The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 8 - Vengeance Of Morbius

Surely Nick Briggs, the ‘RTD of Big Finish’, could not keep up the amazing quality that the previous part of this ‘finale’ served up? Well unlike his television counterparts, he delivered an even better story and a gripping end to series two of the Eighth Doctor Adventures.

‘Vengeance of Morbius’ picks up immediately from where ‘Sisters of the Flame left’ off. Fans of the classic series will of course know who and what Morbius is. But for those who are new to the classic series and/or have never seen ‘The Brain of Morbius’, I would urge you to check it out, as the DVD has just been released. Of course the timing of this audio has got nothing to do with that, honest!

With the Doctor and Lucie facing the dilemma of being separated into particles – thanks to ‘The Sisterhood of Karn’, or ‘David Tennant’s fan club’ as I like to call them, things look bleak for the universe. Meanwhile Straxus and the winner of this months ‘underused character award’, Rosto, are trapped on the ship, as Morbius groupie and part-time richest man in the universe, Zarodnix, moves in….

I’ll go on record as saying this and its previous part, is among the best stuff Big Finish has done. Everything about this audio was just incredible. From the writing by the much-maligned Nick Briggs, the music, which was just superb and stitched each scene together perfectly, the acting, as always, was top notch. Morbius was superbly brought back to life by Samuel West and manic Zarodnix (Kenneth Colley) wasn’t too bad either!

But yet again, I find myself praising Sheridan Smith’s staggering portrayal of Lucie Miller. She just blew her other performances out of the water in this story! She just seems so at ease in the audio world and fits in with McGann’s Doctor perfectly. McGann himself has been constantly upstaged by Sheridan’s performances. Her strong willed, witty and compassionate character is already one of my favourite companions and judging by everybody else’s reactions, they more-or-less agree!

It was an interesting idea in bringing back Morbius and the Sisterhood. In fact the last two series of the 8th Doctor adventures have seen the revival of many of the classic monsters. Thankfully there have been no Daleks or Cybermen this year and I think the series has benefited from that. I just hope that they can introduce a few more original ideas to the mix for next year.

5/5

Next Time: It’s a long wait until next year! If only I had a TARDIS……

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 7 - Sisters of the Flame

"The richest man in the galaxy has just bought a backwards planet with no obvious mineral wealth in the outer reaches of the universe. An obscure mystical sect has been revived after centuries of neglect. A new race of aliens are hunting for prey. Why?

As the Doctor and Lucie attempt to discover the answer, it becomes clear that someone is attempting to resurrect the past - and they need a Time Lord to help them achieve it."

Well that's much better! After being slightly disappointed with last month’s offering, we reach part one of this year’s ‘finale’ and its brilliant!

Okay, it’s only the first part and part two could end up an absolute mess but everything about this story seemed to just fit into place rather nicely. Nick Briggs has easily justified his position at Big Finish after being criticized by fans, for the fact that he was ‘doing everything’.

For Tom Baker fans, the episode is pretty easy to figure out from the title. ‘The Sisters of The Flame’ refer to the ‘Sisterhood of Karn’, who first appeared in 1976 in the serial ‘The Brain of Morbius’. The Sisterhood are a cult of psychic woman, who have recently been unscrupulously ripped off in ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ (ooh controversial!). In this audio, they are no longer on Karn as a businessman - Zarodnix (Kenneth Colley) is buying up all the planets he can, even those that don’t offer anything. But why?

Meanwhile Lucie makes a new friend in Rosto (Alexander Siddig), a grasshopper-type creature called a Trel, after the Doctor is kidnapped. With The Doctor gone, Lucie has to investigate the mystery and find him. But with Time Lords sniffing around and a certain chant about ‘flames and fires’, will she ever get to the bottom of it?

The story is written very well and is probably the best ‘set up’ story that has come from the 8th Doctor Adventures range. The first parts of ‘Blood of the Daleks’ and ‘Human Resources’ are pretty decent, but they just don’t ‘pull you in’ as much as this first part. Nick Briggs has done a terrific job, just keep away from that mixing desk, eh Nick?

We are treated to more great performances. Sheridan Smith in particular is outstanding and this just tops everything she done so far, for me anyway! I can’t really wait for the second part, which is why I’m holding back on the top mark. I think these two-parters should be released on a double CD, rather than two single ones. Maybe it’s the month wait and the extra £££’s that the fans will have to pay? Oh well, hopefully the quality will keep for the next instalment!

4.5/5

Next Time: It’s the final audio of the year, as body-less Timelord Morbius returns. If he doesn’t then Big Finish should be done under the Trade Descriptions Act for naming the story ‘Vengeance of Moribus’!

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 6 - The Zygon Who Fell To Earth

It was always going to difficult to follow up one of the most iconic Doctor Who monsters, it was even going to be harder on audio. But I think ‘The Zygon Who Fell To Earth’ just scrapes through with credit.

Despite their cult status, The Zygons have only appeared once in Doctor Who. The 1975 serial – ‘The Terror of the Zygons’. There we had to contend with the deep-sea creatures that had a fetish for copying bodies and playing around with mythical monsters, in the Highlands of Scotland. Here we have the beautiful setting of The Lake District as the Zygon rallying point.

This audio sees the return of Lucie’s ‘Auntie Pat’ (Lynsey Hardwick) last seen in ‘Horror of Glam Rock’. She now runs a guesthouse with her husband and former pop star, Trevor (Steven Pacey). When two mysterious music moguls turn up, in order to lure Trevor back into the business, something is amiss. What are they really up to?

It’s a pretty decent effort but one aspect about the televised episode, that I didn’t like, was the use of a secondary monster. I think it distracted from the plot (and looked ridiculous!) and I believe the Zygons should have been more menacing. Here the Zygons do have an air of menace but it isn’t really enough for me to share the same love that some Doctor Who fans seem to have for them.

The performances, as usual are top notch. However, I didn’t feel that the audio was set in 1984. I just felt there was a lack of references that where there in the 70’s-set ‘Horror of Glam Rock’ There are a couple of nods to the original story, so classic fans will feel happy!

Overall, it’s a decent effort but not as good as it could have been.

3/5

Next Week: As the series is coming into its last story, we have the first instalment of a two-parter. ‘Sisters of Flame’ in July and then ‘Vengeance of Morbius’ in August. I wonder what those stories are about? (*slaps hand on forehead*).

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 5 - Grand Theft Cosmos

After last month’s disappointing effort we are almost back on track in this Eighth Doctor Adventures series.

The Doctor and Lucie are in 19th century Sweden where they ‘bump into’ The Headhunter and Karen, last heard in last year’s finale ‘Human Resources’. Unfortunately, The Headhunter and Karen are there to steal a rare diamond but so are The Doctor and Lucie, but why?

Top marks to the sound department for setting the scenes perfectly. I could just image The Doctor running up and down the corridors of a palace and Lucie in a fluffy dress (hmmmm)! Sheridan Smith is getting better and better with each story and Lucie is becoming one of my favourite companions. I think using The Headhunter and Karen as recurring ‘rouges’ is a great idea and hopefully we will get to see more of them.

I didn’t really buy the plotline around the diamond, it seemed too much thought had been put into it and it didn’t really work for me. Although I did enjoy Christopher Benjamin (‘The Talons of Wen-Chiang’ and ‘The Unicorn and the Wasp’) performance as ‘Tardelli’. Colin Spaull (‘Revelation of the Daleks’ and ‘Rise of the Cybermen’/’Age of Steel’) also guest starred.

Overall it’s a decent listen packed with a few good one-liners, certainly lighter than last month’s ‘Skull of Sobek’!

3.5/5

Next Time: The Doctor and Lucie bump into the Zygons in ‘The Zygon Who Fell To Earth’. Let’s hope that crap Loch Ness Monster doesn’t turn up, thus wrecking a decent story!

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 - Episode 4 - The Skull of Sobek

"Too much perfection's dangerous."

On the isolated planet of Indigo 3, far out in the wastes of the Blue Desert, lies the Sanctuary of Imperfect Symmetry. It is a place of contemplation and reflection. It is also a place of death.

Something from another time, from another world, has found its way inside the hallowed walls. Something with a leathery hide, a long snout and sharp pointy teeth.

Tick tock. Here comes the crocodile...

I was a little bit disappointed with this audio. Not to say it was poor, it wasn’t, it just failed to match the highs of the previous 3 stories.

The Doctor and Lucie land on a planet where everything is blue! Elements of an ancient war, from a nearby planet, seem to have mapped themselves out on the blue planet. The Doctor and Lucie stumble across an old sanctuary, the occupants of which are determined to keep people out, but why?

There are some decent lines for Paul McGann, Sheridan Smith and top guest stars Art Malik and Barbara Flynn, to chew over. Sadly the story falls short of the standard set in the Eighth Doctor Adventures series. Its more disappointing if you take into account the calibre of the actors who star in it.

It still is a decent listen though, so don’t hesitate to check it out if you’re a fan of the EDA audios!

On a positive note, the production values, as always, are top notch. The music in particular, seems to be slowly improving and credit must go to all those involved.

2.5/5

Next Time – The Doctor and Lucie bump into some ‘old friends’ in 19th century Sweden in ‘Grand Theft Cosmos’.

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 3 - Brave New Town

“It's like The Village That Time Forgot!”

The inhabitants of the quiet seaside town of Thorington in Suffolk are living the same day over and over again.

What's so special about the 1st of September 1991? Why haven't the villagers noticed that the same song has been number one for years? And just where on Earth has the sea disappeared to?

The Doctor and Lucie must solve the mystery before the 'visitors' return...

This is a very interesting episode. The Autons appear for the first time on audio and they are done quite well. More associated with Jon Pertwee (and more recently, Christopher Eccelston’s first episode), the Autons where silent assassins, they terrified a generation of children but sadly, they don’t get the same acclaim as the Daleks, Cybermen or The Master. It was interesting to see how they would transfer to audio and I must say, Big Finish has done a great job once again!

The Doctor and Lucie land at a seaside town, where everything is all but normal. Despite the TARDIS working (for once!) and landing in the 21st Century, they have instead landed at a place, where the sea as gone out and not come back in. Bryan Adams is at No1 and it seems the villagers are playing out the same day, over and over again.

It’s another cracking listen and I would strongly recommend you give it listen, if you’re a fan of the Autons. As you listen, the plot and who’s behind it, will become blatantly obvious but with a few surprises.

Good story but it did lack the pace that we’ve come to associate with the 8th Doctor Adventures range.

8/10

Next Time: I will be reviewing ‘Skull of Sobek”

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 2 - Max Warp

“Welcome to Max Warp! Broadcasting live from the Sirius Inter-G Cruiser Show. Hosted by outspoken columnist and media personality Geoffrey Vantage, with spaceship-guru-extraordinaire O’Reilley and daredevil pilot Timbo ‘the Ferret’.”

When a test flight of the new Kith Sunstorm ends in disaster, the Sirius Exhibition Station is plunged into a web of murder and intrigue. Someone – or something – is trying to re-ignite a war between the Varlon Empire and the Kith Oligarchy.

As the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance, only two investigators, the Doctor and Lucie, can hope to uncover the truth.

So strap yourself in, engage thrust, and prepare for... Max Warp!

The Doctor and Lucie land on a planet where all the boys are showing off their toys. No it isn’t cars or Doctor Who toys – they are the latest high-speed spaceships! Hence the Top Gear spoof! ‘Max Warp’ is a television programme, much like Top Gear but with spaceships. But when test driver ‘Timbo the ferret’ has an accident and goes missing, an alien race is blamed. Can The Doctor and Max Warp’s newest presenter – Lucie, solve the mystery.

Its yet another well-done audio from the guys over at Big Finish. They do the spoof of Top Gear excellently and I’m sure fans of that programme will like this as well! After a solid opening episode, this takes off and is possibly one of the best 8th Doctor audios. I really don’t have much to criticise, although they could have utilised the excellent guest stars (James Fleet, Duncan James and Graeme Garden) a lot more.

Excellent episode and definitely worth a listen if you’re an 8th Doctor fan!

9/10

The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 2 Episode 1 - Dead London

"Someone's playing with us. Manipulating time and space for their own ends." The TARDIS lands in London. But which one? The Doctor and Lucie find themselves trapped in a maze of interlocking Londons from Roman times to the present day. But they are not alone in this labyrinth: a killer is on their trail.

The long wait is over, series 2 of The Eighth Doctor Adventures is here! Big Finish are going to release 8 new plays, 1 every month, until August. BBC 7 (radio) are going to be broadcasting them as well, although last year, the plays came on the radio first.

Series 2 sees the return of Paul McGann’s 8th Doctor and Sheridan Smith’s Lucie Miller. After a good first series, where my favourite stories where ‘Immortal Beloved’ and ‘No More Lies’, can they hit the ground running with new episode ‘Dead London’?

For obvious reasons, I’m not going to go into the story but it’s a good start to the series. The Doctor and Lucie are caught in a ‘temporal shift’, which transports them to different versions of London but who is behind it and why? The story is well written and 48 minutes fly by! I don’t really have anything negative to say about the story but…we’ve got a new theme! Most of the fans (well those on the net anyhow) don’t like it. The theme is a remix of the original theme but uses a terrible echo. Now I don’t mind it, I still think ‘The Trial of A Timelord’ (or the 6th Doctor’s Big Finish theme, if you prefer) is still the worst theme! The extras include interviews with the cast and a trailer for the next story ‘Max Warp’, which sounds really good!

The acting, as always, is good. Sheridan Smith is growing more as a ‘typical Doctor Who companion’ and Paul McGann is at his usual witty best. Rupert Vansittart, who appeared in the 9th Doctor TV stories ‘Aliens of London’ and ‘World War Three’ and Clare Buckfield, who is most famous for 2point4children and has also appeared in the 6th Doctor audio ‘The One Doctor’ and in series 1 of The Eighth Doctor Adventures story, ‘Horror of Glam Rock’, guest star.

Overall, it’s a great piece of audio, that’s all I can say!

9/10

You can order the CD from Big Finish http://www.bigfinish.com/21-Doctor-Who-Dead-London, however from February they will be offering a, cheaper, download service as well. I’ll be reviewing the next Doctor Who monthly release next, with Peter Davison’s 5th Doctor, along with Peri and Erimem in ‘The Bride of Peladon’. The next release, as mentioned, from the Eighth Doctor series, is ‘Max Warp’, a story apparently about ‘fast spaceship racing’. Should be fun, eh?