Year: 2006

Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – The Nowhere Place

6 September 2006 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

The Nowhere PlaceOkay, The Nowhere Place has been out about a month now, but since we’re just kicking off this whole audio play review thing, I think I’m allowed a little give and take to start with. Besides, there is the outside possibility you haven’t bought it yet. Never fear though, tomorrow I’ll be reviewing the very latest Big Finish Doctor Who play, the Sylvester McCoy/Bonnie Langford effort Red.

Strangely enough, despite his extreme on-screen kackness, Colin Baker is my favourite of all the Big Finish Doctors (it’s a tie between him and Paul McGann really), so I was actually looking forward to this, even though it doesn’t feature Peri. Ah, Peri. Sigh…

I’m digressing.

Written and directed by Nicholas “Voice of the Daleks and the Cybermen. How cool is that?” Briggs, The Nowhere Place is actually a surprisingly creepy little piece, marred by only the occasional piece of silly acting, some odd numbers and the suspicion you’ve heard it somewhere before (even though you haven’t). Otherwise, it’s really very good.

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Third-episode verdict: Vanished

5 September 2006 Rob Buckley 6 Comments

I’m so glad I invented this third-episode verdict thing. More often than I care to count, it’s proved its worth.

Take Vanished. Episode one? Silly. Episode two? Dull but not quite as silly.

Episode three? Ho, ho, ho. So magnificently stupid, it’s now passed through the other side of stupid and entered brilliant. Actually the first half was dire, but then the second half was just great. You know it’s silly. You know you’ve just passed Pluto on the way out of reality to somewhere far stranger, but you want to know more!

I won’t spoil it for UK viewers, since the episodes are going to air in October on Five US, but suffice it to say, if you’re familiar with Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’, you’ll know precisely who the bad guys are (I reckon). Fan-bloody-tastic. I was wondering when someone was going to use them.

Plus, our friendly visitor from Inner Toob has confirmed recently what I’d been hearing, too: we should hang around until episode 10 at least, because that’s when we’re all in for a big surprise. If what I think happens actually happens, Josh Berman and the rest of the production crew will deserve a great big tip of the hat for their ballsiness. Plus I was beginning to wonder why they’d chosen Gale Harold as the lead…

UPDATE: Vanished has recently had the seal of approval from Fox, which has commissioned another three episodes. Well, scripts for episodes anyway.

Airing dates for US shows, both in the US and over here

5 September 2006 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Digital Spy has some useful nuggets of info about when various US shows are going to air, both in the UK and the US:

  • Sky One has the full rights to the first three seasons of Bones, so you won’t be seeing it on terrestrial channels any time soon.
  • Prison Break will be returning to Five in January.
  • The fate of Eureka, aka A Town Called Eureka in the UK, hangs in the balance. Cancellation is a possibility.
  • Traveler will appear on ABC in either January or February.
  • Kyle XY, which has already been picked up for a second season in the US (excellent finale by the way), is close to being acquired for UK audiences by… The Disney Channel. Arse.
Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Gallifrey – “Panacea”

5 September 2006 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

PanaceaAt the request of Lisa and because it seems like a jolly idea, I’m going to start reviewing the Big Finish stories, something that launches a new category on the blog: audio plays. I’m not going to review all of them, because there’s only so much time in the day and only so much cash in my pocket (although if Big Finish would like to just send them to me, that would be just fabby), but I’m certainly going to carve my way through the Doctor Who and Sapphire and Steel stories at the very least.

However, we’re starting with what looks like an ending: Panacea, probably the last of the ‘Gallifrey’ range of stories, which are set on the eponymous home world of the Time Lords. Featuring former companions of “the good Doctor” Leela (Louise Jameson), K9 (John Leeson) and Romana (Lalla Ward and Mary Tamm), Gallifrey has been running for three series now; Panacea ends those series’ many story arcs and if the now-former Big Finish producer Gary Russell is to be believed, marks the end of the range.

So would I recommend buying the whole lot, now the series has finally displayed all its colours? And can I do it without spoiling you? Here’s hoping!

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