This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Dreamtime

This early experimental era of Big Finish can be really hit or miss sometimes. But when it hits, it hits. The use of radio broadcasts throughout the whole story is perfect for the audio medium and it immerses you in a way no other story really can. I was sat there listening to this as if I truly lived in Colony 34 and was following along with the news. We get some great stuff for both Ace and Hex. This is great, especially in Hex's case given Dreamtime didn't give him much in the way of development. I love the backstory we get for him and Philip Olivier is fantastic at playing him.

The subtle ways in which you can see how corruption effects LIVE 34 throughout the story are brilliant. In fact, the way the whole story emphasises just how awful and corrupt Colony 34 is (and it gets dark) make for one of the most cathartic moments I've ever had the pleasure of listening to in Doctor Who. When the Doctor arrives at the big speech given by the fake Premier and just shuts the whole thing down. The entire story is building up to that, it's like the scene at the end of a murder mystery where the detective gathers everyone into a room and explains everything that happened only it's been amplified to a billion. This speech alone might be Sylvester McCoy's best performance yet and it'll be interesting to see if he can top it. This story feels extremely suited to 7, I really couldn't see any other Doctor here.

I'd heard a lot of good things about LIVE 34 and it still managed to exceed my expectations. Truly a story everyone should listen to at some point.

Next Story: Night Thoughts