8th Doctor: The Stones of Venice

This 8th Doctor story is ok. Not one of my favourites, but one of those that I just need to complete my collection. It isn’t a bad story, it’s an early one from India Fisher’s time as the companion Charlie.

I’ve heard it before, but I’ll probably give it another listen just to see what it’s like again.

4th Doctor: The Energy of the Daleks

Another great simple and straightforward story for the 4th doctor who. I did enjoy it. But I think the thing that I find with these 4th Doctor stories to date is that they’re too short. I’m used to the 4th Doctor having stories which run for at least 4 episodes, and so, an hour long story is just a bit too short for me.

I’d like some of these stories to go to 2 or 3 CDs to get some more depth into the stories. Maybe they’ll do it sooner or later. The Hornet’s nest stories were very good for that, each being 5 hours long. Anyway, I’m glad that the 4th Doctor is making audio stories again.

Doctor Who: The Lost Stories – The Foe from the Future

I’ve posted about this story before, but I’ve only just finished it so I thought I’d write something about it again. It’s always good to listen to Doctor Who, at least it is in my book anyway, and this was a great story, in true 4th doctor style.

It’s also great to hear a story that doesn’t feel hurried. Foe from the Future is around 3 hours long, compared to the hour or so the new TV stories get. An hour just doesn’t feel like enough to establish characters and plot and get everything done, whereas 3 hours feels like plenty of time to get things moving at the right pace and to gradually pick up speed for the climax of the story.

I really enjoyed this one, and I’m looking forward to finishing off the box set, hopefully a little this weekend.

Finished listening to Shada

So I finished listening to the 10 CD version of Shada narrated by Lalla Ward. It was a good version. There’s certainly more detail in this version than the Big Finish version, although partly that’s because it’s narrated rather than a dramatised version.

On the whole though, I do prefer the Big Finish version with Paul McGann. Not because it’s a dramatised version, although I think that brings it to life far better as a story. But because I think that they just did it much better by shortening it to something more like the length it would have been if it had actually been televised. Let’s not forget that it was meant to be on TV in 25 minute episodes, and not a 10 hour narrated story.

Anyway, I’m glad I heard this version, and I’m glad I’ve got both now. I might even by the book when the paperback comes out.

Halfway through Shada

I’ve been really enjoying listening to Shada the unabridged version. Although it is a lot slower than the big finish version and it isn’t a full cast piece, it is very good, and well worth a listen if you’re into Doctor Who.

More Shada

Still listening to this 10 CD epic. It is good. Slow, and good. I quite like that it isn’t an abridged version, although I still like the full cast version, this narrated one isn’t bad at all, and Lalla Ward is a good narrator.