Seagullslost's Doctor Who (and others) audio reviews

Spirit of the season The first in the  The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Volume 5: Everywhere and Anywhere The Doctor and Valerie, arrive in a house and like the others who have found themselves there are not quite sure how or why they are there. Clara a childlike entity has brought them there for their final Christmas. This is my first time hearing Jacob Dudman as the Eleventh and its not bad,as with Tim Trelor and John Culshaw its pretty close. The house seems to be filled with things from the guests pasts, all of which are unpleasent, memories, events etc. It is a bit been there done that. But its excuted well. It wasn’t the best place to star with the range as I had no idea of Valerie; I’m not familiar with her voice and background, so some of the stuff which dealt with her pain wasn’t as heightened as if I’d of known her better. Its not the most Christmassy audio, I was in two minds as to writing a review, as I feel I need another listen or better still start from the beginning,...

The Gates of Hell The second story in the Out Of Time set Like Father, Like son-in-law. This is another audio in which I’ve given a second chance to as I didn’t take it in first time. My first thought was that this featured Peri as the character, Tina, sound a lot like her. Tina herself being some kind of time agent. Doctors five and ten both find themselves off course in the same place. Time has changed and the Cybermen have taken over Earth. There are nods to the past meeting of the Doctors - Time Crash. To be honest they get on a little too well. I found I had similar problems as to the I first tried this, in that it was all too easy to suddenly be confused as to what was happening. Suddenly they’re in a library researching information, and I’m trying to recall why, needing to go back and relisten. This has all the right ideas, the two Doctors, a time agent, Cybermen, an alternative timeline but it just didn’t grip me. I think that the Cybermen just aren’t that interesting as antago...

Ghost In The Machine The fourth release in the eighth series of the Companion Chronicles I was never fond of the narrated style of the Companion Chronicles, But the Mahogany Murderers from series three is what got me listening to them. That story wasn’t narrated, Jago and Litefoot had met and recollected their stories, virtually the same thing but it worked better. This isn’t narrated, its set in the present. The TARDIS has landed and when Jo returns to the console room, the Doctor is not there, but outside in the dark, unconscious. The Tardis log is beside him with use me written on it, so Jo make an audio recording of her adventure. I think Jo has been better served by the companion chronicles than most, or perhaps its Katy Manning whose quite versatile. ‘Find and Replace’ and ‘The Scorchies’ being one’s one that stand out for me. Part one is mostly Jo on her own, finding a door concreted up with skellingtons on the floor - not the most promising start for her. And an audio recording...

Break The Ice The third episode in the into the stars set. I did try this earlier in the year, but didn’t take much in. The notes I made at the time simply said ‘doesn’t standout much’ so I’m giving it a second go. There is a hint of Christmas in this, references to a paper crowns, presents, rehydrated turkey and the foe in this being known on Earth as Jack Frost. The Doctor arrives on a space station around Venus - a science station. An experiment to take temperatures down to absolute zero, allows a winter god - jack frost to enter our dimension. I’ve always found the ninth Doctor adventures to have a different energy about them, its the speed, I think its Christopher Eccleston’s delivery, it has an urgency about it - just an observation. This starts with Dr. Lenni Fisk in conversation with her wife on earth and missing their son. Its a bit of a trope, I remember a mini series called ‘The Deep’ and in Doctor Who, the Rebel Flesh/ the Almost people both had similar setups. Dr Lenni Fis...

The Sirens of Time redux The last time I listened to the Sirens of Time was about 3 years ago when it came up as a free promo. I first bought it on tape when it came out. Not something I’ve listened to a lot though, maybe once or twice at the time. The original release had three episodes, each episode featuring one of the The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors. With them arriving somewhere meeting someone and having an adventure, with the Timelords, and time distortions as the arc. In episode four they met up worked out what was going on. As for this new redux, well it mixes things up a little, we start mainly with the Fifth Doctor on a ship during the world war, with some interludes from the Seventh Doctor, and the Sixth not appearing til the end of part one. Other than the fact there is something wrong with time, we’re still pretty much in the dark. Sometimes, whether its a TV or audio, and I find I’m not taking it in I’ve  decided to start again, if I’m still having trouble I plac...

Heart Of Orion The last story in the Charlotte Pollard The Further Adventuress series. Half an android is recovered by salvagers and the Tardis receives another (somewhat cryptic) distress signal that can only be meant for the Doctor. Meanwhile a police officer is investigating the disappearances and subsequent reappearances of a number of people. There is quite a lot going on in this audio, and though it was slightly longer about 64ish minutes - the longest in this set - it did feel like a much longer story. So whereas I felt a little short changed by Eclipse, this makes up for it! Dakota Bly is the police Officer in question, though the reports of the disappearances have been retracted as the missing people have returned. Dakota isn’t convinced as they seem ‘different’ and one is her daughter. Comments made in this audio set it fairly early on in the Doctor and Charleys time together. The fact that this is called Heart of Orion and one of their early releases was Sword of Orion does ...

The Slaying of the Writhing Mass The third story in the Charlotte Pollard The Further Adventuress series. A distress call gets the Tardis backed up in the time vortex, as groups of people take space ships to see the titled Writhing Mass getting slain, as construction worked make way for more room ( it was so tempting to say Hyper space bypass there). There’s quite a bit packed into these two episodes, which is quite the contrast form the last story. The Doctor finds himself paired with a new companion of sorts, as he accidentally picks up a school kid. And I did enjoy their interplay As is typical with Doctor Who the companion, Charley is off having their own adventure, which does involve a bit of time wimey stuff. There was one plot point I could see comming a mile off, so it was a case of waiting for it to play out. But overall a good audio.

 Eclipse The second story in the Charlotte Pollard The Further Adventuress series. First thing is that part one is 20 minutes long, and with the second at 28 minutes, this quite a short outing. It starts off already in motion as The Doctor and Charley are on the run from a swarm of moths. Its some sort of colony on a planet and the humans are still adjusting to the native lifeforms. 30 minutes in and the plot is still a bit thin, it has that first episode of a four parter feel where you're still getting to know the new setting. But with most of the story done, your kind of wondering if there is any real substance to it. There is, but all at the end. Its not that original, starts great with Charley finding refuge and losing the Doctor. There are some teasers for whats to come, yet the depth isn’t there. I do think that this could have been expanded on and had potential for a much better audio.

The Mummy Speaks! This set consists of 4, 1 hour, 2 part stories. Having got to episode four of the Sirens of Time Redux and realised that I hadn’t a clue what was going on, and being uninspired by the other audios on my current play list - maybe as its nearing Christmas - that end of term feeling - I decided a change was needed. I went to the live show in London, the Stuff of Nightmares, the Eighth and Charley back together. And I remember how much I’d enjoyed them. When they first started they ‘were’ the new series. With the Chimes of Midnight, Neverland, Zagrus and Charley leaving, only to pair up with the Sixth and continue until Blue Forgotton Planet, where she ultimately leaves the Doctor. And even then she carried on in her own series. So she’s had quite an adventure, and I loved it all. With this series on sale I was excited to get back to old times, and I do think I need up trudging through audios, rather than being excited about what I’m listening to. The Doctor and Charlie a...

 The Three Companions I had intended to listen to Sirens of Time Redux after Once and Future Coda, however as it still hadn’t been released I went for the next audio on my list The Companion Chronicles: The Three Companions. This originally came out as 10 minutes parts, tacked onto the Monthly range, in 20009/10. The three companions being Polly, the Brigadier and Thomas Brewster, and consists of three, 40 minute episodes. Polly writes to the Brig, wanting to find out about the Doctor, having read an article by Mrs Jo Jones that mentions him, and tells a story of when she knew the Doctor. The thing that got me into the Companion Chronicles was the Mahogany Murder’s, I had tried them before and hadn’t taken to the the narration style. With the Mahogany Murder’s, it was Jago and Litefoot meeting and each recounting their recent events. This takes a similar approach. Though they are writing/emailing to each other there are interjections, comments from the other, which is a little odd,...