The BF Time Warp 012: The Fires of Vulcan

[SiHart]

Two thousand years ago, a volcanic eruption wiped the Roman city of Pompeii from the face of the Earth. It also buried the Doctor's TARDIS...

Arriving in Pompeii one day before the disaster, the Doctor and Mel find themselves separated from their ship and entangled in local politics. As time runs out, they fight to escape from the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. But how can they succeed when history itself is working against them?

Better than the Fires of Pompeii? Was the return of Mel something to fear or applaud? You tell us!

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I have to say I prefer this one over the TVs Fires of Pompeii. It's like it works better without the alien menace.

[MacNimon]

Those who read my thoughts on the S24 forum may not be surprised that I've long considered this (the 7th Doctor and Mel) to be worst Doctor-companion team in the series, ever.

So you'll probably be shocked to find out that this is one of my favourite BF plays, as both the leads put in great performances the likes of which I really wish they'd had an opportunity to give on tv - they certainly rise to the occasion here and work well as a team. Again, I haven't listened to it for years so the plot is a bit vague, but the performances stick in my head for being such a plaesant surprise. A pure historical story which I think is much better than Fires Of Pompeii...excellent 5/5

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Yeah got to echo that - Mel works incredibly well here in a way she didn't in the TV series.

Time for Big Finish to do something with Dodo?

[SiHart]

All BF did was give Binnie some great material to work with and took away the screaming. What we got in thjis and the other BF plays is a very capable, very likeable character who's actually a ratehr brilliant companion. This is exactly what she should have been on TV- someone who enjoys the adventures. Bonnie is brilliant.

This ia great little story too. A story about the consequences of time travel and trying against all the odds to struggle against inevitability and make a difference. It's intersting that the Doctor gives up, but Mel is determined that they're going to survive- look who was right.

Superb!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

It's a great little play - Mel & the Doctor here are just as they should have been on TV (and to be fair, sometimes were... but nowhere near often enough). The central 'escaping the inevitable' theme is a great idea, in a sense it's a surprise the TV show never tried it in its 'historical' days (obviously it has now, with Fires of Pompeii and Waters of Mars), and since it's a tragedy that the listener knows about, the looming threat is very 'real' throughout.

Another triumph for BF, revitalising Mel just as they'd already done for the sixth Doctor.

[SiHart]

Having listened to this and watched Fire of Pompeii this last week, I can safely say I prefer the BF version. It's all the better for being a straight historical i think. the tragedy of Pompeii is more than enough to carry a stary wothout the added Pyrovile stuff added.

Si xx

[stuartdg]

Superb.Strong writing and characterisation,including what some call the redemption of Mel,the impending sense of doom,as the volcano nears eruption,is well handled and it's a joy to listen to.

[Andrew Curnow]

And I'm brave enough to say it.... Mel looks sexy on the CD cover in a way she never really did on TV.

[Jon Masters]

3/5 - wanted to like it more, and agree there are some good things about the writing and historical onlyness of it, but there were some major niggles. Yes, Mel does much better with less cliches and screaming, but then spoils it by developing other annoying habits (like telling everyone that if they knew her, then they'd know she never lies / steals / walks on pavement cracks etc.), and generally buldozing her way through another culture. The writing for McCoy doesn't help him at all, with some repeated best of speeches from end of Dragonfire and Survival.

It does all kick in nicely in Episode 4 once the volcano erupts, but the previous 3 just sort of run on the spot waiting for it to happen. None of the subplots gets resolved properly before the volcano makes them almost pointless, and that felt a bit unsatisfying - as did the sudden jump to resolve everything at the end (in a sort of "in one bound I was free" moment)

I agree its much better than FoP though

[Anthony Williams]

And so we're onto two stories in a row that pre-empted stories or themes of the Tennant-era by almost eight years. The writers of the new series seem pretty clued up on their Big Finish, particularly the early years - and so I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this story was in the back of the minds of some members of the production team during the writing and recording of The Fires of Pompeii.

The way this story opens is wonderful - UNIT collecting the TARDIS from the rubble at Pompeii nearly 2000 years later. How did it get there, we're left wondering? What happened to the Doctor? We know this story features Mel, so we know that there are stories that come after. Is there an extraterrestrial influence here? Of course, we soon find out that this is a straight historical - and works much better than the Tennant-era story as a result.

One thing that must be mentioned is just how superb Sylvester is in this story. Anyone who says that the man can't act should be forced to sit down and listen to this story. His reaction as soon as he finds out where they are is just superb - no anger, just sadness. This is a side to the Seventh Doctor that we haven't really seen or heard before. This melancholic Doctor really sets the tone of doom and foreboding during this story. He knows that this is going to happen even before the TARDIS is buried, and tries to find excuses to leave. The characterisation here is really superb.

And despite my favourite Doctor giving an absolutely superb performance, he isn't the true star of this audio - that accolade going to the absolutely fantastic Bonnie Langford. Apparently, Bonnie approached Big Finish herself to appear in their audios - and kudos to her. I can't help but feel that this story really gives her the chance to rehabilitate her in the eyes of fandom - where she's scripted as an adult, at last. And, of course, Bonnie does an absolutely superb job - Mel is clearly ill-at-ease in ancient Pompeii, and is extremely unaware of their culture and traditions. In a stark contrast to her characterisation in Season 24, Mel here is just superb, with Bonnie giving one of the best companion performances ever. If she had been portrayed like this on tv, then she could have been one of my favourite companions ever.

I can't help but feel that exploring the eruption of Versuvius works so much better as a pure historical. Here, we truly get to explore history and the ramifications of the eruption. Certainly, the new series story tugged at the heart-strings - but this has more time to set the scene, explore the culture and really build characters before wiping them all out. The other side of this is that we get to see the Doctor and Mel's reactions to what they perceive as the inevitability of their own doom - and the Doctor just gives up, despite Mel's determination to escape what they see as their destiny.

Really, this is another fine example of Big Finish's early successes - truly pushing the boundaries of what was, at the time, Doctor Who. Clearly, the new series has done some work on that, too - but this was truly ground-breaking stuff back in 2000. And it's excellent. This one gets a very solid 5/5 from me.

[Nyder]

Well hooray, I've finally enjoyed a Who adventure with Bonnie

Okay so I've not seen the televised adventures with Mel since they were broadcast (maybe I need to revisit them?) , but going by this BF story - she's actually very good, and so is Sylv.

The story plodded a bit during parts 2 & 3, but overall this was a great historical story, and a vital part of my therapy for curing my Langford allergy. Well done everyone

[Junkyard]

Generally I don't enjoy the historical stories as much as the pure SF stories but this one is an exception. The script captures ancient Rome rather better than did 'The Fires of Pompeii' but it does have more time to work with. McCoy and Langford also give excellent performances and Langford has far better material to work with than in her television episodes.

[Simon R]

Gemma Bisexual is a bit ropey though.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Quiet you! I won't hear a word said against my beloved Claire from EastEnders and Hollyoaks...

I think The Fires of Vulcan offers definitive proof of what Gary Russell said in the latest DWM that the problem was never Bonnie, who always gives 100%, but that fundamentally the character of Mel was very poorly developed during her TV era.