What 'WHO Are You Currently Listening to?

[Si Hunt]

The second story in the super-expensive Philip Hinchcliffe Presents box set is "The Devil's Armada". At £55 for the pair, neither of these stories can really afford the luxury of people mediocre, and although "Ghosts of Gralstead" just about earned its keep by being an atmospheric and densely written "Talons" homage, what of its brother story?

Well the DWM review (published today) probably nails it - it's worthy but not especially wonderful. It's a middle ages/peasants sort of yarn, spiced up by a chattering time Imp. Tom Baker has knocked back the poppers again and displays a slightly bonkers penchant for silly voices and wacky behaviour. Despite this, my attention was challenged and there are far too many comedy period accents and forgettable characters. I couldn't honestly say this is an essential adventure and it's yet another Tom/Leela tale when it feels like we've been getting them continuously all year. I know death has limited their options for Fourth Doctor audios but how about something different? Roll on the Tom/Lalla season.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

It's possible to have Tom and Adric, have they thought of that? If i were in a nasty mood, i would...

[Si Hunt]

"The Doctors Tale".

It's a historical, by Marc Platt.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

It's a historical, by Marc Platt.

You might, but I wouldn't go near it!

[Nyder]

Struggling with Ringpullworld at the mo. Thought I'd really like this one too...

[Rob McCow]

I've got dear old Caroline John reading Lis Sladen's autobiography in the car. Really lovely, insightful and fascinating. Lis clearly either kept a diary or checked her facts, because she goes into considerable detail about her life and her time on Who especially. A delightful listen.

[Si Hunt]

Still struggling through "The Doctor's Tale". Basically it's stuffed full of historical characters, priests, knights, people getting executed, getting locked up and hey nonny nonny. If you enjoyed "The Reign of Terror" you'll love this!

That said, it is quite comforting on a warm train when it's raining outside. I very well drifted off to sleep on the way home last night while it was 1965 again in my ears.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

hey nonny nonny

Is that a euphemism?

[Nyder]

Colditz

I didn't recognise DT - shame on me! Story was okay - a bit too timey wimey paradoxy woxy for me!


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[Si Hunt]

I've just done "Phantoms of the Deep" again - a bit of a neglected gem from the disappointing Big Finish Tom Baker era. K9 is on top form, there are super-intelligent squid and if you close your eyes, the bubbling depths and whirring submarines make you feel like you are truly many fathoms down. Tom and Mary on top form.

"Oh, I completely forgot - the giant squid!"

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Yeah, Phantoms of The Deep was pretty decent. Good sound production, felt a bit 'different' and had some fun moments.

[SiHart]

That and The Auntie Matter were my favourites.

[Si Hunt]

Past tense from Si Have you given up? "The Exxilons" might be a classic!

Si.

[Nyder]

I rather enjoyed Season 3 - much stronger stories than the Tom / Leela S1 mixed bag

[SiHart]

I haven't heard the third season of Toms as of yet. I'm looking forward to the Tom and Lallas and will no doubt get them.

[Si Hunt]

It's a real shame all Tom's companions died just as he got going on audio - so we're denied more Tamm and Tom and Sarah Jane. I'm bloody sick of Leela on audio now!

For the record, my thoughts on Tom Series 3 in bite-sized chunks:

The King of Sontar - never actually got to the end of this one! Uninteresting

The White Ghosts - no memory of it. I think actually this involved a moonbase of some sort and was Okay

The Crooked Man - This was really good! Recommended

The Evil One - Leela and the Master. Rubbish.

Last of the Colophon - Great. Sinister. Get.

Destroy the Infinite - A Nicholas Briggs Story through and through. On the scale of Nick Briggs stories 7/10. Compared to everything else 4/10

The Abandoned - A Nigel Fairs (Lou's mate) hobby story. Full of mystical bollocks but actually, as his go, given all the whimiscal shit, actually Part 1 wasn't TOO bad.

Zygon Hunt - Nick Briggs script. Dire.

So I'd say a pretty bad season to be honest, with two notable highlights. Get Colophon and Crooked Man and beg Nick Briggs not to write any more again ever.

Si.

[Nyder]

Which was the one with the bookshop - White Ghosts? I liked that one

[Si Hunt]

The Crooked Man!

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Started on Caroline John's reading of Inferno this morning. Goodness me there are a lot of accents going on in this story!

Harry Slocombe - Oirish.
Sergeant Benton - Mummerset.
Greg Sutton - US.
Professor Stahlman - Basically Joseph Furst.

Who knew? It's all quite bewildering!

[Si Hunt]

I remember that one as being a real slog to get through!

With no internet yet at the new house to download the latest releases, I have journeyed back to The New World with the Sixth Doctor, Jago, Litefoot and some ghost children.

Meanwhile the first job at the new place was to buy a lovely new unit (as appose to a new U.N.I.T) for ALL the Big Finishes. And what a lot of them there are!

Si.

[SiHart]

I remembered I hadn't finished off the latest series, do did story 3.3 of Counter- Measures this morning. It's a great series

[Si Hunt]

Still no internet at home, so while the new releases stack up I've started another listen of "Peri and the Piscon Paradox". Nev Fountain certainly likes to twist the history of his girlfriend's character around in knots doesn't he? Nicola Bryant is awfully good reading this, especially the scene where Peri meets her older self. She recreates 1984 Peri, along with old boyfriends and Frankie Goes To Hollywood fixation, seamlessly. Nicola really was good wasn't she.

Si.

[Nyder]

This was one of my favourite Companion Chrons - highly recommended!

[Si Hunt]

Internet has reached New HaRpi Towers so I've got a glut of New Big Finish to catch up on: Dark Eyes, Early Adventures and main range not to mention the Carnival of Monsters audio book.

I've chosen to start with "Masters of Earth" in which the Sixth Doctor and a Peri Brown rescued from Krontep arrive on Earth close to 2150AD - mid Dalek invasion.

This one has a reasonably exciting premise but so far it's run with it and not much else. We have the Sixth Doctor, Peri, Robomen and Daleks (no effort to make them sound Hartnell ish though) and some bog standard supporting cast. And they are in the Dalek Invasion. Just what it says on the tin. The Episode 1 cliffhanger is suitably action packed (though if I'm honest, I can't believe the Doctor will actually get killed as he usually escapes somehow) but there's been no other surprises so far. Maybe they will be to come? It's nice having Peri back but she has slipped back into her TARDIS travels a bit too easily in my book.

We'll see how this one pans out but it's under the impression that its 'pitch' is enough for now, and doesn't seem worried about adding anything else in.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

These BF 'Pitches' keep getting more and more visceral. You'd think they'd reached the limit with Eldrad Must Die! then along comes Domain of The Voord and the paradigm is shifted even further.