Kestrel
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 2,735
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Post by Kestrel on Sept 22, 2024 0:19:29 GMT
(Posting this week's thread a day early because my health has been very poor lately, and I don't know that I'd be able to do it tomorrow.) The Great Big Finish Listen-Through continues! Our third pick is Creatures Of Beauty, an early classic of the Doctor Who Monthly Range range, starring the Peter Davison as the 5th Doctor, alongside Sarah Sutton as Nyssa. Creatures Of Beauty links: Big Finish, TARDIS WikiTo keep track of the Great Big Finish Listen-Through, past and present, please refer to the Hub Thread.New listeners beware: there will be SPOILERS beyond this point! |
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Post by mark687 on Sept 22, 2024 12:47:37 GMT
Good more daring writing from Briggs also this was the 1st time BF used the non-linear storytelling trope? Also the end twist is particularly choice for someone who found early BF 5th Doc a bit too self-righteous.
Regards
mark687
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Post by elkawho on Sept 23, 2024 0:44:21 GMT
The first time I heard this I was still a relative newbie to Classic Who, BF and audio in general, and it blew me away. I was completely overwhelmed by everything in this story. The non-linear plot had me rivetted, and I was not prepared for how dark this story was. Nyssa's experience as a suspect in a murder was shocking. Nyssa always seems above it all, and to have her roughed up like that was horrible. The ending was a punch in the gut. I had to turn if off and couldn't listen to another audio for the rest of the day. (At the time I was working on the road and going to people's homes, so I would be constantly listening in the car all day.)
I think I re-listened to it only a few days later, after I had had the chance to think about. And I still loved it. I think I have heard this story at least 6 times, probably more, and I love it every single time. It's a tour de force for everyone involved. Every so often I read or hear someone say that they don't like this story because of the non-linear structure, or how dark it is, or something and I don't know how they don't get how brilliant it is.
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Post by eric009 on Sept 23, 2024 13:48:55 GMT
the story is depressing and grim but don't let that stop u if is the first time u heard then i give it another go after the first have a second try i enjoyed better the second time around
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Post by number13 on Sept 23, 2024 22:09:41 GMT
The first time round, I walked straight into this one when I was working through the as-yet-unheard-by-me early MR in sequence from DLs, and almost entirely spoiler-free. I knew nothing about it except it was a Five/Nyssa story and apparently very well thought of.... Amazing story and I'm sure BF would never do it/be allowed to do it now, a 'relic' from the early years when 'Doctor Who' was off-air and BF were at their most experimental. Some worked, some didn't and oh my does this one work. It's a bleak, brutal and pretty hopeless tale - two worlds almost without hope of a future - and very believable.
The performances and sound design were excellent and the unusual out-of-sequence storytelling made for a very involving experience. I remember I'd scheduled this for a couple of late-evening sessions so I could give what I'd heard was rather a classic the attention it deserved - well, I got a late night because there was no way I was waiting to hear the second half! I did guess the twist ending (most unusually for me) because there was one clue too many around the end of ep3/start of ep4, but this spoiled nothing. It was a real oh NO! moment, followed by a gripping episode of then watching 'history' unfold to the bitter beginning I'd expected, one unchangeable line after another. And no-one in the story ever knows the truth, not even the Doctor. Which for him is probably just as well; he's got enough on his conscience already.
I hope this next bit comes out the right way. That first time listening, I was trying to guess, on and off, who had written this amazing story and only afterwards did I look and find - Nick Briggs. I've never understood the criticism his stories sometimes get ('The Conquest of Far' is pure Third Doctor/Dalek brilliance imo, for example) but if I hear any such criticism, I have my answer ready: 'Creatures of Beauty'.
Outstanding.
(Agree with every word from elkawho above, I had exactly the same experience on my first listen. Wow.) |
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Post by elkawho on Sept 24, 2024 2:56:57 GMT
The first time round, I walked straight into this one when I was working through the as-yet-unheard-by-me early MR in sequence from DLs, and almost entirely spoiler-free. I knew nothing about it except it was a Five/Nyssa story and apparently very well thought of.... Amazing story and I'm sure BF would never do it/be allowed to do it now, a 'relic' from the early years when 'Doctor Who' was off-air and BF were at their most experimental. Some worked, some didn't and oh my does this one work. It's a bleak, brutal and pretty hopeless tale - two worlds almost without hope of a future - and very believable.
The performances and sound design were excellent and the unusual out-of-sequence storytelling made for a very involving experience. I remember I'd scheduled this for a couple of late-evening sessions so I could give what I'd heard was rather a classic the attention it deserved - well, I got a late night because there was no way I was waiting to hear the second half! I did guess the twist ending (most unusually for me) because there was one clue too many around the end of ep3/start of ep4, but this spoiled nothing. It was a real oh NO! moment, followed by a gripping episode of then watching 'history' unfold to the bitter beginning I'd expected, one unchangeable line after another. And no-one in the story ever knows the truth, not even the Doctor. Which for him is probably just as well; he's got enough on his conscience already.
I hope this next bit comes out the right way. That first time listening, I was trying to guess, on and off, who had written this amazing story and only afterwards did I look and find - Nick Briggs. I've never understood the criticism his stories sometimes get ('The Conquest of Far' is pure Third Doctor/Dalek brilliance imo, for example) but if I hear any such criticism, I have my answer ready: 'Creatures of Beauty'.
Outstanding.
(Agree with every word from elkawho above, I had exactly the same experience on my first listen. Wow.) I love this post. I agree with everything you've said 13. And you are so much more eloquent that I am. Thanks! |
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Sept 24, 2024 4:48:35 GMT
Now I feel I want to listen to this story again, it's been easily 18 months to 2 years ..
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Post by number13 on Sept 24, 2024 8:18:34 GMT
The first time round, I walked straight into this one when I was working through the as-yet-unheard-by-me early MR in sequence from DLs, and almost entirely spoiler-free. I knew nothing about it except it was a Five/Nyssa story and apparently very well thought of.... Amazing story and I'm sure BF would never do it/be allowed to do it now, a 'relic' from the early years when 'Doctor Who' was off-air and BF were at their most experimental. Some worked, some didn't and oh my does this one work. It's a bleak, brutal and pretty hopeless tale - two worlds almost without hope of a future - and very believable.
The performances and sound design were excellent and the unusual out-of-sequence storytelling made for a very involving experience. I remember I'd scheduled this for a couple of late-evening sessions so I could give what I'd heard was rather a classic the attention it deserved - well, I got a late night because there was no way I was waiting to hear the second half! I did guess the twist ending (most unusually for me) because there was one clue too many around the end of ep3/start of ep4, but this spoiled nothing. It was a real oh NO! moment, followed by a gripping episode of then watching 'history' unfold to the bitter beginning I'd expected, one unchangeable line after another. And no-one in the story ever knows the truth, not even the Doctor. Which for him is probably just as well; he's got enough on his conscience already.
I hope this next bit comes out the right way. That first time listening, I was trying to guess, on and off, who had written this amazing story and only afterwards did I look and find - Nick Briggs. I've never understood the criticism his stories sometimes get ('The Conquest of Far' is pure Third Doctor/Dalek brilliance imo, for example) but if I hear any such criticism, I have my answer ready: 'Creatures of Beauty'.
Outstanding.
(Agree with every word from elkawho above, I had exactly the same experience on my first listen. Wow.) I love this post. I agree with everything you've said 13. And you are so much more eloquent that I am. Thanks! think I sometimes go on a bit.  But thanks anyway!  |
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But thanks anyway! 