Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Emma Reeves

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: May 2019

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"The Doctor has returned Mags, formerly of the Psychic Circus, to her native world: Vulpana.

Not the savage Vulpana that Mags was taken from, but Vulpana in an earlier era. The Golden Millennium – when the Four Great Wolf Packs, each devoted to one of the planet’s four moons, oversaw the height of Vulpanan civilisation. A time when the noblest families of the Vulpanan aristocracy found themselves in need of new blood…

A golden age that’s about to come to a violent end!"

I noted at the start of my The Monsters Of Gokroth review that Big Finish seem to be tailoring their output for a very small and specific audience right now, and went on to question exactly what fans were dying to hear more tales about Mags and what stories could be told with her. This month sees the release of The Moons Of Vulpana and it goes some way to answering the latter question, but not always in a positive way. 

By returning to Vulpana, Mags’s home planet, we get a good chance to do some world building and add some background details. This is a welcome development and I could start to see the potential in the character and why some fans may have been clamouring for further adventures.  I’m not of the mindset where I hear a throwaway line and want to see it filled out: we’ve learnt from things like the Star Wars prequels or Big Finish’s own The War Doctor box sets that this is often not a good thing. Still, there are blanks that can be filled here should writers wish to, and so it is here. I hope that the fistful of fans who crave this sort of thing are enjoying the ride.

The problem really is not the mindset but the execution here. Yes, we get to visit Vulpana but what we get for those filled-in blanks is nothing original or especially engaging.  We land on a planet with pseudo-medieval trappings and Mags finds herself wooed by two werewolves. Before too long, she has met their haughty mother and their surly, outsider brother who feels isolated and unsure they should be celebrating the past after all, going against the grain of the planet. But despite Mags feeling at home here, perhaps all is not what it seems… to which I found myself saying, “Well, no, of course it isn’t going to be, is it?” because I feel like I have heard this story before. Many, many times. I kept waiting to be surprised, but nothing felt out of the ordinary. Even larger plot points later on lacked the impact they ought to have.

Throw in a repetitive musical motif that has outstayed its welcome before the opening episode is through (it makes that fanfare used in Rosa feel positively underused), and you’ve one of the most disappointingly average releases for a while.

All of the above elements contribute towards the creation of a play that is competent, but that’s about the most positive thing I can say about it. The script is functional and the performances not bad, but nothing here grabbed me because nothing here is new. I’m not sure it’s a fault with the writing. Emma Reeves has done great work elsewhere, with her Unbound play The Emporium At The End being one of the wittiest and joyful releases Big Finish have done this past decade. It’s not a fault with the acting either. The guest cast fails to shine, mind, but that’s not their fault: they can do only so much. As for Mags, Jessica Martin is really trying her best with what she has. It’s just that the character lacks true dimension and depth and I think the relatively uninspired feel of The Moons Of Vulpana is but a reaction to this.

Even this review feels underbaked and brief, but that’s because there is almost nothing to say beyond that which has been stated already. It doesn’t makes me especially hopeful for the conclusion to this trilogy, but you never know. Miracles happen and how blissfully Doctor Who-like it would be to save it all at the eleventh hour. Here’s hoping.

+ The Moons Of Vulpana is OUT NOW, priced £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download).

+ ORDER this title on Amazon!

When Jodie Whittaker returns to Doctor Who next series, the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends won’t be the only familiar faces. The show, currently filming, is set to welcome back The Judoon as one of the Doctor’s fearsome adversaries. 

More than twelve years after they stampeded onto screens to terrorise the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones on the moon in 2007’s “Smith And Jones", the rhino-headed, brutish intergalactic police are returning to cause havoc and thrill children and adults alike.

These ruthless enforcers are on a deadly mission: but what for? And why has it brought them to present-day Gloucester? 

The episode will also star acclaimed actor Neil Stuke. Neil has an established career on stage, television and films, and is a two times BAFTA nominee. Neil’s recent credits include Doctor Foster, Silk and Silent Witness.

Chris Chibnall, Showrunner said:

“No! Sho! Blo! The Judoon are storming back into Doctor Who in full force, and the streets of Gloucester aren’t safe. If anyone has anything to hide, confess now. The Judoon are taking no prisoners, and will stop at nothing to fulfil their mission! The whole team on Doctor Who are delighted and scared in equal measure to welcome them back: one of many treats we’ve got in store for viewers next series. And we’re over the moon (with Judoon), to be welcoming the wondrous Neil Stuke as guest star. We can’t wait to show you what happens when his path crosses with the Thirteenth Doctor."

The eleventh series of Doctor Who was the biggest series of the show in over a decade with an average audience of 8.6m viewers in the 28 days following broadcast, across all available devices.

[Source: BBC]

Join a mission to save the universe: Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time lets fans embark on an adventure through space and time!

In a landmark year of digital Doctor Who entertainment, and following the recent reveal of The Runaway, an animated VR experience, comes a new cinematic, feature-length Doctor Who VR videogame this September.

Published by PlayStack and developed by Maze Theory, Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time will transport fans into a globally-beloved world of aliens, mystery and wonder, letting them embark on a brand-new and fully-interactive adventure, inspired by the show’s 55-year history and starring the Doctor’s current incarnation, played by Jodie Whittaker.

Armed with the iconic Sonic Screwdriver, players will solve mind-bending puzzles, grapple with classic monsters and encounter new horizons in a quest to find the Doctor and defeat a powerful force that threatens to destroy the fabric of reality. They will face the infamous Daleks and other known faces from the Doctor’s world plus some brand new never-before-seen monsters as they travel through stunning cinematic environments that truly bring the show to life!

The Doctor has been hurled through time to the end of the universe. A virus that threatens to rip apart reality itself has been unleashed. Players can pilot the TARDIS on a journey across worlds both familiar and strange to recover a series of powerful time crystals that can repair spacetime and ultimately, save the universe itself.

Developed by immersive entertainment studio Maze Theory, led by former Activision and PlayStation veterans, Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time will launch in September 2019 on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC VIVE and the upcoming VIVE Cosmos.

Head of Digital Entertainment & Games for BBC Studios, Bradley Crooks said:

“VR is the perfect home for a truly immersive Doctor Who adventure. Fans and newcomers alike will be able experience the universe of Doctor Who like never before, working with the Doctor and facing enemies new and old. Gaming is a key part of the future of Doctor Who and allows us to tell new and exciting stories beyond the TV screen.”

Maze Theory Creative Director, Marcus Moresby said:

“Maze Theory is committed to re-defining storytelling through awesome, innovative and immersive experiences in virtual reality. Doctor Who is an incredibly exciting and timeless franchise with a passionate and committed global fan base. We are looking to give them an entirely new experience; an opportunity to team-up with the Doctor and feel like they are in the show. This of course includes piloting the TARDIS, a dream come true for fans!”

PlayStack CEO, Harvey Elliott said:

"Virtual Reality is unmatched in its ability to transport people to far flung worlds. PlayStack has always seen this as the central promise of the technology, and for us there’s no better place to take players than the iconic, eccentric, and deeply fascinating world of Doctor Who. We are delighted to be working with Maze Theory and the BBC Studios on this flagship VR project, and can’t wait for fans to experience the game for themselves."

The fully-interactive VR videogame, featuring the voice of Jodie Whittaker, will arrive this September.

Watch the teaser trailer in the player, below:
[youtube:NRXjlw2EfVA]
[Source: Indigo Pearl]

DWO are thrilled to kick off the first of our new author interviews, spotlighting non-Doctor Who authors (but who happen to be Doctor Who fans).

Over the years we have had the pleasure of being sent a wide variety of published works from fans of the show, and as the subject of a lot of these books are of interest to our demographic, we wanted to offer interviews that give a glimpse into who they are as well as their writing process.

This week we welcome Christopher Simpson II, author of 'The Sag Odyssey Of Rawman Ant':

What got you into writing and when did you realise you wanted to be an author?

Life had gotten me into writing to put it simply. Now that I’m able to look back it was my passion for poetry that sort of just started to flow out of me. Then one summer day when I was freestyling my troubles making them flow together someone close to me at the time had told me to write it down and save those moments. From then on it was just the transitional magic from the pen to the pad straight to the audience that I had fallen in love with. The actual story telling aspect soon came to grow on me and I stopped the poetry and challenged myself with writing a book. 

What is your favourite book and what are you currently reading?

One of my favorite books of all time is the graphic novel “Calvin and Hobbes Days are just Packed,” as a kid I remember trying to understand Bill Watterson’s vast vocabulary that he had infused into ten-year-old Calvin. Of course, the humor was always there and the mystery of fantasy or reality between Hobbes being real or not. I’m currently skim reading a couple different books but the one that I’m really focusing on is David Rockefeller’s Memoirs.

Your novel ‘The Sag Odyssey Of Rawman Ant’, is full of rich worlds and space travel; what was your inspiration and have you always loved the fantasy / SciFi genres?

Well I love space travel but like any good story there’s always going to be some layers, and in my case, things weren’t any different. This whole story from the main characters name to the plot were just tons of layers. Me being an Antediluvian is the inspiration for all of the layers that were incorporated into the story. Anthropology, antiquities, hence the main characters name Rawman Ant. 

Can we look forward to a sequel?

A sequel is in the works. The next storyline will have a new planet and all new characters. I do plan on releasing a totally different story just to explore other genres and then after that the sequel will be released.  

If you could take a round trip in the TARDIS, anywhere in time and space, where would you go and why?

Well first I’d go to see what all the hype about Proxima Centauri B. Then I’d find my doppelganger observe their life. I’d probably look at his lover and see if she’d be with me instead. I’d also like to see Ancient Egypt, checking out all of the old pharaohs and how they lived their lives. Of course, I’d try not to disrespect the pharaohs by laughing at them because of their broken noses that their present-day statues display. haha 

+ Buy 'The Sag Odyssey Of Rawman Ant' on Amazon!
+ Follow the Christopher Simpson II on Twitter!

[Source: DWO]

Demon Music Group have sent DWO the cover and details for an exclusive vinyl edition of the 10th Doctor and Donna, Big Finish audiobook, The Creeping Death by Roy Gill.

It will be released exclusively to ASDA customers as a Limited Edition run of 1,000 copies on neon green vinyl – only available in the UK.

Synopsis:

London, 1952, and a deadly smog envelops the capital. But something even more dangerous – and alien – is hiding within the mists. When the Doctor and Donna get lost in the fog, they find a motley group of Londoners trying to make their way home. Soon the stakes are raised as death creeps along fume-choked streets, and not everyone will make it out alive...

+  The Creeping Death is released on 24th May 2019, price TBC.

[Source: Demon Music Group]