Seagullslost's Doctor Who (and others) audio reviews

The Road Untravelled Eighth Doctor Adventures Time War 6.2 At the end of the last episode the Doctor and co had got out of the fake reality they were in and now find themselves on a spaceship in a void space. With Nowhere Never having some unanswered questions, this doesn’t do much to help. The ‘Captian’ seems to be known by the Doctor and its one of those times where you’re suddenly trying to work out if you should know them as well. With so many different Big Finish ranges is hard to keep up: Hieronyam Friend - the captain, we encountered as the non existent passenger in Meanwhile, Elsewhere. Yeah I had to look it up! Conrad Westmass plays the Captain, with his previous role as the Eighths companion C’rizz, its a little odd, but it maybe due to the character he’s playing. The void space has reflections hence the title, and they are reflections of the ship. Other versions, but which version will make it out? Add to that the ship is of old Gallifrayan origin your interest is piqued. Ca...

Cass-Cade Eighth Doctor Adventures Time War 6.3 Cass is on a space station, a queue for the food counter where she meets the Doctor and Alex who don’t know her. Suddenly she’s somewhere else, where she meets the Doctor and Alex who don’t know her and well… you get the idea. Its tempting to say this is a more straight forward story, yet that is isn’t. The space station is falling towards the sun and Cass is jumping around time meeting the Doctor and Alex at different points in the adventure, each time as if for the first. Like much other such adventures it starts to come together and you can build an idea of what’s the plot is, though why she jumping around in time is another matter. A Cass driven audio and quite enjoyable. Cass herself very Doctor like, dealing with what’s going on fairly well. If you’re waiting for an explanation as to what’s going on, then its a let down, as there isn’t one. Maybe the final will reveal all… Enjoyable

Brimstone and Terror Missy 2.2 Here Missy is in charge of a boarding school, perhaps not the best for the pupils, especially Oliver Davis who knows Missy of old and so does his sister… Oliver and Lucy appeared in the first episode of series one of Missy - A Spoonfull of Mayhem. So it was quite nice to have them reappear. Things aren’t good for Oliver, being somewhat bullied by another boy - McAllister is bad enough but his old association with Missy seems more detrimental to his situation than anything else. Things pick ups when Lucy enters the story as does Strax the sontaran of Paternoster fame. Though he did add to the story and I enjoyed him, I do wonder if it was necessary to included him. Overall an enjoyable episode but I’m not left moved. It has all the right elements and some nice writing but there was something missing

Nowhere, Never Eighth Doctor Adventures Time War 6.1 Cass - a house wife, doing her daily routines. The Doctor and Alex in some strange hospital during the war. None of them knowing who they really are. When I first listened to The Natural History of fear, C’rizz had only just joined as a companion so I wasn’t so familiar with his voice. With that audio, like this, with the main cast not quite playing themselves so it was almost like he wasn’t there. It was only a few months since I heard the previous set, but there’s been a lot of other audios since then. So it was a similar situation with Alex and Cass - listening to these voices without ‘getting’ its the companion. Its a little bit of a confusing start. The action is already in motion and you’re put into the middle of it, with vague memories of what happened last time and trying to connect that with this. Don’t. FYI in the final moments of Previously Next Time, Cass had vanished.  You’re not given any information. I’d done the f...

The Quantum Probability Engine Doctor Who The Monthly Adventures The last adventure left on a bit of a cliffhanger, Mel having betrayed The Doctor and handed over the TARDIS to president Dogbolter. So now we find out why? President Dogbolter; to be honest I had to look up who he was as it felt as if I should know. He was in the DWM comics and also featured in the Maltese Penguin - though I must admit its been sometime since I listened it. Mel has debts which Dogbolter bought, and to clear them its going to take the TARDIS and its manual. If she doesn’t? Well it doesn’t bear thinking about. This is very much a Mel led story with the Doctor and Ace in the background. It also includes Narvin, better known for the Gallifrey range and his inclusion here seems a bit odd, but not unwelcome. It is in the more comic book vein, slightly over the top performances, with the maniacal laughing, etc. But again I quite enjoyed it. So the reason for the inclusion of Narvin and and explanation of the ti...

The Lumiat                                         Missy 2.1                          Missy, up to her old tricks of stirring up the red and the black ants. Only this time its people. All going well (or bad depending on your viewpoint) until a timelady appears, it has to be the Doctor doesn’t it? Who else could it be? I listened to this twice - a couple of months apart. The first time I felt it was OK, but seeing the reviews and it having been rated quite highly, I thought perhaps I’d missed something. The Lumiat: she’s has been in a couple of other audios (Masterful and Timelord Immemorial)  - both of which I’ve heard but in the wrong order. Gina Mckee pays the Lumiat, for me always remembered for being on the Lenny Henry show. I don't really remember much about her from those audios though. With the Lumiat showing up ...

The Wax Princess Jago and Litefoot 7.4 Jago and Litefoot on the outside of the law since the last series would seem to have their luck run out. In the final moments of the last adventure they’re been arrested by inspector Abberline. However it seems that rather than be inprisoned their help is needed. Jack the Ripper has escaped, and once and Jago and Ltefoot are on the case. With new murders and two women being from Jago own theatre, things are a bit close to home.  Ellie is  present I this and very much welcome.  With the title Wax Princess, there are hints of the House of Wax, so if you know you know and if you don’t; well then it’ll be a nice surprise. As for Jack the Ripper,? Its an hour long episode and it’s all wrapped up by the end so its doesn’t take a lot to find him. There are some nice moments, and with the J&L series bits of comedy. Some of the plot points you can see coming, perhaps not quite as you expect, but at time its glaringly obvious. With the inc...

The Quest of the Engineer                                     The Fourth Doctor Adventures 9.4                                               On a planet that reconfigures it surface, the Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9 are seeking info on a CVE. They encounter the ‘Engineer’ who is also interested in CVE’s, though there is more to him and the planet than at first seems. I had to check that I had started with part one, as it begins with Adic having been arrested for taking K9 though the streets where technology is forbidden. They meet Rigis Tel played by George Layton (perhaps more noted in DW circles as being the Space pirates) and go on to find the truth about the planet. As for the plot… Well it is tempting to say what plot. The planet is… mild spoiler… a giant space ship. Being a Hitch...

Murder At Moorsey Manor Jago and Litefoot 7.3 Moorsely manor is where this adventure takes Jago and Litefoot. Taking on the alias of invited guests at a meeting of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, they hope to find someone who can help prove their innocence.  All would be well except that the guests soon learn that one of them will die on the hour, every hour, and there’s no escape. This is a pretty solid audio. Though I wasn’t bowled over by it, it is good, As usual for me I didn’t get a good shot at listing, a little distracted and tired and it doesn’t help. It’s no exactly an original plot, one by one people get killed. One death scene was a bit gruesome, getting squashed between walls, and hearing the screams, did make me squirm. Its low on the sci fi spectrum. Mild spoiler the house can rearrange itself. Suddenly finding the corridor you came from is no longer there. And rooms weren’t where you left them.  A little bit of a twist at the end. Good.