Doctor Who: The Annihilators
by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2022)
Excellent voice performances by the actors recast to play classic Doctor Who characters. Conceptually, the story is fun and era-appropriate (albeit not much more than a rehash of Galaxy 4). The execution, however, is unnecessarily choppy, disavowing any hint of longer scenes.
Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter – Stolen Goods
by Matt Fitton (Big Finish, 2018)
A light, slightly pantomimish story that (thankfully) entails a measure of misdirection. All told, a decent introduction to the Doctor’s daughter in audio form (although it’s hard not to do Big Finish an injustice and retrofit Georgia Tennant as channelling Jodie Whittaker).
Doctor Who: The Light at the End
by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2013)
A 50th anniversary celebration featuring Doctors Four through Eight. The story is remarkably coherent and remains so despite incorporating a plethora of characters and cameos. The Doctors themselves take centre stage and all feel important. Definitely one of Big Finish’s better efforts.
River Song: The Eye of the Storm
by Matt Fitton (Big Finish, 2016)
In and of itself, this is a mess. As the conclusion to a four-part adventure it’s an even bigger mess. Big Finish again sacrifices coherent storytelling for clickbait casting. Yes, a ménage à trois! But the plot is forced and borderline nonsensical.
Doctor Who: The Age of Endurance
by Nick Wallace (Big Finish, 2016)
This First Doctor audio drama evokes something of Warriors’ Gate, and again shows Nick Wallace to be one of Doctor Who’s most effective and talented writers. The scenario intrigues and the alien Shift would be brilliant on TV (as they are here).
Doctor Who, Doom Coalition 2: The Gift
by Mark Platt (Big Finish, 2016)
Following the format of the first Doom Coalition series, Mark Platt presents listeners with the classic third episode let-down. The plot doesn’t so much tread water as flounder horribly, the production degenerating into a loud, disorderly shambles as it heralds episode four.
Doctor Who: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
by Nicholas Pegg (Big Finish, 2000)
Writer director Nicholas Pegg takes the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn out onto the moors and somewhat loses his way. The story proceeds at a ramble, the subplots more or less resolve themselves, and the Doctor, though empathetic, lacks both urgency and agency.
Doctor Who: The Dark Husband
by David Quantick (Big Finish, 2008)
Whereas humour in Doctor Who has always worked best in moderation, Quantick can’t seem to help himself: the jokes never relent, meaning that the Doctor, Ace and Hex are constantly, frivolously undercutting the drama. Thus a potentially intriguing SF tale is stillborn.
Doctor Who: The Sandman
by Simon A. Forward (Big Finish, 2002)
A nice SF concept, which affords plenty of scope for the Sixth Doctor’s almost bipolar swings between compassion and firewalled ‘otherness’. Colin Baker once again shows that he could have been great if given something to work with by JNT and company.