Phantasmagoria
The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Turlough to London in 1702 just after the death of the king. The people are embracing the rule of Queen Ann, and in the Diabola Club, local gentlemen are trying their luck at cards. Sir Nicholas Valentine, however, is playing at more than just a game of patience, as those who play against him either vanish into the night or are found dead, or dying, screaming of being pursued by all the demons of hell. The Doctor has his suspicions, and they do not seem unfounded as it appears there are more aliens in town than just the Time Lord and his assistant.
Phantasmagoria was the first Big Finish adventure made with Peter Davison back in 2000, bringing Mark Strickon back as Turlough. Where Davison's voice hasn't changed much over the years (as has already been noted in previous blogs), Strickoson doesn't have the same squeak to him that made his angst moments on the show such a... well.... okay so it's something Jay and I laugh at. Whatever. Set some time after Tegan's departure from the crew, the story gets a chance to show us some normal interaction between the Doctor and Turlough, although Turlough still plays the coward role and the Doctor has to be as patient with him as he can.
The rest of the cast are the stuff of which historical Doctor Who adventures are made; gentlemen, ruffians, servant girls, roughnecks, and a famous highwayman namjed Billy Lovemore. And two alien voices chattering away at intervening moments.
Valentine's lair is one of those places where you really can't go on television, with someone remarking that the walls are "like liver" and blood being everywhere. I suppose we came close with The Claws of Axos but this is a far gristlier, the bodies of the abducted men melded with the chamber walls to revitalize Valentine's ship.
I listened to this one over the course of a day's transit to and from work on the subway, which made for a welcome diversion from the usual... well, nothing really, just staring at the walls or the poor fashion of those around me. The fact that Big Finish have extended the 21st season of Doctor Who by 17 full adventures (well okay 15; two of them are a bit on the short side being special releases) makes for better days in transit if you ask me, and of course makes for better expansion of the existing characters. I always felt that the Doctor and Turlough were cheated out of something as on television they are not together on their own very long. And Kamelion gets a total bum deal as I have said before; the mention of him in Lords of the Storm is one of the few times his presence in the series is acknowledged. But, lo, he's in the next one.
NEXT EPISODE : IMPERIAL MOON
Phantasmagoria was the first Big Finish adventure made with Peter Davison back in 2000, bringing Mark Strickon back as Turlough. Where Davison's voice hasn't changed much over the years (as has already been noted in previous blogs), Strickoson doesn't have the same squeak to him that made his angst moments on the show such a... well.... okay so it's something Jay and I laugh at. Whatever. Set some time after Tegan's departure from the crew, the story gets a chance to show us some normal interaction between the Doctor and Turlough, although Turlough still plays the coward role and the Doctor has to be as patient with him as he can.
The rest of the cast are the stuff of which historical Doctor Who adventures are made; gentlemen, ruffians, servant girls, roughnecks, and a famous highwayman namjed Billy Lovemore. And two alien voices chattering away at intervening moments.
Valentine's lair is one of those places where you really can't go on television, with someone remarking that the walls are "like liver" and blood being everywhere. I suppose we came close with The Claws of Axos but this is a far gristlier, the bodies of the abducted men melded with the chamber walls to revitalize Valentine's ship.
I listened to this one over the course of a day's transit to and from work on the subway, which made for a welcome diversion from the usual... well, nothing really, just staring at the walls or the poor fashion of those around me. The fact that Big Finish have extended the 21st season of Doctor Who by 17 full adventures (well okay 15; two of them are a bit on the short side being special releases) makes for better days in transit if you ask me, and of course makes for better expansion of the existing characters. I always felt that the Doctor and Turlough were cheated out of something as on television they are not together on their own very long. And Kamelion gets a total bum deal as I have said before; the mention of him in Lords of the Storm is one of the few times his presence in the series is acknowledged. But, lo, he's in the next one.
NEXT EPISODE : IMPERIAL MOON
Labels: The 5th Doctor, Turlough
posted by Sean Hoover @ 6:14 AM
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