THE GENOCIDE MACHINE

The Daleks are back! And the Doctor and Ace are up against them for the first
time since Remembrance of the Daleks.

So how did they fair? Actually very well. The Genocide Machine is unlike any audio that
has gone before it. This story brings back the Daleks on audio, and surprisingly
they work very well in this medium. The story is well scripted, even though by the
end of it I did rather feel that the Daleks' plan was a little silly.

Basically the Doctor and Ace arrive on the rain forest world of Kar-Charrat
to return a book to one of the greatest libraries in the universe. In fact a
library so great that it is protected by Time Lord temporal technology.
However, well renound for their patience the Daleks place agents on Kar-Charrat,
waiting for the day when a time sensitive will arrive so they can use them to gain
access to the library, and of course this is where the Doctor and Ace come in handy.
Why do they want to do this?

Despite my reservations about the story I thoroughly enjoyed this play. The two
regulars, McCoy and Aldred, put in a stunning performance, especially Sophie who chills
us with her performance of a Dalek duplicate. The supporting cast are well realised, too.
Bruce Montague's Chief Librarian Elgin is a joy to listen to. The scenes with him
and his ever-talkative Cataloguer Prink are a nice touch. As for the Daleks?
Well they work well on audio. The sound effects as I lay on my bed took me back to
1988 and Remembrance. They recreated the splendid special weapons Dalek effortlessly.
I find it hard to really fault this production. We have two more Dalek serials
to come and if they're anything like this one we fans will not be disappointed.

RED DAWN

The Doctor and Peri arrive on Mars at the same time as the NASA ship,
Ares One, and bump into some old enimiesssssssss.

I find myself not sure where to begin with Red Dawn as it is something of a
curious story. On listening to it initially I considered it to be very good, but
on repeat listening I'm not so sure.

Basically the Doctor arrives on Mars in an Ice Warrior tomb. The Ice Warriors of this
piece being more akin to the Pertwee tale The Curse of Peladon. Honourable and
full of nobility. Which is a shame because they would have been so much better if
they were to play the villains of the story. Sadly this is not the case, and the
role of villain falls to a pathetic human who is working for a corporation on Earth,
one who got a hold of some Ice Warrior DNA and now want to steal their technology
in a bid to create weapons.

We are expected to believe that Earth scientists have even managed to create a Hybrid
between Human and Martian. I have to ask what Justin Richards was thinking when he
penned this. The acting is good, with Peter Davidson continuing to come across
well. Also we see more of Peri, although here she is a little tougher and smarter
than on screen. The Ice Warriors for me didn't work as well on audio.
Most of their action is spoken by Lord Zzaal who sounds too much like an English
gentleman. I had to force myself to remember he was an alien.

The musical score is very good; there is scene in episode one where the Ares threatens
to crash and the action is accompanied by some really scene-setting music.

Sadly though Justin Richards can do so much better.

THE SPECTRE OF LANYON MOOR

Ok I am stumped already. Normally at this point I do a little intro into what
the story is about. But I'm not sure where to begin summarising this.

Basically in desolate Cornwall there is evil afoot and as usual the Doctor and Evelyn
arrive in the thick of it. A trapped alien presence uses its influence to bring
about its physical rebirth, using the locals of this desolate place. The Doctor
and Evelyn team up with the Doctor's old friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart to stop
it. That fact that I can't really think what to say about this story screams volumes.
Volumes of what exactly, I'm not sure.

The story here is nothing new. To be honest it's been done before and it's been done
better. Listening to this I could not help but imagine The Daemons. Both stories
are almost identical. Also this story should be so much more because, at long last,
it puts the Sixth Doctor with the Brigadier. Rather than do it in style with perhaps
a full UNIT story, it places the Brigadier in a situation that is hard to
believe in, simply for the sake of having him there.
He is not pivotal to the plot and therefore seems wasteful.

There is however a saving grace to this story: her name is Evelyn. Once again
Maggie Stables treats us to a delightful performance of the fun loving, charming,
elderly Doctor Smythe. Evelyn is a breath of fresh air and is one of the best
companions the series has ever had. This is a credit indeed as this is only her
second performance. Another performance worthy of a mention is that of Susan Jameson
who was marvellous as the star turn, Miss Moynihan, who was the other good thing
about this story. Not since Vivian Fey have we seen the likes. James Bolan as Sir
Archibald Flint must also get a mention for his portrayal of the corrupt madman.

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor wasn't all that bad,
but it wasn't all that good either

WINTER FOR THE ADEPT

Can I just start by saying that so far this story is my favourite audio adventure
to date. I thought that was worth a mention. I can't praise this story enough.

Episode One is the strongest of the four episodes, with Nyssa taking the lead role.
This is not the Nyssa of the TV series or even the Nyssa of The Land of the Dead.
No this is a much better Nyssa. I suspect that this is the kind of Nyssa that would
have been topping the polls of the favourite companion category. Here she has the
usual naivety but there is also an edge to her. She is less forgiving here and more
assertive. Her spats with the Doctor are a joy to listen to and it has to be said
that this could be Nyssa's finest hour. More of this please Big Finish.

The story itself is a rather unusual one but refreshing in its approach. Arriving
in the Swiss Alps, Nyssa is rescued from the snow and taken to a private girls school
where things are clearly not right. The characters at the school are all well written,
from the St Trinians' Peril to the Religious fixated Scots spinster, Miss Tremayne.
This story was particularly special for me as it featured Babylon 5's Peter Jurasik,
who joins the Doctor Who fold to play Peter Sandoz. His performance could
do nothing but remind me of his B5 character, Londo Molari, and I feel he
stole all the scenes he was in. The interplay between Sandoz and the Doctor is
brilliant. Here the Doctor is the breathless old man in a young man's body. This
is a Doctor who does not suffer fools gladly. When Sandoz questions why the Doctor
wants to do something, the Doctor lashes out with, "To find
out what's going on, you fool!" A classic line.

The story itself is sound, with a malignant poltergeist providing most of the scares.
Andrew Cartmel obviously thinking this was not enough decided to throw in some
aliens at the last minute, which were not necessary, and that is the only fault
I see. However this was soon made up for by the portrayal of the Spillagers. They
sounded really slimy and horrible and their taunts were really rather spooky.

THE APOCALYPSE ELEMENT

This is the one, this year's showstopper. The audio version of The Ancestor
Cell. The one I suspect Doctor Who fans everywhere have been waiting for.
This story has it all; Time Lords, Daleks, Gallifrey, Evelyn and Romana.

So why did it go so terribly wrong?

I suspect the last time the fans were this disappointed was episode one of Time and
the Rani. After having sat, or in my case lay, and listened to this story in its
entirety, in one sitting, I felt completely shagged out. I gotta tell you people I
was knackered. At one point I thought that it would never end. That I would spend
all of eternity listening to this story and still never find out how it ended.

The Story is not too complicated. Basically, the Daleks have stolen a planet and have
mined it for the Apocalypse Element. During a conference of time travelling races
(are these the ones Sil refers to in Vengeance on Varos?) the Daleks return
with the planet and steal a time ship. After that they then use the oldest trick in
the book to gain access to Galifrey. What have the Time
Lords become in order to fall for that one?

"Knock Knock." "Who's there?" "It's us in the badly injured Monan Host vessel who's
time ship was stolen by Daleks, can we come in?" "Wait a minute, wasn't your ship
stolen by Daleks?" "Yes it was" "Are you sure your not Daleks?" "Of course we are
not, now let us in or you will be exterminated" "Oh, ok then, in you come!"

I mean would you fall for that? I suppose the point I am trying to make is that
the story for me seemed to lack some credibility. The other problem was that every
line was written to advance the plot, so there's just no rest from it. The main
problem here is that Stephen Cole has taken some really good ideas, (I mean how long
have fans waited to see Daleks on Galifrey?) but
sadly he decided to execute them all in one foul sweep.

Sadly the characters fail to do little to improve the situation. Romana is back
but it is not the Romana we left in E-Space and sadly she and the Sixth Doctor just
fail to gel, which is a shame. Evelyn, who is normally a star, comes across here
as very annoying. This is a story about Death. Lots of death and it's very hard
hitting. However, despite this, Evelyn still manages to be cheery and treats everything
with mirth and a ready quip. She fails to really fit in with this story.

As for the Daleks... Their second audio appearance is not as enjoyable as their first.
Probably due to all the loud noises and explosions which bombard this story from
start to finish. Perhaps seeing this story (on television) it would shine, but an
action adventure like this just does not work on audio I'm afraid.

Better luck next time Daleks!

THE FIRES OF VULCAN

The months offering from Big Finish has taught me that
life can still sometimes offer surprises.

Initially when I heard about this one I was filled with a sense of dread.
The Seventh Doctor and Mel in Pompeii; yawn, how boring. I should have
known better. After spending months looking forward to last months
Apocalypse Element, which as it happened turned out to be a load
of old tosh, the one I was least looking forward to all year turned out
to be one of the best yet.

The story is fairly simple. The TARDIS arrives in Pompeii and the Doctor
and Mel get involved in the local politics. The Doctor upsets a deadly
gladiator who wants the Doctor dead, and Mel offends the local
priestess. If that was not enough the Doctor has the foreknowledge
that Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt and destroy Pompeii.
That he and Mel are destined to die there.

It is the aforementioned foreknowledge that makes this story stand out.
Here we are treated to a Seventh Doctor who is depressed and defeated.
Knowing the fate that time has in store for him and Mel he initially just
gives up and waits for the inevitable to happen. The whole story has an
intense apocalyptic undertone which is why I liked it so much.

We are introduced to such wonderful characters and we know that they may
all die. We are gripped by the Doctor's dilemma. For once we are given
a situation that really makes us think about the effects of time travel.
Andie and I discussed this topic, and I found it fascinating. There haven't
be too many instances in audio adventures so far where a
listener has had to think so hard.

The joy of this story(and I can't believe I am saying this)is Mel.
It seems Big Finish have given her the "Nyssa" treatment and turned her
into a companion we fans really like. The clever thing is they don't
actually change her, just use her to the maximum effect. This is the
Mel Bonnie Langford would have liked to play on screen. Gone is the
fitness freak who would scream at anything. No, the Mel in The Fires
Of Vulcan is strong willed, determined, resourceful, caring. I think
I think this is really her story. I look forward to
hearing more of her soon.

The whole thing is wrapped up with a visualising musical score. The
gulls of Pompeii are very effective and the scenes with the Doctor
fighting Murranus the Gladiator in the amphi theatre are very effective.
I can find nothing to fault this production, and it is now
one of my firm favourites now and it'll take a lot to beat.

THE SHADOW OF THE SCOURGE

reviewed by Andie

I have been awaiting this one ever since Big Finish first started producing the
Audio Dramas, and when it became known that they were gonna make it I was well
excited. Then months went past and we were treated to the blurb of the tale. To
be honest, it didn’t sound too good. A hotel in Kent, a convention of cross-
stitchers, Time enthusiasts, and something else... Not what you would expect from
a New Adventure. But, on the plus side we had Paul Cornell handling it, and with
him you are guaranteed a good story. So, was it good or bad?

Well, the result is a resounding YES!

Let’s get with the team-up we’ve all been waiting for. Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor is,
as per usual, on the ball. He gets the luxury of playing the Doctor a little
different. Still the Dark Doctor of his last two seasons, but the Doctor of this
story is taken from a period that Sylvester never had the joy of playing. He gives
his character a slightly new twist. Still manipulating, still way in control, and
still very underestimated. As is to be expected of a story set during the New
Adventures, the Doctor is seriously put through the ringer, and is the main player
of two of the best cliff-hangers in the show’s 37-year history. Often we have seen
the Doctor get angry, but never have we seen (or heard) the Doctor scream in the way
that he screams in this story. He is driven to the edge of his sanity, and his vocal
presence is nothing short of amazing.

Sophie Aldred returns as Ace, but this time playing the hardened warrior who has
survived a three year war with the Daleks, plus many years travelling by the Doctor’s
side. At first it seems like Ace is no different from the Ace of the TV series, but
as the story progresses we see the space-bitch nutter start to come out more. Her
reactions to the Scourge and to the Doctor’s agony at the end of episode two are
simply excellent. As for the way Ace makes her self deaf is gruesome at best, but
very much in character with the Ace of the New Adventures.
I just hope we get more of these tales.

Now for Bernice. I have to be honest, I am one of the few of has never really liked
Lisa Bowerman’s portrayal of Bernice. Not too sure why, but she just has never
really sounded like the Bernice I know and love. But, hey, Paul Cornell thinks
she makes the perfect Bernice, so who am I to argue with her creator? No one.
Which is good, because after listening to this story, I have come to realise just why
Cornell says that. As flippant and as ironic as ever, this is the Bernice of the New
Adventures, and the Bernice I do know and love. She reacts very well with Sylvester
and Sophie, and it has to be said, I am looking forward to their next adventure.
Let’s hope that Big Finish bring them three together again in the future.

The story itself it quite intense. The core of the story focuses on fear and guilt,
the guilt society and religion teaches us to hold. If it wasn’t for religion then it
seems very unlikely that the Scourge would ever have been able to attempt that
invasion. The religious iconary is everywhere... the Doctor books himself room
"666", the Scourge are the demons of the Bible, their reality is the personification
of hell, and the damned souls are the ones that the Scourge keep after taking over
the bodies of the humans. Speaking of which - ye gods! This production does not
hold back when it comes to demonstrating the horror of the Scourge possessing the
human bodies. New limbs rip through skin with a sound that make you cringe in your
bedroom. Ah, if only this was on TV. It never ceases to amaze how
big a mistake the BBC made when they took Doctor Who off air.

Now, Big Finish, what’s next?

MUSIC FROM THE NEW AUDIO ADVENTURES

reviewed by Andie

“Music has charms to sooth the savage beast,” says William Congreve. This is true, many a time you see a dog or cat calmed by music. And us humans are no different. Music is one of the great joys of life... it is our companion through the great journey that is life. Good times, bad times. It is a sure-fire thing to say that all of us hear music that reminds of certain times in our life. And what would good drama be, without good music?

Doctor Who is no different. The instrumental music added atmosphere to the TV series. For the Audio Dramas music become even more important. And just to emphasise its importance, Big Finish has released the first volume of their Music series.

I am listening to the CD as I write this, to get me more into the mood, and for the music to speak to me. Before I go on I have to point out the one downfall of this piece of merchandise. For each section of music, we have the trailer of the story from which each piece comes. The reason behind the inclusion of the trailers may be a logical one, but it does detract from what is otherwise a beautiful and relaxing CD. This is after all about the music of Doctor Who, and for my money, it should have been just that. The music of Doctor Who, pure and simple.

I can tell you one thing now for sure. On the sleeve Alistair Lock says: “In 1975... my interest in music was rekindled, and I always wondered what it would be like to write film music.” He goes on to say that every other month he gets to write a mini-score for Doctor Who (four of which are heard on this CD). Although the Audio Dramas and the movies are worlds apart, the truth is, the music is not. At least, to listen to this CD, you would believe that to be true. I am a great fan of soundtracks, and my favourites are those that use great big orchestral pieces. Take Interview With The Vampire for example. I spend many hours a week just listening to the music of that movie - it sucks me in. Listening to this CD (and I have, many times in the past week) it strikes me that Alistair Lock’s musical scores are very similar. Both have haunting melodies, seductive symphonies - and the result on the listener is relaxing and ultimately de-stressing.

I really cannot praise this soundtrack album (for that is what it is) enough. Over the years Doctor Who musical scores have been very... erm, changeable. From one story to another you could never be sure what you were going to get. Back at the start of the 1970s the musical score for Spearhead From Space was spot on. It helped to create a sinister air, and only succeeded in heightening the terror as the Autons came awake and plagued the streets of London. In the mid-1980s Attack Of The Cybermen came along, and so did one of the worst musical scores in the history of Doctor Who. My point is, music can makes things better or worse. And what strikes me about the Audio Dramas is that quite often you fail to notice the music, so intent are you on the voices and sound effects. I can assure you that as you listen to this album you will be surprised. I for one never realised just how impressive the music was/is for Phantasmagoria. And as for The Spectre Of Lanyon Moor... well, ever heard music that truly haunts the soul? Check out the pieces entitled Ghosts On The Moor and Imps On The Cliff... it may only last for a minute, but it is very spooky and ethereal, and it does not stop there.

At the end of the day I highly recommend this soundtrack album. It almost gets top marks, and it would if not for the trailers breaking down the music. But the music itself: 15/10.

Well, this places Alistair Lock up at the top as far as movie score composers go, at least in my books. I look forward to more volumes in this series, and rest assured, I will be on hand to review them...