Big Finish Productions The Scorchies

Written by	James Goss
Format	Compact Disc
Released	2013

Starring Katy Manning

Synopsis: The Doctor, his companion Jo Grant and the Brigadier face their strangest case yet: a Saturday night TV show that has been invaded by aliens that look like puppets! The Scorchies want to take over the world. They want to kill the Doctor. And they want to perform some outstanding showtunes. Though not necessarily in that order.

• Invasion of the Muppet Show by Noe Geric

Invasion of the Muppet Show by Noe Geric 10/1/22

After the brilliant Doctor Who and the Pirates, it was obvious that Big Finish was going to do another musical story at one point. And it ended up as one of the most intelligent, funny and twisted story ever written for the Pertwee Doctor. As a Companion Chronicle, it wasn't an easy task to writte a song into the narrative but with James Goss at the keyboard, it could only have succeeded.

Unlike most of the CC, The Scorchies isn't read, it's actually in the present narrative. The only weakness of this is that Katy Manning plays the Doctor and the Brigadier with a not-so-good accent, and it ends up as a rather forgettable imitation of the two characters. But as Jo, she's on top form. The Scorchies are all played by the same guy, and ho-god he is wonderful. Each Scorchies is unique and perfectly written. I never stopped laughing during the whole hour. This is an unique bunch of villains, and it's weird that a story in an audio medium is a better allegory of televisual manipulation than most of the TV episodes that have tried it.

With these characters, you've got one of the most interesting stories ever written. You never know what will happen next, and for once I found myself forgetting what time it was and just let the story flow into my ears as time passed. And as a musical episode, what could it have been without an incredibly good sound design. The incidental music is as good as the Scorchies' songs. And what songs! I don't know which one of the two is my favorite. They come out of nowhere, and you wish they never end.

The Scorchies has the feeling of one of these annoying puppet shows you watch only if you're in the mood. But here it's mixed with a Doctor Who story, and I think there was no better choice than the Pertwee era for that one. The down-to-earth atmosphere quite add to the whole experience.

With characterization spot-on, a score that can make even the most boring of politicians laugh and one of the most original concept for a Doctor Who story, The Scorchies is probably one of the best audio release and probably one of the funniest in close competition with The Kingmaker: 10/10

Listen to it again and again, it's always as incredible as the first time you hear it!