Audio Review 28: Ravagers, written by Nicholas Briggs (2021)

Released: May 2021

Cast:

The Doctor – Christopher Eccleston

Nova – Camilla Beeput

Ravager – Clare Corbett

Lieutenant Farraday – Ben Lee

AI/President/Cafe Owner - Anjella MacKintosh

Audrey – Jayne McKenna

Captain Halloran – Jamie Parker

Marcus Aurelius Gallius – Dan Starkey

 

Main Production Credits

Producer – David Richardson

Script Editor – Matt Fitton

Writer – Nicholas Briggs

Director – Nicholas Briggs

Incidental Music – Howard Carter

Sound Design – Iain Meadows

Recording – Remotely

Title Music – Ron Grainer, realised by Delia Derbyshire and Murray Gold (Remixed by David Darlington)

TARDIS Sounds – Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Executive Producers – Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery

 

BEWARE! SPOILERS BELOW!!

Story Summary:

The Doctor encounters a wave of unexplained Time Eddies across the Vortex, causing chaos and disruption throughout all of history. Tracking their initial source to a future civilisation, based on immersive video gaming, he arrives at the Sphere of Freedom. Helped by Nova, a galley chef, The Doctor discovers that the company’s CEO, Audrey is creating the Time Eddies to fight a race of aliens, intent on devouring the Universe…

Story Placement

Between The Day of the Doctor (TV Episode – War Doctor perspective) and Respond To All Calls (Big Finish Audio).

Favourite Lines

Nova: “Is he not your type?”

The Doctor: “Well I’d hate the Universe to end during our first Charganzi”.

Review:

I feel like I need to pinch myself. The return of Paul McGann to Doctor Who back in 2000, when he first joined Big Finish Audios, was a time of great celebration, although it was an achievement that always seemed possible. The arrival of Tom Baker at Big Finish in 2011, was also a great occasion, but it seemed rather inevitable, given his large dedication to both the Doctor Who fan community, and his growing interaction with spinoff productions. David Tennant was already a Big Finish alumnus, when he brought his 10^th Doctor to Big Finish in 2016. However, the news of Christopher Eccleston’s return to Doctor Who productions, with Big Finish, was a joyous surprise I had never expected, and brought me the biggest smile in months, such was my excitement at the possibilities and enjoyment to come.

Christopher Eccleston was the first Doctor, for whom I had watched a full series from, brand new, live on transmission, with the rest of the World. While, I saw Paul McGann’s appearance in the TV Movie, as live, too, and had grown up with repeats of the Classic Doctors during the 90s; this was the first time, that I had experienced Doctor Who, in the same way as people had done, in decades past, before home video started.

Doctor Who’s now iconic and unforgettable 2005 return to Television is seared onto the minds of a generation. The first of the soon to be many acclaimed series, presented a fun and accessible jumping on point, for new audiences, which quickly developed into a fast-paced thriller and intense character drama that gripped me to the end. Watching that series broadcast, was one of the most exciting Television experiences I’ve ever had. Even though, I was already 18, and through most of my formative years, it still left a huge impression on me. The sheer exhilaration of the dramatic build-up to the series finale, The Parting of the Ways, was palpable. It was virtually everything I hoped it would be, and the great memory of those times, shall stay with me forever; let alone set a high bar for subsequent series to beat.

For me, Christopher Eccleston, was a huge part of why I loved that first new series so much. His gravitas, dynamism, precise and electric performance, was full of such energy and conviction, it made those episodes so effortlessly enjoyable, and entrancing. Lead writer and showrunner, Russell T. Davies, as well as fellow acting lead, Billie Piper, also played huge parts in Doctor Who’s great success that year; but for me it was often Eccleston that made them unmissable. As a result, Christopher Eccleston will always be one of the handful of Doctors, like Jon Pertwee, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, who I grew up with, and for which I will always have special affection for.

However, leaving the role of the Doctor on screen, after one year, under unknown creative disagreements with the production team, it was clear that any revisit for the character on screen was unlikely. I won’t pry into the personal business of those involved, so I’ll move on, but in short, for a long time, it seemed like Christopher Eccleston would never, ever return to Doctor Who. So, I’m overjoyed that we finally have another chance to be blessed with Eccleston’s reappearance in the role, on audio.

Sphere of Freedom

From the first second, Christopher Eccleston’s breathless, and impassioned performance, bursts through the speakers, in an exciting introduction, that captures you instantly. It’s impossible to describe how happy I was in those first few moments, transporting me back to those heady thrills of 2005. Sphere of Freedom is everything I hoped it would be, sharing another wacky and imaginative rollercoaster ride, with Eccleston’s pragmatic and no-nonsense Ninth Doctor.

Time Eddies have been a theoretical phenomenon much talked about in Doctor Who before, but rarely demonstrated. Their ability to suddenly appear into existence, and whisk you away, like temporal Tornadoes, is thrillingly realised, first by threatening the Doctor and his new friend, Nova, but also by their impact on Earth. The cultural contrast of 1^st Century Romans coming up against 1950s British soldiers, in the middle of Central London, is both visually imaginative, but clearly also a great deal of fun, as they try to understand, and outthink each other.

The Ninth Doctor is thrown into this chaos, London being a lovely echo of its presence in TV episode, Rose; and wastes no time, in his trademark succinct manner, getting down to business. As a result, the pacing is fast, and feels fairly action-packed.

Once the Doctor traces the Time Eddies to the Sphere of Freedom, that’s when Ravagers really pulls out the Ace up its sleeve – the wonderful Nova. Nicholas Briggs has given Big Finish, another in its increasing successful line of great, new Doctor Who companions. Nova has the accessibility of Rose Tyler, with the down-to-earth and relatable natures of Lucie Miller, and Liv Chenka. I love how Nova, is just looking for a better life, and isn’t automatically spellbound by the Doctor and his fantastical travels. In an all-too familiar tale, Nova is just trying to get by, exploited on a low wage, and going through the motions. The Doctor’s appearance reawakens her sense of self-worth, and she is happy to risk it all, for the hope of better days.

The fast-moving plot and dialogue make this production, feel very fresh and exciting, much like the first episodes of the TV revival itself. However, this all gradually changes, not long after the appearance of the mysterious Audrey. After endless questioning of the Doctor, it doesn’t take too long for the audience to guess that she is one of the main antagonist’s in the overall story. Unfortunately, the script holds back the reveal till far too late, in my view; partly as a result of the unusual method of framing half of the first episode, as a narrated story, which after a while stops all the momentum the narrative, had up until this point. The cliff-hanger reveal of the Time Ravager creatures, also seems to come from nowhere, and suffers from a lack of build-up in the script earlier. For the most part though, this first entry, is a fantastic opener.

Sphere of Freedom – Score: 8/10

Cataclysm

Cataclysm continues to intriguingly thicken the plot, while giving us more time to appreciate Nova, as a new companion. Nova bravely holds her own against a bunch of bloodthirsty Robots, who deem human intelligence and individual thought to be a form of corruption and pollution (a great piece of quick social commentary on political popularism).

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Nova, traverse time to try and find a way to shut down the dangerous Time Eddies threatening the Universe. However, it seems the Time Eddies fight against them, forcing the TARDIS to arrive at events in the wrong order. Despite that, it’s clear Audrey created the Time Eddies, so the Doctor finally arrives at an earlier moment in Audrey’s life, on the planet Tarleesha, desperate to try and get more information. Although, this expedition seems a fruitless run-around, it does give us a chance to see how great the new pairing of the Ninth Doctor and Nova is.

Nova proves, a smart, and pragmatic companion, who keeps the Doctor focussed on the now, while also not standing for his occasional mood swings. Nova is also very imaginative, and insightful, coming up with most of the helpful ideas, again keeping the duo focused. I also love how cutely the Doctor distracts the guard with a funny romantic note on the psychic paper. A neat idea, never attempted on the show before, bar River Song’s teases, of course.

Despite the active and complex plot mechanics, Nicholas Briggs continues to hold all the answers close to his chest. He skilfully crafts more scenarios that raise more questions; having the Doctor show up as a mysterious temporal spirit from the future, which is a really neat reversal of the narrated story device employed by Audrey in Sphere of Freedom. I also like how Audrey isn’t your typical supervillain, but a misguided scientist, later amoral business CEO; who seems to have some good intentions for her people, even if she has little care for the rest of time and space. As the scale of the story increases, so does the intrigue behind it; even if Cataclysm is mainly an entertaining romp, within a larger story, yet to be revealed.

Cataclysm – Score: 7/10

Food Fight

The much-teased conclusion brings back the momentum of the first episode; the plot jumping from place to place, barely stopping to take breath. However, some of it is quite clearly a way of putting off the final resolution, by instead dwelling in light entertaining banter from the supporting historical characters. Although, I must admit, imagining a Roman dangling out of the TARDIS, into the maelstrom of the Time-Space Vortex, is rather amusing. Nova also starts to devolve slightly at times into a Rose Tyler soundalike, but fortunately reverts to her original self once the action returns to the Sphere of Freedom.

Forward Flashbacks of the Doctor’s temporal spirit remain an excellent audio storytelling device; and really helps develop a fascinating chemistry between the Doctor and Audrey. Audrey, in fact benefits the most, with some great character development, demonstrating her aim to aid the Universe, while also made desperate, after suffering the fall of her own World, Tarleesha. It finally makes her a convincing character, and one that we can sympathise, even if, like the Doctor, she has misunderstood the true nature of the Ravagers. Our understanding of Audrey comes just in time, for a well-earned face-off between her and the Doctor.

Interestingly enough, the Doctor’s arrogance is just as misguided as Audrey’s; tearing apart Audrey’s technology on the Sphere of Freedom, only to completely misjudge the overall situation. Once the Doctor has been swallowed up by a surprise Time Eddy, he finds himself, face to face with the much talked about Ravagers. I must confess, after the build-up, the truth behind them as primal creatures, that just live off the fear pheromones generated from their own emotions, feels somewhat underwhelming. In some ways, it’s an interesting metaphorical social commentary on people, who only live off the thrill from the virtual technology – TV, Computers, Phones, Gaming, Virtual Reality. In this instance, it just feels a bit contrived that the power of the Ravagers is conflated to threaten the whole Universe and Space/Time at once, rather than perhaps purely on a planetary level, which potentially may have been more effective. There are only so many times that Universe level threats can be banded about, before it starts feeling a bit blasé.

Food Fight resolves the impending doom of Space/Time, by having the Doctor, cross his own time stream again, but this time, to rewrite most of the entire events of Ravagers from scratch. The primal Ravagers are sated, amusingly, by essentially creative editing, allowing Audrey to keep them at bay, with a regular dose of Virtual Reality media, or to put it another way – ‘piped in’ Television. So, while the Ravagers are glued into their gogglebox, the Doctor gets friendly reacquainted with Nova, who has to get to know the Time Traveller all over again, after the previous timeline was erased. As solutions go, its far from the worst – a casual lowkey conclusion to an entertaining two-hour adventure.

Food Fight – Score: 7/10

Overall, Ravagers proves to be a very fun romp, across the Timelines. Just like The Chase, the entertainment is more about the journey, than the destination. A diverse range of character types and locations, help give the adventure, both great scopes, but also plenty of amusing and dynamic scenes, really helping to sell Ravagers as a fresh-sounding, and immersive reintroduction to the World of the Ninth Doctor, and boy what a reintroduction.

Christopher Eccleston is undoubtedly the star of the production, and I have already enthused greatly about his performance, but it is so magical, I feel I could listen or watch him perform anything. Having said that, many of his co-stars also do a great turn in their performances, particularly Camilla Beeput as Nova, who brilliantly articulates her strength of character, but also her brutal honesty, successfully giving Nova, a relatable and strong voice, fairly well-matched to Chris Eccleston’s Doctor. Jayne McKenna is good as the amoral Audrey too, portraying more nuanced menace as a villain, while gradually softening her to the point, where the audience feels sorry for the character, trying so hard to save the Universe. Of the supporting actors, Dan Starkey stands out, cast in a role that plays to his comedic strengths, as the brutish, and constantly bemused Roman Centurion, Marcus Aurelius Gallius. Starkey gets a lot of the funniest moments, even if his character has very standard historical character “out of time” dialogue.

The production of Ravagers is equally as impressive as the performances. I confess, I haven’t listened to many present-day Big Finish audios, because I’ve largely been picking out audios at random to listen to, from across the various years of their amazing output. So Ravagers was probably only the third recent release over the last 12 months I had heard, and the first thing that blew me away with this release, was the immersive sound design of Iain Meadows. The explosions, sci-fi and TARDIS effects, instantly transport you out of the real world, and into a new one, really sparking the imagination. The increasingly superlative Howard Carter, also scores another home run, with a soundtrack that is reminiscent of 90s Sci-fi, Spy-fi, but also creates a wonderful new theme, in a similar sound to Murray Gold’s Westminster Bridge from Series One of the TV revival. Nicholas Briggs’ regularly fine-tuned direction, also shows, as no performance is wasted, and the whole production feels so seamless and full of action.

Some fans may feel disappointed that this isn’t a deeper examination of the Time War, battle-scarred, and traumatised Ninth Doctor, often portrayed on Television. However, in defence of Big Finish that was only ever one side of the Doctor’s personality, and writer Russell T. Davies, I feel, explored it deeply and intensely throughout his time on Doctor Who. They often forget about the Ninth Doctor’s fun, life-loving, and excitable side, that often welcomed him into people’s living rooms. Ravagers features more of this aspect to the Ninth Doctor, and to me it makes perfect sense. The Time War and Time Lords are hinted at, but at this point, the Doctor is in denial, and throwing himself into his new travels, before he’s yet to come to terms with those events, during the later years of the incarnation depicted in the TV series.

Tonally, Ravagers provides just the reintroduction for the Ninth Doctor that we needed. Not an overcomplex puzzler, or a sudden dive into a tense emotional drama that we already have several examples of, but a fun ride around Time and Space, with a few great characters along the way. The bigger ideas, dramas and story arcs, can all wait for later stories. Ravagers watch word is clearly to be accessible to all, and great entertainment in all weathers. In that, Ravagers succeeds in spades. Just like The Chase, it whisks us around the cosmos, and across history, in a whirlwind of action, thrills, and diverting time jumps; but equally just The Chase, its not really offering enough substance, to in the end, be much more than that. Simply a great showcase of its star, to remind us how much we still love, the fantastic Christopher Eccleston.

Overall Score: 7/10

Audio Review 27: Terror of the Sontarans, written by John Dorney & Dan Starkey (2015)

Released: September 2015

Cast:

The Doctor – Sylvester McCoy

Melanie Bush – Bonnie Langford

Ketch – Daniel O’Meara

Anvil Jackson/Technician Gyte – Jon Edgley Bond

Tethneka/Carter/Thing #1 and #2 – Andree Bernard

Field-Major Kayste/Skegg/Stodd – Dan Starkey

Adjutant Commander Klath/Stettimer – John Banks

Glaar – John Dorney

Main Production Credits

Producer – David Richardson

Script Editor – Alan Barnes

Writer – John Dorney & Dan Starkey

Director – Ken Bentley

Incidental Music and Sound Design – Andy Hardwick

Recording –Toby Hrycek-Robinson at Moat Studios

Title Music – Ron Grainer, arranged by Keff McCulloch (Remixed by David Darlington)

TARDIS Sounds – Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Executive Producers – Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery

 

Story Summary (SPOILERS!):

The Doctor and Mel arrive in an abandoned mining facility, on a mysterious planet of huge dust clouds, and colourful rocks, only to discover it was recently appropriated as a Sontaran Research Expedition, which has recently gone AWOL. As well as the Sontarans’ tortured alien prisoners, the Doctor and Mel discover a historic human mining expedition, had also perished under mysterious circumstances. For the planet hides an unsettling secret. Underneath all the beauty, lies a deadly force, affecting the mind, and haunting every corner, with ghostly voices echoing in the darkness. If this wasn’t already a challenge for the survivors…the Sontarans bring reinforcements…

 

Story Placement

Between The Warehouse (Big Finish Audio) and Delta and the Bannermen (TV Serial).

Favourite Lines

Tethneka – “You are mere ghosts in armoured shells…”

Sontarans – “Present Arms. Present Legs”.

 

Review:

Sylvester McCoy’s much-loved Seventh Doctor (not least by me), very rarely encountered Robert Holmes’ fantastic warrior alien, The Sontarans in spin-off media, and never in the TV show, so the Terror of the Sontarans presents a fun opportunity to correct that. Furthermore, it does so from a different angle than the one we’re used to. They’ve often been shown in their galaxy-spanning marauding clone army, invading other planets, testing military science and strategies, perverting the natural Worlds and laws around them, just to benefit their sprawling Empire. Terror of the Sontarans showcases them as amoral and partly equal protagonists, just as much under threat of death and disaster, as the rest of the wider cast of characters. Vulnerability is not a side, one associates with Sontarans, so it’s an interesting angle to explore. Or at least it is with one Sontaran – Commander Skegg, who while running a military research expedition, is reduced to a terrified, quivering and deranged state, as a result of a continuous and powerful psychic attack from the indigenous lifeform, of the planet he surveys. While these events tease a potential deeper side to the Sontarans, writers John Dorney and Dan Starkey (famed as the character actor behind Strax), never really go there, merely using his torment to hint at the deadliness of the unseen foe, throughout most of the story.

In fact, the Sontarans overall, aren’t much different, and display much of their loved previous characterisation. They never show real emotion, bar their usual indignation, false pride and arrogance. In the revived TV series, since 2011, the Sontarans have largely been written as comical figures, particularly Strax; which for the most part, has delivered some wonderful comedy moments and witty dialogue, still quotable to this day. The Classic Series of Doctor Who meanwhile, depicted Sontarans more dramatically, as ruthless, proud soldiers, who while largely unimaginative, did possess a streak of deadly cunning within. They too, had a humorous aspect, albeit more one of satire and irony. I loved both interpretations, and have long been a fan of the Sontarans, since 1973 TV Serial, The Time Warrior has long left an indelible impact upon me, as the story that made me love Doctor Who for the first time. However, the more slapstick version of the more recent Sontaran appearances, has felt a bit of a gimmick at times. So, I like that Terror of the Sontarans treads a neat line between the two versions, partly a greatest hits Sontaran if you like. Certainly, I could listen to Dan Starkey’s Sontaran characterisations all day, on this occasion as the eternally peeved Field-Major Kayste.

However, it sometimes feels as if that’s what the story is counting on. The narrative is very well-paced, the Doctor and Mel initially exploring the broken, and rusting mining facility, generating an intriguing atmosphere, which when put together with the colourful descriptions of the wild planet of rocks and dust clouds, ominously threatening from afar, certainly draws you in. The mystery of the planet, and its powerful telepathic entities, is teased throughout, first with the diary entries of the dead miners, but then ghosts, and then glowing gemstones. However, the arrival of the Sontarans on mass later on, does tend to take over the plot somewhat, and delays the real nature, of the true antagonist, who I genuinely found really interesting.

The Bloom is revealed to be a gestalt living-mineral species, that lives off thought and emotion. The aliens’ first embodiment in the coloured gemstones, first made me think of Marvel’s now well-recognised so-called Infinity Stones, but I was excited when it appeared to be something altogether more imaginative. The gemstones are merely part of a living silicon-based alien entity, originating from mineral elements on the planet, including the equally colourful dust clouds. The Bloom evolves its being, and its intelligence, through the other physical life it can spiritually communicate with, and more threateningly possess. Other fans have mentioned this as being quite traditional and repeated territory for Doctor Who, but as I’m listening to many of these audios out of order, the only references that immediately come to mind are the Kastrians from The Hand of Fear, and the god-like Kwundaar from the audio Primeval. Within Terror of the Sontarans, however, it still feels like a very fresh concept.

Having said that, the nature of the Bloom is held back till part 4 and is mainly used as a new monster of the week to dispose of in double-quick time, without delving deeper into its unusual nature. In relation to the Sontarans as the titular Terror, the Bloom poses an interesting character development in the Sontarans, affecting them by inducing emotion, wild madness, and by Sontaran standards, lack of discipline; but again I feel this is never really fully explored, as a successful opponent against the alien warriors. In that sense, the story comes across as creating two plots, one involving the Bloom, and the other, a welcome revisit to a Sontaran satire; and not really satisfyingly completing either, as each one merely cancels the other out, by the end of events. Similarly, to The Invisible Enemy, the whole climax is dully resolved with a literal bang.

Even more strangely, the Doctor, despite being fairly active in the plot, investigating the shadows and mysteries, in a quiet Troughton-esque fashion; has very little impact on the overall story. Ironically, its largely the Sontarans that are driving the narrative, and the Doctor seems often stuck on the sidelines. While this does ring true with the early Season 24 character of the 7^th Doctor, I can’t help, but occasionally hanker for the more decisive character of Season 25.

Mel, on the other hand, in a very welcome change, sees a lot of the story’s action; once again, wonderfully written against the stereotypical image of the character from her Season 24 TV adventures. Gloriously, Mel holds her own against the Sontarans, and fairly early on, unites all the friendly characters together, against the troubles they face; and proving more than a match for the macho pretences of the Sontarans’ humanoid prisoners.

Speaking of which, these victims, of years of experimental torture, at the hands of the Sontarans; survive, at times, with an amusing variety in states of sanity. Written in-keeping with the more light-hearted tone set by the Sontarans, the collected prisoners represent, less of a dramatic representation, than a motley crew of Douglas Adams-esque characters, with an unusual collection of gimmicks. Anvil Jackson is a wannabe Flash Gordon, hiding a life of regret and insecurity, while Ketch is a circus performer, who can contort his way out of almost any difficulty; Tethneka, the calm spiritualist; and Stettimer, a raging Lobster warrior, and perhaps written homage to Brian Blessed’s glorious larger-than-space performance as King Yrcanos in Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp. While they’re entertaining, these aliens are ultimately all just cannon fodder for the ongoing plot.

Equally entertaining, the performances are all full of fun and enthusiasm. Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford delight with an effortlessly warm and charismatic turn, that is far more nuanced than how they were often directed in the TV series, but bring with them all the wonderful chemistry from the best moments of their time together during Season 24 (1987). The undoubted stars of the show, however, are the Sontaran actors, John Banks, and the play’s authors – John Dorney, and Dan Starkey, who are all clearly having a whale of a time. Dan Starkey, always giving an expert and joyous performance as the famed monsters, that is hard not to love, getting their personality quirks down to a tee.

The sound design is also very impressive and makes it very easy to visualise the action; and I just love the music by Andy Hardwick. It reminded me of some of his best scores during the early 8^th Doctor audios. Admittedly, the music does fade into the background, being partly lost amongst the rest of the effects, but on its own, it is very atmospheric and excitingly reminiscent of 80s and 90s Sci-fi Electronica.

Atmospheric and fun, pretty much sums up Terror of the Sontarans. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable romp in a very typical Sci-fi setting, that entertains, with a welcome immersion back into the amusing and fascinating hierarchical World of the Sontarans. All the while presented in a loving evocation of Season 24, with an intriguing, and impressive alien World. I felt a great shame, it ultimately turns into largely something of a run-around with little consequence, but I had a very good time, nevertheless.

Score: 8/10

Audio Review 26: The War Doctor: Volume 1 - Only The Monstrous, written by Nicholas Briggs (2015)

Released: December 2015

Cast: 
The War Doctor – Sir John Hurt
Cardinal Ollistra – Jacqueline Pearce
Rejoice – Lucy Briggs-Owen
Keskan Slave – Carolyn Seymour
Seratrix – Alex Wyndham
Veklin – Beth Chalmers
Bennus – Kieran Hodgson
Arverton – Barnaby Edwards
Trannus – Mark McDonnell
Garv – John Banks
Dalek Voices – Nicholas Briggs 

Main Production Credits 

Producer – David Richardson
Writer – Nicholas Briggs
Director – Nicholas Briggs
Script Editor – Matt Fitton
Original Music and Sound Design – Howard Carter
Recording – Toby Hrycek-Robinson at Moat Studios
Title Music – Howard Carter
TARDIS Sounds – Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Executive Producers – Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery 

Story Placement 
Between unknown previous adventure (after The Night of the Doctor) and The War Doctor: Infernal Devices (Big Finish Audio). 

Favourite Lines:

Cardinal Ollistra: “What is War, if not the embodiment of hypocrisy”. 

Prime Dalek: “Peace in Our Time!” 

Cardinal Ollistra: “Where can I find you Doctor? When I need you again.” 
The War Doctor: “At the Heart of the Battle, where the blood of the innocents flows, and only the monstrous survive”. 

Foreword: 

The recent sad loss of Sir John Hurt came as a surprise to many, including me, who hoped his diagnosed cancer was in remission, and had several years left to enjoy. In truth, John Hurt is one of Britain’s greatest character actors, and many, including me, had become fond of his reassuring gravelly voice and sweet demeanour. I confess, while I only know of about a third of his rich and extensive work over the years, the conviction, gravitas and honesty of his performances always impressed me no end. As time goes by, it becomes increasingly clear that John Hurt was an absolute workaholic, whose contribution to the Arts of Cinema, Theatre and Television in recent decades, is matched only by a small number. On a lesser note, it was also sad that Sir John was taken away from us, not long after welcoming him into the great big happy Doctor Who family. I think it’s a huge shame that John, never got the time to experience and realise the affection present and future fans had, and would have for him. Nevertheless, I’m sure we’ll all cherish the magnificent material he's gifted us with, of which Big Finish’s War Doctor series is part. Steven Moffat and all of us were very lucky that John Hurt was cast in the fascinating character of the War Doctor, and after his short appearance in the Doctor Who TV series itself, it was only natural for fans to become desperate for more opportunities to experience and enjoy this mysterious incarnation of our hero. Nicholas Briggs and Big Finish audios clearly agreed, hence their hard work to bring the War Doctor to audio so quickly, and I’m very glad they did, but unfortunately especially now that John Hurt is sadly no longer with us. I confess, although I purchased the boxsets straight away at the time, its only now, after the great loss of this enormous talent, that I was compelled to seek out some of his work to enjoy, so I could remember him at his best. Not to mention, hear some more of John Hurt’s short, but unforgettable and momentous contribution to the World of Doctor Who.

Please note: Spoilers Follow!

Part 1: The Innocent

Review: 

The Innocent is an unusual and unique piece of Doctor Who; a fascinating paradoxical mix of being new and fairly radical, featuring striking action set pieces, while also having a low-key, broadly-written narrative. Then there’s the wonderful contrast between the Universe-encompassing Time War, and the often tranquil, rustic paradise of planet Keska. For the first story to introduce us to the War Doctor properly, it feels strange to have a slightly uneventful plotline, and yet that’s what makes it all the more interesting, because it allows for an introspective character study of this brand-new Doctor.

While we know Only The Monstrous isn’t the War Doctor’s opening adventure, the story knows it’s serving as the character’s main entrance, and throughout The Innocent, economically works in a series of clever flashbacks, which serve as a neat potted history and summary, of some of the actions this “cursed” of incarnations has performed during the hell of the Time War. So as the entrance for The War Doctor, this introspective, and quite laidback opener, is quite unlike any introduction we’ve had for any Doctor before. Yet it feels so right. The War Doctor creates and carries the most emotional baggage of any Doctor, so we, the listener, are still trying to make sense of how that shapes and defines his persona. In that sense, the War Doctor is almost a completely new character we’re experiencing for the first time. However, its more than that. The War Doctor’s insistence that he is no-one, nobody, and his tight-lipped secrecy about his recent past, also turns him into a fascinating enigma. The Doctor hasn’t been this much of a mystery since the Sylvester McCoy incarnation, but there’s deeper echoes that hark back to William Hartnell’s Doctor too, because for the first time since Doctor Who’s first TV episodes in 1963, The Doctor is completely unpredictable, a virtually unknowable force of nature, truly capable of anything, especially given the more amoral outlook forced upon him by the Time War.

Furthermore, it reinforces how new and fresh everything is. The idea of the fallen survivor from an alien war, is actually, a very old Sci-fi premise, but it’s the first time it’s ever been applied to The Doctor. In fact, the setup feels like an echo of the Ninth Doctor’s entrance in 2005, which plays on very similar lines, except minus featuring the Time War itself, and that the Ninth Doctor was clearly in recovery from the aftermath of the War, rather than in shock from coping with being in it. The Time War has been mentioned and represented countless times in Doctor Who since 2005, but it’s never been portrayed with any real dimension thus far, mostly because the TV series, even when it first raised the idea in 2005, didn’t and largely still doesn’t have the funds to do it justice on screen. So, to all intents and purposes, this is a separate and brand new version of Doctor Who, complete with its own backstory and supporting characters, a whole world away from any of Doctor Who’s televised series. The War Doctor series, brings with it an excitement and frisson, as to the new avenues and possibilities it can explore, just as the 2005 TV Revival did.

More like a film, than an opening to a series, The Innocent begins with an impressive set piece, as the Time Lords hoist a Dalek fleet upon its own Time Destructor. The sudden tonal shift, from that to the relaxed and domestic setting of Keska, and the gentle personal two-handed character drama between The Doctor and Rejoice, is both a welcome surprise, and a wonderful breath of fresh air from the usual melodramas of space battles we might have been expecting. While the stakes may not be very high at this stage of the story arc (the Taalyens feel like a mere distraction at the moment), this thoughtful study into the Doctor’s emotional turmoil, prove to create a charming little tale, which gives us a good early insight into the effect of the Time War, and acts as the “Calm before the Storm”, the prelude before the “Hell” of the Time War truly takes shape.

Rejoice and the War Doctor, make a great natural duo, and one wishes that perhaps Rejoice might have been a companion, given their obvious rapport. The Doctor’s head, caught between the horrors of the Time War and the personal trauma of coming to terms with his own actions during it, is soothed and healed significantly by Rejoice, who has an angelic level of patience and faith in the good, which she thinks The Doctor still has in his hearts. Despite his protestations and sudden violent outbursts, Rejoice proves to the audience, that under the surface, the old spirit and good nature of the Doctor still lies within him, and that he punishes himself too harshly. It’s a big shame then, that before this relationship develops into something greater, its snatched away by the Time Lords, who are desperate to drag The Doctor back into The Time War. I feel this is a clever signposting by writer Nicholas Briggs to show that this is unfortunately not business as usual, mirroring the all-pervasive and threatening Time War, by disrupting Doctor Who’s very own formula, so even The Doctor himself cannot escape the horrors that await him. Despite the clever script device, part of me hankers for a longer running time of this interlude, just so we, the listener, could peel back the layers of The Doctor and Rejoice’s characters, just that bit deeper. Briggs, like The Doctor though, is playing his cards very closely to his chest, and leaving us wanting more, and after this delightful and impressive opening, I for one, cannot wait for the next instalment.. 

Score: 7/10

Part 2: The Thousand Worlds

Review:
 

The sudden intervention of the Time Lords in the relative peace of The Innocent, strips the Doctor of the opportunity to truly heal and come to terms with his true self. For the Time Lords, the Doctor is considered, and treated like their ultimate weapon, a resource to be unleashed in dire circumstances; and so, will never give him up easily. The War Doctor being dragged back to Gallifrey, and employment in the Time War, has echoes of when the Third Doctor was occasionally dragged back to work for UNIT. He clearly doesn’t want to be there, openly mocking his rank superiors, but for far better, deeper and different reasons than before. He feels bombarded and straitjacketed by orders from Time Lords, who seem to act more like Daleks, one-track narrow minds, obsessed with victory to the point they have contempt for those not unlike themselves. For Veklin, this is certainly true, but I feel she’s far too unsympathetic and earnest to be taken seriously, and makes an easy target for the Doctor’s jibes.

Cardinal Ollistra is far more well-rounded and developed, performing the hard, stern, austere Commander of Time Lord military operations to her underlings; while being a ruthless, cynical, but smooth-talking politician in reality. Ollistra also holds a fascinating measure of respect for The Doctor, despite his contempt for all things military. She finds him amusing, but refreshingly sharp-witted and imaginative, especially compared to the more literal-minded Time Lords like Veklin, or the waffle of young innocents, drafted into the cause.
 
Speaking of the The Innocent, I had suspected Nicholas Briggs was going to reintroduce Keska and Rejoice, later into the story arc; but I didn’t expect the momentous and confident twist unleashed upon the listener, when the Doctor tragically finds himself in a Dalek-occupied Keska, devastated by Invasion and industrialisation, just years after he left it. The turn of events is another great piece of symbolism on the effect of The Time War. In better times, Rejoice would have been The Doctor’s companion, and Keska, another saved planet living in peace. The Time War though, continues to unravel all before it, including The Doctor, and everything about him. So, past victories become overturned by greater defeats, and The Doctor sees his would-be friends at their knees, his good deeds made null and void. There’s no certainties, or rules in the Doctor Who Universe any more…and sometimes that makes the possibilities all the more exciting.

Except, the calm eye of the Storm, The Doctor, remains a reassuring presence in these unpredictable events. For all his laments and shame, about not being the person he used to be, his kinder and warmer old self, still threatens to reappear from time to time. He’s clearly still very goodhearted, caring for the Keskan people, and keen to do the right thing. The reunion with, a now older Rejoice, is even just 60 odd minutes since her introduction, sweet and poignant. The Daleks may have brought weariness, hopelessness and the death of innocence to Keska, but Rejoice is still a warm and kind soul, who believes in the good heart of the Doctor. The Doctor is notably happier in her presence, and I love how the two playfully tease each other, like the best of friends.

The Daleks in contrast, are a fascinating contradiction. Their reliance and use of the Taalyens as less intelligent, militaristic allies is a very familiar gambit, and after being clearly diminished in their most recent conflict with the Time Lords, the Daleks are carrying out their intentions very coolly and cautiously. It makes a big change not seeing the Daleks as brazen and arrogant as on earlier occasions. The Thousand Worlds also gives us a rare opportunity to experience a successfully Dalek-occupied World close-up. I know Nicholas Briggs’ spinoff audio series Dalek Empire covered this in extensive detail, but it’s rare for us to come across it in official Doctor Who itself, and experience The Doctor operating within it. The atmosphere is predictably oppressive, bleak and intimidating; never-ending industrialisation and military installations, worked by a permanently enslaved civilisation. I would love the TV version of Doctor Who to attempt imagery of this type again, it really sells the horrific threat of the Daleks in a way reams of exposition and special effects just simply can’t. Nicholas Briggs has years of experience writing about the deeper nature of the Daleks, so he has their character, meaning, ideology and effect down to a Tee by this point.

Like The Doctor, we too think the worst of the Daleks, which makes the cliff-hanger of The Thousand Worlds so intriguing... 

Score: 8/10

Part 3: The Heart of the Battle 

Review:

The idea of the Time Lords making peace with the Daleks, is another great new fascinating concept to explore, especially under the backdrop of the Time War. Like the idea of Nazi appeasement in hindsight, sacrificing hundreds of planets and civilisations to unopposed death and tyranny under the Daleks is horrifying; and the hope of Seratrix that this callous selling out of a galaxy or two to satiate the Daleks’ bloodlust and terror, in order to enable the Time Lords to resume their naval-gazing unfeeling protectionism, is sheer naivety of the highest order. The Doctor thinks so too, and like us is highly sceptical that the Daleks will remotely honour their promises to Seratrix.

So, it’s no real surprise when the Doctor uncovers, without too much difficulty, that the Daleks have outwitted Seratrix, and intend another, more devious means to wage and win the Time War against the Time Lords. Turning just over a “thousand Worlds” into giant space projectiles to impact into Gallifrey, has to be one of the most audacious and ambitious Dalek schemes to date. The simplicity and gall of it is mindboggling, and Seratrix’s peace negotiations are enough to distract the Time Lords until it would be too late, or so the Daleks think anyway.

The Doctor makes short work of the Daleks, only to realise he can’t truly win and stop the Dalek plan without sacrificing Keskan lives. He resigns himself to the fact that he may continue to always be the “monster” he’s been fighting within himself all this time, if he’s to win against the Daleks. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, trapped in an endless purgatory, with no good decisions in sight; mired in loss and destruction; and without peace, eternally ashamed and self-loathing, for what he’s had to do.

The use of the Taalyens, and a deeper exploration into their nature, accentuates the Doctor’s inner turmoil; between his despair and weariness of the Time War, and his hatred of the Daleks, and their allies’ utter contempt for all life, and the innocents they lay waste to. However, they also highlight The Doctor’s true good nature, despite his shame. The Doctor takes it upon himself to take the worst decisions, so no one else has to suffer them on their conscience. The Taalyens are, like the Daleks, the real monsters, and their obsession with might and victory, is such that conscience and innocence are weaknesses to be reviled, not strengths. They’re more dangerous and intelligent blunt instruments than the Ogrons, so perhaps the Daleks are choosing their allies more carefully. However, in story terms, the Taalyens end up being instruments to frustrate the Doctor. I really didn’t like how Rejoice was seemingly despatched, as just another innocent victim to highlight the Taalyens’ obvious cruelty. I thought Rejoice was a fascinating idea for a character – the lost companion, which the Doctor never had; and a great concept to revisit in future storylines. To just throw the character away in order to tie up as many loose ends as possible, felt like a waste of her success as a concept so far, as well as the future potential Rejoice could have.

The real twist of the story though, is that the whole course of events we have witnessed, were set into motion by Cardinal Ollistra the entire time. Ollistra secretly sanctioned Seratrix’s Peace group, and their attempt to negotiate a settlement with the Daleks, just so she could infiltrate and thwart their followers in the long term. The Daleks’ Null-Zone Machine was donated by Ollistra to Seratrix, as a temporary sweetener to the Daleks, until she was sure Seratrix’s group were all revealed, and defeated, after which it was deactivated so the Time Lords could regain supremacy before the Daleks brought their plans to fruition. The Doctor is understandably horrified. The Daleks’ “Thousand Worlds” invasion, and their alliance with the Taalyens, the devastation of Keska; was all just to prevent appeasement in the Time Lord ranks, and it could all have been avoided. Ollistra, is the real Time Lord monster of the Time War, and worse, she feels it is her duty to be so, in order to achieve victory, her ruthlessness knowing little bounds. Veklin it seems, is another story device; both to give some scale, to the effect of the Time War on the Time Lords; and to be Ollistra’s very own blunt instrument, cleverly shadowing Ollistra’s influence until the final reveal. While Ollistra is far from the worst of the Time Lord villains encountered by the Doctor, there’s a strong argument to say that Ollistra is perhaps the cleverest and most calculating. 

Score: 8/10 

I’ve already mentioned the stellar acting of Sir John Hurt, and as I and many others suspected, he does an equally fine job revisiting the War Doctor. Hurt takes the weariness, dry wit, contrition and thoughtfulness introduced in The Day of the Doctor, and adds depth and in some cases, blistering anger, giving much more layers and colour to his portrayal of the War Doctor. Furthermore, he feels totally settled in the role, and clearly enjoys his time as part of the Doctor Who universe, as if he had been a part of it for several years before. Hurt leads this version of Doctor Who with great confidence and reverence, emanating gravitas, and portraying a calm and steely tenacity in the War Doctor, subtly demonstrating his determination to bring this Time War to rights, whatever side he finds himself on.

Jacqueline Pearce does a stunning and convincing turn as new Time Lord villain, Cardinal Ollistra. After her iconic Blake’s 7 performance as Servalan, Ollistra may seem like typecasting, but Pearce perseveres in creating a fresh new Doctor Who villain, substituting the theatricality and camp of similar villains, with the weariness and authoritarian calm of a wiser and senior official. There’s also an inner peace, and quiet self-assuredness that Pearce holds back until Ollistra is alone with the Doctor, reinforcing the private respect the Cardinal has for him. More importantly though, it subtly reveals the hubris and arrogance of her own convictions in a way that feels natural. It’s that inner calm and cool determination that helps add dramatic weight to the reveal of the true extent and scope of Ollistra’s ruthless and devious scheme.

Rejoice is played wonderfully by two actors, reflecting two points in the character’s timeline. Lucy Briggs-Owen brings a sincerity throughout, that really brings Rejoice to life. Her subtle and gentle performance of Rejoice’s generous spirit, and her quiet resolve and bravery, really sells her as a future companion we’d want to know. Carolyn Seymour’s interpretation is very warm, but very convincingly portrays the future Rejoice’s hardened and sceptical outlook, hiding a lifetime of loss and oppression. It’s just a shame that despite defeating the Daleks, we didn’t get to see Seymour and Hurt enact a happier parting between the two characters.

For perhaps the first time, I feel compelled to applaud the excellent Sound work of Howard Carter. Most of my reviews have been of Big Finish’s early years, and I’m far behind on listening to current releases, so skipping forward to this set has been something of a revelation to me. The Time War, offers a vast playground for any composer and sound designer, and Howard Carter has superbly rose to the challenge. From the very beginning, Only The Monstrous has better sound design than a multi-million pound movie, with an explosive opening that immediately brings the scale of the Dalek time fleet, and their demise into perspective. It also highlights the contrast with the beautiful and tranquil planet Keska, and its rural utopia with gently rippling lakes and birdsong. Then in future episodes, the war-torn Keska stands out again, with the rumble of loud and distant mining explosions, Dalek hover jets, and the groans of beaten and ill people enslaved by the stormtrooper-like Taalyens. In addition, the Taalyens’ tone deaf war music is an hilarious invention. Pure genius. Regular listeners to Big Finish’s current output may take this attention to detail for granted, but after years of re-listening to their early works, it’s clear that audio production at Big Finish has made huge advances in recent years. Howard Carter’s original music is pretty fine too. Very in-keeping with the tone of Murray Gold’s early incidentals for the TV series, with hints of John Debney’s 1990s style, and a very percussive sound in the mix suiting the War Doctor’s harder character. I’m a bit less sure of the new arrangement of the Doctor Who theme – it’s very bombastic and on the nose, but its growing on me. 

Only the Monstrous serves as a great re-introduction to the three major parties in The Time War: The Time Lords, the Daleks, and the Doctor himself. It’s a fresh beginning that features some good untested new ideas in Doctor Who – a low-key entrance, a new twist on “The Doctor as survivor” tale, the Companion that almost was, and Time Lords trying to make peace with Daleks. On top of all that, the Daleks (and the Time Lords for that matter) feature at their scheming, ambitious best, in an extended tale that goes some way to demonstrating how devastating the Time War is to other planets, and how even the most innocent of civilisations can never truly be safe while it rages.

Nicholas Briggs deftly directs this production, clearly creating fantastic chemistry between the cast, and encouraging great atmosphere and convincing performances throughout. From the first minute, I was immediately immersed in this new vision of Doctor Who, and I think it’s a wondrous thing Briggs has created.

Being an introduction, however good though, is as much its flaw, as its strength. Only The Monstrous is often clearly a warm-up, laying the groundwork for later and bigger storylines to come. Nicholas Briggs chooses to sacrifice some of his good invention to the overall narrative, and to emphasise the War Doctor’s inner conflict with his conscience; in many ways going over similar ground to that explored in The Day of the Doctor, albeit more expanded upon. Oddly, we finish this opening boxset, with very little having changed. We may have met Ollistra, and realised her lethal determination to win against the Daleks, at any cost; but overall the Time Lords seem to be winning the Time War rather well, perhaps preparing the stage for greater falls to come; and the War Doctor continues, still as conflicted as before. I also think it a shame, that this extended story (and I suspect subsequent boxsets too), weren’t as long as perhaps it could have been, to allow for more extensive supporting character development, particularly of the Keskans and Taalyens. While the concise plot didn’t curtail the ambition of the story, I think that more subtle and natural development, would have made them a lot more interesting, and more multi-dimensional.

While Only The Monstrous seemed only a tactical skirmish for the Time Lords though, the story holds great promise for the surely bigger and more complex tales to come…and I can’t wait to hear them! 

Overall Score: 8/10