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Best Producer/Showrunner? This poll is closed. |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Verity Lambert |
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49 | 7.04% |
| John Wiles |
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1 | 0.14% |
| Innes Lloyd |
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1 | 0.14% |
| Peter Bryant |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Derrick Sherwin |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Barry Letts |
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12 | 1.72% |
| Phillip Hinchcliffe |
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62 | 8.91% |
| Graham Williams |
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3 | 0.43% |
| John Nathan-Turner |
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15 | 2.16% |
| Philip Segal |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Russel T Davies |
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106 | 15.23% |
| Steven Moffat |
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114 | 16.38% |
| Son Goku |
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324 | 46.55% |
| Total: | 696 votes | ||
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Metal Loaf posted:I like to imagine that he just really wants to have another go at the "blo mo co jo" stuff. Well he immediately started in on it so yeah, I thought that was implicit.
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May 27, 2014 23:55
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Bicyclops posted:
<------- And clamoring against, mind you. it is by no means "The fans vs Moffat". Its hard however to argue with someone who things it should be inevitable, So i just enjoy what i have in the show now before everything changes. Like a prisoner lined up against the wall enjoying one last beam of sunshine before the firing squad fires 
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May 28, 2014 00:00
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dismissal of something that many fans have been clamoring for and consider important is a bit irritating.
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So which classic story should I watch next - Inferno or The Android Invasion?
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May 28, 2014 00:04
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CobiWann posted:So which classic story should I watch next - Inferno or The Android Invasion? Inferno. Three's my least favourite Doctor, but that whole first season is remarkably solid, even if most of the stories are too bloody long.
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May 28, 2014 00:06
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Inferno all the way, it's a fantastic story.
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May 28, 2014 00:15
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DoctorWhat posted:Well he immediately started in on it so yeah, I thought that was implicit. Haha, I didn't see it.  CobiWann posted:So which classic story should I watch next - Inferno or The Android Invasion? Also going to chime in for "Inferno". Great story.
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May 28, 2014 00:21
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Three may have the single best first season of any Doctor. There is not a single misstep of any of those adventures. Inferno all the way. MattD1zzl3 posted:<------- You're comparing eventually, at some point in the future, getting a lady to play the Doctor, to being executed by firing squad? ...why do you keep expressing the worst opinions in the worst ways?
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May 28, 2014 00:41
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Its more like knowing something terrible is going to happen in the future, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, but it almost makes you appreciate what you have in the moment more. Like you want to pretend now is all there is  As for my terrible opinions... I've learned to only "express" them once every few weeks. If anyone here agrees with me, they are smart enough to keep it to themselves. MattD1zzl3 fucked around with this message at 00:56 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 00:54
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MattD1zzl3 posted:Its more like knowing something terrible is going to happen in the future Yes, we know, that's the part that's really dumb.
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May 28, 2014 00:59
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MattD1zzl3 posted:Its more like knowing something terrible is going to happen in the future Gender equality?
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May 28, 2014 01:02
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Jerusalem posted:Gender equality? 
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May 28, 2014 01:14
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MattD1zzl3 posted:If anyone here agrees with me, they are smart enough to keep it to themselves. There's almost nobody, thankfully, but hang onto the "silent majority" bullshit if you like.
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May 28, 2014 01:30
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Jerusalem posted:Gender equality? Someday there will be a strong male companion...
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May 28, 2014 01:31
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Metal Loaf posted:I like to imagine that he just really wants to have another go at the "blo mo co jo" stuff. Then you should listen to him read "Judgement of the Judoon" in which the Tenth Doctor, a "good" Judoon, and Veronica Mars in Space investigate strange goings on.
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May 28, 2014 01:32
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MattD1zzl3 posted:Its more like knowing something terrible is going to happen in the future, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, but it almost makes you appreciate what you have in the moment more. Like you want to pretend now is all there is I'm going to level with you here, mostly because I've expressed this opinion before a billion threads back when we were waiting for Capaldi to be announced. I do not believe a woman should be the Doctor-Under Moffat's Writing. He has shown, on every level and at every turn, that he doesn't know and wouldn't be able to handle, how to write a woman character. Every thing he has put forward proves to me that he would drop the ball as hard as humanly possible and we'd get the second coming of Colin's TV run. Only with more cringing. Remove him and the doors open wide, however. Because really, why the Hell not? Can't be worse than what we've had before. (Still wanna see Idris Elba as the Doctor though)
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May 28, 2014 01:46
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CobiWann posted:Someday there will be a strong male companion... Rory. 
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May 28, 2014 02:40
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Potsticker posted:Rory. I counted; during Rory's stint as a supporting character, both companion and otherwise, he saved the day with a broom more often than the Doctor saved the day with anything.
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May 28, 2014 02:43
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Cleretic posted:I counted; during Rory's stint as a supporting character, both companion and otherwise, he saved the day with a broom more often than the Doctor saved the day with anything. A broom is better than a sonic screwdriver any day. Honestly I could've gone with a lot more Doctor/Rory adventures. Too bad there wasn't more time after fake Amy dissolved or more adventures during their break up.
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May 28, 2014 02:45
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Bicyclops posted:There's almost nobody, thankfully, but hang onto the "silent majority" bullshit if you like. Bicyclops, my friend: There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought*. *by putting obvious shitposters like MattDizzle on ignore 
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May 28, 2014 03:49
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Sydney Bottocks posted:Bicyclops, my friend: There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought*. Yeah, I haven't reaad a post by MattDizzle in months. Anyway, I showed my sister the 50th anniversary special, and she wants to see more Tom Baker now. I'm thinking of just showing her his first season, sans "Robot."
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May 28, 2014 03:57
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egon_beeblebrox posted:Yeah, I haven't reaad a post by MattDizzle in months. Robot is great, watch Robot
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May 28, 2014 04:02
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I'm of mixed opinions about Robot, as I feel it is a very deliberate transitional story that eases the audience from the Pertwee era into the Baker era, which really starts in earnest with the excellent The Ark in Space. That both works and doesn't, as you have the clash of traditional Pertwee elements with some mad new teeth-and-curls lunatic running around having a great old time, which detracts from the story in some ways but really works as an introduction to the "new" Doctor. The special effects on the monster are laughably bad now, of course, but that is only to be expected with a 40 year old story. As an example of a standard Baker story it really doesn't work too well, but as a hybrid story it is pretty strong - I've always been struck by the scene where UNIT takes the Doctor to the scene of the latest incident and he's lying utterly bored in the back of a jeep, indifferent to everything until he realizes something interesting is happening and suddenly perks up and takes an active interest.
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May 28, 2014 04:15
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Potsticker posted:Honestly I could've gone with a lot more Doctor/Rory adventures. Too bad there wasn't more time after fake Amy dissolved or more adventures during their break up. That is prime material for when Big Finish gets rights to the new series. Doctor and Rory going around the universe, pulling in favors. They could squeeze at least six stories in there.
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May 28, 2014 04:20
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Hit or miss Clitoris posted:That is prime material for when Big Finish gets rights to the new series. Doctor and Rory going around the universe, pulling in favors. They could squeeze at least six stories in there. Wrong Williams.
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May 28, 2014 04:21
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CobiWann posted:Someday there will be a strong male companion... 
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May 28, 2014 04:58
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Turlough and Five are such a great pair. 
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May 28, 2014 05:02
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MattD1zzl3 posted:<------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCFySez-4tw
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May 28, 2014 08:09
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Potsticker posted:Turlough and Five are such a great pair.  If anything, I want to watch more of the classic stories on DVD for the commentaries and behind the scenes moments. The commentary on Attack of the Cybermen made watching it twice worthwhile. Peri (on screen) - All these tunnels look the same! Colin (off screen) - All these scripts look the same. CobiWann fucked around with this message at 09:37 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 09:35
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 It's a pretty personal thing, but I really disliked The Axis of Insanity for a number of reasons, and it made it hard to give it a fair go. Right from the get-go I should say that one of my least favorite things in any media is a forced sense of "wackiness". It works when it feels natural, but whenever a character tries their best to be CRAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZYYYYYY it always falls flat for me. That's the case with this story, the moment the Doctor met the Jester I knew I was in for a grating time and that's exactly what I got. It doesn't help that the Doctor apparently suffers a sudden onset of stupidity and somehow doesn't pick up on the fact that the Jester is the bad guy and walks idiotically into the trap that has been laid for him. The fact that they tried to make this the cliffhanger of the first episode is even worse, having the Jester effectively declare,"IT TURNS OUT THAT ALL THOSE MENACING ALLUSIONS I MADE WERE ACCURATE BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY THE BAD GUY!" and then playing the theme is supposed to be this big,"Holy poo poo!" moment except that there is literally not a single person on the planet who would have listened to the first episode and NOT said immediately upon his introduction,"So this Jester bloke is the bad guy, right?" Not the case with the Doctor though, he's fooled, manipulated with traps so clumsy and obvious that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and the Doctor to declare,"Yeah actually that was all really obvious and I turned your traps back on you." Meanwhile the Jester capers and dances and lovely carnival music plays and then he goes all menacing and cruel and it's all just a third-rate quasi-Joker performance that I couldn't help but roll my eyes, grit my teeth and wait for him to stop talking and go away. For awhile that actually happens, as the Jester is "replaced" by their true appearance, the female mad scientist Jarra To but even that is only a momentary reprieve as she switches back to the Jester persona and later on just takes on the same stupid forced wackiness - in fact about the only time I enjoyed the presence of the character was when Erimem had enough and just shouted,"SHUT UP JUST SHUT UP JUST.... just STOP talking!" - hear, hear! I felt exactly the same way and if that was what Big Finish was deliberately going for then they succeeded... which is not an endorsement because successfully making a lovely character that I couldn't bear to listen to is hardly an accomplishment. But putting aside my problems with the character, I also have a serious problem with the basic premise of the story. Sure the idea of the Axis was an interesting one, but I'm sorry I just don't buy the concept that some other race of omniscient beings are responsible for managing it, and that they and the Time Lords don't get on and Time Lords are wary of crossing their path. The Time Lords are the LORDS of Time! And Zagreus only took place a few stories earlier where it was very clearly established that the Time Lords are at the top of the food chain and jealously guard their domain. Yes there are Eternals and characters like The Celestial Toymaker or the Masters of the Land of Fiction or even Kwundaar from Primeval or the Keeper of Taken etc but they're characters/races who exist in a very aloof state or occupy very detached domains of influence. The Axis is too closely linked with time for me to accept the idea that the Time Lords would ever take a subordinate (or even equal!) role with any other race. Not being able to accept that premise basically derails the entire story for me, it's not an environment that the Doctor should be in, and the situation he gets into is one that he should never have fallen for. Supporting character-wise, this is a story that is supposed to offer a little development for Erimem, but - like the rest of the story - screws it up royally (no pun intended). Peri is teaching her to read and for the first time their sisterly relationship is getting strained as they throw little barbs at each other. The two get separated (of course!) and Erimem gets the better half of the deal, as Peri spends most of the story shouting in concern or running in panic or sharing lines with the rather breathless and shallow character Tog who never really has a chance to develop and whose ultimate fate doesn't quite feel earned - I think it was supposed to be a poignant moment but I never felt I knew him enough to really care about him, his mission, or even his doomed alternate reality. Erimem, meanwhile, spends most of the story with the Doctor or the villain and gets a meatier part, including the hardly unique but always interesting discussion over whether the Doctor's companions are nothing more than "pets" to him (the answer is of course no they're not, but villains can rely on getting a rise from a companion with it). There's even a nice bit where Erimem's inability to read English (I guess the TARDIS doesn't handle that for her) puts her into even more trouble, but then the writer blows it all with one of the stupidest character oversights I can think of. Erimem, former Pharoah of Egypt.... is squeamish about dead bodies and freaks out at the thought of being near a dead body. I mean... really? An Egyptian Pharoah from 3,500 years ago can't deal with the sight of a dead body, or handling a corpse? Really? That just came across as utterly ridiculous to me and undid a lot of the good work that had been done with her character in this story up to that point - she had been one of the only saving graces what with all the other elements of the story that I was having issues with. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot but the story even introduces an entirely new tool for the Doctor to use, a kind of even-more-multi-purpose Sonic Screwdriver that can basically do anything.... and of course it breaks down by the end of the story, presumably because somebody realized,"Wait why wouldn't he use this thing all the time if it is so useful?" This all comes across as rough but it's not ALL bad. Peter Davison gives a good performance of not particularly great material, though there is only so much he can do. There's also a rather oddly out of place but wonderfully bittersweet moment where the Doctor takes the dead Time Lord's TARDIS to a kind of TARDIS graveyard and notes quietly that one day his own TARDIS will end up here, reflecting on his own mortality. It's quite a nice moment and the fact he chose to share it with Peri and Erimem, I think, goes a long way to showing that the Doctor doesn't consider them simply "pets" to keep him entertained and happy for a brief time. He shares a deeply personal moment with them, and it's perhaps the one shining beacon in an otherwise irritating and frustrating story.
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May 28, 2014 11:26
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It IS the Fifth Doctor, he of the "why do I always let my curiousity get the better of me" bent. That's the only reason I could think of why the Doctor would go along with everything... I'm only one episode in, but I could tell right away I'm going to want to strangle the Jester by story's end. There's enjoyable overacting ("MY DREAMS OF...CONNNNQUEST!") and then there's "want to punch the character in the face" overacting, and the Jester has that in spades. On the other hand? After four straight audios of C'rizz, hearing Five and Peri again was a breath of fresh air.
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May 28, 2014 11:38
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Somebody needs to extract the honky-tonk piano theme bit that plays for all of half a minute when Iris is introduced in The Wormery and make it longer, or find the original. I just can't stop listening to it, catchy as gently caress. Best thing about that audio, unfortunately.
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May 28, 2014 13:01
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Jerusalem posted:There's even a nice bit where Erimem's inability to read English (I guess the TARDIS doesn't handle that for her) puts her into even more trouble, but then the writer blows it all with one of the stupidest character oversights I can think of. Erimem, former Pharoah of Egypt.... is squeamish about dead bodies and freaks out at the thought of being near a dead body. I mean... really? An Egyptian Pharoah from 3,500 years ago can't deal with the sight of a dead body, or handling a corpse? Really? That just came across as utterly ridiculous to me and undid a lot of the good work that had been done with her character in this story up to that point - she had been one of the only saving graces what with all the other elements of the story that I was having issues with. Don't worry, there will be a scene in The Kingmaker that more than makes up for this. In addition to the lovely writing and characterization, the concept of Axis really bothered me. Since they don't say what constitutes a failed timeline, it implies that every time the Doctor saves a planet, the alternate version where he didn't intervene is condemned to a nightmarish existence in the Axis. That can't be what they were going for, right? The TARDIS Graveyard scene is wonderful though, and something that could only have been pulled off by Davison. There's a similar moment at the very end of Singularity which comes as a complete emotional gut-punch that I couldn't get out of my head for days.
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May 28, 2014 13:09
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 There's one place in creation where the truth really can be found in the bottom of a glass: Bianca's, a very special and very exclusive little club. The Doctor, careworn and seeking quiet distraction, gains admission. But his rest and relaxation is soon shattered by the wobbly arrival of louche trans-temporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme. She claims she's on a secret mission of vital importance, the success of which hinges on her getting paralytic. When she's drunk, she can hear the whispering voices in her head! The Doctor soon learns that Bianca's airs and graces cover not just one malevolent power lurking in the shadows, but several. And a wriggling, writhing presence has designs on the clientele¬ just as Bianca herself has designs on the Doctor. At last, after so many centuries, the weary Time Lord is dragged by the heels into that darkest of undiscovered countries – love. Colin Baker is the Doctor in The Wormery. Cast Colin Baker (The Doctor) Katy Manning (Iris Wildthyme) Maria McErlane (Bianca) Paul Clayton (Henry) Jane McFarlane (Mickey) James Campbell (Allis & Ballis) Mark Donovan (Sturmer) Ian Brooker (Barman) Written By: Stephen Cole and Paul Magrs Directed By: Gary Russell http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/popout/the-wormery-217 X X X X X What happens when the Doctor breaks down? Even a 900 year old Time Lord who smiles all the time eventually bends under the pressures of saving the universe time and time again. Barley escaping from a parallel Earth where your friends and colleagues were servant of a fascist regime and watching helplessly as the planet dies screaming under an ocean of boiling lava? Go catatonic. No matter what you do or what steps you take, everyone around you ends up dying horribly? You sacrifice your life so one person, JUST one person lives. Your schemes and plots, meant for the best, drive everyone away from you? Lock yourself up in the TARDIS library and watch as the wordplay and zest for puns you once held fade away. Watching someone die because they refused your help because there was no longer any difference between the Time Lord and the Daleks? Forsake being “The Man Who Never Would” because the universe has no need for one anymore. Put on trial by your own people for crimes you MAY commit, with your own future incarnation as prosecutor, while your best friend dies as there is nothing you can do, before having to pull the bacon of the Time Lords out the fire AGAIN? You need a freakin’ drink. Fitting between the departure of Peri in the televised serial Mindwarp and the introduction of Evelyn Smythe in The Marian Conspiracy, The Wormery explores what happens when the Doctor decides to forget his problems at the bottom of a glass. With a cast that camps it up to the appropriate levels, superb sound work, and an intriguing wrap-around narrative with a doozy of a punchline, The Wormery is well worth the price, and that’s before mentioning the introduction (or re-introduction) of a former Who companion to the Big Finish pantheon! 1930’s Berlin. Everyone comes to Bianca’s, a cabaret that caters to the exclusive, the discreet, and when necessary the occasional fascist thug. It’s here that the Doctor finds himself, drained from his recent trial on Gallifrey and looking for forget about the universe for a while. But the universe hasn’t forgotten about the Doctor, and trouble finds him in the form of one Iris Wyldthyme, Transtemporial Adventuress and professional drunkard. It doesn’t take long for the Doctor to realize there is much more to Bianca’s than the house special, but it also doesn’t take long for the Doctor to realize there is much more to Bianca herself, something that attracts him…much to Iris’ dismay! Beforehand came the “Villains” trilogy and the overly long and emotionally draining Zagreus. Afterward would come the first half of the Eight Doctor’s “Divergent Universe” arc, which contains some incredibly weird and thought provoking concepts. Falling squarely in the middle of these stories, The Wormery is a breath of fresh air between some very dark and disturbing stories. The audio doesn’t take itself seriously, adding just enough drama and tension to prevent it from slipping into pure farce. It introduces some unique concepts to the Who universe, such as how to land a TARDIS inside another TARDIS without causing (in theory, hopefully!) a time ram. And the wrap around narrative is very well done, as a former waitress, Mickey, plays some audio tapes from the club’s secret recording system for a mysterious stranger. It allows the story to skip ahead and Mickey to fill in the gaps with any necessary exposition without it feeling forced. And it also allows for one heck of a final line to close out the entire thing when the stranger’s identity is revealed. When listening to the patrons and background noise of Bianca’s, it’s very easy for the listener to imagine themselves sitting in the cabaret, listening to the bar’s namesake croon. The immersive atmosphere of The Wormery can be placed at the feet of both of its writers, as well as Big Finish’s top notch sound department. The sound crew has done wonders with this story. Taxis whizzing through Berlin (and points beyond!), the clink of glasses and muted background conversation, the smooth tones of Bianca’s voice against the harsh, grating screeches of another singer, drunks falling off chairs, and even the subtle difference between Mickey’s telling her story and the dialogue pulled from worn and forgotten reel-to-reel reels, the audio work is simply incredible. And the music…oh, the tinkling of the piano providing a backdrop to much of the dialogue, not to mention a great musical score that I wish I could somehow get on CD or separate download! This story is definitely one of the best from a purely audio standpoint, and the sound crew, led by Jason Loborik and Steve Cole, definitely deserve a round or two of bitter for their work! Stephen Cole and Paul Magrs are no stranger to either Doctor Who or Big Finish. Both men have penned well-received novels and comic strips for the Doctor as well as the Bernice Summerfield range. Cole was the writer of the audio stories The Land of the Dead, well noted for its isolationist atmosphere, and The Apocalypse Element, the closet to a “big budget” story Big Finish had done up to that point. Magrs may be best known for the absolutely insane Eight Doctor novel Mad Dogs and Englishmen but also penned the moody audio The Stones of Venice. With the two of them co-writing the script for The Wormery, the dialogue flows easily while the plot unfolds in an easy and casual manner. The plot does get a bit weird at times, especially when the titular worms make their appearance and their master plan is revealed. And there are a lot of science fiction concepts sprinkled throughout the story; collapsing galaxies, wormholes destinations, and nexus points of space and time fraying from overpopulation. It doesn’t detract from the overall story, but it is a bit of technobabble. There is one other concept The Wormery touches that both benefits and risks dragging down the story. The Doctor is currently sitting in Bianca’s trying to come to grips with the events of the multi-episode televised saga The Trial of a Time Lord. In order to get the most out of The Wormery, the listener should be familiar with the overall theme of the story; the Doctor being put on trial for his sins, past and future, while being accused of these crimes by none other than a future incarnation known only as the Valeyard. Without this knowledge, why the Doctor isn’t his normal self might come as a bit of a confusing shock to the listener. The script touches on Trial but really doesn’t explain its importance, even when it becomes vital to the plot in the fourth episode. On the other hand, The Wormery helps to explain the change from the angry, bitter Sixth Doctor pre-Trial and the bombastic but brave Doctor we see traveling with Evelyn Smythe. The behind-the-scenes mess that Trial of a Time Lord caused would take up several blog posts, but the best way to sum it up is “Colin Baker gets screwed again by the BBC.” Where some people see Big Finish’s stories as “saving” the Sixth Doctor, I’ve begun to see them along the lines of “Colin Baker gets to play the Doctor the way HE wanted to.” The Wormery isn’t some scathing critique of Trial. It’s more of an attempt to explain its effects on the Doctor in a respectful and reasonable manner, bridging the gap between Six/Peri and Six/Evelyn.  Based upon the CD cover, I visualized Six in his blue “mourning” coat, even though he technically didn’t debut it until Real Time. It’s gotten to the point with these Big Finish reviews that the words “Colin Baker” automatically equal “a quality performance.” To me, he hasn’t phoned it in once. His acting has pulled up lesser scripts and elevated good scripts to amazing ones. Alongside of Peri, the Sixth Doctor is brash, loud, bombastic, and interacts with her in a “we’re the only people allowed to be mean to each other” sort of manner. With Evelyn (and with Melanie Bush as well), the Sixth Doctor is self-assured and lets other people know it, but loyal and kind to his friends outside of the occasional friendly jest. The Wormery introduces us to a different kind of Sixth Doctor. This one is quiet, moody, and most of all, despondent. Instead of diving into an adventure head first, Six, dare I say, broods a little bit. The cockiness, the bravado, the inflated ego, very little of it is on display in this story from the Doctor. Baker takes a role that could have just been “mopey Doctor” and instead gives of “Doctor looking for that spark.” Don’t get me wrong, Colin Baker is still Colin Baker and he has his moments where both the old and the new Six shine through. One could see The Wormery as either an aging process or a distillation process where Six takes a look at his lives, takes a drink, and decides to forge ahead in a bold manner. The bullying creature who demands to be noticed for saving countless lives is now the guy at the end of the bar, wondering just WHY no one gives him credit for saving countless lives. It’s a truly amazing performance on Baker’s part to make this version of Six someone who you don’t want to pity, but someone you want to root for to throw on his old coat (metaphorically speaking. Sorry, I like the blue outfit!) and start kicking butt across the galaxy once again. With a more self-reflective Sixth Doctor this time out, it’s up to the rest of the cast to pick up the larger-than-life slack. Maria McErlane is the star of Bianca’s, a place so nice they named it after her. McErlane is best known in Britain for her comedic work, both in stand-up and serving as a “straight woman” for several sketch shows. For The Wormery, McErlane perfectly plays the part of the proud, scheming diva bitch. From the very first line she utters to the Doctor, “light my cigarette, darling,” the audience knows exactly what they’re going to get from her role, and McErlane delivers. Her performance is nowhere near as over-the-top and campy as Patricia Quinn’s from Bang-Bang-A-Boom!, but it doesn’t need to be. Her desire to be loved and the center of attention ties in perfectly the plans of one half of the story’s villains, and it doesn’t hurt that Ms. McErlane has a lovely singing voice as well! On the other side of the aisle stands Paul Clayton, well known across Britain for a wide variety of dramatic work, and known to Who fans as Mr. Bartle from the Tenth Doctor story Planet of the Ood. As club owner Henry, he represents the plans of the other half of the story’s villains; tough with a mean streak, menacing from the shadows until he needs to get involved directly. The narrator for the whole piece, Mickey, is played by prolific Scottish voice actress Jane McFarlane. Her soft tones provide the perfect mix of tension when talking about past events, mixed in with just enough wistful nolstalgia for the way she remembers how it used to be…  Now, I’ve made it this far without mentioning what some people consider to the most important part of The Wormery. And that is the introduction of Iris Wildthyme to the Big Finish main range continuity after her initial appearance opposite Peter Davison and Anthony Stewart Head in Excelis Dawns. Claiming to be a renegade Time Lord, Iris first debuted in one of Paul Magr’s “it’s not Doctor Who related, we swear, don’t sue us BBC” novels as a long-lived novelist who regenerated at the end of the story. She first met the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane in the short story Old Flames where the Doctor claimed she was a lifelong friend. Of course, this sent the fandom into a tizzy, especially as Iris kept reappearing in various books and short stories, weaving in and out of the Doctor’s life. With a TARDIS that looks like a double-decker bus, Iris had drank her way across the universe and into her own Big Finish range, with several series released over the course of the 2000’s. While some people like Iris and some people dislike Iris (see also Summerfield, Bernice) and might groan at her being “shoehorned” into Big Finish, what makes her appearance so special is just who is playing her – none other than Katy Manning! Best known for playing the Third Doctor’s companion Jo Grant, Manning has always been one of the most popular actresses to be associated with Doctor Who – bubbly, happy, and the perfect counterpart to the slightly grumpy Third Doctor. At least, until he lightened up and the two adventured across the galaxy for a good bit. Manning might also be known (I admit or deny nothing) for the cheesecake pictures she took with a Dalek for a magazine photoshoot, including one with nothing on but the smile God gave her. (for the record, Jon Pertwee’s response was a loud laugh and a cry of “typical Katy!”) Manning portrays Iris with a larger than life appetite for adventure, gusto, and booze. As opposed to the quiet Sixth Doctor in The Wormery, Iris is poking her nose in where it doesn’t belong, loudly demanding answers from the bad guys, spilling her concerns to the Doctor and everyone around them, and being incredibly scatterbrained. It could have easily been a recipe for disaster, but Manning takes the part and not only makes it her own, but makes Iris someone the listener can relate to. On screen, she would be a nightmare, but Iris was a character made for the audio format. She’s far from a perfect character – her song at the end of the second episode almost brings about the end of the universe! – in that she is very loud and some of her dialogue is very hard to understand at times. Her importance to the plot, though, is one that also has something to say about Trial of a Time Lord, to the extent that Six proclaims “PLAGURISM” at one point! What makes Iris work is her chemistry with the Sixth Doctor. She’s not a fan of his incarnation (she adored Five, even if he was a bit serious, and thinks Seven is too cunning for his own good), but she knows the man the Doctor is, and that’s the man she loves. Yes, Iris proclaims her love for the Doctor, but also proclaims she knows it’ll never happen, so she just soaks it in while she can whenever she is around him. The pining is kept to a minimum, so it’s a bit emotional and not overwrought ala Rose/Ten or Martha/Ten. In a way, Iris fills the companion role for this story, and does it very well. Maybe she’s the one who drags Six out of his funk and sends him on his way to soon bump into Evelyn Smythe… Synopsis – Great sound work, good music, Katy Manning back in the fold, and a quieter, reflective Six make The Wormery a story well worth passing the time and bending the elbow with. 4/5. Next up - There were two friends, and together they travelled the cosmos. They thwarted tyrants and defeated monsters, they righted wrongs wherever they went. They explored the distant future and the distant past, new worlds and galaxies, places beyond imagining. But every good story has to come to an end... Paul McGann is the Doctor in...Scherzo. CobiWann fucked around with this message at 01:17 on May 29, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 13:38
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Yeesh, I really can't agree with you on the Wormery. I did like the ending, but Iris tends to rub me the wrong way and the extended instances of singing or the back and forth between "Now MY faction will be victorious! Wa-ha-ha-ha!" just dragged on way too long. I wasn't really interested in either one of the love stories. I will say that Colin gives his all and that Katy Manning has fun with a character who isn't written particularly spectaculary, but I found myself more interested in the frame story than the story itself. In general, I think Big Finish needs to sign a treaty that keeps them from writing about alcohol or drugs ever again, actually.
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May 28, 2014 14:14
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CobiWann posted:
 Waiting with bated breath to hear what you think of Scherzo. Another great review, after I finish up J&L Series 2 (yeah, I went a little over my Big Finish budget this month) I have The Wormery in the queue. I got it because I was curious to hear Iris, all I'd heard up to now is mixed opinions on the character. I had no idea Katy Manning played the role though, that's enough to get me to listen on it's own.
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May 28, 2014 15:01
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I''m not sure if it's noteworthy or not, but this one was written by Simon Furman of "writing Transformers fiction for the last twenty five years" fame. Like his comics, this story has a load of interesting concepts that get overshadowed by the somewhat hammy dialog.
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May 28, 2014 15:10
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Fil5000 posted:I''m not sure if it's noteworthy or not, but this one was written by Simon Furman of "writing Transformers fiction for the last twenty five years" fame. Like his comics, this story has a load of interesting concepts that get overshadowed by the somewhat hammy dialog. Truly - it never ends!
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May 28, 2014 15:34
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DoctorWhat posted:Truly - it never ends! No, it's over. Finished!
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May 28, 2014 15:39
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The_Doctor posted:No, it's over. Finished! Hnngh- never DID want to live FOREVER! In other news, THE COAT is being hemmed now and shipping tomorrow. Expect pictures by the 4th of June!
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May 28, 2014 15:53
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Talking about Transformers? Nerds.
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May 28, 2014 16:03
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