Jago and Litefoot S01E02- The Bellova Doll

"A body is found on the Circle Line, wearing full dress uniform. It as identified as Reginald Colevile – a man who was certified dead some six weeks ago! In an attempt to solve the mystery Jago and Litefoot become unwilling bodysnatchers... And thus begins a chain of events that will pit them against killer Bulgars and the mysterious machinations of The Far-Off Travellers Club..."

I really liked this story, for many reasons. The ability to provide very vivid mental images is still with the Jago and Litefoot series, which makes me love this even more.

The concept of a "faraway-travellers club" was quite interesting. I had no idea that it was a suicide club

That Manchester Mangler kind of popped up from no where, and saved the day, in a way. I wish there had been more scenes with him skulking in the background, maybe ordering a drink at the bar, instead of just scenes of Jago in disguise, talking about him.

I am not an expert at music, since I have a failed GCSE in music. But I have a mutual friend, who goes by the name "Doctor Phil" who knows pretty much everything about musical scores possible. [Just a little plug for Doctor Phil.] But I really enjoyed the music in this episode, and the last.

One of my favourite scenes from this episode was when Jago went undercover to a dead mans house, and spoke to the house sitter. He pretended to be foreign, and ended up with all the information he needed. Well done, Henry Gordon Jago.

This story held up the series' great reputation, and I'm hoping to get a story which I can rate "10/10" by the end of the series.

9/10

Jago and Litefoot S01E01- The Bloodless Soldier

"A group of soldiers return from overseas service – but they have brought a terrible evil back with them. As death strikes on the streets of London, Sergeant Quick calls upon the help of Professor Litefoot, while an old enemy lurks in the shadows. Jago and Litefoot are on the trail of the Bloodless Soldier – and tragedy will hit close to them..."

I don't know how it was possible, but I felt so comfortable listening to Jago and Litefoot. It was if they were family, and despite Jagos occasional cowardice, I feel safe from any threat when Jago and Litefoot are around.

I love this story, as it was dark and mysterious, much like the fan favourite story "The Talons of Weing-Chiang." It came to my surprise at first that in the 70's, there were discussions in the BBC to make a Jago and Litefoot spin-off series. I really wish this had happened, because it would have been very enjoyable.

Ellie is quite a good character, and even though this was the first episode of the series, I felt like she was an old friend, because she is so close with the brilliant Henry Gordon Jago and George Litefoot.

It would have been nice to have seen Jago and Litefoot come return in the television series, back in the day. Maybe in the fifth Doctors era. Id I could have chosen, I would have chose the episode to go just before The Fifth Doctors regeneration, so Jago and Litefoot could meet Peri. I can just hear it now! Jago being a Gentleman to the gorgeous Peri, whilst she enjoyed the fashion of the Victorian Era. Meanwhile, the Fifth Doctor could be in the mortuary with Litefoot, studying the body of a man who died with mysterious circumstances...

Anyway, enough of my story pitches, and back to the review.

I could vividly see every single scene in this story. I listened to it by candlelight, which I found improved the story telling immensely. This episode was such a brilliant start to a fantastic series. Big Finish, I owe you my life!

9/10

Doctor Who BF-015 The Mutant Phase

"In the 22nd century, the Daleks have occupied planet Earth. By the 43rd century, only a handful of humans survive. Still further into the distant future, a Thal scientist must choose whether to betray his heritage, or see the universe destroyed."

This fifth Doctor episode featured the Daleks... In Kansas! The Wizard of Oz would have been much better of the wicked witch of the west was being egged on by Daleks.

We started off with a robo-fied Sheriff. I love it when the Doctor goes to America, because he's so incredibly British, for obvious reasons. Any Doctor Who episode set in America is worth a listen!

I really liked it how Nyssa commented on the wasps, when we saw the battle damaged Dalek, then it turned out that this one Dalek resulted in causing a mutation for the whole race. This is why Daleks have casing! I wouldn't have thought the Daleks had developed many antibodies, either. So I suppose one could inject a Dalek with the flu, and just watch it suffer, if one was that way inclined. I also liked the way that the Doctor had to go back in time with an anecdote, so he could prevent a paradox.

If the Doctor had killed a Dalek who killed a man, then that man would still be alive, and if he did something to change history, then it could upset the natural order of time... It's strange how I've been a dedicated Whovian for so long, that I understand all that wibbely wobbly, timey wimey... Stuff.

It's taken a while, but I think that I've slightly warmed up to Nyssa. I really liked her in this. But to be fair, I kind of drifted off during her scenes. I'm not a huge fan, which I think is a shame. I'd love to like her!

The fifth Doctor seems different in the closing scene. His speech sounds very "fourth doctor-ish", when he comments on how the problems in this story were solved by "It's a paradox... It's not meant to make sense."

So, for a fifth Doctor and Nyssa story, this was pretty good. I'd go so far to say that it's fantastic.

9/10

Doctor Who BF-011 The Apocalypse Element

"When the planet Archetryx is threatened by a Dalek assault squad, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn become embroiled in an ever-deepening mystery. What has become of President Romana, missing for twenty years? What lurks in the vast gravity wells of Archetryx? What is the secret of the ancient element the Daleks are synthesising -- and how does Gallifrey feature in their plans?"

Romana trapped for over 20 years, on a planet disappeared from time... That was such an interesting  concept, and I looked forward to the Doctor and friends trying to find out where its gone... But suddenly it appears. I'll admit, I liked it how it was. It kept the pace going, and was entertaining.

I loved how the planet was a mix of several other invasion attempts. The planet was piloted from the core, it's mass was less, so it had been mined, etc. Great elements.

And, of course, I love the character of Evelyn. I felt like I didn't see enough of her in this story, after seeing so much of her in "The Marian Conspiracy." But I also would have been disappointed if we had any less of the Doctor or Romana. A brilliant cast, well done Big Finish!

Glad to have Romana back, she is such a great character. The banter between the sixth doctor and Romana was as good as it was with the Fourth Doctor. We also saw the return of the eye of harmony. It was on the Doctors TARDIS during the TV, my theory is that he took it from Gallifrey in his seventh incarnation, by order of a Time Lord who foreseen the Time War, or something.

I also like it how the rod and sash of Rassilon were used to aid the opening of the eye of Harmony. I chuckled when the Doctor said: "You'd need everything down to the poka-dot pyjamas of Rassilon!"

One thing I was confused about was- where's Leela? Leela is human, so she would have been able to open doors using the retinal scan! It would have been good to hear her alongside the Sixth Doctor, but we did get that again in Jago and Litefoot Series 4, so I suppose it's not too bad.

Yet another perfect Big Finish story.

10/10

[Oh, and as I'm writing this blogpost, I have just got off the phone to a friend who told me that Mary Tamm, who played Romana I has just passed away. Condolences to her family! Rest in Peace, Mary Tamm. A beautiful, talented actress. You will be missed.]

Doctor Who Companion Chronicles 3-07 The Transit of Venus

"The year is 1770, and daring explorer Captain James Cook and his crew on the Endeavour are navigating the Pacific Ocean."

I am a huge fan of Ian Chesterton. The first great hero in Doctor Who.

It's brilliant to get new adventures with the first Doctor. I wish there was more "companion chronicles" stories featuring him. It's a shame that the actress who played Barbara passed away so young, because I would have loved to hear her alongside Ian in some audio dramas.

So, the first Doctor runs into Captain James Cook in the year 1770, whilst he is on his journey to discover Australia. I really liked the other crew members, and how Ian helped Banks, the scientist, since Ian himself was a Science teacher back in 1963. And I enjoyed Ian's speech, when he said "Banks didn't realise that there's no infinite amount of creatures in this world." Since Banks did tests without care of the creatures.

The Doctor should run into more time travellers. It's a good concept, and I don't think it's been used enough. The only time travellers I can think have met the doctor whilst traveling solo, with no relation to him- has been the brilliant Captain Jack Harkness. But the Doctor at first insists that Banks isn't a time traveler, and the poem he quoted may have been made by Banks during Cooks' journey.

This is the second time the First Doctor has joined a famous traveler and went along with them. The first being in one of my favourite first Doctor stories- "Marco Polo", and the second being this journey alongside Captain James Cook.

Ian really does take on the role of the Doctor, in the first Doctors era. He stands up for what is right, and his actions are wise, and time-lord-like. He also has great banter with the crew, like when Cook asked Ian: "What are men compared to knowledge?" and Ian replied with: "What's the use of knowledge if there are no men to share it?"

Banks really surprised me when he pushed Ian overboard. I didn't see it coming. But if this was a new series adventure, with the eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory, then it would have been the Doctor who was pushed overboard. It's strange how much can change over fifty years...

I didn't know of Joseph Banks before this audio, did he really recommend that prisoners were to be transported to Botany Bay, in Australia? I don't know. But if he did, then it looks like Doctor Who has returned to its educational objectives, just like in 1963!

The result that Barbara and Susan were speaking through Banks was a brilliant conclusion, and I really enjoyed this story. I'd recommend it to any Classic Whovian.

7/10

Doctor Who Subscriber-Only Stories-06 Return of the Krotons

"The dead planet Onyakis is being plundered by the last survivors of the human race, and their leader, Commander Cobden, will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Already there are rumours of those who stand against him mysteriously disappearing. But when the Sixth Doctor and Charley find themselves on the side of those trying to expose Cobden, they discover something far more sinister."

Charley and the Sixth Doctor are so great together. The more audios I listen to them in, the more I enjoy Charley. I didn't like the bits of her I've seen in the eighth Doctor audios. But I do know she's from the 1930's, and she's with the Doctor much earlier on in his timeline.

Charley has some fantastic lines, such as- "I don't think I've ever been to the moon." But it turns out not to be the moon, because it's too purple.

I recently watched "The Krotons" because my friends and fellow Whovians [Keith Miles, Shaun Collins and Glenn Bartlett, hosts of the Traveling the Vortex podcast on itunes] were reviewing it. So I was ready and excited to see the Krotons again. The reference of "The Teaching Scene" brought me back to the televised story. It's good to see things with more detail.

All life on earth was destroyed centuries ago, apparently. So the solar flares have devastated earth, and people have hopped onto colony ships. The government had quite a good idea going with the "Nerva colony ship", they put everyone to sleep, planning to wake them up again when earth was safe. But it turns out, Nerva wasn't the only colony ship that held "the future generations of humanity." It turns out that this "Euro" company was doing it for economic reasons.

I loved the image I had in my head of the Doctor and Charley talking to the leader of the colony ships. I could just see the Sixth Doctor waving and shouting. This is a great quality to have in an audio, and it proves that Big Finish have done well.

The Krotons are great villains, and Big Finish have done a good job of bringing them back. I would have loved this to have been a Doctor Who televised story. But only if it was made now, instead of in the 1980's... Just with a younger Colin Baker...

I'm glad the Doctor recognised the Kroton teaching machines. It was also a nice touch how the Doctor even recognised the look in the Captains eyes, but he wasn't able to identify the species.

It also seems like the Doctor has went back to his old coat. He is much more colourful according to the story cover. I think its good how he still switches between the blue coat and the "clown" coat.

I really liked it when the Doctor and Charley were made to sit at the teaching machine, because they were "The class swots"- according to the Doctor. They soon realised that there was one Kroton that was different to the others, because it was a recently developed crew member.

The thing is with Doctor Who- no matter what they do, I enjoy it. [Well, within reason.] I enjoy it when the Doctor rides a giant flying alien around, so he can save Charley. But I also love it when he just drives a security car across a space station. No matter what the Doctor does, it's fantastic. I just wish that the class television series had a bigger budget, so they could achieve some of the things used in the audios.

But when this story came to a close, my opinion hadn't changed since the start. This is quite a good story. The sixth doctor and Charley were great, it was good to see a return of the Krotons, and the pacing of the story was great. Definitely worth a listen.

7/10

Doctor Who Companion Chronicles 2-03 Old Soldiers

"Old soldiers, comrades in arms - the Brigadier saw many fall during his years with UNIT, but perhaps none more tragically than those at Kreigskind. Called to help when a friend falls ill, how can Lethbridge-Stewart fight an enemy that can breach every defence?"

Brigadier Sir Alistar Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. My favourite classic Who character. No words can describe how much I respect and look up to this man. The passing of Nicholas Courtney hit me. It was a very rough time for all of us Whovians. I always wanted to meet Mr Courtney at a convention, but unfortunately I'll never get to.

The third Doctor was "My Doctor" from the classic series, as I've mentioned several times before. So I'm used to UNIT being a bit rubbish, and the Brig making military decisions despite the Doctors persistence to the contrary.

The best thing about these companion chronicles, is that the first, second and third Doctors are written perfectly. I can actually hear the third Doctor speaking the words through Nicholas Courtney's tounge.

I always wondered why UNIT never met the Romans, since it seemed such a good match for them. But I never expected to actually enjoy a story involving both the Romans and UNIT. This story was everything I wished was on television in the 1970's.

Again, the Doctor can read things in a blink of an eye, much like the Ninth Doctor did in "Rose." Its such a good quality, and really alien. So it matches the third Doctor perfectly.

I really appreciate the idea that both the Brig and Konrad share: "I would never ask any man to do something that I wouldn't be willing to do myself." It is an excellent quality to have in a soldier, and I've always been a huge fan of the phrase.

I rather enjoyed this story, but to be honest, I would have enjoyed it if it was just Nicholas Courtney reading out the phone book for an hour.

6/10

PS: In honour of Nicholas Courtney, please take a look at this wonderful tribute to him on YouTube, by babelcolour: