Following on in every respect from their marvellous version of The Romance of Crime, (with which it shares a box) Big Finish knock it out of the park once again with a superb adaptation of The English Way of Death, the second of Gareth Roberts’ classic trilogy of Missing Adventures novels, ably adapted again by John Dorney.

Whereas Romance was almost a Season Seventeen story with the picture turned down, this one is a slightly stranger and more freewheeling brew, pitting the Fourth Doctor, Romana II, and K9 against zombies, a hired assassin, a body-snatching sentient gas, mind-boggling science, and British Edwardian Manners. It kicks off with the Doctor breezily bypassing the Randomiser to return some library books in 1930, and unravels into a twisty-turny plot of mistaken identity and brain-eating - expertly combining P.G. Wodehouse, space opera, and zombie movie. It makes perhaps better use of its audio format than Romance - it has more of the feel of a radio play, but also conjures up tall visual orders like time corridors and sentient mist with ease. The only time it feels a little unwieldy is when the approach of an undead Policeman through said mist is described by one character to another. Happily though, this is just a blip, the rest of the story skips along beautifully.

The dialogue is packed with zingers, the characters are gloriously bonkers (and often very polite) - and Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and John Leeson all excel. Tom sounds like he's enjoying himself hugely, and delivers lines about the average daily amount of attempts on his life with laid-back aplomb. Meanwhile, Lalla Ward is as charmingly indignant as ever, and John Leeson gets a creepy stand-out moment when K9 is possessed by the gaseous Zodaal.

Just as Romance echoed Eldrad from The Hand of Fear, Zodaal has split himself into components like Scaroth in City of Death, but with the added twist that he had his sense of humour removed - a nice riff on those humourless, grandiloquent 'possessed' villains of the seventies.

A strong supporting cast is led by Terrence Hardiman (of The Beast Below fame, and also known to a generation of British children for his performance as the Demon Headmaster), as the undead Hepworth Stackhouse and Annabel Mullion as sultry assassin Julia. Nick Briggs does an excellent job of directing as usual, and Jamie Robertson's score is a neat halfway house of Dudley Simpson's sound of '79 and the electronic approach of the Radiophonic Workshop's music from 1980.

Most of all, though, it's the joyous invention of Roberts' story - brought to life so well by Dorney's script that makes this such a winner. Big Finish continues to go from strength to strength, and has managed with this box set to reunite a TARDIS team we never thought we'd hear together again, and give them some of their finest material. Here's hoping that The Well-Mannered War (coming later this year) isn't the last we hear from them.

Big Finish have done a sterling job of recreating and complementing eras of classic Doctor Who over the years, be it new full cast adventures for classic TARDIS teams or the more stripped back Companion Chronicles and Lost Stories, often using the medium of audio to expand the scope and defeat the on-screen budget issues of the TV series. Often these tales are respectful riffs on a bygone era that go off in different directions, or shade in character development of the type that you’d see in the modern series. Perhaps it's the version of Classic Who you think you remember.

The Romance of Crime is different. Skilfully adapted by John Dorney from Gareth Roberts’ classic Missing Adventures novel (Scarily, twenty years old this month, where does the time go?), and reuniting the Fourth Doctor, Romana II, and K9 for the first time since 1980, it goes one better. It's not just a strong evocation, or a clever riff on an old idea. It is Classic Doctor Who. It’s as if someone taped Doctor Who on Betamax in 1979 but the picture on the ancient tape was lost to drop-out, leaving the soundtrack intact. Roberts has a particularly strong affinity for this era - this story forms part of a box set with Dorney's dramatisation of another of his classic novels, The English Way of Death.

The story itself could be a period script by Douglas Adams or David Fisher, directed by Michael Hayes. It has an artfully Dudley Simpson-esque score from Howard Carter, a strong cast of supervillains, ne'er do-wells, preening artists, and inept detectives. The dialogue both zings and sings. Basically, The Romance of Crime would be on to a winner even if presented as a more modest audiobook. However, Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and John Leeson, with solid support from Michael Troughton and Miranda Raison make this something extra special. 

This particular TARDIS crew has never reconvened before for TV or audio, for perhaps obvious reasons considering Baker and Ward were once married - but here they are, exuberant as ever, and sounding like they've stepped straight out of Season Seventeen. That spirit of '79 chemistry is still there, and Roberts' story both captures them to a tee and gives them all good material to get stuck into. Tom, in particular sounds like he's having an absolute blast. Any script that can pull off a scene where the villain captures the Doctor and tortures him whilst explaining the entire plot is doing something right.

The plot deals with shady goings on at the Rock of Judgement, an asteroid-based prison. The TARDIS arrives just as vengeful super-being Xais is resurrected and all hell breaks loose, with cockney gangsters and dim Ogrons thrown into the mix. Miranda Raison is excellent in the dual roles of Xais and Margo, the unfortunate officer on the Rock that Xais possesses. Xais is a well-drawn villain, played by Raison with strong hints of Eldrad from The Hand of Fear. She's psychotic, with the rather nasty power to crush people to death with telekinesis, but is given a tragic backstory and a good reason to hate 'normals'. Elsewhere, Michael Troughton as cowardly artist Menlove Stokes comes very close to stealing the show in his scenes with Romana. The strong cast is rounded out by Marcus Garvey as hopeless, yet totally self-absorbed gumshoe Frank Spiggot, Graham Seed as the scheming Pyerpoint - and writer John Dorney, doubling up here as an Ogron and one of the Kray-esque Nisbett brothers.

Crime of the century. Go get it.

The point this review would normally start at is, in a somewhat mundane fashion, the beginning of the story. But in fact, it’s probably best to start with the rather well put together trailer, appearing at the end of the previous two episode excursion in the Fourth Doctor Adventures range, “Destroy The Infinite”. The trailer itself feels very reminiscent of the revived series, particularly feeling like something from the series 8, 12th Doctor pen of Steven Moffat. With supernatural elements appearing ubiquitously, along with dramatic music and a fairly anxious looking Doctor, the premise, such as it could be understood, looked promising.

The two episode adventure certainly lives up to this, with a production that twists and turns whilst keeping the number of visited locations to a minimum. Moreover, the linear plotline of most stories is replaced by a relative maze of possible angles, with the situation encountered by The Doctor and Leela, played with their usual flair and characteristic quirks by Baker and Jameson, remaining unresolved for a not unreasonable length of time. The use of references to past events and characters, as depicted in previous stories such as The Evil One are not without reason, woven into the tapestry that leads to the dramatic climax. The structure of the adventure could be seen as filmic in places, with the location shifts providing an impression of cause and effect between the actions of individuals or groups.

The most apt descriptions, subjective though they may be, for this story would probably be surreal and ground-breaking. The doctor and Leela’s dialogue, while at points seeming a little tense, conveys the slightly odd student-teacher dynamic well. Stephanie Cole’s Lady Marianna is at once chillingly unsympathetic and unrelenting, the latter trope also being present in the rather unnerving performances of Mandi Symonds, Andy Snowball and Jameson’s co-writer, Nigel Fairs. The score is well suited to the adventure, falling quiet when the need arises for tension and allowing the eerie atmosphere to settle in, complimenting the high quality production that most have come to expect from Big Finish’s various audio ranges. Leela’s part in the story is suitably larger than usual considering the doctor’s deteriorating mental state, as well as the fact that Jameson came up with the original idea and had a large part in the writing process. The additional references to elements like Block Transfer Computation gives opportunities for fans familiar with the classic, pre-revival era to try and spot the others laced throughout which, according to additional research, even include references to audio ranges outside of the Fourth Doctor Adventures.

All in all, while the story itself is very well crafted by Fares and Jameson and is an interesting and thought provoking performance by all members of the cast, it would most likely be confusing to new fans of the range or indeed of Doctor Who in general. This is due, in part, to the fact that the entirety of the adventure is an exception to the classic idea of Doctor Who stories, where the Time Lord is seen saving a planet from some alien race or other. The fact that other previous stories are referenced, if subliminally, also means that fans familiar with a wider portion of the canon will, in theory, be able to get more out of this than those hearing this as an initial entry into Doctor Who audios. This is a good adventure in spite of these minor points and I would urge anyone looking for something new and relatively abstract to give this one a listen if they are fans of the third season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures or the Big Finish ranges in general.

Although I first encountered Doctor Who with Sylvester McCoy as the lead, it was Tom Baker's electric portrayal of the Time Lord which made the biggest impression on me ultimately. Such is the amazing legacy of the bohemian, scarf-wearing Fourth official incarnation that he had an extra (and original) cameo in the Day of the Doctor anniversary special. In a scant few seconds of screen time a vaguely-named gentleman - maybe the Doctor, maybe Tom Baker himself - utterly stole the show.
Now Tom has reached his own milestone of 80 years living on this curious old world of ours, and what an eventful life he certainly has had. And he would appear to have only further gained in wisdom and self-awareness with age; a commendably thoughtful and intellectual artist of his craft.

This release - available since mid-autumn - is a chance for Nick Briggs to try and uncover further memories and defining events from Baker's past. The interviewee is more than responsive, helped in no small part to the pair's collaboration on documentaries specially released (when VHS was still the mainstream video format), and of course the 21st century Big Finish productions of 'missing stories' co-starring Louise Jameson and the late Mary Tamm.

The format is one that leads to casual, but not overly lightweight discussion. Recorded back in March of 2014 a lot of material was edited down into the 2 hours plus that fill this double CD release. Although Briggs is an unquestionable expert on Doctor Who, he chooses to play down his role and knowledge, therefore allowing Baker to speak at great length at all sorts of topics and to often throw in a great deal of spontaneous wit.

Some visitors to this site will know a good amount about how Baker fared during his time in Doctor Who, and this production does not retread too much material which is readily available elsewhere in various media. Consequently the listener is able to learn a little more of Tom's thoughts on his Catholic faith growing up, family life in Liverpool, and the status of being poor and unable to live as certain more fortunate individuals could. Discussion involves his markedly different job roles as a monk-in-training, army medic and building site labourer (with emphasis on tea-making over heavy lifting!).

There is also some welcome discussion of three major TV projects - 'Medics', 'Randall and Hopkirk Deceased' (where he was able to assist fellow ghost Vic Reeves) and 'Monarch of the Glen'. And of course Baker was able to use his fine vocals on the narration of 'Little Britain', which elicits his charmingly satisfied observation that the children who grew up with his Doctor in the 70s ended up giving him new work once they were established in the industry themselves.

Perhaps one nit-pick would be that the lack of a robust structure does sometimes lead to certain stream-of-consciousness material which gets in the way of further elaboration on topics that are quite fascinating. Yet Tom Baker is one of those people I would genuinely tolerate reading out endless definitions from a dictionary. His amazing voice is not the only selling point here either. He is warm, humble and supremely spontaneous and witty. There is the often observed point that Baker simply played himself as the Doctor, and he himself seems to go along with this line-of-reasoning. But Doctor Who would have hardly been as iconic and have such a legacy had not such a major charismatic star been involved.

A rather edgy aspect of the interview is Baker's sharp awareness of death and mortality - both his own and peoples in general. But rather than being maudlin he expands on this to explain how he has mellowed and tries to make the most of his time in a positive fashion. Baker also briefly illuminates his deep thoughts on his major romantic partners in life. Thankfully there is no 'Piers Morgan' style push for gossip from Briggs, who knows full well that despite apparent extrovert qualities, Tom Baker is in various aspects quite a private person.

Sometimes the small scale projects with a basic one-to-one dynamic can be as illuminating as a full scale documentary. This is one such example. Considering the many interviews available on the market this stands tall and is a great way to spend a spare afternoon, whether at home or on the go. If you are stuck for ideas this time of year then look no further for this interview as a small gift.

Infinite: Endless, continuing without termination. A noun that does seem to describe rather aptly the continuation of the Fourth Doctor’s resolve to go on a “holiday” with his companion Leela. However, that is not to say that the story is any less entertaining than those that have come before it in what could loosely be called a story arc.

This story in the Fourth Doctor Adventures range sees Leela and the Doctor land on the planet Delafoss, with the Time Lord stating that he recognises it by the trees. Nothing is quite as it seems, as demonstrated in a scene prior to their landing. We see a man identified as Larivan being transformed into a so-called “Infinite warrior” by an entity only known as “the Eminence”. When the Doctor and Leela eventually encounter him, he explains he was forced to take the “breath of forever”, which starts the transformation. However, he is unable to elaborate any further as he is wracked by pain. The Doctor and Leela seek help from a resistance group, engaged in a war with the Eminence and the forces it commands.

Leela’s father is again mentioned as seen in previous stories like The Evil One, in reference to supernatural forces being constructed around fear and misunderstanding. Just as Leela begins to speak, however, a patrol of Infinites discover the existence of the hideout. The Doctor, yet again being seen as a man with a very unclear plan as in previous stories, displays an air of almost new era glee as he makes the patrol believe they should turn back. Convincing the resistance group that they will be of use, the party resolves to go to “the construction pit” and provide photographic evidence of a new Eminence battleship, ironically named “The Infinite”.

After traversing a large and potentially deadly exhaust tunnel and coming out through a service exit, The Doctor, Leela, Sarla and Tillegat see vast lines of people entering the mammoth craft. As filming of the ship continues, it becomes clear through dialogue that the people are hostages. After being detected by Larivan, as well as beating a hasty retreat, the party split up to stand a better chance of escaping. When the Earth alliance ship arrives, a squad of Infinite warriors meet it with Tillegat sustaining a fatal wound. The scene then shifts to the commander of the Infinite warriors who, along with a comrade, witness the arrival of an Eminence casket. The episode resolves itself with a cliff-hanger implying that The Doctor must be captured, in a fashion not dissimilar to original Fourth Doctor TV offerings.

The second episode opens with Leela climbing reluctantly aboard the ship, but hijacking it using a Janus thorn whilst doing so. It turns out that both her and The Doctor both wish to return to the TARDIS, even though the evil that still enfolds the planet has not yet been vanquished. The Earth Alliance pilot and Sarla are both very confused, but this is all left unresolved as the ship is forced to flee from not only fire on the ground, but in the planet’s atmosphere as well.

A rather touching scene ensues with the Doctor attempting to reawaken the suppressed memories within their would be executioner, cut short by an outburst from the enraged man. A call from the commander of the Infinites, Zarith, halts the execution.

The Doctor and Leela then fight for separate goals – Leela to get back to the planet’s surface to be reunited with the Doctor, who ends up simply trying to stave off taking the “breath of forever”. Everything seems to go downhill from here in terms of an impending disaster, with both the Earth alliance and the Infinite warriors seeking to obliterate the opposition. Leela witnesses the stubborn controller of the Earth Alliance lose his nerve as he sees the annihilation of a large portion of his fleet, thus ordering them to turn tale and break off the attack.

The Doctor meets the Eminence for the first time, seemingly in an inescapable situation, whilst Leela convinces the controller of just how useful she can be in providing ideas for the war effort. This interesting overlap works well, as we see the Doctors potential peril coupled with Leela’s calm and cool tactical instincts. The stakes are raised even further when the Doctor, seemingly under the control of the Eminence, delivers a chilling message that, although unnerving the members of the Earth Alliance, only strengthens their resolve to continue the fight.

In an almost too obvious homage to Star Wars, A disguised Leela and the Earth Alliance forces engage in a last desperate attempt to attack the Infinite and rescue the Doctor, the outcomes and intricacies of which I will leave in ambiguity, open to interpretation.

The Doctor and Leela, as with the other stories this season, are played well by Baker and Jameson, accompanied by a well-fitting score appropriate to the military setting. However, the only criticism I feel worthy of note has to be the voices of the Infinite warriors, who do not, in my opinion live up to their cadaverous nature. However, in a sense their voices almost take on a retro quality, befitting of the era. The rest of the cast do a great job, with parallels almost present to the stereotypes of World War II RAF pilots, fighting for the right to freedom and even using humour just to get them through situations.

All in all, “Destroy the Infinite” leaves many interesting questions open, which gives rise to a Sixth Doctor audio sequel, The Seeds of War. With a cast, that for the most part, does a great job in spite of some slightly less impressive vocal manipulation, I think this story is one that’s definitely worth a listen and is interesting in the fact that it raises more questions than it solves. The score, acting and sound design are all to the usual high standard the majority of listeners will have come to expect, topping everything off with an adversary for the Time Lord who feels like something straight out of an original Tom Baker episode.

The fourth Doctor, accompanied by Leela, lands the TARDIS on a world designated by an orbiting spacecraft’s rather sceptical crew as a “lifeless grey rock”.

On yet another attempt to go for a holiday, they exit the TARDIS, finding nothing but a dry empty landscape, with rather “bracing” temperatures. This, in short, summarises the opening 5 or so minutes of the Last of the Colophon, the fifth episode of season 3 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures range.

Subsequently, a man, identified as Morax, is awoken by a computerised voice, relating the Doctor and Leela’s arrival. Morax also learns of the presence of the orbiting ship, which he orders to be kept under observation.

Leela and the Doctor, after seeing a vapour trail from the planet’s surface, resolve to go and meet the crew of the spaceship, the Time Lord remarking that they could give them a “guided tour” of the desolate ruin that was once a city. The comedic aspects of the Doctor’s character, as well as Leela’s seemingly constant sense of unease, allow for some rather humorous moments here, as well as allowing the occupants of the ship, now seen clearly as a survey vessel, to be introduced.

We meet a robotic nurse by the name of Torvik, seemingly intent on keeping Morax imprisoned while life-forms arrive and leave outside. However, he is not as powerless as he appears, up to now breathing through a respirator and moving via the aid of a wheelchair. He removes the citadels shielding and activates the distress signal, which the survey team manage to pick up, angering the sadistic Nurse Torvik in the process.

The survey team, along with the two Time travellers, are allowed entry to the Citadel by Morax, who is now shown to be far more resourceful than when we first encountered him. Asteroth Morax states that he was a scientist and is the eponymous “last of the Colophon”. Horribly disfigured, with his legs in a state of atrophy, kept in a “half-life for centuries”. This “persuasive case” convinces the Doctor to help, working with deputy surveyor Sutton of the Oligarch.

The story then takes a chilling turn, giving rise to a sequence that is not unlike something from a modern first-person shooter. Ending the first episode on a rather retro-inspired cliff-hanger, with his companion’s life in the balance the doctor must choose wisely if they are to survive.

The second episode does contain some clever writing, with the doctor’s objections to the many misrepresentations of his sonic screwdriver definitely being worthy of note. The familiar sequences of running through corridors are also present. The plotline of the second episode, whilst also being as gripping as the first, seems at first glance to be shorter and rather rushed. But for those readers/listeners in fear of having overpaid for an adventure, things only get more interesting. A few plot threads that were unresolved and unanswered come into their own, with the ending being a very satisfactory conclusion

The writing in this episode is well suited to the era, along with the score, whose suspenseful notes and background presence make the important moments stand out and the chilling ones attain a dark tone. The genius and madness of the villain of the piece is rather similar to that of Davros, although said antagonist does show signs of restraint when faced with a situation that requires cooperation from hostages.

This episode draws parallels to the very first episode of The Sirens of Time, featuring a wheelchair bound prisoner held on a planet that isn’t quite what it seems.

The casting compliments the clever and humorous writing well, with every character having their own comedic lines and moments in equal measure.

To conclude, this story is somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, with twists and turns that you wouldn’t really expect. Additionally, a notable point of this drama is that not only does it feel very authentic to the fourth doctor era, but it also feels longer than previous stories in the range. Whether that is because of the intricately crafted plot, or just the fact that the story is one that draws you in, it is difficult to tell. I would urge anyone who is a fan of the suspenseful classic era of Doctor Who to give this one a look as well as anyone who just wants a good story to listen to.