BF 108: Assassin in the Limelight

[Rob McCow]

They've asked Robert Ross back!

Will it be as popular as Medicinal Purposes, or as reviled as Pier Pressure?

[SiHart]

Or as rubbish and dull and overly convuluted as they both are?

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

I re-listened to Medicinal Purposes again recently & I didn't think it was that bad...but Pier Pressure started out as a good story but the ending was poor.
I generally don't base future work of anyone on past records but I must say I'm apprehensive about the quality of this story. But I will wait to see if he's improved.

[Si Hunt]

Both Ross' stories are awful. Hopefully this will be third time lucky!

Si.

[Lissa]

I love the bit in Pier Pressure when Evelyn, at the first hint of trouble, asks if it could be Knox. It's always great when writers crowbar in references to their previous work to make it look as if they're accepted parts of Doctor Who lore.

[Rob McCow]

You'd think Evelyn would have enough to worry about, what with that virus that's going to turn her into a Cyber Controller, her heart problems and the Doctor's blue outfit.

[SiHart]

Here's the cover:


and a blurb:

Ford's Theatre, Washington. Friday, 14th April, 1865. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The place, the date and the event which made history. Or did it? Someone has been tampering with time, muddying the waters of history for his own purposes. Time itself is out of joint and the chief culprit is the enigmatic Doctor Knox.

Somehow the Doctor and Evelyn must put history back on track before the future dissolves into chaos. But Knox, it turns out, may be the least of their worries...

I can hardly contain myself.

Si xx

[Logo Polish]

Good news for Pip Madeley.

[Rob McCow]

Good news for Pip Madeley.

Yes... Pip's CD covers are miles better than that awful 'effort'!

[The Secretive Bus]

Time itself is out of joint

Again?!

[Pip Madeley]

I liked Medicial Purposes - Tennant was very good in that.

Leslie's a CBE nowadays, he's quite a coup for the Big Finish boys.

[stuartdg]

...arrived today

[Dirk Gently]

Mine arrived this morning.

[SiHart]

Sadly so did ours. I haven't been dreading a BF as much as I've been dreading the return of Robert Dross for a long, long time.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I can't wait to hear this.

[Antony Cox]

Nothing to do with this release per se, but I just thought I'd mention that having previously been a a bit of a BF virgin (how do I know that phrase going get the 'Tim' treatment? ), I've listened to numerous BF stories over the last couple of weeks courtesy of Dave Taylor and I've enjoyed most of them.

Colin Baker is deffo my fave BF Doctor - I think The Spectre of Lanyon Moor is my favourite stor so far.

[Dirk Gently]

Which story did you lose your 'virginity' to?


I personally thought Whispers of Terror was better than Spectre of Lanyon Moor, although I do enjoy that one. The Brig is back!




'Tim' treatment? I don't know what you mean?

[Antony Cox]

I've actually got two BF's that I've had for a long time (now you know what I mean, Tim? ) - The Sirens of Time (which I believe was the first one) and Embrace the Darkness, so TSOT was my 'virgin' story, as was most others, I should think!

Whisoers of Terror was OK, but the one I really didn't like was The Fearmonger.

I'm currently listening to The Chimes of Midnight, which I gather is very popular amongst fans (and so far I can understand that!).

[Dirk Gently]

I know what you mean about Fearmonger, it's not great is it?

Chimes of Midnight is excellent, but don't let that sway you.

[SiHart]

I remember rather liking The Fearmonger, but it's been a long time since I heard it. Jackie Pearce was ever so good in it. Chimes is of course, brilliant!

Si xx

[SiHart]

This was absloute drivel. Only the presence of Leslie Philips saves it.

Not only is it a sequel to Med Pups, it's also a sequel to Pier Presure, the story that in no way deserved to ever be referenced again in the whole history of Doctor Who. I stand by my initial rating of the author as Robert Dross I'm afraid.

Oh and the using of lines from City of Death and Talons was REALLY annoying and unnecessary.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

Oh and the using of lines from City of Death and Talons was REALLY annoying and unnecessary.

Si xx

And completely passed me by.

I thought this one was poor, then it picked up a bit & I thought it might turn itself around, but then went down hill. I thought Pier Pressure was below average but I thought Medicinal Porpoises was OK. Shame it's sequel wasn't better.

[SiHart]

I wasn't at all surprised. It was as dreadful as i expected it to be.

The quoted lines were: Is No-one interested in history and a case of the screming ooberzooticks. Or something from Talons.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

I'm three parts through, so don't spoil it for me if there's a superb twist at the end.

I don't hate it as much as I hated "Dark Husband", but I'm not thrilled either. It's like "The Gunfighters" but without the humour - it just requires so much work. Lots of dull people with bad cliched American accents (yes I know the actors are all American, which makes it even worse!) talking about a very small plot. I bare it no malice, but I cheerfully never want to hear it again after today.

It seems like it was a vengeful 'revenge' commission from Gary Russell just before he left. But how odd they seem to have left it on the shelf for over a year before finally having to reluctantly record the thing!

Si.

[SiHart]

It was just so dull. As I said if it hadn't been for Leslie Philips, this play would have been really turgid and lifeless and like you Si, I really don't want to listen to it or any of Robert Ross's plays again. He is just mediocre at best and when he's at his worst, well...
There was an oppotunity here to explain away all the losse ends left at the end of Med Pups, but that wasn't taken. Instead it becomes a dreay sequel to his other play, which really didn't need any more mentions ever again, it being one of the least enjoyable plays from BF (IMO!).

We've had a run of a few good plays (I enjoyed The Dark Husband for all its faults), so it was shame that this one came along to spoil that. I wasn't expecting much, we got far less!

Si xx