Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Douglas Adams

RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 7th January 2013

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th December 2012

Never aired on television due to a strike in 1979, and never fully completed, the six-part adventure 'Shada' traces the chase to recover a powerful book, the Artifacts of Gallifrey, stolen from retired timelord Professor Chronotis (Denis Carey).

Skagra (Christopher Neame) is the evil despot responsible for this foul jiggery pokery.

* * * * *

Disc One:

Shada

Very few Doctor Who stories have what can be described as a quasi-mythical status, and all of the handful that do are missing from the BBC archives. Stories such as The Tenth Planet and Power of the Daleks, and Shada.  

Shada is the oddity in the mix, as it's the missing story that's not missing; a paradoxical status which is quite appropriate, given it was penned by the late, great Douglas Adams. This was his last story for Doctor Who, and although it was never finished, at least one of the characters in the story found new life in other of Adams' works.  

Shada here is presented in two forms - one viewable on a DVD player, the other needing a DVD-ROM drive on your computer. More on that version in a moment...

The television story was never transmitted, as the filming was never completed due to industrial action at the BBC. The linking narration for those missing scenes, first recorded for the BBC Video release of this story, were recorded with Tom Baker in the 1990s at London's Museum Of The Moving Image (MOMI), and was set in their "Behind The Sofa" Doctor Who exhibition. It is that BBC Video release that is presented here, with only the player format changed - from VHS to DVD.

Special Features:

Info Text - There's a wealth of information to impart here, so there's six episodes of trivia packed info text to accompany the story. From robot dogs at very strange angles (it's a very funny moment when you see what they're talking about) to what the cast and crew did next, there's a lot of entertaining, and quite jokily written text here.

Shada (BBCi) - Move forward in time to the early 2000's, and the BBC's Doctor Who website did a number of "webcasts" in co-operation with Big Finish; and Shada was one of the stories they remounted. Tom Baker was unavailable to reprise his role as The Fourth Doctor, so with a little wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey trickery Paul McGann takes the lead as The Eighth Doctor; again featuring the lovely Lalla Ward, and with K-9's original voice, John Leeson, on board. It's a brave move, and surprisingly it works very well indeed for McGann's Doctor, successfully mixing the old with the new a good few years before School Reunion did the same thing on television. That webcast is also presented here, but only if you put the disc in your computer, as the animation plays through your web browser.

Coming Soon Trailer - The original TARDIS crew land outside Paris during the French Revolution, and soon get caught up in established events. With scores of people heading for the infamous guillotine, can The Doctor (William Hartnell) "head off" a grisly fate for his travelling companions, whist keeping his own? The Reign Of Terror - complete with two animated episodes to replace missing footage, is out at the end of January.  

The disc also has Subtitles and Audio Navigation available for those who may wish to use them.

Disc Two:

Special Features:

Taken Out Of Time - A retrospective look at Shada, featuring some wonderful contributions from Tom Baker, the production crew, and other cast members such as Daniel Hill (Chris Parsons in the story). There's a very positive and nostalgic air to the extra, with many happy memories. Stories of near-misses on bicycles, people falling in love, and lots of alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. Industrial action upset the apple cart of course, and the origin of the St. John's singers and their train song cameo are all brought up and discussed. There's obviously still a lot of love for the story in the hearts of the cast and crew, and it really shows.  A nice, honest piece, that despite bringing up some grim subjects and with a none too happy ending, never loses its charm.

Now And Then - This instalment takes us to Cambridge with locations then and now. One of the better things about historic locations such as this is that very little changes; but it doesn't make for the most interesting extra. This time it seems to be more of a "this is what we filmed here", rather than "what's changed since we filmed it". Rather bizarrely, the disembodied voice that fills us in on the minutiae of filming isn't credited at the end, leaving you to wonder whom was talking to you for ten minutes!

Strike! Strike! Strike! - Bet you can't guess what this one's about... Shaun Ley, on the TARDIS control room set, gives us the back-story of the unions at the BBC. Various talking heads contribute to this featurette, with many stories of offended dressers, ten o'clock deadlines, and of course Shada being shelved, stalled, and then cancelled. It works for and against Who at various junctures, and it's all dissected and examined here. Included is the famous footage of Blue Peter being presented from the set of Robot, and there are a wealth of Classic Series clips used to illustrate points with humour and simplicity.  An informative and entertaining extra.

Being A Girl - Louise Jameson narrates this look at the women in front of, and behind, the camera in the worlds of Doctor Who. From the BBC's first female producer Verity Lambert, via Susan Foreman, Liz and Leela, to Rose and Donna.

It's basically a look at "How sexist was Doctor Who?", but it's impossible to dislike this. It's an honest and entertaining look at a show that really has changed in its view of the female companion - from the liberation of the writing of Ace, for example, to the sexualisation of the modern day companion such as Rose. Then there's the unstoppable River Song, and Amy Pond who got married and carried on travelling regardless. There's a somewhat worrying look at the male companions who are either not the strongest characters - or they're Captain Jack. Oh alright, Rory had his badass moments as well...

Clips galore, goodies, baddies, Classic and New Who, and some truly decent insights about casting roles and villainous women all contribute to the story being told. There's also a valid question about if you should "fancy The Doctor", and the consequences thereof.

Photo Gallery - Shada in front of the camera and behind. Publicity shots and planned stills, sets, stars and scarves, all set to some charming incidental music. Features a great set of cameo appearances by a toasting fork, and that tin dog thing.

Subtitles are available on the DVD for those who may need them as is the usual Audio Navigation.

But wait! It's not all Shada on The Legacy Collection Box-Set, and things are about to get a whole lot more nostalgic...

Disc Three:

More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS

The extended VHS release of the televised Thirty Years In The TARDIS is transferred to DVD, with a host of new extras to pad out the disc, and some of those extras outshine the main programme. One in particular will cause many a tear and sniff in remembrance, but we'll get to that one shortly.

The programme itself is a retrospective consisting of a wealth of clips and interviews, voice-overs and specially shot footage, including an early version of a particular special effect that was not fully realised until the 2012 Christmas special The Snowmen... bonus points if you know what that effect is - and if you don't, I'll tell you right at the end of the review.

There's nothing new here - they're all things we've seen before and recovering concepts we're all familiar with, but at least with this production it's not like all the recent coverage that only concentrate on the new series since 2005. It still propagates several myths that have since been unmasked - such as William Hartnell "deciding" to leave as opposed to him having to be replaced due to his severely failing health.

There's adverts, skits, spoofs, cereals, cars, and more monsters than you shake a sonic screwdriver at. If you like retropsective clip shows then you'll love this. Do be aware, however, that the picture quality is, at times, pretty atrocious due to the archive material used.

Remembering Nicholas Courtney - Tissues at the ready. Michael McManus (Nicholas' friend and biographer) takes us through the real life of The Brigadier, largely via a recorded interview from 2010. Even in the taped interview Nick looks frail, but his spirit is indomitable and shines brightly throughout. The extra is well paced and well done, and McManus' interview is a delight to watch as he prompts very little and lets Nick tell his own story; and his linking narration is very simple and easy to take in. It's such a nice piece - and all the harder to watch accordingly. It's still a wrench to the heart that this great man - a legitimate Doctor Who legend - is no longer around. The featurette also includes footage from 2003's The Story Of Doctor Who, and possibly one of the single best gatecrashing's of an interview ever captured on film. Entirely staged, obviously, but enormously entertaining when you see Who's peering in the conservatory window.

A diamond of an extra, and guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat. Also featuring clips of Nicholas' roles in other TV shows, like The Two Ronnies and Theatre 625, and mention is made of Courtney's other roles and jobs away from stage and screen. Great, great stuff.

Doctor Who Stories: Peter Purves - Yes, it's Steven Taylor's turn in the spotlight - or perhaps Morton Dill, if you prefer. Entirely taken from 2003's The Story Of Doctor Who, Peter Purves spills the beans on his time in the TARDIS... a ship he defends beautifully, during the course of the interview.

From Daleks to Doctors, and Monoids to Meddling Monks, Purves recalls his Who time with a great deal of humour - it's impossible to dislike a man who describes his own character in one particular story as being "a bit more butch in that one."

With excerpts from Blue Peter as well as the Hartnell era of Doctor Who - a short, entertaining, if slightly pedestrian, extra.

The Lambert Tapes: Part One - Yet more wheeled out 2003 footage from The Story of Doctor Who. Verity Lambert, the first producer of Doctor Who - and the BBC's only female producer at the time - recalls the genesis of the series, the introduction of Waris Hussein, and the rather famous tale of everyone's famous epitome of bug-eyed monsters and their arrival on the show. 

Again, many clips illustrate part one of this potted history, and Lambert holds the attention easily and is very honest about the beginnings of the show. Features sixties fashion, and the backing track for the original Doctor Who theme, without the melody line, as background music.

Those Deadly Divas - More powerful women in Doctor Who - with Kate O'Mara, Camille Coduri, Tracy Ann Oberman, and er... Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman, discuss the powerful villainesses in Who; from The Rani to Yvonne Hartman.  O'Mara in particular had some incredibly dour, fun lines in the show as the Time Lady, and a spectacularly dismal view of the Time Lord's she was put against.

It's not a particularly riveting topic, and the level of villainy veers wildly, but the wonderful ladies on camera talking about themselves lift this above the mundane. It almost rescues this extra - but not quite. It will however make you realise how much you miss Camille Coduri on the show.

Photo Gallery - Behind the scenes and publicity shots from the BBC special, set this time to slightly less charming incidental music than the Shada one. Lots of shots of Jon Pertwee, and Daleks on Westminster Bridge, but these photos have an added bonus in that lots of them have not been seen before, which makes this a genuinely interesting gallery. Autons, Sontarans, the glorious and much missed Lis Sladen and Nick Courtney, and quite a few shots of the "Thirty Years" TARDIS prop. Such a great collection of photos.

With PDF Radio Times Listings, and Subtitles for those who might need them, that rounds off a very unusual set of DVDs.

It's not the greatest release in the DVD range, even given the wealth of material available here, but the two versions of Shada work well, and the Nicholas Courtney tribute almost justifies the release alone. It's certainly an eccentric set, with wildly veering content, but as a collection of standalone oddities in the worlds of Doctor Who, it succeeds well enough at being diverting and entertaining.

Oh, and the special effect shot from "Thirty Years" that made a full debut in The Snowmen? A single shot camera track from the outside of the TARDIS, through the Police Box doors, and into the control room, with no changes in angle, perspective, or scenery.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Nicholas Briggs

RRP: £20.00 (CD) / £20.00 (Download)

Release Date: November 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 3rd December 2012

The Doctor is a broken man. His best friend Lucie Miller and his great grandson Alex are both dead, murdered by The Daleks. He attempts to travel to the end of the Universe, desperately looking for one thing: Hope.

Hope does indeed find him, as The Doctor is given a mission by the Time Lords. They have uncovered a terrifying plot to destroy the universe and at the centre of it all is one person.

In the bloody days of the Great War, Voluntary Aid Detachment Nursing Assistant Molly O’Sullivan tends to the wounded and prays for her ailing mistress. Into Molly’s life arrives a very mysterious man and she soon finds herself pursued by strange and terrifying metal monsters and long suppressed secrets from her past. 

The Doctor and Molly are on the run and with The Daleks not far behind, will the Doctor discover the secret of Molly’s unnatural dark eyes... 

In the aftermath of the heartbreaking To the Death, The Eighth Doctor needed time to gather himself together. When we last saw him, he was filled with rage and broken. Big Finish wisely waited for the dust to settle on that adventure before telling us what happens next and as a result we got the wonderful trilogy of Eighth Doctor and Mary Shelly stories. It was the breath of fresh air we all needed as the shock of losing Lucie Miller was still rather raw. 

The time for The Eighth Doctor to return has arrived, and if the crashing of the Big Finish website on the day of its release was anything to go by, it has been greatly anticipated.

So has it been worth the wait? 

Yes. Yes it has.

Dark Eyes is marvellous from beginning to end. A fantastic story comprising a multitude of brilliant performances - this is a very exciting new era for Paul McGann’s Doctor.

Judging from the way he tackles the material, you can tell McGann relished every moment of the experience behind and off the microphone. This can surely be seen in The Eighth Doctor’s new attire on the box-set’s artwork. 

Although no mention of this sartorial change is explicitly mentioned in the play, this dramatic new look fits in with the tone of Dark Eyes. The Eighth Doctor is a shadow of himself; no longer the hopeful Byronic romantic. His usual Victorian clothing gets stained with mud after a mustard gas attack in the trenches of the Great War. Whether a deliberate decision or not, it certainly feels like a metaphorical bookend to that part of the character’s life. The Eighth Doctor is now angry, broody, suspicious and dark tempered. But underneath all that he is a man who is looking for hope.

In fact hope is the theme that runs throughout the core of Dark Eyes. In the face of his most bitter of losses The Doctor needs it more than ever. His hope comes in the form of new companion Molly O’Sullivan, played superbly by Ruth Bradley. 

Molly is a wonderful character and her no nonsense attitude towards The Doctor is a joy to listen to. The strong Irish accent and little inflections and phrases such as referring to the TARDIS as “Tardy-box” endear you to her almost immediately. Molly though is not simply there for comic relief, as writer, Nicholas Briggs, has given her a wonderful sense of compassion and loyalty, hidden under a tough shell. McGann and Bradley are a great pariring and I sincerely hope that she is not a one story character as the potential for Molly to be a continuing companion is utterly tantalising.

Dark Eyes lets its story build slowly throughout. Despite each episode being self titled, they are not self contained stories operating along one theme, rather they four parts of one epic story. Things get off to a terrific start in The Great War, which introduces us to the players and a mystery amongst the bleak setting of trench warfare. Part Two, Fugitives is a great run around story as Molly and The Doctor are chased constantly by The Daleks as the main mystery of Molly’s past begins to come to the surface. This is explored more in depth in Part Three, The Tangled Web, an incredibly creepy play in which the pieces of the puzzle come together culminating in the dramatic finale X and The Daleks.

So what of The Daleks?

After the events of To the Death it is fitting that the monsters from Skaro are the overwhelming threat dogging The Doctor’s heels in Dark Eyes. Interestingly, Briggs keeps the Daleks at a distance for great portions of the story though they are never far behind The Doctor and Molly. The Daleks here are a force that just keeps coming and they are truly terrifying. If there is one thing that will make you shudder whilst listening to this story it is a moment that comes in Part Three. I will say only one word: Giggling.

One of Briggs' best contributions to the Dalek universe, the Dalek Time Controller, who we last saw in To the Death, is in charge, working alongside Toby Jones’ wonderfully enigmatic Kotris. Both are lurking in the shadows for most of the story, but when they do finally take centre stage in part four it is fantastic to listen to.

Speaking of Toby Jones, Dark Eyes is blessed with an exceptional voice cast.

The two main leads and guest star aside, Peter Egan makes an excellent impression as the newly regenerated Time Lord Starxus, a more devious incarnation than the one previously portrayed by Nickolas Grace. Fantastic support comes from Tim Treloar, Laura Molyneaux, Natalie Burt and a lovely performance by Ian Cullen as Nadeyan. 

There is so much more I could discuss, but to say too much would rob you of the sheer joy of it all. Loyal Big Finish listeners may have had to wait a bit longer to get a hold of this release, but it was certainly worth it.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: James Goss

RRP: £8.99 (CD) / £7.99 (Download)

Release Date: 31st October 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 8th November 2012

Liz Shaw has been working as The Doctor’s assistant for a while now and in all that time she has noticed something rather sinister. People have been dying in a small number over a period of months but what links them all is that each of them were told of their death before the fact.

Each person received a letter predicting both the time and date of their demise. 

Liz has been documenting all of these strange events and trying to get The Doctor to pay attention. The Time Lord however is more concerned with restoring power to the TARDIS and escaping his exile so Liz takes it upon herself to investigate. 

It seems all the of the dead were part of committees within the Government and without the Doctor to help her, Liz has to rely on the one person with a link to all of them and just might be next for one of those letters. Her mother.

In June of this year Caroline John, known to all Doctor Who fans as Dr Elizabeth “Liz” Shaw passed away. Her character was present in only four of Jon Pertwee’s stories, but her performance as an equal to The Doctor, in intellect and stubbornness, endeared her to many fans. John was a very gifted performer and her recent work with Big Finish showed off her talents even if those stories weren’t always as strong. I’m both happy and sad to say that The Last Post is the best Liz Saw story Big Finish have done. It's just a real tragedy that this was to be the last.

The Last Post is a two-hander piece between Liz and her mother, taking place between letters, telephone calls and meetings for lunch. This structure allows for some fascinating insights into Liz’s personal life and the relationship with her mother is beautifully written.

Caroline John leaves us with a magnificent performance here; touching, witty and showing suitable frustration at The Doctor, John made Liz such a believable character and listening to this story knowing all too well that this is the last time we will hear Liz makes for a strange and moving experience. Giving Liz a family expands the character greatly and grounds her in a way that we have not really seen before. When Liz writes of her regret at missing family gatherings due to work, she comes to life as a person and not just as a third wheel for the Doctor. This is a woman experiencing terrifying situations and wants to rebuild a connection with her family, so when the threat comes too close to home, we really fear for her.

Rowena Cooper is wonderful as Emily Shaw. Emily is a warm and charming personality, both proud and somewhat disappointed with her daughter’s career path into science rather than the arts. It creates an interesting dynamic between the two. When the strange events begin to happen, James Goss smartly writes Emily as being aware of them and of her daughter’s involvement in UNIT. From the start this allows both characters to begin on an even keel and rightly so. Emily is just as intelligent and headstrong as her daughter and this is to the advantage of the play, so much so that the cliff-hanger to part one is quite frankly one of the most tense I have heard from any Big Finish story.

The Last Post takes place between Liz’s adventures with The Doctor and Goss litters the script with clever references. There is a rather cheeky nod to The War Machines and a rather tantalizing final moment between mother and daughter hinting that the characters know what is in store for The Doctor. 

Whether it was intended or not, The Last Post is a lovely tribute to Caroline John’s time with the show and a cracking mystery in its own right. It has rather more emotional resonance in the knowledge of John’s recent passing and it seems only right that her final work for Big Finish is her very best.

From the behind the scenes interview included at the end, we learn that this was planned to be the first of more adventures for Liz and Emily. It is very sad that this will not come to pass but if The Sarah Jane Adventures told us anything, it’s that Liz Shaw is still with us, on the Moonbase working for the betterment of humanity. 

I think The Doctor would be very proud.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Rick Briggs

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 31st October 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 8th November 2012

The Doctor arrives on the planet Cawdor deep within the Drashani Empire almost thirty years after his last visit ended in bloodshed. The Doctor has a promise to keep to a dead man but not everything goes smoothly for him. After the Succession of Blood, power in the Empire has befallen the young Empress Cheni and for five years the Empire enjoyed peace. 

But then the Wrath came.

Led by the feared Lord Tenebris, the Wrath lay waste to the Empire and the Drashani have been at war with them ever since. With Cawdor next in line for conquest, The Doctor must use all his wits of he is keep his promise. But what is the secret of the Wrath’s weapon, The Archeron Pulse and what connection does Tenebris have to the Empire? As the Doctor uncovers the truth it seems that old secrets and betrayals could lead to the Drashani’s ultimate destruction.

The Archeron Pulse is the second part of Big Finish’s closing trilogy for the main Doctor Who range this year; a series of interconnected stories detailing the history of the Drashani Empire. After the brilliant The Burning Prince, I speculated how much of that story would cross into this second chapter and as it turns out quite a lot does. This is a direct sequel to the previous story as without giving too much away, plot threads and characters carry over into this story and its events are explicitly defined by those that took place in The Burning Prince.

Writer Rick Briggs has done a fine job of creating a engaging storyline within the framework of the larger scope that this trilogy of stories is offering. While not as strong as the first story, The Archeron Pulse is still rather enjoyable. 

Colin Baker puts in a fine performance as The Doctor with a nod to the hubristic elements of the character from television. Thankfully he retains enough of the development of the character that has occurred throughout Big Finish to not let it become too much of a throwback. His arrogance does make for some wonderful comic moments and his clashes with Tenebris are some of the audio’s highlights.

Lord Tenebris is an engaging villain played with relish by James Wilby whose character really is the most important component of this adventure. Tenebris is almost certainly a nod to Darth Vader, showing the influences of space operas that have informed this trilogy so far but Briggs makes him enough of an interesting character to avoid him being a direct copy. As the revelations of Tenebris’ past are stripped away rather dramatically at the end of part two, the play shifts gears and what follows is some intriguing exposition that slows the action down somewhat but lays the ground work for the rather downbeat but hopeful finale. 

The supporting cast are fantastic but their stories seem to suffer once Tenebris makes his entrance dominance of the character over the proceedings. The Wrath are a fascinating creation and from the conclusion it seems that we have not heard the last from them.  

The Archeron Pulse is a great story which manages to be enjoyable and not fully suffer under the weight of exposition that is certainly being laid for a dramatic closing chapter.

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Bob Baker & Dave Martin

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 22nd October 2012

Reviewed By: Sebastian J. Brook for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th October 2012

When a damaged spaceship containing beautiful humanoid creatures called Axons lands on Earth, The Doctor, Jo and UNIT are sent to investigate. In return for their help, the Axons offer the gift of Axonite, which would end world famine.

It all appears too good to be true - so what secrets are the Axons hiding on board their ship? And why is The Doctor's old enemy The Master involved?

* * * * *

This is a story that breaks new ground in a number of ways, but perhaps chiefly in some of the technological wizardry discovered and used at the time. The Claws of Axos is very much a product of its time, with the psychedelic nature of some of the FX and, ahem, costumes, but rather than leave the story behind in the 1970's, it carries through and is still as enjoyable today. 

When one hears the words 'Special Edition' attributed to a previously released Doctor Who DVD, you can't help wondering just how much more 'special' it can be.

The picture and audio quality is sharper and cleaner, perhaps not as noticeable as some of the recent restorations, but still worthy of note - especially considering the sheer amount of work that goes into them. But it is the extras, however, that make this edition particularly 'special'. As well as having the special features included on the previous release (Commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Now And Then & Easter Egg) we are treated to over an hour of bonus material, with one being among the finest ever produced for the range. More on that later.

Disc 1

Special Features:

Commentary - Featuring Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates) and Barry Letts (Producer). There's great atmosphere between the trio, with Barry's soft, almost Mr.Kipling-esque tones, Katy's boundless energy, and Richard's gentlemanly manner. The pace doesn't really drop, and Letts takes the mantle of directing the commentary successfully.

Deleted and Extended Scenes - The original but annotated version of the studio recording which is included on this release in it's entirety. Text commentary is an optional extra. This is particularly special owing to the fact it includes the only surviving behind-the-scenes footage of Roger Delgado.

Disc 2

Special Features:

Axon Stations! - The feature kicks off with a great CGI sequence that literally pulls you into the process of how The Claws of Axos was made. Featuring interviews with Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Bob Baker (Co-Writer), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Michael Ferguson (Director), Derek Ware (Pigbin Josh), Paul Grist (Agent Bill Filer) & Bernard Holley (Axon Man). An insightful and amusing documentary - look out for Katy Manning's priceless description of the Axon ship! Kudos to the Director of the piece, Chris Chapman, who can add another string to his bow of inventive, engaging and ultimately successful additions to the Doctor Who DVD range.

Now and Then - Richard Bignell provides us with another of his location comparisons, contrasting the original footage from 1971 with that of modern day. In most cases, it's surprising at how little has changed in the 41 years since the story was filmed. Warmfully narrated by Katy Manning, we're taken through the chronological order of shooting locations.

Directing Who: Michael Ferguson on The Claws of Axos - A more focused insight into Michael Ferguson's role as Director for the story. Michael recalls some of the technical advantages and disadvantages with The Claws of Axos, as well as opinions of his fellow colleagues. There is some repetition of recollections, previously featured in the 'Axon Stations!' extra, but as a whole it's great to see and hear a more linear collection of Michael's memories on the show.

Studio Recording - A surviving example of how BBC studio drama's used to be made, featuring the complete unedited recording, with studio chatter, VT run-ups and recording breaks. This is definitely a feature for the hardcore fans, or those with an interest in media production. We just so happen to be both, so naturally loved it!

Living With Levene - As the opening line explains, Toby Hadoke spends the weekend with one of the most unusual figures in Doctor Who; John Levene (Sergeant Benton in the Classic Series). We're introduced to John's early work on the show as a Cyberman extra in 'The Moonbase' and then as a Yeti in 'The Web of Fear'. We're then incorrectly informed his next appearance was as Sergeant Benton in 'The Invasion' - [that should have been Corporal Benton] - but minor factual niggle aside, it covers Levene's life quite thoroughly and entertainingly. Hadoke, as always, helps guide the feature smoothly coupled with his knowledge of Doctor Who and obvious love for the show.

But this feature, which is a little out of the ordinary for a Doctor Who DVD extra, sets itself as the jewel in the Claws of Axos: Special Edition release. Whether deliberately or by accident, Living with Levene doesn't just tell the story of one man's brush with Doctor Who, but how that brush affected his entire life, and in doing so, creates a warm, touching and very real documentary, blanketed by the beautiful surrounding of Levene's hometown of Salisbury.

There's no denying that some of John's stories and recollections seem fantastical, but the irony here is that through Hadoke's numerous attempts to unmask the 'real' John Levene, one can't help feel that, akin to the movie 'Big Fish', what we have here is a larger than life man, who has truly lived a life larger than himself. One can't help being captivated by his infectious personality and obvious love for the life he has lived and lives.

This extra is well worth the price of the DVD itself, and could easily be enjoyed by a non-Doctor Who loving audience. It's wonderfully constructed and is arguably the finest extra ever produced for the Doctor Who DVD range. The production is of the quality of some of the BBC's renowned 'Wonderland' series, and sets a new bar for the (few remaining) future releases.

Coming Soon Trailer - 'The Legacy Box' is the subject of the trailer, and features both 'Shada' and the 'More than 30 years in the TARDIS' documentary.

Easter Egg - There's a rather informative Easter Egg on this release that has a rather amusing connection to The Claws of Axos.

As with previous releases there is the usual Photo Gallery, PDF Marerials, Subtitles and Info Text for those who want or need them.

The Claws of Axos: Special Edition ticks all the boxes for any fan of this story. The restoration, quality of extras and overall value for money definitely warrant the purchase - even if you bought the non-Special Edition first time round. With a few more Special Editions on the horizon as the end of the Doctor Who DVD range is in sight, this release sets a new standard that will have us double-dipping with no questions asked.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: John Dorney

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 30th September 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 10th October 2012

The Houses of Gadarel and Sorsha have been at war for decades.

Each House has a claim to the Imperial Throne of the Drashani Empire. The civilisation that spans galaxies is now soaked in the blood of millions and finally seems to be at an end. The process for peace was near to completion with the union in marriage of Prince Kylo and Princess Aliona. But the marriage was halted when the Princesses’ wedding galley crash landed on the planet Sharnax.

All contact and hope it seemed was lost.

A rescue ship is dispatched to discover the fate of the Princess with representatives from both Houses; the Prince included trying desperately to not let the chance of peace slip away. There are those on both sides however who do not wish for peace, and sabotage is not too far away. 

Arriving on board the rescue ship by accident, The Doctor soon becomes entangled in the games of power and peace with deadly creatures not too far behind. Can The Doctor avert more bloodshed or will the Prince Kylo’s burning desire to be reunited with his love destroy the fates of all?

For the final trilogy in the main range this year, Big Finish have gone and created an epic story. Across three releases, each with a different Doctor, they want to tell the history of one sector of space and its history over time. It is an ambitious undertaking for the last three releases of 2012 but if they live up to the strength of The Burning Prince it just might be the crowning jewel of what has been a very strong year for the Doctor Who main range.

The Burning Prince is a thrilling under siege and whodunit story wrapped up in the fabric of a grand space opera. There is a remarkable amount of world building here woven into the core and background of the play, and it is a testament to John Dorney’s abilities as a writer that he makes all of the threads work and not crumble under its own weight.

The story charges along at break neck speed and even in the quieter moments there is always something exciting going on. It is a very linear plot but this is to the play’s strength making it one of the most enjoyable Big Finish stories this year.

One of the interesting aspects of this trilogy is to remove The Doctor’s companions from him and in The Burning Prince the decision works to the story’s advantage.

As great as it is to hear The Fifth Doctor with his regular companions, on his own here with no one to vouch for him, we get to see what makes The Fifth Doctor work well as a character. He is completely under suspicion but still possesses that remarkable ability to get people on side very quickly. Without the familiar companions the sense of peril is ramped up and you just have no idea who is going to make it out alive. This is a refreshing change from the norm and one I’d like to see repeated.

The ensemble cast is fantastic and it is incredible how many of the characters make an impact despite some of them being killed off a few scenes afterwards. 

Peter Davison is on top form as The Doctor, balancing both moral outrage and a dry sense of humour. He is incredibly funny in a few scenes and I’d love to see more of this in future Fifth Doctor stories as his characterization gets a little more room to develop here through the perspective of strangers.

There are excellent performances by Clive Mantle as Tuvold and George Rainsford as the tortured Prince Kylo. The highlight of the play is Kirsty Besterman as Princess Aliona. To do an in-depth exploration of her character would be revealing too much of the story but rest assured her performance is exceptional, layered and memorable.

The twist in the story is a little obvious if you are listening carefully but the result of it is chilling and rather bleak which is very similar to the latter Fifth Doctor television stories.

It remains to be seen just what elements of this play will either thematically or explicitly run through the rest of the trilogy but if The Burning Prince is anything to go by, it will be very much worth finding out.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 30th September 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 10th October 2012

In 2015 amongst the Carpathians, a mysterious train is on its way to a secret location. The black TARDIS materializes above it and from its doors emerge Private Sally Morgan and Captain Lysandra Aristedes. These two professional soldiers have a mission to complete and a rendezvous point with the Doctor.

Of course it is not easy. For this train is linked to a dark part of Lysandra’s past; The Forge. Something is aboard the train and as monsters and enemies lurk in the night, Lysandra is going to discover her connection to Project: Nirvana.

The only problem is she cannot remember a thing about it.

As this year’s momentous Seventh Doctor trilogy comes to a close, Big Finish have decided to fill in a few of the tantalising gaps with this Companion.

As the title suggests this story is very explicitly linked to the Forge, the black ops organization that has been very much a part of the plot threads of the most recent main range trilogy. It is only right that its creators Cavan Scott and Mark Wright return to handle more of the organization’s sordid history and it is rather enjoyable.

This is quite clearly Lysandra’s story as Maggie O’ Neill takes the reins for most of the narration with Sally taking over for a small but significant moment. We get an interesting insight into Lysandra’s history in the Forge and her suspicions of working with The Doctor. O’ Neill performs an excellent reading but I do feel we have not heard enough from Sally Morgan.

Amy Pemberton portrays Sally so well that I want to learn much more about her character’s history in her own words. However the beauty of the Companion Chronicles means there are always future releases and Project: Nirvana does a fine job of expanding on the back story of one of the most troubled of The Doctor’s new companions.

The story is a fun one and gives an interesting view of The Seventh Doctor orchestrating military precise operations which for some strange reason seems to fit that Doctor’s character rather well. Speaking of The Doctor, it is very nice to hear Sylvester McCoy included in this release as it gives the story a little boost at the start and near the end. 

The story does feel a little rushed towards the end and the alien threat is dealt with rather swiftly, but this is overshadowed by the amount of good back story revealed here about Lysandra.

I do hope there are more stories from this TARDIS team as Project: Nirvana is not only a nice side step to the main trilogy, but a lovely addition to the mythology of the Forge.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 30th September 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 6th October 2012

Arriving in a strange and Hellish landscape, Ace, Hex, Sally and Lysandra have come to rescue the man who unwittingly threw them all together in the first place; The Doctor.

But the rescue will not be easy.

Ancient warriors misplaced out of time are lying dead in rivers of blood and from out of the mists emerge horrifyingly familiar vampire-like creatures. The threads are coming together and the Doctor’s companions come to realise that he has been playing a game; a rematch with an evil from the dawn of time. The past and future will come to haunt them as they become pawns in the endless games of Gods and monsters. 

The pieces are set, the Elder Gods are gathering to bear witness as the Doctor and Fenric prepare to play the contest again. But this time winning may be just the same as losing.

Gods and Monsters is a very difficult play to review. Like Black And White before it, there are so many twists and turns that it would be very easy to spoil your enjoyment. 

It requires not only a great deal of knowledge of the character of Hex but of past stories involving The Forge and The Curse of Fenric. A newcomer to Big Finish may find all this to be quite daunting but rest assured such knowledge is essential to your full enjoyment as this play packs a really emotional and shocking payoff.

Gods And Monsters, the conclusion of this year’s Seventh Doctor range and the final culmination of the many plot threads that have been littered throughout the last few years beginning as far back as Project: Twilight. It seems near impossible that Big Finish could have planned all of this so many years ahead but what they have done is taken everything that has come before, added a few twists and made it all make sense. The play however is not completely perfect, and it’s need to wrap everything up as logically and tightly as possible harms it a little.

Gods And Monsters has many factors that make it a worthwhile recommendation, and the brilliant cast is one of them. Sylvester McCoy, having played a rather reduced role in the previous releases, is back and his performance is spectacular. The master manipulator is completely out of his depth as he begins to see the control of events swept completely away from him. It is a great turning of the tables on this most Machiavellian of Doctors and it will be fascinating to see if Big Finish develops this in future releases.

Ace and Hex are both brought brilliantly to life by Sophie Aldred and Phillip Olivier. The character of Hex is one of the great creations of the Big Finish range and here Olivier proves just what a great contribution he has made to bringing the character to life. 

Maggie O’Neill and Amy Pemberton, having established themselves rather strongly amongst the TARDIS team in Black and White, continue their development throughout Gods And Monsters and are given an excellent scene in which to showcase their talents and the characters relationship to one another.

It was always going to be difficult to recast Fenric, especially in the shadow of Dinsdale Landen, but in John Standing, the Elder God has found a wonderfully chilling new persona. 

It would be easy to just do a retread of The Curse of Fenric, particularly with the inclusion of the Haemovores but Maddox and Barnes play enough with your familiarity of that story to present something new and just as twisted. 

With so many different characters and locations, sometimes in completely different universes and time zones, Gods And Monsters does feel at times a little rushed. The story feels like it needs more room to breathe or at least one more episode to allow all the threads to have equal momentum, but judging by the rather shocking ending it seems the story is far from over.

Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes have created a very worthy rematch with the titular God, as well as a satisfying conclusion to this story arc with the tantalising tease of more shocks to come.

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Written By: Graham Sleight

RRP: £12.99

Release Date: 30th August 2012

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th September 2012

Although not an official release from the BBC, Graham Sleight's 'The Doctor's Monsters' deserves all the accolade and respect that the aforementioned corporation gets with their own titles.

The book serves as a dedicated guide to some of the monsters featured in Doctor Who, together with a glossary containing (as far as we could see) every monster ever to have appeared in the show.

It is clear from both the incredibly detailed and well-researched biographies, through to Sleight's narrative, that this is a book for fans by fans - and it is all the better for it.

Together with an introduction from Doctor Who Writer / Author; Paul Cornell, that sums up what to expect in the book perfectly, you can't help but feel just how tidy and concise 'The Doctor's Monsters' is.

Let's hope this is the beginning of what will hopefully grow to be a library of guides from Sleight and I.B. Tauris. Essential reading!

+  The Doctor's Monsters is available now via the I.B. Tauris, Who Watching website.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: James Goss

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st July 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 22nd August 2012

Zoe Herriot is still a prisoner. The mysterious Company are determined to break the conditioning that has been placed upon her by the Time Lords. Her integrator, Jen, has more evidence to prove that Zoe travelled in time with that strange man called The Doctor.

Through her questions, Zoe begins to recall a journey to Earth in the past. She remembers attending the funeral of a young woman called Meg, a physicist who died in an experiment gone wrong. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover that her experiments have brought forth mysterious creatures into our reality.

As Zoe struggles to recall what happened, it will soon become clear that time is running out for her as The Company are growing impatient for results.

The Uncertainty Principle is a sequel to Simon Guerrier’s play The Memory Cheats, which was itself a sequel to Echoes of Grey. Both the central characters of Zoe and Jen return and it is the continuity that makes this release particularly interesting. The Company’s efforts to break through Zoe’s memory block are ramped up further with the knowledge that her life is now at stake. What made The Memory Cheats such an interesting play seems to be lacking in this release. It seems to be more because of the story that Zoe recalls as opposed to her interaction with Jen.

The main story itself is intriguing but is missing the darkness that the previous instalment had. There is some interesting development of Zoe’s character as her logical attitude is put to the test as she unwittingly falls for a young man called Archie, a character central to the main story. To hear Zoe struggling with emotion, which is almost an alien concept to her, is interesting, but I found the story, at times, to be a little pedestrian.

Where the play is really at its best is the interrogation scenes with Jen, played once again by Wendy Padbury’s daughter Charlie Hayes. Both actors give excellent performances and Guerrier drops some very intriguing character development for Jen as we discover more about her own life.

After the distrust which was central to the previous play, we begin to see these characters find some common ground as the situation with The Company begins to intensify. The conclusion promises more from this ongoing story and it will be fascinating to see where Guerrier takes these two characters next time.

The Uncertainty Principle is a not a strong audio play but it is intriguing enough to warrant a further release in this interesting story arc for Zoe.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Matt Fitton

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 31st August 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 27th August 2012

Ace and Hex have just suffered severe mental and psychical torture. Caught in one of The Doctor’s schemes they just barely survived the wrath of Elder Gods. Finally escaping into a now black coloured TARDIS they discover that they are not alone. Inside is former Forge operative Lysandra Astrides and soldier Sally Morgan. 

Both of these women have encountered The Doctor and now claim to have been travelling with him for some months. Confused and seemingly thrown together by design, all of them will have to get past their mutual distrust of one another in the search for The Doctor. By a twist of fate the travellers are separated, arriving in the past and future of one man whose story and name will pass into legend as will the name of the monster he vanquishes. Does the true story about Beowulf and Grendel have any clues to The Doctor’s whereabouts and will the missing Time Lord’s carefully laid plans fall apart at the seams?

Black and White is a story that requires prior knowledge of the last couple of years of Seventh Doctor stories. It is here that the various plot threads that have been littered throughout finally begin to come together. Through the use of flashbacks Matt Fitton does an admirable job of reminding us of all these little clues for anyone coming to this fresh. Your enjoyment of the play however will be increased with an awareness of what has gone on before. 

Black and White is a difficult story to review as a more in-depth examination would give away far too much. In keeping with Doctor Who Online’s spoiler-free policy I will not go into too much detail about what happens except to address some key points.

The Black and White TARDIS plot thread is finally given clarity which reveals some rather fascinating revelations about past adventures and the nature of the TARDIS is general. We get hints as to where this trilogy is heading and it is all strongly linked to adventures gone by. Listening to Black and White makes you want to re-listen to all of the last few Seventh Doctor plays just to see how long this whole plotline has been gestating. 

Not all the answers are given here though as I’m sure all will be fully revealed in the final play of the trilogy Gods and Monsters. Black and White certainly ramps up the excitement for that particular release.

In amongst the revelations is the story of Beowulf and the reality of the how the legend came to be. The difficulty with Black and White is to make room for the lead plot exposition but allow its other story to develop and breathe and it is a credit to Matt Fitton that it does. This story about the reality of the legend of Beowulf could easily have been an adventure in its own right, but as will become clear when you listen carefully; it is linked to the bigger plot going on. Black and White is very entertaining and moves along at a cracking pace thanks to excellent direction by Ken Bentley.

The performances from the main cast are fantastic. It is a real joy to hear Maggie O’Neill and Amy Pemberton as their characters from previous stories Project: Destiny and House of Blue Fire now interacting with our familiar TARDIS crew. Philip Olivier and Sophie Aldred work alongside these new team members really well and there is enough distrust and suspicion to keep the character dynamic always interesting. 

The supporting cast is very strong too - the highlight being Stuart Milligan as Garundel, a character who sounds like a camp and bitchy Billy Crystal. Milligan gives a very funny and memorable performance and it certainly does put a unique twist on the Beowulf legend. 

While not always perfect, Black and White is an entertaining and shocking second chapter which sets up a very promising conclusion to this already fascinating trilogy. 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: James Goss

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st July 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 22nd August 2012

Ian Chesterton once travelled with an extraordinary man. He travelled the universe far and wide and for all the amazing things he saw, he wanted nothing more but to get back home. But now the past is coming back to haunt him as Ian suddenly wakes up in The Chesterton Exhibition located within a mysterious Time Museum dedicated entirely to his past.

The Museum’s curator Pendolin is delighted to find him but he is scared. There is something lurking in the Museum and it wants them both. Whilst on the run Ian’s memories begin to fade and corrupt. Whatever is out there wants Ian’s past and it is very hungry, but can he escape this nightmare and is Pendolin to be trusted?

Ian Chesterton is about to discover just how important the past can mean to his future...

As the Fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who approaches we are incredibly lucky to still have William Russell amongst us. That he is still performing the character of Ian Chesterton after all this time is really quite extraordinary and The Time Museum is a wonderful showcase for his talents.

Presented more as a drama unlike the traditional formula of The Companion Chronicles, Russell gives a magnificent performance. His Ian, though much older, is still the same man that stepped into Totter’s Yard all those years ago.

His co-star Philip Pope who plays Pendolin proves to be an excellent foil to Ian, and Pope gives a very intriguing performance throughout.

The Time Museum is a wonderful examination of one of Doctor Who’s most celebrated and fondly thought of Companions, and continues the development that Big Finish has brought to the character in previous Companion Chronicles. 

In this story Ian Chesterton is a man searching for his identity amongst the painful confusion as his past is being eaten away. The disorientation Ian displays here is beautifully portrayed by Russell as the memories he recounts of adventures past is part of the appeal of this story. There is even a surprising little nod to the Doctor Who and the Daleks target novelisation by David Whittaker, that fans will enjoy picking up on.

This play is a wonderful celebration of the show’s past tinged with a sense of melancholy. Listening to The Time Museum reminds you just how important those early stories were in the development of the show as we know it today. Without Ian and Barbara I don’t think the show would have lasted longer than its allotted thirteen weeks. Nostalgia can sometimes be seen as being over indulgent, but here it never outstays its welcome. The kisses to the past are essential to the plot as Ian desperately tries to cling to his sense of self as he and Pendolin come under threat.

As the big anniversary looms around the corner it is certainly not too early to start celebrating and with The Time Museum, Big Finish has created a perfect birthday present to all devoted Whovians everywhere.

Quite simply this is an essential purchase.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Jonathan Morris

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 31st July 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 22nd August 2012

Albert and Peggy Marsden are certainly a very ordinary elderly couple. Living in the North of England in the late 1980s, they go about their day to day business as political upheaval in the East threatens to spill over into Nuclear War.

Albert, following the Government issued leaflet “Protect and Survive” is busy making the preparations to their countryside home should the very worst come to pass. Peggy is expecting their grown up son to be home at any minute, but they are about to get a visit from two very different people. A girl called Ace and a boy called Hex have arrived out of the blue in a strangely white coloured Police Box. 

Taken in by the couple, Ace and Hex begin to see things are very wrong. History is not following its proper course and if that wasn’t bad enough The Doctor has gone missing. Then as the bombs begin to drop on England both companions realise The Doctor will not be there to save them this time.

One of the greatest fears of the 1980s was the potential of any nation armed with nuclear weapons to launch them towards any country it declared an enemy. Nuclear attack was the ultimate in Cold War paranoia and even now it lingers in the memories of those who grew up in that era.

Protect and Survive, the first release in the new series for The Seventh Doctor addresses these fears in an incredibly disturbing way.

Jonathan Morris has clearly drawn on many sources of inspiration for Protect and Survive. Morris uses actual advice issued by the Government to the populace in the event of a nuclear attack. This is given out in a cold and clipped British dialect by the Marsden’s radio. This object not only creates a great deal of tension, but becomes a very important plot device later in the story. This littering of historical details gives the play a disturbing feel of authenticity and for anyone who has ever watched the BBC’s thoroughly bleak Threads it will certainly conjure up many frightening memories.

The first episode is incredibly well written and does an astounding job of balancing human drama amidst the science fiction and apocalyptic elements of the plot. Sophie Aldred and Philip Olivier are absolutely brilliant throughout this story but particularly so in this episode. Without The Doctor they are the ones we turn to for familiarity in this incredibly horrifying world. We really get to see what makes Ace and Hex work so well as companions.

The rest of the cast is superb with Peggy and Albert brilliantly played by Ian Hogg and Elizabeth Bennett. Their characterisation very strongly put you in mind of the Bloggses from Raymond Briggs' heartbreaking Where the Wind Blows, quite clearly another source of inspiration for this story. As the characters of Peggy and Albert dramatically change with the development of the plot, the impact is given great gravitas by both actors’ great performances.

These stories were mostly recorded whilst Sylvester McCoy was in New Zealand filming for The Hobbit but The Doctor’s slight absence does not lessen his impact on the story. The Doctor comes in at several key moments and McCoy is of course brilliant, but this is more of a story about Ace and Hex. For all The Doctor’s scheming and planning, this time they definitely do not have him around to explain what is going on. They are left in the frightening position of having to figure it all out for themselves.

There are plot threads here which have been developing throughout the last few Seventh Doctor releases. The most intriguing is appearances of the black and white TARDIS. In McCoy’s solo he has a black TARDIS adventures and a White one whilst travelling with Ace and Hex. With a very surprise ending to this story it looks like this trilogy certainly promises to answer these questions.

Protect and Survive does somewhat lose some of its momentum as the plot verges away from the Nuclear story into one that has hints of interplanetary consequences, but it cannot be denied that this is a very strong opening to what promises to be a new dramatic trilogy for The Seventh Doctor.

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Louis Marks

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 20th August 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 18th August 2012

When the TARDIS doors open as the Ship is landing, The Doctor (William Hartnell), with Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) and Ian (William Russell) find themselves reduced to an inch in size. Faced with a whole new world of dangers - from insects to cats, pesticides to homicides, there's a lot standing between the tiny travellers and a very, very small blue Police Box...

Planet Of Giants is a wonderfully imagined three part story featuring the original TARDIS crew. It's a very different idea for this early stage of Doctor Who (although Irwin Allen's Land Of The Giants made a much longer story of the same subject matter on US television a little later on) but works very well indeed, with some brilliant props on the show, some wonderful back projection shots set at Ealing Film Studios, and some stellar performances from both the main and supporting cast.

The audio and visual properties are top notch as usual in this single-disc release, with the restoration showing the vintage material in the best possible light. The release is also bolstered by some great extras... and a truly baffling one.

Special Features:

Episodes 3 & 4 Reconstruction - Back in the day, Sydney Newman ordered the editing and rejigging of episodes three and four into one instalment, as they dragged, lacked tension and took too long to resolve the story. It works very well as a result and the story moves along at a cracking pace. So why in the name of sanity would you now get the half-completed scenes and reusing existing footage and photographs undo that editing to provide two episodes where the story drags along, instead of the finished article? Frankly it's a mystery, however it's here if you want to put yourself through it. Not a bad extra per se, but certainly a puzzling one, as it's completely unnecessary.

Rediscovering The Urge To Live - Ian Levine, William Russell and Carole Ann Ford reminisce about Planet Of Giants almost 50 years on from the original story, whilst Ed Stradling talks about why they decided to remake the cut scenes for this release. Ford looks bored, although her coaching of the Hartnell "soundalike" is a moment of sheer wonder. A very short piece, but it amuses me no end that Ian Levine wants us to see if we can tell the difference between his scenes and the original filmed ones. Promoting an unnecessary extra with another unnecessary extra at the expense of a proper look back at the serial seems to verge on the ridiculous.

Suddenly Susan - Carole Ann Ford talks Susan Foreman and her role in Doctor Who; her clothes and hair, her co-stars, and shooting schedules. Ford seems to remember her time on the show very clearly, both the good and the bad of the series, and she's certainly honest about it all. There's a warmth and humour to Carole Ann Ford, and her views show this effortlessly. An often overlooked character in Doctor Who, Susan Foreman really did go through a great deal during her time in the TARDIS, and it's refreshing to hear Ford reminisce. The whole interview, as with so many on recent DVD releases, is culled from The Story Of Doctor Who.

The Lambert Tapes: The Doctor - The late, and exceptionally great Verity Lambert talks about the genesis of the characters from the very earliest days of Doctor Who and where the programme has gone since then. Lambert, who was never less than entertaining and informative in any interviews, covers many subjects in this archive footage and makes some perfectly valid points when it comes to things like whether children found the show too frightening. With some fantastic name checks and recognition for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's finest (step forward Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson). Culled footage from 2003 (again) it may be, but this above any other recent DVD interview is required viewing. Verity Lambert was a genius, and her views hold as true today as they were back in 1963, or 2003. Simply wonderful.

Coming Soon Trailer - When the TARDIS suffers the failure of its transpower systems, The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri (Nicola Bryant) make an emergency trip to Varos. With cannibals, public executions and the odious Sil (Nabil Shaban on amazing form), the Time Lord has to fight for his continued existence – all screened on public television to keep the populace entertained… Vengeance On Varos: Special Edition is next up for release!

As always with the Classic Series DVDs Audio Description is available, should it be wanted or needed, and there’s a Photo Gallery of stills from in front of, and behind the camera. There’s also the Radio Times segments from the story in PDF format, for which you’ll need to be viewing on a computer. There’s the obligatory Info Text to give you facts and figures on screen as you watch the unfolding story, and as already mentioned, the DVD has been remastered for optimal visual and audio quality.

Planet Of Giants is an odd tale in itself – the idea may not lend itself to Doctor Who mythos easily, but the execution and production of the story proves what a versatile format the show is. The tale itself entertains effortlessly, and most of the extras are great; with the exception of the main one. The reconstructed parts offer little value and the usual “making of” documentary could have been a lot better. Balancing this are the two interviews with Ford and Lambert, which are both wonderful, insightful and worth the price of the DVD on their own. A must have, certainly; but not for the reconstruction.

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Stephen Wyatt

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 30th July 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 3rd August 2012

When the TARDIS is invaded by the intergalactic equivalent of junk mail, The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) are drawn to the world of Segonax, and the Psychic Circus. With sinister clowns in hearses, intergalactic explorers and a very strange family who don't ever seem to be entertained, something's not right; and it's down to the Time Lord to set things back on course.

Coming towards the end of the Classic series, there's still some rather famous faces doing their star turn (Dame Peggy Mount, for example, and T P McKenna), and popular TV personalities of the time Jessica Martin and Gian Sammarco as Mags and Whizzkid respectively.

The story is not great. Most of the series is looking very tired at this stage, and although the main cast do a stellar job with what they're given, it all looks very cheap and lacklustre. The cliffhanger to episode one is non-existant and the other episodes don't fare much better; the story is fairly dismal and seems to drag along - although Sophie Aldred in particular shines as the rebellious teenager who's got a dislike of clowns with a valid reason.

The supporting cast - with the exception of Dame Peggy Mount and Jessica Martin - are mostly unlikable and stilted; Flowerchild and Bellboy are pleasant enough characters, (and Bellboy is very pretty to look at) but the clowns, Deadbeat, Nordand especially mickey-take-of-Whovians Whizzkid are lame pastiches of cliches that have no place in what should be a decent drama. The incidental music is too electronic and late 1980s synth, and is tinny and doesn't work at evoking moods; it's all just rather bland and boring, sadly - much like the majority of the story. After the brilliance of Dragonfire, and the masterpiece that was Remembrance of the Daleks, this story seems a real let down; albeit one with an explosive finale...

The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is a single disc release from the BBC Consumer Products label and as always with the DVD releases, the sound and vision are optimal, and there are a raft of extras on the disc to support thie story.

Special Feautres:

Commentary - This time we've got main cast member Sophie Aldred (Ace) and guest cast Jessica Martin (Mags) and Christopher Guard (Bellboy the eyecandy) along with crew members Stephen Wyatt (writer), Andrew Cartmel (script editor) and musical maestro Mark Ayres. Moderated as always by Toby Hadoke, there's some interesting snippets about the show's limitations and the problems the production went through.

The Show Must Go On - The expected behind the scenes documentary on the making of Greatest Show, which sheds a lot of new light on the serial. From the appalling title for the story, via clowns and their sinister aura, the story and the making of the show are deconstructed and examined, and it does let the viewer understand where a great many of the show's problems came from.  It's very interesting and fascinating to watch, and the information imparted really does give a very different view of the circus and the drama. There's a lot of love that comes across for the story from the cast and crew alike, and happily their enthusiasm is infectious. Ian Reddington looks like he really needs a decent shower, unfortunately, but the rest of the contributors are top notch.  First rate featurette.

Deleted And Extended Scenes - From model shots of the TARDIS and the junkbot to Captain Cook driving his little jeep, there's a plethora of things that were edited out of the aired show for timing or editorial reasons. It's about the same as the story though; a little dowdy and down at the heel, and the interest isn't held for too long when the main cast aren't on screen.

Lost In The Darkness - A short look at the unused model shots for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. There's some lovely model shots of the TARDIS spinning away in space, with her lamp gently flashing away.  An amazing little sequence that never made it  air because it was "too dark".

The Psychic Circus - A music video. No, really. A horrible piece of tat made of stuttering visuals from the show, with the vocals provided by the guest cast. Would have suited the mid 1990s era Top of the Pops, in the era of dreadful noise masquerading as music tracks.  With inane lyrics such as "There is no escaping us / We are the Psychic Circus!", the one redeeming factor is it's mercifully short and eminently forgettable.

Remembrance "Demo" - More of Mark's Melodies, this time Ayres' demo work for the soundtrack of Remembrance of the Daleks. Whilst it still sounds very clunky and electronic, it's a whole load better than the Greatest Show soundtrack, and this brief set of clips from earlier in the season shows just how good some of the stories really are - to the current release's detriment. Mildly interesting rather than engrossing, and diverting enough because Remebrance of the Daleks was such a good story.

Tomorrow's Times: The Seventh Doctor - Anneke Wills hosts this episode of the series looking at the press reaction to the seventh Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy, and his stories.  It's a dark piece, sadly, showing just how badly the show was being received and reviewed by both the press and the fans alike. Anneke is a breath of fresh air and always lovely to watch, and the Points Of View style voiceovers are wonderfully pointed and cliche, to great effect.  However the whole piece is painful to watch for the mauling Who receives constantly from the British Press of the age.

Victoria Wood Sketch - Jim Broadbent IS The Doctor!   The Doctor and Fiona run into old enemy Crayola in this witty and suprisingly accurate Doctor Who sketch from Victoroia Wood As Seen On TV.  The effects and the technobabble are spot on for the era, and Broadbent's Doctor has a costume comprising parts of Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Colin Baker's wardrobes. Short but very funny!

Coming Soon Trailer - Oh dear, the TARDIS is playing up and the doors open as the Ship lands, reducing the Police Box and it's occupants to around an inch tall. Join the first Doctor, Susan, Barbara and Ian as they make small steps in a very big world, where domestic cats can be lethal and everything looks very, very large... Planet Of Giants is the next DVD release.

With the usual audio navigation available, a photo gallery of still from both in front of and behnd the camera, four episodes worth of Info Text to give you factoid and figures onscreen during the main story, and the PDF versions of the Radio Times Listings - and possibly the most boring Easter Egg in history (repeated elsewhere in a major extra, so what was the point?), The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is very much divided in two as a disc.  Whilst the story is somewhat uninspiring, the thought and love behind the show liven up the extras to the degree where your view of the story is almost improved as a result. Almost. It doesn't quite work, but it's certainly a valiant attempt.

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 2nd July 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st July 2012

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton, on top form) steps from the TARDIS into a planet inhabited by not very bright people. These people - The Gonds - are bred and taught to be two-legged cattle, no more and no less. They mill around and get on with their lives, quite happy with the fact that they've been feeding their best and brightest (a bit of an oxymoron considering) to a machine for the past couple of generations; in the mistaken belief that they will be "companions to the Krotons". What they've actually beeing doing is providing target practice for the inbuilt system that gets rid of thickies.

Together with Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), The Doctor must pit his wits against the owners of the machine, The Krotons themselves; strangely accented giant vacuum cleaners with ideas above their station. The task they face is huge: defeat The Krotons, teach The Gonds how to fight back effectively, and reverse the conditioning and stupidity that the learning machines (another oxymoron) instil into the populace.

This four-part story, release as a single disc from BBC Worldwide, showcases Patrick Troughton's Doctor perfectly. From the moment he emerges from the Police Box exterior of the TARDIS he's obviously completely in his element. He takes charge of situations with ease, and you get the feeling that this is a very easy day for him; almost a distraction to stop him from getting bored. Zoe manages to cause a lot of trouble and needs rescuing, and Jamie... isn't given a great deal to do.

Notable for the only appearance to date of the TARDIS' H.A.D.S - a very clever idea; The Krotons is a fairly fast moving tale that entertains effortlessly, even if a few of the effects are somewhat less than special.

The usual magic has been woven on the story's audio and visual properties and is pin sharp as a result, and as happens with some of the older Who stories the black and white print works really well for the story, and lends a credence to the alien world and the Krotons themselves.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke talks over the credits again to introduce the people around the table for The Krotons. On this occasion, they are: cast wise, the late, great Philip Madoc (Eelek in this story, and so many other roles in Doctor Who), Richard Ireson (Axus), and Gilbert Wynne (Thara). From the technical and behind the scenes department are Richard Tilley (assistant floor manager), Sylvia James (make up designer), Bobi Bartlett (costume designer) and Brian Hodgson (special sound guru, and the man who invented the TARDIS demat noise!)

Informative as ever and gently entertaining, and always kept in good humour by Hadoke, the commentary doesn't stand out as one of the most memorable in the DVD series, but it's certainly not bad. It might have possibly been helped by having one of the main cast - either Padbury or Hines, present to lend it some more humour and a different perspective for some parts.

Second Time Around - A look at the reinvention of Doctor Who into the Troughton era; both in direction and and portrayal. This behind the scenes look at the show's renewal has contributions from Anneke Wills (Polly to the First and Second Doctors), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Christopher Barry and modern era Doctor Who writers Rob Shearman and Gary Russell.  

An honest look that finally lays to rest the myth that William Hartnell chose to leave, and the ins and outs of the companions' entrances and exits and the transition from the historical adventure to the monster era of Doctor Who. It also covers the episode junkings of the 1960s, when the archive started being wiped for the sake of space. Informative, if a little talky, but entertaining and the narrative flows very easily.

Doctor Who Stories - Frazer Hines: Part One - With the usual animated beginnIng (albeit tailored to his run on the programme) Frazer Hines talks us through his time on Who. The footage used is not new, it's culled from 2003 and The Story of Doctor Who. It's fast and not terribly in-depth, but Frazer is always engaging and entertaining, so there's no chance of boredom creeping in.

For a short piece, the gentleness and informality of the extra turn it into something wonderful, and you can tell from first glance that Frazer still holds a great deal of affection for Jamie McCrimmon.

The Doctor's Strange Love: The Krotons - Oh. They're back. "Simon Gond" and "Joe Gond" (this time without "Josie Gond") are back in Sarah Jane's attic to discuss The Krotons. Unlike the other instalments of this extra series, this one's not actually bad at all; the duo seem to be a lot more positive about the story, and a decent discussion about the best elements of The Krotons ensues. A huge, quantum leap of an improvement on the previous editions as the sillyness and the constant barbing has been removed.

There's a lot to like in this little extra, and with the removal of the sneering tone, and a look at what's good, great, and works well in the televised story, this Doctor's Strange Love manages to go a long way towards redeeming itself.

Coming Soon Trailer - Do you like the circus? The Psychic Circus is certainly different to most others you might have visited: The Doctor, Ace, a robot from Rentaghost, a werewolf and the gods of Ragnarock. Robot ticket inspectors and sinister clowns. All coming soon to a DVD near you, as The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is the next release off the starting blocks.

There's Audio Navigation for those who many want or need it, and the usual helping of Info Text to give you facts and figures on-screen during the story included too. Add in the Radio Times Listings available in PDF format if you're viewing the content on a computer; and a Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes stills of the story, and you have The Krotons on DVD.

Whilst the story itself may not be an all-conquering fan favourite, this DVD has plenty going for it. It's one of the few complete Troughton stories, and shows perfectly just what an amazing Doctor Patrick was. The Krotons, although hardly terrifying, are a decently realised adversary, and the story keeps a cracking pace through it's four episodes. The extras put on the disc, whilst hardly numerous, are some of the best produced (especially "Second Time Around") and with Mssrs. Guerrier and Lidster upping their game considerably this is a well rounded, great value release.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Marc Platt

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: 30th June 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 21st July 2012

The TARDIS is hit by an errant stream of zygma energy, putting the time ship into peril and sending Nyssa and Turlough into the time stream. They arrive on a desolate snow-bound wasteland where the bodies of aged and withered people are falling out of the air, littering the landscape in a sea of corpses. Amongst this graveyard there is one survivor who is barely alive. This man claims to know who Nyssa and Turlough are and that they will both play an important part in future events.

The Doctor and Tegan, meanwhile, in a desperate search to find their missing friends trace the zygma energy to the ruined countryside of Brisbane in the 51st Century. The Doctor is anxious to find his friends and get away as soon as possible, as this war torn century holds far too many horrors. Through sinister events The Doctor is captured by the cold and ruthless alien scientist Findeker and Tegan comes under the protection of the Earth Free Media, made up of journalists investigating and reporting on the wrong-doings of Earth’s Supreme Alliance.

One of the most important events in the Alliance’s history is about to take place. The Icelandic Alliance has sent a delegation to establish a new trade accord and the Supreme Alliance representative chosen to oversee this affair is the Minister of Justice, Magnus Greel. 

As Tegan and The Doctor will discover to their horror, this historic chain of events could not have come into fruition without the help of Greel’s bride to be; Nyssa of Traken.

The Butcher of Brisbane is quite simply brilliant, which makes it incredibly difficult to review...To spoil one moment of this play is to rob the listener of one of the best Fifth Doctor Big Finish stories ever made. 

Marc Platt has pulled together the tantalising nuggets of information that were littered by Robert Holmes in The Talons of Weng-Chiang and created a more than worthy prequel to that story. How Platt makes each reference work within the confines of this play is extraordinary and Big Finish must be applauded for handing this story to him. 

Bold in its execution and unafraid to address the complex, dark and even sympathetic elements of Magnus Greel - the man, this play works not only as a brilliant time travel thriller but an excellent character study.

The main cast are the best they have ever been with everyone getting an equal amount of time to take centre stage. No one in this story feels like they have no strong contribution to make including the most minor of supporting characters. Sarah Sutton must be singled out from the main cast as she delivers an incredible performance, as Nyssa shows how even a monster can induce some sympathy in others.

Angus Wright as Greel is sensational. To take over from the late and great Michael Spice is no easy feat and Wright makes the character his own by delivering a complex yet quite clearly damaged individual. He plays Greel, like all psychopaths, as a man able to exude charm whilst hiding and sometimes unleashing a dangerous and deluded edge. The Greel in the Butcher of Brisbane is a much more human monster than the ruined creature he is destined to become. Here is a bureaucrat, abusing his position with dirty tricks and slowly giving in to his own paranoia. 

Rupert Frazer is quite brilliant as the cold Sa Yy Findecker, a scientist damaged so much by his own discovery that he becomes a grim foreshadowing of the events of Weng-Chiang . 

With so much reference to the past it was inevitable that the Peking Homunculus Mr Sin would make an appearance. Lacking the visual element of the murderous doll, Big Finish has rendered Mr Sin on audio in a simple yet effective way. By focusing on the porcine component of Sin’s cyborg brain, they bring him to life through the use of a series of grunts and pig like snorts which make the character incredibly creepy and grotesque.

The story is bold in using a cyclical storyline to satisfying yet tragic effect. There is a real sense of doom and foreboding running throughout the play, made more effective given the benefit of hindsight with the familiarity of having see Talons.

For anyone worried how a future version of The Doctor would work when up against a past version of a villain who hasn’t met him yet, I’m happy to say that Marc Platt solves this in a very simple way which does not damage the story's credibility.

Technically the play is superb, as Fool Circle Productions contribute a brilliant sound design and musical score with the play's direction being expertly handled by the great Ken Bentley.

It is difficult to find anything wrong with this release except a personal disappointment towards an only fleeting mention of the infamous Filipino army at Reykjavik, but such a criticism is only a minor thing when there is so much to enjoy here.

The Butcher of Brisbane is a superb closing to this Fifth Doctor season and one of the best Big Finish audios of the year. An essential listen.

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Terry Nation

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 18th June 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 25th June 2012

The TARDIS suffers a mains power loss, and materialises in a foggy gravel pit on the planet Exxilon. The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) must leave the stricken craft and investigate their surroundings if they hope to repair the TARDIS, but the planet is teeming with hostile life forms and the odd duplicitous Human. However when The Doctor's worst enmies arrive on the scene, affected by the same power problem, it's up to the Time Lord to defeat The Daleks, an intelligent city and an assortment of locals intent on sacrificing everyone possible to their indigenous deity... or a metal snaky root. This single disc BBC release boasts the usual cleaned up and sparkling audiovisual experience, backed up by a decent set of extras and even an Easter Egg hidden away on one of the screens.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke hosts the all-male guest list for this commentary, with Julian Fox (Hamilton), Richard Leyland (Assistant Floor Manager), Michael Briant (Director), L Rowland Warne (Costume Designer), and Dick Millks (Special Sound Maestro) all gathered to discuss the story and its plusses and minuses. Although it can seem to lack the humour of some of the more recent commentary tracks, it is packed full of information and little-known facts, and the featurette runs effortlessly along through the story.

Isolated Score - Are you a fan of saxophones?  Repetitive saxophones playing the same theme for The Daleks over and over and over, with the occasional use of someone with a metal thimble over a metal board to provide more annoying noises, somehow meant to represent Exxilons attacking. It's all a bit bizarre and surreal, but it's all available in the Audio Options section, next to the Commentary.

Beneath The City Of The Exxilons - A rather upset Dalek introduces and narrates this behind-the-scenes look at the serial. Noting creator Terry Nation's parallels with current events of the time, the story's cast crew and current Dalek supremo Nicholas Briggs discuss the origins, locations and power issues with the production. On a majorly positive note, the extra has started using backdrops again as opposed to the dismal stark white background of other recent releases, and the Dalek that trundles across the bottom of the screen introducing guests is just marvellously diverting and amusing. A great use of graphics and "Dalek technology" to illustrate points and segueway scenes add to the brilliance of this extra. A real gem of an feature.

Studio Recording - One of the studio blocks of recording, with The Doctor, the Earth party, and some truly brilliant CSO trickery (yes, that's sarcasm) join the Daleks in this extra - from a time when stories were mostly recorder in order, not as later years when it was done with all relevant scenes on each set in turn. Some rather fun subtitles to illustrate the more visual points - such as appalling mattresses - enhance the amusement, and although not a great deal happens, it's a fascinating look at how old school Who was produced.

On The Set Of Dr. Who And The Daleks - Here's something rather special. Jason Flemyng (he of Primeval, and offspring of director Gordon Flemyng) talks us through - with the aid of Marcus Hearn - the mute film trims from the first big screen version of Doctor Who in 1965. Lots of fascinating clips of Peter Cushing's first outing with The Daleks, and some very nice snippets from Dalek operators and crew fill out the story nicely. Jason Flemyng is eminently likable from the off, and it's nice to feel that he's got a new look at his Father's career as well. A real rarity, a truly wonderful look into the past and an entertaining and thoroughly wonderful extra. A must see, and would make the DVD worth buying alone.

Doctor Who Stories: Dalek Men - The operators of the ever cranky alien dustbins get their moment to shine. John Scott Martin and Nicholas Evans, (footage for both being culled from an interview back in 2003) talk about how to operate a Dalek, how they got the jobs, and Dalek salaries!  Another fun and interesting diversion that even manages to cover how Daleks go to the toilet. Not exactly anything new, as we all know from old VHS releases like "Daleks: The Early Years" how the perambulating pepperpots work, but extra stories about the Slyther, and William Hartnell hold the interest.

Coming Soon Trailer - The Doctor-Gond (Patrick Troughton), Zo-Gond (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie-Gond (Frazer Hines) take on some oversized vacuum cleaners with delusions of grandeur, whilst Philip Madoc attempts to wreck some early internet terminals and start a very badly thought out revolution, and the TARDIS shows off a flashy new trick. The next scheduled release is The Krotons, coming soon!

There's also a Photo Gallery of behind-the-scenes and publicity shots from the serial, the Radio Times listings for Death To The Daleks (available in PDF format), Info Text giving extra information as the adventure unfolds on-screen, as well as Audio Navigation and Subtitles for those who many need or want them.

Death To The Daleks hasn't dated terribly well in the effects department, and the bright silver Daleks aren't really looking their best, but they still manage to convey a chilling dose of xenophobia with their trigger happy machine guns firing in all directions. The story stands up very well however, and cast and crew hold the attention effortlessly. The host of extras on this single disc release are equally impressive, with some absolute treasures, and everything is bang on target at holding the attention and providing quality entertainment. Can't fault the DVD, and with its superb clean-up of the archive footage, it's a must-have.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Eddie Robson

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st May 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th May 2012

Jamie McCrimmon is trapped. Trapped not only within a four wall cell but within several time streams and not all of them are in the right order. 

His interrogator, and at some points prisoner Moran is interested in The Doctor and his agenda towards the local alien race the Unhelt. Jamie maintains that the Unhelt are harmless and that The Doctor trusts them. But why does Jamie keep switching from prisoner to captor and why do the Unhelt seem to be the enemy he believed they weren’t?

It soon becomes clear that someone is playing a game with Jamie. But it seems that there are two more players than just the highlander and Moran. The mysterious Si is behind it all, informing The Doctor that Jamie is indeed part of a game and it is one that will guarantee his freedom, if he can put the pieces of the puzzle in the right order.

Jamie McCrimmon must now face a test not just of his own resources but of his trust in the Doctor as he may not be right this time around.

Big Finish has recently been experimenting with the format of The Companion Chronicles by releasing them as audio dramas rather than talking books. This can be seen in the recent release Binary and the same format is used here to great effect. The nature of the story allows the pace to be kept at a great momentum in the audio drama format and as a result the story never feels boring.

The Jigsaw War is an intriguing play and certainly not one for a causal listen. This story, with its jumping about in time at an almost disorientating pace, demands your attention. Part of the fun is hearing Jamie trying to figure out his escape route as we hear him in both increasingly desperate and relatively calm situations within the same room. 

Frazer Hines is superb as Jamie especially when he is on the defensive about The Doctor towards Moran. This story is again another opportunity to hear Hines’ uncanny impersonation of Patrick Troughton, this time given full credit as The Doctor and not Jamie impersonating him. When these moments come they are delightful as Hines really acts like the Second Doctor which lends it more authenticity than simply doing a heightened impression of Troughton. It is a joy to listen to.

Hine’s fellow cast member Dominic Mafham is terrific as Moran, particularly as the actor has to play the character at several points in a very disjointed timeline. These moments require many different emotional states which Dafham excels at. He makes for a wonderful straight sparring partner against the rough and ready Scot and the contrast is admirably brought to life by both Hines and Mafham.

Deep within the puzzle of the play are some very interesting questions about The Doctor that Moran raises to Jamie during their interrogations. These mostly concern the off audio Unhelt and The Doctor’s opinion of them. The Unhelt to Jamie and The Doctor are simply subjugated and oppressed by Moran’s people whereas Moran present s a plausible case that they are dangerous and his people’s methods in containing them while admittedly cruel do serve a greater purpose in keeping the peace between the races. It is suggested by Moran that The Doctor simply takes things on face value and sees only a small part of the picture without full possession of the facts. This does cause an interesting moral dilemma for Jamie but it is brushed away somewhat by the far bigger puzzle that is the main story.

When the conclusion comes it is rather abrupt and does not really leave the listener fully satisfied. However, writer Eddie Robson has been rather clever to design the story in such a way that when the story is over, a way is offered to the listener to hear the adventure in the correct chronological order of events. It is a clever twist and adds a great deal of replay value to the listener.

The Jigsaw War is an enjoyable Companion Chronicle despite some of the more intriguing ideas being swamped by the main narrative in whatever order you choose to listen to it. A recommended listen.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Alan Barnes

RRP: £10.99

Release Date: 31st May 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th May 2012

Derbyshire in the year 1979. The Doctor and Leela arrive in the middle of a hunt for a missing girl.

Confronted by suspicious locals and the retired though rather unhinged Colonel Spindelton, the travellers begin to discover that everyone is living in fear of an ancient legend from the time of the Romans. It tells of a great White Worm, living in the Dark Peak Gap surfacing only for the flesh of animals or children.

Since the Derbyshire countryside is rife with trails of mysterious slime and missing people, all evidence suggests that the Worm is much more than a mere legend.

The Doctor begins his investigation of the strange events but he is not the only Time Lord interested in the White Worm. This Time Lord has been waiting and planning for a long time and the Worm is essential to his schemes. The Doctor is about to confront an ancient evil and a very old nemesis. 

Trail of the White Worm is not only a love letter to Bram Stoker and the Hammer Horror influences of the Philip Hinchcliffe era, but the return of The Master to Big Finish.

It is no secret that the character was coming back and the weight of expectation to see Geoffrey Beevers return to the role opposite Tom Baker was huge. The last time these two actors met as their characters was Baker’s penultimate story The Keeper of Traken, so it is a little disappointing that this adventure is not as strong as one would hope.

Having said that when The Master is present Beevers’ performance is sublime; dripping with menace, charm and a gleefully sadistic nature. When The Doctor and The Master finally confront one another it is tantalisingly brief but promises great moments to come in the next story.

Trail of the White Worm is a standalone adventure which concludes as a direct set up for the finale of the first Fourth Doctor season. It is only towards the end of part two that we see the story setting up the next act and this rather hurts it, as, upon reflection, the story begins to feel a little rushed. This is a shame as the concept and ideas on display here are so good.

As soon as The Doctor and Leela arrive we head straight into the adventure, and the marvellously mysterious characters that are set up either have their motivations exposed quickly or are dispatched just as fast. This is more evident in the supporting characters such as the wonderfully mad Colonel Spindelton and the rather enigmatic Demesne Furze. Spindelton’s motivations are explained but his reasoning for siding with The Master seems rather fickle but then again people have done far worse things for the most selfish of excuses. Furze, a character we eventually learn is crucial not only to this story but in helping to spark the beginning of the next one comes perilously close to being merely a plot device by the end. This is in no way a reflection on the cast as everyone is on top form.

Tom Baker and Louise Jameson continue the wonderful rapport they have built throughout this season and once again prove that age and time are no barriers to them returning to these classic parts. Michael Cochrane is fantastic as the barking mad Spindelton and Rachel Stirling creates a real sense of mystery in her portrayal as Furze which elevates her character from becoming too much of a device to simply get the story going. 

Trail of the White Worm feels like it should have been a much longer and darker tale than what we have here, but despite its flaws it is still very entertaining, but you cannot escape the feeling that this story is merely a stepping stone to a much larger one.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Barnaby Edwards 

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 30th April 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 2nd May 2012

It is 1926 and in Calcutta, The Doctor and his companions arrive, not to soak up the atmosphere of Imperial India, but to watch a cricket match. Things are never that simple in The Doctor’s life as they are immediately attacked by a rabid man who infects Nyssa with a virus. After the TARDIS and the urgently needed medical supplies end up on a private train, The Doctor and his companions are separated. Helped by a local archaeologist he discovers that there is more to Nyssa’s condition than meets the eye.

All roads seem to be leading deep within the jungle, to a lost land where nature, myth and evil lurk. This is the realm of the fabled Emerald Tiger.

This is the first in the third trilogy of stories featuring The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Turlough. It is pleasing to know that Big Finish has a lot of faith in these releases as The Emerald Tiger is certainly one of the best plays for this TARDIS team since Heroes of Sontar.

For a start the performances from the entire cast are excellent. The main TARDIS crew, especially Peter Davison are on top form and it reminds you just why this is one of the strongest groupings in the main Big Finish range. 

Barnaby Edwards has put together a stellar supporting cast with the wonderful Cherie Lunghi leading the charge as Lady Forster. Lunghi instils in the Lady Forster, a quiet but very strong sense of dignity and resolve in the face of extreme personal danger and in dealing with the tragedy that the character has suffered. It is the strongest performance in the play and I hope that Lunghi’s services are called on again by Big Finish as she has a natural voice for audio.

Central to the story are both the roles of Professor Narayan and the highly intriguing character of Dawon played by the lovely Vineeta Rishi. It would be a horrible thing to spoil the true motivation and nature of their characters (especially Dawon) so I shall refrain from giving too much away. Both actors are very well cast and both characters are our guides into the realm of the Emerald Tiger and the dark secrets that lie within.

Neil Stacy is great as the villainous bounder Major Haggard, who, as The Doctor rightly observes is “a walking embodiment of everything that’s going to bring down the British Raj.” He is dastardly, cold and sometimes rather charming despite the awful deeds he commits. But Haggard is just small fry compared to the real villain of the piece.

Shardul Khan is a wonderful creation; a character hidden in the shadows until the conclusion, his menace is excellently conveyed by the vocal talent of Vincent Ebrahim and his performance is one of the plays many highlights.

From a technical point of view, The Emerald Tiger is brilliant as it offers an incredibly rich sound design by Howard Carter who also provides a suitably beautiful and authentic score. Barnaby Edwards and Carter have worked closely together on the Textbook Stuff audio book series and Carter brings the same quality and skill to Big Finish. Carter’s work gives the play an incredibly epic feel and does much to story the imagination during the many action sequences Edwards has put into the story. 

Edwards had littered The Emerald Tiger with many references to the colonial literature of India under British rule and anything pulp related. There are strong echoes of The Jungle Book, King Solomon’s Mines and even a charming nod to Tarzan. Characters have names such as Forster and Burroughs which are of course all linked strongly to the jungle tale theme. Listeners who are familiar with their literature will enjoy spotting the references whilst being swept along by the story.

The Emerald Tiger is an adventure story steeped in the mythology and magic one associates with India particularly of that period. For the first three parts of the play the pace is kept very high; even expositional conversations feel exciting and there are many classic action set pieces used throughout. From a car crash to a fight for survival on a train, there really is never a fully dull moment in this play.

The only sad thing is that a little of the momentum of the first three parts is lost near the conclusion of the fourth. The play seems to wrap itself up a little too quickly and there is a slight lack of an emotional pay off. This IS merely a minor niggle from me as there is so much to enjoy here.

The Emerald Tiger is a highly enjoyable play and an incredibly strong start in a new trilogy from one of Big Finish’s finest Writer / Directors.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Richard Dinnick

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 30th April 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 26th April 2012

The TARDIS arrives in Siberia near the end of the 19th century as shooting star has falls from the sky. Its arrival heralds a strange illness that effects not only the local population but the Doctor and his granddaughter Susan. The object from the stars brings not only sickness but knowledge so powerful it would be catastrophic in the wrong hands.

With time running out Ian Chesterton must rely on the help of a mysterious wanderer Grigory, a man who believes God has granted him the gift to heal those in need. The stakes are high for Ian as the alien object offers not only answers to save The Doctor but the chance he and Barbara have been waiting for: a way home.

The Wanderer is an interesting Companion Chronicle as it not only a rather good story but a lovely exploration of what it is to be a wanderer who wishes to go home.

The strongest part of this release is the great William Russell, a man with a real gift for narration and character. Whenever I hear a new Ian Chesteron Companion Chronicle I always imagine sitting by the fire with a drink, listening to Ian recount his adventures, such is the quiet brilliance of Russell’s performances. They are special as he is one of the old guard; the original TARDIS team and just listening to him you‘re instantly transported back to that golden era in 1963.

It is not so much a spoiler to reveal Grigory’s true identity as writer, Richard Dinnick piles the clues up to such a degree it would be foolish not to guess this wanderer is the infamous “Mad Monk” Rasputin. In an odd way The Wanderer acts as a sort of origin story for Rasputin, playing with the legend of the man’s supposedly mystical healing powers and gifts of prophecy. Tim Chipping is excellent in the role of Grigory, adding a more troubled and human element to this most vilified of historical figures.

The rest of the story which deals with the alien race responsible for the alien object and the resolution of Rasputin's story are interesting but what really captures your attention is the insight into Ian Chesterton. He is a man who, despite being fascinated by his adventures with The Doctor, is absolutely determined to get home. It is a striking reminder that in recent years, The Doctor’s companions have been so up for adventure it is easy to forget that Ian and Barbara ended up in the TARDIS by accident. They didn’t ask to be wanderers in the fourth dimension; they do not want to be facing death every other day. He wants to be at home, with the familiar and the comforting, such as a pint of beer at the pub or listening to the Test Match Special. Much is made that Ian has Barbara with him, a friendship and someone he loves and values very deeply. Barbara is someone Ian can relate to as they are in this situation together and the outcome at this time is unknown.

Of course we all know that Ian and Barbara will get home but it is fascinating to explore the hope, disappointment and sheer determination that Ian has to get back to his old life.

The Wanderer is an absorbing tale in which, despite its good story and guest star, is more interesting when it focuses on Ian himself.

That said any Companion Chronicle in which William Russell is involved is more than worth your time.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Nicholas Briggs

RRP: £10.99

Release Date: 30th April 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 26th April 2012

The Doctor and Leela return to Earth in the year 2025. The planet is suffering a severe energy crisis and the GlobeSphere Corporation is about to test a solution. With a giant satellite dish at the top of the National Gallery in London, head of GlobeSphere and radical thinker Damien Stephens' plans save humanity. But talk of backroom deals and corruption has brought thousands of protestors to Trafalgar Square lead by Stephen’s former colleague Jack Coulson. But something is very wrong. 

Before landing, The Doctor detected a mysterious energy signal and the crowds are being dispersed and arrested by armed GlopeSphere employees. It isn’t long before the Doctor and Leela are separated and with Coulson’s help the Time Lord begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

Has Damien Stephens not just sold out on his beliefs but humanity as well? The source of the energy signal will bring The Doctor face to face once again with his deadliest enemy.

We all know that this is the one we have been waiting for. The Fourth Doctor is back against the Daleks in this fun adventure from Dalek supreme Nicholas Briggs.

The Fourth Doctor’s encounters with The Daleks on television were rather odd affairs, as Genesis of the Daleks and Destiny of the Daleks were very much centred on Davros. Briggs has chosen wisely to tell a very traditional Dalek story, using the nostalgic elements of the Dalek stories we love, such as including the Robomen, the main antagonist under their control. Even their ultimate plan brings The Dalek Invasion of Earth strongly to mind. While some may think of this as heavy borrowing, I would argue that as a piece of nostalgia, Energy of the Daleks hits all the right notes.

For a two parter, the plot moves at a breckneck pace and there is enough going on and satisfactory resolution to the story that it never feels rushed.

Do the Daleks fare well in this story?  Nicholas Briggs has always been one of the best writers for Daleks but here some avid listeners of Big Finish may feel he has taken a bit of a step back. Big Finish has done much to evolve The Daleks as characters in their previous audio adventures, including Briggs' own Dalek Empire series.

There are times when a Dalek should simply be a Dalek, a squawking, scheming tin can of cybernetic nastiness and this is the direction Briggs has chosen to take. It is a lot of fun to hear them get angry when The Doctor outsmarts them and is enough to tickle the most cynical bone of any fan.

This was the first audio Tom Baker recorded for Big Finish and there are moments when you can tell he is searching for the character again, finding the balance between the humour and drama. But this in no way damages his performance as he is still very much The Fourth Doctor.

Louise Jameson is simply excellent as Leela and due to her strong performance you can easily believe Leela would possess a powerful enough mind to resist a Dalek Mind probe. What has been so impressive throughout these adventures so far is Big Finish’s keenness to right some of the sexist wrongs imposed on past companions, such as Leela preferring trainers over high heels. It is a simple moment but creates a very strong image.

The supporting cast is excellent even if some of the characters don’t get much room to develop. By far the strongest are Damien Stephen’s and Jack Coulson, played very well by Alex Rowe and Mark Benton.

Lydia Harding and Dan Starkey do well with what they have but the running time obviously does not allow much depth for their characters to be explored.

Despite some weaknesses, Energy of the Daleks is a highly fun romp, made more special by seeing The Fourth Doctor once again clash with his greatest enemy. 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: William Gallagher

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 31st March 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 30th March 2012

In the year 16127, the once devastated and abandoned planet Earth is slowly being repopulated forty years after the colonists of Nerva Beacon returned. Those who have been chosen for the program find living conditions are from tough to the extreme. Transmat scientist Roger Buchman, his wife Veronica and daughter Toasty arrive at one of the new settlements on an island surrounded by the frozen waters of what was once called Loch Lomond.

The island is empty and the other crew members are nowhere to be found. As if that is not enough trouble to deal with, two complete strangers beam in from Nerva city, calling themselves Flip and The Doctor. It isn’t long before the horrific fate of the crew is discovered and The Doctor realizes an old enemy is lurking, hidden under the ice waiting to emerge and feed. But what do the Wirrn want other than hosts for their eggs? Who is the mysterious voice that taunts Flip over the two way radio and just what connection does it have to the Buchman family’s tragic past?

The Wirrn have always been a fascinatingly gruesome foe for The Doctor, and in Wirrn Isle (their second appearance in a Big Finish audio since the superb Wirrn Dawn), we get to see how the absorption of their host’s memories and personality can cause heartbreak and devastation on a galactic scale. The Wirrn were a strikingly visual creature on television, so it is up to the excellent sound design of Simon Robinson to bring every sinister chirp they make to life, creating a instant feeling of dread once they are heard.

The majority of The Wirrn swarm are used sparingly in the play, allowing the scenes in which the character of Iron appears, to have more of an emotional punch producing some genuinely chilling moments, such as the scene where he stalks Flip out on the ice over the radio. It is incredibly creepy and memorable scene.

Colin Baker is of course on top form as The Doctor, playing not only the scientific expert but a mediator between the warring factions of the Buchman family. The Doctor knows the terrible danger that he and the others are in and his struggle to keep them all together in the face of the ever growing danger is riveting to listen to. It is lovely to hear how The Doctor is becoming almost like a worried parent towards Flip and this is really rather touching. The Sixth Doctor has been lucky that Big Finish has provided him with such distinctive and likeable companions and in this trilogy he has struck gold again.

The wonderful Lisa Greenwood utterly shines as Flip, a character I personally am becoming fonder of the more I hear of her. Greenwood’s strong, funny and sweet natured performance has been one of the highlights of this series of plays. The scene in which she lies, broken and battered after a flight in a mini airplane while her blood has frozen her to the ice as The Wirrn begin to emerge is a truly nerve shredding moment and Greenwood sells every moment of it.

What is great about Flip is summed up by The Doctor himself in that he is not sure whether she is incredibly brave or foolhardy. The attention devoted to this idea makes one wonder whether this will be revisited in future stories with Flip of which I hope there will be many more of.

It is a shame when Flip ends up on Nerva City out of the main action, but this is necessary given the extremity of the family drama that plays out around The Doctor. He has enough trouble playing the science fiction equivalent of Jeremy Kyle as he struggles to keep the family together in the midst of coming galactic doom.

The rest of the cast perform very well in their roles particularly Jenny Funnell and Tim Bentinck who play Veronica and Roger. Funnell excels in a role which requires a lot of deep emotional turmoil, in regards to the loss of her son and her anger at everyone, including The Doctor if they so much as lead her on with false hope of any kind.

Some of the supporting characters, including the frankly ridiculously named Toasty, do not come off as well as the main players. I do not think this is a fault of the writing, but they seem to just not have as interesting a dynamic as that between The Doctor, Flip and Veronica and Roger.

I get the feeling that when Wirrn Isle expands the threat to a universal level it loses some of the intense, under siege threat that runs so strongly in the first two episodes. It doesn’t diminish the play at all, but the marvellous sense of claustrophobia is taken away.

Also if you are a lover of transmat action then this is the play for you as the latter half of the story seems to be utterly devoted to it. Although the presence of it adds much to the threat posed by The Wirrn, the story at times ends up being like a game of musical chairs, as one person or Wirrn is transported here there and everywhere for the latter half of the story.

Wirrn Isle is a very good play; a powerful family drama set amongst a horrific science fiction setting that, despite losing some of its momentum towards the end, has enough strong ideas and excellent moments to linger in the memory.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: John Dorney

RRP: £10.99

Release Date: 31st March 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 30th March 2012

The Doctor has taken his companion Leela to ancient Norfolk to learn about her ancestors but they get a little closer than they hoped. Caught in the middle of a battle between Roman centurions and tribal warriors, the travellers unexpectedly become guests of the legendary warrior queen Boudica.

After hearing of the tragic circumstances which have led to her fight against the Romans, Leela is keen for The Doctor to help Boudica and her tribe, The Iceni overthrow the invaders. The Doctor however is anxious to move on, as incredibly significant events in Boudica’s history are drawing closer and any further interference from him could cause irreparable damage to not only the future of the world but perhaps also a very dear friendship.

After some of the more traditional monsters and corridors stories it is lovely to see The Fourth Doctor and Leela in a purely historical drama. In a way The Doctor actually takes a step back from most of the precedings as this is quite clearly a story about Leela.

A warrior of the Sevateem meeting the most fearsome warrior Queen in history is simply too good an opportunity to pass up and, in the hands of the very skilled John Dorney, the results are fantastic.

It is extraordinary how quickly Leela does fall under Boudica’s spell, but this seems to be very much a consequence of her conflict with The Doctor. Until now she has always believed The Doctor was a force for good, righting the wrongs, defeating the invaders and freeing the subjugated. Now her mentor has challenged this with his desire to leave the Iceni to their fate, all for the sake of preserving the course of unfolding history. But why does The Doctor feel he has the right to decide who is saved and who must die? Through Leela, the ethical and moral choices of The Doctor’s actions come into question and to see Leela replace The Doctor with Boudica as a mentor more on the level of her warrior upbringing is both understandable and believable.

It is a credit to Louise Jameson’s strong and convincing performance that we see Leela’s struggle as she discovers her new Queen to be cruel and heartless in the pursuit of her revenge. One scene in particular when Leela observes Boudica killing innocent and defenceless people stirs the two women into a one on one fight to the death; a scenario that Dorney must have enjoyed writing immensely as it is one of the highlights of the audio.

Following up on the strength of Jameson’s performance is undoubtedly Ella Kenion as Boudica. Her portrayal is electrifying; all at once noble, fierce, cold and monstrous. This is clearly a woman who has dedicated her sole purpose to the extinction of the Roman occupation of her country and anyone who gets in her way will be trampled under horse or run through with her blade.

The Doctor gets to enjoy some lovely scenes with the Iceni cook Bragnar, played by the lovely Nia Roberts. This provides Tom Baker with some nice moments for comedy but Bragnar is given some interesting depth in a subplot in which she overhears The Doctor relate to Leela the tragic fate of the Iceni prompting her decision to flee rather than die a wasteful death.

Supporting players Michael Rouse and Daniel Hawksford are very good in their rather small roles but give enough to elevate their parts from simply being devices to steer the plot forward.

The cast is surprisingly small considering the scale and ambition of the play. The sound design of Richard Fox and Lauren Yason is to be applauded, for bringing the battle scenes to vivid life and for providing an excellent score.

The Wrath of the Iceni is a highly enjoyable play and an excellent character piece, and proof that Big Finish can create a thoughtful and convincing historical adventure story - let us hope that they do more of them.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Eddie Robson

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st March 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 30th March 2012

UNIT have recovered a damaged Alien computer, and for once they do not require The Doctor’s help. Preferring to keep their scientific advisor in the dark, they call in Dr Elizabeth Shaw, to oversee the repair of this alien technology. All is not what it seems however as the soldiers who had been guarding the computer have vanished without a trace.

To help her in the repairs UNIT have sent to Liz a computer expert by the name of Sergeant Andrew Childs. As repairs begin it is not long before Liz and Sergeant Childs find themselves inside the computer.

Trapped and desperate to escape, Liz and Childs begin to traverse the inner workings of the computer. But why are they finding the vanished soldiers dead and just what is stalking them through the mainframe? The Doctor is not around to save the day this time, so Liz must find her own way out but can the increasingly evasive Childs be trusted?

Liz Shaw, one of the shortest lived companions in the history of Doctor Who, but despite this has made a rather strong impact in the hearts of many fans. So it seems only fitting that Big Finish are determined to give this Companion the life she should have had on screen and have pulled out this rather fun and thoughtful Companion Chronicle.

What is at first striking about Binary is the decision to make this release a full cast audio drama rather than a talking book. This is rare for the Companion Chronicles, one of the last releases to get this treatment was the superb Solitaire, but the effect really helps this story as it is nice to hear Caroline John reacting to another actor instead of creating the parts herself.

The story of Binary is a good one. It is not brilliant or particularly striking but it is entertaining. The concept of being trapped in a computer is not a new one, but there is enough ideas running throughout the story to help it elevate past more than a mere run around story. One of most interesting parts of Binary is the idea of a computer producing an organic life form to fix faults within it. Although this does generate a stereotypical foe to chase Liz around a corridor, the concept is so highly original you can forgive the short comings of its ultimate execution.

The cast all work well together, particularly Caroline John. John portrays Liz as a woman struggling to make something of herself in a man’s world, and her bitterness towards the sexism and the patronising attitude of The Doctor (who appears in this story thanks to messages on a screen) really add depth to Liz’s character.

Joe Coen as Seargent Childs is excellent in the role and although the revelation of the true nature of his character is at times rather obvious. Coen, though, brings enough charm and subtle manipulation to the part to make any listener second guess his character’s motives.

The full cast play format is an excellent device for the Companion Chronicles as a series and I for one would like to see Big Finish exploring the possibilities of this direction with future releases in the range.

Binary is an entertaining and intriguing addition to the Companion Chronicles, with some very good performances and for anyone jumping on board is a lovely introduction to a sadly short lived TV companion.

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Bob Baker

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 2nd April 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 30th March 2012

It's a well known fact in science fiction programmes that some stories work better than others. In the case of Classic Doctor Who, there are some that are held up as being deserving of fan worship, whilst others are often looked down upon as being somewhat less than successful. Nightmare Of Eden sadly falls into the latter camp for many people. Derided over the years for it's studio-bound action and it's rather lovable monsters, this release should be a perfect opportunity to redress the balance and defend what's both a fine story and, for a meagrely budgeted television show in 1979, a determined, spirited, damn good try at getting that story on-screen.

In a move that's saddening and infuriating in equal measure, that's not how it's treated. It's derided still further, and talked about so negatively, someone should have thrown the supposedly "special" features into the bin and started again. Please remove all sharp objects from your vicinity and if possible have a great deal of chocolate or tea to try and improve your mood whilst sitting through the extras.

When the commercial starliner Empress rematerialses from warp speed and collides with the Hecate, the passengers and crews of both craft are put in mortal peril. Drug smuggling, unstable projection devices and huge marauding monsters are all in the mix. When the TARDIS materialises in the vicinity, it's up to The Doctor (Tom Baker), with Romana (Lalla Ward) and robot superdog K-9 (voiced here by David Brierly) to save the day. Can The Doctor seperate the ships, stop the smugglers, recapture the menacing Mandrels, and fix the shonky CET machine?

This single disc release from BBC Worldwide has done the usual magic with sound and picture quality so they're both amazing, and has audio navigation and subtitles available. Also included on the release are the Info Text and Radio Times PDF extras and a Photo Gallery of behind the scenes and publicity shots from the serial.

Special Features:

Commentary - Firstly, someone needs to tell Toby Hadoke you do not talk over the episode one titles of a Doctor Who story, you need to let the programme start before you do. In this commentary he is joined by Lalla Ward (Romana), Colin Mapson (visual effects designer) and story writer Bob Baker. It lacks the wit and warmth of many of the commentaries, and although Lalla somewhat defends the show and its budget, it does seem the only person who seems to remember what it's like to actually enjoy Doctor Who is host Hadoke himself.

The Nightmare of Television Centre - A negative, and disparaging piece, starting with severely lacking titles and everyone being filmed against a stark white background. Colin Mapson, the visual effects designer, does nothing but moan about the whole story from start to finish, calling it "a disaster" - apart from his models of course which were apparently the best things ever made. AJ "Mitch" Mitchell, video effects designer, gives a very half hearted defence of some of the technology used and million pound slow-motion video machines belonging to BBC Sport being available for twenty minutes, and Assistant Floor Manager Val McCrimmon tells of stroppy directors getting fired, Tom Baker being loud and mouthy, and Lalla being over picky and playing up. The cast and crew and the sets and monsters are mocked, laughed at, and spoken badly of. Honesty is fine, and of course necessary, but this crosses the line into a complete hatchet job of what's not the worst story in history, even with the hystrionics in the studio, despite what these people would have you believe.

Going Solo - More unimaginative white titles, followed by Bob Baker also being filmed against a white background.  aker will probably be best remembered for his work with two dogs: Gromit, of Wallace and Gromit fame, and as co-creator of K-9, one of the most endearing/irritating (depending on your view!) science fiction robots in TV history. Here, he's talking about his first solo writing task for Doctor Who, his ideas and research for the CET machine. You can tell he's less than enthusiastic about The Mandrels and a certain Germanic accent, but he's got the right attitude about these things ("What can you do?") and Bob easily comes across to the viewer as the best advocate of the story. Hardly surprising considering he wrote it, but at least he's positive and defends it very well indeed.

The Doctor's Strange Love - Simon Guerrier presents this piece from Sarah Jane's attic.  Mister Smith is out and all lit up, and the set looks glorious, which causes a small flutter of love lost in the heart. Joining him in this piece to mock and laugh at Nightmare Of Eden are Josie Long and Joseph Lidster. It starts off quite nicely... but in under two minutes it's poking fun and being generally unpleasant about it all. It's all far too fannish and jokey, and seems like we're watching a group of fans just laughing at things in their own private mocking party. A few funny lines from the pair on the chaise longue lighten it up a little, but mostly it's a case of very few valid points being made, against far too much "look at this, it's rubbish" and "let's laugh at this bit now". By far the most intelligent input in the whole extra comes from Mister Smith himself, who wisely opts to remain silent the whole time. Another negatively slanted mess that could have reinforced the story's many good qualities rather than just poking fun at the show.

Ask Aspel - A 1979 edition of the children's show in which the wonderfully calm and affable Michael Aspel asks viewers' questions to his guest; in this case the second Romana - Lalla Ward. The questions from the youngsters who've written in are entertaining enough in this light and fluffy piece, and there's a rather fabulous clip from The Creature From The Pit. Lalla is honest and open and rambles on at great speed with much laughter and smiling. It also showcases Lalla's artwork for two books from that era, and there's one or two clips of Ms. Ward in other TV appearances, followed by another lengthy Doctor Who clip, this time from The Horns of Nimon. A lovely little piece, and would have benefitted greatly from being put on a disc with much better support from the other extras. A hidden gem.

Coming Soon Trailer - Nitro-9 at the ready, Doctor Who's next box-set is all about the teenage tearway from Perivale! Featuring her introduction into the series in the story Dragonfire and further adventures on Terra Alpha in The Happiness Patrol, the next DVD releases can truly be described as Ace Adventures!

Nightmare of Eden is not a bad story. It's not in the same league as Terror of the Zygons, but it doesn't deserve the unending scorn poured on it in this release. With the exception of Bob Baker there's very little done to defend the tale from any of it's critics, mostly of whom seem to have an axe to grind against the tale. The extras filmed for this disc seem designed to make you take a real dislike to the story, and although we can all agree that it's not exactly at the top of its game, it really deserves a lot better than the sorry back-up features its given here, which are both limited and woeful.

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Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Justin Richards

RRP: £10.99

Release Date: 29th February 2012

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 29th February 2012

Knowledge is power. To know everything, every piece of knowledge that has ever existed is the desire of many but at what cost? Is knowledge detrimental to learning and understanding? You can list species of butterfly but do you know that they are beautiful?

This is the question that runs through the heart of this really enjoyable adventure for The Fourth Doctor.

The Doctor is determined to continue Leela’s education and decides that a trip to the universally famous Morovanian Museum is just what she needs. Upon arrival, things don’t go according to plan. First of all, why are they in an English village and just why are people dying around them, driven mad by the loss of something great?

The Doctor quickly begins to deduce that the mysterious Reginald Harcourt, resident of the local manor maybe the cause of the sinister goings on. Harcourt is the owner of The Collection, a place where everything, all knowledge and artefacts from everywhere are present. But as the Doctor points out, it is not fully complete and there is someone who will do just about anything to achieve its completion. Someone more than prepared to kill.

After the slightly underwhelming Destination: Nerva, The Renaissance Man is a much stronger entry in the new Fourth Doctor range.

Justin Richards' script is witty and clever. He captures the character of The Fourth Doctor and Leela very well, setting up the Pygmalion relationship that Big Finish is exploring with this series of adventures. Louise Jameson’s performance is very strong in this story despite the overuse of Leela’s mispronunciation of words, such as her repeated use of “runny science” for renaissance. Although Leela came from a primitive culture she is certainly not stupid. This however is a minor criticism of a well written and delivered portrayal. In fact, the relationship between The Doctor and Leela is much improved from that of their television appearances and this is definitely down to the way they are written. I hope that Big Finish continue to build upon this, as it is fast becoming one of my favourite Doctor and companion partnerships.

The supporting cast is good, particularly Laura Molyneaux in the dual role of Beryl and Professor Hilda Lutterthwaite but they are somewhat over-shadowed by guest star Ian McNeice as Harcourt. An intriguing villain, played excellently by the actor, especially when he and Baker get a verbal sparring, providing one of the highlights of the audio.

This brings us to the great man himself, Tom Baker. It has been a pleasure to listen to him return to the role of The Doctor, and he gives a brilliant performance here. In Destination: Nerva, The Doctor had to rely on luck and his wits, but here we see him relying on his keen intelligence, working things out way ahead of everyone else. He plays the fool and pulls the wool over everyone’s eyes before playing the detective with a great Christie-style revelation at the stories conclusion. Baker is witty, charming and brings out The Fourth Doctor’s moral centre beautifully, and the play is well worth your time based on his performance alone.

The main theme running through the story of knowledge versus experience is well realized. The darkest moment of the play, involving a character losing the knowledge which defines her, leading to a gruesome outcome, is rather powerful. This theme is explored very well and only seems to jar in the somewhat weaker epilogue.

Everything about The Renaissance Man is quintessential Doctor Who. It contains great ideas, two excellent lead performances and an intriguing story.

A highly recommended listen.

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Guy Leopold

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 26th March 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 29th February 2012

It's not often in Doctor Who's long history that a story is great, then great again, and then great for a third time, but this is very much the case with The Daemons. The original story was a triumph, but due to the infamous BBC junkings and burnings, only a black and white print of this tale existed... until a terrible quality NTSC (that's American Television) copy turned up courtesy of a fan. In 1993 BBC Video made a valiant attempt to restore the episodes, as featured in an extra on this release - more of that later. Now it's all been re-restored again, and beautiful it looks too.

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo (Katy Manning) must battle to save the Earth from the alien Daemons, aided, abetted and very badly controlled by The Master (Roger Delgado), in the quaint little village of Devil's End. With BBC Three on location and UNIT stuck behind a heat barrier, time is running out for the Time Lord...

This double disc release from BBC Worldwide has superb restoration of the picture and sound quality - in fact the five-part story takes up all of Disc One (bar the Info Text and Commentary options) with all the Special Features on Disc Two. There are of course both Subtitles and Audio Navigation available on both discs, and the previously mentioned Info Text joins the Radio Times PDF Listings, and the Photo Gallery as standard included extras. 

Special Features - Disc One:

Commentary - Sitting around the table to discuss The Daemons this time are Christopher Barry, Katy Manning, Damaris Hayman, and Richard Franklin. The conversation is fun, loose and friendly, with plenty of laughs and lots of interesting and amusing reminiscences about the making of the story. Tales of theme tunes, Margaret Rutherford's cape, and warm fuzzy feelings abound. Great to listen to and thoroughly entertaining.

Special Features - Disc Two:

The Devil Rides Out - A look back at the making of The Daemons, with Christopher Barry and Katy Manning joining Terrance Dicks, some previously recorded footage of Barry Letts, and many more faces to look back at Aldbourne's finest hour. Discussed are the story's origins, Damaris Hayman's white witch being very switched on, and one or two displays of impatience from leading man; Jon Pertwee. It's an honest look at the show, but not a negative one, and it's clear that both cast and crew thought (and still think) the story is special and deserving of the 'Classic' status that The Daemons holds. They are, of course, absolutely right.

Remembering Barry Letts - Barry's sons, Dominic and Crispin Letts, discuss their late father's long career in film and television as an actor, director and producer. A fascinating glimpse at the life, outside of Doctor Who, of a man who is held in very high regard by family, friends and colleagues. Not cloying, or over-sentimental, this is a lovely piece giving a much more complete picture of Barry, who may be best known for producing the Pertwee era of Doctor Who; but who also had a lot more strings to his bow than Time Lords and Daleks. Featuring everything from green issues, to Zen Buddhism and The Navy, to BBC directing courses, right through to his final years. Truly a wonderful look back at an amazing man, who is much missed by friends, family and fans alike. A great, great piece.

Location Film - A reasonably short piece, but suitably nostalgic for this release. This is simply dome, mute, 8mm camera footage of Aldbourne, filmed during the location shooting of The Daemons. Not a great deal to say about it, because there's not a lot of it, but it holds the attention and isn't long enough to get boring. Very nice indeed.

Colourisation Test - The first attempt to recolour episode one in it's entirety. The slipping Doctor Who theme is enough to make you wince, but the recolourising is rather great if not of the quality that we now get as standard on these Classic Who releases. Interesting and holds the attention easily, and the colour looks great - even if it's a little brighter than it possibly should be.  

Tomorrow's World - A Doctor Who themed segment from 1993 looking at the first restoration of The Daemons, and how it was produced. Tomorrow's World was always very good at presenting these sort of explanations in an accessible and friendly way. Judith Hann introduces, and Howard Stableford walks us through how the first restoration was brought together via some spiffy TV technology. It's nice to see the TARDIS and the console turn up from an era when Doctor Who had already been off the air for four years, and it's a great look at how the restoration came to life.

Coming Soon Trailer - Silver cagouls!  Of course we should interfere; always do what you're best at!  Good boy K-9! Vraxoin! Name and date of birth! It's inexplicable! My arms, my legs, my everything! A veritable symphony of silliness, The Nightmare of Eden is the next release. it's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights...

It's hard to beat a Classic story, but a Classic story restored twice over and then given a great set of extras as an accompaniment wins hands down. The restoration is top notch and with the retrospective of The Daemons ticking all the right boxes, a look at how the first restoration was achieved, and a perfectly pitched look back at Barry Letts' life and career - this release is an absolute must for fans!

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Chris Boucher

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 5th March 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th February 2012

The TARDIS lands in Hyde Park... oh wait. That's not Hyde Park. Could be a nexial discontinuity. Anyway, The Doctor (Tom Baker) walks into trouble between the tribes of the Tesh and the Sevateem in the latest single disc release from BBC Worldwide. Teaming up with local friendly savage Leela (Louise Jameson), the Time Lord must pit his wits against local mad deity Xoanon; a demented creature with a very familiar appearance.

Special Features:

Feature Commentary - This time, the title music leads us into Toby Hadoke presiding over Louise Jameson, Leslie Schofield (Caleb), David Garfield, (Neeva), Harry H. Fielder (bloke who gets shot whilst trying to kill Leela) and John McGlashan (cameraman) round the table. Lots of talking here this time in a very busy commentary, but it's never too much, and Toby moderates very well, as usual. Entertaining, and informative, but Louise rightly steals the show.

Into The Wild - A look at the making of The Face Of Evil.  A remarkably strange opening using the mountain model of Tom Baker's head and some remarkably fun 3D text, leading into Philip Hinchcliffe talking into what led into the story's origins. Taking in the departure of Elisabeth Sladen, and Tom's desire to be assistant-less in the show.

Louise Jameson and Pennant Roberts talk abouth their long, intermeshed careers (see "Tenko"). Also covered are *that* costume, Mat Irvine's first run as Visual FX Designer, and how to make an impressive jungle out of ventilation hoses. An informative, calm but fun retropsective, with a rather fun cameo by Anthony Frieze; who, you may ask, is he? Watch and find out!! There's also a very touching and deserving tribute to the late Pennant Roberts, director extraordinaire, who died in 2010.

From The Cutting Room Floor - A short series of film trims from the story, very cleverly shown in context using the episodes themselves. The film itself and the camera angles used are archive in nature so somewhat scratchy and jumpy, but it's a nice chance to see how things were filmed and trimmed to make the episodes work in the best possible way. A couple of filming clangers make it onto the screen as well; and the music in the background is wonderfully epic, and really makes the piece fly.

Tomorrow's Times: The Fourth Doctor - The occasional series returns for a look at Tom Baker's Doctor. Starting with the tones of the late great, Nicholas Courtney, the Points of View style show is this time hosted by the lovely, and very calm Wendy Padbury (Zoe Herriot from the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who). The wonderfully cliched and hackneyed accents paraded out are hilarious. It does show just how ridiculous and venomous some of the tabloid press have been over the years to Tom Baker's Doctor. A very interesting look at the show's coverage in the press; notably for the press' negative reactions when audience figures were on the rise.

Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson - Taken from the 2003 documentary "The Story of Doctor Who", Louise Jameson talks about her casting as Leela. As laways, Louise is witty and very switched on as to her time on Who and is always lovely to listen to and watch, and her memories are fun-filled and thoroughly entertaining. To be completely honest, some of this is covered in the Into The Wild retrospective elsewhere on the disc, but Louise is so terribly sweet and enchanting you won't mind. This woman could read the phonebook aloud and it'd be a hit! Thankfully, this is a great deal more entertaining than the phone book! Robert Homes, Tom Baker, and as always, the costume, get mentions, and a glorious defence of robot superdog K-9.  

Swap Shop - The other perennial Saturday programme from the BBC in the mid 1970s was Multi Coloured Swap Shop. A three hour mix of cartoons, interviews and pop music helmed by Noel Edmonds, ably assisted by Posh Paws the dinosaur. Here, Louise Jameson joins Noel on the sofa to discuss energy levels, life with the Royal Theatre Company, and possibly the best fan letter I've ever seen from a young girl called Catherine. Great stuff, if very, very dated.  

Denys Fisher Toys Advert - Oh good Lord.  From an era when you could buy a large toy for £5.99 (that being "the famous TARDIS") comes this advert for the Denys Fisher range of Doctor Who toys. Ranging from an excellent Giant Robot to a dreadful Cyberman, complete with nose; and whilst Doctor Who leaves Leela in the lurch  by disappearing in the TARDIS in the face on an impending Dalek attack. Great stuff!

Coming Soon Trailer - BBC Three! As thy will so mote it be! Miss Hawthorn! The Cloven Hoof! "Jenkins, chap with the wings there; five rounds rapid!" - The Daemons is out on the 19th March, re-re-mastered and on a double disc release!

As always with the Classic Series releases, the sound and vision are spot on thanks to digital remastering, and comes complete with the usual regular features of Audio Navigation and Subtitles for those who may want or need them, and the usual Radio Times PDF listings. Also included as standard are a Photo Gallery of behind the scenes and publicity shots, and the Info Text option to bring up on-screen facts, figures and trivia  during the programme's run.

Thirty five years after its original airing on television, The Face Of Evil stands up incredibly well as a good solid story, and with some great moments from Tom Baker and Louise Jameson stealing the show. The DVD showcases the story perfectly with a great remastering, and the extras on the disc expand very nicely on the story, rightly focussing on the introduction of Leela; and giving the firm fan favourite a great chance to shine and enchant us all over again.

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