Planet Mondas

English is a wonderful language. The same words said with different emphasis, or in different contexts, can have completely different meanings. Terror of the Sontarans is a case in point. On the one hand it means Sontarans being terrifying, and on the other, Sontarans being terrified. And they are both of those things in this story.

It’s a very odd story, written by John Dorney, and new series Sontaran stalwart Dan Starkey, and has a number of boxes to tick. First of all it has to fit in with the atmosphere of Season Twenty Four. Check! (for the most part). It feels claustrophobic like Paradise Towers, has a collection of larger than life caricatures as the supporting cast, has the Doctor as slightly bumbling rather than the omnipotent Seventh Doctor of Seasons Twenty Five and Twenty Six. It also has several quite disturbing scenes which would be quite out of character in Season Twenty Four. Also the Sontarans need to be got just right, and here they are hilarious because they are so humourless and literal. Check!

The problem I have with this story is that it takes way too long to get going. The Sontarans do not arrive until the end of Part One and not a lot really happens in Part Two. But Part Three is a cracker and Part Four does what is necessary to end the story.

The plot itself involves the Doctor and Mel picking up a distress call from a deserted mining station that the Sontarans have taken over and are using as an experimentation centre to find out the weaknesses of “lesser creatures”, like a factory version of The Sontaran Experiment. However it turns out that it wasn’t the victims that sent the distress call, but the Sontarans – and what can induce enough terror in a Sontaran that would make them commit an act of cowardice like sending a distress call?

Dan Starkey is superb as Skegg, the Sontaran whose mind has been destroyed by the horrors he has witnessed. It’s a great portrait of post traumatic stress and the way he is treated by his superior officers is horrifying. I like it when we see different aspects of Who characters and to hear a traumatised Sontaran is strangely fascinating.

There is a large supporting cast with a standout performance from Daniel O’Meara as Ketch. He is pretty much in the mould of Pex from Paradise Towers, and as the Doctor and Mel are separated for most of the story, like Pex, he becomes a companion to Mel. It’s a very different story, possibly hampered by the four-part story structure – but it doesn’t seem to “flow” all that well, and while Part Three gets it just right and ramps up the sense of mystery, horror and tension with the best of them, this isn’t a game of two halves, more a game of four quarters that may have played better as a game of two halves. There are some excellent performances but doesn’t quite hit the spot in all areas. 6/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

Once it was a mining facility. Then later its corridors rang with screams generated by grotesque military experiments. However when the Doctor and Mel arrive on a hostile alien world after detecting a distress signal, the base they find themselves in is almost deserted.

But not for long. Soon the Doctor’s old enemies, the Sontarans, have landed, and are searching for the remnants of their previous research team. Before long they uncover evidence of strange occurrences on the planet. Of madness and death.

They are warriors bred for war, strong of spirit and unafraid of death. To fear the enemy is an act of betrayal. Nothing holds terror for the Sontarans.

Until now…

CAST:

Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush), Daniel O’Meara (Ketch), Jon Edgley Bond (Anvil Jackson/Technician Gyte), Andree Bernard (Tethneka/Carter/Thing #1 and #2), Dan Starkey (Field-Major Kayste/Skegg/Stodd), John Banks (Adjutant Commander Klath/Stettimer), John Dorney (Glarr). Other parts played by the cast.

Written By: John Dorney and Dan Starkey
Directed By: Ken Bentley

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Arriving in 2006 on the Sunday before I moved house, Torchwood’s tag-line was: “The 21st Century is where everything changes” – and it did. Sort of. Well not everything, but certainly the Whoniverse got a lot bigger with new characters added who would make an appearance during the finale of Season Four.

Torchwood started well. Episode one was very good, but overall the first season was patchy. For every Countrycide or Random Shoes, there was a Cyberwoman or Combat. Things got a bit more consistent with Season Two, and Children of Earth was a bona fide classic, dripping quality and full ofwater-cooler moments everyone seemed to be talking about. Then came Miracle Day. Oh dear. It was about seven episodes too long – and that was just the start of it’s problems.

Torchwood seemed to be loved and reviled by Doctor Who fans in equal and after 2011 was slowly fading into obscurity. Yes there were rumours of reunions, but the cast had moved on. Then in 2015 Everything Changes – Big Finish picked up the licence to produce audio adventures and Torchwood was back. A six episode first season has been commissioned followed swiftly by a second, and what better place to start than with the man himself, Captain Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, in a story called The Conspiracy, written by David Llewelyn.

Not full cast, but not really Companion Chronicle two-handers – a small cast with lots of narration, this story sees Jack (the rest of the team do not appear) investigate ex journalist and conspiracy theory superstar Wilson (John Sessions). You see, Wilson’s predictions and revelations about a mysterious alien “Committee” and the fact that they have been controlling the world from behind the scenes for as long as there has been life on earth, ring eerily true for Jack. He meets Wilson’s daughter Kate (Sarah Ovens) and conspiracy theory nut Sam (Dan Bottomley) in the course of his investigation, and these four are the total cast in the production.

Barrowman gives us a very different Jack to the one we are used to seeing on TV; he has a harder edge, is less charming – more Daniel Craig than Roger Moore, if you get my drift – we also get no indication of when in the Torchwood timeline the story takes place.

It’s quite a slow-paced story for a season opener, and unfortunately it feels a bit familiar, we have seen stories like this many times before. In fact it feels very much like an episode of The X Files – grand conspiracy, aliens that have always been here, crosses and double-crosses, but it isn’t all that original. I hope I am proved wrong as the series progresses and the seeds planted in this story flower into great towering oaks of Torchwood legend.

It is very well acted, with John Sessions utterly convincing as Wilson, and Sam could so easily have been an annoying stereotypical conspiracy nut, but he is imbued with real character and depth. So, not the best start to the series, but several hooks which I hope will be played out over the next few months.

A conspirational 6/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

Anyone seen The Sound Of Music? Your silence speaks volumes…. However there is a song in it that springs to mind when writing this review, its “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Why you may ask, well dear reader, please read on and I promise this will be the last time I mention singing nuns, Lonely Goatherds, Edelweiss, or being 16 and going on 17. I promise. So (in the style of Julie Andrews) “How do you replace a legend like Jon Pertwee?” (yay odelay odelay hee hoo!). Stop it!

But how do you?

I am sure it was a very difficult decision for Big Finish to make. Pertwee is an icon, a hero to a whole generation of Who fans, anything less than respectful could have giant Wicker Men in the shape of Wurzel Gummidge erected outside Big Finish Towers with Mr Briggs playing the part of Edward Woodward…

In Tim Treolar Big Finish have got things just right – you can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Tim is not “doing a Pertwee” in the same way that for example Jon Culshaw “does Tom Baker”, his interpretation is more subtle, more real, and more engaging. Tim Treloar has captured the essence of Pertwee – the cadence of his voice, the tone, the inflections, the Pertwee-isms. He is no mere sound-a-like, but genuinely channels Pertwee. Listening to this box set I could just see the man himself standing tall, hands on hips, cape flowing. Give it a listen, there is even a free episode on Big Finish’s website HERE. Give it a listen and you’ll see what I mean.

So on to the stories, there are two four-parters here and a new style of storytelling. They are full cast audio dramas but there is a central narrator (also Tim Treloar) who frames the episodes and keeps the story moving along. Joined by the ever wonderful Katy Manning as Jo Grant and the stalwart Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, the two tales are typical Pertwee affairs but very different.

Prisoners of the Lake by Justin Richards

An archaeological site deep beneath Dunstanton Lake is hardly the usual scene for UNIT to investigate, but when an ancient structure is discovered a long lost, long buried threat to Earth is discovered. Listening to this reminded me of the underwater ballet of Thunderball with the Third Doctor in full James Bond mode as a great chunk of the story is set under water, I can just imagine Pertwee utterly loving the opportunity to don scuba gear and film underwater. It is a very typical Pertwee era story and would probably have fitted in well in season 9 – it has the Third Doctor being diplomatic with some, sarcastic with others, an action man with cries of “Hai!”, and always but always trying to find a peaceful solution.

Katy gives us a wonderful pitch-perfect performance as Jo Grant, with Richard Franklin giving a commanding performance as Captain Mike Yates. The cast are ably assisted by Caroline Seymour as archaeologist Freda Mattingly.

It is a perfectly serviceable story, and as I have previously stated very mush a product of the early 1970’s, but it really does not get out of second gear; it is quite slow paced and tells a perfectly acceptable story, but it is never going to set the world on fire. It really is more of a character piece than a plot-driven blockbuster but showcases Tim Treloar’s astonishing performance as Jon Pertwee.

The Havoc of Empires by Andy Lane

Where Prisoners of the Lake was a Season Nine story, this is set in Season Ten. The narrator tells us this, and it begins with The Doctor taking Jo and Mike in the TARDIS so they can go on a date to the Cavern Club in Liverpool 1962 – or is it to see WG Grace play cricket? In fact it is neither. The TARDIS takes the Doctor once again to where he is needed rather than where he wants to go – and this time he is needed on a space station where an arranged diplomatic wedding between the Chalnoth Hegemony and the Teklarn Incorporation is about to take place. However a saboteur has different ideas…

This is a cracking whodunnit story in the style of The Curse of Peladon and really is a brilliant showcase for Katy Manning as Jo, who gets to impersonate security expert Alex Filton and investigate the bombings and expose the perpetrators. This really is good stuff, familiar yet edgy, and Tim Treloar gives us a diplomatic Pertwee, always looking for a third way, abhorring violence, and believing utterly in the calibre of his companions. But the star of this one really is Katy Manning who’s superb as Jo. She’s vulnerable, sometimes needing reassurance from The Doctor and Mike, but when she is left on her own, is more than capable of rising to the challenges of her assumed identity.

So a very safe start to a new range for Big Finish, but a Third Doctor box set really has to be what it says on the tin, and this really is. t follows the format and structure of the era, has the warmth and camaraderie of the “UNIT Family” era, and in Tim Treloar an excellent homage to the essence and legacy of Jon Pertwee.

So before I say “so long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, good bye”, I will say It was okay in the 1970’s, and it is most definitely okay now. 8/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

Prisoners of the Lake by Justin Richards

Captain Mike Yates is investigating the disappearance of artefacts from an archaeological site deep below Dunstanton Lake. It’s hardly a job for UNIT. But when the team discover a mysterious ancient structure buried deep underwater, all that changes.

When chief archaeologist Freda Mattingly ventures inside, she soon realises that her skills do not begin to equip her to deal with what she finds. As an ancient menace begins to stir the Doctor, Jo Grant and Mike Yates must dive down to the lake bed and discover the secrets hidden there. Secrets that could mean the end of all life on Earth…

The Havoc of Empires by Andy Lane

The Doctor and Jo take Mike Yates on his first trip in the TARDIS, but instead of the historical cricket match they were aiming for they end up on a futuristic space station in the middle of a diplomatic crisis that might escalate into galactic war.

The alien leader of the Chalnoth Hegemony is marrying the human Director of the Teklarn Incorporation, but there are forces that will stop at nothing to disrupt the ceremony. The Doctor is accused of murder while explosions occur across the station, and only Jo Grant, pretending to be a security consultant, can save the day.

But then, there’s the Eels to consider…

CAST:

Tim Treloar (Narrator/The Doctor), Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Mike Yates)

Prisoners of the Lake

Caroline Seymour (Freda Mattingly), Robbie Stevens (Johnny Repford/Director Pennard/Statue/Prosecutor), John Banks (Chief Dastron/Lieutenant Macintyre/UNIT Operative/Archaeologist)

The Havoc of Empires

Helen Goldwyn (May Zalrick/Harmony Station AI), Hywel Morgan (Regent Tharlar/Alex Filton), Lucy Briggs-Owen (Tina Andresson), Joanna Bacon (Lady Gurlen), George Layton (Louis Markell/Human Guard)

Producer David Richardson
Script Editors John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

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I would like, if I may, to start with some music. Ever since this release was announced back in February, I have associated the song This Is the One by The Stone Roses with this release, and here it is. Give it a listen – it says it all for me, because this really is the one I have been waiting for.

Colin Baker, Doctor Number Six, Old Sixie – the most underrated of Doctors, cruelly denied the one thing all his fellow Doctor’s were given: the chance to be at his best; the chance to be utterly heroic, stoic, heartbreaking and self-sacrificing for the good of all.  He missed out on a regeneration scene. Until now, because twenty-nine years later Big Finish have finally put things right by giving Old Sixie the swansong he truly deserves. After twenty-nine years of waiting we finally have The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure – and what an adventure!  A final lap of honour for this most operatic, avuncular, verbose and moral of Doctors. For continuity aficionados, everything makes sense, it ties in perfectly with the beginning of Time and the Rani, and no longer will the cause of the Sixth Doctor’s regeneration be “falling off an exercise bike”. Absolutely not – Colin gets the regeneration he deserves, a stoic acceptance of this is how things have to be, noble and understated. But I am getting ahead of myself…

Such an epic momentous story needs an epic and momentous foe, and they don’t come more momentous than The Valeyard.  A distillation of all the Doctor’s negative impulses taken from somewhere between his penultimate and final regeneration. Interestingly, the episodes in this story are set at varying points during Old Sixie’s era, but for the Valeyard they happen consecutively – a sort of Valeyard’s master plan – and what a plan it is. But again, I am getting ahead of myself…

Being a special release, Big Finish really have really pulled out all the stops to give Colin a fitting final hurrah. The story is broken up into four different chapters, each with a different companion, each giving us a little insight into the Valeyard’s plan and each edging the Doctor a little closer to his fate on Lakertya. Also as this a special release my better half Hayley will be adding her thoughts and musings to the proceedings.

The End of the Line by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris.

An interesting place to start. We are introduced to new companion Mrs Constance Clarke (Miranda Raison) with whom the Doctor has been travelling for a while, but this is the first time that we meet her, similar to meeting Mel for the first time in Terror of the Vervoids. Constance is a Wren from Bletchley Park during the Second World War and is a no nonsense, capable and independent woman. The story sees a broken down train lost in the fog and has a tense claustrophobic base-under-siege feeling. Tensions really start to rise when a murder is committed, or is it two murders – or three? The tension is fantastic, a real classic whodunnit feeling, for a while at least. And then the rug is pulled out from under you not once but twice. The emphasis and the tone of the story changes. Any more would be way too spoilery, but you will know what I mean when you hear it. As I said an interesting and brave place to start a story, introducing a hitherto unseen companion and also sowing the seeds of the Valeyard’s plans. Very good indeed.

Hayley’s Comments:

The inevitability of this release made it a tough listen. I was eager for the journey, but reluctant to see it end.  The opener was wonderfully uncomfortable – a familiar setting taken to the unfamiliar and distinctly sinister.  Passengers on a train lost in an unfathomable fog gives it a very claustrophobic atmosphere and their sense of bewilderment and fear was palpable. There are plenty of open-mouth surprises along the way and there’s a great addition of a new companion in Constance. It’s almost irritating when the Doctor has a new companion and it all needs explaining again – bigger on the inside, blah, blah, blah. With Constance we’re starting on the tenth date (so to speak), she knows the Doctor and she knows the form, so we’re spared the introduction for now. It also gives us the hope we need, that Old Sixie will be back with new adventures – albeit retrospectively.

I was delighted to hear Michael Jayston return as The Valeyard. I didn’t expect it as I went into this without reading the synopsis . I remember him well from the Trial season (yes, I am that old) and always enjoyed the relationship between the two very different aspects of the Doctor.

A fab start to the end. The Red House by Alan Barnes

The most frothy of all the stories. This one takes place whilst the Doctor was travelling with Charley Pollard. They land on a planet where the laws of Lycanthropy have been turned on their head. The denizens are Werewolves pretty much all the time, but transform into violent thuggish humans when exposed to sunlight. Police Officer Werewolves go about in daylight in what sound like Red Riding Hood costumes to protect them from the transforming power of the sun. Add to this the mix of an amoral Doctor experimenting on the Werewolves to extract their essence, the Valeyard making a further move in his master plan, Hippy Werewolves having illicit parties where they indulge the transformation into humans, and you have a bit of an odd melting pot of tomes and ideas – but it really works. The scenes where Charley verbally spars with the Valeyard are exceptional, and again the tone completely changes when Charley realises (with a little prodding from the Valeyard) that the path that the Doctor is taking will lead to disaster. It’s one of those stories where the Sixth Doctor’s morality and desire to do right could be everyone’s undoing.

Hayley’s Comments:

I’d almost forgotten that Charley travelled with Old Sixie.  I’ve always liked Miss Pollard with McGann’s Doctor so it was nice to hear her featuring in Sixie’s swansong.  This started well (I love a curfew!) and gave us a different take on lycanthropy, where the wolf state is preferable to being human, as well as cruel experimentation and further plotting of the Valeyard. An enjoyable story with great pace.

Stage Fright by Matt Fitton

They are Back – oh yes indeed! The premier practitioner of pathology, Professor George Litefoot, and the jocular genial gent Mister Henry Gordon Jago. The Doctor, now travelling with Flip (Lisa Greenwood) decides to take her on a trip to the New Regency Theatre, however it is closed so they make their way to the Red Tavern and meet the investigators of infernal incidents. They discover that Jago’s theatre has been hired by a certain “Mr Yardvale” to practice a play – obviously such an obvious pseudonym is a trap, and our heroes rush in to investigate.

The Valeyard is recreating scenes of the Doctor’s former regenerations on stage and absorbing the emotions which are being generated. The re-enactment of the Third Doctor’s regeneration with Jago playing the part of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Ellie Higson (Lisa Bowerman) playing Sarah Jane Smith has to be heard to be believed! The whole story revolves around using negative emotions, and the denouement is actually very sweet, relying on one of Flip’s most frightening times as a child. It is always a pleasure to hear Jago and Litefoot, and they are never better than with Colin. I really hope that they make Flip’s acquaintance again as Jago and Flip make a really excellent double act. I was sad when this ended, as inevitably we reached the final chapter…

Hayley’s Comments:

I love Messers Jago and Litefoot. I have a tremendous fondness for them – the best of the spin offs! They work so well with Sixie, as we heard during their fourth season. Sixie seems very at home with their their particular style of avuncular adventure and this episode is a joy to listen to. A dark story tempered as always by the good humour of George and Henry, it shows the Valeyard at his most cruel, using people and dispensing with them like rubbish.  This was my first foray into the the match of the Sixth Doctor and Flip and I didn’t warm to her immediately – too street – but so much happens in this episode that it allows for great character progression, and eventually young Flip grew on me.

My favourite of the four, but with George and Henry, how could it not be?

The Brink of Death by Nicholas Briggs

And here it is, a Time Lord who’s time has run out… The Valeyard enacts his plan, leaving the Doctor with only six minutes to live, and he is determined to go down fighting aided by Time Lord demolition expert Genesta (Liz White) who really plays the part of companion in this story as Mel is in the TARDIS with the Valeyard (who she thinks is the Doctor). The Fateful name Lakertya is mentioned a few times in the narrative so fans will know the end is near – and what an ending! Colin nails it perfectly, he absolutely gives it his all, and has a true Sydney Carton moment – he really does do a far far better thing. It’s not the bombastic railing against the dying of the light you might expect, it’s more stoic, quieter and more dignified. Colin Baker, I salute you sir.

Hayley’s Comments:

“Shall we listen to the last part?”,  asked Ed. I knew it was coming but wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.  Like Ed re-watching Logopolis – if he watches it often enough he hopes that Tom will hang on in there –  I thought if I avoided it then Sixie would hang on in there too. Time to get a grip and say goodbye to the Doctor that I remember with the most clarity from the classic series (forgive me).  It’s always hard to see the Doctor not being in control and showing fear; usually you know that he’ll triumph and fly off to his next adventure, but this time you feel the fear with him, because the end is coming.  He bows out with dignity and bravery – just as he lived.

So there we have it, an end for Old Sixie, and most definitely the end he deserves – but also a few new beginnings… a whole new life as Doctor Number Seven and a new friend to get to know in the form of Mrs Constance Clarke. But we will always have Old Sixie… from a far too brief era of the classic TV series, Big Finish have helped Colin propel his Doctor right up there with the greats. In my mind Tom is the “other Baker”, Colin is the real deal. This is one of those releases that shows Big Finish at it’s best. They have done Colin, the era, and the fans proud, and I can do no more than to score this a much deserved 10/10.

Whether you like it or not.

Written by Ed and Hayley Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

A very special story which at last provides a heroic exit for Colin Baker’s much-loved Time Lord. Four hour-long episodes, connected by the presence of the Valeyard, the entity that exists between the Doctor’s twelth and final incarnations.

The End of the Line by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. The Doctor and his latest companion Constance investigate a commuter train that has lost its way…

CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Miranda Raison (Constance Clarke), Anthony Howell (Tim Hope), Chris Finney (Keith Pottter), Ony Uhiara (Alice Lloyd), Hamish Clark (Norman), Maggie Service (Hilary Ratchett)

The Red House by Alan Barnes The Doctor and Charlotte Pollard arrive on a world that is populated by werewolves.

CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), India Fisher (Charlotte Pollard), Michael Jayston (The Valeyard), Ashley McGuire (Sergeant), Andree Bernard (Dr Paignton/Constable), Rory Keenan (Ugo), Jessie Buckley (Lina), Kieran Hodgson (Arin/Dennis)

Stage Fright by Matt Fitton The Doctor and Flip visit Victorian London, where investigators Jago and Litefoot explore theatrical performances that have echoes of the Doctor’s past lives…

CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Lisa Greenwood (Flip), Christopher Benjamin (Henry Jago), Trevor Baxter (George Litefoot), Lisa Bowerman (Ellie Higson), Michael Jayston (The Valeyard), Andree Bernard (Susie/Sylvie), Lizzie Roper (Bella)

The Brink of Death by Nicholas Briggs The Doctor and Mel face the final confrontation with the Valeyard – and the Doctor must make the ultimate sacrifice.

CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush), Michael Jayston (The Valeyard), Liz White (Genesta), Robbie Stevens (Coordinator Storin/Nathemus 1), Susan Earnshaw (Lorelas/Nathemus 2)

With a Special Appearance by: Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor)

Directed By: Nicholas Briggs
Producer: David Richardson
Script Editor: Matt Fitton
Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

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There is an unwritten rule in Doctor Who that it has an “infinitely variable format”, a show where literally anything is possible. It’s a show with boundaries that should be constantly pushed.. problem is when boundaries are pushed like for example with Love and Monsters or The Horns of Nimon – fan reaction tends to be lukewarm at best or incandescent with rage at worst.

Season 24 was a difficult season but through Seasons 25 and 26 Sylvester McCoy became my favourite Doctor, and in last months story, We Are The Daleks, we saw a Season 25/26 McCoy in a Season 24 story, and it really worked. This months story, The Warehouse, is pure Season 24. If you close your eyes you can see the 1987 production values, the garish colours, the studio bound story with the set shot from different angles. You get where I am coming from. Some stories push boundaries, this one plays it safe. To put it in film terms, this is more of a Disney than a David Lynch. It however pure season 24, and for that it must be commended.

So the plot… The Doctor and Mel on their way to the Opera turn up at the Warehouse, a huge storage facility (like Amazon in Space) where clone families made up of Fred (Barry McCarthy), Jean (Anna Bentinck) and Ann (Clare Buckfield) continually perform a stock take – there are a Fred, Jean and Ann for every section with the letter of their section after their name to designate them: Fred E, Fred F, Fred G, etc). The Warehouse has also been invaded by apparently deadly carnivorous giant space rats, has strange mould growing almost everywhere, is run by a mysterious Supervisor (Phillip Franks), and then there is the planet below that has not received any deliveries for over 300 years…

Very much a by-the-numbers Doctor Who story, reminiscent of Paradise Towers, Face Of Evil and Big Finish’s own Spaceport Fear – it’s a story of a culture degenerating, worshipping technology as divine, and following rituals made of half-remembered customs of the past. There are a few twists and turns to keep the plot trundling along, but it all seems a bit too familiar. Of course, familiar is not necessarily a bad thing and it is a solid story with great performances – Phillip Franks is delightfully arch as the Supervisor and the sound design again is a great homage to Season 24. As a pastiche of the period it is a great success and also explains why McCoy’s umbrella changed between Paradise Towers and Delta and the Bannermen. Definitely one for traditional Who fans and those nostalgic for the late 80’s.

7/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

The Doctor and Mel land in what appears to be an orbiting warehouse, a delivery facility with a dangerously erratic computer.

Whilst Mel is helping with repairs, the Doctor begins to realise that not everything in the warehouse is as it seems. Why do no goods ever seem to leave the shelves? Why are the staff so obsessed with the stocktake? And who is the mysterious Supervisor?

On the planet below, the Doctor discovers that the computer might be the least of their problems – and that they should be more concerned with the spacestation’s mould and vermin…

CAST:

Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush), Phillip Franks (Supervisor/Acolyte), Dillie Keane (Lydek), Clare Buckfield (Ann/Darl), Barry McCarthy (Fred/Terminal), Anna Bentinck (Jean/Computer), Barnaby Edwards (Reef). Other parts played by the cast.

Written By: Mike Tucker
Directed By: Barnaby Edwards

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Since listening to last month’s release, The Fate of Krelos, I have been wondering to myself, “How on earth do you follow that!” because it really is a bit of a classic.

I was reminded of Doctor Who Series 3 back in 2007 (cue strummy harp flashback music) and Paul Cornell’s wonderful two-parter Human Nature and Family of Blood – how do you follow the greatest Doctor Who TV story? You have Blink, then the Master Trilogy. You don’t give the audience enough time to breathe and to reflect that perhaps it will never reach the heights of Human Nature again, you keep on putting on classic episodes – and with Return to Telos that is exactly what Nick Briggs has done.

This is a difficult release to review without giving away spoilers, but essential listening is The Fate of Krelos which forms the first half of this story and ends on a cliffhanger and is available here.

Okay, listened to it? Read on and expect mild spoilers…

K9 is under the control of the Cybermen and takes the TARDIS to their adopted home planet of Telos. Now then – and this is the clever part that will make you want to watch Tomb of the Cybermen again – at the same time the Second Doctor and Jamie are also there exploring the Tombs.  With both Frazer Hines and Bernard Holley reprising their roles as Jamie and Peter Haydon it’s almost like deleted scenes from Tomb have been discovered on audio and have been slotted in to the story. The incidental music perfectly captures the feeling of Tomb but this is no mere nostalgia trip, the incidents in Tomb have a massive effect on the rest of the story.

Now longtime readers will know that I am not a fan of “timey-wimey” (or as I call them “cheat endings”) and Nick Briggs has avoided this cliche and crafted a perfectly logical series of cause and effect begun in the Tombs leading to the Cyber Invasion of Krelos. It’s one of those wonderfully fatalistic Who stories where the Doctor is literally battling against the forces of cause and effect and is bound to lose.  The cliffhanger to part one seems completely hopeless – events that happen have to happen. It is a really atmospheric, melancholy and exciting story, and the denouement will have you punching the air.

Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are as wonderful as ever – Frazer Hines is astounding as Jamie and DELETED FOR SPOILERS, Michael Cochrane returns as the old but savvy Geralk, Veronica Roberts is tragic as his housekeeper Relly, the irony of her fate is not lost. A great cast, a great story, a great way to make you want to watch Tomb again and piece in the “deleted scenes” unearthed by Nick Briggs.

Is it as good as its predecessor? Difficult question. The Fate of Krelos was a quiet character based build up. Return to Telos is the plot-based blossoming of the seeds planted in Krelos. It’s unfair to compare the two as they form a whole. As for enjoyment, I tend to prefer the character based stories, so Krelos has it for me – but Return To Telos is just fab, like Blink following Human Nature, or to be more accurate, like Tomb following Evil of the Daleks – a different emphasis as is required by the plot.

Wonderful stuff 9/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

The Doctor reveals to Leela that they’re heading for the planet Telos. And K9 has new masters…

On Telos, in the past, the Second Doctor and Jamie are exploring the tomb of the Cybermen.

Meanwhile, the Cyber-Controller and Cyber-Planner consolidate their plans. Spare parts from Krelos are being used to construct a mighty Cyber army. The Doctor must be captured.

Out of control, the TARDIS tumbles down a chasm and the Doctor and Leela find themselves caught up in full-scale planetary invasion.

CAST:

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), John Leeson (K9), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Michael Cochrane (Geralk), Bernard Holley (Peter Haydon), Veronica Roberts (Relly), Nicholas Briggs (the Cybermen)

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

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Isn’t Katy Manning fab! She really is one of the nicest Who celebs I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, a joy to follow on Twitter, and a fine actress, so when Jo Grant and Iris Wildthyme meet in the Companion Chronicle Find and Replace you forget they are played by the same person.

Iris Wildthyme. Where do I start? She could only be played by Katy, that’s a given – such a colourful broad character; part Bet Lynch, part Hilda Baker, part Margaret Rutherford and part Anna the inebriate woman, but all Iris Wildthyme, and I was delighted when this new series was announced, more of the same jolly gadding about through time on the number 22 Bus to Putney Common, gin in one hand, fag in the other, Panda at her side… Stop!… Wildthyme Reloaded is just a little bit different.

First of all, no Panda. I miss the pompous little 10 inch stuffed toy I really do, but his replacement is very interesting and brings out a new side to Iris’ character. The new companion is Captain Turner played by Geoffrey Breton – a square jawed, side-burned gentleman soldier from the late Victorian period, a true romantic. Secondly the theme tune has changed, not a massive change, but it does alter the feeling of the episodes. Thirdly there are more episodes but they are shorter and more character based exploring Iris’ past, building on her character, exploring more facets than the happy go lucky intergalactic bag lady we have come to love.

So eight new episodes and here they are:

Comeback of the Scorchies by James Goss

Iris takes Captain Turner to Margate to see a concert by one hit wonder (and old flame) Brain Bonamy, however they hadn’t counted on his new management – the Scorchies! 80’s music, Scorchies, Margate, Iris, Captain Turner singing a rude song… what more could you want?

Dark Side by Nick Campbell

Iris takes Captain Turner to visit her house – Pink Gables – a house Iris built around a ghost to keep it trapped like a genie in a bottle, however other forces have also taken up residence.

Oracle of the Supermarket by Roy Gill

On a trip to pick up supplies at a Scottish supermarket, Iris and Captain Turner meet Cassie Burdock, a checkout girl with the ability to predict the future, an ability given to her by a children’s ride in the shape of a duck (honestly).

Murder at the Abbey by Mark B. Oliver

Iris and the Captain turn sleuths in this sideways take on Agatha Christie, a Manor, a Murder, a host of suspects – what more could you wish for!

The Slots of Giza by Hamish Steele

On a trip to the Casino planet Giza, Iris and the Captain encounter Seth The Sensational, a magician who has a macabre way of ensuring guest keep on gambling and his show keeps on running…

High Spirits by Cavan Scott

In a garden centre, Iris and the Captain are expecting peace and tranquility, but have arrived a bit too late. The Garden In the Clouds is now the scariest place in the Universe and thrill seekers are dared to try to spend the night there, Iris meets up with an echo of her own future.

An Extraterrestrial Werewolf In Belgium by Scott Handcock

Landing in Flanders Iris and the Captain investigate an alien Werewolf, Iris’ dress sense is the key to the mystery that leads to a change of circumstances for both our heroes.

Looking For A Friend by Paul Magrs

Iris has been waiting a long time for a long lost friend to turn up, but is this what she really wants, is it closure, or is it a new beginning?

A very very different series than the usual Iris shenanigans – yes there are jolly japes, laughs and larks, but this series is tinged with a sense of wistfulness and melancholy – Iris is explored a lot more and comes across as a much more rounded character, the cosmic bag lady is painted in slightly different shades than in the past and much of this is due to Captain Turner. The Captain is an innocent, bewildered by his travels and constantly in awe of the situations he finds himself in. He is a classic gentleman, always looking for the best in people always doing the right thing and is a sobering influence on Iris. Whereas the wonderful Panda was a cartoonish parody of a cod intellectual snob, the Captain wears his heart on his sleeve in his sincerity.

Katy is wonderful in these adventures, really exploring a hitherto unseen side of Iris; she takes her from joy to despair and back again, with bluster and bravado, her broad character cracks a little and we see her loneliness and how much Panda really meant to her. A stellar guest list backs them up too – Nicola Bryant, Lisa Bowerman, David Warner and Tracey Childs to name a few.

A great jumping on point for newcomers to the world of Iris, this left me wanting more and the ending hints at a whole new series of adventures on the Number 22 to Putney Common. Much better than a punch up the hooter, preferably enjoyed with a glass of splishy splashy 9/10.

Written by Ed Watkinson

SYNOPSIS:

Join trans-temporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme (Katy Manning) for a series of eight brand-new half-hour episodes as she travels through time and space aboard her trusty double-decker bus, accompanied by her new friend Captain Turner!

Comeback of the Scorchies by James Goss

One-hit ‘80s wonder, Brian Bonamy, is back – and he’s wowing the crowds of Margate! But when Iris and Captain Turner take in the show, they quickly realise something else is behind his success… and that Iris is still under contract!

Dark Side by Nick Campbell

Needing a break from adventuring, Iris decides to return to her former home -Pink Gables – where she is more than a little surprised to discover that unearthly forces have subsequently taken up residence.

 Oracle of the Supermarket by Roy Gill

Cassie Burdock works on the till in the local branch of Fergusons. She thinks she’s nothing special, that she’s just like everyone else… until one day, she finds that she can predict the future with unnerving accuracy.

Murder At The Abbey by Mark B. Oliver

After witnessing the death of one of their friends, Iris and Captain Turner turn sleuth to get to the bottom of things. But just who would want to commit such a beastly crime… and why? Wildthyme is on the case!

The Slots of Giza by Hamish Steele

The Giza is the Hawkhead Nebula’s premier casino experience: Vegas on an intergalactic scale! But when one of Iris’s fellow slotters dies at her machine, she and Captain Turner quickly learn that the Giza’s guests are gambling with their lives.

High Spirits by Cavan Scott

When Iris lands the bus on the infamous Garden in the Clouds, she and Captain Turner are expecting a world of peace and tranquility. Instead, they arrive on a world plagued by hauntings, where they ghosts want to lay them to rest.

An Extraterrestrial Werewolf in Belgium by Scott Handcock

After an unexpected incident with a transdimensional entity in the 1970’s, Iris makes an emergency landing in Flanders, where legends of an ancient wolf-like bogeyman soon prove to be frighteningly real.

Looking for a Friend by Paul Magrs

In a bar in central London, a strangely-dressed woman reappears night after night, drowning her sorrows and searching for a friend she left behind…

CAST:

Katy Manning (Iris Wildthyme), Geoffrey Breton (Captain Turner), Ian Hallard (Brian Bonamy/Inspector Greenock/Slot), Chris Rankin (Jack/Andy), Nicola Bryant (Maggie/Mabel), Lisa Bowerman (Joyce/Hilda), David Warner (Edward), Charlie Hayes (Cassie/Chloe), Toby Longworth (Rick/Mr Cane), Tracey Childs (Lady Fothergill/Nora), Stephen Fewell (Seth the Sensational/Tour Guide), Lizzie Hopley (Shelley), David Blackwell (Zane/Poker Dealer), Scott Handcock (Albertson/Barman)

Directed By: Scott Handcock

Producer and Script Editor Scott Handcock
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

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