Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter – Zero Space
by Adrian Poynton (Big Finish, 2018)
There are some nice SF ideas serving as backdrop, but again the mandate seems to be characterisation. All well and good; however, the plot progression of Jenny and Noah arriving, delivering an uplifting pep talk, then running away is already wearing thin.
Dr. Fifth
by Adam Hargreaves (Puffin, 2018)
In both illustration and storyline, Hargreaves gently sends up the school excursion bickering and pantomime villainy of the Fifth Doctor’s first season. Again, the text reads like a first draft, but in the Mr Men canon this seems par for the course.
Jenny – The Doctor’s Daughter: Neon Reign
by Christian Brassington (Big Finish, 2018)
Trite premise, clumsy exposition, heavy-handed on the agenda. The saving grace here is the characterisation of Jenny (who’s inherited some of the Tenth Doctor’s traits) and her companion Noah (who carries himself with a naïve sangfroid that curiously echoes Paul McGann’s Eighth).
Dr. Fourth
by Adam Hargreaves (BBC Children’s Books, 2017)
The Fourth Doctor is well drawn and characterised. Sarah Jane is less becoming (a generic pink ball) and the inclusion of a no-hoper Dalek is incongruous even within the unfolding romp. Still, this captures the frivolous sangfroid element of Tom Baker’s era.
Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter – Prisoner of the Ood
by John Dorney (Big Finish, 2018)
John Dorney is perhaps the best of Big Finish’s regular writers. Prisoner of the Ood has a conspicuous Doctor Who vibe (Russell T Davies era) and an intelligent script, showcasing Georgia Tennant while using Jenny’s character newness to camouflage its in-premise artifice.
Dr. Third
by Adam Hargreaves (Penguin, 2018)
Doctor Who rendered in the distinctive Mr. Men style and with the same careless writing. Pertwee’s Doctor is well captured, as are the lighter aspects of the UNIT era more generally, but the text in no way does justice to the pictures.
Doctor Who: The Light at the End
by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2013)
A 50th anniversary celebration featuring Doctors Four through Eight. The story is remarkably coherent and remains so despite incorporating a plethora of characters and cameos. The Doctors themselves take centre stage and all feel important. Definitely one of Big Finish’s better efforts.
The Stranger: Summoned by Shadows
by Christian Darkin (BBV, 1991)
An oddity within the Doctor Who universe, The Stranger unofficially continues the Sixth Doctor’s adventures (sans copyrighted features like the TARDIS) subsequent to the show’s cancellation in 1989. This short but perfectly competent story has production values reminiscent of the Cartmel years.
Doctor Who: Rose
by Russell T Davies (BBC Worldwide, 2018); audiobook read by Camille Coduri (W.F. Howes, 2018)
As Doctor Who novelisations go, this one is quite special. Russell T Davies has an easy style and fleshes out his original story, adding considerable depth to Rose and also many of the minor characters. Camille Coduri’s audiobook reading captures the nuances.
P.R.O.B.E. – The Zero Imperative
by Mark Gatiss (BBV, 1994)
A creepy Doctor Who spin-off that sees Liz Shaw investigating supernatural deaths at a psychiatric hospital. Liz, however, doesn’t actually feature that much, and it’s a little difficult to reconcile the other Who actors (four ex-Doctors, no less!) with their new roles.