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Post by elkawho on Feb 5, 2022 19:57:30 GMT
202) The Warehouse: This is the second in this fun trilogy. I like this one a lot and have listened to it a few times. Solid performances, an enjoyable script and more good stuff for Mel. 7/10
203) Terror of the Sontarans: Dan Starkey sure knows his Sontarans. I liked this one more now than I did originally, I believe. This one is quite atmospheric, and I do like the supporting cast quite a bit. 7/10
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Post by elkawho on Feb 13, 2022 15:25:50 GMT
204) Criss-Cross: The beginning of a new era for The Sixth Doctor. We had heard a story with Constance prior to this one in the story The End of The Line in the The Last Adventure boxset. I thought that was a strange choice. If I hadn't known that Constance was to be the companion, it would have been a nice revelation. During the first half it seems as if Sylvia might be Six's new companion. It's a terrific WWII story with a Doctor Who twist, and Paul Thornley always gives a great performance. 10/10
205) Planet of the Rani: For some reason, I remember really disliking this story when I first heard it. And I didn't like Siobhan Redmond's performance at all. So I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it this time around. Everything about it was surprisingly better than I remembered. Much better. It's a good story that uses all it's characters very well. Redmond is actually very good in this, and it made me think about what a shame it is that we will probably not get anymore Rani stories with her. 7/10
206) Shield of the Jotunn: Another terrific story. It seems that this range is having something of a resurgence at about this time. There's a lot going on here, and people aren't what they first appear to be. And who doesn't like a good Viking story? 8/10
207) You Are The Doctor and Other Stories: I'm one of those folks that love a good anthology release, and this is certainly one of them. The title story is by far my favorite. It had me laughing out loud throughout. Who didn't love those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books as a kid? The use of that structure, and those childhood memories, is brilliant and completely works, even though it shouldn't on audio. The Porcians were the perfect race for this antagonists in this one, and it was a great way to bring them back. And no surprise that this is a John Dorney story. My second favorite story is The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel, a well done caper story with Sophie doing a great job as a caught out Ace. As a whole, the set is an 8/10.
208) The Waters of Amsterdam: A fun, timey-whimey romp through Amsterdam. It's a good story for Tegan, and we get to see a side of her we rarely ever see. No one is what they appear to be, and I particularly love Richard James as Rembrandt. What a cranky old sole he is in this one. 8/10
209) Aquitaine: This release, and the next one which I will be listening to today, are always on my list of top 10 Fifth Doctor releases for me. I just adore this story. And most of that is due to the character of Hargreaves. Matthew Cottle gives one of the best, most perfect performances of a guest character in MR history. I love how Hargreaves interacts with our three heroes. And the relationship between him and The Doctor is fantastic. Of course the story is terrific and keeps me riveted. All the pieces fall wonderfully in place in this one and it's a joy to listen to every time. I still think it was a mistake not bringing Hargreaves on as a companion. 10/10
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2022 21:17:19 GMT
204) Criss-Cross: The beginning of a new era for The Sixth Doctor. We had heard a story with Constance prior to this one in the story The End of The Line in the The Last Adventure boxset. I thought that was a strange choice. If I hadn't known that Constance was to be the companion, it would have been a nice revelation. During the first half it seems as if Sylvia might be Six's new companion. It's a terrific WWII story with a Doctor Who twist, and Paul Thornley always gives a great performance. 10/10 205) Planet of the Rani: For some reason, I remember really disliking this story when I first heard it. And I didn't like Siobhan Redmond's performance at all. So I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it this time around. Everything about it was surprisingly better than I remembered. Much better. It's a good story that uses all it's characters very well. Redmond is actually very good in this, and it made me think about what a shame it is that we will probably not get anymore Rani stories with her. 7/10 206) Shield of the Jotunn: Another terrific story. It seems that this range is having something of a resurgence at about this time. There's a lot going on here, and people aren't what they first appear to be. And who doesn't like a good Viking story? 8/10 207) You Are The Doctor and Other Stories: I'm one of those folks that love a good anthology release, and this is certainly one of them. The title story is by far my favorite. It had me laughing out loud throughout. Who didn't love those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books as a kid? The use of that structure, and those childhood memories, is brilliant and completely works, even though it shouldn't on audio. The Porcians were the perfect race for this antagonists in this one, and it was a great way to bring them back. And no surprise that this is a John Dorney story. My second favorite story is The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel, a well done caper story with Sophie doing a great job as a caught out Ace. As a whole, the set is an 8/10. 208) The Waters of Amsterdam: A fun, timey-whimey romp through Amsterdam. It's a good story for Tegan, and we get to see a side of her we rarely ever see. No one is what they appear to be, and I particularly love Richard James as Rembrandt. What a cranky old sole he is in this one. 8/10 209) Aquitaine: This release, and the next one which I will be listening to today, are always on my list of top 10 Fifth Doctor releases for me. I just adore this story. And most of that is due to the character of Hargreaves. Matthew Cottle gives one of the best, most perfect performances of a guest character in MR history. I love how Hargreaves interacts with our three heroes. And the relationship between him and The Doctor is fantastic. Of course the story is terrific and keeps me riveted. All the pieces fall wonderfully in place in this one and it's a joy to listen to every time. I still think it was a mistake not bringing Hargreaves on as a companion. 10/10 That 200-210ish MR run is fantastic and maybe the last sustained brilliant run it had. That Davison trilogy is one of the best BF ever did. And I did have low hopes too as the set up for the MR hitting 200 with the (all together now:) "great jumping on point" was the massively underwhelming Locum Docs.. If that Davison trio you are 2/3rds done with tells us anything its that sometimes BF can just do wonderful Who with no hook, crossover or gimmick. But would we have a box like that now? I am not sure. Terrific stories but on paper is it "sexy" enough for pre-orders to pile in? Or would River be in Amsterdam? Jenny on the Aquitaine? The Monk messing time up with Peterloo, where you are heading?
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Post by bonehead on Feb 18, 2022 14:39:21 GMT
073. Doctor Who: Thicker Than Water.
This is a strange, not unpleasant experience that seemed to be one of the first BF releases to match up companions/characters from different eras. Apart from Mel meeting Evelyn - fleetingly - there isn't a lot that that stays with the listener, which is odd considering the terrific cast. I wouldn't go as far as to call this a 'gentle' story, but it is very much character driven and to be honest, not a huge amount else. Nice but unmemorable.
074. Doctor Who: Live 34.
This is a kind of Doctor Who 'found footage' story, which I enjoyed a lot more than the similar television experiment Sleep No More. 'Real' DJ Andrew Collins (or Dineen as he now seems to be known) is the narrator filling in the gaps for the listener. I'd forgotten how good tihs is, and right for the Seventh Doctor, who was always something of a revolutionary (and it must have appealed to Sylvbester's political leanings). Ace and Hex continue to work really well together. A gritty little tale.
075. Doctor Who: Scaredy Cat.
Originally designed for the Divergent Universe series, this story doesn't get a lot of love, but I kind of like it. Ethereal and somewhat dreamlike, it does bear a large number of similarities with Will Shindler's previous Twilight Kingdom. It also features Arthur Bostrom from UK TV's Allo Allo, which could never be a bad thing. A very short tale, this is nevertheless worthy of a lot more praise than it gets, I think.
076. Doctor Who: Singularity.
Poor old, tortured Fifth Doctor. Since losing Adric back in his Earthshock days, Big Finish have regularly given him a level of melancholy that was never really there on television. It does, however, give more depth to the pleasant, open faced Doctor and serves him well here. James Swallow's story is pretty traditional. but it's the setting and characters that make it memorable, and it is always great to her from Turlough, especially when he is given something meaningful to do. The ending, I should mention, is superb.
077. Doctor Who: Other Lives.
2005's Christmas treat (the same year as the first television festive speical The Christmas Invasion), Gary Hopkins' excellent story could well be described as 'Dickensian'. It makes great use of C'Rizz, has a terrific cast (including Ron Moody and Mike Holoway from The Tomorrow People) and features a wonderfully moving double act between The Eighth Doctor and Georgina Marlow (Francesca Hunt). Excellent - worth a listen at any time of year.
078. Doctor Who: Pier Pressure.
Here's another tale that isn't deserving of its reputation. Although it was never touted at the time, this is the second of a loose trilogy by Robert Ross, who really should have the opportuinty to write more BF (Medicinal Purposes and Assassin in the Limelight are the other two pieces in the puzzle). Yes, it is overlong, and some of the scenes in the TARDIS with Evelyn and Roy Hudd's Max Miller - you read that right - could have been excised, but it is a huge amount of fun. Some salient points about the BBC from Old Sixie, and a cameo from William Hartnell are very welcome embellishments. Also, I love the seafront setting and some pretty sinister cliffhangers. Massively underrated, or is it that I lean towards unpopular stories?
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Post by grinch on Feb 18, 2022 15:00:17 GMT
073. Doctor Who: Thicker Than Water.
This is a strange, not unpleasant experience that seemed to be one of the first BF releases to match up companions/characters from different eras. Apart from Mel meeting Evelyn - fleetingly - there isn't a lot that that stays with the listener, which is odd considering the terrific cast. I wouldn't go as far as to call this a 'gentle' story, but it is very much character driven and to be honest, not a huge amount else. Nice but unmemorable.
074. Doctor Who: Live 34.
This is a kind of Doctor Who 'found footage' story, which I enjoyed a lot more than the similar television experiment Sleep No More. 'Real' DJ Andrew Collins (or Dineen as he now seems to be known) is the narrator filling in the gaps for the listener. I'd forgotten how good tihs is, and right for the Seventh Doctor, who was always something of a revolutionary (and it must have appealed to Sylvbester's political leanings). Ace and Hex continue to work really well together. A gritty little tale.
075. Doctor Who: Scaredy Cat.
Originally designed for the Divergent Universe series, this story doesn't get a lot of love, but I kind of like it. Ethereal and somewhat dreamlike, it does bear a large number of similarities with Will Shindler's previous Twilight Kingdom. It also features Arthur Bostrom from UK TV's Allo Allo, which could never be a bad thing. A very short tale, this is nevertheless worthy of a lot more praise than it gets, I think.
076. Doctor Who: Singularity.
Poor old, tortured Fifth Doctor. Since losing Adric back in his Earthshock days, Big Finish have regularly given him a level of melancholy that was never really there on television. It does, however, give more depth to the pleasant, open faced Doctor and serves him well here. James Swallow's story is pretty traditional. but it's the setting and characters that make it memorable, and it is always great to her from Turlough, especially when he is given something meaningful to do. The ending, I should mention, is superb.
077. Doctor Who: Other Lives.
2005's Christmas treat (the same year as the first television festive speical The Christmas Invasion), Gary Hopkins' excellent story could well be described as 'Dickensian'. It makes great use of C'Rizz, has a terrific cast (including Ron Moody and Mike Holoway from The Tomorrow People) and features a wonderfully moving double act between The Eighth Doctor and Georgina Marlow (Francesca Hunt). Excellent - worth a listen at any time of year.
078. Doctor Who: Pier Pressure.
Here's another tale that isn't deserving of its reputation. Although it was never touted at the time, this is the second of a loose trilogy by Robert Ross, who really should have the opportuinty to write more BF (Medicinal Purposes and Assassin in the Limelight are the other two pieces in the puzzle). Yes, it is overlong, and some of the scenes in the TARDIS with Evelyn and Roy Hudd's Max Miller - you read that right - could have been excised, but it is a huge amount of fun. Some salient points about the BBC from Old Sixie, and a cameo from William Hartnell are very welcome embellishments. Also, I love the seafront setting and some pretty sinister cliffhangers. Massively underrated, or is it that I lean towards unpopular stories?
Bit of an odd one this but I do think it says a great deal about how experimental Big Finish were in their early days in the fact that they were willing to give an adventure dedicated to none other than Max Miller. Compared to your Houdini and Lovecraft of these past few years I get the impression old Max would be far too obscure a historical figure for them to even bother nowadays.
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Post by bonehead on Feb 18, 2022 16:48:37 GMT
073. Doctor Who: Thicker Than Water.
This is a strange, not unpleasant experience that seemed to be one of the first BF releases to match up companions/characters from different eras. Apart from Mel meeting Evelyn - fleetingly - there isn't a lot that that stays with the listener, which is odd considering the terrific cast. I wouldn't go as far as to call this a 'gentle' story, but it is very much character driven and to be honest, not a huge amount else. Nice but unmemorable.
074. Doctor Who: Live 34.
This is a kind of Doctor Who 'found footage' story, which I enjoyed a lot more than the similar television experiment Sleep No More. 'Real' DJ Andrew Collins (or Dineen as he now seems to be known) is the narrator filling in the gaps for the listener. I'd forgotten how good tihs is, and right for the Seventh Doctor, who was always something of a revolutionary (and it must have appealed to Sylvbester's political leanings). Ace and Hex continue to work really well together. A gritty little tale.
075. Doctor Who: Scaredy Cat.
Originally designed for the Divergent Universe series, this story doesn't get a lot of love, but I kind of like it. Ethereal and somewhat dreamlike, it does bear a large number of similarities with Will Shindler's previous Twilight Kingdom. It also features Arthur Bostrom from UK TV's Allo Allo, which could never be a bad thing. A very short tale, this is nevertheless worthy of a lot more praise than it gets, I think.
076. Doctor Who: Singularity.
Poor old, tortured Fifth Doctor. Since losing Adric back in his Earthshock days, Big Finish have regularly given him a level of melancholy that was never really there on television. It does, however, give more depth to the pleasant, open faced Doctor and serves him well here. James Swallow's story is pretty traditional. but it's the setting and characters that make it memorable, and it is always great to her from Turlough, especially when he is given something meaningful to do. The ending, I should mention, is superb.
077. Doctor Who: Other Lives.
2005's Christmas treat (the same year as the first television festive speical The Christmas Invasion), Gary Hopkins' excellent story could well be described as 'Dickensian'. It makes great use of C'Rizz, has a terrific cast (including Ron Moody and Mike Holoway from The Tomorrow People) and features a wonderfully moving double act between The Eighth Doctor and Georgina Marlow (Francesca Hunt). Excellent - worth a listen at any time of year.
078. Doctor Who: Pier Pressure.
Here's another tale that isn't deserving of its reputation. Although it was never touted at the time, this is the second of a loose trilogy by Robert Ross, who really should have the opportuinty to write more BF (Medicinal Purposes and Assassin in the Limelight are the other two pieces in the puzzle). Yes, it is overlong, and some of the scenes in the TARDIS with Evelyn and Roy Hudd's Max Miller - you read that right - could have been excised, but it is a huge amount of fun. Some salient points about the BBC from Old Sixie, and a cameo from William Hartnell are very welcome embellishments. Also, I love the seafront setting and some pretty sinister cliffhangers. Massively underrated, or is it that I lean towards unpopular stories?
Bit of an odd one this but I do think it says a great deal about how experimental Big Finish were in their early days in the fact that they were willing to give an adventure dedicated to none other than Max Miller. Compared to your Houdini and Lovecraft of these past few years I get the impression old Max would be far too obscure a historical figure for them to even bother nowadays.
Robert Ross is something of a historian regarding these sometimes forgotten veterans, and that's one of the reasons I like his writing so much. I would love it if he got the chance to unearth some more obscure figures from history via The Doctor. Sadly, I don't think it will happen.
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Post by grinch on Feb 18, 2022 16:53:29 GMT
Bit of an odd one this but I do think it says a great deal about how experimental Big Finish were in their early days in the fact that they were willing to give an adventure dedicated to none other than Max Miller. Compared to your Houdini and Lovecraft of these past few years I get the impression old Max would be far too obscure a historical figure for them to even bother nowadays.
Robert Ross is something of a historian regarding these sometimes forgotten veterans, and that's one of the reasons I like his writing so much. I would love it if he got the chance to unearth some more obscure figures from history via The Doctor. Sadly, I don't think it will happen.
Personally, I always thought it would be neat to have an adventure where the Doctor interrupts an episode of Hancock’s Half Hour! Cue the cast ad-libbing while he tries to deal with the threat. Even thought of a scene where the rest of the cast are temporarily indisposed as they try to help the Doctor leaving Kenneth Williams to vamp onstage to fill the time with her acting out a conversation. The sense of urgency being as Sid James or possibly Hattie Jacques would put it “Quick! He’s running out of voices!” I mean, they’ve already worked with Kevin McNally so it’s not like they couldn’t do it.
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Post by bonehead on Feb 18, 2022 17:29:46 GMT
Robert Ross is something of a historian regarding these sometimes forgotten veterans, and that's one of the reasons I like his writing so much. I would love it if he got the chance to unearth some more obscure figures from history via The Doctor. Sadly, I don't think it will happen.
Personally, I always thought it would be neat to have an adventure where the Doctor interrupts an episode of Hancock’s Half Hour! Cue the cast ad-libbing while he tries to deal with the threat. Even thought of a scene where the rest of the cast are temporarily indisposed as they try to help the Doctor leaving Kenneth Williams to vamp onstage to fill the time with her acting out a conversation. The sense of urgency being as Sid James or possibly Hattie Jacques would put it “Quick! He’s running out of voices!” I mean, they’ve already worked with Kevin McNally so it’s not like they couldn’t do it. I think you should pitch that to Big Finish! I'd buy it with no hesitation.
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Post by grinch on Feb 18, 2022 21:01:37 GMT
Personally, I always thought it would be neat to have an adventure where the Doctor interrupts an episode of Hancock’s Half Hour! Cue the cast ad-libbing while he tries to deal with the threat. Even thought of a scene where the rest of the cast are temporarily indisposed as they try to help the Doctor leaving Kenneth Williams to vamp onstage to fill the time with her acting out a conversation. The sense of urgency being as Sid James or possibly Hattie Jacques would put it “Quick! He’s running out of voices!” I mean, they’ve already worked with Kevin McNally so it’s not like they couldn’t do it. I think you should pitch that to Big Finish! I'd buy it with no hesitation. Hah! Glad you like it. And yes, chance would certainly be a fine thing. Maybe I’ll write the idea up as a fan script one of these days.
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Post by sherlock on Feb 27, 2022 21:58:21 GMT
Resuming this run at my usual snail’s pace-
36. The Rapture
That was an odd one. Lots of music and fair bit of melodrama. Sort of refreshing, sort of baffling.
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Post by elkawho on Mar 5, 2022 16:09:51 GMT
I've been too busy or lazy to post here, and now I have to make up for it.
210) The Peterloo Massacre: When Big Finish get it right, there is no one that can do it better. And this is one of those times. I had never heard of this historical tragedy before this story was released. It's rare that BF takes on something of this emotional and historical weight and it's a brave move. They don't sugar coat the event or the reasons leading up to it. Each character in it has their role in the devastation, and they each have to deal with the consequences. No aliens needed here, humanity is the problem. Sarah Sutton does a remarkable job, and Nyssa rarely seems so affected by her experiences. Her performance brings me to tears every time. I doubt anyone reading this has not heard this story, but if on the off chance you haven't then rectify that immediately. 10/10
211) And You Will Obey Me: I remember when this Multi-Master trilogy was released there were a lot of people disappointed in it. But I'm not one of them. I enjoyed the whole thing. Yes, this is the weakest of the stories, but the set up story often is. I still think it's a fun one and gives us an interesting take on The Masters. And as is said time and again, Geoffrey Beevers is terrific. The dragonfly aliens are an odd addition, but Doctor Who is best when there are odd additions. 7/10
212) Vampire of the Mind: I adore Alex McQueen's Master, so this is a story I was looking forward to. It's a basic Doctor Who story that uses a setting from a past story to give a new take. Solid, fun, but it's only Colin's performance and the addition of McQueen that makes it more than it should be. 7/10
213) The Two Masters: What a fun romp, and the actors seem to be having a ball. A very different use of the Rocketmen, and there is a true sense of time going by from how we originally knew them the the state that they are in now. The scenes with Beeves and McQueen are worth the price of admission. 8/10
214) A Life of Crime: Better on second listen that it was on the first. My memory of this release was not a good one, so I wasn't looking forward to it, but I quite enjoyed it this time. I like this Mel, one who has seen a lot more of the universe. She is still Mel, but a lot less trusting and more experienced. 7/10
215) Fiesta of the Damned: Another good historical setting and a meaty part for Mel. She seems to attract the fighting type, doesn't she? The Spanish Civil War is not a setting you see often, but it was a good one. I honestly don't remember much about Ace in this one, with the focus squarely on Mel. 6/10
216) Maker of Demons: I like this one a lot. It's take on The Tempest is a nice touch. It's rare to see The Doctor deal with the consequences of his actions, so this was a good one for that. It has some humor in it as well, which I always enjoy. 8/10
217) The Memory Bank and Other Stories: Not as good an anthology as we have gotten in the past, but not bad. My favorite story in this one is Repeat Offender. However, some of the stories are based on premises that just don't work for me. This one isn't a "must listen", but it is entertaining. 5/10 for the release.
218) Order of the Daleks: This one gets better with each listen. I thought it was just ok upon release, but now I really love it. There are some terrific performances in this. And one of the best and most beautiful covers in the range. That Dalek design is just breathtaking, if a little impractical. 8/10
219) Absolute Power: This is one of those good stories with good performances that you enjoy while listening but doesn't really stay with you. It's not bad, just not exactly memorable. 6/10
220) Quicksilver: But this one is memorable. Who ever had the idea to team Constance with Flip was inspired. It seems a terrible idea on the surface. I can't think of two companions who are more different, but they work so well. I love the scene where Constance meets Flip and accuses her of having an affair with her husband. This meeting of Constance and Henry Clarke was one that needed to happen, and it adds a lovely piece to Constance's story. The only problem I have (and it's a very minor one) is that Matthew Cottle was previously so good as Hargreaves that I often looked for that voice in his performance. 9/10
221) The Star Men: What a difference a trilogy makes. This isn't a bad story, it's just that after Peterloo it feels like such a drop in quality for this team. It's nice to have Matthew Waterhouse in this, as his first MR appearance. But this came out after his Fifth Doctor Vol 1 appearances, and those were also such fantastic stories that this seems a bit of a let down. 5/10
222) The Contingency Club: A good romp for Five. I think he would fit right in with the gentlemen's club crowd, until he wouldn't. It's actually a pretty crazy story, with clone servants and alien siblings. A very enjoyable listen. 7/10
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Post by sherlock on Mar 6, 2022 23:08:05 GMT
37. The Sandman
This story does well by toying with a more aggressive Sixie akin to his Season 22 days and has some great concepts. Another winner for Sixie & Evelyn.
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Post by sherlock on Mar 7, 2022 22:40:07 GMT
38. The Church and the Crown
This one is riot. Fun old romp through Paris with larger than life characters and it all comes together nicely, with Erimem literally leading the charge.
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Post by bonehead on Mar 10, 2022 15:07:18 GMT
079. Doctor Who: Night Thoughts.
Edward Young's only contribution - so far - to the world of BF, and it is right up my alley. Also, it features a terrifically creepy performance from the wonderful Lizzie Hopley (great actress and writer for Big Finish). Bernard Kay, a veteran of the series, is Major Dickens, a blustering character who's final scene is the stuff nightmares are made of. I love it when Doctor Who goes all-out horror like this. I'm not sure the audios are allowed to go so much in this direction these days, which is a shame, because this kind of story suits Sylvester's brooding Doctor very well indeed. Pretty darn terrifying.
080. Doctor Who: Time Works.
Like Singularity a while back, this has at its heart, a fairly standard plot, something that has been done in Doctor Who a few times; however, it comes with enough Steve Lyons flourishes and finely drawn characters that I always really enjoy revisiting. A beautiful individual soundtrack too, from Andy Hardwick who usally, I'm sorry to say, provides less than stellar incidentals. Apparently this was originally written for the Divergent Universe 'arc', and I can see how it would fit. I can also see how 'a good story is a good story', and this fits seamlessly into the more traditional Who universe. Tracey Childs and the late Ronald Pickup provide excellent support for Paul, India and Conrad. Terrific, haunting stuff.
081. Doctor Who: The Kingmaker.
Well, they can't all be zingers, can they? I can't get into a lot of Nev Fountain's writing and that's a fact. Usually, I find his stories have one or two terrific moments but the rest of the time are just too 'silly'. It's good that he is so well liked however and I'm glad his work appeals generally. It's not the first time I've been in a minority when it comes to story preferences. A good cast of actors well known for comedy is here, including Jon Culshaw, Arthur Smith and Michael Fenton Stevens. I just don't 'get it', but then of course, variety is the spice of life.
082. Doctor Who: The Settling.
A nice gritty historical from Simon Guerrier, which gives Hex a chance to shine and plenty of business for the various characters. Clive Mantle is particularly good as Oliver Cromwell, and it's always good to hear Ian Brooker, here playing Colonel Sinnot. David Darlington provices his usual exemplary, strident mood music and the regulars are on great form.
083. Doctor Who: Something Inside.
Here's another early contender for the Divergent Universe. I love this gem of a story and think that Trevor Baxendale is somewhat underrated. His work for Blake's 7 especially, has been great. This is a claustrophobic, creepy shape-shifting-style tale that works surprisingly well despite the over-use of the moniker 'brain worm'. It buulds really well throughout its occasionally graphically violent running time, and features a genuinely brilliant cast. Everyone shines.
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Post by bonehead on Mar 26, 2022 15:40:19 GMT
084. Doctor Who: The Nowhere Place.
Like most writers, Nick Briggs writes stuff that I either like or don't like; for me, his stories go further - they're either really good or absolutely not. This is the exception; I neither like nor dislike it. Having got all that out of the way, it's a good, spooky vehicle for Sixie and Evelyn, and it reminds me in part of Charles Dickens' The Signalman. The music and sound design, also by Nick, really buys into this and creates a nice feeling of unease - but ultimately, it isn't quite as good as it promises to be. There are some interesting and confounding ideas, but none of them are fascinating enough to make a memorable story.
085. Doctor Who: Red.
Continuing with the experimental style Gary Russell oversaw for the MR during his latter days with as a BF regular, here we have Red, and it stars TV favourite Sandi Toksvig as a kind of perverse sensualist! This could be one of Doctor Who's most quietly extreme stories. Written by Stewart Sheargold, it also features an eminently creepy turn from Sylvester, who is on superb form as the Seventh Doctor. Andy Hardwick, who isn't my favourite composer, excels himself with a score that goes even further to unnerve the listener. There are also some truly disturbing cliffhangers. I don't mind going on record as saying this is an all-time favourite MR story for me, with BF really pushing the envelope in a way that doesn't really happen anymore, written by a massively underrated writer.
086. Doctor Who: The Reaping.
Perpugilliam Brown is one of the most unfortunate companions in Doctor Who, if not the most unfortunate. The role of The Doctor's 'Plus 1' is often a dramatic one, but stories like this, and Nev Fountain's Piscan Paradox, give her a whole new level of upset. Poor Peri - and Nicola plays her so well. Apart from that, Joe Lidster makes good use of the macabre nature of the Cybermen and as always, David Darlington's wonderful sound design gives us listeners no reason to feel safe!
087. Doctor Who: The Gathering. (spoiler)
From one heart-pulling story to another - courtesy once more of Mr Lidster. I will say that I really do not like Tegan's - yes, she's back! - projected fate here, but I understand Janet Fielding wanted her to be killed off. If that's the price you pay for getting her back, then so be it - but while it is great to hear her squabbling with the Doctor once more, as if she had never been away, the dark events here rather overshadow that. Those darn Cybermen! Also, if you let it, this story casts a dark shadow over Tegan's subsequent full-time return. This is a good tale - not her best for Big Finish, but enjoyable. Fortunately, she have happier times to come.
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Post by sherlock on Mar 27, 2022 12:17:49 GMT
39. Bang-Bang-a-Boom!
Well this was a surprise. I wasn’t expecting much from this, but it was very well done parody (amusing without becoming farcical) and the Season 24-style Seventh Doctor worked well here.
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Post by elkawho on Mar 27, 2022 15:38:36 GMT
223) Zaltys: A very good story for the full 5th Doctor Tardis Team. I had forgotten everything about this one when I heard it again, and it was a joy to revisit. I believe this is the first BF story with Rebecca Root, and she is fantastic in this. Quite the different character than what we are used to hearing from her. Her amoral scavenger works great as a foil for our protagonists. 8/10
224) Alien Heart/Dalek Soul: Alien Heart is an excellent story which sets up this set very well. The only real problem with it is that is is paired with the fantastic Dalek Soul. I don't know why, but I always love it when Peter Davison plays an alternate version (and usually much darker version) of The Doctor. There's a feeling of Blakes 7 to this story. It makes sense that Nyssa, even a cloned Nyssa, would have difficulty doing the kind of sinister work that she is doing in this one. And that she would be the one to realize that something was wrong. This is a very good start to these one hour coupled stories in this trilogy. Alien Heart 7/10, Dalek Soul 10/10
225) Vortex Ice/Cortex Fire: Vortex Ice is an excellent story and quite mind bending in it's use of time travel. Very much the star of this release. I believe I listened to this one 3 times just to get my mind around it. Great performances, and not one to listen to without your full attention. Cortex Fire is a good story, but much more run of the mill Doctor Who. I came away from this one once again really missing Lisa Greenwood. I hope she is better and back working soon. Vortex Ice: 10/10, Cortex Fire 6/10
226) Shadow Planet/World Apart: I remember being very excited about this release due to the return of Philip Olivier's Hex. It was the first group of stories since the end of his run and I just love the character. These are both excellent stories, as they really delve into Ace and Hex's relationship and how much these two have come to rely on each other. The addition of Hex really gave Sophie Aldred so much more to work with and enhanced Ace as a character throughout his time in the Tardis. These stories are no exception. Shadow Planet 8/10, World Apart 10/10
227) The High Price of Parking: This just goes to show how good a writer John Dorney is. This is a very clever Seventh Doctor story with a lot of humor. The characters are well developed and it's fun to listen to, yet it far from my favorite stories of his. I know most people love this one, but it's just missing something for me. I'm not sure what it is. Performances are very good and I do like it, it's just not one I like to return to. But that being said, I still think it's a 7/10.
228) The Blood Furnace: Another release that I had no memory of, and enjoyed much more than I was expecting. It's a little over complicated, but still an exciting story. 7/10
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Post by sherlock on Mar 27, 2022 16:25:05 GMT
40. Jubilee
The nastiest Dalek stories told in any media and the pepperpots are barely in it from most of the runtime. A blistering take on how fascism corrupts and retellings of history. The Dalek is ultimately the most sane supporting character here.
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Post by sherlock on Mar 27, 2022 20:05:38 GMT
41. Nekromenteia
The worst thing Big Finish has ever produced. Everyone who set eyes on this abomination of a script before recording should be ashamed of themselves. There is absolutely nothing of value here.
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Post by sherlock on Apr 9, 2022 13:30:51 GMT
42. The Dark Flame
How very generic. Cultists, loosely defined evil force from the end of time, companion possession; there’s just not much interesting stuff here, other than Joseph.
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