Which CD Releases Are You Keeping Up With?

[Rob McCow]

I was wondering what the current status of Audio listeners is on Planet Skaro. Who's still subscribing? Who picks up the odd play? Is anybody still getting everything?

This applies to the Big Finishes, the New Series Audios, the Paul Magrs / Tom Baker audios and the Target Novel readings!

[Stuart Wallis]

Haven't bought any main BFs for a very long time (Renaissance Of The Daleks was the last, and I never did get them very often anyway). I picked up Flip Flop, BF's UNIT series and a few Companion Chronicles as a job lot in a charity shop recently, enjoyed the latter, and bought a couple of the recent titles on the strength of them. Might just give The Rocket Men a go, as Ian's in it. And one day I might get round to the Short Trips CDs as well.

Other than that, unfortunately space is a bit of an enemy. I have picked up a few of the 10th and 11th stories, but that's about it.

[Si Hunt]

I'm semi-following the Companion Chronicles, buying them informally every month, though I miss them out if they don't look very good.

Still subscribing to the main range and the Lost Stories, though we simply don't get time to listen to the Lost Stories before the next main range one arrives, so they get stockpiled for some future holiday/decorating stint/car journey. Just bought a subscription for all the new Tom seasons into 2012.

I've just cancelled my order for "The Chase" Target audio because I didn't make it through "Fury from the Deep" - it just killed me as it wasn't very interesting. I would probably order a new one if they announced a good sounding one though.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

I admit I stand out from the crowd in terms of not actually liking Fury; I'm just curious however to find out what the problem was with this recording of it. Was it the novelisation wasn't right? the production? the narrator? It's sad knowing that someone who seems to like them generally has found a major problem or two with this one.

[Si Hunt]

It may just be that I have listened to them quite regularly for a good few months so I am getting bored. Plus Fury is a very long six discs, and was made as a monster chiller - read out over four hours it's a very long way to hear about lots of people with dull names touching bits of seaweed.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

Ah well, a change may be as good as a rest then?

[kevinwho]

I have bought the Companion Chronicles from the beginning. I also dabble in other areas. I bought the first two sets of Lost Stories, several Benny seasons, and have pre-ordered the Tom Baker stuff on the horizon. I have a friend who subscribes to the main range, so we share. Otherwise, I would probably buy the main range and nothing else.

I want it all, but you know, I also want to eat.

[SiHart]

The Target ones. Well kind of. I'm a little behind this year after doing a great job of keeping up with them the last couple of years. But I will get there. They're my favourite range at the moment.

I'll also probably get the new Paul Magrs series too, as I like his work and have enjoyed both series' of Toms so far.

I've done a deal with a friend to get the Tom BFs too, which after giving up on BF will be interesting.

We stopped buying the monthly BFs in the end. Too much of low quality kept coming and they became a chore rather than a pleasure to get through. I'm sure there are some great ones out there, but I find in general I'm really not sad to be missing them. Maybe one day.

I don't bother with the new series audios at all. Just not interested in them at all.

[stuartdg]

The Big Finish monthly releases,although the forthcoming Eighth Doctor and Mary Shelley audios don't appeal,I also follow the Lost Stories

The Companion Chronicles I listen to depending on the reader(William Russell,Anneke Wills,Caroline John,Katy Manning,some Louise Jameson and Mary Tamm) then I'm buying.

I will be buying the Fourth Doctor audios;likewise with the Paul Magrs releases

The target readings depend on the story and author and likewise with the new series audios

[Anthony Williams]

I'm getting the BBC's Lost Stories collections as they come out, as I didn't actually have the audio soundtracks.

Does that count?

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Just uploaded the first two releases of last year's Benny Summerfield Season 11 to help me cope with the post-Massanicassa come down!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Today I listened to the 3rd and 4th stories of Benny Season 11. Rather bravely producer John Ainsworth decided to use the the first two stories which I heard yesterday to wrap the long-running Braxiatel story arc (which kicks off properly towards the end of Season 6 and gets really good from Season 8 onwards reaching its climax in 11.1 & 11.2).
11.3 "Year Zero" is therefore something of a departure point with Benny finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings with none of the familiar supporting cast around to help. Having a reset midway through a season is a rather risky strategy especially if like me you've really enjoyed the long-running story arc however this story does seem to get away with it and the final story of the season "Dead Man's Switch" leaves everything nicely rebooted for Benny to have lots of new adventures starting with the about to released boxset "Epoch".

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I saw an article on the BF website last night that the price of Bernice Summerfield: Epoch was going to be put up at 9AM this morning so I ordered it late last night. Glad I did as I've added £10 to the price making it £45! There's also a download version for £40 but considering up til this morning you could purchase hard copy for £35 this seems rather steep!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

So the Big Finish site seems to be down at the moment. No coincidence that the download of the Bernice Summerfield: Epoch boxset was released last night. Just like with Gallifrey IV they've rather daftly put all four stories plut the DVDs worth of extra content into a single zip file so I suspect their servers have been unable to cope the demand of lots of people trying to download a rather large file!
Meanwhile I've been giving the 2000 AD audios a spin. Two stories in and I can see why they didn't sell very well.

[Anthony Williams]

Oh dear! Sounds like BF are doing some rather daft things right now...

Anyway, once we've moved house, I will be buying myself the first season of Eighth Doctor Adventures (i.e. with Lucie Miller) audios, along with something else - I imagine the complete set of Unbound audios. I remember enjoying those before when someone who used to be a regular here *ahem* "sent" them to me.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Oh dear! Sounds like BF are doing some rather daft things right now...

Anyway, once we've moved house, I will be buying myself the first season of Eighth Doctor Adventures (i.e. with Lucie Miller) audios, along with something else - I imagine the complete set of Unbound audios. I remember enjoying those before when someone who used to be a regular here *ahem* "sent" them to me.

They're back online now but my comment about file sizes stands.
If you've never heard them the later additions to the Unbound series (Storm of Angels featuring the Bayldon Doctor and Masters of War featuring David Warner alongside the Brigadier and Davros) were particularly good.
I love the 8th Doctor and Lucie audios. They really hit a stride in their second season and the fourth and final season that came out late 2010 and early this year was extremely good (although the later stories do follow up on the re-introduction of Susan in the 8th Doctor solo outing An Earthly Child).

[Anthony Williams]

If you've never heard them the later additions to the Unbound series (Storm of Angels featuring the Bayldon Doctor and Masters of War featuring David Warner alongside the Brigadier and Davros) were particularly good.

I've heard the original six, but not the two later additions. I'm glad to hear that you say that they're good!

I love the 8th Doctor and Lucie audios. They really hit a stride in their second season and the fourth and final season that came out late 2010 and early this year was extremely good (although the later stories do follow up on the re-introduction of Susan in the 8th Doctor solo outing An Earthly Child).

Well, I'm looking forward to making a start on those in a month or so

[Si Hunt]

Coincidentally, we're just started on a run through of the 8th Doctor audios, with "Blood of the Daleks Part 1". I've done them before, but it's Simon's first time.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

There's no answer to that!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

There's no answer to that!

And there was me thinking I had a dirty mind but I strongly suspect I had the same thought as you when I read Si's comment earlier but didn't want to admit it.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Back on topic I got the Bernice Summerfield Epoch boxset through the post today. Truly a thing of beauty. Looking forward to watching the making of DVD. Thanks to the wonders of download I heard the first two stories today, so far pretty good especially Midnight's Ayesha Antoine as Ruth and Planet of the Dead's David Ames as the mysterious Jack

[Si Hunt]

I've pre-ordered Lost Stories Season 3, another 6 months of regular releases and the Tom Releases. I'm considering placing a pre-order for Companion Chronicles by the end of the year, which means I'll have four subscriptions on the go at once. Barmy!!

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

And there was me thinking I had a dirty mind but I strongly suspect I had the same thought as you when I read Si's comment earlier but didn't want to admit it.

When I'm about, admit nothing!

[SiHart]

I've done a deal to get the Toms. I'm back in the BF fold. We'll see how long they keep me!

[Dirk Gently]

I've done a deal to get the Toms.

Seeing as a "Tom" is slang for a prostitute I'm a little lost for words.