Even in death, you can’t escape capitalism.

• Occasus, the far future. A mausoleum world populated by the graves of entire species, some are marked, and others are absurdly inaccurate. There’s a large foreboding golden pyramid, which falls into the former category. There’s rabbits, deer’s and the graverobbing invaders turned into wooden statues. There’s Sacristan Hinge, a newbie security guard who’s way too passionate about his job. The Doctor calls him an idiot. And there’s an AI receptionist who has annoyingly developed a personality. The Doctor calls her Fred.

Planet of the End, it shouldn’t shock you to realise, is not only regarded as the favourite story from this box set, but also highly regarded as one of the best stories from this whole range. Obviously, you should listen to it yourself and form your own opinion on it. But I wholeheartedly agree with its reputation, and its easily the story I have the most to say about.

The setting itself is so vivid and imaginative. A grave world full of sprawling hills, huge forests and elaborate graves for all of the species and people who reside there.  Plus, the interesting idea of a grave for a whole species and how people record and remember them. One reason the Doctor drops in is because he wants to clean up the records because how absurdly inaccurate some of them are. Or as Fred describes it, the Doctor would’ve been pragmatic for a whole century. Sacristan Hinge also makes for an entertaining secondary antagonist. I’m sure we’ve all encountered that one coworker who takes the job WAY too seriously. Sacristan Hinge is that ramped up to eleven. It’s great to hear how far Akshay Khanna pushes the performance later in the story and Sacristan Hinge is far older. Even if Akshay Khanna admits he just started doing an Ian McKellen impression. You’ll forgive me if I don’t talk about the main villains, the Incorporation. I want my reviews to be spoiler free and these guys are best experienced blind. Let’s just say that Timothy X Atak GETS it, and I find the Incorporation utterly detestable in the best way possible.

But I want to draw exclusive attention to the best character in the story, Fred. God, I love Fred so much. Here’s the thing; I’m an animation student and a self-identified artist. Which makes my stance on AI rather obvious. AI for helping humanity = good. Generative AI for ““art”” or anything adjacent = bad. Despite all that, I adore the trope of AI gaining sentience. You bet your bloody boots The Wild Robot was my favourite film of 2024 and that I read that book trilogy as soon as possible. Fred is initially a roadblock at the start, an obstacle that needs to be overcome. When the Doctor begins exploring, Fred is given the order to follow the Doctor and document everything he does. And basically, over the course of 90 years, Fred does just that. And slowly, she becomes a sentient being, capable of humour, lying, empathy and envy. Special shoutout to her voice actress Margaret Clunie who gives Fred the most likable voice you can imagine. I also feel robbed. Fred absolutely deserved to become a companion.

Planet of the End is easily my pick for the best story in this box set, ending a consistently good set on a high note. If you are at all curious about the Ninth Doctor Adventures and haven’t taken the plunge, I’d say Respond to All Calls is a safe recommendation. All three stories are consistently good and follow a typical revival Doctor Who format. I almost guarantee at least one story from this set will become a favourite. And if nothing else, Christopher Eccelston’s enthusiasm will probably sell you.

I was hesitant when I heard that the entire 9DA run was companionless, but without companions, the characters of the week get a lot more focus. We wouldn't have characters like Fred, who I absolutely ADORED here.

A+.

One of the more exceptional of the Ninth Doctor Adventures in my opinion.  I think this story does everything right, from having interesting anti-corporate political values, to having a great sci-fi premise as the Doctor spends nearly a hundred years on this adventure after he is imprisoned.  I love his relationship with Fred and that character in general, as he forms a very unique sort of bond with his AI captor over time.

It's just a neat story overall, with tons of memorable moments.  I like the big opening as it really spells out why the Incorporation returning is a problem for the universe's well-being, or Fred shaving the captive Doctor as an indication for just how long he was truly imprisoned for while the Incorporation tried to use his body for their own purposes.  It all feels very Doctor Who to me.  The Incorporation is perfectly willing to take everything from the Doctor because they'd be willing to do that to any being if it suited their purposes.  That's so real it is sad to think about.

This is a great example of a story that really puts the Doctor through a ringer and truly challenges the character on the level of something like Heaven Sent.  It's not as good as that episode, but it definitely represents a similar experience, where the Doctor feels like he has to go through hell and back just to survive this one.  It really stuck with me as a story in a positive way, and is going to go down as one of my favourite Ninth Doctor stories for a reason.

17.09.2021

Better. The Incorporation is a great villain that I would love to see utilized properly, their whole core just screams Doctor Who and they are a great opponent to the Doctor. I maybe didn't like the third act due to it being action without much in it, but I really enjoyed the first half. 3.5/5 feels fair.