We are both utilising the tried and tested along with the most comfortable era of 1st Doctor stories, where we pit the Doctor against not a extra terrestrial enemy, but, pitting his wits against the more colourful of histories on Earth past times, individuals, or periods of unrest, where, if for a moment we were allowed to go back in time, we might want to visit, or perhaps have a poke around in. As with all Who adventures the Doctor instead of ending up where he intended to take his companions, ends up in a part of Italy's most colourful parts of his history, and more over the part of Italian history which has the Merdeci, and the Borgias floating around, along with Machiavelli to boot. It all makes for a rather flowing and enjoyable historical romp for our time travelling companions and the Doctor himself. The well worked path of separation of the companions and the Doctor from each other feeds the main story with what I can only call a genius story telling trick, used here to the best possible means and method, the whole pull apart and then put back together makes the story flow, and also adds tension and makes the listener. The outstanding part of Purivs taking on his part of Steven space pilot and also that of the late Hartnell adds gravitas to the whole proceeding, and he does pull it off rather well, I would go as to say a little bit better than others. Maureen O'Brien is also standout, and you can see that even after all these years, they both enjoy telling the story through the parts that they are known for in the Who Universe. The music compliments the whole drama really well, with it's period harpsichord and flute and piccata strings dotted around the whole production. The supporting cast all bolster and add to the whole drama, and make for a rather excellent release in the first doctor adventures. These are fast proving to me rather satisfying listening, and I look forward to more exploration and stories around the earlier Doctor 1, 2 and of course 3.

Ok, two releases in one month, well it is Christmas, well at least it's Christmas when these titles where released. Both share the same Dr, 1 companion and director, but the two could not be more different in their material and story line. The other thing, is this release see's the Dr reunited with a Big Finish favourite in the shape of Flip, as the third companion in the TARDIS. Lisa Greenwood reprises her role of the young, and now recently wed partner to the Doctor, and, Constance Clarke.


The standout for me is the interplay between, Flip and her "modern ways" and Constance Clarke and the almost Edwardian, second world war prim and proper, the word delightful springs to mind. There is a lot of going on here, and there is a lot of story playing out. Constance is battling, grief loss, of her husband, but maybe not in the way she first learns of his loss. Then we have alien on the run, from more aliens, who, are in the process of using Earth as form of battleground, fighting off some other aliens - PHEW!, and then of course we have Flip in here for a starring role, just recently wed, and spending her first night as a married women, by being sucked back to the late 40's Vienna. Then there is the now established new Europe, where there is an altogether different war happening, and that is just between the East and the West. Wowee, there is so much going on her that a couple of listens will do you the power of good.


I think the best thing to say, that this is an excellent listen on Christmas day, when all the relatives are snoozing after a large lunch, and you need a couple of hours to close your eyes and drift off with this adventure. Colin, Miranda, and Lisa will provide you with a rather excellent story to do this too, and digest that last bit of Christmas pudding or mince pie. Unlike it's sister release the direction here is from Jamie Anderson, and is excellent, where as the writing as been handed over to Matt Fitton, a stalwart of the Big Finish, and the Who adventures. This is the most apparent of this, the story is sharp and quick, and does not loose pace, it is also very much packed with the sort of content that we have come to enjoy, aliens, with funny voices, high breed synthetic androids, and the Doctor running around a 100 miles an hour trying to sort it all out, coupled with the fact that there is a human interest of Constance's marriage, and Flip starting out on married lives.


All in all a good ending to a very good year for Big Finish, and all the Doctor stories in the main range. I can only hope that the next year brings as many good stories as this.

We are rounding the year off, with some good old number 6 stories, in the main range, the first to get air time on the ear drums is Absolute Power, with No.6 new companion Constance Clarke. The story is by non other than Jamie Anderson, Gerry Anderson's son and air. So expectations of this are mixed, personally I think from past experience of stories that are written by Anderson junior that they are not quite as good as his name would have you believe. The issue is that I think some people can do it all, act, write, produce, direct, even write the theme song and sing the theme song. But I think Jamie is dare I say it coming up a little short here. There is nothing inherently wrong with the story, there are massive elements of it seems to feel like something else I have seen, heard or read. The overriding issue is that spreading himself across the production and the writing of this, and to be completely honest, he is not a vested writing history of Who, then, I seem to think that themes used as the vehicle for this are a little mixed, confused almost, perhaps even a little tired.
Colin and Miranda are excellent, in fact the whole cast put in a good shift, and, the story actually does go at a fair rate. There are one or two endings of episodes that the B-Movie cliff hanger gets used to the full, to the point of where it's a noticeable ploy or tool. There is also a feeling that perhaps the story feels a little like something that started it's life as a King Solomon's mine/Indiana Jones/Mummy style thing with a good dollop of Stargate thrown in to sort of even the whole thing out.
It is a Who, it is Christmas, and it does have one massive saving grace, it's epic, in it's execution, and sounds like a film to the ears. On that note I would say it worth the listen. I think the parting thing I take from this is that Jamie Anderson is an overall talented man, perhaps, however, not as talented in all areas of entertainment as I think that he is being pushed.

This is a quite a clever story, We have the wonderful as always William Russell taking on the parts of the Doctor and of Ian, with his rather well define characterisation of Bill's incarnation. The honours of narration which are punctuated within this story, and, actually do assist it general rhythm to be more sustainable is handled by Maureen O'Brien, whom also plays her part as Vicki. I like the way in which Philip Lawrence, as written this, it is a little step away from the normal Who adventure. We are cast into a world where the companions and the Doctor have had to escape to after evading the wroth of Earth in 3034, and the potential misuse of the TARDIS and the Timelords ability to travel through time and space. However, landing on a planet that is covered in Jungle, and is the home to a rather evolved, and telepathic set of ape like inhabitants who themselves are going through there own struggles is probably not the most ideal place for the TARDIS and it's crew to land.

I had to listen to this story around 3 - 4 times for it to weave the Big Finish spell, but, each time I got a little extra from it, the most stand out thing after the story and acting for me, is the way in which the sound scape paints a most engaging and mentally absorbing world, that you are immersed in, all those familiar sounds we associate really make this, switching on the SRS on my Windows Media player really enhanced this to the max, and it adds to the overall feel of that hot, and humid environment where, the action is taking place.

The story as a massive not unforeseen sort of misdirection, in it's telling, which makes the whole plot line more ridiculously listenable, and that is what I think is rather standout about this release. It is also a given I think now that Lisa Bowerman gets more out of the 1st Doctor stories than other directors, and must be the Big Finish go to director for this. William and Maureen push the story, with some excellent assistant from the rest of a rather well casted group, offering yet another gem in the First Doctor releases of 2016. Well worth the listen. One note however, the last part, jumps around so maybe no ideal listening if you are driving as a little concentration drift will set you back in the plot lines.