Another Shearman banger I swear I think he might be my favourite writer for Doctor Who right now he’s just so bold and darkly funny I can’t enough of it.

I love the commentary here with The Daleks being used as this marketable franchise dulling them down leading to the rise of fascist mindsets among Britain oh it’s brilliant and it’s made even better by how Shearman writes these people in the most bizarre & absurd way possible it’s just so interesting to me.

The Jubilee Dalek is the star of the show here providing a really fascinating view on Daleks and their character as The Dalek has lost everything about itself for 100 years questioning Dalek society and even possibly developing a twisted kind of empathy (or the closest it can get to that) for Evelyn

One big gripe I have is the 1903 stuff, I didn’t really care about that plotline much and I think it would’ve been much better off without it.

Absolutely incredible story. I had high expectations, because I've heard so much praise for this over the years and it was adapted into one of my fave stories Dalek. Surprisingly, it exceed my expectations. Despite its length, it doesn't feel long. The social commentary is really powerful, and very relevant now more than ever. Evelyn and Six had some phenomenal scenes in this, between themselves and apart with the guest cast. Somehow the supporting characters in this compared to Dalek are even worse. Absolutely harrowing in parts, and downright bleak.

robert shearman knows how to write daleks better than anyone else. an incredible critique of fascism, and the ways in which atrocities can be turned into silly little marketable things

Who is no Stranger when it comes to Stories seen as universally beloved or universally disliked. While everybody heavily disliked Story has its fans and every heavily liked Story has the People who don’t like it or aren’t too massive on it. There is no denying that there are Stories with a certain Reputation to their Name.
But why I am even talking about this here? Well Jubilee is one of the few that has a certain Fan reputation, that being heavily beloved and with any Stories with such strong Reputation, I am always taking my Time before I get around to them. Because while I try to have my Expectations trimmed, Part of me can’t help to have Doubts or the Fear that it can’t live up to all the Hype.

Well, do I feel stupid for doubting Shearman. This Story delivers and can be described (in my eyes at least) as perfect Doctor Who. And while giving out the Word “Perfect” is bold, since really there is no perfect Story truly, for me at least it tickles all the right corners to be considered perfect. And that while (at least so far, it might change the more Time I have to sit on it) not being a Top 20 Personal Favorite!

What can I even say what hasn’t been said? Its Commentary is biting and powerful. The Humorous Moments work brilliantly, and some of which can be read as some nice Commentary about Dalekmania in the 60s. But of course the Humor is only a small Part of it. What really makes this Story standout is how it portrays Fascism, which is done in such a superb yet unpleased Way.

The Performances as well shine here, especially Colin. Of course, all the others from Maggie to the Side Casts to even Briggs give some stellar Performances.

Honestly, what is more to say with this one, what hasn’t been said? A clever, yet horrifying Story about Fascism filled with the right amount of dark humor.

As far as Adaptions, while I prefer this one over Dalek, I find the latter hardly an adaption and at best only borrows certain few Traits of this Story. Both are very different in their Purpose, so while Comparison would be bound to happen, I don’t necessarily think they are fair, especially since both Story very much fit in their Corner of the World of Who. One uses its Freedom of being a Wilderness Years Tale to its full extent and offers some horrifying and at times brutal Moments. While the other works well as an Important Character Piece in its Series of NuWho. Both have their very own Thing going for them, but then again I can’t blame people for comparing them, since Dalek often gets coined as an Adaption, when it’s really at best only “inspired” by Jubilee.

Jubilee is frequently front and centre of any recommendations for newer listeners, mostly due to vague elements of Jubilee being repackaged in a certain episode of Series 1 of Modern Who written by the same writer. Though I should emphasise that Jubilee and Dalek are two very different stories conveying very different meanings.

Jubilee sees the Doctor and Evelyn land in an alternate timeline where the Daleks attempted to invade in 1903 but were defeated by the Doctor and Evelyn in an adjacent timeline. In doing so they unwittingly created a darker world of 2003 where the British Empire used the remains of the Dalek technology to fully conquer the world and now rule it with similar ideals to the Daleks. The last Dalek alive has been locked away in the Tower of London and regularly tortured, for the 100^th anniversary of the English Empire’s formation the Dalek is due to be executed with the Doctor as the guest of honour.

As I said, Jubilee does have familiar elements that were later used in Dalek, such as a single damaged and slightly insane Dalek being held prisoner and tortured to try and make it talk, the scene where the Doctor and the Dalek first meet which is almost line for line, the Dalek forming an attachment to the companion and even a similar and clever ending that I won’t spoil as it’s not quite the same as in Dalek. If you love Dalek, then you’ll love this just as much if not more. Dalek was more of an action thriller whereas Jubilee is more complex and psychological, it employs meta-commentary for how the Daleks, a race of fearsome killing machines have become a top merchandise seller and absorbed into pop culture, the same way the Daleks have in reality, while also drawing parallels to how the Nazis were treated in a similar fashion after their defeat. Going from a powerful and feared force to being the butt of many war jokes and parodies, the token villains of war films and spy novels. The story even opens with an over-the-top Hollywood Dalek movie trailer where the Doctor’s remembered as an action hero. It delves into how the winning side in history glorifies themselves and belittles their enemies while being unaware of how corrupt they in turn may become.

Now something to warn new listeners about, in Big Finish’s early days they had free reign to put whatever they wanted in their stories as they weren’t constrained by audience restrictions. As a result, a lot of their early stories contained inappropriate elements like swearing or sex or grotesque violence. Sometimes it’s handled well, and I like Doctor Who with a bit of meat on it, but it can come as a bit of a shock to newer listeners and Jubilee in particular is a bit messed up in places!! Especially in part three where we learn some of the darker secrets of this alternate fascist England. It’s awesome but messed up and you’ve been warned.

Nicholas Briggs at this point had been voicing the Daleks for a couple of years and it was his work in Big Finish that got him noticed by regular listener Russell T. Davies and hired to voice the Daleks on TV, Everyone knows that Briggs is the voice of the Daleks through and through and there’s not been a better voice, in this story he gives what I consider his best performance as the Daleks. Particularly playing this single broken down Dalek that is similar to the one from Series 1 but has its own story and dilemma, it’s the true highlight of the story and has so many spectacular scenes with the Doctor and Evelyn.

There’s a good reason why Jubilee is often the first Big Finish audio many listeners, including myself, experience. It is every bit the masterpiece it’s been hyped up as and should be at the top of every fan’s list of must listen stories.