It's fun to hear the story acted out by Vlahos and Richardson, but a LOT of what makes the original great was lost in translation.

The format is interesting and somewhat cleverly done (although whichever disc you listen to first, the second one is going to be a bit boring and predictable). It's reasonably enjoyable.

So why the low score? Because it's racist. Irredeemably racist. The "appeasement" timeline is basically a far-right parable against immigration and the dangers of political correctness. Ick. It's the kind of Doctor Who story your drunk, racist uncle might write, if you have one of those.

Morris can usually be relied upon to write a good script. I'd like to see the alternate timeline where he managed to turn this one in without a bunch of racist trash slap bang in the middle of it. But sadly, that's not the timeline I live in, so this one's lucky to get a 3.

(Cross-posted from my blog at finishbig.tumblr.com)

After being a bit lukewarm on the first episode, I think this release was a bit more engaging. For one thing, the whole premise was intriguing in its reality-bendingness. That?s something Big Finish tends to do an awful lot of, but on the other hand it?s something they tend to do incredibly well, so of course I appreciate it here.

And on top of that, I think this episode gives Tom Baker much more material to play around with than Destination Nerva did. For starters, The Renaissance Man is a lot funnier than the previous story, but for another, the premise of the story ties much more into what makes the Doctor (and the Fourth in particular) so great. Plus it provided a great opportunity to have the Doctor and Leela play off one another. At the best moments of the story, I forget that their voices sound so much older now, and it really is teatime 1977 all over again.

And I always love Ian McNiece?He?s much more than just Winston Churchill, and he proves it here with a villainous role that allows him to show his range.

Overall, the story?s great fun and I?m hungry for more.

(Cross-posted from my blog at finishbig.tumblr.com)

I approached this release (and in fact, this whole series) with sort of mixed feelings. I like Tom Baker a lot, but I don?t really have the affinity for his era that most Classic Doctor Who fans seem to share. I?ve seen all of seasons 16 and 18, and bits and pieces of other seasons, but I?ve not seen much of the Fourth Doctor and Leela, nor have I seen any of the previous stories featuring Nerva. So I have no access to the nostalgia that this range is specifically programmed to evoke.

But hey, this is hardly the first time I?ve been in such a position with Big Finish. Since I don?t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the classic series, I?m often finding references to things I don?t understand, but that?s Doctor Who for you. And this story follows directly on from The Talons of Weng-Chiang, one of the stories I had seen.

It?s striking how much older Tom and Louise sound. Granted, that?s true with all the Big Finish Doctors and companions, but I?ve just about gotten used to it for most of them. In Tom?s case, since I?ve not heard any of his Audiogo stuff, I?m struck by how much less energy the Doctor seems to have here. He?s almost laconic. Perhaps this will become less jarring as I get more used to this version of the performance, and as Tom gets back into the swing of performing the character.

Regardless, both Tom and Louise give great performances, and the script and music put you back in 1970s even when their voices drag you back to the present. And the story turns out to be a great one. Very gruesome, physically, which is in keeping with the era, and even a bit political, surprisingly.

It was a dense story, with multiple different settings, and lots of great performances. Overall, a strong start to the series, even though I?m not quite the target audience.