Torchwood: Forgotten Lives
Written by Emma Reeves
Directed by Scott Handcock
Starring: Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper); Kai Owen (Rhys Williams); Philip Bond (Griffith); Valmai Jones (Elenudd); Sean Carlsen (Gary) and Emma Reeves (Ceri / Nurse Bevan)
Released by Big Finish Productions - November 2015​​​​

If confining the events of last month’s Torchwood: Fall to Earth to a single setting in the form of a crashing spaceship seemed like a bold move on the part of writer James Goss, then his successor Emma Reeves’ decision to have the majority of her first Torchwood audio drama, Forgotten Lives, take place within the grounds of a residence for the elderly might suggest to some that she’s bordering on insanity. There’s most certainly method to Reeves’ madness, though, since in removing the show’s most compelling two lead characters from their isolation in the Welsh countryside and having them venture into the Bryn Offa Nursing Home, she effectively ensures from the outset that listeners can expect a yarn quite unlike anything they’ve heard or witnessed in the series’ history.

In case any of our readers hadn’t already heard or gleaned the information from the cover art, the beloved duo in question comprises of Eve Myles and Kai Owen, returning to voice Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams respectively as the ever-ambitious couple attempt with great difficulty to balance their increasingly strained relationship with their child Anwen alongside their efforts to seclude themselves from the rest of the world after the events of Miracle Day, only to be drawn into a new mission after Myles’ justifiably distrusting character receives a mysterious phone call relating to a figure who claims to herald from her not-so-distant past. Sure, this could be construed as a less explosive means by which to thrust the pair back into action than was the case when governmental forces destroyed their household in Season Four, but given the lack of critical acclaim with which that run was met by overall, perhaps that’s for the best.

Regardless, like Barrowman and David-Lloyd before them (and like Tracy-Anne Oberman in this month’s Torchwood release, One Rule, one would hope), neither Myles nor Owen appears to have any problem reviving the humility, the unyielding internal conflicts between duty and family, the dark yet somehow heart-warming humour and the universally empathetic yet oh-so-inherently Welsh romantic bond which made their constructs such an instantaneous hit with fans from the get-go in the original TV show. What’s more, whereas Barrowman’s Jack Harkness didn’t offer much in the way of surprises in The Conspiracy – one of the only minor faults with what’s still probably the range’s finest outing to date – Emma Reeves pays just as much attention as Goss to portraying both Gwen and Rhys in a wholly different light, partially by having them interact with Anwen – in a range of rather unique ways, we might add – on occasion and partially by exploring their relationship with Jack from an unprecedented angle that casts a refreshing new light on the extent to which the latter went to in the early years of the show in manipulating his friends to step once more unto the breach regardless of the danger involved with doing so.

This noteworthy emphasis from Reeves on leaving a substantial impact upon the show’s characters extends also to the potential bearing the events of Forgotten Lives may have on Torchwood’s future at Big Finish; although after last month’s seemingly narratively inconsequential Fall to Earth, there’ll most likely be those starting to wonder whether the studio will employ a similar tactic to Steven Moffat in terms of plot arcs, structuring their seasons in such a manner that their major revelations only come into play during the penultimate or final instalments, yet quite to the contrary, any fans who elect to skip past this one for whatever reason might well come to quickly regret the move given how significantly the far-from-isolated tale presented here appears to overhaul the playing field for subsequent releases in the range. At the same time, the argument could be made that Reeves’ storyline quickly becomes so constrained by the need to further Season One’s overall arc that it’ll neither satisfy as a standalone listening experience or indeed be remembered for its own merits rather than as a cog in an admittedly increasingly promising machine. With any luck this flaw should be remedied with our trip back to 2005 in the Oberman-led One Rule, but it’s still a great shame that Forgotten Lives’ ambition in terms of taking Torchwood in a new direction not only for now but forevermore is as much a detrimental factor as it is a USP, even if the final few minutes are absolutely guaranteed to leave fans the world over absolutely chomping at the bit to see what’s next for Gwen in February’s More than Us.

Let’s not get too bogged down with the release’s negative aspects, though, since as well as boasting the returns of Torchwood’s two most dedicated members, this largely accomplished third release moreover sports one hell of a fine supporting cast ensemble. From Philip Bond’s simultaneously charismatic and mournful take on enigmatic pensioner Mr Griffith to Sean Carlsen’s frantic yet believable portrayal as Gary, Bryn Offa’s head caretaker, to Emma Reeve’s own unexpected but similarly memorable cameos as both female resident Ceri and Nurse Bevan, each and every vocal contributor excels in reminding us that while two-hand dramas like Fall to Earth can represent a welcome treat from time to time, Big Finish’s real talents tend to lie in utilizing the traditional full-cast audio drama format of their releases to their immense advantage, with each character receiving their own tangible arc whilst not impeaching on Gwen and Rhys’ remarkably substantial individual development to any detrimental extent.

As we reach the halfway point of Big Finish’s first season of Torchwood adventures, then, where do the studio currently stand in terms of the success with which they’ve resurrected the famed Doctor Who spin-off? Well, if The Conspiracy, Fall to Earth and now Forgotten Lives are indicative of the attention to detail that James Goss and company are aiming to continually pay in terms of offering the show’s leads new and occasionally audacious territory to explore, hunting down a wide array of supporting players who are more than capable of matching the series’ central cast for charm and memorability and devising progressive storylines which move the programme’s mythology as far from the detrimental constraints of the Miracle arc as humanly possible, then the light at the end of the tunnel which emerged four years after the series’ cancellation with the announcement of its audio revival should only grow brighter in the months ahead. That said, whilst the latter release’s commitment to furthering the overarching plot of Season One marks a refreshing departure from most audio series’ tendencies to hold back on substantial developments until their concluding chapters, it’s difficult not to hope that should Reeves be invited back for next year’s March-August run, she’s afforded the opportunity to leave her mark on Torchwood history not by producing an arc-dependent script but instead a captivating standalone effort in its own right, since despite its unique setting, Forgotten Lives ultimately feels too tied to both the show’s past and future to be regarded as anything but an above-average piece of connective tissue at best.

Writer - George Mann
Artist - Emma Vieceli
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer- Richard Starkings + Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor - Andrew James
Assistant Editor - Kirsten Murray
Designer - Rob Farmer
Released November 4th, Titan Comics

This latest original story from the ever-growing Titan creative collective brings in yet another new companion for the evergreen Eighth Doctor. How they meet is something of a bizarre coincidence as the Doctor has a legitimate reason for being there as the official owner, but Miss Josie Day is the actual resident at this point in time.

The Doctor is on a hunt for a particular book, but cannot help noticing the remarkable, if somewhat alternative, paintings that litter the house. And things soon take a turn for the worse as the monstrous subjects that occupy the paintings leave the frames and assume corporeal form in the Welsh village surroundings. What they intend to do with the people living there that they round up is not clear, but the twin hearted Gallifreyan with a blue box must add his own dash of artistic inspiration in order to achieve a good outcome.

So many spin-off products have featured the Eighth Doctor, as well as the official Doctor Who magazine comic adventures for a good number of years. Yet it feels like this Doctor is still relatively unexplored, owing to two fleeting appearances onscreen by Paul McGann in 1996 and 2013. His is one of the more romantic and easy going Doctors, who faces danger head-on but likes to give his companions a role to play as well, rather than being the most patriarchal of regenerations.

The approach for this new mini series is that of closely linked issues that can function as stand-alone but reward sequential reading due to the underlying mysteries and main plot involved. Considering the recent mini-series we have had, this is a welcome change in tact, although this opening segment on its own is somewhat low-key; presumably so the other adventures further afield take on rather more life.

Artwork is very impressive here, with perhaps the odd panel of the Eighth Doctor being a little too unlike the McGann 'look'. But all the other original characters and monsters involved look great and the colours and backgrounds are done most effectively to breathe live into this opening story with somewhat of a  laidback tempo. And pleasingly. a distinct anime style of art is used, which makes this mini series even more identifiable than the excellent Ninth Doctor collection (recently announced as becoming a fully-fledged monthly series next year). My personal nostalgia has a real link to Anime (and Manga films) goes back even further in my formative memories than Doctor Who itself. The style really fits, and makes reading this issue in one sitting the very antithesis of an unenviable chore.

The original monster, dubbed 'Witherkin' are of some mild interest but due to their ponderous sheep-herding plan make a rather diluted impression. Writer George Mann is keen to give readers some continuity to enjoy by putting Ice Warriors and Krotons in the group of living paintings as well, but they strangely seem to be overlooked in the sense of how the Doctor responds to their unleashing. 

Mann also provides some links concerning other versions of the title hero. There is a reference to the previously released Twelfth Doctor Issue 12, which had the Doctor encountering a remarkable woman, especially for that era in human history. We also get some references by this incumbent Doctor to the Third incarnation, which perhaps surprisingly are not the most positive in spirit as the Paul McGann version does have some definite things in common  with the much-loved Jon Pertwee one.

I still think this mini series can (and will) pick up a gear or two, but as an example of an opener to a new series this comic is comfortable astute in its confidence and sense of meeting objectives.

BONUS:

No new strips feature this time but some alternate cover are on show.

STARRING:  
Christopher Benjamin (Jago), Trevor Baxter (Litefoot), 

Dan Starkey (Strax), Lisa Bowerman (Ellie), 
Conrad Asquith (Inspector Quick), Stephen Critchlow (Marvo) and Carolyn Seymour (Mrs Multravers)

Other parts played by the cast.
 

Written By: Justin Richards
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Sound Design:Howard Carter

Music:Howard Carter, 
Theme by Jamie Robertson

Cover Art:Tom Webster

Released November 2015 Big Finsh Productions

 

Strax: a squat and fearless warrior, who has over time become domesticated and able to provide manservant duties to another being not of the planet Earth. He is still a handy fighter and possesses technical knowledge that puts to shame most of those who are native to the blue-green planet  that the Sontaran is somehow learning to call 'home'. He has almost died on at least one occasion but for the most part is a lot harder to hurt and overcome than he would first appear, possessing disproportionate strength for someone of his stature, were he the human that he feigns at being.

Jago: a man with many a turn of phrase, and who despite his natural cowardice has seen and overcome various dastardly foes, or foiled a plan or two hatched by conniving traitors to Queen Victoria's regime. He ran countless good shows at the Palace theatre before later overseeing other stirring acts - for a range of clientele - at the Alhambre Theatre and (most recently) at the New Regency Theatres. Whilst sometimes prone to making careless errors, there is a native instinct hidden within which allows him to sometimes outwit those that underestimate him.

Litefoot: the man of intellect, travel experience and sophistication. He made much of his present living as a pathologist and is able to come up with practical solutions, sometimes using fine powers of lateral thinking. He has been the closest of friends with Jago and has become somewhat more of a outgoing character under the influence of the truly charismatic. Whilst playing somewhat of a secondary 'Watson' role to the Sherlock-like Fourth Doctor (in The Talons of Weng Chiang), he is clearly the more authoritative half of the pairing with Jago.

How Strax becomes a figure in the lives of Henry Gordan Jago and Professor George Litefoot is documented in this new story from a talented creative team, that have produced various winning Big Finish products over the preceding years to 2015. This play also forms one example of an increasing number of these spin off products to tie-in firmly with the New Series, by having arguably the most memorable of the 'Paternoster Gang' in a starring role. There is no direct appearance of the romantically linked Jenny and Madame Vastra - the former human, the latter Silurian - except for the device of Strax being concussed and later 'duped' into believing Jago and Litefoot are his two female associates..

The play is an absolutely engaging (and relatively straightforward) affair, with experienced writer Justin Richards knowing how to satisfy long-term fans, as well as those who have previously enjoyed Jago and Litefoot on audio, and also any who may only know the Matt Smith era which had multiple uses of the Paternoster gang. By making the focus on character, there is little danger of losing track of the plot should a listener be distracted whilst out on a walk or doing some other activity at the same time. And the characters are all portrayed well enough that we can infer there is more to their lives than just the heady adventures they embark on.

A great opponent is always vital to an adventure really cementing its place in the listener's memory banks, and we have a creepy old lady who is after the dissected 'smarter' brains of any half-civilised life that she comes across. Some people pay the price for taking the time to answer he queries, and some are fortunate to be just that bit too dim. We would normally revel in the comeuppance for such a character, but both the writing and the acting for Mrs Multravers are very strong. Thus the twist involving her motivations comes off as that bit more credible, and the climax to the main plot takes up a different feel, that avoids the usual recycling that could have happened were the premise in less capable hands.

Extras:

A serviceable enough documentary showing how much the regulars are enjoying the chance to work with Dan Starkey in his role from the main 'parent' TV series; although he has graced audio plays like this before in other roles. There perhaps could be a little more revelation and light-heartedness going on, when comparing the behind-the-scenes' vibe to some other ones that have graced Big Finish's output. At around 15 minutes it also feels just a touch too short.

Torchwood: Fall to Earth
Written by James Goss
Directed by Scott Handcock
​​Starring: Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones); Lisa Zahra (Zeynep)
Released by Big Finish Productions - October 2015​

“Don’t forget me.”

“Never could.”

“In a thousand years’ time, you won’t remember me.”

“Yes, I will. I promise, I will.”

Half a dozen years may have passed since Ianto Jones bade his love an emotional farewell with these heart-breaking words in Torchwood: Children of Earth’s devastating third instalment, but this much is certain – while we’ll have to wait for Jack’s first post-Miracle Day adventure courtesy of Big Finish before knowing whether he kept his promise to his most faithful companion, judging by the still-standing memorial erected in the character’s honour down on Cardiff Bay shortly after his demise, fans haven’t shown any signs whatsoever of forgetting him as of yet.

Indeed, such is Ianto’s immense appeal that from the moment Big Finish confirmed that Gareth David-Lloyd would reprise the role in the second of their Torchwood audio dramas, Fall to Earth, the release in question almost instantaneously seemed to become the most anticipated instalment of Season One – or Season Five, depending on how one views this freshman run in terms of its canonicity and chronology – outclassing even the John Barrowman-led The Conspiracy or the Eve Myles and Kai Owen-starring Forgotten Lives to the extent that his return in future seasons now seems all but guaranteed despite Mr. Jones’ present posthumous status. Yes, for those wondering, despite David-Lloyd taking on the leading role this time around, his character hasn’t somehow been resurrected via a hallucination as was the case in BBC Radio 4’s 2011 drama The Lost Files: House of the Dead, but instead features in a seemingly standalone storyline which appears to take place sometime around the events of Season Two – although once again, don’t expect much in the way of direct references to the rest of the team beyond a couple of passing namechecks. All the same, though, even if we won’t be seeing Ianto’s eternal slumber interrupted in the near future, judging by the strength of David-Lloyd’s performance, more flashback outings certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome.

Not only does he recapture the innocence, the somewhat dry wit and above all the infrequent recklessness that made his character such a joy to watch develop in the first three seasons of the show’s televised run, but in the small space of just an hour of air-time, he simultaneously manages to endow his construct with new facets such as a profound fear of dying alone, a renewed emphasis on proving himself to a team who (rightly or wrongly) too often view him as a “coffee boy” at best and a surprising willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause in the hope that this will at least ensure his teammates’ hard-earned respect if nothing else. What with all of the hype surrounding this release in particular, few could have blamed either David-Lloyd or indeed writer James Goss for resting on their laurels in an attempt to simply depict Ianto in as quintessential a manner as possible, which makes their efforts to achieve precisely the opposite that much worthier of credit aplenty.

Speaking of Goss, this reviewer has started to lose count of the number of accomplished contributions the man behind the recent novelisation of City of Death has made to the so-called Whoniverse in recent years – incidentally, the short story he’s written for the just-released hardback novel, Doctor Who: Legends of Ashildr, comes highly recommended too – and by no means does his third Torchwood audio storyline fall short of the mark either. It’s certainly not a game-changer in the same vein as The Conspiracy was with its integration of social media, conspiracy theory-driven bloggers and other topical elements which affect today’s secret agency into its array of storytelling methods, yet there’s still something refreshing about the way in which Goss crafts the entirety of his simple yet engaging narrative around two characters, one of whom (Ianto, for those wondering) must spend what appear to be the final moments of his life attempting to convince the other, a telesales assistant going by the name of Zeynep, that without her assistance, the plane he’s currently in the midst of piloting will surely crash and burn, doubtless taking countless lives in the process. Such a unique dynamic as this naturally lends itself far more to the format of an audio drama than it would have to any of Torchwood’s televised outings, and true to form, Goss takes full advantage of the rare nature of his opportunity, throwing various spanners in the mix so as to keep both the listeners and the characters on their toes – an aspect of the tale of which director Scott Handcock takes full advantage by cutting from Ianto to Zeynep to some of the external forces threatening the former with a tension-inducing rapidity –  but equally giving his lead performers just as much chance to shine as Peter Capaldi received from Steven Moffat in “Heaven Sent” just a few short weeks ago.

Of course, had the casting team at Big Finish found anyone other than the ideal actress to portray Zeynep in an initially clueless but gradually endearing manner, then much of the astounding work done by Goss in the scriptwriting department would arguably have been for nought. Enter Lisa Zahra, who handles her character’s aforementioned transition with such ease that anyone listening with no knowledge whatsoever of Torchwood’s past on TV might genuinely begin to wonder whether she has featured on the series before in some capacity. Few instances come to mind where one of the show’s weekly supporting cast members has slotted into their role with such effortless aplomb as is the case with Zahra, nor where they’ve instantly demonstrated the potential to be able to capture the audience’s attention for virtually the entirety of an episode’s running time as is required of this fast-learning newcomer here. If there’s one criticism to be made of Zeynep as a character, it’s that we’ve seen the tale of a hapless bystander who by unlikely coincidence ends up helping our protagonist and in doing so having something of an epiphany about their own life to date, but again, Goss does his utmost to turn the listener’s preconceptions about storylines of this ilk on their heads in revealing further details on the nature of Zeynep’s involvement with the company behind the experimental Skypuncher space-cruiser Ianto’s flying come the third act, even it’s still not quite enough of a rug-pull moment to justify the ever-so-slightly clichéd approach.

Whilst Fall to Earth has its minor shortcomings, however, the same can be said of virtually any audio drama on the market at the moment, and whereas some of Big Finish’s more recent releases like Doctor Who: The Warehouse have all but completely succumbed to their faults, thanks to its stunning lead performances, compellingly-structured (if at times predictable) script and fast-paced direction, the studio’s sophomore Torchwood release without question boasts more than enough in the way of commendable merits to at the very least warrant a single listen from anyone who dares call him or herself a fan of the original TV series, and will doubtless serve just as significant a purpose in sustaining Ianto Jones’ surely eternal cultural legacy as his Cardiff Bay memorial. Perhaps in a thousand years’ time, Jack won’t remember his former lover, but provided that Big Finish continue to capitalize on David-Lloyd’s evident enthusiasm for the character and his immediate future, there’s every chance that come 3015, new generation of fans will still remember the “coffee boy” who gave his life to stop the 456 a thousand and six years before. The Skypuncher may have experienced a Fall to Earth, then, but far from it looking set to follow a similar trajectory, Ianto Jones’ appeal may well only continue to rise with future appearances – and quite right, too.

The Doctor Who Festival - Australia
Hordern Pavilion & Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney, NSW
21-22 November 2015
A BBC Worldwide event
Guests: Peter Capaldi, Ingrid Oliver, Sylvester McCoy, Dan Starkey, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Danny Hargreaves, Daniel Nettheim, Jon Davey

Merely a week after the ExCel Centre in East London had hosted the Doctor Who Festival, the show was on the road again, over 17,000 kilometres away -€“ this time at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries, in Sydney, Australia.

While the numbers who rolled through the Pavilion on the weekend of 21 and 22 November probably did not rival the attendance of UK fans at the ExCel Centre the week before, you certainly could not fault the passion and the exuberance of the Aussie fans. The bulk of the attendees would have been locals from Sydney but there were many fans (this Melbourne-based writer included) who made the trek from all parts of the continent, from as far away as Cairns (a good 2500km north) to as far west as Perth (a mere 4000km away) and as deep south as Tasmania to see the Doctor Who circus roll into old Sydney town.

It really was as much an Australian event as it was a Sydney-based one, illustrating just how universally loved Doctor Who is in this former colonial outpost. Australians and the ABC, the Australian public broadcaster, have traditionally been great supporters of Doctor Who over its 52 years, and the series has never been more popular amongst younger and older Australian fans alike. Indeed, whether it was deliberately planned or otherwise, the timing of the Australian Doctor Who Festival could not have been better -€“ 2015 is, after all, the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who first airing in Australia.

Indeed, BBC Worldwide should be commended for going all out in its organisation of this event and not taking Doctor Who'€™s Australian fan base for granted. Not only did we get an impressive line-up of guests, spearheaded by the current Doctor Peter Capaldi (Capaldi is the first incumbent in three decades to visit Australia in an authorised capacity; before that, you'€™d have to go way back to the early 1980s when Peter Davison did a promotional tour), but BBC Worldwide spoiled us even more by putting on display costumes and props from the just completed latest season of the program, including a Mire trooper'€™s armour (The Girl Who Died), the towering Fisher King (Before the Flood), the Sandman King (Sleep No More) and a Zygon (The Zygon Invasion/Inversion). There was even a miniature of the Dalek city on Skaro (as seen in series opener The Magician'€™s Apprentice/The Witch'€™s Familiar). This well and truly exceeded my expectations; while I expected to see props and costumes on display, I was expecting them to be from years well past.

In addition to Capaldi, the guests for the weekend also included executive producer Steven Moffat, series writer Mark Gatiss, Ingrid Oliver (Osgood), who stepped in at the last minute when Billie Piper pulled out due to filming commitments, and Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy. Dan Starkey (Strax) and monster artiste Jon Davey (who has played Daleks and Cybermen in the modern TV series) also participated in live shows in which they demonstrated to fans what it was like to walk like a Sontaran or to operate a Dalek. Another highlight of the weekend was the visual effects show hosted by Danny Hargreaves and his Real SFX team in which he wowed the audience by triggering charges on a Dalek and a Cyberman on stage and discussed the challenges of working in pyrotechnics (including setting up the charges that unveiled the impressive "€œNO MORE"€ banner blasted by the War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor). Fans also had the opportunity to line up for photos at the Real SFX team'€™s booth with a Dalek, a Christmas tree and polystyrene snow!

In addition, there were various other panels occurring contemporaneously within the Festival hall, eg The Science of Doctor Who (which has previously toured Australia), the writers'€™ masterclass (with Mark Gatiss), the Production Village (with questions answered by series director Daniel Nettheim) and the Doctor Who Pub Quiz.

Meet and greet

The Q&A sessions with Hargreaves, McCoy and Capaldi, Oliver and Moffat in the main theatre were hosted and moderated by local ABC radio identity Adam Spencer. Sylvester McCoy, as always, proved to be the consummate entertainer, preferring to get up close and personal with the fans rather than staying still on the couch on-stage. Sylvester is no stranger to the Doctor Who convention circuit in Australasia; he's been here numerous times since the mid-2000s, including filming in New Zealand for The Hobbit film trilogy, and while he often regales us with some very familiar stories (eg the female artiste in 1989'€™s Survival who stripped herself naked from her Cheetah Person costume after overheating and was last seen running up some sand dunes in a thong!), he nevertheless knows how to keep an audience entertained. He also remains ever so spritely, despite being in his seventies and hobbling around with a cane (thanks to, as he put it, so many "€œcomedy injuries"€ sustained during his time as a stuntman and performer on the Ken Campbell Roadshow).

McCoy had fans rolling around in the aisles with his Sean Connery impersonation when discussing why David Tennant chose not to use his Scottish accent during his tenure as the Tenth Doctor. He also amused everyone with his recollection of the regeneration scene in the 1996 TV movie; he described himself and Paul McGann as having "€œrubber faces"€ and proceeded to pull all manner of strange expressions when explaining that he and McGann had to screw up their features for the CGI team to complete the regeneration effect. He also clearly enjoyed ribbing his predecessors and successors, eg describing Colin Baker as having a "€œgreat costume"€ and McGann as a "€œrather ugly Liverpudlian"€.

While Sylvester was as comedic as ever, the real stars (at least as far as the fans were concerned) were Peter Capaldi and Ingrid Oliver who spent the bulk of the weekend patiently and industriously meeting, greeting and posing with fans for a succession of photos. It is all too easy to just herd fans through, snap their photos and usher them on (as often happens at fan-run conventions). It is to BBC Worldwide'€™s credit that as much effort as possible was made to personalise the experience for fans by having the minders introduce each and every person by name to Capaldi or Oliver who would then acknowledge them. The actors were also quite happy to do fun poses with the fans, including Capaldi'€™s (now) signature finger pointing as the Doctor.

Capaldi himself acknowledged just how much hard work it was during one of four live panels that he attended over the weekend, along with Oliver and showrunner Moffat. "€œI can'€™t speak,"€ he started a little breathlessly at one point, "€œbecause I'€™ve just been doing 180 photographs and saying '€˜Hello, how are you? I love you too, goodbye!'"€ However, he qualified that initiatives such as the Doctor Who Festival and also last year'€™s World Tour are great things to do because "€œit'€™s very easy to forget, when you'€™re in a bubble making the program, what the constituency of the audience is, and when you see that and when you get to meet youngsters, five-year olds, six-year olds, ten-year olds, teenagers, hipsters, baby boomers, middle-aged people, old people, it'€™s great for us to be reminded of the audience because you are the people we are making the show for!"€ (He naturally received a round of applause for these remarks.)

Capaldi further got brownie points with the Aussie audience for saying that he didn'€™t truly realise the extent of what it was like to be the Doctor until he saw Australian fans "€œen masse"€ at the Sydney Opera House during the World Tour. At that time, he had just finished making his first series but it had not gone out and so he did not know what the reaction would be to his performance. Similarly, he recalled feeling a little left out during the 50th anniversary celebrations in November 2013; he had been announced as the new Doctor at that point but was not invited to participate in the celebrations with his predecessors. This led Moffat to jokingly tease Capaldi for just being the classic grumpy Glaswegian!

t didn'€™t take long though for Moffat to do a little grizzling himself when Spencer asked him how the touring party had coped with the heat wave the day before, as Sydney'€™s mercury exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (or 108 degrees Fahrenheit, which Sylvester McCoy said sounded more impressive!). Moffat remarked that the heat, coupled with the northerly winds, made him feel like he was being assaulted by a giant hair dryer! He was also astounded to see Australian business people wearing suits in the heat. "€œWhy aren'€™t you dying?"€ he quipped.

Ingrid Oliver was not as unfamiliar with Australian conditions, having previously toured in a sketch show based on her BBC2 comedy series Watson & Oliver (with fellow comedienne Lorna Watson). Oliver stated that she knew she was truly in a Doctor Who episode (2013'€™s The Day of the Doctor) when she was required to put on her "€œbest Doctor Who acting"€ -“ at the moment Osgood realises that the Zygons are hiding under shrouds in the Under Gallery. (Capaldi helpfully described this as "€œpenny drops"€ acting, which subsequently led both actors to playfully put on their best "€œpenny drops"€ expressions for the benefit of the fans.) The Day of the Doctor also proved to be something of a homecoming for Oliver, as location filming was done around the Tower of London - where her first job after drama school was to dress up in period costume to entertain American tourists!

Like Capaldi, Oliver also didn'€™t realise just how much the part of Osgood had cut through with fans until she started to meet lookalikes that were dressing as Osgood (including moderator Spencer'€™s daughter who greeted her backstage by inhaling an asthma pump!). She also talked about just how gut-wrenching it was when she realised Osgood was to be killed off in Death in Heaven but was elated when she was invited back to reprise the role this year.

Guitars and homaging the Beatles

Capaldi similarly expressed elation when he discussed the 12th Doctor'€™s guitar. He recalled that he had made the suggestion to Moffat about the Doctor playing an electric guitar in passing between seasons, promptly forgot about it and was then delighted to find it had been taken up by the script writers. He then accompanied the production team to a vintage guitar shop in Soho where he chose a guitar that reminded him -€“ "€œthis is really for guitar geeks"€ -“ of a home-made version of a Fender Stratocaster. Capaldi subsequently complimented a fan in the audience who came dressed as his character, complete with Fender Stratocaster!

Spencer also asked Capaldi about the publicity photo taken in September to promote the return of Doctor Who in which he, Jenna Coleman and two Daleks paid homage to the album cover for the Beatles'€™ album Abbey Road. Capaldi stated that the photo was taken in "€œ30 seconds, a minute tops"€ (because Abbey Road is open to traffic) but they practised in a nearby car park with the Daleks before doing the shot.

Capaldi also recalled how excited he was to originally play Caecilius in the 2008 Doctor Who episode The Fires of Pompeii alongside his predecessor David Tennant. As he was a huge fan of the TV series and never expected to have any further involvement with Doctor Who, he was very easily tempted to accept the offer without even reading the script before his wife urged him to be "€œprofessional"€ about it. He invoked plenty of laughter in the audience when he joked that there was a little part of him that wanted to be the monster that could kill Tennant!

When it came to eventually being offered the part of the Doctor, Capaldi stated, "€œThere was a part of me that said I had to be realistic and consider how my life would change ... I knew that my visibility would change and I would be famous in a way that I hadn'€™t been before. I don'€™t think being famous is a natural condition, it'€™s quite anxiety-making and odd. So I had to seriously think about that, even though I was prepared to take the risk ..."€ Interestingly, he later said that while he enjoys playing the role, he still doesn'€™t really think of himself as a "€œDoctor Who"€, "€œmay be when it'€™s all over"€.

That said, he added that while he finds the part physically exhausting, thanks to doing minor stunts and running up and down corridors, he nevertheless finds the part keeps him "€œhealthy, spritely and spry"€.

Childhood heroes

Capaldi was also asked about the actors that inspired him growing up. He cited John Hurt, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, as well as the first four "€œDoctor Whos"€, as actors that had impressed him. He recalled how he met Peter Cushing as a child and got his autograph and because the two of them shared the same initials, he styled his signature after Cushing'€™s autograph, which he described as a "€œvery elegant and considered signature"€.

Moffat also recalled how John Hurt came to be cast in The Day of the Doctor. "€œWe had this situation where we managed to accumulate two Doctors for this special and I had the idea that maybe there was one more Doctor than we knew about, the Doctor who fought during the abominable hiatus of all those years, 16 years without Doctor Who ... When I wrote the ending to the script for The Name of the Doctor, I had it written that a famous actor turns around. It had to be a famous actor, someone you would have cast back then as the Doctor. I remember saying somebody like John Hurt, whom we regarded as completely inaccessible.

"€œWe were weeks out from shooting, we were so close, I could barely stop crying and so we sent the script to John Hurt. And in an incredibly short space of time, he read it and said '€˜Yes'€™, which was astonishing to us! And the question that came through via John Hurt'€™s agent: '€˜John wants to know, he actually is a '€˜Doctor Who'€™ now, he wants to know ..'€™ I told him, '€˜It'€™s not a trick, he is a proper '˜Doctor Who''€™. He got the benefit, you see, he worked three weeks in Cardiff and he'€™s an official '€˜Doctor Who'€™."€ Moffat added Hurt'€™s casting was such a huge relief, considering at one point neither Matt Smith nor David Tennant were contracted and he was faced with the possibility of writing a 50th anniversary special with just Jenna Coleman!

A legend without end
To close, Moffat was asked his opinion of Doctor Who'€™s expanded universe (eg the comic strips, the novels, the Big Finish audios). He said what he loved about the expanded universe was that the "€œpast is still growing, there are still more episodes of David Tennant or William Hartnell that we never saw. It means that the future for Doctor Who extends in both directions, all of them are still alive, all of them are vibrant. You have Big Finish, the comics and the books making new stories. It feels unstoppable. It'€™s not just growing into the future, the stuff that'€™s supposedly over is still growing and I think that is the mark of a legend that can never end"€.

There's no doubt events like the Doctor Who Festival further enrich the legend for fans. The Australian Festival was a well organised, memorable and fantastic event. If the exercise is repeated in future -€“ whether that is in the UK, Australia or indeed in Doctor Who'€™s other traditional markets such as North America -€“ I encourage all fans to attend. While the price of entry may seem hefty (almost $AUD200), the experience is more than rewarding.

What a relief it has been that showrunner Steven Moffat decided to go back to the continuous run of episodes both this year and last, as was the convention for most of 2005-2008. I prefer the opportunity to invest in characters over a reasonable period and to also appreciate story arcs and recurrent themes this way. The Christmas specials certainly are a mainstay of Yuletide TV schedules, and whilst not usually offering 24 caret gold stories, do their bit to reflect on the current series before viewers await the next one. River Song alongside just the Doctor seems like a good approach, and finally makes Alex Kingston the younger romantic interest of the Doctor (after being something of a 'cougar' figure for Tennant and especially Smith). How much the Doctor shares his various mental torments relating to Series 9's concluding three episodes should also be of real interest to the faithful viewer.

Whilst Series 8 was a pretty good batch of episodes, not everyone took to the new Doctor, despite the guaranteed excellence of an actor likePeter Capaldi. The deliberate choice of having him question whether he was a 'good man' meant his actions and attitude at times were pretty cold in away not so starkly seen since the Sixth Doctor (with some flashes here and there from the likes of Ecclestone and Tennant at times more recently).

This latest collective of escapades however gives us a more avuncular Tardis pilot. He may still be awkward with a given human being, such as Rigsy's baby but he tries to be agreeable and has also taken to being a bit of a senior rocker - with sonic glasses and electric guitar. Most friends and acquaintances of mine who follow the show have been much more convinced and happy with this more 'accesible' and warm persona. That is not to say though that he cannot be ruthless, (as seen in his defeat of Davros and the Daleks, his outwitting of the Fisher King, or his gunning down of the General on Gallifrey - regeneration or no regeneration),  or too stubborn and reckless (his imposed immortality on Ashildr which contrasts with the accidental state Captain Jack was left in, and his refusal to let Clara die which results in one of them having to forget their time together). But a flawed Doctor is for me the best way to get behind him, rather than running the risk of another generic white hat. The first four Doctors in particular were lovable, silly, authoratitive and moody to greater or lesser degrees. Capaldi being an actual fan of the Classic Series recognises that complexity is paramount to making the title role a success.

I have always been a Clara admirer, going right back to her plucky debut which ended in the most agonising of reveals that she was the maddest Dalek in the 'Asylum'. Although her on/off appearances abroad the TARDIS, and multiple exits may have whittled down others' good will, I still was happy to see her accompany the grey-haired Time Lord after various 'farewell' moments. But early on in Series 9 most faithful viewers knew that Clara's long running stint was finally reaching a conclusion. Although there were teased deaths in most episodes leading up to Face the Raven, the eventual method of departing the mortal coil was most appropriate for her personality and indeed her legacy. She chose to cheat a duplicitous Me of harming someone, even though it was just manipulation to make the Doctor bend to her collaborators' terms. But Clara's 'smart' intervention only served to highlight how some legally binding contracts are painfully narrow in scope. Her dignity in accepting she was done for, and the Doctor's desperate attempts to pull a rabbit out of the hat were some of the finest moments not just of Capaldi's run so far but of all of Doctor Who. And the cinematic, elegantly done way Clara let the Raven extract the life from her, with multiple camera shots and a deliberate decision to eschew sound effects, meant it almost took on a poetic elegance. Some however have not been happy with her continued use in the series finale, but surely turning an ordinary Earthling into a never-aging, somewhat stilted entity who will eventually have to go back for her fixed point of death, is a particularly memorable way to bid adieu to both a fine actress inJenna Coleman, and a uniquely crucial figure in the Doctor's many lives. That she pairs up with the morally dubious Ashildr/Me and gets to fly another stolen TARDIS invites viewers of all ages to imagine countless riveting avenues for a whole new duo.

The consistency of this season has been truly commendable. Only The Girl Who Died, featuring Vikings and a fake god with semi-cyborg warriors fell short of the mark for me. In many ways the ingredients were good but the end result was a cheesy romp more at home on the weekday afternoon slot of young children's TV. Although twists and directorial flourishes were evident, I never really cared for the fate of the supporting characters and would have been indifferent to Ashildr, were I not a big admirer of Maisie Williams' natural style from Game of Thrones. But my overall attitude to the episode is boosted by observing that the plot set up much of the remaining series quite well and gave the Doctor a chance to really see much negative influence he can wield, despite himself.

Most two-parters were very enjoyable and did enough to justify their length. The Davros/Missy/Daleks effort from Moffat was a great showcase of what makes Doctor Who fun, moving, chilling and unpredictable. Only the ending fell down somewhat in that it made Davros look a bit too foolish, whereas his defeat when supposedly in charge of the Hand of Omega is still a fine moment from the Seventh Doctor era. The twisted genius discounting the 'inferior Daleks' as not being linked just felt a little contrived. And yet by needing this conclusion to bring Capaldi and Julian Bleach together for amazing conversation after fascinating discussion, I can forgive Moffat in not plotting his story as tightly as Toby Whithouse did In his respective two parter.

I have always been partial to adventure stories involving the sea and underwater base intrigue.  Under the Lake /Before the Flood certainly was another strong addition to the many such examples available. By limiting the screen time of the main villain and showing the human players in depth, we were made to feel like real lives and emotions were at stake. Whithouse's script showed poise and confidence, and Capaldi gave us a taster of the outrage and dedication to winning at any cost; which was in evidence when threatening Me in the latter episodes of the series. The Fisher King had brute force and special powers with 'ghosts', but the Time Lord who cradles Earth had the guile and the masterplan. By linking a story already full of incident with a most ingenious subsidiary plot involving Beethoven gaining inspiration, this will be a personal favourite of mine even if other productions were arguably better overall.

The Woman Who Lived immediately answered questions as to what an immortal Ashildr could be capable of, and her collaboration with the leonine aliens with dark designs for Earth showed the folly of the Doctor believing a human could remained uncorrupted by having an endless lifespan. I was quite excited for this highwayman-themed story, but had to almost force myself to finish it in one sitting. Though it did many basic things right, it seemed to not have enough urgency or fully-fledged characters to connect with. And yet the decision to ultimately lose out on having a fellow immortal join the 'young' wonan was astute, perfectly setting up the rather pompous and indeed dangerous leader of a hidden society in Face the Raven. And as she faced endless centuries before at last sitting on Gallifrey's ruins, the audience were invited to reflect that the Doctor was more relatable on the surface and also more deplorable in essence.

Some perhaps would cite the Mark Gatiss effort, Sleep No More , as the low point for Series 9. I never found it totally gripping, but I still admired the attempts to do something different. The Doctor was never going to come close to pulling off a win, or saving even half the lives of the military force he teamed up with. The final twist which had a strong meta element was nicely done though, and helped compensate for a sluggish pace, lack of memorable sets or monsters, and a bizarre decision to crop the opening credits and bolt them wih the closing ones.

Other than three comparative misfires, the series showed verve, heart and invention aplenty. Who can forget the haunting and disturbing showcase of Capaldi's range as the Doctor is trapped in the most punishing of groundhog days in Heaven Sent? Or the impassioned and perfectly scripted speech our hero gives to the representatives of the human and Zygon races in the bunker, which makes them realise there are no winners in war?

Having a good variety of time zones, planets and space stations - real, imagined or fake - also showed the care and attention that the producers, writers and other crew were willing to bring to the table. The modern show may now be a veteran, even if one were to somehow discount the Classic Series as another entity altogether, and yet that can be a big plus. For now, the happy medium has been found and bottled, and can be sprinkled over the airwaves and streams of various nations worldwide. 

So it's a long wait for more top notch Capaldi/Moffat fare, especially once the Doctor and River have had a reunion for the umpteenth instance in their amazingly tangled time-streams. But why not  press the reset button? Just go watch the opening pretitles on Skaro's warzone and the Doctor being forced to question his moral framework like rarely before..right up to the closing moments where he opts for a sonic screwdriver proper once again, and adventures in the past, present and future. 

'Series 9' (or 'new' Doctor Who's Eleventh Year) is one to treasure and cherish time and time again.

*****************

Episode rankings

The Outstanding: Face the Raven, Heaven Sent

The Excellent: The Magician's Apprentice/ The Witch's Familiar, Hell Bent, Under The Lake/Before The Flood

The Good: The Zygon Invasion/ Inversion

The Average: The Woman Who Lived, Sleep No More

The Disappointing: The Girl Who Died