Audio and radio plays

An archive of entries about audio and radio plays, including reviews

Monday morning news

11 June 2007 Rob Buckley Post a comment

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
Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – Urgent Calls

8 June 2007 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Lauren and The DoctorAs mentioned yesterday in my review of I.D., Big Finish has started to pair up audio plays on its double CD releases. I’m not exactly sure what to make of this policy. Yes, it ensures that certain plays are no longer padded beyond their natural lifespans, which can only be a good thing.

But it does mean that you can end up with two plays of very disparate qualities bundled together. I.D., a three-parter, comes with the one-part Urgent Calls. Now I.D. had more than a touch of rubbishness about it. Urgent Calls, however, is a far more interesting play. Should you buy I.D. just to have Urgent Calls?

Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – Urgent Calls”

Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – I.D.

7 June 2007 Rob Buckley 4 Comments


I.D.0 REM This is my review of one of Big Finish's latest audio plays;

10 PRINT “Hello world”;

20 PRINT “Didn't you love the Colin Baker years of Doctor Who? ”;

30 PRINT “No?”;

40 PRINT “Okay. They were mostly rubbish.”;

50 PRINT “If you didn't, you're not going to like this, I can tell you”;

55 PRINT “because it's very much like a typical Colin Baker story”;

56 PRINT “except it doesn't even have Peri in it.”;

57 PRINT “What's the point of a Colin Baker story without Peri in it?”;

58 PRINT “Particularly one with Gyles Brandreth instead?”;

60 PRINT “More to the point, however, is that”;

70 PRINT “the play's about as exciting”;

80 PRINT “as reading computer code.”;

90 GOTO 100;

Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – I.D.”

Wednesday’s fun-filled news extravaganza

9 May 2007 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Was that overselling it a bit, I wonder?

Film

Audio Plays

  • A 36-part audio Blake’s 7 series is now up on the SciFi Channel web site. Features none of the original cast, but does include Colin Salmon, Daniela Nardini, Michael Praed and Rula Lenska

Theatre

  • Orlando Bloom will make his West End debut in David Storey’s In Celebration

British TV

US TV

Thursday’s slightly greyer news

3 May 2007 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Doctor Who

Audio plays

  • Lots of Big Finish stuff is happening, including a third season of Sapphire and Steel

Film

  • Commit mental suicide: watch the trailer for Rush Hour 3
  • A picture of the final Iron Man suit
  • Michael Mann’s going to direct a film noir starring Leonardo DiCaprio

(Media) journalism

  • The Daily Mail wants to change its brand association from ‘Middle England’ to ‘Modern Mid Britain’. Good luck on that one, you frothing at the mouth loons [free registration required]
  • John Pilger is giving a talk about Freedom Next Time on 31st May. Includes a screening of Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror

Theatre

  • The cast of The Importance of Being Earnest are going walkabout tomorrow, starting in Trafalgar Square at 4.30pm

British TV

  • Sky has 340,000 new subscribers and 25% of its subscribers use Sky+ [free registration required]
  • Timewatch is 25
  • A new Abigail’s Party is being planned by the Beeb [subscription required]

US TV

  • Ruin the ending of this season of CSI for yourself (at least I didn’t put it in the headline, unlike a certain site and newspaper. Grrr…) [spoilers!]
  • HBO does Sex and the City again, except in Africa this time
  • Killing off all your cast limits you, apparently, says 24 co-exec producer David Fury
  • Thomas Dekker didn’t have a problem being gay on Heroes, he says
  • Masters of Science Fiction finally emerges into the schedules
  • Because television really is weird, how about a pirate reality TV show. No, really. Sixteen people are going to compete on CBS to become the Pirate Master