The Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric arrive on a planet divided by a not so happy couple.

The couple are The Duke and Duchess, who only a year into marriage are now at loggerheads. So much so that the Duke has hired an assassin. When the TARDIS team find themselves on either side of a dividing line, each pair, therefore on a ‘different’ side. They both opt for the same survival method: they are the assassins come to kill the other’s spouse.

It is a bit of a challenge to suspend the disbelief, just happing to have the same idea as each other. And a somewhat outlandish one at that. It does lean more towards comedy than a serious drama, as long as you’re onboard with that then there’s fun to be had.

Things change half way through when the real assassin turns up, from there it become the usual runabout. Patsy Kensit features in this - a bit of a blast from the past - for me, a name I've not heard or seen for quite a while.

It takes a more dramatic turn at the end, assassins kill, and the Doctor has a choice to make.

Its an enjoyable audio, standard. Has its moments, not something that’s going to stick out. But worth a listen.

A little bit of a departure from the previous episodes. A planet with slave miners, but what are they digging for?

Of course Missy is behind it; the slaves are digging for her, but there are monsters, a rebellion and the planet seems to be the inside of an animal.

It does show the evil side of Missy, unlike the first three episode where she’s been more disruptive and meddlesome. Work the slave until they die and then get more - it is an interesting place to be as a listener. You are kind of rooting for Missy, but also the slaves.

To begin with I did wonder where this story was going. Its mostly told from the slaves point of view, its not much of a spoiler, there are clones, and some unanswered questions that you need to bear with, but it all works out in the end.

I do have to give a shout out for Michelle Gomez’s accents in this series she’s brilliant at them and its very entertaining.

The adventure continues. In this episode the listener finds themselves hearing a US crime documentary. Impossible murders where the victim, recently killed, has been dead for months?

Its does take over fifteen minutes for Missy to enter the story and at first I wasn’t getting into it. I do feel that British should stick to British and US to US, as I’m never really sure if its offensive or not. I know I cringe at US Tv programs with British accents, interestingly enough it does come into play in this.

So as you can imagine it does that docudrama thing of narrating and reenacting the events of the crime. And it is when Missy eventually turns up when the lines between fiction and reality start to blur. Suddenly we’re not sure if the actors recreating the events are actors, since they can hear the narrator and can’t see any cameras. There’s also the added meta of Missy’s interjections that play with Tv tropes.

It does hold your attention, the mystery of whats actually going on, the intrigue of mentions of other characters. I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, it felt longer than an hour, and another listen is in order to fully appreciate it.

Recommended.

Missy and the Monk.

Great fun, The Monk has taken the identity of King Henry, His new bride to be? Missy. It is a similar setup to the Doctor/Master working together for a common cause. Neither are who they’re supposed to be, but maintain the pretence.

With other timlords - the Rani, Monk etc, it a little hard to understand their motives. The Master/Missy, just evil, but the others often seem to be paler versions. The Monk having only appeared in a couple of tv stories, he was more a comic aside, rather than a fully developed character. I have heard him before in audio, but Rufus Hound does a great job in bring a new take, he and Missy play well off each other and its a pleasure to listen to.

In this, both Missy and the Monk are in the same predicament, stuck where they are and need each other to escape from Earth. Its not a particularly in depth plot, pretty much a stand alone, something you can just put on and enjoy.

As with the first episode, I’m looking forward to more.

Missy was/is a great character, played wonderfully by Michelle Gomez, and a character you just want more of. Though I have heard her before in the Once and Future series and in Masterfull, this is her own vehicle. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the River Song series I heard, it didn’t seem to really capture the essence or charm that River had in the TV series. So Is this any better?

Missy has been confined to 19th century Earth by the wardens for her crimes. Unable to use technology and her usual methods she’s forced to take a position as governess to two children.

This audio was a breath of fresh air, its kind of a cross between the Famous Five and Mary Poppins. The fact that these two children Lucy and Oliver, instead of the normal stuffy old teachers they’ve been used to, are now looked after by an exciting woman who doesn’t stick to the rules. Missy isn't taking her predicament lying down, she has a plan.

I found it really enjoyable, perhaps not quite what I expected. An audio series based on a ostensibly evil person, its a bit like watching a horror film from the killers perspective and wanting them to succeed. But you kind of know its not going to do exactly that.

There are parts about a museum, the father works with trains and an entity trapped in a bottle. I did wonder where it was all heading, as it seemed to have no real aim, but it was fun to be along fro the ride. It does all come together and its worth the journey.

There are little bits of narration along the way, nothing too heavy, I would’ve preferred it without, however some of the audio is taken from the children’s point of view, so it does help.

Its a terrific start and if the following episodes continue to be as enjoyable then it looks to be a great series.

Its a bit of a running start in this one, as things are already in motion. Its a spaceship, the Doctor has been bitten and is dying, but also its Valerie that been bitten and is dying not the Doctor so what is going on?

So firstly, it is slightly annoying to have the pre credits sting/clifhanger: the fact that the Doctor is - minor spoiler - dead - only for a few seconds later, after the title music, to find out that, that’s not the case. Its very click baity, but its a minor quibble.

The plot itself is interesting, there are two timelines running parallel. It something we’ve experienced before, though I am struggling to give an example. However one reality has the Doctor bitten and dying and in the other its Valerie.

Time spiders are the cause, something that the Timelords had thought wiped out. The fact the Doctor seems intent to carry on with that plan and kill them is a little worrying, surely there’s a place of them too exist?

Sometimes with these types of stories, especially on audio, it can be hard to keep up with which set of characters you’re listening to, but I found it quite easy. Switching between the two versions was quite apparent, by the references to whats happening in each strand.

It is one of those stories where the the unthinkable can happen - a lot of sci fi does this; kill off major characters, destroy the ship, wipe out humanity/ the universe etc. as the reset button will put all back to how it was. And thats the only real disappointment in this.

The fact is that this is a good audio, the two plots playing out in tandem, the peril of our heroes meeting their deaths. But also there’s a reason for it, its a nicely crafted idea that rewards the listener, not just a simple cop out or poorly constructed get out clause. The resolution works well too, and great moments with the Doctor and Valerie.

A pretty good audio, recommended.

Responding to a call at the end of the previous episode the Eleventh Doctor and Valerie find themselves in the 18th century Venice during carnivale. Trying to find the woman who made the call they head to a plaazzo and have, or rather enjoy a ball.

This is a fairly standard story. A crashed space ship unnoticed by the carnival, a malfunctioning computer and things not quite what they appear to be. All happening behind the gusto of period clothing and the ball and dancing.

Its a good enjoyable tale, but nothing outstanding, unique or memorable for that matter. I find that very good or very bad audios gives you lots of scope to detail what it was that made it as such. When you have little to say but enjoyed it then, its good but unremarkable, which is what this is.

As an adventure to experience more of the Eleventh Doctor it does its job. Valerie was good, but I didn’t feel that much was done with the character.

A research base in the future where something is causing many deaths. When the Eleventh Doctor arrives needing a tool to defuse a bomb, he meets, Valerie. The two are charged with finding a cure for whatever it is thats killing people.

I listened to Spirit of The Season at Christmas, as I like to enjoy a festive audio or two at that time of year. My first foray into post Tenant audios. I’d never really been interested in actors being replaced when the current one are still alive, but I wanted something new. I was pleasantly surprised, Jacob Dudman does a very great Matt Smith. As with others who have stepped into another actors shoes, its very good, not quite the same but close enough.

Its not a bad jumping one point, Spirit of the Season had a few things I wasn’t aware of, in this audio he meets Valerie for the first time. So you don’t feel you’ve missed anything.

Without giving too much away, the money is infected with a blight, meaning the more you have the quicker you’ll die. Spend, Spend, Spend is the solution. Unfortunately when people die they leave wills...

On the whole I found it entertaining, I was interested in the plot and wanted to keep listening. There are a couple of twists, though it isn’t massively original, its a nice adventure.

Valerie, again, I liked. It’ll be interesting to hear more of her. There were references to Clara Oswin Oswald, so it places into the Eleventh’s timeline.

A thumbs up from me.

Charlie Sato meets Ruth Matheson at the UNIT vault - a place where all the alien artefacts are kept. Is he ready for his new job and the horrors that lie in the Vault?

I was a few minutes into this before I remembered it was a companion chronicles release. Usually these adventures start with an old companion telling a story. Here it begins much more like any other full cast audio. Set in the present without any bookends.

Charlie Sato and Ruth Matheson maybe familiar names, I had to look it up but I’ve heard them in the Screaming Skull - one of the Worlds Of Doctor Who episodes. These two characters are played by Yee Jee Tso and Daphne Ashbrook - the Eighth Doctor companions for the TV Movie. Though they’re not playing their original roles it does fit into the Companion theme.

As Ruth shows Charlie around the vault we get to find out more about some of the artefacts, and get to hear past companions. A voice recording of Jo Grant, an Interview with Romana I,  an orb containing a copy of Zoes consciousness and not to mention a recording made by Steven Taylor.

The fact that each ‘adventure’ only lasts for a few minutes means that they’re not too in-depth. Having so many companions in one story is quite nice and rewarding for long tern fans. The fact that Mary Tamm appears was a nice surprise, I had thought I’d heard all her Big Finish audios as Romana, so this was great - but just too brief.

There are some great ideas behind the artefacts - a painting that shows you your death - meaning that its different for each person, and also you dare not to look at it. A haunted jacket thats under guard - just in case, Etc.

Everything comes together for the final part and ties up plot strands nicely, its a good story, well done, and something that you don’t have to have extensive knowledge of Doctor Who to enjoy.

Quite nice.

Eliminating the Dalek time strategist would seem to on the cards in this adventure. Commodore Tamasan has been sent on a mission, though why someone of her rank has been sent is a little unclear. However the Doctor is on the same mission himself.

I think I maybe changing my feeling toward the War Doctor audios, as I found myself rather enjoying this.  It has a film/novel feel to it, with the Doctor and Tamasan in a bar looking for a contact and there being a time shift and unexplained occurrences.

There are some nice ideas: the Squad mentioned in the title have been created to prevent the Dalek time strategist from being able to interfere with their mission. The Strategist existing in all versions of time and thus being able to alter the past to change the future.

Time war stories have never been that gripping to me, however sometimes they throw up an audio that hits the nail on the head. Going from probably dropping the War Doctor adventures I’m looking forward to more.

Reccomended