Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Respond To All Calls by Lisa McMillin, Tim Foley and Timothy X Atack (CD review).
In the second series of the new Ninth Doctor adventures, he is still travelling alone but at every step he’s making new friends sometimes in most peculiar places.
2.1: Girl Deconstructed Lisa McMullin
In a story that feels a little familiar, the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) arrives to find a missing person. She’s not missing as much as displaced and he’s an expert in returning lost property. Along the way, he’s conscious of his effect on others and tries to make sure he does no harm. It’s uniquely suited to the Ninth as the subsequent Doctors seem to have a little too much ego in comparison. It’s a warm and kind story that encapsulates the personality of the Ninth.
2.2: Fright Motif by Time Foley
A rather musical and jazzy episode this time sees the Doctor in post-war Paris. There are monsters here, not least the memories of the occupation. A jazz musician finds himself unable to play but there is a monster tracking him and it’s hungry. Some running required.
A cast of characters meet and are changed by the meeting. This is another rather haunting story for the Doctor with a gorgeous sense of time and place helped by some excellent sound design by Iain Meadows and music by Howard Carter.
2.3: Planet Of The End by Timothy X Atack
The Doctor would like to investigate and correct the records of the mausoleum world at the end of time. He is accompanied by an AI who he light-heartedly names. This adventure has a considerable time scale and marvellous embellishments such as the Gandalf beard the Doctor grows. It’s not timey winey as such but does integrate the amazingly long life each incarnation of the Doctor can expect. Again, despite the fact it includes an AI, it’s actually a sweet and sometimes funny story with mild risk to life and limb and beards. The Doctor’s voice is so endearing here and it just makes me sad we didn’t have more of him on the TV. Also features rabbits.
These three adventures manage to convey some similar themes here. They all incorporate the nature of the Ninth Doctor while taking us to the present the past and the far away future. It’s pretty much what you want from a ‘Doctor Who’ adventure and the Ninth is in safe hands with Big Finish. Some are familiar but others are out of this world. Each mini-drama has its own clever little concerns that draw you in. These are not all action-based adventures and always have a thoughtful core that lingers after the close.
Not enough is said about the productions as a whole. It’s not just the writing which is always excellent the whole package is created by the actors, production values, sound and music. I’m bowled over by the continued quality and attention to detail. It’s an immersive experience.
Sue Davies
April 2022
(pub: Big Finish, 2022. 4 CDs 218 minutes 3 stories. Price: CD/download: £34.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-83868-342-9. Download: Price: £29.99 (UK). ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-83868-343-6)
cast: Christopher Eccleston, Pearl Appleby, Margaret Clunie, Benjamin Davies, Nick Fletcher, Jan Francis, Akshay Khanna, Damian Lynch, Mirren Mack, Forbes Masson, Adrian Schiller and Gemma Whelan
check out website: www.bigfinish.com
