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TARDIS Guide

Overview

Released

Monday, January 22, 2001

Written by

Alan Barnes

Runtime

116 minutes

Time Travel

Past

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Lost the TARDIS

Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!)

Web of Time

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, France

Synopsis

October, 1930. His Majesty's Airship, the R101, sets off on her maiden voyage to the farthest-flung reaches of the British Empire, carrying the brightest lights of the Imperial fleet. Carrying the hopes and dreams of a breathless nation.

Not to mention a ruthless spy with a top-secret mission, a mysterious passenger who appears nowhere on the crew list, a would-be adventuress destined for the Singapore Hilton... and a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.

There's a storm coming. There's something unspeakable — something with wings, crawling across the stern. Thousands of feet high in the blackening sky, the crew of the R101 brace themselves. When the storm breaks, their lives won't be all that's at stake...

The future of the galaxy will be hanging by a thread.

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Reviews

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12 reviews

Maybe I am a bit of bias since I was already big on 8 anyway, but I must say I really enjoyed this one. Sure, in some ways it plays some things safe, but I think it delivers on what it wants to be perfectly!
I love the setting, I love the idea, and the instant report between 8 and Charley is lovely. I’d think at some point McGann still feels unsure how to adapt to this new medium and especially playing this part again, but from what he did, I think he did pretty good.
The Sound Design is also so much better and helps you to picture this whole situation! Overall this may not be the best audio we ever had but honestly for me, it’s a favorite out of the first bunch. Really charming, filled with some superb ideas!


RandomJoke

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This review contains spoilers!

Re-listening to this after some years and uh. This is... not a very good story plot-wise, is it? The whole thing of how the Brits even got in touch with the Triskele in the first place is odd, and them trying to find a new Lawgiver among humans is also very strange. Do they understand humans live for a very short time only? The resolution of Tamworth staying with them as more of an advisor than a Lawgiver is treated like it solves everyone's problem, but I can't really see how. Rathbone and the Uncreator Prime were pretty lackluster as antagonists go.

Anyway, the main point of this story is to set up our main characters, namely Charlotte Pollard (aka Charley), and the Eighth Doctor. It does so... adequately. Charley's character traits as a brave, compassionate, progressive, wannabe 19th century adventurer are all there. However, I thought she trusted the Doctor waaaay too much, way too fast, especially considering that he was not at his most formidable here. Charming and smart, sure, but he seemed out of his depth for most of the story. The most important plot point by far is the Doctor's realisation that Charley was supposed to die when the R101 crashed. This change threatens the integrity of the Web of Time, so he can't ignore it, but he also doesn't have the heart(s) to just put this girl back on the ship to die. So he just says nothing and takes her him. Surely this will not come back to bite them in the ass. Nice setup for future DramaTM!!

One thing was bothering me about the Vortisaur the whole time: how big is it?? That one guy on the ship was saying he wanted to take it home as pet for his son, but then we get the Doctor and Charley mounting it to escape the crash. Was that guy just full on insane, wanting to take a horse-sized pterodactyl home with him?

 


mndy

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This review contains spoilers!

Storm Warning really hits the ground running, you’d never guess it was McGann’s first outing with BF and the instant chemistry between his Doctor and Charley is wonderful. It’s the first time (as far as I’m aware) that they set up a companion is such a personable and iconic way. She’s snuck onto he R101 and is - thanks to the doctor - the only one to survive the journey. Her time and place is then thread beautifully throughout the stories that follow, culminating in Neverland, so you get a real sense of journey over their first few adventures.

I just want to hear more and more of this duo!


15thDoctor

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This review contains spoilers!

One of my first audios from big finish, it starts really good and interesting, the R101 is a great setting and the rest of the cast are also entertaining but the story starts to drag a bit for the second half until the airship is about to crash where it picks up again, my favourite parts about these are obviously Charley and 8th, Part 1 and the closing scene of the pair flying with Ramsey


monocheto

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15.05.2022

McGann is a wonderful Doctor. A wimsy fairytale character is what you get with this incarnation (at least the earlier stages). Unfortunately, the rest of the play leaves you desiring better material.

The new companion Charley is very bare-bones. The arc they setup is not about who Charleу is, but about what Charley is (see The Impossible Girl, The Hybrid, The Timeless Child). The story itself with the Triskele is way less smart than it thinks it is, with very plain almost-not metaphors. It's the kind of paradigm you find captivating at 9 years old. 1.5/5


kiraoho

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Quotes

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DOCTOR: You feel that pounding in your heart? That tightness in the pit of your stomach? The blood rushing to your head, do you know what that is? That's adventure. The thrill and the fear, and the joy of stepping into the unknown. That's why we're all here, and that's why we're alive!

— Eighth Doctor, Storm Warning