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The Flames of Cadiz


Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles 7.7


The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara arrive in Spain, as usual its not a good time to be in as the Spanish are at war with English. Catholic and Protestant - a religious war.


Its not a bad place to set a story in, its open to all the usual trapping that make a successful early Doctor Who story. And the ‘typical’ historical periods have kind of been done. 


It is a tale of two parts. In the first, Ian having a coin with Elizabeths head, means he’s captured as a protestant and his future is bleak. In the second half, its Ian who wants to meet Sir Frances Drake, and this does stretch believability a little. Through it does add tension as the Doctor thinks he will change history and so has an agenda of his own. But it feels a little tacked on, with the peril in the first half being dealt with are they really going to temp fete again?


This is a four parter, and with the length, the four members of the TARDIS team, and other characters I do think it would have made a better, full cast Early Adventure. 


Written by Mark Platt; I’ve come to the conclusion that his writing isn’t for me. Looking back at the audios he’s penned that I’ve heard, he has wrote some audios that stand out as ones I’ve really disliked or at least not cared for. In all fairness there are some I’ve enjoyed, he’s quite popular, so if you’ve enjoyed his work then this should be for you.


For me this audio was ok. I love the early TARDIS team. But this felt done by numbers. Take a pinch of The Romans, add little Aztecs, a touch of Marco Polo, choose a historical time period and bang there’s your adventure. But as I’ve said before this is what you’ve come for, more of what you enjoy and this does that. I, though would have liked something a bit more original.

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