BFA Reccs

[fangrrl_squees]

I've received a couple of requests to do this, so here we go:

Fangrrl's Entirely Personal List of Big Finish Doctor Who Audio Recommendations

All italicized descriptions are taken from the Big Finish website, as they do a much better job of summarizing than I ever could, go figure.

Fifth Doctor
Spare Parts
On a dark frozen planet where no planet should be, in a rat-infested city with a sky of stone, the Doctor and Nyssa unearth a black market in second-hand body parts and run the gauntlet of augmented police and their augmented horses. And just between the tramstop and the picturehouse, the Doctor's worst suspicions are confirmed: the Cybermen have only just begun.
      The characterizations are great, the production values are spot on and although there are a couple of moments of slightly over-the-top melodrama, it's generally a well-told, exciting story. Fifth Doctor and Nyssa.

Creatures of Beauty
A planetary ecological disaster! An incurable, disfiguring, genetic disease... Aliens, in breach of galactic law! Nyssa, under arrest! The TARDIS, inoperable! The Doctor, facing interrogation! Another situation of dire peril is unfolding for the Doctor and his companion. However, what if it is not clear who is right and who is wrong? Who is ugly and who is beautiful? Where does the story begin, and where does it end? Sometimes, it is all a matter of perspective.
      One of the most chilling (and most nihilistic) Doctor Who stories I've ever heard. Fifth Doctor & Nyssa.

The Gathering
On the morning of 22 September 2006, Tegan woke up. She was expecting to spend the day relaxing at home and, that evening, tolerate a party thrown to celebrate her 46th birthday. But things don't always go as expected ­ it's been over twenty years since she chose to leave the Doctor. She's got a job, mates... a life. Meanwhile her friend, Katherine Chambers, makes a decision that could change all their lives, and Tegan discovers that you can never really escape the past.
      Even more depressing than Creatures of Beauty, but also far more life-affirming. An utterly brilliant story and once you ilsten to it, you'll understand why Janet Fielding has only done (and will only ever do) the one story for Big Finish. Fifth Doctor & Tegan.

Sixth Doctor
Jubilee
Hurrah! The deadly Daleks are back! Yes, those loveable tinpot tyrants have another plan to invade our world. Maybe this time because they want to drill to the Earth¹s core. Or maybe because they just feel like it. And when those pesky pepperpots are in town, there is one thing you can be sure of. There will be non-stop high octane mayhem in store. And plenty of exterminations! But never fear. The Doctor is on hand to sort them out. Defender of the Earth, saviour of us all. With his beautiful assistant, Evelyn Smythe, by his side, he will fight once again to uphold the beliefs of the English Empire. All hail the glorious English Empire! Now that sounds like a jubilee worth celebrating, does it not?
      This story was later developed into the Ninth Doctor episode Dalek, so you're going to encounter some similarities, but there are enough differences (oh boy, are there) to make listening to this worth your time. This is a story that will simultaneously make you laugh, and make your flesh crawl. Sixth Doctor and Evelyn. (btw, Evelyn is a companion created by Big Finish, so don't scratch your head wondering why don't remember her from the TV show)

...ish
(I had to abbreviate this description, sorry!)
...ish: suffix? Enclitic word (?) of unknown origins, as playing with the voices of its victim(s) or hosts; sentient (?) auto-memetic (?) fragment (?) of the Omniverbum (q.v.?). See also ...ish ?? ...ish? ...ish?
      Probably more fun for the language/linguist fans but I found this one to be a hoot, reagardless. Sixth Doctor and Peri. (Peri's accent is somewhat more bearable, but not all that much...)

Davros
AI stock has shot up by over fifteen percent on news that galaxy-famous scientist Davros, controversial creator of the Daleks, has been hired to work on unspecified technological projects.' Davros has been given the chance to redeem himself. Humanity stands on the verge of a new era, but it needs the help of the galaxy's greatest ever scientist. But Davros is dead... isn't he? From the bunkers and shelters of ancient Skaro to the gleaming Domes of the Future Earth Empire, Davros has always been a man of destiny. Now he's working for mankind's benefit. But how much do we really know about Davros? Has Davros really turned over a new leaf? The Doctor certainly doesn't think so. But is the Doctor always right?
      Brilliant. Just brilliant. Malloy and Baker offset each other perfectly, and Malloy has an amazing handle on Davros' characterization.

Seventh Doctor
I've only listened to a couple of 7th Doctor stories, but I will recommend:

Colditz
October 1944: As World War II draws towards its conclusion, a Nazi defeat begins to seem almost inevitable. But that might be about to change... Two intruders are captured in the grounds of Colditz Castle, the most secure POW camp in Germany. At first, the guards think they're dealing with British spies. But the strangers arrived in an advanced travelling machine, the like of which they've never seen before. With this TARDIS in their hands, the Third Reich might triumph after all.
      This one is an homage to every Brit-centric WWII movie ever made and, despite occasional bleak moments in the plot, the hint of self-amusement comes through and keeps the story nicely balanced between melodrama and self-parody. Also notable for hearing David Tennant doing a cod-German accent and occasionally chewing on the scenery as needed. Seventh Doctor and Ace.

I must admit, I think I like the 7th Doctor more in audios than I did on the telly...

Eighth Doctor
My fave. I'll try to keep the list short. For god's sake, listen to these in the order listed, if at all possible, as BF pursued a linear story arc with this Doctor for the first three "seasons".

Storm Warning
After a dangerous encounter in the space/time vortex, the Doctor finds himself on Earth, October 1930. Or rather above it, aboard the British airship R101 on it's maiden voyage over France. Also on board is a young stowaway, Charlotte 'Charley' Pollard, seeking adventure and excitement away from her stifling family atmosphere. What Charley doesn't know but the Doctor does is that the flight is destined to end in tragedy, although no-one really knows why. Not even the Doctor, although maybe the passenger in Cabin 43 can help...
      This story has it's weaknesses. I found the premise a bit thin, personally, and I think the principals were finding their way around the characters and weren't quite settled yet, of course. However, it's important as it's the story of how the Doctor and Charley met.

(Chimes at Midnight almost made this list but, honestly, I found the story a bit oversimple. But I won't warn you off it, if you're curious. Unlike, say, Minuet in Hell, which I'd rather eat glass than listen to again. Update: in which I publish a rare retraction.)

Neverland
Why are the Time Lords so keen to track the Doctor down? Exactly what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? Who is the mythological destroyer Zagreus? And what has caused Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? The Doctor seeks the answers deep within an entirely new universe and must face up to the actions not only of himself but the hundreds and thousands of Time Lords who have gone before. NeverLand is set to end this run of adventures for the Eighth Doctor on an explosive high and it is true to say that nothing will ever be the same again!
      This is one of those stories that will make your head hurt if you think about it (and the plot holes) too hard, but it's another one that you have to hear for later stories to make sense and, besides, it's got Romana in it.

Zagreus
The Doctor is possessed by the anti-time force known only as Zagreus. As a result, he's rampaging through the TARDIS trying to kill poor Charley Pollard. And if he gets out, the universe is doomed. Charley, however, has met an old friend who is trying to explain just how Zagreus isn't the only problem the universe faces. Right now, hammering on the other side of a dimensional gateway are the Divergence. You see, this used to be their universe and they want to come home... Neither Zagreus, the Time Lords or even Lord Rassilon himself seem to think this is too good an idea but it's up to Charley to work out who is telling the biggest lies of all and whether the Divergence are the destroyers or the saviours of time itself...
      Big Finish did a damn sight more to mark the 40th anniversary of Doctor Who than the BBC did. In terms of organization and ambition, this is a hell of an effort. Unfortunately... the story just isn't that great. However, I still recommend it because the following half-a-dozen stories won't make sense unless you hear this one, as it sets up the premise for the Eighth Doctor being exiled in a universe of ante-time. Besides, it's a hoot to hear practically every principle cast member of the Doctor Who audios in one story - although they're not all playing the parts you expect...

Scherzo
There were two friends, and together they travelled the cosmos. They thwarted tyrants and defeated monsters, they righted wrongs wherever they went. They explored the distant future and the distant past, new worlds and galaxies, places beyond imagining. But every good story has to come to an end...
      An immediate follow-up to Zagreus and, I think, one of the best Eighth Doctor stories, to date. This story features only the Doctor and Charley and let's just say that there's certain things they can't avoid talking about, any more.

The Natural History of Fear
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      One of the reasons why I've recommended a couple of mediocre stories, is so that this one will make sense, as it refers to almost every 8th Doctor story, to date. This one is my personal favorite of all of the BFAs. The only major thing you're missing is who C'rizz is and, if you must, you can listen to The Creed of the Kromon which introduces him. But I hate, hate, hate that story, so I can't recommend it. Suffice to say that an interesting, conflicted, exoskeletal, chamelonic chap has joined the crew.

Caerdroia
Self-exiled to a new universe, separated from his TARDIS, opposed and manipulated by the Divergence and their agent the Kro'ka, the Doctor has been struggling to work out the nature of the cosmic game in which he's an unwilling pawn. Now, at last, he has a chance to find the answer ­ and regain the TARDIS! Threatened and desperate, the Kro'ka abandons his behind-the-scenes machinations to confront the Doctor directly. But will both of them lose their way in the maze of the strange world in which they find themselves? A world in which a clock may have a cuckoo but no hands, a labyrinth imprisoning a paradox, and a Garden of Curiosities reveals something the Doctor has never seen before.As the Doctor faces these challenges, Charley and C'rizz provide valuable help. But with the TARDIS itself at stake, the Doctor reaches deep inside himself to find some surprising new allies
      Another one that makes no sense if you haven't listened to at least Zagreus and know what the premise of the ante-time universe is (btw, I've skipped you over who the Kroka is, suffice to say he's a born toady to an as-yet-unnamed Eeeeevil person). However, the premise of the story, and the very Alice-in-Wonderland feel to it makes it a hoot to listen to, imho.

Other Lives
London, 1851. Scene of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. Scene also of a plot to un-seat the government, de-throne the monarch and start a republic. If the Duke of Wellington himself is to be believed... While the Doctor and Charley are drawn into the murky world of nineteenth-century politics, C'rizz struggles to maintain his dignity against growing odds. What begins as an attempt to prevent murder quickly becomes a desperate race to avert revolution. Separated from the TARDIS, the travellers are left to wonder if they'll get their own lives back or be forever entangled with the lives of others. And who is Mrs Georgina Marlow? What need does she feel the Doctor can satisfy?
      Sweet and sad and chilling. One of the better stories for C'rizz. (Imho, C'rizz has been one wasted opportunity after another, alas. For further reasoning on that, listen to The Next Life after The Last. It's a good story, but not one of my favorites)

Time Works
“You want to know about the Time Keepers? We work in their shadow, every tick and tock of our lives. We hear them in the workings of the Great Clock. We work hard, turn our hands – but we all wind down in time, and that is when they come for us: when our time is up.” The TARDIS lands in between times, in a time where this is no time. A time in which nothing can possibly be. But something is… The Doctor, Charley and C’rizz are rats in the wheelwork, a threat to the schedule of a world where timing is everything. And the seconds are counting down to a fateful future that has already happened. Unless they can beat the clock. Tick, tock.
      A clever little story - it falls apart a bit in the final act - but I like this one as Charley and C'rizz are more than just the audience which the Doctor requires in order to perform.

And, as mentioned, I've generally enjoyed the BBC7 audios. If I had to rank them in order of fave to least fave, they would be:
-- Human Resources
-- No More Lies
-- Blood of the Daleks
-- Phobos
-- Immortal Beloved
-- The Horror of Glam Rock


On A Related Note

I've heard three of the Sarah Jane Adventures, back-to-back and I think that approach was a mistake, as I spotted a rather formulaic turn to the plotting and pacing that has left me cold. Go figure, some fans love those stories and they've been successful enough to the point where Big Finish would make a third season, if their agreement with the Beeb would let them - but it doesn't, as they can't touch anything that's "active" on the telly. which Sarah Jane is, now. But I must admit that I've not gone out of my way to listen to any more.

I've listened to two of the UNIT stories and enjoyed them a fair bit, but they haven't lit a fire under me the way the Doctor Who stories do. But they meet the usual (high) production standards of Big Finish.

I've heard one of the I, Davros stories and liked it a lot. Terry Malloy really kicks butt as Davros, in general.

Unfortunately, I haven't listened to The Companion Chronicles, so I can't offer an opinion either way, there. Ditto for the non-Who material that Big Finish puts out - Sapphire and Steel, The Tomorrow People, etc. I am, however, keenly looking out for the announcement of whatever their Next Big Project is, given the hints that Jason Haigh-Ellery dropped at Gallifrey One (American SF show, recently ended, large fan base).

Comments

[moviegrrl.livejournal.com]

cool - ta for that, will have a look see.
Of course now broke until August but still need to buy self belated birthday present....

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

All of those I listed, I have. They, er, fell off the back of the internet.

If you're in a position to DL some big files (even when zipped) I can upload them to megauploads for you.

[moviegrrl.livejournal.com]

the lovely lizblackdog is going to send me some burnt discs that also *cough* fell off the internet. Once I've got the net connection sorted at home I'll let you know what I need.