Doctor Who: The Big Finish audios...

[Quatermass]

Okay, I didn't know where else to put this, but others have posted threads about radio dramas and radio comedies in this section, so I might as well post this stuff here.

Now, Big Finish is an audio play company that has been producing officially licenced Doctor Who audio plays since the turn of the millennium, more or less. I've only recently started getting into them, although I have been aware of their presence for some years. I have a number of plays that came free with the Davros DVD boxset, along with The Nightmare Fair and a few free downloads available through Big Finish's Soundcloud page (yes, they are free legally, these audios were released free initially with Doctor Who Magazine). I'm also waiting on an order of seven stories (delayed partly by the holiday season) through a bookstore specialising in science fiction and fantasy (and which, incidentally, has a whole shelf dedicated to Terry Pratchett).

Anyone else indulge in the Big Finish audios? :think:

 

[Jack Remillard]

Me, though haven't bought one since 2009. Since then I did listen to the eventual BBC broadcasts of the 2010 5th Doctor/Nyssa/Tegan/Turlough stories which were very good, and two of the 7th Doctor/Klein* stories.

At some point I mean to catch up on at least the more recent 7/Ace/Hex stories and the 5/Nyssa/Tegan/Turlough ones. I haven't yet heard any of the 4th Doctor/Leela ones. I believe that for a long time, Tom Baker just was wasn't interested in doing any.

* Klein being a survivor of a redundant timeline where the Nazis won the war.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

P'raps our Beloved Leader, when he returns from the US and has caught up with his sleeps, could add "radio" to the section heading?

 

[Quatermass]

Maybe, but these weren't done on radio first. Instead, they were released on CD first.

Big Finish have released a few of their stories for free on Soundcloud, as I have mentioned, mostly stuff released free with Doctor Who Magazine. There's an abridged version of The Mutant Phase, featuring the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa against the Daleks. I'd rather pay for the whole thing, mind. But there's also...

*Cuddlesome: The Fifth Doctor against cute toys...

*The Veiled Leopard: Two groups of the Doctor's companions find themselves at cross-purposes regarding the theft of a work of art...

*UNIT: The Coup: Brigadier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is retired, but he is about to face two challenges: the end of UNIT as its functions are taken over by ICIS, and a possible Silurian invasion...

*Bernice Summerfield: Silver Lining: Bernice Summerfield is asked to check on the ruins of an ancient city, but Cybermen are not her only problems...

I'm also waiting on the following story orders: Energy of the Daleks, Spare Parts, Omega, Bloodtide, Unregenerate!, Storm Warning, and Sword of Orion. Spare Parts is an interesting-looking one, looking at the genesis of the Cybermen on Mondas. I also have Zagreus in my collection, one that I am looking forward to listening to.

 

[Jack Remillard]

I haven't listened to Spare Parts for a long time, but I remember enjoying it. I undertand Rise Of The Cybermen was very loosely based on it.

 

[Quatermass]

I haven't listened to Spare Parts for a long time, but I remember enjoying it. I undertand Rise Of The Cybermen was very loosely based on it.

I don't think it was based on it as much as inspired by it, but they did give Marc Platt, the writer of Spare Parts, a credit, I think.

Anyway, I managed to get my Big Finish audios yesterday, despite trouble with the trains yesterday, so soon, I'll be listening to the following Big Finishes (in this order)...

4th Doctor:

Energy of the Daleks


5th Doctor:

Spare Parts

Omega

Cuddlesome

The Veiled Leopard (part of the story takes place around this time...)


6th Doctor:

Davros

The Nightmare Fair*

Bloodtide

The Juggernauts*


7th Doctor:

Unregenerate!


8th Doctor:

Storm Warning

Sword of Orion

Zagreus

Terror Firma*


Specials:

The Davros Mission

I, Davros*

UNIT: The Coup

Bernice Summerfield: Silver Lining

*Have listened to these ones before, save for I, Davros, which I have only listened to the first part, in full.

 

[Quatermass]

In addition, I've concentrated more on stories with familiar monsters for the most part, with Unregenerate! and Storm Warning being the only exceptions for the bought stories. When I start building up my collection, I intend to get other stories...

 

[Jack Remillard]

Can I just recommend the first Dalek Empire spin-off series? I really enjoyed that. That second series less so, but it was still pretty good.

Oh, and the 7/Ace Hex play Night Thoughts (which I believe was based on a script that was originally planned for season 27). Very creepy.

 

[Quatermass]

Can I just recommend the first Dalek Empire spin-off series? I really enjoyed that. That second series less so, but it was still pretty good.

Oh, and the 7/Ace Hex play Night Thoughts (which I believe was based on a script that was originally planned for season 27). Very creepy.

Dalek Empire is less of a priority (I want to concentrate more on the mainstream audios), and my next Big Finish purchase, depending on the price, will be the Dark Eyes boxset. However, I have made a list of the Big Finish stories I want, and Night Thoughts is already on it. Most of the stories are those with familiar monsters, but there are many that I heard of, and thought, why not? There's The Boy That Time Forgot, ...Ish, The One Doctor, Red, Colditz, Minuet in Hell, Neverland, Scherzo, and Max Warp, just to name a few.

Actually, I heard that Nekromanteia is sh**. Have you listened to it yourself? Can you offer an opinion?

 

[Jack Remillard]

I haven't heard it, probably because I'd read it was sh**. I enjoyed or was indifferent to most of them (I am fairly easily pleased). The only one I'd specifically say to avoid because it is rubbish is The Dark Husband. It's a comedy one and Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred are clearly really enjoying themselves (which does count in its favour for me - I enjoyed the almost universally hated Silver Nemesis for that reason), but it wasn't enough in this case.

Of the silly ones, I enjoyed ...ish and The One Doctor. I remember thinking Colditz was very good, and that Red was good, but it didn't really a grip me if you know what I mean.

 

[Quatermass]

I heard that ...Ish was actually one of the scary ones.

Oh well.

I'll be starting on my listening odyssey soon... :think:

 

[Jack Remillard]

Well, it really is a long time since I listened to it. The thing that stands out in my memory is laughing at the comedy and wordplay, but it could also have been scary.

Enjoy your odyssey.

 

[Quatermass]

Well, it really is a long time since I listened to it. The thing that stands out in my memory is laughing at the comedy and wordplay, but it could also have been scary.

Enjoy your odyssey.

Well, I just finished listening to Energy of the Daleks. Good story, not great, but a cracking good yarn.

 

[Jack Remillard]

Ah, a Dalek story with Tom Baker! Might have to get that...

 

[Quatermass]

It was good, but didn't have much of a plot. It was just two half-hour episodes. But it was still good anyway. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are always a delight.

Anyway, Spare Parts will be next, and I am certainly looking forward to that one.

 

[Quatermass]

Just listened to Spare Parts. Barring a slightly dodgy characterisation of the Fifth Doctor and a sometimes hard-to-discern Cybercommittee voice, virtually perfect. Horror and tragedy woven wonderfully together.

 

[Jack Remillard]

Glad you enjoyed it. Must listen to it again at some point.

 

[Quatermass]

And now, I have listened to Omega. Good story, sometimes the humour detracted from it, didn't quite work as well as Spare Parts, but a damned good story with a very good twist, and some of the funniest dialogue.

 

[Jack Remillard]

I haven't heard Omega. I remember Master being quite interesting. A very different take on the Doctor/Master origin story to the one we usually imagine (and some of it ties into the Virgin New Adventures series of novels). I usually think of those books as having happened in a related but slightly messed up alternative universe.

 

[Quatermass]

I haven't heard Omega. I remember Master being quite interesting. A very different take on the Doctor/Master origin story to the one we usually imaging (and some of it ties into the Virgin New Adventures series of novels). I usually think of those books as having happened in a related but slightly messed up alternative universe.

Sorting out the relative continuities of Doctor Who is a nigh-impossible task. If I had to choose any set of spin-offs that were canonical to the TV series, I would choose, off-hand, the Big Finish audios for the most part. But it's not clear cut at all.