The Companion Chronicles

[Rob McCow]

Covers are now up for stories that BF want to do where the Doctor Who's are dead or don't want to be in Big Finish.


Vicki has a tale to tell.
But where does it start and when does it end?
Ancient Carthage. 1164 BC.
Lady Cressida has a secret. She keeps it deep in the cisterns below the Temple of Astarte with only one flame for warmth. And it must never get out.
Regency London, 1814 AD.
The first Doctor, Steven and Vicki go to the fair and meet the fiery Dragon, the novelist Miss Austen and the deadliest weather you ever did see.
But which comes first?
The Future or the Past?
The Phoenix or the Egg?
The Fire or the Frost?
Or will Time freeze over forever?


Why has Zoe Heriot been having nightmares about the Daleks? Who is the Doctor, a mysterious man from her past? When an evil scientist hijacks her mind to control a galaxy-conquering weapon, Zoe must stop him. First, she and the Doctor will face an enemy they had thought destroyed forever.


"I suppose that was one of the Doctor's most endearing qualities: the ability to make the bizarre and the terrifying seem utterly normal."
When Liz Shaw's friend Jean goes missing, the Doctor and U.N.I.T. are drawn to the scene to investigate. Soon Liz discovers a potential alien invasion that will have far-reaching affects on her life… and the Doctor is unexpectedly re-united with an old enemy…


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Hurrah!

[Jonno]

They're the best BF covers I've seen! I especially like The Blue Tooth, but then that's always been my favourite Cyber costume.

[Andrew Curnow]

They are nice covers aren't they - I especially like the Romana one. Mind you, that Liz Shaw looks a bit evil doesn't she!

[Pip Madeley]

I think it's a bit mean not to credit them to their creator... they're by Simon Holub, a great young talent (younger than me, and much much better!)...



They're fantastic, I'm hoping he'll take over from Clayton/Binding on the DVDs someday!

[Andrew Curnow]

The Zoe one looks like artwork, as opposed to photoshopping like the other three. Or is that just me?

[SiHart]

The Dalek looks wrong to me. The one on Blood of the Daleks also looked wrong- it's the dome. The proportions aren't right.

But they do look nice overall. Nice to see them without the text too.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

They're really good, but I'm not sold on the concept of the plays and will be giving them a miss as I can't afford everything!

Si.

[Dr Crewe]

They should put posters of those covers in each CD - they`re fantastic!

[Dirk Gently]

Well I've ordered mine with Play.com.

Here's what Big Finish are offering:-

"SPECIAL OFFER ALL 4 CDS: 30.00 (UK)/36.00 (O/S)
EXTRA DISCOUNT FOR EXISTING DOCTOR WHO SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
PREORDER ALL 4 CDs: 25.00 (UK)/31.00 (O/S)"

Well Play are doing them @ Two for 12.00, which is still cheaper than BF's subscriber pre-order (which you can't get now anyway).

Nice one Play.

[Pip Madeley]

I'm enjoying The Beautiful People - very Season 17

[Andrew Curnow]

Wasn't that the/an original title for "Destiny of the Daleks"? Or was it what Tom & Lalla had hung on the door of their joint dressing-room?

[WileyKat]

I've got these, and I just finished "Fear of The Daleks" (what, me, listen to the Wendy Padbury one first? Who'd have thunk it?)

Um.

The plot is stock, which I could live with, if it wasn't for the fact that the dialogue is...well..."bloody awful" might be kind.

"MY.CONSCIOUSNESS.IS.IMPAIRED. I.CANNOT.THINK."

WP does her level best, and Nick Briggs is great as the Daleks, as always, but really... I don't like to use hyperbole, and there are some close competitors, but this is, I think, my least favourite thing that I've ever heard from Big Finish. I mean, it's not as dull as Pier Pressure, or as objectionable as Nekromanteia, but...

[Rob McCow]

I think, my least favourite thing that I've ever heard from Big Finish.

Oh. My. God. That's the nastiest thing I've ever heard someone say. Take it back. Please!

[Wayne]

I've just ordered 'Fear of the Daleks' & 'The Blue Tooth'.
2 for 13 at Play.com.

I like Daleks & Cybermen.

[Raston]

Fear of the Daleks, god its bad-i listened to this one first and it worried me about the others.

The Blue tooth, is good and interesting.

Frostfire, is by far the best of those three.

Not done the romana one yet.

[Wayne]

I've just ordered 'Fear of the Daleks' & 'The Blue Tooth'.
2 for 13 at Play.com.

I like Daleks & Cybermen.

Listened to these on the bus today. I liked both, but 'The Blue Tooth' was definitely a better story than 'Fear of the Daleks'. However, Padders' storytelling was a lot more vivid & animated than Caroline John's, so that made up for it somewhat.

[Wayne]

I've just ordered 'Fear of the Daleks' & 'The Blue Tooth'.
2 for 13 at Play.com.

I like Daleks & Cybermen.

I got 7.50 & 8.15 for these on eBay. Have people never heard of Play.com?

[Dirk Gently]

Ssshhhhh! You're making money! I bet you charge p&p?

At that rate you probably have enough for a pint.

[Wayne]

I just can't understand why people would pay more for second hand stuff, when you can get them cheaper and new!

*Edited to add:

And yes, p+p on top!

[Dirk Gently]

Frostfire, I started to listen to this last night but I fell asleep about 5 minutes in.

[Dirk Gently]

Companion Chronicles: Frostfire.
Well after 4 attempts I finally got through it. I should have known that falling asleep several times was a bad sign but I thought I'd continue. It seems my unconscious was trying to save me from something & I should have taken notice. This is not a good start to these & it better go up from here because it can't get much worse. I never usually criticise but this was bad. Worse, it was boring. I'd rather listen to ...ish or watch Twin Dilemma than go through that again. 2/10 seems generous but that's what I'm giving it.

This audio should be ashamed of itself & made to sit in the corner with the dunce hat on.

[Andrew Curnow]

I haven't heard it, but I have to admit that the blurb did sound rather like pretentious twaddle (similar to Marc Platt's two Unbound Bayldons in fact). He's obviously BF's writer of choice for the First Doctor, but I'm not sure why - maybe he's a dead ringer for William Hartnell?

[Si Hunt]

Sorry but Marc Platt really is a cruddy Doctor Who writer - look at his credentials: "Ghost Light", an overly confused and pompous script cloaked by classy production, "Loups Garoux" I've never rated, unexciting pretentious rubbish (compare it to TV Doctor Who's take on werewolves, the kid-thrilling "Tooth and Claw"), his Bayldon scripts are hugely overlong and unsatisfying, "Downtime" and now this "Frostfire" which sounds awful.

About the only decent thing he's ever done is "Spare Parts", and that's flawed. Let us not forget that every Cyberman is based on the Doctor (awful idea!).

I hate to criticise (you know I do) but just where has this man got his reputation from?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

I hate to criticise (you know I do) but just where has this man got his reputation from?

From people who think he's brill? He might not pull it off every time, but he's always trying to do new things with Doctor Who. He writes great dialogue and has created some superb 'images' in the audios; such as the Cyber-horse, the people erupting into torrents of jewels in A Storm of Angels, Queen Victoria on a great glass throne in the same, the Doctor discovering the TARDIS console underneath the wood panelling of his study and more.

There's also the superbly moving ending to the first Unbound and the sub-plot of Spare Parts with the girl heading back to show her parents her new uniform.

I'd agree he can be over-complicated, but he's certainly miles better than oooo.... Robert Ross, for example. Or many of his New Adventure penning contemparies.

[Andrew Curnow]

I actually like "Ghost Light" but wouldn't say "Spare Parts" is quite as good as it's made out to be - a lot of it's reputation is down to the powerful production values I would say (there's a real atmosphere to it, and the sound of the Cybercommittee is really disturbing) and like Si I don't like the 'Cybes based on the Doc' subplot. Not only does it seem very silly, but it also is rather pointless. I also don't like the Cybermats attacking the TARDIS stuff, which is rather padding.

As for his other stuff, "Loups-Garoux" is frankly dreadful in many ways, and I've rarely heard much praise (except for Mr McCow immediately above, ironically) for his Bayldon plays either.