During a panel for ComicCon@Home we now have further details and a teaser trailer for Doctor Who series 13 which sees the return of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteen Doctor and returning companion Mandip Gill as Yaz.
Doctor Who
Freema Agyeman reprises Martha Jones role in new audio adventures from Big Finish Productions
Freema Agyeman returns in her own triumphant trio of audio adventures, to be released in December 2021.
After more than a decade away from the TARDIS, the Tenth Doctor’s companion, Martha Jones, is returning to the world of Doctor Who, in a brand-new box set of full-cast audio drama from Big Finish Productions.
Review: Doctor Who – Dalek Universe 2
Review by Michael Goleniewski
Cycle of Destruction by Roy Gill
“Cycle of Destruction” continues the “Dalek Universe” adventures with an audio counterpart to “House of Kingdom” from the prior set but this time focusing on the other component of this saga’s main trio. Roy Gill’s script wastes no time in jumping right back into the fray, albeit in a way that feels more like a necessary diversion rather than a substantial addition to the main thrust of the arc. The premise is a strong one overall and it’s nice to see Mark himself get the same amount of attention and backstory that Anya did previously. But the plot and writing contain tons of technical exposition that (while interesting in how it handles the aspects of the ALARK facility and the intensive lives of the people working within it) grinds the pacing and excitement at hearing these characters again to a screeching halt. Still, the writing also touches on deeper questions as to the nature of Mark Seven and the androids themselves as well as contains major flashbacks to Mark Seven’s past which is as harrowing as one would expect. It’s in those moments and in the tension between members of the TARDIS team as to how and why they got there in the first place that the story truly shines and not necessarily in the immediate details of what’s going on in the plot. Continue reading
Review – Jago & Litefoot: Series 14
Review by Jacob Licklider
This review (a week late….) is going to be a bit different from the other reviews I’ve written for this site. Other reviews often go into the performances and a bit of the plot and makes a judgment based on that, however, Jago & Litefoot: Series 14 is a release that shouldn’t necessarily be looked at like a standard release, being presented as four audiobooks adapted from the scripts of an unrecorded Jago & Litefoot written before the tragic passing of Trevor Baxter. It is Baxter to whom this release is dedicated, giving the series one last hurrah and allowing four of the remaining stars one final chance to shine telling a story. Paul Morris and Julian Richards were put in charge of adapting the scripts into audiobook format for one narrator, originally with the idea being only one long audiobook, but due to the second episode being told in the first person while the other three are in third person limited. This format shift in one long audiobook would have been jarring. It also allowed Morris the chance to adapt the scripts which he had a hand in writing so the adaptation could be a bit smoother as Simon Barnard, Jonathan Barnes, and Justin Richards had no hand in changing their scripts for the project.
Lost ‘Doctor Who’ story ‘The Evil of The Daleks’ getting animated release
The Evil of the Daleks is the mostly-missing ninth and final serial of the fourth season of the British series Doctor Who, which originally aired in seven weekly parts from 20 May to 1 July 1967. The Evil of the Daleks fills another gap in the missing Doctor Who content lost in the purge of the BBC archive soon after the programme’s original transmission. However, audio-only recordings of all seven episodes have survived and have been used here to create a brand new fully animated presentation of this lost classic, featuring the original surviving second episode.
Olly Alexander Doctor Who speculation officially denied by his management
Olly Alexander, frontman of the band Years & Years (now continuing as Alexander’s solo project) and star of the recent hit series It’s A Sin has reportedly been in talks to take on the iconic role of The Doctor in BBC’s Doctor Who once Jodie Whittaker (who took up the role as the first-ever female Doctor in 2017) steps down from the role (which has been rumoured to be at the end of the upcoming season).
This rumour has been officially denied by Alexander’s manager via Instagram.
RUMOUR – Olly Alexander in talks for ‘Doctor Who’
Olly Alexander, frontman of the band Years & Years (now continuing as Alexander’s solo project) and star of the recent hit series It’s A Sin is reportedly in talks to take on the iconic role of The Doctor in BBC’s Doctor Who once Jodie Whittaker(who took up the role as the first-ever female Doctor in 2017) steps down from the role (which has been rumoured to be at the end of the upcoming season).
Audio Review: The Worlds of Blake’s 7: Avalon (Volume 2)
Review by Ian McArdell
Following three Earthbound tales, this second volume sees Avalon (Olivia Poulet) and her reluctant ally Argo Madison (Cliff Chapman) escape to the stars. While I found plenty to enjoy in the first set, notably the exploration of Earth’s society as glimpsed in Blake’s 7’s first episode, I found the central character of Avalon underdeveloped; despite her famous name we came away knowing precious little about her, save for a ruthless determination to destroy the oppressive Federation system.
Review: The War Doctor Begins – Forged in Fire
Review by Jacob Licklider
The War Doctor range was one of the Big Finish ranges sadly cut off due to the passing of Sir John Hurt. A fifth box set was actually planned and some of those scripts have been used in other ranges such as The War Master, at least in similar premises. Now that time has passed, the character has been recast with Jonathon Carley, most well known for several fan Doctor Who productions, and instead of continuing John Hurt’s legacy as the character which may have been insensitive if done incorrectly, goes back to the beginning of the character to explore what the War Doctor actually kind of means. The War Doctor Begins was announced as four box sets, starting release in June 2021 all looking to lead to essentially where their War Doctor releases began. Forged in Fire sports a beautifully painted cover by Claudia Gironi featuring Daleks and Thals and a younger John Hurt. It also is a set which sets up something interesting for the character, taking a step away from what Steven Moffat implied with the character, that he was the version of the Doctor who went against everything that the Doctor stood for, that his purpose was to be a warrior. There is something to be said to the recast; Carley joins Jon Culshaw’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Sadie Miller’s Sarah Jane, and Elliot Chapman’s Ben Jackson (among others) in Big Finish’s roster of perfect recasts. Carley worked closely with director Louise Jameson to ensure that his impression was more than just an impression, but really embodying the younger version of the character. He makes it his own and Jameson’s direction is also a welcome change as her touch makes the entire set have a different atmosphere to Big Finish’s usual output.
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