listening through the first Kline Trilogy. Wow! These three stories were HOW the 7th Doctor should have his adventures. Political, well written and allowing the character to show his manipulative side. Thankfully, Red Planets goes for this approach and it is probably the strongest 7th Doctor story in years. Certainly, the story is strong and well constructed - something which really helps here. The decision to divide the narrative into three parts: Ace in Berlin, the Doctor/Mel in London and the Phobos Mission on Mars is clever and keeps the listener engaged in the story. As ever, Doctor Who works best when the key characters are split up and here that allows the characters to play to their strengths. Ace 'works' in Berlin and is actually given a 'mission' to do (something that nods to the NA approach), whilst perhaps the use of 'mate' could be toned down, she is less of cliche here than in the past. Langford is miles better here than in her previous outings - Mel seems convinced that the alternate future is correct and spars well with McCoy in the first episode. Her subsequent concern for the Doctor after his capture is well developed as is the playfulness that she perhaps could assume the identity of 'a Doctor' for a change.

The Doctor is well developed here. McCoy's incarnation always works well in political situations and it is a good idea to script his adventures with this approach. McCoy gets to but heads with KGB/Security services and does this well. McCoy is also more believable here as the 'Dark' Doctor - his willingness to sacrifice people at the end of the story and the casual disregard for life, so long as there is a 'right' result allows us to see an angle to the character that is hinted at, but seldom explored very often. Whilst we get the feeling that the Doctor is a good man, his ethics and methods are not always so straightforward. He plays people off against each other and takes the mantle of 'Time's Champion' well here. Although McCoy often gets 'angry' in his audio adventures - here the listener is under no illusions that the Doctor is genuinely cross - it is effective rather than just show-offy/poor acting for McCoy. McCoy seems to have put a lot of thought into this one and it clearly shows - I also, perhaps wrongly, suspect that he is able to add some of his own political views into the performance (the hint about always turning left, 2017 being slightly better than the alternative future are just a few).

This is 'grown up' Doctor Who and the listener is spoiled here. Complexly plotted (this will repay several listens) with lots of red herrings - the title being the most obvious, the hint about who reveals the identity of the Doctor to the authorities in the alternative Britain (the Brig? Counter Measures?), whether the Doctor/Ace really saved the timeline or started it all and who is manipulating the timeline in the first place. There's plenty to keep this trilogy going - especially with the 'debt' Mel owes at the end and whether she really has 'forgotten' everyone (is she as innocent as she seems!)

Finally, the musical score is superb here. The choral pieces are a particular highlight and fit the mood well for this. The content is also very topical at the moment with the renewed interest in the left and extremism.

A great start to a new McCoy trilogy and, lets hope, this continues in the next release! Superb!

I have always loved McCoys Doctor back in time when he got mysterious and manipulative in the tv show and was actually cruel mentally really to ACE thats when my interest in the show resparked...and then they cancelled it