The BF Time Warp 013: The Shadow of the Scourge

[SiHart]

The Pinehill Crest Hotel in Kent is host to three very different events: a cross-stich convention, an experiment in time travel and... the summoning of the scourge.

The Doctor, Bernice and Ace find themselves dealing with a dead body that's come back to life, a mystical symbol that possesses its host, and a threat from another universe that's ready for every trick the Doctor's got up his sleeve.

This time, has the Doctor gone too far?

What do you think of Paul Cornell's first Big Finish adventure?

[stuartdg]

A big favourite,I like the snappy dialogue,the ideas in the script and as you might expect,given that it's written by her creator Bernice is well catered for.McCoy is also on fine form and is very quotable as well,it's fantastic stuff and I would happily welcome more stories in the same vein.

[Simon R]

I haven't heard it for so long and I can hardly remember much about it apart from not liking the bit where Ace is made death.

That front cover is still shockingly bad! One of the all time worst Doctor Who covers in any medium!

[Andrew Curnow]

I really like the idea of BF bringing in the NA team, it was I suppose quite a brave move at the time - and if they'd not cast Benny so well then it might have been a disaster. As it is, a great success!!

That said, the story starts off very badly - that business with the seance right at the start doesn't work (for me) and it's only really once we get past the awkward 'setting-up' first episode that the story takes off. It's very like Cornell's NAs, but there's still something indescribably exciting about hearing the Seventh Doctor say Benny's name. The end of part 3 is one of my favourites.

[SiHart]

While the inclusion of the NA team is really good, and despite not having worked as a team on audio before- I'm not sure this is a great story.

The individual elements are OK, bt I don't think having a monster that causes depression, like depression is something that comes out of the monster rather than a very real and horrible psychological condition is a good idea. In fact it's rather crass and insulting really. Or is it just me?

Si xx

[MacNimon]

This is the first story in the range I missed. Despite really enjoying Fires Of Vulcan, another McCoy story so quickly didn't really appeal despite featuring Benny Summerfield. I was quite intrigued, and wondered how the character would be played, but even to this day I've not had any great urge to give this a listen.

[Jon Masters]

2/5 - not good; the set up is very cheesy, and then turns very nasty, the Scourge are pan-dimensional gargleblasters trying to be too many things in one go, and there's far too much stand around and chat. It was a struiggle the first time, and I've given up tonight at the end of Ep2 "the massive infodump".
Benny is fine, but space bitch Ace seems to be only different from TV Ace in that she blows up at people for no reason - so why bother ?

[Rob McCow]

Not a popular one this!

Two other things I remember - there's the knitting group convention in the hotel which is quite good fun. Plus there's Cornell's musing on writing, saying that you might as well not bother and that living is enough. That really bugged me. He might as well not have bothered.

[Lissa]

I don't think having a monster that causes depression, like depression is something that comes out of the monster rather than a very real and horrible psychological condition is a good idea. In fact it's rather crass and insulting really. Or is it just me?

That is EXACTLY why I hate this story.

[Anthony Williams]

I want to make a statement before I review this story. It's probably the only time I will make a disclaimed before I start a review, but I feel it's needed here. I have never suffered from depression. I have a couple of family members before, so I have seen what it's like, but I have never experienced the true difficulties that it can cause someone from a first point perspective.

So, with that in mind, I approach this story with very mixed emotions. There are some elements of this story that I truly, truly love - the final realisation of the New Adventures in a format that actually stars Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, along with the marvellous Lisa Bowerman as Benny Summerfield.

There are even elements of the story that I adore - the body horror of the mutation into the Scourge, for example. The people being duped by the psychic inadvertantly summoning the Scourge. Heck, even the time travel machinations at the beginning, with the Doctor reporting the death before it happens at the beginning.

Yet, I agree with those who complain against the use of depression in this story. I truly dislike the way that it's used as a plot device, as I too feel that it's cheap and demeans those that actually suffer from depression, along with those close to them that suffer with them. Like Si says, it's just crass and insulting. And to me, that ruins much of the story, despite the many good things that are in it.

And then there's Sophie Aldred's atrocious induced-deafness acting. Honestly, the less said about that, the better...

Really, this one gets a pretty poor 2/5 from me. It could have been good. If someone had turned round to Cornell and said "Whoa! You can't do that!"

[Nyder]

I really wasn't enjoying this, but for me the story perked up after Ep. 2. I know I criticise Sylv a lot, but I thought he was good in this - especially the cliffhangers and all the scenes played in his head. I didn't like the depression slant either for reasons already referenced. 2.5/5 for me.