Big Finish - Doctor Who and the Pirates

I picked up three titles for a £1 each in the recent Big Finish fifteen year anniversary sale and here is the first. Doctor Who and the Pirates by Jacqueline Rayner, directed by Barnaby Edwards.

Evelyn Smythe visits one of her students to recount a somewhat improbable tale of the Sixth Doctor and some seafaring shenanigans. But there is something deeper than Davy Jones locker going on and the nonsensical tale has a point. However there is a fair bit of that nonsense to get through before we learn the true purpose of Dr Smythe's visit. And there is some singing, in fact the third act is a musical and how you feel about that my depend on whether you can stand the light operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. It has to be said that the cast do a pretty good job of their singing duties but it was not quite my thing. 

The pirate stuff including a rather over the top performance by a Bill Oddie is a bit tiresome but the framing story is rather touching and Maggie Stables is as good as ever. I just wish we could have some more from her but that probably isn't going to happen which is a great shame.

So a bit of a mixed bag that gets three out of piratical eye patches, but not at all bad for a pound. Next up from the Big Finish pound shop is the Fifth Doctor and some Werewolves.

Big Finish - Industrial Evolution

Release number 145 from back in March 2011, Industrial Evolution by Eddie Robson, directed by Nicholas Briggs.

The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe take Thomas Brewster back to Victorian England, find him a job, and then hang around to see that he settles in. But there is something mysterious lurking in the cellars below the factory and it is growing in power and malevolence.

Industrial Evolution is a good steampunk story that suits the Sixth Doctor rather well. It also harks back to some of the classic adventures from the 1970s. It could almost have been written by Robert Holmes, which is high praise indeed. It's my favourite of the Thomas Brewster stories so far and it has that terrific Sixey-Smythe combination going for it as well. Strange and sad that it is the last story with either companion that we are likely to have.

One observation: The Doctor's adventures on Earth must now number in the hundreds, in all the various formats over the years. So it does rather strain credulity that stories like this one have not affected human history. Obviously this is one of the concessions we make when we suspend our disbelief, but it does make me wonder whether there is some hidden force in the Doctor Who-nverse that goes around tidying up after his exploits. Maybe that was one of the things that The Silence did while they controlled history.

Anyway a terrific story, great performances, rather good music, and a creepy, clanking creature of cogs and steam. 4 out of 5 Victorian top hats off.

Big Finish - The Feast of Axos

The Feast of Axos by Mike Maddox, directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Continuing the arc of stories featuring the Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe and Thomas Brewster. This harks back to an adventure from the Third Doctor's time on television. The space parasite Axos was left deactivated in orbit around the Earth by the Doctor, but now humanity is facing a power crisis and have sent up a mission to restart Axos and harness its power for Earth. Well we know that's not going to go well don't we?

The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn continue to be one of my favourite Big Finish combinations. It seems that the grumpy Doctor meets his match with an older, no-nonsense companion. I just love a Dr Smythe story, her brief but eventful space walk is a highlight of this audio drama. Sadly Maggie Stables is not very well at the present so we may not get any more stories with her. I shall have to look at the back catalogue and see if I have missed any of her adventures while hoping that Ms Stables feels better soon.

On the other hand I am still unsure about Thomas Brewster. John Pickard's performance is fine but for some reason the character does nothing for me. He's just there and I could take him or leave him. Maybe I will be more convinced by Industrial Evolution.

The rest of the production is pretty good and it was nice to see a France space mission depicted as brave and resourceful for a change. But, apart from the Evelyn scenes this story didn't do a great deal for me. Middle of the road 2.5 out of 5 claws of Axos for this one.

Big Finish - The Crimes of Thomas Brewster

Wham bam! and straight onto the Crimes of Thomas Brewster by Jonathan Morris and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Lots of stuff going on in this story. The Sixth Doctor meets up with Thomas Brewster. He also encounters Detective Inspector Menzies (although it's the first meeting for him but not for her, if you see what I mean in a timey-wimey way). And it's his first adventure with Philippa 'Flip' Jackson who may be returning soon as another Sixey companion. In amidst all these comings and goings there are swarms of robotic Mosquitoes, a malevolent alien race called the Terravore, a sentient planet, and a telepathic force known as the Locus. All this and Evelyn Smythe as well.

I must admit I've been struggling with the Sixth Doctor of late. He's a grumpy old curmudgeon sometimes, but team him up with Dr Smythe and you have a winning combination. Something about her no nonsense, down to earth approach seems to work well to temper the more extreme elements of the Sixth Doctor's personality. It's also clear that Colin Baker and Maggie Stables get on well together and seem to be having a lot of fun with their characters. It's a great shame that a period of ill health is preventing Ms Stables from doing any more stories at present, she has been one of the best things about my Big Finish listening experience.

I am less sure about Thomas Brewster. I know I have missed out two parts of his adventures with the Fifth Doctor that followed The Haunting of Thomas Brewster, and maybe they would have convinced me about him. He just seems a bit dull at the moment and his part in this adventure could have been filled by any of the lesser characters. Meanwhile it's nice to have Anna Hope back as the laconic but efficient D.I.Menzies in her third adventure with the Doctor. I hope she comes back for more, or maybe a spin off one shot story called Menzies Investigates!

Having David Troughton show up in Doctor Who is always nice because it reminds us of his father. I am curious why Sean Pertwee has never done any Big Finish or television Who, I'm sure he must have been offered? Anyway Troughton is great, and Lisa Greenwood and Ashley Kumar provide good back up as Flip and Jared.

This time the music fit right in and didn't bother me at all, and with Nick Briggs' ever reliable direction it all trips along nicely and is one of the better Sixey stories I can recall listening to recently. 3.5 out of 5 mechanical mozzies. And onwards to The Lady of Mercia

Big Finish - A Death in the Family

Big Finish release 140 - A Death in the Family. Written by Steven Hall and directed by Ken Bentley.

So this is it. The conclusion of a long arc of stories featuring Evelyn, The Forge, Ace and Hex, and the villainous presence of the Word Lord. And this was not what I was expecting at all. The story starts out with a fairly straight-forward first part that ends in a dramatic cliff-hanger. Then the narrative splits and we get chapters featuring first Hex and then Ace, before Evelyn returns in the final part and the grand plan of the Seventh Doctor, the great manipulator, is revealed. With the Word Lord drawing his powers from language itself it takes a remarkable scheme to overcome him and I cannot really say much more about the plot without giving too much away.

With the Doctor away from the action for most of the story there is a lot of work for his three companions to do. I confess I am still unsure about the character of Hex but he is growing on me. Sophie Aldred gives us a grown up Ace who is more than just baseball bats, bombs and youthful rebellion, and I really enjoyed her chapter. But yet again it is Evelyn who won me over. There is something about the feisty Dr Smythe that appeals to me and Maggie Stables gives another completely convincing performance. As does Ian Reddington as a new incarnation of the villain who uses words as weapons. and does so with considerable relish.

The production values are up to their usual high standard and there is little more I can add. This was a surprising, but very satisfying conclusion to a long series of stories. 4 out of 5 seals of Rassilon. Tremendous stuff.

Big Finish - Thicker than Water

Big Finish monthly release 73 – Thicker than Water. Written by Paul Sutton and directed by Edward Salt.

The Sixth Doctor is travelling with Mel and decides to make a return visit to Világ and find out how Evelyn Smythe is getting on. It is three years since Evelyn returned to marry Rossitor who is now the governor of the alliance between three countries, and she is his political advisor.

I am developing my own internal categorisation for Doctor Who stories. There are the historicals which I traditionally have problems with. Then there are the bases in peril, or under siege, stories. Obviously there are straight forward monster stories, invasions, and regular clashes with the Daleks, Cybermen and Autons, plus a few murder mysteries thrown in for good measure. You can probably think of other genres as well. This drama is what I would call a political story. And Doctor Who has been doing political stories since the days of the Curse of Peladon and even earlier stories with William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton’s Doctors.

Obviously Rossitor and Evelyn are in the thick of the political intrigues, as is Rossitor’s daughter, Sofia, who happens to be a medical doctor. In fact there are probably too many doctors in this story and it does cause some confusion. There is also the question of Evelyn’s heart and what was done to her when she had life saving surgery on Világ. Plus there’s controversy about what to do with the technology they captured from the invading Kiloran forces in Arrangements for War.

Everyone is on fine form although Bonnie Langford as Mel doesn’t get much to do, so I’m still unsure about her as a companion. The villain of the piece turns out to be exactly who you would think right from the start, and the poor Doctor just has to do a lot of running around in corridors before suddenly appearing towards the end to put everything right.

I am getting spoilt by the high quality of these Big Finish audio dramas. So much so that I wanted a bit more from this story. Perhaps it was because I listened to this in several sittings with lots of interruptions, or perhaps it is because I am keen to get back to the sinister Forge project. It’s a good story and it’s nice to hear Evelyn finding some happiness, but I was ready for more bangs and crashes. 3 out of 5 Kiloran blood soaked swabs. Now on to The Word Lord.

Big Finish - Medicinal Purposes

Big Finish monthly release 60 - Medicinal Purposes from August 2004. Written by Robert Ross and directed by Gary Russell.

How is this for a list of ingredients? The Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe, spooky Edinburgh, the body snatchers Burke and Hare, David Tennant, and the fabulous Leslie Philips. I was always going to enjoy this story. Not least because I was in Edinburgh earlier this year and visited the Greyfriars graveyard where the Doctor an Evelyn begin their investigations. I also looked round the Surgeon's Hall museum which includes a rather gruesome book bound in leather made from William Burke's skin

I am on record as not liking the Doctor Who historicals, but this story about the Doctor wanting to meet two minor figures whose criminality inspired medical breakthroughs is really rather good. Especially when the Doctor discovers that something is seriously wrong and that history is not unfolding in the way he expects. I bought this story in Big Finish's recent David Tennant sale but his character is a rather minor one. Far more interesting was the wonderful voice of Leslie Philips, and hearing his villainous Dr Knox go up against the Doctor.

Dr Smythe rather let me down in this adventure. There is one anachronistic clue which the Doctor (and myself) picked up on but Evelyn missed, which surprised me knowing that she is a historian. Maybe travelling in the Tardis has confused her perception of time. Strictly speaking it is not her area of expertise so I will let the writer off on that one. The other slight problem with this production was the background noises of the Edinburgh streets and the public house where much of the story takes place. I found the constant hubbub rather intrusive at times but again this is a minor quibble about an otherwise excellent, and rather spooky, Big Finish drama.

4 out of 5 bumps in the night I think. Next up the Sixth Doctor returns to Világ in Thicker than Water, but where is Evelyn?

Big Finish - Arrangements for War

Big Finish monthly release 57 - Arrangements for War by Paul Sutton and directed by Gary Russell.

Consequences. That is what the Doctor and Evelyn are dealing with as this story begins exactly where they left off at the end of Project: Lazarus. Seeking a break from the death and violence they land the Tardis on the planet Világ, just as the natives are negotiating a peace treaty to end a century of war. However with the Doctor around things usually start to happen and this is no exception.


I liked the political intrigue in this story. The mix of court diplomacy with science fiction reminded me of some of Iain M. Banks' Culture novels which is high praise indeed. It was also very moving to hear Evelyn struggling to come to terms with the events of the previous story. The Doctor's failure to save one of the victims of Project Twilight has really affected her. Unlike the Doctor she is not used to those around her dying and now she has her own brush with mortality to deal with as well.


A word about the actress Maggie Stables who retired as a teacher and decided to try her hand at acting. She appeared in a stage version of Jane Eyre with Nick Briggs who recruited her for a part in The Sirens of Time and then Big Finish created the role of Evelyn with her in mind. I really like the idea of an older companion for the Doctor, one who isn't so easily impressed by his brilliance and who can hold her own in their arguments. There has been a nice arc in their relationship over these last few stories with consequences of their actions affecting the atmosphere in the Tardis. Well done to Big Finish, and the writers, and to Stables and Baker for bringing all this to life.


Meanwhile the planetary politics continue with Evelyn taking on an advisory role at the peace talks, while the Doctor's involvement just seems to make things worse. Can Dr Smythe unite the opposing forces in team to repel an Alien invasion?


This adventure does seem like a deliberate change in pace after the frenetic action of the two Project stories. The supporting cast all do fine work and the political intrigues are good fun, even if the Doctor does fall for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Another good instalment in the Evelyn Smythe saga that gets 4 out of 5 (regraded) heart murmurs. Next up will be a Seventh Doctor adventure called Harvest.

Big Finish - Project: Lazarus

Big Finish main range monthly release 45 - Project: Lazarus by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, directed by Gary Russell.

The Dr Smythe and the Forge arc continues. The Doctor believes he has found a cure for the Twilight virus so they return to Norway to find the young woman he and Evelyn left there at the end of the last story. But two years have passed and the good Doctors soon find themselves prisoners of the mysterious Forge organisation. And while the villain Nimrod tries to extract the secrets of regeneration from the Doctor, Evelyn is giving up some secrets of her own.

The Forge are an evil version of Torchwood, collecting and studying alien technology. They are fascinated by the legends of the Doctor and seize on the opportunity to strap him to the examination table. As the cover image shows there are two Doctors for the price of one in this story, which involves some time hopping and a face to face disagreement. There is also a twist which is a bit obvious I'm afraid.

Terrific performances all round. I was particularly impressed by Maggie Stables who has some very difficult moments to convey and does a fantastic job. I also liked Rosie Cavaliero as Cassie, and Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy are as good as ever. I had high hopes for the character of Nimrod but unfortunately he was more of a stereotypical villain in this episode, and Stephen Chance didn't get the opportunity for the philosophical clashes with the Doctor that I listen for in these dramas.

It goes without saying that the production values and sound design are great, I did find the incidental music slightly obtrusive in places but on the whole this was another cracking instalment of this developing arc. Project: Lazarus gets 3.5 out of 5 Cardigans and Cat broaches. Next up will be release 57 - Arrangements for War.

Big Finish - Project: Twilight

This is Big Finish monthly release number 23 - Project: Twilight, written by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott, and directed by Gary Russell.

Now this is more like it. The Doctor and Evelyn are in South London to visit the Doctor's favourite Chinese take-away. They stumble across a body, closely followed by another body, some thugs, a secret underground medical laboratory, and their first encounter with the shadowy organisation known as the Forge.

Project: Twilight really kicks off an arc of stories about the Forge that I will be listening to over the coming weeks. Now that Evelyn is a regular companion with the Sixth Doctor the tension has moved up a notch and there is a really sinister and monstrous presence to deal with. The Doctor has to makes some tough choices which put Evelyn in harm's way.

I was beginning to wonder if Big Finish had ever created a recurrent villain to match the Master or Davros. This story develops a couple of potentially recurring characters and the mysterious organisation that created them. Colin Baker and Maggie Stables are on fine form, and are matched by creepy performances from Holly De Jong and Stephen Chase. The sound design is up to the usual high standards and apart from one or two moments when the villains choose to deliver stereotypical monologues instead of action the writing and direction are excellent.

This was a terrific, fast-paced introduction to the Project series and I am looking forward to the next one. I am trying to be tougher with my marking but I can't give this any less then 4 out of 5 question-mark embroidered shirts. Stay tuned for Project: Lazarus.

Big Finish - The Marian Conspiracy

Big Finish release number 6 - The Marian Conspiracy, written by Jacqueline Rayner and directed by Gary Russell.

This is the introduction of Dr Evelyn Smythe as a companion for the Sixth Doctor. It is also the beginning of a long arc of adventures that I have bought from Big Finish which will lead to a story called A Death in the Family. As you will have gathered from my previous reviews I am a big fan of Evelyn. I like her independent and combative spirit, and her clashes with the equally abrasive Sixth Doctor. She is a good match for him. I am also charmed by her frequent interest in food and, in particular, chocolate cake and a nice cup of Cocoa.

However, I was a little disappointed by her introductory story. Dr Smythe is a historian and the Doctor crashes one of her lectures to report that there is a problem with one of her ancestors which would cause her to cease to exist if not fixed. Before we know it she is in the Tardis and back in the court of Queen Mary in 1555. What bothered me is that we didn't get enough time for the relationship to develop between the Doctor and his new companion before plunging straight into the action. I thought that a tough woman like Evelyn would have taken a little longer to trust this strange figure who literally appears in her life. However the story demands that we are quickly caught up in a plot to assassinate the Queen which only the Doctor and Evelyn can prevent, if they can only escape from the Tower of London first!

And that is another problem with this drama. It is a pure historical story, the only science fiction involved is the Tardis and the Doctor's gizmos. Now I know that originally the BBC conceived Doctor Who to be a history programme with the crew of the Tardis travelling backwards in time to meet famous figures. But, just like those early TV viewers, I am more interested when the Doctor goes forwards or sideways and comes up against all those great monsters. I don't like the historicals, never have done. They are my least favourite episodes of the new Who series.

So this story was always going to struggle with me. Actually it's a pretty good tale, quickly told with a few interesting moments. But I didn't feel that Evelyn came into her own until the last scene. And a note to any voice actors out here: no accents, no really, don't do them, they are just distractions.

I was tempted to give this the lowest score yet but it is not quite that bad. It just feels like Big Finish were finding their way a bit. I am going to give The Marian Conspiracy a middle of the pack 2.5 out of 5 cups of Cocoa.

Now let's jump past the Spectre of Lanyon Moor, skip a couple of titles and head straight on for Project : Twilight.

Big Finish - The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

The ninth title in the Big Finish monthly range was The Spectre of Lanyon Moor Released in 2000, written and directed by Nicholas Pegg, and starring Colin Baker, Maggie Stables and Nicholas Courtney.

This was one of the first Big Finish stories I ever bought, I think it was on special offer at the time and Brian from British Invaders recommended it to me as a spooky story with the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier. I have gone back and listened to it again as part of my look back at some earlier Big Finish releases.

The Doctor and Evelyn Smythe show up at an archaeological dig in Cornwall and, as ever, all is not what it seems. There are strange sightings on the moor, mysterious goings on at the Manor house, and somebody is trying to get hold of a missing and very powerful artefact.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has come out of semi-retirement to represent UNIT at the dig. The Brig never met the Sixth Doctor on television so it is nice to have them encounter each other here. I doesn't take the Brigadier long to recognise the Doctor and soon they are working together just like the old days. Nicholas Courtney was a terrific presence throughout the years of classic Doctor Who. A talented actor and, by all accounts, a lovely person. If there was one person from the television show I wish I could have met it would be Mr Courtney. Sadly he is no longer with us and after the Wedding of River Song we know he is no longer a part of the Who-niverse, which is a sad thought.

Courtney and Baker are on fine form here, as is Maggie Stables as Evelyn Smythe. She gets a job to do which suits her background as a historian, and, inevitably, she gets into trouble but is able to get out of it without the Doctor's help. The rest of the cast are also very good. I have always been a fan of James Bolam and it was great to hear him, and his wife Susan Jameson, in this story.

My only criticism is of the decision to give us an opening scene that tells us what the secret of Lanyon Moor is right at the start. It is unusual position for us to know more about the threat than the Doctor does, but that was just a story telling decision and apart from working out which of the various characters is the villain there are not too many surprises in this adventure. The sound design is as effective as ever, things go bump, strange creatures make strange noises, and large bits of scentific equipment whizz and bang in a suitable fashion.

It's all rather good but perhaps didn't stand up as well as I remembered it. I am going to give it a solid 3.5 out of 5 focus amplifiers rating. My trawl through the back catalogue will continue with Winter for the Adept.

Big Finish - Jubilee

Big Finish release 40 - Jubilee by Robert Shearman, and directed by Shearman and Nicholas Briggs. Colin Baker plays the sixth Doctor and Maggie Stables is Evelyn Smythe.

This is diving into Big Finish's back catalogue again. The latest issue of Doctor Who magazine features an article about the episode Dalek from the first season of the new Doctor Who. The episode was loosely adapted by Shearman himself from this Big Finish story. I am quite interested in episodes of the television show that have been adapted from other formats. I have read the Paul Cornell novel that went on to become the Tenth Doctor episodes Human Nature and Family of Blood, and enjoyed both versions and the differences between them. And the episode Blink was based on a short story by Steven Moffat which first appeared in the 2006 Doctor Who annual.

In Jubilee the Doctor and Evelyn have somehow appeared in a parallel time stream where the English empire is celebrating the anniversary of their victory over the Daleks 100 years ago. The only element common to this story and to the TV episode it became is the idea of the single Dalek held prisoner and tortured by its captors. Evelyn Smythe forms a sort of relationship with the creature which obviously influenced what happened with Rose on television.

This is my first encounter with the Big Finish companion Evelyn, and I was quite impressed. I like the idea of an older companion who can give as good as she gets from the somewhat abrupt Sixth Doctor. Her scenes with the Dalek are very good and, as this is a four part story, she gets more time in the cell than Rose does, so the depth of the relationship she forms with one of the Doctor's implacable enemies is more convincing. I shall certainly be seeking out more Evelyn stories.

The rest of the cast are mostly fine and Nicholas Briggs does an absolutely splendid job with the Dalek voices, foreshadowing what he would go on to when Doctor Who returned to television two years after this story was released. I was slightly bothered by the accent that Martin Jarvis chose for his performance as the English President. Normally Jarvis is a fantastic voice actor so it was strange that he was the weakest part of this production for me.

However, this is another great Big Finish story. It bears almost no resemblance to the television episode it became and is almost more interesting as a result. This is getting another strong 4 out of 5 Dalek manipulator arms. Next up might be some more Evelyn.