Skip to main content

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 of scientist Benjamin Chikoto that seems to change?

Part two seems full of characters, and its easy to forget that there are only two actors in this. There is a moment where you think that this is it for Jo, even though you know her story continues, it still manages to captivate you.

Its quite atmospheric, the dark the loneliness and hopelessness of the situation. This make good use of the medium, the ‘monster’ in this being an entity existing in audio form. I’m sure its been done before, but  maybe as I’m struggling to remember an example, its been done well or  differently than before.

Well recommended.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Founding Fathers                                                       The Companion Chronicles  The First Doctor 1.3                                         Steven’s grand daughter takes him to visit the Doctor, yet its not the actual Doctor. There they tell a story of an adventure they once had where they met Benjamin Franklin. So perhaps a little more unusual, in that what’s happening with the current Steven is as, if not more interesting, as the story that’s being narrated. The narrated story tells of the TARDIS arriving in Leicester in 1762. With it being quite warm, the Doctor takes off his coat and throws to back into the TARDIS inadvertently locking the crew out. Getting back in is a little tricky and the only man that can help is Benjamin...
Post a Comment
Read more
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...
Post a Comment
Read more
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...
Post a Comment
Read more