After 20 years of Doctor Who travelling space and time in audio form for Big Finish, they celebrate this amazing anniversary with a seven story extravaganza pulling form more of their Doctor Who related ranges than you can shake a sonic at.
They have assembled the finest team of writers from over those twenty years to. The line up is James Goss, Guy Adams, Jonathan Morris, Matt Fitton and John Dorney, not only all notable writers but many of whom also produce ranges too. It really is a testament to the team they have assembled, including not only establish writers but being a breeding ground to nuture new tallant.
Then you get to the cast. This set features six Doctors (Tim Trelore, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann) leading six tales, five being original and with Tim Trelore as an original Big Finish recruit who entirely well takes on the Third Doctor as if Pertwee were back with us.
To be honest with you, if you had these six reading the phone book to each other in character I’d still probably shed a tear! Thankfully they set their sights a little higher, bringing in the Countermeasures team, Alex Kingston, Georgia Tennant, Lisa Bowerman, Nicholas Briggs, Katy Manning, India Fisher and Sophia Aldred to name but a few. They would need twenty episodes at least to bring in all your favourite Big Finish Doctor Who characters and actors, but it feels like this does justice to the legacy. There are also some jaw dropping cameos I will not spoil here.
For me, I found myself more drawn toward the stories containing the ranges with which I was more familiar (Big Finish has such a vast array of content its hard to follow it all) and finding all the stories at least enjoyable, but mostly enthralling. The choice of foe behind the interlinking story between what are fairly stand alone stories is inspired, but again, spoilers sweetie!
In short , I love this set. The stories take me somewhere that feels important enough for such a set, but really it’s the moments that get me: characters who aren’t meant to be able to meet, meeting with enough justification of why it’s okay; moments where the characters get to saying things they might not usually get a chance to – and of course the moment when Doctors collide!
You can buy this set now on CD or download at Big Finish.
For a longer review of this title, please listen to Gallifrey Stands on SCIFI.radio Friday 26th June and in podcast form shortly thereafter, wherever you get your podcasts.
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