Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best of the audios.
"Night Thoughts" is a great audio adventure. Full of atmosphere and loaded with unseen menace, made all the more effective through listening in a darkened room, with headphones. Sylvester McCoy is great as the Doctor, but then I think they all are, but he is so instantly recognisable as the Doctor on audio, as is Sophie Aldred recognisable as Ace. I can take or leave Hex, never having encountered him before, as prior to my excursion into the audio adventures I have only seen the DVDs. Nice to know the earlier Doctors are still out there, in some form at least. How nice it would be if we had a multiple Doctor story featuring McCoy, the current Doctor, David Tennant, and Paul McGann. We were deprived of the series featuring the 8th Doctor and McGann looked great in the part so it would be wonderful if he were written into a new story in the next series of Dr Who on tv. One can only live in hope! Until then we have the audios, but would be nice to see too. Maybe someone from the BBC will see this and take note! ;-)

Anyhow, to get back to this audio, it is very mysterious, which I like, and the sound effects were great, the ticking clock echoing around the old house, the eerie sounds of the birds at night, one could almost picture it, no mean feat in any audio to achieve that. I loved "Ghost Light" with its enigmatic weirdness and "Night Thoughts" was akin to that, only different, if you get my drift.
The psycho girl with the 'talking' rabbit was great! Very effective and creepy. Would love to see this done as a filmed story too. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Swash your buckle with one of the very best audios
One of my personal favorites!"The Church and the Crown" takes the Fifth Doctor, Peri, and Erimem (ex-pharaoh turned time traveler, introduced in the previous story) to Paris in 1626, just in time for them to get mixed up in the machinations between Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu.

High-spirited adventure mixes with some very funny moments in this pure historical (i.e. no science fiction) story.

Three cheers for historicals.
The Church and the Crown is a wonderful second adventure for the new team of the Doctor, Peri and ex Pharaoh Erimem.We find ourselves in the time of Cardnial Richeleu and to nobody's surprise there is trouble between the King, the Queen, the Cardinal and Lord Buckingham with the tardis crew landing in the middle of it.

Caroline Morris does a fantastic job in the part that seems to be made for her.The adventure fleshes out Erimem as a character who is both fascinated by the wonders of the modern age (16th century France qualifies as modern when you are from ancient Egypt) and strong enough to assert herself royally when the time calls for it.In the cover blub the writes wanted to remind the listeners that time travel with the doctor is in fact fun and they succeed.

Dr. Who vet Nicola Bryant should not be overlooked as she plays both Peri and Queen Anne with flair.It is by an odd coincidence the 2nd straight 5th doctor episode where she appears as two characters by using her normal English voice with the 2nd rather than her staged "American" voice.(The 6th doctor episode ...Ish was released between them) She shines in both roles.The act of giving Peri a best friend improves the character quite a bit.

One of the few things I have against the current David Tennant/Chris Eccleston series of Doctor Who are the way they handle historicals.Whenever they would travel to the past of the earth there was always some alien involved they never just went back and experienced or created history.(Actually thinking back the above statement could be made about Doctors 3-7 as well).This story is a welcome break from that pattern and I look forward to several more along those lines.

There is no question this should be purchased if possible after the Eye of the Scorpion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Valuable firsthand account of Who's last two seasons
If the cover of Sophie Aldred having dealt the Black Dalek with her aluminum bat doesn't convince Who fans that she's the toughest companion since Leela of the Tom Baker era, nothing will.Sophie is well-placed to tell her experiences in Doctor Who, as she was the series' last companion.She came in the wake of a tough transition in Doctor Who's history--following the dismissal of Colin Baker and the installing of Sylvester McCoy, Sophie was chosen to succeed Bonnie Langford as the new companion.

Mike Tucker, her collaborator of this work, was the visual effects designer during Doctor Who's dying days.He too provides his point of view and remembrances with equal aplomb.
In each of her nine stories (Dragonfire, Remembrance Of The Daleks, The Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis, The Greatest Show In The Galaxy, Battlefield, Ghost Light, The Curse Of Fenric, and Survival) she provides vivid commentary and detail from her diary of her experiences.There's lots of behind the scenes photographs in B&W and colour, early design sketches, listings of the cast and production team, director, story number, number of episodes and date broadcast--it's pretty comprehensive.

And yes, the famous incident of her while shooting Battlefield is included.Basically, she was in a water-filled tank and was to be pulled up.Sylvester McCoy noticed the glass bulging and then... CRACK!Sylvester shouted for the crew to lift her out, which they did, before anything happened to her.She also tells about this in the More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS video.

Considering how she was one of the few ex-alumni of Who to come out in the More Than... video, it shows how much she loved the show.She was very heartbroken when Sylvester McCoy told her that there wasn't going to be a 27th season, and that too is included in the book.

At the end of the book are photos and text of some of her post-Who efforts, including More Than A Messiah, an episode of the Stranger, the short-lived Colin Baker series, and Shakedown, a Who-spin off that not only featured the return of the troll-like Sontarans but paired her with Carole Ann Ford, Dr. Who's first ever companion.Then there's an interview where she tells what her favourite story was, plus her favourite Doctor.I have to commend her on her answer--she has good taste.

This is a splendid companion-piece after watching any of the 7th-Doctor/Ace stories.If you can find this book--get it.Break through hoardes of Daleks to get this treasure.

So you want to know about the end of an Era?
Sophie Aldred was the last companion for the longed lived Doctor Who program.She and special effects wizard Mike Tucker give their thoughts on the last three seasons of the show.The book is filled with pictures fromthe show and behind the scenes.It also contains quotes from variouspeople including Sylvester McCoy, AKA the Seventh (and final of the series)Doctor. It really is a good read, whether you like Sophie or just likeDoctor Who in general.It also contains mainly behind the scenes antics,even the infamous tank scene, where Sylvester became an actual hero.

This really is a perfect companion book to go in any collection.

The 'Ace' SophieAldred gives her view on Doctor Who
This book has it all; full colour pictures, many from the private collections of Sophie and SFX creator Mike Tucker, the technical working of the show, and witty, genuine commentary from Sophie herself. By reading this book you get a real understanding of how episodes in the Ace era wereproduced, what the cast and crew thought of them, and what they got up toon set. Sophie is full of information, and you'll want go back and watchall your videos again and go "Ah! i know how they did that!" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Far From Traditional And All The Better For It.
Let me start by saying that The Rapture is far from a traditional Doctor Who story so if you don't like non-traditional style stories stay away. Otherwise you're in for a treat. The Rapture is far from traditional and all the better for it.

The Rapture gets a good start with splendid performances from Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Sophie Aldred in one of her best performances as Ace. It also ahs a strong supporting cast starting with David John as Liam, the man with a secret from Ace's past in one of Big Finish's best supporting roles. Add on to him Daniel Wilson (Brian), Anne Bird (Caitriona), Carlos Riera (the Doctor's old friend Gustavo) and famous DJ Tony Blackburn as himself and its one of the strongest Big Finish casts. Then there are the villains who literally steal the show: Matthew Brenher (Jude) and Neil Henry (Gabriel). Thought o call them villains might be pushing it, though you'd have to listen to this to get my point. There sympathetic in a odd sort fo way.

Outside of the cast, this is a very strong story. It has a strong religious allegory in it that pretty obvious when you hear it, but it's a point that needed and continue to be needed to be said. Then there's the techno score which is excellent, especially the techno version of the Doctor Who Theme (anyone know where I can get a copy of this online?) which I love. Then there's the huge twist with Ace and her past: it's a shocker to say the least. Plus there's a twist ending that you just have to hear.

In short, The Rapture is an excellent adventure for McCoy and Aldred. With strong performances, terrific writing, and a techno score it's one of the most original Doctor Who stories ever. As I wrote, if you dislike non-traditional stories, stay away. Otherwise: This is far from traditional and all the better for it.
... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Graeme Garden, Rikki Fulton, Shirley Henderson, Armando Iannucci, Sylvester Mccoy, Gordon Jackson, Ken Stott, Andrew Keir, Sean Biggerstaff, Ashley Jensen, Lindsay Duncan, Amy Manson, David Macmillan, Emun Elliott, Laura Fraser, George Chisholm, Siobhan Redmond, Ryan Kelly, Alex Munro, Benny Lee, Sean Arnold. Excerpt:Alex Munro (born 6 March 1911 - died 20 January 1986) was a Scottish actor and comedian. Career Born as Alexander Horsburgh in Shettleston , Glasgow , he joined his brother Archie and sister June in an acrobatic act called The Star Trio . They later changed their name to The Horsburgh Brothers and Agnes and became part of Florrie Forde's music hall company with Flanager and Allen. During World War Two, Munroe toured with the RAF show, Contact , and had his own BBC radio series The Size of It . He headlined in a number of British variety theatres, before finally making his home in Llandudno, Wales . He was given creative control of the Llandudno Pier Pavilion Theatre in the 1970s. The Alex Munro Show ran at the Happy Valley in Llandudno for 30 years. Death Munro died in Llandudno in 1986, aged 74. He was the father of actress Janet Munro , who predeceased her father. He had two grandchildren by Munro. Filmography Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Amy Manson Amy Manson (born 1985) is a Scottish actress , known for portraying Alice Guppy in Torchwood , Abby Evans in Casualty and Lizzie Siddal in Desperate Romantics . Background Born and raised in Aberdeenshire , Manson has a sister, Ailsa and a brother, James. She attended Stage Coach, a Saturday drama school, before leaving home for London at the age of seventeen. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama , leaving early to film Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud in Romania . She cu... ... Read more

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Chapters: Tom Wisniewski, Sylvester Mccoy, Brian Wilson, Virginia Bottomley, Neil Macfarlane, Eric Campbell, Stewart Houston, Alex Downie. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 38. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Sylvester McCoy (born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith 20 August 1943) is a Scottish actor. A comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to 1989 and a brief return in a television movie in 1996. McCoy was born in Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula, to an Irish mother and English father. He was raised primarily in Dublin. In his youth, he trained for the priesthood, but gave this up and spent time working in the insurance industry. He worked in The Roundhouse box office for a time, where he was discovered by Ken Campbell. He currently resides in London. He came to prominence as a member of the comedy act "The Ken Campbell Roadshow". His best known act was as a stuntman character called "Sylveste McCoy" in a play entitled An Evening with Sylveste McCoy (the name was coined by actor Brian Murphy, part of the Roadshow at the time), where his stunts included putting a fork and nails up his nose and stuffing ferrets down his trousers, and setting his head on fire. As a joke, the programme notes listed Sylveste McCoy as played by "Sylveste McCoy" and, after a reviewer missed the joke and assumed that Sylveste McCoy was a real person, Kent-Smith adopted this as his stage name. He was also reportedly a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones. Some years later, on discovering that there were thirteen letters in 'Sylveste McCoy' and feeling that this might be unlucky, McCoy added an 'r' to the end ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=241894 ... Read more

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Brought back to life after 4000 years, The Supreme Pharaoh Sennapod lives with Ben and Carrie and their mum and dad. Then Sennapod accidentally wins a modelling competition - and suddenly everyone's doing the strange Dance of the Pharaohs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cool style predictable plot
Live 34 is rather unique as a Doctor Who episode.

It is told in the format of a broadcast by the Live 34 network, no theme music just the tuning of the station.

That format is rather cool and turns a very pedestrian story into something worth listening to.

Unfortunately the plot is so predictable even for a doctor who story that other than one final reveal there is nothing to guess about.

It's worth getting for the performances and the style but if you are looking for excitement well i'd try Colditz. ... Read more

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"This book is about England's very first visitor from Outer Space in The Year of our Lord 1100. It is the story of how he got his name and how, helped by the smallest of girls, he became The Biggest Hero England Ever Had." When something heads towards England very fast and then crash-lands in the forest, Simpkins Sampkins the poacher gets the shock of his life. He has just seen a man with blue and green hair and a giraffe neck. He has a face that glows in the dark and looks like a full moon up in the sky. He is also the size of several large trees. So Simpkins Sampkins runs away and it is up to Tilly the miller's daughter to realize that Big George doesn't speak a word of English and is harmless. She also needs to protect him from the frightened people around her who are prepared to attack anything they don't understand. But there is something about George that will solve all the problems. A delightfully funny story written with a light touch. It has a historical setting and also gently introduces how easy it is to be scared and aggressive towards something purely through the fear of the unknown. ... Read more

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After a few earlier experiments, BBV began regularly releasing audio dramas on CD in 1998, under the umbrella title Audio Adventures in Time & Space. The mainstay of the CD line to begin with was a series starring Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred (the Doctor/companion team from the 1987, 1988 and 1989 seasons of Doctor Who) as a pair of wanderers in time and space named "The Professor" (McCoy) and "Ace" (Aldred) who so closely resembled the characters McCoy and Aldred had played on Doctor Who - even addressing each other by the same nicknames ... Read more

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The Seventh Doctor's era is walking, talking proof - if any were needed - that Doctor Who and its fan following constitute a remarkably broad church. Every period of Doctor Who has its champions and its detractors, but when it comes to these three seasons the division of opinion is more acute than most. Some fans consider them an abberation in both style and substance, offering little more than the prolonged death-rattle of a once-loved show; others have found a renewed spirit, imagination and commitment in the Sylvester McCoy era that puts it among the most inspired and inspiring periods in the show's history... There's also a full guide to the Seventh Doctor's adventures in audio, book and comic strip form, and an Afterword from Ace actress Sophie Aldred. Packed with dozens of never-before-published photographs and 100 pages of material. ... Read more

Product Description
After a few earlier experiments, BBV began regularly releasing audio dramas on CD in 1998, under the umbrella title Audio Adventures in Time & Space. The mainstay of the CD line to begin with was a series starring Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred (the Doctor/companion team from the 1987, 1988 and 1989 seasons of Doctor Who) as a pair of wanderers in time and space named "The Professor" (McCoy) and "Ace" (Aldred) who so closely resembled the characters McCoy and Aldred had played on Doctor Who - even addressing each other by the same nicknames ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great for Ace & 7th Doctor fans
Sophie Aldred as Ace, and Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor are wonderful in this audio adventure from Big Finish. There are some unexpected appearances from old enemies(won't spoil it for you here!), which should surprise quite a few fans.:)

Definitely recommended to Doctor Who fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cringe-Worthy To Say The Least
After viewing Season 24 of the original series, I never thought I would have to cringe at another Sylvester McCoy Doctor Who story ever again. And then I listened to Bang-Bang-A-Boom! Needless to say I discovered how wrong I could be in what could be the worst story Big Finish has yet released.

Bang-Bang-A-Boom! is set between Paradise Towers and Delta and the Bannerman, which are both from season 24 and the latter considered by many to be McCoy's worst story incidentally. And this story feels like it belongs next to it. Why? Because this story was deliberately meant to be a parody in its tone and nature and that is exactly what it is: a parody and a bad one at that. It takes the clichés from every TV series ever set on a space station, combines that with every murder mystery cliché and the result is this story. The story's problem: it doesn't take itself seriously so nobody takes it seriously. Which is a shame...a crying shame.

To be fair Yes it has (some) funny moments with McCoy mixing up metaphors. It isn't the actors fault that their given a script this bad to work with. That said, outside of McCoy and Bonnie Langford, none of the cast members seem to really care just how bad this really is or how bad they sound doing it.

Bang-Bang-A-Boom! is a story that is clichéd and cringe-worthy all the way through. It doesn't take itself seriously either as a Doctor Who story or as a parody of... well space station shows or murder mysteries or anything in-between. Recommended for those seeking to complete their collections only.

You'll love it or hate it...
The Doctor & Mel are trapped on a space station, while their TARDIS is floating about deep space.No one is who they seem...& even worse, people are being killed one by one.The Doctor & Mel are up to their usual task of trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.Overall, the story is at times a bit cheesy, & every time someone dies they play this cheesy music.But on the other hand, it had some great parts like the Doctor's tangent "...the redshift gobbles up planets at the edge of time."There is also one part where I laughed uncontrollably when a manly female alien is taking advantage of the Doctor...So overall, you'll love it or hate it depending on whether you're able to set aside the cheesy parts & enjoy the actual story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I've heard that voice somewhere.....
A very solid Story for the 7th Doctor as he and Ace find themselves once again in the Third Reich during the 2nd World War, this time in Colditz Castle.

Apprehended rather quickly the questions arise:Who are these two Englanders, what are the strange contraptions that they have, how is this machine able to travel and more importantly who is this woman from headquarters who seems to know what a "Tardis" is?

Listening to this with my son we found enough plot twists to keep us guessing.We didn't things out till near the very end (and even that is, to some degree conjecture).

Ironically this is David Tennant's first dive into Doctor Who playing Feldwebel Kurtz four years before he would take the title role in the series.This alone is enough to make this episode a must buy for any Doctor Who fan, but the solid performances, first rate script and inspired plot are a much better reason. ... Read more

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Twin CD Set

Two thousand years ago, a cataclysmic volcanic eruption wiped theRoman city of Pompeii from the face of the Earth. It also burried theDoctor's TARDIS... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It's Volcano Day
The Doctor and Mel arrive in Pompeii one day before Vesuvius erupts.The Doctor is plunged into despair because he knows this is the end of the line.Years ago he was shown a strange artefact unearthed in the ruins of this doomed city--a certain Police Box that he would recognize anywhere.

Melanie Bush doesn't exactly top the list of favourite companions.I think this apathy has nothing to do with Bonnie Langford's acting abilities and personal charm and everything to do with the poor material she was given in the television series.The character of Mel wasn't given a proper introduction and was never developed.The only thing the average fan remembers is that Mel was obsessed with carrot juice and that Ms Langford has the ability to scream in the key of the Doctor Who theme music.

While this story doesn't fully rehabilitate Mel, it does go a long way toward making her a likable and sympathetic character.Scriptwriter Steve Lyons gives her lots to do--exploring the Roman world, bolstering the Doctor's flagging spiriting, escaping from jail, and racing through the ash-shrouded streets.

Unlike the Pompeii episode in the new series, this one is a straight-forward historical featuring characters based on real people who lived in the city at the times of its destruction.

While the storyline isn't terribly fast paced, I defiantly wouldn't call it plodding.Rather, it unfolds with intelligence and elegance, culminating in a rather good depiction of the volcano's eruption.

4 stars.

Gives Fires a run for its money
Dr Who the fires of Vulcan is one of the best 7th Doctor Adventures I have had the pleasure of listening to.

It combines a very strong story with first rate acting, particularly from Bonnie Langford in her first appearance as Mel in the Audios.

The range the story gives Mel shows how wasted she was in the series, when using her as a character rather than a prop Mel shines.

The story begins in 1980 with the Tardis being uncovered in a dig of Pompeii and Unit being called in.

Exit to the year 64 AD were a very subdued 7th Doctor realizes that the future he knew was coming has finally caught up with him.

As the Doctor deals with his resignation to the will of the web of time Mel decides to take action to try to save them both.It really works well and interestingly doesn't conflict with the 10th Doctor's later visit and explains some elements of it.The final resolution in fact seems to foreshadow his tactics in later audios such as Colditz (Doctor Who).

As for Bonnie Langford this began a streak of winning episodes for her in the series.It's been a bad break that development of newer characters have kept her out for the last couple of years but hopefully we will see more of her soon.

Either way this one is definitely a buyer and a keeper.

"Pompeii is our window on the Roman world...our window."
"The Fires of Vulcan" is one of the most popular Big Finish audios, but I consider it a little overrated. It is a solid, well-written and well-acted historical tale with excellent production values and an interesting time paradox for the Doctor to handle -- but there are many similar tales in the "Doctor Who" canon, especially among the original novels. Perhaps this story is so popular because it "rehabilitates" the era in which it is set -- the unloved Season 24 -- and its companion -- the controversial Melanie Bush, excellently played here by Bonnie Langford. I always liked Mel better than most "Who" fans anyway, so I don't see a vast difference in her likeability here. In any case, this is an excellent story, but so are the vast majority of Big Finish's "Who" productions; I just don't see "The Fires of Vulcan" as something very special, but maybe I'm missing something.

A great historical!
The Doctor in Pompeii, what's not to love? Granted some of the secondary characters are very one dimensional, but I think the overall flavor of Pompeii is captured nicely. The best part of this CD is that Mel, perhaps one of the most irritating companions on the televison, is redeemed. We see a vibrant, hopeful companion worthy of the Doctor who thankfully does not scream once! Moreover we see a multisided performance from Sylvestor McCoy ranging from morose to hopeful. It is nice to see more than the clown or the manipulator that McCoy's Doctor has become known for. One of the best Big Finish CD's to date!

A great story for Mel, but not the Doctor
I was pleased to spot this Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventure on Amazon's site - I don't recall having seen the previous eleven.

Set during the first year of the seventh Doctor's stories, it features Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Bonnie Langford as companion Mel Bush.Now, Mel has never been the most popular of the Doctor's travelling companions, which I suspect is partially because of her overly exuberant personality and partially because none of the stories she appeared in really suited her.

In her first appearance in a Big finish audio play, I was happy to see that situation reversed.Mel firmly takes centre stage in this adventure set in the last days of Pompeii, with Vesuvius about to erupt.We learn that the Doctor was aware that his TARDIS had been found buried in Pompeii, and had avoided going there.But, having arrived by accident, he feels that he has no choice but to stay and let events proceed, even if it means his death.

Mel refuses to accept that there is no choice but to accept that the future is set. Her attempts to save the Doctor, herself and others from the eruption of Vesuvius shows her character's strong points at their best.

The Doctor's late conversion from a fatalist to someone willing to her try to change the future seems out of character.

Not the best of the Big Finish productions to date (but please note that the general quality is high), this one is certainly worth listening to. ... Read more

Product Description
Set of 2 Audio CDs. Running time: 120 minutes ... Read more