Classic Doctor Who by Big Finish: Highlighting the Best Audio Dramas, Vol. 2
by S.V. Brosius
Big Finish is a studio in the U.K. that produces audio dramas based on TV series and classic books. The stories are told with music, sound effects and dramatic performances by the voice actors. I am a lifelong Doctor Who fan and enjoy listening to these while in the car.
The creators of these audio productions choose just the right music to suit the corresponding Doctor’s era. Each of these is approximately two hours long and divided into parts as if watching it on television — theme song and all. There are so many audio dramas for Doctor Who. I still have more to acquire.
Here is the continuation of my series highlighting some of my favorites, focusing on the classic eight Doctors with minimum spoilers. The three stories in this article all feature strong women characters who do what they think is right to survive.
RELATED: Classic Doctor Who by Big Finish: Highlighting the Best Audio Dramas, Vol. 1
Second Doctor: The Forsaken by Justin Richards (The Early Adventure Series)
“Are you sure you put the device in your pocket?” – Polly
“Oh, yes. Quite sure. Except um…” – The Doctor
“Except?” – Polly
“Except it’s, um, not there now.” – The Doctor
“Are you certain? You’ve got so much junk in your pockets.” – Polly
“Junk? I do not carry junk!” – The Doctor
It’s the middle of World War II, and the Tardis lands in Singapore. The Doctor, Jamie, Ben and Polly find themselves in a dense jungle with the smell of rotting fish and a mysterious figure in the distance. A small group of Army soldiers joins them, one of which is familiar to Ben.
They soon find their way to a hotel where people disappear, and dead bodies increase in number. The hidden culprit stalks the Tardis crew and the hotel’s inhabitants until its true form is revealed, and they must confront it to stop the killings.
Asian-inspired music and the jungle and main hotel descriptions are depicted vividly. This is a good old-fashioned horror story that I found easy to imagine in my mind.
I appreciate the minimal narration in this production. Anneke Wills does a beautiful job of always serving as the narrator and Polly. Frazer Hines is excellent as usual in his roles as The Doctor and Jamie. The suspense of the chase is thrilling, while the mystery of who and what the alien creature is is intense.
Polly does not wish to stay behind. Ironically, she is the one who has the most harrowing experience with the mysterious figure. She works equally with The Doctor in unraveling the mystery of the hotel murders. I love Polly’s ability to use her intelligence to keep up with The Doctor and her honesty when talking about her feelings on whatever is happening during the story.
Fourth Doctor: The Wrath of the Iceni by John Dorney (The Fourth Doctor Series)
“I am Boudica! Queen of Britain! All bow to my command!” – Boudica
The Doctor and Leela travel to the past, finding themselves amid a fierce battle during the Roman occupation of Britain. Boudica leads the rebellion of the Iceni, a formidable warrior queen who lives on the fine line between justice and revenge.
Leela sympathizes with Boudica and respects her plight by joining her army against The Doctor’s wishes. As the two are on opposite sides of the war, The Doctor befriends Bragnar, an Iceni held against her will. He must decide how much to interfere with history.
Clanging swords, horses galloping and the powerful voice of Ella Kenion as Boudica make this story epic. The dramatic twist of having Leela and The Doctor in a significant disagreement allows a clear picture of who they are and what they stand for. Tom Baker as The Doctor gets to demonstrate many emotions in this performance and is fantastic, as always. He is wonderfully eccentric and funny one moment, serious and concerned the next.
Leela and Boudica are incredible warriors. Their powerful words and battle skills are so vividly illustrated that it feels like they are on a giant movie screen. The times Leela becomes torn between her loyalty to Boudica and her care for The Doctor are heartwarming. Louise Jameson’s incredible vocal performance makes it easy to envision distress on her face. I have listened to this story multiple times and never tire of it!
RELATED: Catch up on all the timey-wimey goodness with our Doctor Who recaps!
The Fifth Doctor: Psychodrome by Jonathan Morris (The Fifth Doctor Adventures)
“…it seems I spend half my life carrying unconscious men!” – Tegan
The Tardis arrives in a mysterious place, yet there are vague familiarities in the people and settings. The Doctor has recently regenerated, so the companions are still getting to know him and must get past their contentions with each other to survive.
References to Logopolis and Castrovalva are made and relevant to this story; however, I have not seen these episodes in a long time and was still able to enjoy them. It’s character development at its finest in a setting that embodies a trippy Doctor Who episode from the early 1980s.
Every time I listen to this story, I hear something new. Many extra characters running around this strange world interact with the Tardis crew at various parts of the story. Peter Davison fully embodies The Doctor’s curiosity and sense of adventure and delivers hilarious lines.
Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) and Tegan (Janet Fielding) have intense and humorous banter. Yet, they both do a fabulous job of conveying the underlying desire for the two characters to find common ground. Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) comes across as level-headed and caring until she faces her worst fear, allowing her performance to shine through.
My favorite character is Tegan. She stands out in this story. Brilliantly feisty and determined to accomplish what she sets her mind to, Tegan is someone who wants to go home and finds herself in situations out of her control. Her snarky comments are hilarious, especially when she has her disagreements with Adric. Yet, she cares for her friends and is a loyal companion despite her desire to leave.
I hope you get to check out these great audio dramas! Click here to explore Big Finish.
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