Phil Mulryne

Even though I found the episodes themselves to be a bit of a mixed bag, I really like the concept of this set. It's a really fun idea to pair Classic Doctors with monsters from New Who. As evidenced by Fallen Angel, it can definitely work well, but some care has to go into the writing so the episode actually feels like more than just a gimmick. I appreciate the attempt by Big Finish and the writers of these episodes to try something new, and I applaud the results they were able to achieve. Hopefully following box sets will be even better. I do recommend this box set to anybody trying to get into either Classic Who or the Big Finish lineup of Doctor Who audios. It's a great jumping on point that requires very little in terms of any knowledge of the previous Doctors. The stories are mostly good and getting to hear these classic Doctors face these newer monsters is more than worth the price of the set.

(My full review can be found on my blog)… (plus d'informations)

Another fine set from Big Finish! This features Doctors Five, Six, Seven, and Eight confronting monsters from the new series (or their new series variant, in the case of the Sontarans).

Fallen Angels — yes, it IS possible to make Weeping Angels scary in audio. Five has his hands full with this one. Echoes of Amy and Rory in the couple who encounter the Doctor and the Angels in 2015 before being brought several centuries back into the past. Those who like Doctor Who stories involving interactions with famous historical personages will probably like this one, given that it involves Michelangelo.

Judoon in Chains — possibly my favourite of the set. Six is in fine form in this one, defending a Judoon who has deserted his platoon (OK, the 19th Judoon Interplanetary Force, but one cannot resist rhyming things with “Judoon”). I also liked the judge who had to roll with it when this most unusual case landed in his courtroom.

Harvest of the Sycorax — Seven does a great job in this one, with some very clever machinations and admiring the machinations of others even when they are at his expense. I still think the Sycorax are kind of limited in their ability to be used plausibly (blood control seems awfully specific), but this story worked fairly well. Also, Colin Firth’s brother, Jonathan, is in this one and has just as lovely a voice.

The Sontaran Ordeal — I’d consider the Sontarans a classic monster rather than a “new” monster, given that they first appeared in a Third Doctor story called “The Time Warrior.” However, this is a clone batch of Sontarans from the Time War, which is from the new series, so that justifies it. The story wasn’t bad. I was distracted by the name of the planet (Drakkis) and the sand serpents, which seemed like obvious Dune references, but I enjoyed Dan Starkey’s performance as Jask the Foe Slayer. A Sontaran story without Dan Starkey is unthinkable.… (plus d'informations)

This is a four-story box set from Big Finish that features Sir Winston Churchill in various adventures with the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors. Overall, this was a very good set, with well-timed use of sound effects, a small cast in each story, and a pace that sent this listener rocketing through the whole set in very short order. My thoughts on each story are as follows:

The Oncoming Storm (3.5/5) - I wasn’t fond of having Ian McNeice doing the voices of both Churchill and the Doctor. He does an excellent Churchill; however, the Doctor (Ninth in this case) doesn’t sound that much different. I know Christopher Eccleston doesn’t do much in the way of Doctor Who anything these days, but a Ninth Doctor adventure really needs a dedicated impersonator. As for the story, it was pretty good, and I cracked up at the Thesaurus-rats’ dialogue, speech, repartee. A bit too much screaming from Hetty.

Hounded (3.5/5) - This is when I realized that McNeice’s doubling up on Churchill and the Doctor was a deliberate programming decision; in this one, he tries his vocal cords at the Tenth Doctor. This was more successful than Nine. I liked the idea of bringing Churchill’s “black dog” into the realm of the supernatural. However, there was more screaming from Hetty, and I really hope that the swami wasn’t being voiced by someone doing an accent rather than an actual Indian person.

Living History (4/5) - This was my favourite of the four stories. I loved the idea of Churchill going back in time to meet Julius Caesar, and including young Kazran Sardick (on one of his adventures with Eleven) was a nice touch. And the relative absence of the Doctor meant that McNeice could concentrate on his Churchill. Finally, yay Daleks! I love Nicholas Briggs’ portrayal of them.

The Chartwell Metamorphosis (3/5) - A bit flat for me. Lily screamed even more than Hetty, which I didn’t think was possible. And the villain of the piece was too monologue-y. I did, however, really enjoy Churchill’s harrumphy lines, and there were some good discussions between Churchill and Lily about youth vs. old age.

Overall, I would cautiously recommend this set to those who have watched Doctor Who at least to the episode “Victory of the Daleks”, with the caveat that listeners should not expect to hear Eccleston, Tennant, or Smith. I think without that expectation, this would be even more fun to listen to.… (plus d'informations)