Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – Urban Myths

Nicola Bryant and Peter Davison

In keeping with the new Big Finish policy of pairing up audio plays, Exotron comes with Urban Myths, an entertaining little piece of fluff of no real import. As the Big Finish site describes it, “In an expensive restaurant somewhere on Earth, three gourmets plan their evening. First item on the menu: the death of the Doctor.”

It’s really just an excuse for Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant to play different versions of their characters, as Rashomon-style, the assembled Time Lord assassins recall with less than perfect memories the events that caused them to believe that the Doctor needs to be killed.

As time moves on, events become clearer. It’s evident from the outset more or less what’s happening, so there aren’t any huge surprises. All the same, it’s entertaining and good for a laugh, particularly when Nicola Bryant’s doing a deep-voiced, evil Peri. A nice accompaniment to Exotron, but not worth buying the CD set for if you weren’t sold on the idea of Exotron.

Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – Exotron

ExotronThat’s odd. Two Big Finish plays in a row, I.D. and Exotron, and they’re both about robots that have human personalities uploaded into them. Did we really need two of them? Certainly, if it were a choice between I.D. or Exotron, Exotron would win hands down, and not just because it’s got Peri in it.

Exotron is, for one thing, a far more interesting play. It’s not outstanding, you’ll guess what’s going on before the end of part one, and the whole idea of giant hyenas fighting a bunch of Transformers really doesn’t work as an audio play. But it’s still more entertaining than the load of computer code that was I.D.

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UK TV

Review: Doctor Who – 3×10 – Blink

Blink

Steven Moffat’s always game for a good script. Even on his worst days, he writes at a level Chris Chibnall can only dream of. Now Blink, this year’s Doctor-lite episode, was a very good script. It was scary, funny, cleverly plotted, with some good characterisation and dialogue served as the metaphorical icing on the cake.

But was Blink great? Not quiet.

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US TV

24 – Day zero

24 - Day Zero

Anyone else watching 24 – Day Zero, the highly amusing Flash prequel to everyone’s favourite preposterous Fox thriller? It’s worth tuning into an episode just to see the slightly rubbish looking animation. But it also does a relatively good job of recreating the feel of 24 in a short amount of time; they even got Kiefer Sutherland to voice Jack. It’s also filling in various gaps about how Nina and Jack got together before Day One.

I feel a little shortchanged they couldn’t get Sarah Clarke and Xander Berkeley to voice Nina Myers and George Mason, but I imagine that all that deodorant advertising sponsorship money can only stretch to one of the original actors.

Give it a whirl if you need to divert your attention for a while.

Monday morning news

Doctor Who

Film

Commercial

  • Darth Vader makes beans on toast for Woolworths [free registration required]

British TV

US TV

  • Jericho‘s coming back, maybe as early as the end of the year if anything gets cancelled, with a lower budget and another cliffhanger. But don’t watch it on PVR, watch it as it airs if you want that tiny hamster to live
  • David Anders (Sark) from Alias might join Heroes next season
  • Bradley Whitford on the demise of Studio 60
  • Reactions to Fox’s forthcoming Anchorwoman from the town where it’s shot
  • Isaiah Washington’s a bit annoyed that he’s not in Grey’s Anatomy any more
  • David Eick would like a BSG movie