BF 098: Frozen Time

[SiHart]

McCoy gets a Bond girl in his next thrilling BF adventure!

In 1929, Lord Barset's expedition to the Antarctic is lost without trace. Or so it seems…
Nearly a century later, his grandson funds a much-publicized return to the icy wastes. His mission: to discover what happened to the original expedition. But what he finds instead is an enigma – a battered London police box frozen in ice millennia old.
But something else lies in wait in this awful place, something from an era before humankind set foot on the continent's cold soil. A menace frozen in time.
Until now.

This story takes place prior to the TV movie.
Cast List

The Doctor Sylvester McCoy
Lord Barset Anthony Calf
Genevieve Maryam D'Arbo
Professor McIntyre Tony Millan
Harman Gwynn Beech
Ben Gregg Newton
Arakssor Nicholas Briggs

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

I must say that this has quite piqued my curiosity. Set before the TV movie eh? Interesting.

[SiHart]

We had a listen to the first three episodes yesterday and I have to say this is shaping up to be a pretty good adventure. For the first time in ever such a long time McCoy seems to be on top form, and is giving a realy good performance- not nearly as OTT or variable from line to line as usual.

The story is interesting. The use of audio keeps you guessing just who the adversaries are- with plenty of red harrings along the way, so you can't work it out until you hear a pretty familiar sound effect... I won't spoil it though!

Unless the last episode is pretty poor, I think this is going to be a pretty good story. We'll see...

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Unless the last episode is pretty poor, I think this is going to be a pretty good story. We'll see...

*cough* Nowhere Place *cough*

Si.

[Jim]

I listened to The Fearmonger this week and I think its McCoy's best audio performance (and solo first) so good to hear there is a return to form.

Im still trying with BF, although way behind now - and Circular Time has just been delivered to hopefully restore the faith!

[davethesailor]

Circular Time is a treat!

[Dirk Gently]

Circular Time is rather good.

As for Frozen Time, well it's OK. It's a good story but it just seemed very standard if you know what I mean. It's the top end of good but not out standing.

6.5/10.

[Rob McCow]

I liked this one because it was such a straightforward action story. There's something to keep the fans guessing, lots of gunfights and explosions and McCoy is really, really good for a change.

It's almost entirely a Troughton-era story, except for the bizarre way the Doctor gets into it. Annoyingly, there's barely any exploration of the repurcussions of the Doctor having been frozen for MILLIONS OF YEARS(!) apart from him having lost the TARDIS key. It's also a completely bat-arse idea, what is he supposed to be, the Terminator?!

That said, it was a straightforward piece of visceral entertainment with well drawn characters. For some reason, it's very rare for BF to do a story like this.

[SiHart]

I thought it was great fun. Even the last episode upheld the high standards of the rest of the story and I like the fact that Maryam D'Abo has been off having adventures with the Doctor for a bit!

A good solid 8/10 I reckon. Much better than any McCoy story for ages, and the man himself gave a pretty stunning performance. Maybe he read the script before coming in to record it this time?

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

With all respect to Si and Steve's verdicts, I can't see that McCoy's performance in this is any better than usual! Though the story itself is good, if predictable Briggs fare. The device of trying to convince us that the Silurians were about to appear when it turns out to be another old foe is slightly odd - like being transparent about giving your child a surprise tube of Smarties but then revealing at the last minute that they are revels and expecting shock.

Well played, well told (I agree with Steve on the ice thing) but again not quite up there as a classic. Nice helicopter action in Part 3. However, this will be forgotton soon enough despite all that effort.

Si.

[stuartdg]

This was a solid action story,McCoy was surprisingly good and the incidental music added greatly to the atmosphere.A strong if somewhat standard tale

[Paul Monk]

I've just got this last night I listened to teh first episode. I got about 5 mins in then fell asleep. It was because I was tired though and not anything to do with this audio.

[Rob McCow]

You made the effort, that's the main thing Paul.

[Paul Monk]

I'm going to try again. I will listen to it!!!!

[Mr BHT]

I enjoyed this one. As much as I love it when Big Finish pushes the barriers and stretches the format more this story is refreshingly traditional. Maybe it's because its a solo McCoy story set towards the end of his timeline and I was expecting something more melancholic and lonely like the other solo McCoy stories. Instead it turned out to be funny and well paced. It's the solo McCoy equivalent of State of Decay in Season Eighteen.

Also McCoy is on fantastic form throughout.