The Big Finish Catch Up: July 2015

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

We start off this month in the main range with the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz. I quite enjoy the trope of characters landing in a prison they have no knowledge of and as such this story is quite enjoyable. However so much of this story is sloppy and needs more work. I'm pretty sure the narrative doesn't quite make sense unless time passes slower outside of the cube, there isn't enough story to justify the length, Charley virtually does nothing the entire play, there is a section of dialogue near the end which should have been edited out as it contrasts the end of the scene, I'm pretty sure the stories finale goes against something that happens minutes earlier and all in all the story is brought down by moments where I thought to myself "I think they've made a mistake there." In saying that it is a tight atmospheric little thriller which I do tend to like. I think something major plot wise might have happened near the end and I do like the pointers to C'rizz hidden nature which have cropped up over the last five stories (I think The Doctor may finally have noticed something but I'm not sure). I'd have to rate this story 5/10 but I think it may be a very generous score when compared with others.

We nip six years into the future with this months other story, 'The Burning Prince' starring Peter Davisons 5th Doctor. A quick reminder, I'm short of funds right now and stories I get on discount are being put into the 'listen to' pile earlier. On the other hand this is a story where the production, writing and cast come together to create a sterling story. This story plays out like a disaster story, The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS onto a spaceship in peril and things steadily get worse as the story progresses. I really like the 5th Doctor when he becomes put upon, is poorly treated by the rest of the cast and is given a hard time. This happens here as his arrival is timed to make him look as best very suspicious by the rest of the cast. Speaking of the cast all of them perform very well and it was nice to hear Caroline Langrishe best known for the tail end of Lovejoy all though I was kicking myself for not recognising Clive Mantle especially after he popped up recently in 'The Settling.' Checking the case after I'd finished I recognised John Dorneys named from 'The Elite' which makes two good stories I've heard from him now and I'll look forward to his name cropping up again. To some up a rip roaring adventure, good plot, fantastic performances and possibly in the top couple of stories I've heard this calender year, 9/10.