Audio and radio plays

As promised yesterday, here’s my review of Red, the latest of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio plays.

Sit down. Be calm. Brace yourself. This one stars Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford.

I do appreciate that to most people of taste and distinction, those words will strike the same kind of terror in your heart as phrases such as “biological warfare”, “plague of rats” and “a very special episode of Blossom”. But, I’ve said it before and I think it’s worth re-iterating again, Bonnie Langford is actually pretty good in these Big Finish stories. It comes to something when you look forward to her stories more than Ace (Sophie Aldred) stories, I know, but the producers really have done wonders with her character: I don’t think she screams once in any of her appearances, and in just about every story, the fact that Mel was supposed to be a computer programmer has come in extremely handy. She’s actually probably the best and most consistently written of all the audio companions at the moment (possible competitor: Charley Pollard, but she’s not been the same since C’rizz arrived).

So don’t be too afeared. Red is quite a good story and Bonnie Langford is rather a good companion.

What’s that? “What about Sylvester McCoy?” Oh. I was hoping you weren’t going to ask that…

Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – Red”

Okay, 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.

Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – The Nowhere Place”

At 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!

Continue reading “Review: Gallifrey – “Panacea””

New Who fans, you won’t care about this.

Old Who fans: if you haven’t been listening to Big Finish’s ‘Gallifrey’ series, you won’t have heard Colin Baker’s uncredited cameo in Appropriation. No, he’s not the Doctor – he’s Commander Maxil. Amusing, non?

Just a quick poll for regular readers: I know I said I wouldn’t mention or review the Big Finish stuff in this blog, but would anyone want me to? And is there anything else you’d like to see more – or less – coverage of?