MR 7 The Genocide Machine (Spoilers OK)

This one brings back an awful lot of nostalgic memories for me. Also makes me feel old (where has the 19 year interval gone between release in 2000 and the present?)

I'd been aware of BF through DWM and had pestered parents to get some of the CDs. At that time I was still at secondary school, but as I didn't have a job and you couldn't buy BF CDs in the shops, it was a case of persuading them to order one. As my parents weren't exactly huge Doctor Who fans (and at that time the series was pretty much seen as defunct) they couldn't really see why I would want to listen to stories based on the show. In short, they thought it was a rather *niche* (if not geeky) interest and didn't really want to indulge it. I kept pestering and managed to get The Sirens of Time for Christmas, but that was about it. When I saw this release advertised, it was one I *had* to have and made sure that I was able to get my hands on it. Fortunately, persistence paid off and I was able to obtain a copy shortly after release. From hereon, I also made sure that I would be able to buy my own CDs, and ended up using cash I had to get the releases.

As Stevo says, this release *confirms* that Doctor who can work on audio. I think we also forget *how* special this release was - it was the first *proper* return of the Daleks. After two disappointing John Peel books, a cameo in The Movie (if you can call it that) and two PC Games, this was the first time fans got a decent story with the monsters in it. With Mike Tucker writing, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Seventh Doctor was chosen and the story does fit the characterisation of his era as shown on the TV. It is interesting to recall that it was this that led to some criticisms about the story being rather pedestrian - there isn't much of the manipulative Seventh Doctor here and, to be honest, it could be *any* Doctor against the Daleks. It also felt like a traditional Terry Nation story (even down to the jungle and use of Tarrant as a surname), which also left the story open for criticism. However, valid as these points are, isn't it all worthwhile when you hear that Dalek 'heartbeat' sound - I can always remember getting tingles when I first heard this. The Daleks in BF - you knew that this was a series that meant business and was trying to do it properly.

I think the story has aged relatively well. It is better than some of the recent Dalek stories, but does fall into that nostalgic glow - which reflects the initial approach of BF to reach out to fans. The use of the data storage machine and the process involved is interesting, but I would have liked it to be developed a bit more. I also question whether everything would still be kept in print format - again, reflecting the fact that Tucker didn't foresee the changes in storage through the use of Memory Sticks and Thumb Drives. The premise of the Daleks knowing everything and becoming less likely to kill or obey without question is an interesting one and, ironically, the Daleks defeat themselves. The story also re-establishes the Daleks as a threat/menace in their own right and it is good that they are, finally, shorn of Davros for a while. It unsurprising that Russel T Davies used these early Dalek stories as inspirations for the relaunch in 2005 - they go back to the essence of what Nation wanted the creatures to be.

McCoy seems to have found his feet more in this one and doesn't appear to be 'talking' at the microphone as much (I picked this up on the re-listen to the Fearmonger). Aldred is convincing as Ace and doesn't sound like she's been away - just very noisy and teenage like (explains why the reaction to the story wasn't create as she has 'regressed' in some ways since the NAs). Her performance as the clone Ace isn't great and it is a give-away that she is a Dalek copy (almost as bad, aurally, as the use of the duplicate in The Chase!!) Elgin is tolerable but I would liked to have seen him get his just deserts - perhaps being left with the ruined library is enough.

Great title - much better than the original 'Wetworks'.

Had forgotten how good 2000 was for the MR - some real gems here: The Marian Conspiracy, Spectre of Laynon Moor, Holy Terror, Fires of Vulcan.

I think people might find this CGI animation of interest. *taps nose* I found it roughly the same time I was listening to The Genocide Machine for the first time, so it left a pretty indelible impact on how I perceived the Dalek Emperor in those Big Finish stories. A nice hybrid of Evil and the TV21 comics:

Hello everyone!

Here's my review on 'The Genocide Machine' - bradleybasement.wordpress.com/sci-fi/doctor-who/doctor-who-timelines/the-doctors-timelines-index/the-seventh-doctors-timeline/the-genocide-machine-audio/

Enjoy!

Tim.

I did! Nice review Tim.

Great that you are doing a relisten mark. I really like The Genocide Machine and the comfort listening factor. A highly enjoyable 7 out of 10.

Really like this one... Can remember pestering parents to buy this and getting quite annoyed when they were reluctant to do so. I also recall the hype about this one in DWM - I particularly remember the comic strip that was published as a précis of this story (when did they stop - I lost touch with DW for a while and when I dipped back into DWM a few years ago, couldn't find any).

As the 'first' outing for the Daleks - I think BF did a fairly good job here. It ticks the stereotypes of Dalek stories - 'jungle planet', advanced technology, hidden Dalek technology and subterfuge. The decision not to include Davros was a wise move and gives the Daleks centre stage again in a way they hadn't had for a long time. The story itself is quite a good one and is solid - it puts together more familiar elements of previous Dalek stories and is quite a homage to Terry Nation in many ways.

It's not perfect - some of the Dalek voices are difficult to tell apart in places, particularly when there are several Daleks in the same scene. The gag with Prink gets very tiresome after a while and Elgin should have been exterminated.

It is interesting that data storage is something we are now looking at taking more seriously - this could be an example of science fiction leading the way to reality. The concept of the Genocide Machine is quite a horrific one and does make you wonder if the Daleks or the librarians are the actual villains here. Love the idea that a Dalek knowing everything actually stops being a Dalek - neat idea (even if it does make the plot redundant!)

Not perfect by any means, but a good first outing. Showed BF could do the Daleks and hinted that the Main Range had a strong future ahead of it.