16. Storm Warning

Big Finish's very first Paul McGann audio had a lot to do, and a lot of expectation was riding on it. And it's testament to all involved that Storm Warning is such a confident and extravagant production. Sure, the story it's telling isn't anything original, but when it's this well-told and well-produced, I think it's hard to complain.

Doing a Doctor Who historical set around the destruction of the R101 is a great idea, and the story embraces the adventure vibe that such a story idea offers. Both the Eighth Doctor and his new companion Charley Pollard are pushed front and centre here: Charley, in particular, shines, as the Edwardian Adventuress, who's jumped into this scenario and now has no idea what's going on. India Fisher and Paul McGann have an instant chemistry together, and I love the way they bounce off each other. They're joined by a fantastic cast, namely Gareth Thomas as Lord Tamworth. Sure, Thomas never shies away from Tamworth's bluffness and upper-class scruples, but he also finds some hidden depths that show how he is, really, a decent person. He just comes across as a bit of an imperialist pig. The story itself is arguably lightweight, and the plot seems to slow up a great deal in the third episode, but, since this part introduces a very well-developed alien race, it's hard to complain.

Overall, Storm Warning is a great start to the Eighth Doctor's audio adventures. A strong, well-formed script bursting with classic Who elements, excellent performances and some truly cinematic sound design and music combine to create a release that is a joy to listen to over and over again.

I've never understood the popularity of this one. While there isn't anything egregiously wrong with it, it's really not terribly good either. The story has some interesting ideas, and the script takes a good stab of using the Triskele to explore human psychology, but it's done in a fairly superficial way, and the story isn't very dynamic or engaging. It's actually pretty slow and plodding, and the Triskele don't ever present much of a threat. Worst of all, the decision to open the story with four minutes of the Doctor talking to himself was sheer madness.

Then there's Charley... the good news is that she is an instantly engaging character, and India Fisher does a wonderful job of bringing her to life. It's immediately obvious that she's going to make a wonderful companion and a perfect match for Paul McGann's Doctor. The bad news is that the ongoing story that this story is trying to set-up doesn't make any sense. We just have to take it on faith that Charley surviving the R101 disaster is some kind of terrible problem, but there's no apparent reason why it should be. If Lord Tamworth can run off with the Triskele, why can't Charley run off with the Doctor? As far as this individual story is concerned, it's just one plot hole, but this particular plot hole happens to be the key point in an ongoing storyline. Charley's entire story arc is built up out of this plot hole.

Evelyn should have been given Charley's story arc. It would have worked for Evelyn.If you go back and listen closely to "The Marian Conspiracy", you'll notice that her whole existence is one giant bootstrap paradox. The Doctor learns her family history, travels back in time, and then through his deliberate interference creates that history based on his foreknowledge of it. Her whole existence is a product of the Doctor's willful interference. She should have been the one the Time Lords wanted to kill. It would have made a lot more sense. It doesn't work for Charley at all.

This is the reintroduction to the 8th doctor we deserved.. he's awesome in this and it's great hearing his brilliant voice in this adventure. Paul Mcgann is bloody excellent in this and India Fisher is just as good. I honestly really enjoyed this story, the plot is a bit of a confusing one at a few points (mainly part 3) but once you have a full understanding it's really, really good. I first listened to this a few months back, didn't think much of it, now relistening, I love it even more and I do think a lot of it. It was probably me being stupid last time.. this seriously made me want to commit to listening to more big finish and I am now.. I have to owe it to this one and Chimes of Midnight for that.

After the 1966 TV movie, Big Finish gave Paul McGann the chance to do an actual series of Doctor Who Dramas and this was the first one.

Overall, this was just a great beginning. It's set against the backdrop of a fairly obscure historical event in the crash of the Airship, the R-101 in 1929 but with a quite extraordinary twist. The Doctor comes aboard the ship and encounters Charlotte Pollard (India Fisher) a wannabe Edwardian adventuress who got a crew member drunk and took his place on board the airship and has one of the least successful masquerades in history as she's quickly found out and has to flee.

The Doctor is searching for a Vortisaur, a space-time vortex creature but finds a mysterious passenger on board and that the R-101 had a more ambitious destination than India and with a mission far greater than achieving a British military milestone.

This was a good story, and the concept of the Triskele, the new aliens Barnes introduces, are actually quite fascinating. Charley Pollard is likable and fun from the word "go" with all the charisma that has served that character so well.

As for the Doctor, we get some insights into his character. In many ways, he has a lighter touch and some humorous moments, but also feels tension between his instincts and his duties as a time Lord. His scene towards the end has a lot of great tension in it.

The only negative is the first few minutes of the show. Considering that that "Storm Warning" the same purpose as, "Rose" did for the revised TV series of introducing a Doctor to people who hadn't seen his past or the regeneration story, it really had an awkward beginning. Who thought the first thing we should hear of the Eighth Doctor in his own series was him muttering while he went through the TARDIS library? However, the series improves from there though the Eighth Doctor still talks to himself quite a bit.