What 'WHO Are You Currently Listening to?

[Stuart Wallis]

I hope there is, because otherwise it just sounds condescendingly wrong, doesn't it?

[Leah Betts]

Last of the Cybermen:

Hines and CB are great together (although Padbury these days sounds like Zoe's great grandmother who smoked too much).

[Stuart Wallis]

It is Zoe's grandmother who smoked too much! Such is the budgetary situation at BF these days...

[Si Hunt]

"Surburban Hell", the second Alan Barnes release this month (new conservatory for him then) is at least better than "Last of the Cybermen". Well, it should be - it has the setting on a 1970's surburban semi and a cast to die for; Annete Badland (cast against type as a shy, mousy sort) isn't even the best performer here. That honour goes to Katie Wix from "Not Going Out" who gives a vivacious, hilarious performance as Belinda, the wife from hell.

That all said, despite this guest cast, and Tom and Louise, and the setting, Alan Barnes still almost screws it up with a plot that straddles two time zones, gets a little complicated at times, and finishes with a resolution which skates dangerously close to "go back in time and do something so none of it ever happened". That said, it is all entertaining and people will love this one so I guess that's the point.

I'm in the mood for stories about space-bending 1970's surburban semi's which arn't what they seem, so I'm re-listening to Paul McGann's "Memory Lane" next. Episode 1 cliffhanger: "The TARDIS has been stolen by an Ice Cream man!"

Si.

[SiHart]

I did A Town Called Fortune yesterday. Story was ok, but Maggie Stables lifted it hugely with her enthusiastic reading. She was just great, wasn't she?

[Si Hunt]

She was great. I can't remember what story it's in, maybe "Arrangements for War" or something, but her scene where she breaks down when Cassie dies is one of the finest ever for Big Finish!

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

"The TARDIS has been stolen by an Ice Cream man!"

You can't trust anyone these days...

[SiHart]

Today's Companion Chronicle for my train trip back down south is Ringpullworld.

[Stuart Wallis]

I had to look that one up in order to see that you weren't making it up! Paul Magrs' stuff has that effect on me...

[Nyder]

Ah is that the Turlough one?

[SiHart]

Yes. It was very enjoyable too.

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[Si Hunt]

I sat out in the sun yesterday and polished off "Cloisters of Terror", the new Tom/Leela/Jonny Morris scare-a-thon. And very good it was too - the two part format doesn't really give much room for depth so it all feels a bit predictable - the setup is established in Part 1, and then resolved neatly and that's yer lot. But this is pretty much seamless and recommended. A shame he bottled out of calling it "The Faceless Nuns" though.

Today I started "The Unwinding World" which feels a little tired and familiar. How many Companion Chronicles have started with:

"A sixties companion is being interrogated by a Guest Voice in a weird Orwellian future. It becomes apparent that some time before the TARDIS crew have been stranded here and the others are detained or absent somewhere. As the interrogater and the companion chat, the story unfolds."

Seen it ALL many, many times before. Wasn't this the gist of that dull Zoe arc that went on forever? And now we have it again.

I'll say one thing though - after previously remarking how old Padders and Manning sounded lately, Mo O'B (who pre-dates them all) still does a cracking Vicki. It's uncanny but I swear she sounds the same as she did in 1965. It's just a shame she hasn't got better material to work with than this.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

It's just a shame she hasn't got better material to work with than this.

It's not as if she can't write her own material if it comes to it.

The Faceless Nuns...

[Nyder]

Listened to The Well-Mannered War last week. I've never read the book, so came to this afresh. Wonderful to hear K9 have such a prominent role.


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[Nyder]

Just finished Ep 1 of The One Doctor. The humour ain't that subtle, but it's very enjoyable! Biggins as "The Doctor" love it. Hope we get to experience his STARDIS


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[Si Hunt]

I've started "The Triumph of Sutekh", a Benny/Seventh Doctor box set and I'm afraid I'm less enamoured with it so far than the twitter users hailing it as something special.

With four stories to kill, you'd think these guys didn't have 15 years storytelling experience behind them, the way that both Sutekh and the Doctor are hurriedly introduced within minutes of the first episode starting, therefore robbing the story of any chance to build up anticipation or tension for what was, for me, the first return of this famous adversary.

This turns to further dissatisfaction when one realises McCoy is having an "off day", not helped by him having to portray "anguished and possessed Doctor" which is pulled off with lots of gurning. Then there's the lack of imagination here- someone says the line "I am the servant of Sutekh, he needs no other - I bring Sutekh's gift of death to all humanity" in the first minute. After ten more minutes, Bernice has encountered twin robot mummy guardians, one who tells the truth, another who lies. How can anyone making this NOT see that that shows a breathless lack of originality? In a "new twist", one of those mummies then develops a docile personality and follows Bernice about - only he sounds and talks exactly like D84 from "The Robots of Death". Maybe those involved were too close to this to see that this, too, is a shameless rip-off of TV Doctor Who.

Maybe it'll get better. But the rest of the episode was Benny talking (or, more often, shouting) to herself suggesting, again, an inexperience in basic storytelling that Big Finish should not have. And all this is before Sophie Aldred has turned up to bring her unique brand of "45 year old woman pretends to be a teenager" acting.

It can only get better.

Si.

[Nyder]

Gurny McCoy is what really puts me off his incarnation. He's actually alright when he's in sombre, reflective mood.

[Stuart Wallis]

And he'd be better at comedy if he were a bit more subtle sometimes.

[Nyder]

Just finished The One Doctor. Absolutely glorious. I had a smile on my chops from start to finish. Loved it


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[Si Hunt]

I'm finishing off "The Ark in Space" Target book. Rarely have one of these been easier to listen to. John Culshaw in "serious" mode is something of a revelation! Not only is his reading voice warm and comforting, but when not being silly his Tom impression is eerily up to purpose. Not only this, but he does a great Harry too.

Combined with a very gory but exciting novel by Ian Marter (albeit with slightly too much tinkering going on with the names- everything gets re-branded from fission guns to the Nerva beacon itself) this makes for a cracking release. Best since "Remembrance of the Daleks".

Si.

[Darren]

I listened to Catch 1862 which I bought a looonnnng time ago. A very slight almost non story, but very inoffensive, It could have been a three or even two parter.

[Si Hunt]

Catch: 1782 is one my favourite Big Finish stories ever.

Si.

[Nyder]

Currently enjoying Short Trips Vol 3. Not sure when/why this landed in my BF inbox. Must have been on special offer at one point ...

Fave so far? Toss up between the Twilight Zoney 2nd Doctor story and the 4th Doctor/circus story. Nick Briggs' impersonation of the various Doctors is hit and (mostly) miss though!

[Stuart Wallis]

Thanks to the magic of YouTube - even I find that the interweb has its uses - today I have mostly been listening to soundtracks from Tomb and Web. Enemy Of the World's on there as well if you want to start your searches of with "Classic Doctor Who Soundtrack". I'd put the URLs up if i were sure of the copyright situation here.

[Leah Betts]

About The Churchill Years:

The Doctor being besties with Churchill?
*remembers Pertwee Doc was fond of Mao Tse Tung*
You can just imagine the third Doctor saying to Mao "Yes, there is such a thing as too much freedom, my dear chap"