Miscellaneous Audios
August 17, 2003These recordings don't quite fit into the other pages I have made, so I'm giving them their own page.
SYNOPSIS The Doctor and his new companion Antimony arrive on Santiny in time to rescue several people from becoming prisoners of the Canisians, a race determined to conquer the planet. They become distracted from this task by another Time Lord who needs the Doctor to perform a far more important task. Meanwhile, Ace has been captured by the Canisians, but is in turn rescued by a strange being with godlike powers. What will happen next? Well, if you didn't listen to the production online when it was free, your next option is to purchase the CD.
REVIEW When the Doctor Who Information Network asked its readers for 50 word reviews of Death Comes to Time, this is what I sent in. It was over 50 words in length, but they still published it.
"I felt that Death Comes to Time was flawed but fantastic. It once again demonstrated the versatility of Doctor Who. The mythos of this story was beautiful and intriguing and didn't clash with continuity any more than, say, making the Doctor half-human... I listened to it originally in the 10 minute chunks, but by the time the last episodes came, I decided to go from start to finish all in one go. It was incredible. I definitely need to buy the CD. The cast was wonderful. Tannis is probably my favorite villain now. The Minister goes from comic hero to tragic hero as the story progresses. The Doctor is older, wiser, sadder than ever (and Sylv performs this very well). Antimony became a companion that I wanted to know more about and see in more adventures. Ace became a favorite companion again. And the ending? Wow! The biggest Wow moment I've ever had in Doctor Who. Well done to all involved."
Since writing that review, I have purchased and listened to the CD release. Graeme Burk of the DWIN described it as the "wide-screen edition" and I think that description fits. The sound quality is far better than the Real Audio version we had online. Also, some bits were added or improved upon to make the CD more of a "director's cut."
One of the really good selling points of this audio is the guest cast. John Sessions is a hoot as General Tannis. He hasn't an ounce of conscience, and the final confrontation between him and the Doctor is that "wow" moment which I wrote about earlier. Stephen Fry plays The Minister of Chance, another Time Lord, who shows what could have happened to the Doctor should he have followed his path. The other cast members perform superbly and make for an exciting story. If you haven't heard it yet, you should check it out for yourself.
PRODUCTION INFO Produced by Dan Freedman in 2001 & 2002.
AVAILABILITY Currently Available.
- ChoicesDirect:£14.44 (UK CD)
- Amazon.com: £16.99 (UK CD)
- WhoNA: $27.50 (US CD)
SYNOPSIS A young couple is having problems in their relationship. He's from Mars, she's Venetian. Or something. So they start going to a counselor (who just happens to be a sci-fi fan and is married to a wife 30 years younger than him). Will the sessions help? They certainly cost enough! (£90 plus VAT.)
REVIEW I can honestly say this audio was worth what I paid for it. It was a gift from a friend. (Thanks Kathy!) India Fisher (Charley from the 8th Doctor Big Finish audios) plays Tess, Mark Brailsford (the author of the play) plays Mickey, and Sylvester McCoy (I think you might have an idea who he is) plays the counselor. It was performed before a live audience, but this is very much an audio play, not a visual one. The writing itself is uneven - there are some truly hilarious bits (the dream sequences, for one) and some others which don't work as well. But I found myself laughing to the right bits while listening, which is always a good sign.
I am biased when it comes to Sylv's performances, so if I say that he was wonderful in this, you probably still haven't gotten an idea of how good or bad he was. But he was wonderful in this. I thought Mark did an excellent job as Mickey, but from time to time, India was too over the top. (I suppose I kept hearing Charley. As I get to hearing/seeing more stuff with her in it, I'm sure I can judge her acting abilities better.) Some of the running gags (Inga, the counsellor's wife, as an example) were well done. And most of the sound effects added to the play, but the water effects just never worked. Overall, though, I'd say the performance was entertaining and worth £7.50.
PRODUCTION INFO Produced by Big Finish in 2001.
AVAILABILITY Currently Available.
- Big Finish: £5.99 (UK CD) £7.50 (US/AU/NZ CD)
- WhoNA: $14.50 (US CD)
- MOSV: $14.95 (US CD)
SYNOPSIS/REVIEW Probably the oldest audio recording I cover in these pages, Who's the Real McCoy is an interview with Sylvester McCoy. David Banks (the Cyberleader in several 80's Doctor Who stories) interviewed Sylvester and recorded it for posterity (and profit, most probably). Many of the tales which Sylv covers in this interview can be found in other productions (Myth Makers, Bidding Adieu). But it's a good interview and Sylvester, as always, is an entertaining figure. Although finding the tape is difficult anymore, you might check with eBay or other places where people sell off their old collectibles.
PRODUCTION INFO Produced by Silver Fist/Who Dares in 1990.
AVAILABILITY Currently not available.