I didn't quite get what I wanted from this one. I was very much looking forward to having the companions back, specifically Sara Kingdom, and found each of them- Ian, Steven, Sara, and Polly- had something actively have something to do. Nyssa is also there, sticking out like a sore thumb, a clear afterthought. The Companion Chronicles, where most of these characters had previously resided, are typically far more laid back in approach, so the change of pace was ultimately refreshing. Not an inherently substantial release, however.

This is not surprising, don't get me wrong. I knew it was just an hour, I knew it was originally an exclusive, it wouldn't make any sense cut off anything too important from the general audience, yet find myself yearning for something more. There's nothing to really blame for that, aside from circumstance.

Special note goes to the late William Russell, who, from what I've experienced, gives one of his best performances on audio. He seems so genuinely ecstatic to be playing the part of Ian, it's infectious.

I was fun to have Nyssa and Ian around. The other companions I am not too attached to.

📝8/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

THE FIVE COMPANIONS, or HEY, YOUR FORGOT ABOUT US!

The Five Companions is the second of two subscriber releases not originally available to the wide public but later freely handed out as gifts. Big Finish gave this story away to celebrate Doctor Who’s 61st anniversary.

You’d think that a story titled Five Companions that takes place during The Five Doctors would see companions from each of the first Five Doctors meet and interact, but that is not the case. This is Five meeting up with four companions from his time as the First Doctor (Ian, Steven, Sara Kingdom, and Polly). Nyssa joins him to make up the fifth (and current) companion.

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The story takes a good opportunity to let the companions catch up with the Doctor through meeting Five and learning more about him and the Time Lords—while also talking about how they’ve been doing since they left the Doctor.
• The plot here is pretty nonsensical, but it moves briskly and contains a lot of action and fun character interactions, especially between the Doctor and the companions.
• I’m happy that the story allows the actors to play their older selves, rather than trying to sound like they did in the 60s. These are companions of old meeting years later, as they’ve grown old and grey.
• It’s enjoyable to hear these companions meet up and slowly work out where they are and why while surviving encounters with Daleks, Sontarans, and dinosaurs.
• Sara Kingdom and Polly make for an effective pairing, and both Jean Marsh and Anneke Wills sound like they have plenty of fun together.
• Ian gets to playing Dalek again and calls one Dalek Fred, which are lovely callbacks to The Daleks and The Chase.
• I also like how the story uses the Daleks and Sontarans, as both are trying to kill each other while also having a go at the Doctor. The two races eventually decide to work together to take down the Doctor, and it goes about as well as expected, with similar results as to when the Daleks and Cybermen work together in Doomsday.
• William Russell is wonderful here. All companions are well written, with their characteristic qualities allowed to shine.
• Overall, The Five Doctors has a sweet, easygoing, celebratory feel to it, and it’s a fine companion piece to The Five Doctors.

THE LOWLIGHTS:

• Sadly, Sara’s role in the story remains fairly minimal.
• Peter Purves doesn’t quite sound like he is in the game.
• The Daleks are pretty screechy here, which can turn somewhat grating on the ears.

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

Previous Story: The Five Doctors

My review for this is going to be largely the same as my review for The Five Doctors. In essence, both stories are the same. In this case, it's all the companions and monsters who didn't get to feature in the the TV special. It's essentially a gathering of First Doctor companions. The plot is unremarkable, but the First Doctor's companions are some of my favourites so it's a joy to hear all the available companions meet up with 5.

I definitely noticed the absence of Daleks in any meaningful way and the Sontarans in The Five Doctors so it's great that this story remedies that. The two warlike races are fun to pit against each other and have some great interactions. Peter Davison shines here and he really sells that he IS the Doctor and that these are HIS friends. It's also fun to hear Nyssa again, though she feels a bit crammed into this story for no real reason.

Overall, it's just as much fanservice and brilliant reminiscence as The Five Doctors and the only reason I haven't rated it the same is purely because I thought The Five Doctors had more actual plot. Otherwise, if you want to hear One's companions interacting with each other and Five then I thoroughly recommend this as a fun, celebratory 1 hour adventure.

Next Story: Ringpullworld