BF 094: ID & Urgent Calls

[Lissa]

The first of the 3/1 releases has been announced and in addition to Sara "The one they should've hired instead of Sophie Aldred" Griffiths the play also co-stars GILES BRANDRETH~!



Of interest to almost nobody is the last name on the cast list - Natasha "Father, Dear Father" Pyne who was the thinking (wo)man's Sally Thomsett back in either the 1970s or the good old days of UKGold.

[SiHart]

Oh my!

Steve says he looks really cool.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I didn't realise it was Gyles Brandreth at first - he certainly looks rather menacing doesn't he!! I'm intrigued that it appears to be a companionless sixth Doctor in these stories though. Whither Evelyn?

[Captain Tancredi]

It's a shame that a story featuring the Sixth Doctor and guest starring Gyles Brandreth has to be audio-only, though. Twenty years ago and on television that pair could have caused some serious retina damage.

[Si Hunt]

Helen Atkinson-Wood is in it! One of my absolute favourites from "KYTV!



Now they just need Michael Fenton-Stevens! It's only a matter of time!

Si.

[Lissa]

He's been and gone - he was Mr Seyton in The Kingmaker.

[SiHart]

Here's the cover:



It's a big robot. Someone will like it.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

What's the general consensus on the new cover-styles? They're certainly different, but I wouldn't say they have the same appeal as (some of) the old ones.

[Dirk Gently]

I like them. As I've said before, it puts me in mind of the old PDA's.

[Dirk Gently]

My copy of this slipped through my slot first thing this morning along with a copy of Big Finish Magazine issue 9 featuring the Return of the Daleks.


ETA: I'm just listening to the magazine, very good so far.

[SiHart]

Looks like this one plopped through our letterbox this morning...

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I know the BF deliveries all have my name on them, but feel free to open them Si!

[Dirk Gently]

I.D.
Well I got to listen to this last night (whilst trying to get to sleep & failing until gone 3:00am) & at the start I thought this wasn't going to be my sort of thing but it soon got going & turned out to be a superb story. It's premise is simple but well executed. The acting was good in that I believed in the characters & Giles Brandreth was very good. For me this is Big Finish back on form with a first rate Doctor Who story.

Urgent Calls.
I was worried about this one I must admit. Essentially a two hander, similar in a way to the companion chronicles (the first two of which have failed to engage me) but I needn't of worried. This was BRILLIANT! Considering what it was trying to do this worked really well, Colin was perfect & 'Lauren' was played superbly. I'd give this 10/10. It really was good.

[Si Hunt]

I've heard episode 1 and I have to say I'm not impressed so far. It's typical Big Finish. You listen to the first 20 odd minutes and you haven't got a CLUE what's going on. People are spouting technobabble and wittering on and you start to wonder if you haven't put the wrong disc in. I'm a firm believer that a story should start and progress by feeding you new information, but always keeping you feeling you've got a grip on what's going on so far.... not completely baffle you on the understanding that you'll be able to understand it retrospectively when you've got to Episode 3.

What with this and "Renaissance", which was good fun but in truth turned out to be absolute bollocks plot-wise, I'm amazed that after 90 odd releases Big Finish can't put together comprehensable plots.

Si.

[SiHart]

We enjoyed both of these, with Urgent Calls just edging it for being a brave attempt to do something really different. The telephone calls as a mdedium for storytelling was really well used I thought and it certainly got us intrigued for the new Viryan strand of stories.

ID was good, but even at 3 parts it seemed to run out of steam just into part 3. There was plenty of good stuff worth exploring like the business with the copies and who was the real person and who wasn't, that were just touched upon to make room for red hot robot action. The whole cast were very good though and Gyles Brandreth was fun to listen to in the CD (or is the seedy?) extras at the end of the discs.

Actually we think they're a nice addition to the mix. What have the rest of you thought of them?

Si xx

[Philipnet]

completely baffle you on the understanding that you'll be able to understand it retrospectively when you've got to Episode 3.

Myself, on the other hand LOVE plots that you can't quite get a grip on during episode 1, where the threads slightly unravel and then ravel during episode 2, where get the gist of what's going on during episode 3 and the fourth brings it altogether and you're left feeling proud that you managed to follow the plot.

[stuartdg]

Just listened to these and I feel I.D is a story that demands to be listened to again to fully appreciate it;there's some clever ideas in it but Eddie Robson has done better

As for Urgent Calls it works fantastically well because it is essentially a two-hander allowing for characterisation,it's succinct and i liked the moment where Lauren tells the Doctor he doesn't go in for small talk

[Junkyard]

I bought Urgent Calls as part of DWMs 50th Anniversary sale, and it's a little gem. I agree with Dirk Gently, 10/10.