The Big Finish Catch-Up January 2023

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; 

Army of Death, the finale of the 8th Doctor and Mary Shelley trilogy. A good fun played for laughs pulp story that is bags of fun 8.5/10. 

Deadline from the unbound range this week. Utterly harrowing and an all time classic 10/10.

Also Neverwhen from the War Doctor range. Bleak time war action and a good finale to the box set 7.5/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up November - December 2022

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; 

The Devils Armada, an effortless recreation of the Hinchcliffe era from the first "Philip Hinchcliffe Presents" box set. Everyone involved is on top form and bar from a few moments where it forgot it was an audio I was fully absorbed and transported back to watching Tom Baker VHS's 9/10.

Cold Fusion, an adaption of one of my favourite "Past Doctor Adventure" books and the final entry of the Novel adaption range. We end this range as we started with a case study of how the 7th Doctor evolved in the "Virgin New Adventures" range. When I heard this was being adapted I squeed as it was one of my favourite books and I'm so pleased they made this an old money six part story as I didn't want to lose anything via an edit from the story. The premise of this story is the strongest thing about it, the season 19 TARDIS crew featuring a freshly regenerated 5th Doctor land and stumble right into the middle of a 7th Doctor VNA and chaos ensues. Virtually everything (apart from the prologue) is seen through the eyes of the 5th Doctors crew and its a bit of an eye opener seeing the VNA 7th Doctor from this point of view. The 7th Doctor is mostly in the background for this story and its a really good move as despite knowing more about this Doctor due to the sheer number of books we are left with more questions about him as the story proceeds. One of the strongest parts of the story is the various companions interacting as is the 7th Doctor getting to meet Adric. We began this range with the 7th Doctor putting his companion through the ringer and we leave it with the 7th Doctor putting his younger self through the ringer. A fitting end to this range even though I want more 10/10.

The Hidden Realm, the second and final story from Volume Two of "The Third Doctor Adventures." A rather nice little story and as an Earth set story a good combination with the space set story in this volume. Now that I've heard a full box set (as well as his appearance in Light at the End and Legacy of Time) I feel its my time to give an opinion on Tim Treloar's performance as The Third Doctor. Its a thumbs up from me, he has a very good go at the voice but the real strength is in the mannerisms. I'll look forward to coming back to this range again in the future. As for the story its quite nice, a traditional ruralish setting bringing back memories of the era its set. It has an intriguing setup and a good idea, however it feels a bit tightly plotted and lacking in flavour. In all honesty I wouldn't have minded the other story in this volume being six parts and this one being two. There is a good bit of fun to be had with this story but it is bite sized 6/10. 

The Big Finish Catch-Up March - October 2022

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; 

However as I've fallen behind its time for some snap reviews of the last years of my Big Finish listening, these contain first time listens and relistens to old favourites:

The Transcendence of Ethos - A good first impression for the 3rd Doctor range, 8/10.

The Ghosts of Gralstead - A fantastic first story from the Philip Hinchcliffe presents range 10/10.

A Thing of Guile - good second part of the second War Doctor box set 7/10.

He Jests at Scars - weird yet good entry for the Unbound range starring the Valeyard 7/10.

Lies on Ruins - Good moody start to the Legacy of Time box set 8/10.

The Split Infinitive - Fun bouncy second part of Legacy of Time box set 8/10.

The Sacrifice of Jo Grant - Charming emotional third part of the Legacy of Time 9/10.

Relative Time - Really fun bursting at the seems entry to the Legacy of Time 8/10.

Damaged Goods - A perfect adaption of the NA adventure for the Novelisation range 10/10.

The Avenues of Time - Decent yet feels unspecial entry into the Legacy of Time 5/10.

Collision Course - Finale of the Legacy of Time, good moody story with a fun climax for the box set 8/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up February 2022

 Original Sin

It's one story this month with a short entry due to a busy month for myself - we're off to the Novelisation range as we visit the adaption of the Virgin New Adventure Original Sin. This wasn't a book I read when it was in print so I went into it virtually spoiler three apart from the characters it introduced. There's a lot of depth in this play and it leaves enough intact for the listener to tell where the book would have ventured off on some cut out plot points. There's the suggestion that this may have been an intimidating book to adapt and all involved do a cracking job.

Its good to finally see how Ros and Chris were introduced to the series as we are thrown into the lovely dense era and world they live in. The Doctor and Benny are loads of fun as they stumble through various events and planets as the story progresses. In short its a very dense story that is also loads of fun and its a 9/10 from me.

The Big Finish Catch-Up January 2022

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; 

However as I've fallen behind its time for some snap reviews of the last years of my Big Finish listening, these contain first time listens and relistens to old favourites: 

Faustian - The first story in the Eric Roberts Master boxset. After listening to this disc I'm of the opinion that this is going to be more of an over arching story split into chapters rather than a number of interlinked stories. As such we have a very atmospheric opening chapter, it picks up where things left off on TV for this incarnation of The Master (or certainly feels like it) as we get a story involving experiments and temptation as The Master from the side lines engineers an escape from the Vortex. The main character is Lila Kreeg who is given a fine performance by Laura Aikman as we're introduced to her situation. I look forward to seeing these characters move forward and how their relationship develops, 8/10.

Technophobia - Hear we are with the first story in the first boxset from David Tennants 10th Doctor along with Catherine Tate as Donna. Its a fun breezy little story set in near present day London with loads of good fluffy bits for the regulars to do. Its fun enough but uncertain in tone as it tries for most of the story to be fun and fluffy but then wants to do a bit of horror which comes across as out of place. What we get is fun but it feels a bit bite sized and for the 10th Doctors debut for Big Finish I wanted something completely OTT. It does feel a bit rushed in places and I wouldn't have been adverse as a full length two disc release. 6/10 but will get a higher mark from me on a re-listen down the road when its not the big flashy debut of the 10th Doctor.

The Big Finish Catch-Up September 2021 - December 2021

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; 

However as I've fallen behind its time for some snap reviews of the last years of my Big Finish listening, these contain first time listens and relistens to old favourites: 

The Maltese Penguin - A lovely subscriber special from the early years with a big helping of Frobisher 8/10.

Sympathy for the Devil - An interesting twist as we see a "what if UNIT faced all those invasions without The Doctor" with two melancholy performances from David Warner and Nicholas Courtney. A release where the performances and ending are more engaging than the story 7/10.

Brave New Town - A well plotted "twist story" that is always engaging and has some memorable characters 8/10.

Exile - A rare wrong turn for Big Finish that comes over as transphobic, unfunny and nasty -10/10.

45 - A combination of four episodic stories with a joint theme featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. Absolute fun as the regulars are thrown into some fast paced short stories 9/10.

Out of Time - A fun fast paced story as the 4th and 10th Doctors are paired up for some fun with the Daleks 8/10

Return of the Krotons - Fun subscriber special with a notable guest appearance from Philip Madoc 6/10.

Legion of the Lost - First story of the War Doctors second box set, John Hurt is immense but the story feels unsatisfyingly Doctorish 6/10.

Full Fathom Five - Another "unbound" story that gets better with a re-listen as no attempt is made to hide the stories twist 7/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up June 2020 - August 2021

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; 

However as I've fallen behind its time for some snap reviews of the last years of my Big Finish listening, these contain first time listens and relistens to old favourites:

The Silver Turk - Absorbing and engaging with the first full distance look at a new TARDIS lineup, 9/10.

Project Destiny - Possibly the most emotional story I've heard in years which had me at one point yelling "Don't do it - LEAVE HEX alone!" 9.5/10.

The Kingmaker - One of the highlights of Big Finish and virtually perfect 10/10.

100 - A fun collection of stories which range from fun to doing a deep dive into the Sixth Doctor 8/10.

Night Terrors - One of Big Finishes best ventures into outright horror 9/10.

Cairdroia - A fun story with a low level slice of bite that changes the status quo of the ongoing storyline 9/10.

Oh No It Isn't - The very first Big Finish and very first Bernice Summerfield story. Lots of laughs, Benny hits the ground running 9/10.

The Kiss of Death - A fun romp with the Fifth Doctor and his three companions, good Turlough story 6/10.

And You Will Obey Me - Cracking little story that keeps escalating 7/10

Vampire of the Mind - Fun romp as Sixy meets the Big Finish Master 7/10.

The Two Masters - A fun end to the trilogy 9.5/10.

The Curse of Davros - A good twist story with enough elements to keep it going after the twist is revealed.

The Witch From the Well - Another well engaging plot story that keeps the listener guessing 9/10.

A Death in the Family - The feeling of Big Finish doing something special 10/10.

The Fourth Wall - A fun fluffy story which has a slightly off tone but is still good 7/10.

Circular Time - A collection of Fifth Doctor and Nyssa stories that when put together are stronger than the sum of their parts 10/10.

Big Finish Monthly Ranked 5-1

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, we've done it - as all ranking lists must end we've reached the top! After 95 releases its time for the top 5 of the first 100 releases, I hope you enjoy the final entry and as usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

5. The Chimes of Midnight, we're back in the second 8th Doctor and Charley season with what is my highlight of the season and a highlight of the range. The audio medium is arguably a better fit for horror than TV and this is a case in point. We've gone down the horror route a few times during this ranking and as we reach the top there was always going to be a good horror up here. Right from the start the atmosphere is full of menace and then we're thrown a curve ball and given a mystery to solve. Time is repeating, a murder keeps happening and rehappening all inside an Edwardian mansion. The location alone pays homage to Sapphire & Steel with the added characters to Upstairs Downstairs. This is a very cruel play as time after time the lowest ranking servant of the house Edith is killed and killed again. Paul McGann is on fine form as the 8th Doctor becomes more and more frustrated as his attempts to solve the murder keep failing. India Fisher as Charley gives arguably my favourite of her performances in particular a scene where she is briefly taken over that even freaks me out a little. Also a sure fire way that this play is a hit is that it gave us a catchphrase "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Mrs Baddeleys plum pudding..."

4. The Shadow of the Scourge, is the first the range took to other areas of Doctor Who. Over the years we've had the number of ranges expand, welcomed new Doctors, adapted novels and ventured outside of Doctor Who but this is the first time the range experimented with other aspects of the cannon. We're in Virgin New Adventures territory as we have the TARDIS team of the 7th Doctor, 'Space' Ace and Professor Bernice Summerfield. I have to say I wasn't an avid reader of the range - when it came out I was 11 - 17 and wasn't interested in reading a monthly series. I'd read one when I was in the mood for a 7th Doctor read and was reading the missing adventures due to the variations of Doctor. Up to this point in life I've read about twenty of them and am rather fond of them. This is the first time that I've heard Lisa Bowerman play Bernice and she absolutely nails her, 'Space' Ace is fun and we get a good presentation of the NA Doctor. Sylvester McCoy himself noticed differences in character, this shows the fun aspect of The Doctor that the NAs sometimes forgot, he's The Doctor, he has everything planned and mapped out and of course its about to go wrong. This is such a human story in that the listener cares about characters we have only just been introduced to which is a must as the titular Scourge have such an affect on humans. We also get a rare look inside The Doctors head - much like we did in the NAs with a woderful collection of scenes including a memorable moment where Bernice gets a look at a future incarnation and the scene with the lost memory is a highlight of the range. The strength of this story is that it takes the all powerful all knowing NA Doctor and makes him vulnerable. This is everything I wanted from an NA on audio including the depth, emotion and able to go deep on original one off characters.

3. Spare Parts, I'm going to tell a story at this point about how I listened to this story. Neverland - the preceding story in the range came out the month I left University and obviously I had a lot going on at the time meaning I stopped buying the releases as they came out as I looked to see where I was going to in life. This meant I became slightly easier to buy for at Christmas as my sister looked up what release I was up to and bought me one for Christmas. After a bit of a break and ending on a cliff hanger I played this story blind without seeing the cover or knowing anything about it and was promptly blown away. Big Finish has never been afraid of continuity weather starting afresh, ignoring it or embracing it - this story is steeped in lore from the series. Essentially this story is 'Genesis of The Cybermen' something the series hadn't got around to doing at the time and now including this story its done three times. With this being a 5th Doctor story the shadow of Adric hangs over the story and adds an extra element to proceedings. This is a tragedy where the majority of listeners going in know how the story will end and it still works. The play even manages to throw in a few surprises - at one point it looks like The Doctor has been converted! The main strength of this story is seeing how world changing events happen through the eyes of the Hartley family, a route that TV Doctor Who would go down years later.    Without doubt this play is a bleak triumph.

2. Bang-Bang-a-Boom, yes a story set during season 24 is the second in this ranking! This is the odd one out of my top five, its a comedy, Deep Space Nine / Babylon 5 pastiche, murder mystery set during the future version of the Eurovision Song Contest. The jokes are fantastic, the mystery is brilliant and theres even a nice nod to Terry Wogan. A lot of the entries near the top end are along the darker aspects of Doctor Who but this is high camp fun at its best. I'm going to refrain from going into a deep dive on this one though due to the fact its a mystery and that its become a troublesome release as its co-written by a transphobe. There are plenty of other entries on this blog where I tackle transphobia and I'd like to keep these entries in the fun category.

1. The Holy Terror, in life you reach a moment where your fandom is there for you - and this was the time Doctor Who was there for me. We've taken another sidestep here, not into the books but into the comics as we get the team up of the 6th Doctor and the shape changing penguin Frobisher. Its not a part of cannon I'm familiar with and cards on the table I was considering skipping this release until I heard the trailer at the end of the previous release and thought it sounded fun - which it is. This play is without doubt the funniest Big Finish have released however as we've seen in this ranking as with a lot of other plays in my top ten it has a dual nature. What starts out as a camp comedy in an isolated castle takes a turn as The Doctor realises something isn't right and starts investigating. Of all places for the plot to go we venture into child violation - typing this out twenty years later its still an uneasy thing to admit to. The play turns on its head we've set up a lovely bunch of stereotypical characters - one of the things that sets The Doctor off on his investigations - who are ripped to bits following this. Its a melancholic version of a family who try to keep going after a tragedy but are unable to, something else that echoes this is that somewhere along the play the jokes stop and when you realise its a sledgehammer to the heart moment. This play is not only the top of Big Finishes first 100 main range releases, sometimes its my favourite Doctor Who story battling it out my favourite TV stories and books.

Big Finish Monthly Ranked 10-6

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 10-6. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

10. The Fearmonger, we go into the top ten with the first proper 7th Doctor story in which he is accompanied by Ace. So much of why this story is so high is due to the feel of this story, in which we had to wait an agonising six months for after Sirens of Time came out. I haven't mentioned it very much in these blogs but so much of what Big Finish does best is the sound design - making a story sound like it came from the era its set in. If you were to ask me what release in this ranking list sounded the most like a TV story from the era I say "The Fearmonger" every time. It genuinely sounds like it could have come from season 27 while also having the feel of a very early NA. Its moody and atmospheric in a way the TV show could never be. Added to this we have an engaging political plot, a good guest turn by Jacqueline Pearce off of Blakes Seven and is doing interesting things with the audio medium.

9. The Church and the Crown, without doubt this story if the best romp in this list. The 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem land in 1626 and its essentially Doctor Who does the Musketeers. It is utter fun, full of witty lines, fun characters and a few eyebrow raising moments. The mission statement for this story must have been "FUN" as its so high in my list due to the enjoyment level. Peter in particular sounds like he's having a whale of a time, even when the plot kicks in theres an element of fun and Peter remains as breathy as he did during season 19. I refuse to put it any lower and sometimes being a good straightforward is enough to score high.

8. Arrangements For War, we're back in wandering into unexpected areas territory as we get an intimate love story nestled inside a war story. Its the 6th Doctor and Evelyn in a story that is pivotal to Evelyns overall story. Its both one of the smallest scale stories as well as feeling like an epic. This is a proper weepy, one for valentines day a story that will take your hart rip it to shreds and then put it back together again. Both The Doctor and Evelyn go on an emotional journey during this story with neither exiting the same as they entered. Going back to how I said it was pivotal to Evelyns overall arc neither character exit this story the same way they entered it. 

7. The Pirates, this is going to be one of the hardest stories to sum up - on one hand its Doctor Who doing Mills & Boon with pirates and on the other hand its Doctor Who ripping your heart to pieces. This is one of the most emotional stories Big Finish have done while at the same time it has a singing Bill Oddie in it. This is a deep dive of emotions while being disguised as a romp, I love it when stories are working on multiple levels and the first time I heard this story it absolutely ruined me. An amazing story but a hard one to revisit.

6. The Kingmaker, its the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem in a witty romp that is also a whodunnit a whatdunnit, a history lesson and a morality lesson. Again this story is utter fun and packed with witty gun dialogue. However there is a lot going on, as opposed to a contract being taken out on The Doctor instead he has a writing deadline looming and what should be a fact finding trip to finish his book turns into four episodes of shenanigans and silly buggers that are a joy. There is twist after twist, revelation after revelation and a string of unexpected (off screen and on screen) cameos. Again we're working on multiple levels as when the jokes and revelations hit the stories asking the listener questions that linger long after the disc ends.

Thank you for reading and the top five will be published in the coming weeks.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 20-16

 Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 20-16. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

20. Omega, its the 5th Doctors entry into the villain trilogy in the build up to Zagreus with this being my favourite entry in the trilogy. Omega is one of those characters that have a lot of story in them and hasn't  been used much over the years so its quite the treat when he does come up. Apart from his two televised stories this is the first time I've come across him and I'm happy to say there is a trend of leaving Omega in a more interesting place than when we found him. I love this story, its playing games with the listener - bait and switch on multiple occasions. We're constantly on the back foot, where are we, how did we get here, is this really the right time to be referencing Talking Heads? Certain information we get during this story is wrong, which we work out fairly early on but the crux of the story is why its wrong. Up until the end of episode three nothing makes sense and then something happens that changes the nature of this play. On top of that we still have a quarter of the action to go and the story is still developing. There is a lot going on in this entry, I'd recommend watching the two Omega TV stories before listening. If you don't you'll get nothing from this story, if you do you get a heck of a play with very good re-listen value.

19. Colditz, Nazis the old Doctor Who metaphor, until we get to the seventh Doctor era where they started popping up on a regular basis. Its the 7th Doctor and Ace going up against Nazis but this time on their own territory in their own time in Colditz ****ing Castle! Full of references to the TV series and board game this part of the story is at times ripping yarns and harrowing. But wait theres more! Theres a timey wimey plot as well! We get the introduction of Elizabeth Klein and she's got about as many secrets as the 7th Doctor usually has. We have a multi layered play full of novelty value for an early appearance of David Tenant, of interest for introducing Klein and a tight intriguing play in its own right.

18. Flip-Flop, if you asked me to name one writer I've encountered in Doctor Who spinoff that I'd like to see go on to bigger and better things (who hasn't all ready) it would be Jonathan Morris. I first came across him with the book Festival of Death and since then his stuff has a high hit rate with me. This story is from the experimental stage that Big Finish went through in 2003 and sees the 7th Doctor and Mel in a story where the two discs can be listened to in either order. The play is absolutely nailed to the plot with no moment to breathe but personally I love this aspect. I've heard this story on multiple occasions in both orders and the story still works. Its a proper bonkers timey wimey comedy as opposed to the timey wimey serious story that was the previous entry. The story doesn't come with first or second discs it comes with black and white discs. Amazingly if you listen to the black disc first its a much darker story. recommended Highly!

17. Creatures of Beauty, its another 2003 experimental story this time with the 5th Doctor and Nyssa. Its also slightly timey wimey as the story is told out of order offering more multi listen value. We start the story about two thirds through and spend the majority of the play filling in the gaps and seeing events from multiple angles. Its very interesting and a play that feels like its developing more as we go through. The reason this play is so high in my personal rankings is because of the ending, let me clarify that when I say the ending I don't mean the final act or episode I mean the final few seconds of the play. Up until those moments on the first listen I had this down as a good decent story but the final seconds hold a twist that I didn't see coming and caused this play to sky rocket in my estimations.

16. Zagreus, the 50th story in the range and the 40th anniversary (along with the preceding Villains trilogy) story! After a wait of eighteen months since the last 8th Doctor story (eight years for me due to falling behind) and that cliff hanger that it ended on we finally made it! This is a proper epic story, three discs long and strap yourselves in its going to be a long ride. I know there are aspects that fandom doesn't like but I love it. Its one of my most re-listened to stories, Jon Pertwees unexpected appearance is so emotional, Nicholas Courtneys role is lovely and I love the assorted regulars from previous eras playing different parts. Theres a good slab of continuity as series regulars & unexpected friends turn up as spin offs are launched and we're plunged into the divergent arc. A story that looks backwards as well as forwards, a story with an eight year build that for me was ultimately worth it.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 30-21

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 30-21. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

30. The Wormery, possibly the most bat bleep crazy play in this ranking and I mean this in a barnstorming fun way. We have the sole appearance of Iris Wildthyme played by Katy Manning in the range who is a bonkers pastiche of The Doctor who first turned up in the books and has gone on to have her own spin-off range. Colin Bakers 6th Doctor is a wonderful foil for her, we have a vulnerable Doctor who is post trial and having issues. This leads to a story of wonderful melancholy, we're not in a Doctor Who story here - it feels like Big Finish have released this story in the wrong range - a feeling also put across by the cover. As I'm writing this entry my memory is being overloaded by wonderful memories. Like Zagreus the release beforehand this is a good gateway into other ranges and a story which has an unexpected cameo. If I could compare this play to something else it would be Twin Peaks, lots of surrealism lots of melancholy and lots of everything.

29. The One Doctor, a play thats become a Christmas tradition among Big Finish listeners as its fun panto. Similar to the 10th Doctor meeting someone who is himself dialled up to 11 in The Next Doctor the 6th Doctor does the same with Banto Zame imitating him. The jokes hit and its a fun Christmas family play.   

28. The Council of Nicaea, its the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem in a fantastic play where The Doctor and Erimem take opposite views and opposing sides in Emperor Constantines first council. Speaking personally I had no knowledge of the events in this play and was fully absorbed by the events. It speaks of how divisive religion can be in that it nearly tears the lineup of regulars apart. We would touch on The Doctor and Erimem disagreeing with each other and the unique perception Erimem has as a princess from ancient Egypt this however is the deepest this storyline would go.

27. Storm Warning, its hard to believe now but this play and the following season (and seasons) is the closest we felt we would ever get to a new series. Paul McGann was the current Doctor and a few years after getting the rites to Doctor Who they finally got the current Doctor. Theres something magic about the opening narration - of which is one of Paul McGanns best skills. We have lovely introductions of the 8th Doctor and Charley, we have a fun setting in the R101, we have a fun plot and fun guest stars. This play is a snapshot in time where everything was fun and fluffy.

26. Phantasmagoria, the second release in the range and first "proper" release after the multi Doctor story Sirens. Its another fun and fluffy play with the 5th Doctor and rare appearance by Turlough. Turlough is at his best when he's being a rubbish companion and this is played to a hilt. Its 1702 in London and we have fun and fluff with demons, highway men and the Diablo club. Its another case of a fun romp going for gold in being a fun romp.

25. Circular Time, an absolute gorgeous collection of one episode stories with a vague theme of seasons of the year. With the lineup of the 5th Doctor and Nyssa this is Big Finishes first collection of one episode stories in a release and its absolutely fantastic. After a fun rompy story in Spring things get deep and as a listener it shows that not all plays have to by two hour plus epics as we go the opposite way and go intimate. David Warners performance as Sir Isaac Newton is one of the best one off appearances in the range. The second disc contains Autumn and Winter feels like a complete change in style it feels like two epilogues (one of which the epilogue to an entire era) and its an engaging change of pace. We get to go to places we may have only been in our own head cannons and in that respect it makes me think it makes me ponder. This release is one of the ones I've only heard once but it lingers more in the mind than others and I look forward to a revisit.

24. No Man's Land, we're back with the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex in World War 1. A fantastic concept of a story with the Doctor being asked to investigate a murder and accidentally arriving before it happens. Its a whodunnit, a war story and a psychological horror with plenty of twists and turns.

23. The Harvest, we have the debut of Hex as the 7th Doctor and Ace investigate the goings on at a hospital. This story feels like the start of an era and is a good jumping on point if you want to go through a TARDIS lineup in story order. There are links to other stories - however this story also works if you don't know about them. Its a very intriguing and espionage heavy story, the format is very good as we don't see things from The Doctor and Aces point of view but are introduced into the events through Hex. This play is for you if you enjoy a thriller and want to come back multiple times to see how the story works after later revelations.

22. Seasons of Fear, now this is a proper fun one - the 8th Doctor finally gets Charley to Singapore where all hell breaks lose. Its a quest with the TARDIS off to a different location every episode taking on the mysterious Sebastian Grayle and his unseen (until later) mysterious allies. This is Big Finish doing The Chase / Dalek Masterplan and it feels like its built on a foundation of playing cards yet a strong riff keeps it together. Theres a lot going on and its a story where centrally there is a lot of fun fluff yet a lot of tangental ties to other plays in this season - again it rewards a re-listen. There's a fun little mystery to who Grayles allies are and the clues are all there if you want to play the game and avoid spoilers. Possibly one of the most fun plays in the range.

21. The Natural History of Fear, we're in the 8th Doctors third season with this being the highlight. Its a twist story where we're thrown in and try to work out what on Earth is going on. I don't mean this in s frustrating way, all the way through this play the listeners ears are on edge as we strive to work out whats going on, listening for clues and looking for dual meanings. There are two minor problems that stop this being higher, its C'rizz second story and the listener isn't as familiar with Conrad Westmass voice as the story requires us to be. This added on to the nature of characters we've already met in this story lead us part way to some answers before we're meant to get them. Without doubt this is one of the best scripts Big Finish have ever produced and its a shame Jim Mortimore hasn't done more. This story works best out of context with the season and shines during what was a frustrating time for the range.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 40-31

  Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 40-31. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

40. Sword of Orion, during this ranking I've said that quite a few stories could rise with a re-listen and this play is a case in point. When this story came out it was not the story I was hoping for, Cybermen in the internet age doing new things with technology - awesome! Instead we get a boring traditional story that felt like it was copy and pasted from somewhere else. However thats not the case, with a re-listen we have a wonderful story that captures the sense of fun and energy that set the tine for Paul McGann. It gets better with every listen and I've grown quite fond of it. Its certainly the best of Nicholas Briggs "not nailed to the plot" stories and has fantastic world building. The stories weakness on the first listen has become its strength, the market that the 8th Doctor and Charley find themselves in is wonderful, the ships crew become well rounded characters and it matters more when the Cybermen turn up and try to spoil everything. This story is a lovely traditional world building (for spin off series) moment that I get soppy about.

39. Whispers of Terror, OMG its another one I get soppy about as its the first 6th Doctor story and third release over all. Along with Peri he's in an audio museum as Justin Richards pens a fun mystery which has some fun audio aspects. I have a fondness for this story as its the one I got along with Sirens of time and was a part of my first ever Big Finish haul. Of note are cast appearances by Lisa Bowerman and Peter Miles who are lots of fun.

38. 100, from part of the earliest haul its the final listen of the first 100 releases. A lovely collection of stories here as to celebrate the 100 release. Its nice that Colins 6th Doctor gets this moment as his Doctor has been repaired by Big Finish and he shares the stage with Maggie Stables Evelyn Smythe the companion who did so much for him. The stories are lots of fun with a menagerie of writers from the range - some of which haven't been around for a while. The first two stories are quite fun luring the listener into a false sense of comfort and then some rather interesting things happen on the final disc. A fun moment and a celebration rather than a play.      

37. Son of the Dragon, its a historical featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri, Erimem and Dracula - Yes Dracula! This isn't your Bram Stoker stuff this is full blown historical First Doctor era stuff going on here. A mighty stark story set in Eastern Europe sees enemies on all sides including among the companions as we visit an aspect of Erimem seen in an earlier story. Its good writing by Steve Lyons a familiar name from the book range with James Purefoy on good form as Vlad III.If I have to pick one word to describe this play its "stark" everything feels bleak and time travel feels like hard labour instead of fun - I mean this as a compliment. This is not one of the fluffy plays - its as far away as you can get with nothing in the shape of garlic and coffins to lighten the mood. Proper moody stuff indeed.

36. The Reaping, featuring the 6th Doctor, Peri and the Cybermen. Written by Joseph Lidster who I'd like to mention as a number of his plays have already been mentioned and this is the highest ranked. It gels with me which is largely a first for a full release story. Like the last one its also dark and theres a lot of things going on, Nicola Bryant is given some of her most powerful scenes, the Doctor feels like he's constantly a step behind and the Cybermen feel more vicious than usual. This play contains one of the best resolutions ever in a Big Finish release. Just when it looks like the Cybermen have won one of the best plot twists occurs that is so good I gave an expletive ridden gasp of shock.

35. Neverland, the finale of the 8th Doctors second season wrapping up the ongoing storylines that have been going on since Charley turned up and setting things up for Zagreus. This is a personal story for me as it marks the end of an era, I'd just left Uni and life was about to change and this story ends on such a good cliff hanger that I felt it was a good point to put things on hold and come back later. In hindsight this series foreshadows the format of Doctor Who when it returned to TV in the shape that we have a mystery thats been built up for most of the season, we get returning characters including someone whose been popping up in various stories and we're in the situation where its the companion in jeopardy instead of The Doctor - plus Charley is a Big Finish original companion! On first listen we have no idea if she's going to survive. A satisfying conclusion to the season with an impressive cliff hanger pulling us into everything that followed.

34. The Axis of Insanity, blimey its Simon Furman off of The Transfomers comics on writing duties. This play see's the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem visit a realm containing an elephants graveyard of broken time lines that has been taken over by an insane jester. This jester is so well performed it lifts the story and should be listened to for the performance alone. However theres enough fun and fluff from the characters and location that its not a one person play. Dare I say it, the play feels like it shouldn't work but work it does and its highly absorbing.

33. I.D. its our first two play release on this list for some time, we have the three episode long I.D. and the one part Urgent Calls. Colin Bakers Doctor is going solo on this release and its an interesting dynamic, I.D. is a very good story with an interesting cast including one time contender to be a companion if Sophie Aldred hadn't have locked her in the lavs and of all people Gyles Brandreth! Its very good cyber punk tech scavenging stuff. However the main reason this release is this high is due to Urgent Calls a lovely done in one play with a gorgeous format. The story is a string of phone conversations with a Whoish twist that leaves a lovely taste in the ears. I'd go as far as to say if this ranking was individual stories Urgent Calls would be top 10, maybe even top 5.

32. Night Thoughts, a fantastic scary night time monster / whodunnit story featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. Oooh, this is another good one, full of twists, good characters and the 7th Doctor infuriating everyone by keeping secrets and getting things wrong until they go right. This entire team is a triumph and Hex has added so much to what including the books could be described as the most over used double act in Doctor Who. Also possibly one of the most memorable endings.

31. Medicinal Purposes, Doctor Who does the Burke & Hare body snatchings with a Doctor Who twist. Robert Ross on writing duties makes a near faultless debut - sorry your other play is so low! With a historical that at one point takes an unexpected turn with good results. a mystery turns into a battle of wits that in turn leads to an ethical decision. Leslie Phillips is giving a career best performance as Knox - one of Big Finishes best original creations. He has a voice I could listen to for days! This play is so rich, it draws you in, refuses to let you go and when it ends your left in a hell of a state. On note in the guest cast is David Tennant who is a pivotal presence in this story. The story features the 6th Doctor and Evelyn who go through the ringer again, if ever there was a TARDIS crew that deserved to land on the planet of milkshakes and fluffy bunnies its these two. Sometimes the good guys don't win, sometimes they only survive and this is one of those times.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 50-41

 Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 50-41. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!

50. Unregenerate! Ooooh, we're into the top 50! I've no idea why there is an exclamation mark in the title but what the hell it looks good! What do you mean I've used up my quota of exclamation marks? This is a good one, starting off with a good situation that has the listener demanding to know whats going on. We know the 7th Doctor is in trouble and Mel is given the role as psuedolistener to find out whats going on. Its also a fairly tight play despite the flashy nature of the plot, although it does proper let rip when we get to the cliff hangers. It feels odd having the season 24 team in something that feels very late 7th Doctor era (possibly Virgin New Adventures era) although it doesn't jar, possibly the Doctor is realising he has to make changes if he wants this incarnation to work out. A tight low key story with some brilliant WTF moments.

49. Caerdroia, we're back in the divergent universe with the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz but don't worry this is a fun one. This is the most joyful this arc ever got and theres still the odd dark moment. We're thrown into a series of set pieces that hold together, laugh at the audio format and examine the nature of The Doctor. We're nearly at the end of this arc and it feels like it, things actually matter in this story, we finally get answers and there is a chance to change the status quo. The listeners opinion of this story is going to be based on what you make of Eeyore and Tigger. Personally I enjoyed them and I think Paul McgGann did too.

48. Project Lazurus, lets go back in time to 2003 where for a period of a few months the range went experimental. In this case we have two interlinked two part stories featuring the 6th Doctor with Evelyn and then the 7th Doctor. This is one of the most continuity heavy plays although its not over the top and is rewarding. Its the second (and third) appearance of Nimrod and The Forge and its a good sequel. Its bloody dark as well which you would expect after the first story. Listening to this blind was one of my most rewarding listens as the first two parts flew by at the speed of sound. Evelyn goes through the mill and this is a pivotal story for her. The start of part three and a different incarnation of The Doctor rocking up with no warning is why I listen to the releases blind with no knowledge - as a result its one of my favourite moments in the range.

47. Project Twilight, its the first appearance of The Forge and Nimrod in a play thats a good one off listen as well as setting elements up for the future. Its the 6th Doctor and Evelyn in action with a good thriller set in a London casino. This story is noteworthy for me as its why I listen to the stories blind with no knowledge of anything - the writer gives away the nature of the villains of this story on the inlay notes. As a result it spoiled the first listen and this one is lower in my rankings that it should be. Caven Scott and Mark Wright the writing team have more than made up for it penning some top quality releases one of which is further up this ranking. 

46. The Nowhere Place, its another Nicholas Briggs written story and this time he's doing horror with the 6th Doctor and Evelyn. I'm pleased that Nicholas Briggs would take over the range when Gary Russell moved on as I firmly believe he's one of the most consistent creators in Who. This is one of my favourite horror stories in Who and essentially its done with little more than a door and a bell.  

45. Live 34, this was another shock to listen to blind. The format of the story is that of a radio broadcast covering the events of an adventure featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. This is a case of how the story is told rather than whats actually happening lifting the play. We're hearing this story at points in the form of propaganda by the bad guys. Of note is a guest appearance from Andrew Collins off of 90s radio which lends the play a sense of realism.

44. Memory Lane, its the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz in a surreal play involving a never ending street and the mystery of an astronaut. The image of spring and the snooker world championships gives this play a sense of nostalgia. The mystery of what is going on is delightful and theres some nice moments about culture. In lesser hands this story would be forgotten filler but its lovely in every way.

43. Threes a Crowd, an absolute cracking thriller featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem. I love these types of stories as Big Finish do them so well. Set on an isolated space station with the thinning population living their lives with little social interaction - something is blatantly wrong and its up to The Doctor to find out what. Plus Erimem experiencing a science fiction setting is fun and Deborah Watling gives a good turn as Auntie.

42. Time of the Daleks, set in the 8th Doctors second season with Charley along for the ride this play written by Justin Richards whose doing what he does best - writing a romp. This is one of the best examples of a fun story the range has to offer. Theres a little bit of continuity which doesn't hamper the story as the season is nearly at its climax. The dialogue is cracking the jokes are good, there are a few good twists and the plot rockets along - utter fun!

41. Eye of the Scorpion, I've not heard this one in a while so this ranking is based purely on vague memories. However it introduces Erimem to the range joining the 5th Doctor and Peri. Its got a few good jokes, a good Elvis one and a really good memorable finale that makes use of archaeological / historical fact. Its also quite a surprise to see (or hear) us get a new regular. The Egyptian setting is wonderful and its quite nice to see Peri take centre stage for an episode as members of the court plot Erimems downfall.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 70-61

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 70-61. Enjoy!

70. The Game, a fun story featuring the 5th Doctor and Nyssa in which the play pokes fun at football - also there is an intriguing guest appearance by Jonathan Pearce in the cast. An intriguing play with a slightly different format, Big Finish are flexing their muscles and working on multiple levels. Of note is another guest appearance by William Russell as Lord Carlisle a character who feels a little bit like the inspiration for River Song. 

69. The Juggernauts, another outing for Davros and he again crosses paths with the 6th Doctor along with Mel. Interesting things are going on here and the way The Doctor and Mel get involved in the situation is one of the most interesting in the Big Finish range. Also to compare it to Davros which appeared earlier in this ranking this feels like a story and not the writer harping on about the way of the world.

68. Jubilee, a story with a reputation for being reworked into the TV story Dalek but what about the play itself? I have a confession due to being on a break and the start of me falling behind with Big Finishes output I saw Dalek before hearing Jubilee. I don't think it affected my opinion as hearing it blind I didn't know it was coming. The 6th Doctor and Evelyn make for one heck of a team and both get put through the ringer. It oozes atmosphere but as a story it doesn't get near Rob Shearmans earlier releases - its missing an ending, with the one we get reminding me of Sherzo. This isn't a fun story, at times its deliberately unpleasant - its absolutely blooming memorable though. Its not one I revisit often, its the best example of a Big Finish tough yet fulfilling sit but I like it.

67. Renaissance of the Daleks, if I'm to be absolutely blunt this feels like the early story The Mutant Phase done right. From a story edited beyond recognisation from Christopher H Bidmead, its solid, its fun, has witty dialogue Davison has found his feet since the earlier story and this is a good way to spend a couple of hours. 

66. Red, an outing for the 7th Doctor and Mel as they arrive in The Needle where the citizens are unable to commit violence due to being chipped. Needless to say violence begins to occur and The Doctor is blamed. A very memorable story for audio reasons alone, the use of screaming Red, The Doctor being put through the mill as he struggles with the situation and the familiar tones of Sandi Toksvig among the guest cast. Certainly one of the best produced plays in the range.

65. Time Works, its the 8th Doctor, Charlie and C'rizz in a timey wimey play! I absolutely love this one, the opening half leaves me wanting to know what is going on and once we do know things get tense. As a story it drip feeds us information that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat right until the end.

64. Bloodtide, not only is this the first appearance of the Silurians in the range they are put in a play with Charles Darwin! If that doesn't grab you and make you listen nothing will, its an utterly gorgeous story that gets a little bit dark later in the play. This is the first appearance by writer Jonathan Morris who is a firm favourite of mine.

63. The Fires of Vulcan, its the 7th Doctor and Mel in a historical set in Pompeii just before the eruption of Vesuvius. This is still early enough in the range where historicals were a novelty and in terms of production this is a strong entry in the range. The ending brings things down and while it isn't cheating it feels like cheating, without this ending it would be possibly top ten.

62. Other Lives, its the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz in an historical. Its very good its not as moody as a lot of stories with this line up are. Even though things are a bit dark for C'rizz and his personal arc after the cliffhanger ending of Terror Firma. Of note is an appearance in the guest cast by Ron Moody.

61. The Apocalypse Element, the 6th Doctors entry in Dalek Empire. There is a lot of stuff going on in this story and by that I mean a LOT of action. It blatantly isn't an audio and can be a little bit tricky to follow but in essence its the Daleks taking on Gallifrey in what canonically is an early skirmish in the time war. Romana played by Lalla Ward makes her first appearance in the range. Theres a lot of continuity going on but thankfully nothing that distracts from the story. This is the closest Big Finish have got to an all out action film and its a lot of fun if occasionally a bugger to follow.    

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 80-71

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 80-71. Enjoy!


80. Singularity, I have a soft spot for this one as it sees the return of Mark Strickson as Turlough for what feels like the first time in ages. Earlier in the range he was the first companion to partner the 5th Doctor and it was a rare treat when he popped up. As a result I always give an internal cheer when he turns up. At this point in the range Peter Davisons Doctor does exasperation so well and with Turlough essentially being a good character and a rubbish companion makes for a good mix. A good heady mix of Russian and Alien intrigue results in an enjoyable story. Of note is the fact that as the story progresses the stakes rise.


79. The Gathering, first of all a caveat as long time readers know I listen to these audios blind without knowing anything beforehand. I also occasionally buy them blind when on offer, that was the case with this release and as such I had no idea it was part of a loose trilogy until a lot later. As a result lots of the references to other stories are lost on me. We get another 5th Doctor companion in the shape of Tegan - her first main range appearance! I'm absolutely landed as I didn't think we'd get her on board. Everything that happens in this story is technically good, raised by Janet Fielding but the story needed an edit as its so depressing. Its a good story but there isn't a lot of trademark Big Finish wit or style.


78. Dreamtime, as I sit here to type this out I have to confess this is one I don't have much memory of. There were nice ideas and its in a section of my pile that suggests I've relistened to it recently, all I can remember is it being rather earnest but likeable.


77. The Settling, another release featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex although the later two get more of the action. Clive Mantle off of Casualty gives one of the best guest performances and the story is nothing if not dramatic. Away from the drama and feel there isn't enough going on for me - in particular the way McCoys Doctor is taken out of the main plot doesn't quite do it for me. If you're looking for a release dripping in atmosphere this one is for you. I can't let this entry pass without saying it genuinely wouldn't take much for this story to go into my top ten.


76. The Last, a right moody release with a good gimmick - that they telegraph with overuse. In terms of atmosphere its similar to the previous entry in this ranking albeit worlds apart in plot and theme. The 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz are at a point in the alternate universe arc where things are interesting and largely fun. This story is different to those surrounding it and it feels like Big Finish are getting back to grips with the season format after a tricky 3rd season. Very good stuff albeit you can see the end coming a mile away.


75. The Land of the Dead, an early fun romp featuring the 5th Doctor and Nyssa. Good location and fun plot make for a fun play - of note there is a location layout on the sleeve to help the listener follow the action. However I don't think its needed as the dialogue puts over the layout of the house very well.


74. The Wishing Beast and Vanity Box, a rather fun if odd release. I love Paul Magrs stuff and usually when listening blind I can spot his trademarks. This release is two stories spread over four episodes - 3 and 1 respectively. Its a very surreal set of stories and I come away thinking Vanity Box is more enjoyable where The Wishing Beast feels like it isn't comfortable with its episode length. Absolute fun - gets crazy at times and has a nice camp one parter at the end.


73. Valhalla, oooh its another solo story for McCoy near the end of the 7th Doctors era. Obviously its now known as the story with Michelle Gomez in and truth be told its added a fun element to the story. Marc Platt (writer of the TV story Ghostlight) does a lot on interesting things in this story and it works as both a disaster piece and a thriller. The Doctor going to a job centre is a memorable moment as its The Doctors mood that mirrors that of Valhalla. Rest assured this story may be moody but its good.


72. Nocturne, featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex this is an absolutely fascinating play. The concept of The Doctor having another favourite planet that we've not seen before makes for a fun story, however due to the quality of the world building by Dan Abnett I feel like I'm more familiar with the planet Nocturne than I've any right to be. I care what happens to this place, I buy that The Doctor has visited it many times before and has an emotional stake in this planet. As such the play presses my buttons and gets the emotions out of me that it should.


71. Primeval, the 5th Doctor and Nyssa visit an earlier era of Traken and theres a lot of fun going on here. Of course its a sequel to Keeper of Traken and the best compliment I can give Primeval is that whenever I come away from this story I want to my Keeper DVD. This story makes me think about good and evil, its interesting and endearing. Stephen Grief another Blakes 7 alumni gives a good performance as the villain and its a good turn my all.           

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 90-81

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 90-81. Enjoy!


90. ...ish, there are so many good things about this play set at a conference of lexicographers. It is the perfect story for Colin Bakers Doctor, it is perhaps one of the most quotable stories of this range and as I'm typing this many moments are waltzing into my brain to be remembered. Sadly this story is down low due to what it isn't rather than what it is. This story would make a perfect one parter or even two parter, its a shame it wasn't produced later in the series where imo it would have been produced as such. As such its padded - there is a lot to like about this story however there is a lot of standing around and talking to reach it.


89. The Rapture, at its best this story is trippy weird stuff which I will happily hit the dance floor for. When this story is at its best I haven't got a clue whats going on which I'm happy for - the stuff with Tony Blackburn is brilliant. However the rest of story is a bit "sensible shoes" not fitting in with the rest of it. The setting in late 90s Ibiza is not my jam, theres a lot of stuff to like here which is combined with other aspects which are not for me. If anything this one is down low due to my personal taste rather than quality.


88. Frozen Time, this is another story which could rise on a re-listen as I've only heard it once and its down this low for a daft reason. At the time of release a lot of the previous releases had three and one episode plays, as I got to the end of episode three I was thinking "its been OK, hopefully the one part story will give this release a boost" and then we had an extra episode of a story that already felt like it was coming to an end. As a story it does interesting things without absorbing me as a listener, from memory it looks like we're going to get a crossover with two villains / monsters at one point which doesn't happen. It feels rather lethargic in terms of story feel as the 7th Doctor towards the end of his incarnation is a strange beast. I wanted to like it more than I did and hopefully in the future I will.


87.The Twilight Kingdom, the end of the 8th Doctors third season and we're still in the divergent universe. As a story its very good, interesting in the right bits a good bit of intrigue and memorable. However against it we're still in the divergent universe story arc which is becoming a slog - it would get better in the next season but this story feels slightly out of place and would certainly benefit from a listening in isolation of the preceding stories.


86. The Next Life, its the end of an era. This is the last story Paul McGann would have as the current Doctor and for the next few years his stories would be one off and not in seasons. It mirrors the Divergent arc in many ways - its long and a bit of a slog. I feel that everything from the last two seasons are wrapped up and its satisfying that we're coming back to the main universe. The casting is outstanding with Daphne Ashbrook and Anneke Wills doing very good plus we've got Paul Darrow commanding our ears with his typical performance (Michael Keating was in the Twilight Kingdom for a Blakes 7 link). I often find myself defending this story as its absolutely riveting on a first listen, the middle episodes turn into a giant info dump centred around a hunt and C'rizz standing by a well. However the start is excellent and the end is really blooming good.


85. Something Inside, a tight moody thriller in a big box with an ace reference to Liverpool FCs Champions League win.


84. Catch 1782, ooooh the 6th Doctor and Mel! A team that has become a delight through Big Finish. A lovely little story that feels out of place spread over four episodes. I'm not too crazy about the resolution but it is a rather charming tale.


83. The Mutant Phase, the 5th Doctor and Nyssa are another lineup that have become a firm favourite due to Big Finish. Its a very moody story with dashings of story but it lacks a central point to hang this story around as there's no central location and a bit of TARDIS hopping. It ties in with an early Big Finish range - Dalek Empire and sees the third outing of the Daleks in the main range. The early episodes are quite good and a couple of my fan buttons were pressed. Its down low as it feels like Peter Davison and Big Finish haven't got quite to grips with the 5th Doctor.


82. Davros, a solo 6th Doctor encounters Davros. As a story this is possibly the most boring one in the first 100 releases mainly due to the fact globalisation bores the socks off me. However everything else about this release is cracking especially the performances, the cast is outstanding Colin Baker, Terry Molloy, Wendy Padbury and Bernard Horsfall lift the material.


81. Exotron, the first story on this ranking featuring a three part story and a single part story called Urban Myths. Unlike most releases of this nature where one story is usually a lot better than the other they are both good. Urban Myths is a proper fun laugh and Exotron is a good value thriller - high recommended and not talked about enough.     


In this section there are a lot of stories which are quite nice and lovely mixed with stories that should be better and are brought down by some aspect.

Big Finish Monthly Range Ranked: 100-91

Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. Enjoy!


100. Nekromanteia, this story comes in last and its due to an incident in the story that I wont go into yet I firmly believe everyone whose heard it will remember. The unpleasantness haunts the story and makes it a story I will most likely not listen to again.


99. Pier Pressure, sadly the lowest story due to quality and at this point I must stress that this is my opinion which you are free to disagree with. Its dull, plodding and at times a struggle to listen to. The sequence where The Doctor takes liberties with a deck chair and a pensioner maybe the worst in the series. There are a few rather nice things in this play such as a nod to Carry On Screaming and a lovely William Hartnell. Max Millar played by Roy Hudd is very good casting. The best way I can sum this up is during a high point of boredom the characters start playing eye spy.


98. Scherzo, if anything I feel a bit churlish putting this play so low. As a theme it reminds me of Waiting for Godot with meaningless and possibly endless repetition something that I find eerily scary and horror is a recurring theme of Robert Shearmans Big Finish output. The play is both a story in its own right as well as dealing with the aftermath of the previous story and season arcs. At this point I want to point out that I listen to these stories blind without any knowledge of the story. Looking back at the actual plot of the story its something that should press my positive buttons, however the reason I have this so low is because The Doctor and Charley are acting so annoying during this story that it just drags the story down. This is the first story I've come to that I will freely admit could move in the rankings with a re-listen.


97. Scaredy Cat, I have no memory of this story what so ever bar a child endlessly repeating "scaredy cat" over and over again and the fact that Arthur Bostrom is in it. I remember not liking it but from what I gather it was heavily rewritten due to the TV show returning to our screens hence why its so short.     


96. Terror Firma, oh eck its the third 8th Doctor story in a row! Don't worry I will be squeeing about Paul McGann stories later in the rankings. This story sees the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz return to the main universe however they unfortunately run into Davros and the Daleks. There is an aspect of this story very memorable that links back to an earlier story. Its a very interesting story as a whole and quite frankly its down this low due to the strength of other stories rather than weaknesses of its own. Hearing Paul McGann interact with Terry Molloys Davros is a delight. This is the start of an interesting direction for C'rizz and a good jumping on point. If you're looking to pick a TARDIS team and follow it along. Personally I find this story a tad unsatisfying due to the debate between The Doctor and Davros however it is often interesting.


95. Roof of the World, a rather dull forgetful story that does something pretty bloody awesome with the Big Finish created companion Erimem. For one episode this is genuinely Big Finish at its height going in an unexpected direction, shocking the listener and raising the level of the story to something special - for an episode. The surrounding story is rather forgettable though.


94. Red Dawn, the earliest story in the range so far featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri and the Ice Warriors. Its another case of one good episode as the opening episode feels like a William Hartnell era first parter as the regulars explore where they've landed mixed in with a ship landing on Mars. Things turn remarkably uninteresting when the Ice Warriors wake up and as such its a weak comeback for our favourite Martians. Of note is an interesting cast featuring Georgia Tennant, Robert Jezek and Stephen Fewell.


93. Invaders From Mars, another 8th Doctor story appearing early but this is a tale of two halfs. The first two episodes are dreadful with not a lot going on and having to many characters to introduce. The second half is absolutely gorgeous - full of ideas and charm. Also the Orson Welles War of the World plot kicks in.  In fact I'd recommend only listening to the second half Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson are amongst the guest cast. Some people moaned at the time that it was a waste given they were saddled with American accents. I however think they're good value and lots of fun as is the story if you give it time to get going.


92. The Dark Flame, its a rare main range appearance for Bernice Summerfield as she hooks up with the 7th Doctor and Ace. As a story its not very rememberable bar the fact Bernice is in it. In terms of quality it feels a little bit off - like the mix is wrong. On paper its a very traditional story however there is no fluff its a bit depressing. Michael Praed off of Robin Hood in the 1980s is lots of fun however with a good OTT performance.


91. The Creed of the Kromon, it is a genuine shock that half of the bottom 10 stories in this ranking are made up of Paul McGann stories. Creed sets the tone for the divergent universe arc, it introduces The Kro'ka, gives The Doctor a new companion in C'rizz and seriously screws with Charley. My enduring memory of this story is trying to listen to it and falling asleep five times, for ages I had no idea how this story started. Rest assured this story is interesting, has a bit of a hard task in setting everything up given the nature of the previous story. There isn't a lot of fun to be had here as its very dry and paced terribly - it feels like it goes on for days - what we do get is technically well done, well acted and well written however its paced terribly and feels like it goes on for days.   


Drawing conclusions from this part of the rankings theres a lot of stories that I like - even if its one episode. There are a lot of stories here which I would say aren't bad, to take a cricketing analogy there are a lot stories that take a swing and miss. I hope you enjoyed this ranking and look out for more.

The Big Finish Catch-Up May 2020

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;

I start this blog entry with a confession, I've run out of money and I'm running out of Big Finish stories that I bought on sale and have in the bank. As such I'm currently having one two hour Big Finish session a month. As such this entry includes a second listening of the first River Song box set and the first listening of UNIT: Dominion. Enjoy the review and more entries will be up soon.

The River Song box set treads the line finely of being a box set and having standalone stories. As the box set progresses they get less standalone which is perfectly understandable, that being said Rulers  of the Universe and Signs I can see being relistened to in the future with Signs being up there with Big Finish best stuff. As a box set it is very campy and has a 70's feel which should help you decide weather it interests you or not. So its a 7.5/10 from me.

UNIT Dominion is a very strange box set, it doesn't tread the box set stand alone story fine at all a its one story. Its interesting and possibly has too much going on to the extent that no plot lines give us time to do a deep dive and it feels like skirting around in the shallows for a few hours. We get some resolution to Kleins story although in all honesty I thought the previous ending was fine so it gets a polite thankyou with a shrug from me. Its nice to see Raine and I hope she shows up more often. This story is at its best when bonkers stuff is happening and UNIT is struggling to cope. Its a 5.5/10 from me and as a whole it needs an edit.

The Big Finish Catch-Up October to December 2019

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;

Lords of the Red Planet, was the first story in October from the lost story range featuring the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. I'm not going to focus on this one as its a rare story that I didn't like and struggled to get through to the extent I fell asleep twice and have no idea how it ended. I'm not going to rank it and make a point to come back at a later date and have another go with it.

Farewell Great Macedon, came next also from the lost story range and featured the original line up. Whenever I hear a lost story I want to feel like I'm listening to a TV story with missing visuals and that is what I got from this story. It feels like the production team thought "oh Marco Polo went down well lets do another one" and it would fit in somewhere before the Dalek invasion of Earth. I was just hooked and it truly felt like I was listening to something from fifty years ago. Not only is this my favourite story in some time, I think it ranks up there with my personal classics from Big Finish as I write this it just might be my favourite 10/10.

Nightshade, started off November - I realised it was Nightshade within the first few minutes and smiling my little head off. This book has hung over Mark Gatiss career and he's never eclipsed it imo. It was as good as I hoped it was going to be, I never came away thinking that it didn't work as an audio. On top of that its so strange listening to a pre Love and War story featuring Ace, these stories foreshadow her actions so well.

Next up was Lucie Miller / To the Death the finale to the fourth season of the 8th Doctor adventures. Blimey this feels like the end of an era, first things first this isn't a story for you if you're dipping in and out of the range I'd recommend listening to this season in order and preferably listening to the range up to this point in order. This story feels like an epic and strangely most of the characters are this seasons regulars. When bad things start to happen in this story it feels more emotional than it usually does. This is such an emotional story and its a testament to the range and this season how much I cared about what happened in this story. 10/10 and I can't wait to see what happens in this range next.

Iteration of I started off in December, the final story in the Fifth Doctor box set featuring his original line up of companions. A very very good if slightly too wordy horror story 9/10.

Blue Tooth a companion chronicle starring Caroline John as Liz was next. A dark story set in the UNIT era doing interesting things with the Cybermen 8/10.

Auntie Matter, a fun throwaway story featuring the Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamms Romana. Very much Doctor Who does Jeeves and Wooster, lots of fun 8/10.

Another companion chronicle Frostfire came next starring Maureen O'Brien featuring the First Doctor, Vicki and Steven. A very good moody story that does interesting things with the format 7/10.

The final story of this blog entry is The Veiled Tiger, a freebie released with Doctor Who Magazine that Big Finish released in their Christmas sale. A fun bit of fluff featuring two opposing teams of companions Peri and Erimem Vs Ace and Hex. Good crack and a few laughs, highly recommended if you can find it 8/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up September 2019

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;

First this month its back to the monthly range with The Cradle of the Snake featuring, the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. Good dark story, good use of a villain and a very a-typical story 9/10.

Secondly its the 8th Doctor range and Prisoner of the Sun may be the best example of a one disc story Big Finish have done. So many curve balls and twists plus a good hook at the end leading into the next story 10/10.

Finally its a trip over to the Companion Chronicles with the 6th Doctor and Jamie Nights Black Agent. A fun good spooky monster story that I recommend for Halloween 7/10.