I listened to this story the other day and was really impressed. It was just like one of the old episodes. So I think I might have to get subscribed up to the rest of the series now.
Tag: Science fiction
What’s not to like right? It is my favourite genre of fiction by a long way indeed.
It’s here, The King of Sonar!
The new 4th Doctor series has arrived! I’m really looking forward to hearing this!
The 6th Doctor
I’d never been a big fan of the 6th Doctor. To be honest, by the time Colin Baker had taken over the role I wasn’t really watching anymore. Even so, the 6th Doctor never got a great reception. So when I had the opportunity to grab a 6th Doctor audio story from big finish as part of their Christmas sale, I thought, why not.
Anyway, I’ve just finished listening to “The First Sontaran”, and it’s great stuff. It far exceeded my expectations and made me want to listen more of the 6th Doctor stories. Also, this was one of the ‘Lost Stories’. I’ve got the 4th Doctor box set of these, but none of the others at all, apart from this one now of course.
So it doesn’t look like I’ll be running out of Doctor Who stories any time soon.
Finished the comic, watching the show
Continuing my theme of being into retro space opera, I’ve finally got around to finishing the comic version of the start of Space 1999, at least the first edition anyway, and I was surprised by just how closely it follows the original episode.
It’s quite interesting to read the comic and watch the old series at the same time! Although having just had a look for series two it seems to cost a fortune!
Blake’s 7: Fractures
Look what just turned up in the post! I’m looking forward to listening to this and then deciding if it’s worth subscribing to the rest of the series.
Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor, what a wasted opportunity in a sea of wasted opportunities
I finally watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special. I’d put it off for a bit, but finally I decided to watch it. What an enormous disappointment it was.
Now it’s only fair to say that the last season or so of Matt Smith’s doctor hasn’t been something I’ve enjoyed. On the whole I think it’s been way too sentimental, without clear individual stories, or indeed any real story arc. The main focus of Doctor Who has changed since the ‘reboot’. Over time it has moved. In the ‘original’ or ‘pre-reboot’ stories, each episode or story was about how the Doctor solved a particular problem or crisis, usually involving one or more alien races or enemies. The relationship with his companion(s) was there to serve the story and help to move it along in a variety of different ways, and different companions had different methods to assist the Doctor.
This has all now changed. In the post re-boot Doctor Who world the situation is completely reversed. The story now only exists to serve the relationship between the Doctor and his companion. Notice that there is almost never more than one companion now. This is best shown by the latest Christmas ‘special’, although I can find precious little that is special about it. In this episode, you had the daleks, the cybermen, and the sontarans, together with many others mentioned although not shown. The daleks had the most to do, although that’s not saying much at all. The cybermen had almost nothing to do at all and the sontarans were merely there for comedy value. What a waste of good aliens.
But the actually story (what exceptionally little of it there was), was only about The Doctor and his companion. Everything else was entirely superfluous. Even the Christmas dinner seemed to serve no purpose at all. So what’s the whole thing about now? It’s not the aliens, it’s not the planet, it’s not even about the regeneration, which was dealt with in just a couple of minutes. In effect Doctor Who has just become about the relationship between the Doctor and his current companion, that’s it, that’s all, and nothing more. The science fiction element is almost entirely incidental now, and that’s why I almost can’t watch it anymore.
I have high hopes for the new Doctor, but it’ll only work if the writing is spot on, and so far it’s just got worse and worse, and shows no signs of getting better. The really sad thing is that there’s no need for Doctor Who to be this bad. When you compare the current state of the television show against the stories that Big Finish put together there’s no contest at all. So why don’t the BBC just get Big Finish to take over the whole thing and make it awesome? That’s the question I’d like them to answer, although I’ve no expectation that it will happen.
So it’s an enormous shame, a great missed opportunity, and a terrible way to end Matt Smith’s Doctor. Please, someone at the BBC, sort this out. It really isn’t that hard.
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – the Dead Shoes
The second story in this first series from Paul introduces the third of the trio who are to be so significant throughout these stories. I won’t say who, as it might spoil it if you ever do listen to these stories, and they’re well worth it too in my book.
The second story is a nice time traveling jaunt with some lovely typically english characters and the Doctor being his usual self. It moves on the story arc just the right amount without giving away too much and delivers on its own story just as well. It also sets up a few things very nicely for later on, much later on in fact.
So of course I’d recommend it without a second thought. It’s a great story (as part of the arc) and it’s available on iTunes. Click below.
Doctor Who: Hornet’s Nest – the Stuff of Nightmares
I can remember finding out about this story and buying it on iTunes and then listening to it on a train home one winters evening and being struck by just how much fun it was to listen to. Whilst on the one hand it was a very traditional fourth Doctor story, it was also different in the way it was told and how it was constructed. A nicely congruent departure for number 4. Added to that was the excellent script, which I’m sure was added to by Mr Baker, it was, and still is a joy to listen to.
My favourite line from that particular story is “Glumly I had a terrible pot of tea and a damp Garibaldi“, which speaks volumes about the story and the writing.
Even though I know the story very well I can still safely say that it’s one of my favourites out of all of the stories in the whole series. Perhaps because it’s the beginning, perhaps because it’s lovely to hear old and new characters come back into a story. I don’t know, and perhaps it’s better like that.
Doctor Who, Paul Magrs, and some wonderful stories
Having just finished listening to all three story arcs by Paul Magrs I thought I might write a little something about each of these lovely stories. So expect some waffling on about Doctor Who over the next few days. Not that you wouldn’t expect waffling on about Doctor Who if you’re a regular reader of this blog.
Starting Serpent Crest
I’ve listened to the Hornet’s nest and Demon Quest, and now it’s time for the third in the Paul Magrs set of stories, Serpent Crest. I don’t think I’ve listened to this for about a year or so and I’m looking forward to hearing it again this week. The whole thing is in 5 episodes and runs for about five and a half hours, which is just about right for listening to in a week.
That should keep me going until some new Doctor Who arrives in January anyway.
I am Ashley Elsdon 