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Doctor Who - Audio Adventures

Started by daf, July 29, 2018, 12:43:56 PM

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JamesTC

Love and War is great if you are interested in Bernice Summerfield. It is an adaption of her first Doctor Who story.

Jubilee and The Last Adventure are a must for Sixth Doctor on audio.

daf

Yes, Those sixth Doctor ones are both excellent picks.

Oddly, I was just thinking of getting Love & War - as I have all the early Bennys (series 1-11) - so that'd make a nice addition.

Think I may also pick up the Dark Eyes set (8th Doctor) - the trailer sounded pretty good.

mjwilson

Quote from: daf on July 19, 2019, 04:40:48 PM
Think I may also pick up the Dark Eyes set (8th Doctor) - the trailer sounded pretty good.

I can recommend disc 1.

daf

Only released a few days ago, but if anyone wants the "physical edition" of The Legacy of Time set - get in quick :

Quote
Big Finish Productions
1 hr ·
LAST FEW REMAINING! #DoctorWho: The Legacy of Time limited edition eight-disc set is close to selling out. https://bgfn.sh/Doctors BUY NOW to avoid disappointment.
https://www.facebook.com/215891121773411/posts/2734498366579328/


daf

#214
Big Finish are having another warehouse clearance - this time for the Companion Chronicles. Once they're gone, they're gone * - last chance to get these on CD - (£2.99 each & orders over £50 get 10% off)
https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/companion-chronicles-special-offers-whilst-stocks-last



The Companion Chronicles offers page : https://www.bigfinish.com/offers/v/companions
(enter the code FROSTFIRE)

QuoteDoctor Who – The Companion Chronicles range delves into the past to tell stories of the Doctor as seen through the eyes of his companions. These adventures have some unique storylines, featuring encounters you could only dream of and starring some incredible talent – some of whom are sadly no longer with us.

Under this special offer all The Companion Chronicles in series 1–8 are available for just £2.99 each on CD (including doubles). These offers expire at 23:59 (UK time) on 29/07/2019 – so don't delay!

My top picks :
"Frostfire" Vicki / (1st Doctor) - London 1814, Jane Austen and the egg of the phoenix.
"The Mahogany Murderers" Jago & Litefoot - It's Jago & Litefoot!
"The Suffering" Steven Taylor & Vicki / (1st Doctor) - In 1912, Suffragette Movement, the Piltdown Man.
"Solitaire" Charley Pollard / (8th Doctor) - the Eighth Doctor has been turned into a ventriloquist's dummy
"Find and Replace"  Jo Grant / (3rd Doctor) - Stuck in a lift with Iris Wildthyme
"A Town Called Fortune" / Evelyn Smythe (6th Doctor) - Wild West
"Peri and the Piscon Paradox" Peri Brown / (5th and 6th Doctors) - time paradox with two Peris
"The Rocket Men" Ian Chesterton / (1st Doctor) - floating city besieged by men flying in rocket packs.
"The Last Post" Liz Shaw / (3rd Doctor) - Featuring Liz Shaw's professor mum - Emily Shaw
"The Flames of Cadiz" Ian & Susan / (1st Doctor) - Spanish Armada - pure historical
"The Scorchies"  Jo Grant / (3rd Doctor) - Musical (pure hysterical)
"The Library of Alexandria" Ian / (1st Doctor) - another pure historical
"Starborn"  Vicki / (1st Doctor) - early 20th Century Earth, Vicki & Fortune teller
"The Elixir of Doom"  Jo Grant & Iris Wildthyme - Jo and Iris in 1930s Hollywood.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Two have already sold out : Council of War  (Benton) /  Return of the Rocket Men (Steven)
edit :
Get in quick, playmates - another bunch have just gone :  A Town Called Fortune (Evelyn) / The Beginning (Susan) / & The Library of Alexandria (Ian)


JamesTC

Peri and the Piscon Paradox is a must buy. One of my favourite Doctor Who stories.

Currently listening to The Legacy of Time. The stories are only very loosely connected. The first five could all be released on their own and it wouldn't make a difference. They have done something rather interesting with the Sixth Doctor and Charley which I didn't expect at this point.

About to start the sixth story and I assume that this one ties it all together as I think it has 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in as well as Tom Baker.



A thing that caught my eye earlier this week was a news post from Big Finish: Equality and diversity at Big Finish
Quote
Over recent months, we have received a number of messages from Big Finish fans who would like the company to make statements concerning the views expressed by individuals we have worked with. 

Big Finish productions have featured a wide and diverse group of writers, actors, directors, musicians, producers, sound designers and other talented people over the past 20 years and the company has never published such a statement before. Our purpose, and aim, is to make entertaining audio drama that delights everyone and is inclusive for all.

However, we would never want Big Finish to be a company that people felt uncomfortable working with, or to produce content that people would feel uncomfortable listening to. We contract hundreds, if not thousands, of people every year on a freelance basis from all kinds of backgrounds and we also always endeavour to represent that diversity in our output. 

QuoteThe Company is committed to ensuring its staff and managers are trained in equality and diversity and aims to ensure that adequate training is provided so that managers are able to operate this policy. Examples include specific training on race, gender, gender identity, disability, sexuality, age and religion or belief, in accordance with the requirements of the law and good practice.

Any complaints of discrimination and/or breaches of this policy are reported to the operations manager at Big Finish and are treated very seriously. Such occurrences are dealt with internally and we do not comment publicly on the outcome, nor any decision made as a result of the review process. 

Initially, I thought this was in reference to Gareth Roberts who had been kicked off a BBC Books thing for using trans slurs on Twitter. But he hadn't worked on Big Finish in a long time. Then I looked on Twitter and found it related to James Dreyfuss (a Big Finish incarnation of The Master). He appears to have gone full-on Glinner on Twitter and is calling anybody who disagrees with him and expresses their concerns to Big Finish "kiddies" or "ninnies". Not a good look.

After seeing more about what the reasoning behind the post I was initially rather disappointed by Big Finish. They throw out this corporate line which just outlines their legal obligation without saying anything of merit:
QuoteThis extract from our Equality and Diversity Policy should illuminate where we stand on issues of inclusion. This policy applies to all staff who are in the employment of Big Finish and all contract staff who are contracted with Big Finish.

The Company is committed to ensuring:

That existing members of staff, job applicants, or workers are treated fairly in an environment which is free from any form of discrimination with regard to nine of the protected characteristics as outlined by the Equality Act 2010 which are:

    age;
    disability;
    gender reassignment;
    being married or in a civil partnership;
    being pregnant or on maternity leave;
    race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin;
    religion or belief;
    sex;
    sexual orientation.

Then I saw lawyers mentioned on Twitter and I wonder if maybe Big Finish are picking their words carefully. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here for the time being.

There has been a great response by a couple of people involved with Big Finish. The current Big Finish writer John Dorney tweeted a pro-trans interview dispelling some of the myths terfs throw out with the comment "I believe this is part of a longer interview, but it's one I feel the urge to retweet again today, for some reason". The other response was by the actor Elliot Chapman who plays the recasted Ben Jackson. He is giving his full fee for the upcoming story 'The Home Guard'  (which he is in with Dreyfuss) to the charity Mermaids.



daf

#216
Big Finish 99p clearance SALE

QuoteHead to URL: https://www.bigfinish.com/offers/v/endofline19 and use access code AUGUST for all these fantastic discounts, starting from just 99p. These offers are only available until 23:59 UK time on 19th August 2019.



all CDs / downloads 99p each :
Gallifrey
Cyberman
Dalek Empire
UNIT
Pathfinder Legends
Blake's 7
Sherlock Holmes
Graceless
Vienna
Bernice Summerfield books
- - - - - - - - -
Dark Shadows (£1.99 each)
- - - - - - - - -
Main Range 51-100 (£2.99 each) - these are what's left :
5th & Nyssa : 66. The Game
5th & Nyssa : 91. Circular Time (TOP CLASS!!)
5th & Turlough : 76. Singularity
5th & Peri : 95. Exotron
5th Peri & Erimem : 59. The Roof of the World
5th Peri & Erimem : 69. Three's a Crowd
5th Peri & Erimem : 99. Son of the Dragon (it's got a Draclea in it!!)
6th & Peri : 90. Year of the Pig (Excellent historical)
6th & Iris Wildthyme : 51. The Wormery (Comedy)
6th (solo) : Doctor Who: 94. I.D. *
6th & Evelyn : 84. The Nowhere Place
6th & Mel : 68. Catch 1782 (Brills!)
6th & Mel & Evelyn : 73. Thicker Than Water (Wicked!)
6th & Mel : 97. The Wishing Beast (Skills!)
7th Ace & Hex : 67. Dreamtime
7th (solo) : 96. Valhalla *
8th Charley & C'rizz : 53. The Creed of the Kromon
8th Charley & C'rizz : 75. Scaredy Cat (This one is BLOODY AWFUL!)
8th Charley & C'rizz : 80. Time Works
8th Charley & C'rizz : 88. Memory Lane (* now out of print)

If nobody's tried it then the Dark Shadows release Beyond the Grave is excellent as is The House by the Sea. Beyond the Grave takes the idea of a live Halloween episode of a ghost hunting show being broadcast from Collinsport. Some threads for it had been seeded in the run of Dark Shadows up to that point but you can listen to it as a stand alone. The House by the Sea is even better. Essentially a one man show with Colin Baker renting a haunted house in the town. At 1.99 each they're definitely worth a blind buy. 

purlieu

This always happens when I'm skint.

daf

#219
Never read any of the Benny books before, but, at 99p a pop, this was too good an opportunity to miss.

Hopefully they will fill some of the story gaps in the audios - most notably during the series 2 -  where they experimented by having the story arc alternate from CD to book :

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Doomsday Manuscript (Book)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Secret of Cassandra (Audio)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Gods of the Underworld  (Book)
The Squire's Crystal  (Book)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Stone's Lament (Audio)
The Extinction Event  (Audio)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Infernal Nexus (Book)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Skymines of Karthos  (Audio)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Glass Prison (Book)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Still available :
The Gods of the Underworld by Stephen Cole
Life During Wartime (short stories set within the 'Fifth Axis' story arc)
The Two Jasons by Dave Stone
Nobody's Children (3 novellas)
The Vampire Curse (3 Novellas)
Secret Histories (short story collection)
Present Danger (short story collection)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Benny Timeline

purlieu

QuoteBig Finish The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles
Available to order from www.bigfinish.com

Twelfth Doctor Chronicles incoming in 2020!

Four new adventures from the era of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor will be brought to life by Jacob Dudman, due for release from Big Finish in February 2020.

The Doctor Chronicles bring the era of New Series Doctor Who to life, utilising the talents of actor and impressionist, Jacob Dudman. From the era of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, to Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, we've marvelled at stories based on the works of Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat. But now we head to the Twelfth Doctor, originally played by Peter Capaldi.

There will be four stories in the first box set of The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles, set for release in February 2020. The first is entitled:

1.1. The Charge of the Night Brigade by David Llewellyn.

The Doctor finds himself in the Crimean War in 1855. There's a strange sickness stalking the streets of Balaklava and it's up to the Doctor and Mary Seacole to put a stop to it.

More details on the co-stars and other three adventures will be coming soon.

The new sets of New Series Doctor Who Chronicles are produced by Alfie Shaw. Alfie tells us more, "I am huge fan of the Twelfth Doctor and a chance to create new adventures for him is utterly thrilling. I continue to marvel at the seemingly endless talent of Jacob Dudman and am overjoyed to get the chance to work with him on a boxset. We've got four fabulous stories from amazing writers and the Doctor will be joined by some familiar faces along the way. As to who they might be and what they'll get up to, well, that's for another day...".



This isn't the first time that Jacob Dudman has taken on the mantle of the Twelfth Doctor... you can also hear his uncanny portrayal in Doctor Who Short Trip: Dead Media, available at £2.99 from bigfinish.com.

Plus, the Eleventh Doctor and the Twelfth Doctor will be meeting in May 2020, in Short Trip Regeneration Impossible, coming May 2020.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles available to pre-order now, at £22.99 per CD boxset, or £19.99 on download.

General Release: RRP at £34.99 CD and £29.99 download

"Yay"

Norton Canes

What? This is just some guy impersonating Capaldi?

Quote from: Norton Canes on August 19, 2019, 11:06:41 AM
What? This is just some guy impersonating Capaldi?

Yeah and it's not good:

https://soundcloud.com/big-finish/doctor-who-dead-media-trailer

Both Eccleston and Capaldi have expressed their reluctance to return to the role for Big Finish and I doubt stuff like this is going to change their minds.

daf

#223
Yeah, these are basically like one of those Pickwick Top of the Pops albums with session guys doing covers - COMPLETELY POINTELSS!

I've mentioned them before - but just to clarify the somewhat murky area, this range of "impersonated" Doctor Who Audios are called CHRONICLES, while the ones featuring the REAL TV actor (only David Tennant from the New Series so far) are called ADVENTURES.

Just be patient Big Finish - even Tom Baker came round eventually* - and I can well imagine him telling them to shove it up their rusty vortex had he come across a pile of "Pickwick" Fourth Doctor Chronicles (featuring Jon Culshaw) during the 13-14 years he held out. 

The Companion Chronicles are slightly different case for me - as the first three Doctors aren't available (without a shovel) and they don't re-cast the Doctor. One of the original companions tells the story from their point of view, and when required does a loose take on their Doctor - giving the line and then "said the Doctor".

Ironically, in her Companion Chronicles, due to years of smoking like a chimbley, Katie Manning probably gets closer to an accurate Pertwee than her Jo Grant voice these days!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* And going by the behind the scenes extras, he absolutely LOVES doing them too - they've really given him a second wind.

The trouble is Big Finish are paying for the new series license and only one of the new series Doctors wants to work with them (and due to Tennant remaining an in-demand actor he doesn't work with them all that often.)

So they end up doing this sort of photocopy-of-a-Doctor stuff which does appear almost deliberately misleading (The long-awaited Ninth Doctor Chronicles!! With a big picture of Eccleston on the cover, then "narrated by Nicholas Briggs" in small text).

I get why they're doing it to recoup costs of paying for the license and to attract a larger audience who may only like the new series, but it does feel a bit manipulative and ultimately hollow.

daf

#225
Quote from: Norton Canes on August 19, 2019, 11:06:41 AM
What? This is just some guy impersonating Capaldi? a random Scottish bloke


The expansion of the ranges with the New Who license just made me think I can't afford all of this. So just stopped buying anything. I wonder if there stratgey is to milk the "Whales" ratehr than tryingto create new customers.

I reckon there's some truth to that. It is a little worrying to hear on Who forums how many people buy *everything* every month.

Also the cynic in me thinks they know that by slapping a new series Doctor on the box there's more chance it will shift units with fans who don't really follow Big Finish, even if the product isn't any great shakes.

daf

#228
The only one from the new series I'm tempted by is The Paternoster Gang - as that's got . . .

a) All the original cast
b) Rich & plumptious late Victorian historical setting
c) Comedy bits with Strax

 

Featuring stories Jago & Litefoot might have done had they continued - there was one crossover a few years ago that's very good - Jago Litefoot & Strax - 'The Haunting'. *

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
*  (and the first 5 series of 'J&L' are up on Spotify - if anyone wants to dip a toe in)

purlieu

Yeah, even though I'm hoping to go through the bulk of them at some point, I'm not sure I'm going to bother with any of the impersonation ones. Aren't there some Third Doctor stories with someone else playing the character too? Which makes sense given Pertwee's not exactly alive, but on the whole they churn out so much Whoniverse material, I don't understand the need to expand it to pretend Doctors.

That clip sounds like... well, someone doing an impression of Peter Capaldi. You can definitely hear who he's trying to be, but you can also hear that it's not him.

jamiefairlie

Quote from: purlieu on August 19, 2019, 08:40:49 PM
Yeah, even though I'm hoping to go through the bulk of them at some point, I'm not sure I'm going to bother with any of the impersonation ones. Aren't there some Third Doctor stories with someone else playing the character too? Which makes sense given Pertwee's not exactly alive, but on the whole they churn out so much Whoniverse material, I don't understand the need to expand it to pretend Doctors.

That clip sounds like... well, someone doing an impression of Peter Capaldi. You can definitely hear who he's trying to be, but you can also hear that it's not him.

The third doctor ones are actually really good. They capture the spirit of the times and are very enjoyable, one of my favourites of the whole range.

daf

Quote from: purlieu on August 19, 2019, 08:40:49 PM
Aren't there some Third Doctor stories with someone else playing the character too?

Yes Tim Treloar's the 'stunt Pertwee' - here's the trailer for Volume 5. They also re-cast The Brig and Lis Shaw (with her own daughter) in that one.

I think that's fair enough really - with all three being currently dead, and Tim's got Katie Manning's seal of approval, so I might go for a couple of those if there's a sale on.

jamiefairlie

Quote from: Old Gold Tooth on August 19, 2019, 02:48:13 PM
I reckon there's some truth to that. It is a little worrying to hear on Who forums how many people buy *everything* every month.

Also the cynic in me thinks they know that by slapping a new series Doctor on the box there's more chance it will shift units with fans who don't really follow Big Finish, even if the product isn't any great shakes.

Maybe just my taste but I can't get into the new series audios at all. I find they suffer from not having the correct people but also the pace is too hurried and they feel really bitty and frantic but then again, that's why i don't really like the new series on TV either, so probably just me then.

jamiefairlie

Quote from: daf on August 19, 2019, 08:55:53 PM
Yes Tim Treloar's the 'stunt Pertwee' - here's the trailer for Volume 5. They also re-cast The Brigadeer and Lis Shaw (with her own daughter) in that one.

I think that's fair enough really - with all three being currently dead, and it's got Katie Manning's seal of approval, so I might go for a couple of those if there's a sale on.

If you like the TV show from that era then I think you'll enjoy them.

The thing is it's not just about wanting to milk the new series stuff, you've got a situation where their core roster of Doctors are all ageing. Tom Baker is 85, Peter Davison is 68, Colin Baker is 76, Sylvester McCoy is 75.  Paul McGann is the only one under 60 and he mainly does box set stuff for them now. I think they realise they're at risk of losing Doctors. I know Tom has talked about recording episodes well in advance to make sure there's stuff still to release when he's gone. Tennant is the only new series Doctor to work for them and I think two things played into that - 1. He appeared in various BF plays before he was cast as The Doctor. 2. He had tv companions agree to work for BF as well. With the risk of losing some of their actors a very real thing they have to look at it as a business and expand their ranges so you get these odd releases with new Doctors but not the actual actors as a way of tiding things over while hoping the actors eventually go to them.

purlieu

That's a fair point, and it does bring to mind a grim reality in ten years time when the only Big Finish stories with original Doctors are McGann ones and the occasional Tennant story, while an Jodie Whittaker impersonator does some stories and the Lee Mack's Character Backstory is on its fourth box set.

I reckon both Capaldi and Smith will make the jump eventually. BF are supposed to be so good to work with and it's not demanding work. There's something about Who that seems to bring people back eventually. I think the fact Michelle Gomez has made the leap might tempt Capaldi back.

I'm one of the people who buys most things BF release because I know the general quality of the writing is so high.

jamiefairlie

Quote from: purlieu on August 19, 2019, 09:26:48 PM
That's a fair point, and it does bring to mind a grim reality in ten years time when the only Big Finish stories with original Doctors are McGann ones and the occasional Tennant story, while an Jodie Whittaker impersonator does some stories and the Lee Mack's Character Backstory is on its fourth box set.

Recasting the older doctors is a valid option though. The first and third doctors are already there and work well. They do create a surplus of material so there would be a natural interregnum period between the actor dying and the new guys starting, as they work their way through releasing the already recorded backlog.

It's moving towards viewing the various doctors as classic literary charters like Holmes or Bond say, that can be played by many actors.

The second is kind of there through Frazer Hines' imitations as well. But I think there was a natural buffer with the first three in that they were dead before Big Finish started. Will they feel the same about carrying on with anyone from Doctors 5 - 7 when one of them passes? They've been working with them regularly for twenty years, it could feel ghoulish to them.

purlieu

I suppose my perspective on it is: there are already so many Whoniverse stories coming out every year on Big Finish, including six original Doctors (plus the First Doctor ones with the An Adventure in Space and Time cast as a novelty) I really don't see the need to have impersonators doing the other Doctors. He's not my favourite Doctor, but the Third Doctor's era is my favourite period of the whole show, but I'm not interested in hearing stories from the era without Pertwee himself involved. It just doesn't seem authentic.