Category: Big Finish Reviews

Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Crown

Are you a fan of the eerie, atmospheric and immersive world of Torchwood? If so, then you are in for a real treat with the latest release, The Crown. This gripping audio adventure takes us back to the early and darker days of Torchwood and its founder and is set against the backdrop of Victorian England.

On Christmas Eve, Dr Gideon Parr is summoned to an asylum to check on a patient, who claims to be none other than Queen Victoria herself. This patient is haunted by a terrible curse, and it is up to the young doctor to diagnose her condition and help her find peace.

Written by Johnathan Barnes, The Crown is a morality tale that explores the darker side of Torchwood and its founder. This audio adventure is an incredible piece of storytelling that combines a Victorian setting with expertly crafted characters, outstanding performances, flawless sound design and a haunting musical score.

At the heart of this audio adventure is Rowena Cooper’s performance as Queen Victoria. Cooper delivers a mesmerising and chilling performance that perfectly captures the Queen’s complex and troubled state of mind. Her portrayal of the character is so convincing that you almost believe that she really is the Queen herself.

The supporting cast is equally impressive, with each member delivering a memorable and nuanced performance. Derek Riddell, in particular, shines as Dr Gideon Parr, bringing depth and humanity to the character that makes him instantly relatable.

Joe Meiners’ sound design is another highlight of this audio adventure, creating a claustrophobic and immersive soundscape that perfectly captures the mood and atmosphere of Victorian England. Blair Mowat’s musical score is equally haunting, perfectly complementing the story and adding an extra layer of depth and emotion to the audio adventure.

The Crown is a strong character piece that allows the listener to explore the early days of Torchwood and its founder. It is a morality tale that explores the consequences of disobeying the crown, and the terrible curse that comes with it.

Overall, The Crown is an outstanding audio adventure that is highly recommended to fans of Torchwood and anyone who loves a good spooky story. It is the perfect stocking filler for the festive season and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

So, if you’re looking for a gripping audio adventure that combines expert storytelling, outstanding performances, flawless sound design, and a haunting musical score, then look no further than The Crown. It is a Torchwood adventure that you won’t forget anytime soon.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Check out our other Big Finish reviews.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Torchwood: The Crown is avalible to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Review-Doctor Who: Grey man of the mountain

Something haunts the peak of Ben MacDui.
Something with heavy footsteps, striking terror in the hearts of those who sense it. With climbers going missing, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart visits Scotland to investigate.
But when some old friends join his ascent, he worries that they will make things even more dangerous. As the snows blow in, and mists surround them, the Doctor, Ace and the Brigadier will face the Grey Man of the Mountain…


This year’s Christmas offer from Big Finish is a pretty strong release, it’s more subtle than last year’s ‘Blood on Santa’s Claw and Other Stories’. Written by Verity’s Lizabeth Myles, it teams The Brigadier up with The Seventh Doctor and Ace. Jon Culshaw plays the role exceptionally well. He’s so pitch-perfect that, if you didn’t know this wasn’t Nicholas Courtney, you wouldn’t know this wasn’t Nicholas Courtney.




McCoy and Aldred are on top form as always. The setting and environment make for a tense and unnerving experience. The audio is so vivid, I could see the action playing out in my mind’s eye. This felt like a Seventh Doctor/Ace era storyline. The audio even plays around with Ace’s sexuality, by maybe possibly giving her a love interest with Lucy Goldie’s vlogger character. The pair of have such natural chemistry.
There are a few niggles though. Vivien Read slightly overplays the landlady. It’s like she’s in completely different story-at times she reminded me of David Walliams’ Scottish riddler from Little Britain.
The audio also overruns by about 30 minutes. This, plus a sizeable guest cast makes material thin on the ground, I found myself starting to drift a bit towards the end.


Those nitpick’s aside, Grey man of the mountain is an immersive, atmospheric and underplayed Christmas special. Which takes full advantage of its setting, cast and the medium of telling a story for audio.

⭐⭐⭐

Doctor Who: Grey man of the mountain is available to purchase directly from Big Finish. 



Big Finish review-Torchwood: Rhys and Ianto’s Excellent Barbecue

Rhys is planning a lads’ night in. Barbie in the back yard, few tins, mates and bants. But the only person who turns up is Ianto – who hasn’t been invited. Hell is other people, especially when they’ve brought board games.
Something goes wrong. The two of them could be trapped together for eternity at a barbecue where the sausages never cook, and worse, the brewskis remain forever out of reach.


This was a story I was really looking forward to. Rhys and Ianto are such great characters, who sadly didn’t get to interact much in the main series. Thankfully, that’s what Big Finish do so well. They’ll take characters who didn’t interact much like Owen and Andy, or Rhys and Ianto and they’ll give them incredible stories that build the relationships and add to the overall mythology of Torchwood.


I was expecting a light-hearted tale, given that this features two of Torchwood’s most fun characters. But this story is actually an emotional gut-punch. There are some moments of levity, but writer Tim Foley also chucks in some really emotional moments. Rhys and Ianto comforting Deidre in her final moments is utterly heart-wrenching and takes its toll on our heroes. The moment Rhys opens up to Ianto is handled in an extremely mature and realistic way. Kai Owen and Gareth David-Lloyd are both excellent in this. Both know their characters extremely well and portray them wonderfully. Youssef Kerkour is a magnificent addition as Badger/Deidre.




I also really enjoyed when the audio played with the awkwardness of having to spend time with your spouse’s friend, who you know very little about. I’m sure we’ve all been there.
Overall, this is a beautiful story about male friendship and the need to open up, which is extremely well-executed and incredibly relatable. Especially in these isolating times. This has everything I love about the range, it’s bonkers, funny, touching and, produced to a high quality. Blair Mowat’s music beautifully accents the dialogue and accompanies Joe Meiners sound design flawlessly.
I say this on every review, but every release proves my point. Torchwood on Big Finish is Torchwood at its absolute best.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rhys and Ianto’s excellent Barbecue is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Episode 239: The War Master: Hearts of Darkness

Martyn is joined by Dominic G Martin AKA Who Chaser.

The Duo discusses the fifth series in The War Doctor range, by Big Finish Productions. (there are some spoilers). They also talk about Dominic’s love for cosplay, his fan audios and, YouTube channel.

The War Master is a character played by Sir Derek Jacobi, that originated in the TV series Doctor Who.

The War Master: Hearts of Darkness is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to Spotify, Amazon Music, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

We also have a Smartlink.



Equipment used in the creation of this feature was purchased through a grant from Graeae and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Chris is taking part in Movember if you’d like to donate you can do so here.

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Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Three Monkeys

Recorded entirely during the lockdown, November’s Torchwood release, The Three Monkeys, once again pairs everyone’s favourite odd-couple, Owen Harper (Burn Gorman) and Tom Price (Andy Davidson). Unlike their previous team-ups, this installment takes a relatively lighter tone.

The story of Andy’s uncle is heartbreaking tale about his uncle, which is based on a real life event, is expertly woven into the plot by writer James Goss, who wondered what would happen if the story was given a Torchwood twist. Despite the lighter tone, The Three Monkeys brings everything fans have come to expect from a Goss release, with deep character explorations and tragic elements that are perfectly directed by Scott Handcock.

Iain Meadows’ sound design is flawless, tugging at the heartstrings during Andy’s heartfelt moments, and the setting of a car makes the story feel intimate and confined. Gorman and Price once again shine, with Andy’s optimism perfectly balancing Owen’s cynicism.

Torchwood: The Three Monkeys once again proves that Torchwood on Big Finish is at its very best, and a must-listen for fans.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Torchwood: The Three Monkeys is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Big Finish review-Torchwood: Ex Machina

Ianto Jones is Torchwood. Ianto Jones is the defender of a deserted city, a lone crusader who keeps the empty streets safe.

One day he meets one of the few survivors. She needs his help – because she’s being chased by a darkness. A darkness which says it loves her.


Ex Machina is the debut Torchwood story by writer, Alfie Shaw. Shaw says he came up with the idea, after passing a book shop he used to visit with an ex. He suddenly felt like the shop was off-limits to him. Along with mutual friends etc. That’s something that really resonated with me whilst listening.




This audio focuses on fan-favourite Ianto, as he tries to help Abigail, who can’t understand what’s happened to her parents. In every photograph, she’s impossibly alone. Even in the memory, she has of moving to Cardiff, it’s just her at 6-years-old in the car. Alone.
The only tether she has to her old life is her neighbour Mrs. Evans – and she has problems of her own.

Gareth David-Lloyd and Laura Aickman work extremely well together. This audio was recorded remotely and entirely during lockdown. It’s a testament to the actor’s abilities and Big Finish as a whole, that you’d never guess. Perhaps the remote recording helped the performers feel isolated, like their characters. Jacob Dudman also puts in a fun performance, as a completely unlikeable character.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Torchwood on Big Finish is Torchwood at its very best. This is another top-notch entry in the range.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones)

Laura Aikman (Abigail Forehill)

Jacob Dudman (Luke)

Misha Malcolm (Fran)

Joshua Manning (The Absence)

Kerry Joy Stewart (Mrs. Evans)

Cover Art: Lee Binding

Music: Blair Mowat and Murray Gold

Writer: Alfie Shaw

Torchwood: Ex Machina is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.

Episode 231:Big Finish-Doctor Who: Out of time

In which Martyn, Sam, and Chris discuss ‘Out of time’ the latest Doctor Who release from Big Finish.

Out of Time 1 stars David Tennant and Tom Baker. It was written by Matt Fitton and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Read Martyn’s written review here.



The Big Finish Chris appears on can be bought here.

Check out Chris’ adaptation of Sleuth here.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to;

Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

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Twitter:

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Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.



Review-Doctor Who: Out of time

Covid 19 has been an utter horror, but it has given Doctor Who fans content we wouldn’t have gotten without it. Not only did we get a Sarah Jane Smith finale written by Russell T Davies, we also got the news that Christopher Eccleston has signed up to Big Finish.

It also enabled Big Finish to bring forward their release of Out of time 1. This was recorded entirely in lockdown and only happened because the events of this year cleared out David Tennant’s insane schedule.

Out of Time is the first, in a trilogy of original audio adventures that sees the Tenth Doctor pit himself against his most iconic foes, with a former Doctor by his side. In this story he’s joined by The Fourth Doctor, played by the legendary Tom Baker.



Multi-Doctor stories are nothing new, but this is the first time these two incarnations have met and it’s absolutely joyous. There’s the standard bickering we get when two Doctors meet, however there’s more love and mutual respect between these two.

Writer Matt Fitton perfectly manages to balance the tonal difference between two entirely different eras of the show. Ten and Four bounce of each other spectacularly well. Both lead actors absolutely soar in their respective roles.

Howard Carter’s music perfectly compliments the drama, punctuating the actors performances. The supporting cast are all on top form and Nicholas Briggs takes on a dual role as actor and director, he does both with absolute vigour. This is clearly a passion project for all involved, a love letter to Doctor Who and its fans.

Out of time may well be the best multi-Doctor story yet. I can’t wait for the second and third instalments.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Listen to our podcast discussion about ‘Out of time’ here.

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.

Big Finish review-Torchwood Soho Parasite

Since he was first introduced in 2016’s Ghost Mission, Norton Folgate (Samuel Barnett) has popped up in several Torchwood audios. His self-serving ways fast cemented him as a fan-favourite. So much so, it’s difficult to imagine the Torchwood cast without him.

In Torchwood Soho: Parasite, we catch up with Norton, as he investigates strange happenings in post-war London. There’re Nazi packages, a man who should be dead, a time-traveling pub and, Torchwood fan-favourite Sergeant Andy Davidson (Tom Price).

Writer James Goss blows me away, with each release. This is no exception. What’s interesting about this box set, is it’s comprised of six half-hour episodes. I loved this format and I hope it stays. It enables the story to be lean and flow at an incredible pace, there’s no filler here.

The story has a non-linear format, but thanks to Scott Handock’s smooth direction, you’re never lost. You know exactly where every character is and their motivations are always clear.



What can be said about Samuel Barnett and Tom Price at this point? They have such great natural chemistry, Norton and Andy are the perfect Big Finish odd-couple. It’s always a joy to hear them interact.

Rounding off the team are Torchwood new-comers, Dervla Kirwan and Joe Shire. Kirwan instantly shines as Lizabeth Hayhoe, she makes the role her own and establishes the character as a force to be reckoned with. Shire is equally charming as Gideon Lyme, a journalist, and love-interest of Norton. There’s also Belle Epoque (Franchi Webb), the immortal landlady of ‘The Stagnant Pond’ pub. All three characters are brilliant for Torchwood, I hope we see them again.

All-in-all, Torchwood Soho: Parasite is a strong release. Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Torchwood-Soho: Parasite is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Big Finish review-Torchwood: Red Base

Mars may be the next giant leap for mankind, but Starr Base is the first small step. This practice Mars base, located in a quarry in Neath just off the A474, is designed to test humanity’s ability to survive on the red planet. Unfortunately, the crew members are dying and the remaining survivors are terrified, paranoid, and questioning whether something alien has infiltrated Starr Base. To investigate, Sgt. Andy Davidson has been dispatched to determine what has gone wrong.

Torchwood: Red Base, a murder mystery by the talented James Goss, is difficult to review without spoilers. It is a whodunit loosely based on the reality show Eden, which followed 23 participants attempting to build a self-sufficient community in a remote part of Scotland for a year. Unknown to them, broadcasting ceased after only four episodes due to poor ratings.

The Torchwood range has become a personal favourite, and releases like Red Base cement my belief that Torchwood on Big Finish is at its best. James Goss delivers a solid mystery that pays homage to classic whodunits while also providing an original twist. Lisa Bowerman’s direction is as polished as ever, and Blair Mowat’s music is perfectly complemented by Joe Meiners’ sound design.

Tom Price delivers an outstanding performance as Sgt. Andy Davidson, brings humour, empathy, and understanding to the character. It’s been a joy to see Andy evolve over the years and continue to be a fan favourite.

Torchwood: Red Base is now available to own as a collector’s edition CD at £10.99 or on download from the Big Finish website for £8.99.

⭐⭐⭐⭐