New 4th Doc Audios: Hornets Nest Out Now!

[Pip Madeley]

Has anyone actually heard it in full? Any reviews?

[SiHart]

We'l be listening to it at the weekend, so you'll have our views then

Si xx

[Simon R]

I've arksed for the 1st one for my birthday. Even if I haven't listened to a "Doctor Who" audio in years.

[Carol Baynes]

They're quite stylised covers, but I really like 'em too. And I love the attention to detail - the font used on the story title & author is the same as that used on (many of) the early Baker stories (unless my eyes deceive me).

Yes, it was the font used on screen from seasons 14 through to 17!

From what I've heard these sound quite promising and I might even buy one, and I don't often bother with the audio productions (although I've always been glad they're in production).

[Rob McCow]

Are you a fan of Tom Baker? I know you're probably a Doctor Who fan, but are you a fan of Tom? If you are, then this Hornets Nest might be the story for you.

Ostensibly it starts off with Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, who gets invited to visit Tom- I mean The Doctor at his country house, The Nest. He arrives to find peculiar and sinister goings-on and that Tom- The Doctor has a pet dog called 'Captain'.

The first part of the story is all about atmosphere. Mr Yates settles in to the old house and takes the opportunity to describe his jouney down and the little details that make it all very engaging. The build-up to Tom's arrival is wonderful, it left me salivating and gasping until finally - he appears! And he's nothing short of marvelous. Or should I say MAAAAAAAAVelous! He very rapidly takes over the story from Mike Yates, describing how he first got onto the trail of the deadly Hornets.

He's not quite the Doctor of the 1970's and it's unfair to expect him to be, but he's surprisingly close. He shows more self-restraint in this story than anything he's done in years. Though occasionally Paul Magrs gives him some delicious Tom-style lines to sink his teeth into.

This is also a great antidote to Big Finish and their 'TV Episode without the pictures' format. Tom - The Doctor is relating a story, with occasional dramatised scenes. There's no denying that Tom is a wonderful story-teller. He's blessed with one of the most charismatic voices around. He also achieves a clear switch between story-telling mode and dramatised mode, so there's no doubt when you're being plunged into a scene and the other actors and sound effects don't come as a surprise.

Paul Magrs' writing isn't for everyone. His characterisation tends to be not weak, but slightly ludicrous. And I think Mike Yates desperately needed some more depth; ironic given that Paul once portrayed him as a one-dimensional cardboard man, here he had an opportunity to really flesh him out.

That said, what Paul Magrs does very well is create sinister and macabre situations, that tend to have a comic side. A bit like the League of Gentlemen, only less reliant on violence and lewdness.

In short, if you like the idea of the Doctor fighting off killer badgers with a bottle of bleach, or if you think the Doctor being trapped in a house with his nightmares sounds pretty cool, then Hornets Nest will be perfect for you. It's undoubtedly more Williams than Hinchcliffe, so make sure you're not taking it too seriously, and instead sit back and have fun. If I had to give it a four out of five, I would say it would probably be worth about four, out of around five.

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm so pleased to hear you liked it, I hope that's the general consensus. It would be just awful if it was a 'damb squib' of a thing. Good old Tom!!

[SiHart]

I did like it when the Doctor talked to badgers. Children would like that.

I really enjoyed it. OK, there are moments where Tom is doing it more as "convention/ Little Britain/ Commentary Tom (especially the whispers) but there were far more moments where he was just the Doctor- a cross between the Hinchcliffe and Williams 4th Doctor.

The story was fine and guesome and funny.

Si xx

[SiHart]

Cover number 3:



Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Really good, again. Maybe Big Finish should hire the designer?

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

I get the feeling it may be the bloke who did the missing stories soundtracks' covers.

[SiHart]

These covers are by Ben Willisher who does the cartoons for the DVD reviews in DWM, not the guy who does the missing stories covers for the BBC.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Wow, he's super talented then. I love his drawings. I always think they'd look great blown up as prints and framed on the wall. I'd love one in that guise.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

SFX are giving away a Tom Baker CD with the new issue:

There’s a very special free gift with SFX#188 – an exclusive, official BBC Audiobooks taster CD featuring over 56 minutes of Tom Baker goodness.

To celebrate Tom’s return to the role of the Doctor on BBC Audiobook’s specially-written Hornet’s Nest series of CDs, the Beeb has given SFX access to their archives to bring you this unique collectable, not available anywhere else. Tracks include:

* Extracts from the first two Hornet‘s Nest release
* Clips of archive interviews with Tom Baker from BBC Audio’s Doctor Who At The BBC
collection
* Extracts of Tom reading the audiobooks versions of “The Pyramids Of Mars”, “The Brain Of Morbius” and “Genesis Of The Daleks”
* An extract from “Doctor Who And The Pescatons”
* The classic Dead Ringers sketch with the Doctor ringing the Doctor
* And loads, loads more…

[Pip Madeley]

Final covers...



Quite like those.

[SiHart]

The Dead Shoes turned out to be pretty bonkers! What with possessed shoes, miniaturistation, evil dolls houses and end of the pier dance shows this added up to a pretty standard Paul Magrs themed audio! Tom sounded like he was enjoying it all though, and the pairing of the Doctor and the dancer in 1930s Cromer worked really well.

Richard Franklin was rather sidelined in this episode though.

It's not easy to judge it on its own merits though, as it feels like the early stages of a bigger adventure rather than something that really stands on its own merits.

I have to say I'm enjoying them though.

Si xx

[Mr BHT]

I must admit the clips included on the Tom Baker SFX freebie really make me want to hear these. The monologue about the stuffed toys, and the scene on the pier really play to Tom strengths - very dark, brooding, secretive pieces. Paul Magrs has got the fourth Doctor (as played by Tom in 2009) spot on!!

[Paul Monk]

I've listened to Stuff of Nightmares and I really enjoyed it. Far more than any Big Finish I've heard recently.
It reminds me a little of the comic strips, those same off beat ideas and situations outside of the norm.

[Paul Monk]

The Dead Shoes was brilliant fun as well. Looking forward to the next one.

[SiHart]

I'm really loving these. The third one- The Circus of Doom carries on the same macabre fashion as the other two with a mysterious circus of frekas (and hornets) and was great fun to listen to. You can tell Tom is really enjoying the material and he seems to have really hit his stride again now.
I like the fact that the clues are building up through all the stories and you don't quite have the full picture at the end of the third part. I hope it has a decent conclusion...

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

I like that too. You're right, Tom seems to relish doing these, especially the more grotesque stuff. There sort of like a mash up of the Hinchcliffe and Williams eras aren't they?

And at the end of Dead Shoes I loved the way Tom says "Circus of Dooooom"

Best audios I've heard in ages.

[Pip Madeley]

I've only heard Stuff of Nightmares but I thought it was brilliant - it took me a moment to get used to Tom's voice, what with trying to imagine him as he was in 1978 (this seems to be set at the end of season 15) despite him sounding so different... but the story was really gripping and I can't wait to hear more.

[Pip Madeley]

Paul Magrs is going to be at Manchester Central Library on Thursday December 10th from 6pm - I may go! I know the answer already but might as well ask - does anyone else nearby fancy it?

Paul Magrs will be launching his new novel Hell’s Belles! at Manchester Central Library on Thursday 10th December. Alan Bennett meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this uniquely charming and addictive follow up to Never The Bride, Something Borrowed and Conjugal Rites. This is the brand new instalment in the Brenda and Effie series featuring the Bride of Frankenstein in Whitby. With fans from Susan Hill to Jill Mansell, Paul Magrs' witty style and fabulous writing continue to wow readers.

[SiHart]

I'd love to go, but alas, you know...

Si xx

[SiHart]

And so it ends with Tom really hitting his stride and sounding just like the Doctor (none of those strange loud whispers he's used in the other stories) and defeating the Hornets by... well I won't spoil it, but they were rather hoist by their petard.
Richard Franklin came to the fore this episode, and rose to the challenge rather well I thought. The older, rather sadder Captain Yates was rather nicely done I felt and I certainly wouldn't be upset if he appeared in more of these. He was rather sidelined in the middle episodes, but this was his episode I think.

I've really enjoyed these tales. Like somewhat twisted fairytales, they've delighted and amused me over the past few months. I love the mix of narration and acted scenes, which gives them a different feel to any of the more recent Doctor Who audios and reminds me of listening to Genesis of the Daleks or The Pescatons when I was little. Huge fun, and I hope there are going to be more of them.

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

Listened to number 4 which was so so I thought although I did like the circular nature of the story. Looking forward number 5 now!