After a slightly average start to the new trilogy of Master stories with last month’s AndYouWillObeyMe, this reviewer is pleased to confirm that VampireoftheMind is a much more enjoyable affair. It’s difficult to account for this and there are probably a number of factors such as Justin Richards’ writing, the more interesting cast of characters led by Colin Baker on top form even during the slightly predictable denouement, or just the simple fact (with the greatest respect to Geoffrey Beevers whose portrayal in Master set a high standard which no subsequent actor has yet reached although Michelle Gomez has come pretty close) that Alex Macqueen’s incarnation of the Master is just so much fun to listen to.

It seems to have become de rigueur in the Big Finish canon for the Master to regularly cross his own timeline and this play is certainly no exception. There remains an air of mystery around the origins of the Macqueen incarnation since he first appeared in 2012’s UNIT: Dominion, with the suggestion in subsequent releases that he originated at some point after the events of The TV Movie. There is the briefest suggestion of a post-regenerative trauma in this story which suggests that the eagerly anticipated team-up with his earlier self in next month’s The Two Masters may yet shed some more light on these matters. Of course, given that the Seventh Doctor had clearly had no recollection of meeting this incarnation there is a rather predictable ruse used in the story’s conclusion to ensure continuity is maintained but for the sake of enjoyment this is easily forgiven.

A particular mention should also be given to Kate Kennedy as Heather Threadstone, who becomes the Doctor’s de facto companion for this story (or to some extent he becomes hers with some verbal sparring which fondly reminds of his intellectual equality with the much-missed Maggie Stables as Evelyn). There is definitely scope left for Heather to return in future stories which would certainly be a welcome possibility.

Like last month’s release, this play has a mostly standalone plot although there are clear thematic similarities with the Master’s gift for mind control once again proving to be of major importance. However, the closing moments of the play suggest that there is definitely more going on than has at first been apparent and would definitely suggest that the conclusion of this trilogy will be something to look forward to. In the meantime, this play is very much to be enjoyed on its own merits. Even if not the most original story ever, it is still an awful lot of fun.

Following hot on the heels of the highly acclaimed The Peterloo Massacre, this is the start of a trilogy of adventures which will pitch three different Doctors against two incarnations of his long-running Time Lord nemesis, the Master, who first appeared on TV 45 years ago.

This play feels very much like a standalone story and it is a rare occasion that finds the Fifth Doctor unaccompanied by any of his usual companions (continuity is satisfied by a fleeting reference to Tegan, presumably accompanied by either Nyssa or Turlough, having been sent off to a garden centre in 1984). It is also the first time that there has been a direct confrontation on audio between just the Fifth Doctor and the Master (leaving aside the multi-Doctor confrontation with Geoffrey Beevers’ Master in the 2013 special The Light at the End and an encounter with the Anthony Ainley incarnation in the 2013 Destiny of the Doctor story Smoke and Mirrors, narrated by Janet Fielding). Leaving aside the obvious reasons for the Fifth Doctor having not met the Master since his TV era, writer Alan Barnes includes a seemingly obligatory reference to the Beevers’ incarnation having crossed his own timeline as the Doctor has already met his future self. Although long-time listeners will know that Beevers’ Master has a rather more complicated timeline than the Fifth Doctor realises and may just as easily have crossed his own past timeline from after the loss of his Trakenite body.

The story opens in the present day in the village of Hexford (whether this is intended to be one and the same as the Hexford which featured in the BBC Audio ‘Nest Cottage’ series which featured Tom Baker is unclear) and finds the Doctor accidentally starting a bidding war at a local auction from suspiciously familiar sounding grandfather clock. There is also a local mystery over a newly dug grave which purports to contain the mortal remains of a certain Michael Masterson which the Doctor assumes may be a rather obvious pseudonym. During the first half of the play, the Master remains very much a shadowy figure in the background although it is clear that his influence has been felt by several of the characters. Geoffrey Beevers finally arrives properly in the story for the start of Part Three which details a flashback to 1984 of how the Master originally arrived in Hexford, apparently on the run because there is a price on his head. Beevers clearly relishes playing the more manipulative side of the Master’s narture as he suborns some local teenagers into helping him survive by increasingly illegal means. The play reaches a suitably dramatic if not entirely unpredictable conclusion as the actions of the 1980s teenagers come back to haunt them in the present day and finally bringing the Doctor and the Master together. Peter Davison gives a convincing performance throughout the play which ultimately is rather standard Big Finish fare. He certainly seems to enjoy his scenes with Beevers. Some mention should also go to Sheena Bhattessa as Annie whose character proves to be the most interesting during the first half of the play but unfortunately undergoes a not entirely convincing development during the second half.

The play may at first seem a little unremarkable and stands very much on its own with no major plot threads left dangling at the end. There is however, one unanswered question relating to why the Master is suddenly on the run from bounty hunters which will presumably become apparent later in the trilogy. Possibly not the best audio play ever but still an enjoyable character piece. The next two plays will have to work a lot harder though to reach the high bar set by the 2003 play Master to which this trilogy will inevitably bear comparison.

So finally the most hotly anticipated Big Finish release since their Doctor Who license was expanded to include the new series of 2005-2013 has arrived. It’s been six years since David Tennant left the television series and yet just as he did on TV in the 2013 special The Day of The Doctor, he still effortlessly embodies the Tenth Doctor. Reuniting him with Catherine Tate for three new stand-alone stories set at inexact points during the Doctor’s travels with Donna Noble during the 2008 TV series is an obvious move. Despite, a less than auspicious beginning to their TV partnership in the 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride, the Doctor and Donna are still thought of as one of the most fondly remembered partnerships of the post 2005 series and hopefully this set of new adventures will be the first of many.

 

Technophobia by Matt Fitton

“Doctor, stop saying dongle!”

Prolific Big Finish scribe Matt Fitton sets the bar high for the Big Finish debut of the Tenth Doctor. What starts of as a story about Technology taking over develops into a much more sophisticated and sinister plot. The sixty minutes it takes to listen to this adventure whizzes by with similar pacing to the Russell T Davies written scripts of the 2008 TV series. Big Finish does here what it does best in managing to make a story featuring a handful of characters seem epic. Special mentions should go to Niky Wardley as Bex and Rory Keenan as Kevin, both great proto-companion characters. Wardley is no stranger to long-time Big Finish listeners having previously portrayed the Eighth Doctor’s companion Tamsin Drew. It’s also nice to hear Rachael Stirling as Jill Meadows, although it seemed a little strange to have someone so well known in a small role.

 

Time Reaver by Jenny T Colgan

“Somewhere there is a planet of the boys just dancing about in their pants…”

Established novelist Jenny Colgan recently wrote ‘The Boundless Sea’, the opening episode of the well-received first series of The Diary of River Song. For an author with a reputation for writing great historical stories, Time Reaver is a depature in being set at a futuristic space port planet albeit with a distinctly Pirates of the Caribbean atmosphere. For the most-part this story is a swashbuckling romp and as such Howard Carter’s music scoring which clearly seeks to imitate the Murray Gold TV scores really comes into its own here.

Some nice casting again in this story with special mentions to Terry Molloy as Rone and newcomer Sabrina Bartlett as the tom-boyish Cora. As is typical of Colgan’s Doctor Who novels, there are some great moments of pathos intermingled with the action and whilst Catherine Tate tends to get some of the best lines, David Tennant’s parting shot is perfectly judged.

 

Death and the Queen by James Goss

“Are you going to ruin all my weddings?”

James Goss has previously contributed some great audio plays to both Big Finish and BBC Audio, however, perhaps because of the high bar set by the first two adventures, this one didn’t quite seem to gel. That being said, there is still a lot to enjoy. The slightly unusual quasi- fairy-tale setting of Goritania works quite well and the highlights are the verbal sparring scenes involving Donna and the ferocious Queen Mother played by Alice Krige. Blake Ritson is also a welcome addition to the cast as Donna’s intended Prince Rudolph. The inclusion of one of the Tenth Doctor’s trademark “I’ve always wanted to meet you” lines may have long-time Big Finish listeners scratching their heads at an apparent continuity error but this a minor point. Overall, a fun story with some good performances with the highlights being the early scenes where the Doctor plays gooseberry to Donna and Rudolph and the later scenes when the Doctor finds a would-be replacement companion in the shape of the extremely practical maid Hortense played by Big Finish regular (and sometime companion to the Seventh Doctor) Beth Chalmers.

 

Overall, these three stories are a joy to listen to with the first two being particular highlights. Tennant and Tate remain as engaging a team as they did on television and it is hoped that we will hear more from both of them before too long. As already mentioned the soundscapes are well-realised and Howard Carter’s work on the sound design and music ensures that these stories feel very much in keeping with the 2008 television series. On the basis of this and of other recent new series related releases featuring UNIT, River Song and The War Doctor amongst others, it is to be hoped that this is only the start of many new audio adventures for the Tenth Doctor. It’s certainly far from being all over. With the recent news that Big Finish’s license has been extended until 2025, it seems fitting to conclude with a quote from one of last year’s milestone releases: Our future is in safe hands.

I must confess that I am a novice to these new fourth Doctor stories. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as quite obviously, the years have rather marched on since Tom was featured on my television on an early Saturday evening

I hit play, Baker's classic theme kicked in, I was in heaven. From my point of view, this episode could easily have been called Wave Of Nostalgia.

Indeed, Tom Baker and Lalla Ward do sound older, but their fantastic chemistry is still present, and to also have John Leeson onboard as K9 is pure bliss to this 46 year old Who fan. I found myself quickly forgetting that the actors were older, and their voices had changed a little, instead I was sucked into the story. Laughing at Baker and Ward's excellently written comedy moments (can you imagine Romana handbag shopping?).

The story is actually quite throw away, which if you think about it, is nostalgic in itself, as the dating would place this in season 17, which did of course include the fantastic City of Death, but also included the not so classics The Horns of Nimon and The Creature from the Pit (saying that though - I'm one of the few that love Nimon).

The Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves in 1960s London, where they stumble into a mystery involving an unconscious Professor, MI5 and a pirate radio station. An alien threat is invading through our transmissions (it's a threat that the fourth Doctor has come across before - if you can name them from that synopsis, give yourself a pat yourself on the back!). Can the Doctor, Romana and K( save the day before it is too late? Of course they can!

For me though,  it wasn't about the story, it was about getting my TARDIS 'A Team' back together. There's intrigue and threat. There's a great cliffhanger. The dialogue is cracking, and very funny, (in a way that is very reminiscent of Douglas Adams) there is also beautifully nonsensical technobabble abound (modulated frequency wave cancellation signal anyone?). 

Along with the three leads, this episode also features Karl Theobald (Plebs) as Mark Lancaster, Phil Mulryne as Barnaby Miller, Alix Wilton Regan as Jill and John Banks as Derek. Wave Of Destruction is written by Justin Richards and confidently directed by Nicholas Briggs.

As well as the main story, this CD/ download also features interviews with the cast and crew. Wave Of Destruction has given me a real taste for Baker's audio adventures, I'm looking forward to the next one.

 

Their epic encounters with the Unon and the Lect now some way behind them, the Ninth Doctor and his two human friends Rose Tyler and Jack Harkness are ready for trials and tribulations anew. A visit to a world, where the cult of a certain "Doctor Who" seems to have taken popular cultural entertainment and its consumers by storm, causes consternation for the last survivor of the great Time War between Time Lords and Daleks. As much as he has a healthy self-regard, he is not prepared to be the cause of such unbridled joy and reverence. But metallic beings with considerable weaponry are also operating close at hand, and this challenge may be up the centuries-old-hero's street to a greater extent.

 

The triumvirate of Rose, Captain Jack and the Christopher Ecclestone variant of the ever-enduring Doctor only had a small clutch of adventures on TV together (especially if taking into account that two-parters were always just the one overall story during that time of the show's history).

The decision to persist with this particular TARDIS team after the success of the mini-series was a wise one and most welcome to my mind. The lack of complete trust the Doctor and Jack have with one another, coupled with a grudging respect ensures that things are never that cosy. Rose's naivety on one hand, but great ability to empathise and give good counsel on the other, make her one of the best companions even to this day. Cavan Scott knows his Doctor Who as well as anyone and makes sure that the three core characters are front and centre and take the reader along with them on their journey full-bloodedly.

 

This is a relatively straightforward and no-frills action adventure beginning, but it also plays out in a coherent and meaningful fashion, which sometimes is a noticeably lacking trait when a TV tie-in product is concerned. The traditional cliffhanger is well done, even if to some long-term fans it trades of the much-used device of having 'an evil version' of one of the regulars.

We meet a good clutch of supporting characters who do their role in fleshing out the latest world the TARDIS has landed on, and it remains to be seen which play the largest role in the plot. Yani and Penny are two intriguing female players in the mix, the former being sweet and deferential, the latter having various hidden layers much alike an onion.

Dialogue is consistently up to the mark that the initial Russell T Davies series of modern Doctor Who was so celebrated for. I have repeatedly stated my regard for the Moffat/Capaldi era we are currently in (even with a noticeably longer season interregnum), but the work of the versatile RTD still sets respectably high standards to this day - whichever of the many forms Doctor Who fiction can take its form in.

The art here perhaps is still to win me over as much as I ideally would like it to. I was very impressed by the combined efforts of Blair Shedd and (on a semi-regular basis) Rachael Stott for the 2015 mini-series. Now, for this new arc taking place within a regular monthly series, Scott has been united with the services of Adriana Melo. Whilst the consistency and textures needed to tell a coherent visual narrative are all perfectly sound, they seem to portray the main three protagonists in a way I do not associate from my various memories onscreen. Taken as a different interpretation in its own right, there is nothing technically wrong. Sometimes a whole story, complete with its visual twists and turns, needs to play out in full for me to truly appreciate its merits. Hopefully this is such one instance in the ensuing 'episodes' to come.

 

BONUS MATERIAL:

 

My many years as a comic addict have involved just as much anticipation with the letters page section (complete with pithy responses from the editors), as with the main comic story itself. So it is welcome that Titan have opted to make views known in this somewhat traditional form, and bestow some small honour on devoted followers of these well-crafted tales. A clutch of three letters is included here this month, although it is actually Cavan Scott himself who kindly responds to comments on the stories he puts so much thoughtful work into.

                                                                                                                ***

Once again there are some nicely done (full-page) alternate covers, and (smaller-sized) previews for next months' allotted selection, and in generous quantity for this inaugural issue. These serve to demonstrate the many artistic voices that can be so finely aligned with the evergreen Doctor Who core concept.

 

UNIT Extinction, is a four part story from Big Finish which takes the characters of Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and Osgood (Ingrid Oliver), the key players in the modern on-screen UNIT, and effectively gives them their own spin-off, as well as introducing some interesting new characters along the way.

 

Episode 1 - Vanguard.

The first episode opens at a great pace while establishing old and new characters on a mission to get a crashed reptilian alien back into space. As the episode progresses, it is clear that there is a bigger threat to Earth. Hundreds of spheres are detected on a collision course with the Earth. A shady business man is launching a 3D printer that uses a new type of liquid plastic....and there are are some scary looking mannequins lurking in the shadows.

 

Episode 2 - Earthfall.

The spheres start to land, and the Unit team quickly identify them as Nestine in origin. There is a frantic race against time to get to a sphere in Bangkok, and an opportunity for one of the team to go undercover.

 

Episode 3 - Bridgehead.

A pattern is discovered as to how the spheres are landing, and Kate is held captive. Meanwhile, all across the world, every 3D printer starts to print shop window dummies that lurch suddenly into life.

 

Episode 4 - Armageddon.

With the Auton invasion in full force, UNIT has to retreat, leaving Osgood at the Black Archive in the Tower Of London. Why are humans being herded into population centres, and what is the Nestine Consciousness's plan? 

 

I have tried to keep my review as spoiler free as possible. UNIT Extinction is such a great listen, and really romps along, I didn't want to spoil it for anyone. The opening of Episode 1 is pretty frantic, and is a good indicator as to what to expect. The action is well handled, and the story has a true international and epic feel to it, with characters nipping off to all corners of the globe. Each episode builds towards a cliffhanger, meaning there is a real feel of classic Who about it.

At UNIT, Kate Stewart and Ingrid Oliver are joined by a truly stellar cast, including Warren Brown (Luther, Good Cop), as Lieutenant Sam Bishop, a heroic field operator. Ramon Tikaram (Happy Valley, Casualty) as Colonel Shindi, a soldier who remembers serving under Kate's Father, and James Joyce (The Musketeers, Downton Abbey) as Captain Josh Carter, an over confident new recruit. Joyce's Carter gets most of the best lines, especially whilst flirting outrageously with Oliver's Osgood, who as I am mentioning her, comes out head and shoulders above everyone else. Oliver's performance is perfect, and will endear Osgood to you all the more.

Other cast members are Steve John Shepherd (Eastenders) as the Howard Hughes like business man Simon Devlin, Karina Fernandez (Pride) as the Devlin's sinister security chief Jenna Gold, Tracey Wiles (Bronson) as the over inquisitive reporter Jacqui McGee and Big Finish stalwart Derek Carlyle as Tim Stevens. Oh - an there is of course a certain Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Nestine Consciousness. This story is produced by David Richardson, directed by Ken Bently, and is written by Andrew Smith and Matt Fitton.

The script is crackling with action and humour, and there are a lot of nods to Who both old and new. The classic, buzzing Auton sound effect is married up with the twisting plastic squeak from the modern era. Devlin's cry of "Destroy. Total destruction." is also another classic nod. However, the best line has to be from the Nestine Consciousness snarling/ gurgling the words "Plasticise the Stewart Woman". 

The story itself is genius. Self replicating 3D printers, liquid plastic, Autons - what is not to like? This truly is an up to date Auton story that could have been written for television.

My only couple of gripes on these episodes would be that there are a few to many Daddy references (yes we know that Kate has a very famous Father - but we really don't need reminding every ten minutes). Also, as much as I am a fan of the character of Kate Stewart, I have never really enjoyed Redgrave's delivery. It always seems so one tone, and that is reenforced here.

So with a great new theme tune, some interesting extras, a thrilling plot and great performances and direction, modern day UNIT arrives on Big Finish with a bang. I'm sure that there will be many more to come.