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Post by nucleusofswarm on Jan 28, 2023 0:43:03 GMT
Well, did a thread for the other two, so might as well ask for completion - who in your view has a better run of BF audios, umbrella or celery?
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Jan 28, 2023 1:34:05 GMT
Celery (IMHO). 5th is my fave audio- on the average whole there are more stories that I emotionally connect to.
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Post by Digi on Jan 28, 2023 2:11:55 GMT
Tough call...if this was the old days (ie Gary Russell era), when Seven had a huge ongoing storyline, I'd give him the win without the slightest hesitation. But (as discussed in another thread not too long ago) I've felt like they haven't really known what to do with him for quite a long time now, whereas they've taken Five--a Doctor who on TV I find impossibly bland--and given him a ton of wonderful stories.
Overall, at the moment, I have to give it to the celery. But if they ever get their [you know what] together with Sylv again, it'll be a race.
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Post by Star Platinum on Jan 28, 2023 4:31:46 GMT
I think Five has this one.
Five is a fairly consistent doctor when it comes to story quality I find. While he has his highs (Spare Parts, Prisoners of Fate) and his lows (Nekromanteia, the Brewster trilogy), generally, the Fifth Doctor is quite well served by Big Finish. Looking over his releases for the last few years, there aren't any real stinkers that come to mind, and there a few story arcs that worked quite well with for him (Marc, The season 19 releases), and the only real stinker that leaps out is the Blazing hour. Overall a solid doctor, no really crazy highs or lows, but consistently entertaining.
Seven on the other hand is a tougher call. I've always found McCoy to be an erratic performer. When I listen to a new Seven release, I never quite know if I'm going to get the mysterious, manipulative Oncoming Storm, or a wheezing gurning clown of a Doctor. His high end stories are excellent (Death in the Family, the first klein trilogy), but the lows are lower (Dark Husband, the persuasion trilogy). I've personally felt, that since Phillip Olivier's departure as a full time companion(well, afterlife to be specific) Big Finish hasn't really known what to do with the Seventh Doctor. To use 2014 as a reference point like I did with the Fifth Doctor, Seven has started several new plotlines. We have the Thomas Hector arc (dreadful), New adventures of Bernice Summerfield (dropped in favor of David Warner), the continuing adventures of Mel and Ace (abandoned plotline), The Novel Adaptations and The New Adventures (Both dropped), Mags (no plans for returning) and revisiting Ace and Hex. Ever since Gods and Monsters, it feels like there hasn't been any momentum in the 7th Doctor's life. It's disappointing, given that the Late part of the 7th Doctor's era is so open for new adventures and companions, it just feels like those opportunities haven't been seized upon.
So I'll give it to the Fifth Doctor, there seems to be a bit more focus with him and the writing and acting consistency helps him stand out. But if Big Finish hit's upon a good direction to take Seven, coupled with solid scripts and a director with a firm hand, Seven is far from out for the count.
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Post by tuigirl on Jan 28, 2023 8:51:37 GMT
I am still quite behind with the Monthly Range and have by far not listened to all of the stories (I especially have avoided all the apparently dreadful ones).
For me it is a draw.
Each 5 and 7 have some awesome stories- if I should pick a favorite between, let's say Life 34, Magic Mousetrap and Night Thoughts against Aquitaine, Ghost Walk and Time in Office, I simply could not do it.
They are all great.
I agree however on the suspicion that during the last years of the Monthly Range 5th Doctor stories were on average better than 7th stories. Especially the last few releases for 5 were great.
But it is also not clean cut, I also liked that 7 story with the Brig on that spooky mountain and especially Muse of Fire, which is just fun and wonderful (Hex as a nude model!).
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Post by cwm on Jan 28, 2023 9:47:19 GMT
Obviously we've had limited Sylvester the last few years because of Covid and things are only now beginning to wind back up again, but the better hit rate in recent times is definitely with Peter, no question - there's the odd duffer like The Helliax Rift or Zaltys but the Adric and Marc runs have been very strong. Sylvester's also had some good stuff (the novel adaptations, isolated releases like We Are the Daleks, The Two Masters and Subterfuge) but also lots of actively pretty bad runs (the Mel/Ace stories, Hex/Hector arc which went on far too long, the Mags trilogy, the second Klein trilogy).
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mbt66
Chancellery Guard
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Post by mbt66 on Jan 28, 2023 10:55:45 GMT
5 & 7 have neither been my favourite Doctor’s, but during my time with the monthly range they produced some very enjoyable stories. I would give the edge to Peter because he had some great series runs, first with Erimem and then with older Nyssa. As others have said, apart from with Hex, Seven has not been so well served.
If it wasn’t for my annual subscriptions to the main range I wouldn’t have gotten to hear so many great stories with 5 and 7 because I have no nostalgia for their TV eras. Since the monthly range ended the only box set release I have bought with either of them in was Wicked Sisters…and that didn’t make me want to hear more.
However I am interested to see what the last days of the Seventh Doctor will look like.
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Post by bonehead on Jan 28, 2023 11:12:42 GMT
For me, Five wins hands down story-wise. Special attention has been made to his relationship with his travelling companions (some scenes between him and Tegan are laugh out loud funny), and his stories have been stronger in general. Seven, meanwhile has been given a dreary run for a long time now, with absolutely none of the experimental excitement of his television run on display. Where's the innovation? Where's the willingness for new and nightmarish scenerios championed by Andrew Cartmel all those years ago? This saddens me a great deal because Sylvester's a favourite of mine, and still capable of mixing humour with more mercurial, even dangerous, touches - none of which has been exploited by BF. Sophie and Bonnie have just been on the telly show, for goodness sake - their era should be capitalised on. As it is, Seven's run is possibly the most disappointing strand that Big Finish have at the moment, and that's a real waste.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2023 12:40:35 GMT
Easy one... the Fifth Doctor. Generally better stories and better performances overall. Sylvester McCoy can be hit and miss on audio, sometimes he sounds really at it as the Seventh Doctor, other times he comes across as being a bit bored.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 28, 2023 12:49:04 GMT
Fifth's had a gradual evolution (since Waters of Amsterdam) still gotta go 7th for greater personal enjoyment though in general
Regards
mark687
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Post by themeddlingmonk on Jan 28, 2023 12:55:37 GMT
Seven is better up until the end of the Hex arc and then he passes the baton to Five.
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 28, 2023 16:47:46 GMT
I think it’s quite comfortably the Fifth Doctor too. Davison excels at audio as he finally gets to portray his incarnation to full effect. Partially it’s due to the ageing of his voice, which better sells his portrayal and delivery of the sarcasm. And partially it’s due to many of the stories being structured where he’s away from his TARDIS team, or is allowed to lead a bit more. The main range runs with Adric & Marc are particular highs.
Seven fares worse for all of the different reasons mentioned further up in the thread. Inconsistent runs of stories, especially in the main range over the last few years, with equally inconsistent performances from McCoy. How he portrays the role on the day really can make a difference to the output of the story. The New Adventures strand was consistently brilliant, albeit short lived. I really hope they develop a plan for portraying his last days and Sylvester gives it his all.
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Post by martinw8686 on Jan 28, 2023 19:06:51 GMT
Love them both, TV and Audio, Five comfortably wins when looking at the last several years. Seven has had some really good stories and I hugely enjoyed the Hex arc, also Colditz and the first Klien trilogy and I loved the Cris and Roz boxset.
In recent years Seven hasn't really done much of interest to me, with the exception of the New Adventures set but I believe that was nearly 5 years ago.
Five and Seven were perhaps even for me looking at the first 10 years or so of Big Finish.
Five had some really good releases towards the end of the main range, the Marc story arc and return of Adric in recent years. I really loved the Lost resort set and Forty part 2 was a triumph.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
Likes: 5,661
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 28, 2023 23:48:03 GMT
Five. For a long part of the monthly range, Seven’s and Ace’s and Benny’s characterisation were influenced by the New Adventure range of books. I wasn’t a fan of them because for me a lot of stories were just exercises in fanw@nk and “look how dark and gritty we’re making the Doctor.” Five, on the other hand, wasn’t stepping far away from what his TV characterisation was and when it did it was believable in the context of the story.
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Post by elkawho on Jan 29, 2023 15:34:50 GMT
Five for me as well. His stories are much more consistent, and not just in the over all Main Range. His boxsets have been much better than Sevens. The first Fifth Doctor set, Forty 2, The Lost Resort. And and although it was part of the MR, Shadow of the Daleks was fantastic, and feels like a box set of it's own.
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Post by martinw8686 on Jan 29, 2023 19:26:33 GMT
Five and Seven companion combinations
5 solo
5 Tegan Nyssa Adric
5 Nyssa
5 Nyssa Tegan
5 Nyssa Tegan Marc
5 Nyssa Tegan Turlough
5 Nyssa (older) Tegan Turlough
5 Tegan Turlough
5 Turlough
5 Peri Erimen
5 Peri
7 solo
7 Mel
7 Mel (older) Ace
7 Ace
7 Ace Hex
7 Ace Benny
7 Klein
7 Mags (3 stories)
7 Chris Roz
7 Rain ( 1 boxset and lost stories)
7 Naomi Harry
I've probably missed a couple, it feels to me like there's a stronger dynamic between the various 5th Doctor companions, through Big Finish Nyssa, Tegan, Adric and Turlough have had some emotional character arcs, the same is true of Ace and Hex but it feels like it's been a while since there's been something new.
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Post by themeddlingmonk on Jan 29, 2023 23:15:42 GMT
Ace hasn’t really done anything since A Death in the Family
They sort of tried in Dark Universe but just ended up retreading old ground from Afterlife and Love and War.
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Post by martinw8686 on Jan 30, 2023 10:27:18 GMT
Ace hasn’t really done anything since A Death in the Family They sort of tried in Dark Universe but just ended up retreading old ground from Afterlife and Love and War. You're right, which is a shame as I love Ace. It's tricky using older Ace as the main show has seen her character develop in a way that's open to possible TV SPIN-OFFS, I can definitely see a child friendly SPIN-OFF focused on Ace and other classic companions. A fresh angle on Ace is needed as her being manipulated is well established, also the fallout from Hex too. I think an arc on Ace becoming too much like the Doctor would be interesting, perhaps her training on Gallifrey explored and a focus on Ace/Doctor similar to 12/Clara. |
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Post by grinch on Jan 30, 2023 17:36:29 GMT
Definitely Five. To be honest, I get the impression that after The Forge and Elder Gods saga they just don’t know what to do with the Seventh Doctor these days. Hopefully the upcoming Last Day of the Seventh Doctor is a step in the right direction.
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