Seagullslost's Doctor Who (and others) audio reviews

Ministry Of Truth  Blake’s 7 Crossfire 4.9 Propaganda in the form of television drama, pumped out to the masses. The exploits of the Federation again the evil rebels. Though there is one who’d like to go beyond the limits and do an episode from the rebels point of view… It is a few minutes before the Liberator crew get involved. Its only Avon, Cally and Tarrant. It wasn’t until I listened to the next episode, that it really felt like Blakes 7, with Villa, Orac etc. I didn’t realise how much I missed them. The facility is more than just a place for making TV, it hides a secret, and there’s a traitor at work. Which is maybe why both the federation and Liberator show up. So the usual stand off situation,  I listened in bits over a few days, and though I got into it, I was never that excited by it, and I do feel a proper listen is best. There are some classic B7 motifs, and Avon living up to his reputation. A reasonable tale.

Power Game  Doctor Who the Monthly Range 248b Kamelion has been missing for three weeks, its York, the 1980’s and that’s just the beginning. This hits the ground running, but not only has Kamelion gone but now they’ve lost Tegan as well. Tegan herself finds she’s on a TV gameshow, how she got there is a bit of a mystery as she no idea how shearrived. The show pops up at various times on different channels in the middle of other programs. It’s a good start, no faffing about and with this a two parter that’s probably a good idea. The Tv show gives contestants challenges, when they fail they’re out, interestingly enough there are no prizes, and the contestants soon forget about their real lives.  It’ll be no surprise that the gameshow isn’t real and is a veneer for what’s really going on. We’ve had stories such as this before so you know what the deal is and you’re waiting for the big reveal. The Doctor and Turlough happen to find someone else who was taken by the game, and set t...

Thirteen O’Clock                                                                                    The Ninth Doctor Audios 4.6                                                                                               If you’ve been flowing this series then this is more of the same.  The Powell Estate and something is wrong. It does start out with the Doctor and Rose on board the TARDIS trying to see how far they can get away from the estate, but back they go. This time people are isolated, afraid and trying to navigate is impossible as corr...

Black Thursday Doctor Who the Monthly range 248a The Doctor,Tegan, Turlough and Kamelion arrive in a coal mine in Wales, in the early 1900’s. A gas explosion means the Tardis team are thrust into middle of it, helping where they can. Its not a bad setting and setup. Mentions of the pit ponys who spend their lives in the mines, afterdamp, and as a historical, informing you as well as entertaining. Though I did enjoy the first part, I lost interest during the second. I do appreciate the fact the BF have tried to do more for Kamelion, but it seems so obvious that the character is very limited. In this story rather than being ‘possessed’ by someone he gets taken over by the grief of a woman who has lost her husband and son. It is a different take on Kamelion but the fact that he is still unable to assert his own freewill and is consumed by outside influence does mean its the same issue.  There is a nice reference early on about the Doctors back - a reference to the damage in the previo...

The Iron Maid The Companion Chronicles 12.3 14th  century and a church in France is where The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves… I’m writing this more fro completion that anything else. I have been struggling with audios lately, just not being able to get into them. This just didn’t engage me, its a bit slow, I should probably give it another go but I don’t really see much reason. Though this is a Zoe/Wendy Padbury story Frazer Hines also features playing Jamie and the second Doctor. There is a scene where Wendy does narrate instead which felt a little odd, the audio doesn’t make the best use of Frazer. The plot itself is about relics from a war, but a war in the future. Its not a bad premise, but the style of the audio isn’t one that excites me. 

The Second Doctor Adventures War of The Morai The Tardis crew are back at the Vanishing point, but so are the Daleks. I didn’t write a review when I first heard this, mainly because I never really understood it, I didn’t think I could write a fair appraisal. And after another listen its no better. The Vanishing point - not really sure what it is, but I never got a sense of what it was either. Other than some old buildings I have no idea of the layout, the soundscape gives no clues. Is it a black void, a village, a spaceship? When we hear the Daleks discussing plans its assumable that’s they’re on their ship but as the Doctor and co hear them talking we know not. It isn’t clear. As for a plot? Well the Morai have calcified themselves, which is what the building are made of and the Daleks are trying to undo that. Jamie and Raven disappear for a while, the Doctor becomes bodiless for a while, Zoe is captured by the Daleks, so she does get something decent to do. As with the rest of this a...

Timewyrm: Genesis  An alien on the run lands on earth, can she use her powers to control the minds of the primitive race? I saw a copy of the novel of Paradise Towers, and having remembered watching it a couple of year before I bought it, and it rekindled my interest in Doctor Who. When the New Adventures were announced, I was excited: It was new Doctor Who. I bought the first ten or eleven, but never got farther than the first couple of chapters of the Timewyrm: Genesis. Stuck for something to read, I thought I’d see how I find it now. The story of Gilgamesh is not something I’m that familiar with, and being a historical stetting, which isn’t my favourite, means that it has a couple of things against. Which may have contributed to me not getting very far with it. Also with this series being for a more adult audience, and at the time I was 15, so again possibly another factor in why I struggled.  You don’t need to know anything about Gilgamesh to follow this, it could have bee...

Rewind The War Doctor Begins Battlegrounds 3.3 The planet Lacuna, where the people are being attacked by the Daleks. But everyday is the same, the exact same day… So this is a time reset story, I’ve loved them since I saw the 1990 short film 12.01, and then Groundhog Day etc. The story is told from Ignis Abel’s point of view, how reliving the same day is wearing down on the people - the fact that she’s the only one who still bothers to say good morning. The Futility of their situation.  There is a little bit of time before the Doctor enters the story, however Ignis is a great character, very likeable and doesn’t quite do what expected. I think this makes the difference - you’re quite happy to follow her and how she deals with what’s happening. This brings up the usual War Doctor issues, the fact that his action are part of the problem, the fact that he’s not ‘The Doctor’ as he isn’t that person any more. I enjoyed it, there are some good moments, and had a open ending which worked ...

The Keeper of  Light The War Doctor Begins Battlegrounds  A disused lighthouse, an older married couple, the Doctor and his companion and an entity. This wasn’t quite what I had expected, and as so frequently is the case ,I wondered if I’d missed or forgotten where things had ended in the previous set. All becomes clear, but patience is needed. Its a slow burn, almost glacially and it struggled to hold my attention, as I found my mind wondering. The fact is that virtually nothing happens for the first half. There a light coming on in the lighthouse, yet there’s no lens and not been used for years. The long married couple have got away to try and work on their failing marriage. The Doctor and Layla have turned up to investigate… well I wasn’t entirely sure.  I do have trouble paying attention when I don’t know why its relevant. Hearing these characters complain about the food they’re cooking and other such trivialities, you do wonder if they’re actually going to get on wit...