Doctor Who: The Annihilators by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2022) Excellent voice performances by the actors recast to play classic Doctor Who characters. Conceptually, the story is fun and era-appropriate (albeit not much more than a rehash of Galaxy 4). The execution, however, is unnecessarily choppy, disavowing any hint of longer scenes.
Tag: Nicholas Briggs
Doctor Who: Spider’s Shadow
Doctor Who: Spider’s Shadow by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2008) An uncredited one-part coda to Stewart Sheargold’s ‘The Death Collectors’. The in-story repetition is clunky at first (to the point of sounding like a recording error) yet gradually refines itself into a clever little time-trap mystery. Sylvester McCoy rolls with the punches.
Doctor Who: The King’s Dragon
Doctor Who: The King’s Dragon by Una McCormack (BBC, 2010); audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs (AudioGO, 2011) Somewhat drawn-out, like an old four-parter told over six episodes. Nonetheless, McCormack tells a steady tale amidst the obligatory befriendings, betrayals and plot-twisting volte-faces. The support cast has some depth and the Doctor, Rory and Amy are spot-on. Nick Briggs reads well. …
Doctor Who: The Light at the End
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.
Doctor Who: The Last Day at Work
Doctor Who: The Last Day at Work by Harry Draper; audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2018) Draper writes well for the Second Doctor and Jamie, crafting a short story with a neat premise and a mood very much in keeping with its valedictory nature. Narrator Nicholas Briggs joins in by giving a passable impersonation of the two leads.…
Doctor Who: The Enigma Dimension
Doctor Who: The Enigma Dimension by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2017) John Hurt and Jacqueline Pearce in a story with big ideas. What can go wrong? Answer: the Daleks—Doctor Who’s greatest folly—gone inexplicably viral. Fine acting notwithstanding, the Time War boils down to yet another tiresome harangue by demented pepper pots.
Doctor Who: Forever Fallen
Doctor Who: Forever Fallen by Joshua Wanisko; audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2016) A nicely low-key story exploring one of Doctor Who’s great untapped questions: what would happen if the villain just stopped when given the chance to rethink his megalomaniacal scheme? Between them, Wanisko and Briggs capture some of the Seventh Doctor’s melancholic brooding.
Doctor Who: Dark Eyes
Doctor Who: Dark Eyes by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2012) A nicely focussed runabout (if such can exist), the epic threads of which are held together by the strong dynamic between Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor and new companion Molly O’Sullivan. On a down note, the Doctor has little say in the outcome.
Doctor Who, Doom Coalition 2: Beachhead
Doctor Who, Doom Coalition 2: Beachhead by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish, 2016) A simple enough little story but well-handled, the audio drama remaining coherent even while cutting amongst four female characters (plus Paul McGann’s Doctor). As a continuity note, the Voord do seem rather more sprightly than they were in The Keys of Marinus!
Doctor Who: Paradox Lost
Doctor Who: Paradox Lost by George Mann (BBC, 2011); audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs In an otherwise fairly nondescript Eleventh Doctor adventure, Mann introduces two minor characters with potential for future appearances: Professor Angelchrist, an early twentieth century gentleman adventurer; and Arven, a soft-spoken AI from future London. Of less interest is the dismissively-dealt-with titular paradox. Add to…