Big Finish Doctor Who 116 - The Raincloud Man

Having just defeated the Krotons, the Doctor is treating Charley to a hearty English breakfast, when an intriguing mystery suddenly presents itself. And to solve it, they must plunge back into the criminal underbelly of Manchester, where an old friend is up to her neck in alien trouble.

But what seemed like a mere mystery ends up being a life or death struggle at the centre of an interplanetary war in which the stakes are so high, the Doctor or Charley must gamble and lose their identity. And throughout, the lone figure of the Raincloud Man may hold the key to success or failure.

The guys over at Big Finish bring out their final story of 2008, which sees the return of Manchester and DI Menzies (played by Anna Hope) in ‘The Raincloud Man’.

One thing I can say about it, is that it is pure classic Doctor Who! The story takes a while to get going but that really makes it all the better to listen to!

With it being set after ‘Return of the Krotons’ (the subscriber’s release which is reviewed here) The Doctor and Charley find themselves having breakfast in a café. But when Charley spots something strange, about false £1 coins and Manchester, The Doctor looks up an old friend.

This turns out to be the tireless DI Patricia Menzies, who apart from doing her day job is now taking care of the aliens who ask her for help, after the events of ‘The Condemned’. She agrees to help The Doctor, any way she can but she herself is busy investigating a number of strange deaths. When Charley accompanies her on a visit to an alien who can see the ‘possibilities of time’, she is told that she must tell The Doctor the truth about herself. But when the alien turns up dead, Charley is arrested for murder…

It’s another intriguing story that adds more mystery to Charley’s story. It can run the risk of being a little bit tedious but for how its okay! The audio also takes a nice twist after the second part and the story benefits from it.

Once again Anna Hope was outstanding and here’s hoping she can return again. Michael Fenton-Stevens also offers great support as the mysterious boat-owner, Brooks.

Overall it’s a very good story that is a little slow in places but still manages to make you listen to every word!

3.5/5

Next Time: It’s the start of ‘The Key 2 Time’ trilogy as the Fifth Doctor is joined by new companion Amy in ‘The Judgement of Isskar’

Big Finish Doctor Who 105 - The Condemned

If you’ve not listened to the 8th Doctor audio ‘The Girl Who Never Was’ and don’t want to be spoiled, please don’t read on. The events of that story are connected to this one.

Anyway, for those already in the know (or those who just love spoilers!) Charley Pollard joins the 6th Doctor aboard the TARDIS. However the 6th Doctor doesn’t know who she is and Charley tries her best not to tell him. So as the Doctor and ‘Charlotte Smith’ (hmm) get acquainted, they land in a flat, in Manchester, in 2008.

As soon as they step out of the TARDIS, they learn that a man, who they find, was murdered and with The Doctor being The Doctor, he has to investigate! The Doctor and Charley become separated, as Charley is kidnapped and The Doctor is arrested!

Its another decent effort from the guys at Big Finish, Colin Baker’s audios are always worth a listen! Maybe I was expecting a bit more friction between the Doctor and Charley, they were hardly together in this audio! That’s possibly something, which they need to work on in future stories. Despite that, it’s still a cracking story! The chemistry between Colin Baker and Anna Hope is an absolute joy to listen to and I can see Anna Hope’s character as a possible companion! But then again, I want to see the Kandyman make a return, so what do I know!

8/10

(and yes, I do realise that the cover is a bit of a giveaway. Hopefully you've not noticed!)