Big Finish review-Torchwood One Rule

Prior to the fateful Battle of Canary Wharf, the indomitable Yvonne Hartman embarked on a captivating escapade in Cardiff, as depicted in Big Finish’s audio spin-off series. As an avid follower of the Whoniverse, I was eagerly anticipating this prequel to both Torchwood and the Doctor Who Series 2 finale ‘Army of Ghosts’/’Doomsday,’ particularly as it delves deeper into the character of Yvonne Hartman, portrayed with gusto by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

While Hartman was a formidable force in her limited appearances, it was refreshing to witness her ideologies explored further in this tale, which sees her venture out of her comfort zone and navigate the quirks and challenges of Cardiff. One particularly irksome obstacle in her path is the boorish and bigoted mayoral candidate, Barry Jackson, whose interactions with Hartman make for entertaining listening.

The narrative is further enriched by its setting on the same day as the broadcast of ‘Rose,’ thereby evoking a wave of nostalgia and poignancy as it references the aftermath of the Auton invasion in the series opener. However, what truly elevates the episode is the exceptional writing of Joseph Lidster, who not only brings a wealth of experience from his contributions to the TV series, but also imbues Yvonne with a multifaceted personality that is both compelling and unnerving.

This feat would not have been accomplished without the impeccable performance of Tracy-Ann Oberman, whose interpretation of Yvonne is so convincing that it feels as though no time has passed since her last appearance in Series 2. With such a commanding portrayal, one cannot help but yearn for a spin-off series that solely focuses on Yvonne’s tenure at Torchwood 1.

Additionally, I must laud Joe Lidster’s superb script, which not only delivers a captivating plot but also delves deep into the psyche of Yvonne Hartman. Lidster’s writing showcases Yvonne’s unwavering commitment to her job, her sharp wit, and her intelligence, while also highlighting the darker aspects of her character that make her a force to be reckoned with. The character development that Lidster brings to the table is truly exceptional, and it is a testament to his skill as a writer. Overall, ‘One Rule’ is a triumph of storytelling that demonstrates the talent of both Lidster and the Torchwood team at Big Finish. This is marvellous addition, that proves Torchwood is one of Big Finish’s most exemplary ranges.

Episode 149:Clara’s arse

In a rare episode, Gerrod and Martyn stay sober whilst recording. They discuss the Twitter campaign Martyn is currently running with Barry from Geeksyndicate, as well as the trailers for Captain America:Civil war and Batman V Superman.

They also discusss if the word “arse” has any place in Doctor Who.

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Audioboom, Tunein, Miro, Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Pete – @BeeblePete

Gerrod – @Nerdthro_P

Email:info@badwilf.com

Update on #drwhodaniel 

As some of you may be aware, we’ve teamed up with our friends over at Geeksyndicate, in an attempt to grant a Christmas wish for Daniel Norton, a very ill Doctor Who fan. 
  
In just six days, we’ve had an amazing outpouring of love from Doctor Who fans spreading the #drwhodaniel hashtag. The response has been great and in light of recent world events, it’s awesome to see so many people come together for a good cause.

A few days ago Barry from Geeksyndicate contacted Titan comics to see if there was anything they could do for Daniel and boy, did they come through. Just a day after Daniel received a hospital visit from Frances Barber, he received a lovely care package from Titan full of Doctor Who themed merchandise. 
  
Thanks to everyone who has spread the word about Daniel, this means so much to him, his family and the hospital staff that look after him. 

If you have anything you’d like to do for Daniel, then please give us a shout via the #drwhodaniel hashtag. 

Episode 148:The Doctor Who Festival

Martyn is joined by Cameron K McEwen from Blogtor Who, the pair discuss their recent trip to The Doctor Who Festival, as well as the fun they’ve both had playing Lego Dimensions.

The Doctor Who Festival was attended by the current Doctor-Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Ingrid Oliver, Mark Gatiss, Michelle Gomez and series show runner Steven Moffat.

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Audioboom, Tunein, Miro, Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

Check out Blogtor Who and follow Cameron on Twitter.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Pete – @BeeblePete

Gerrod – @Nerdthro_P

Email:info@badwilf.com

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Help for Daniel

We have recently partnered with Geeksyndicate, in an attempt to give a 14-year old boy a truly great Christmas. 
Daniel is a massive Doctor Who fan and was due to attend the recent Doctor Who festival in London, unfortunately his ill health prevented him from attending and he is currently in hospital. As you can guess, he was devastated to miss the event. 

Daniel suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) he is totally bed bound in a London hospital, and is fed via IV. 

He would very much like to meet an actor from Doctor Who, especially an actor who has played The Doctor.

The Twitter hashtag #drwhodaniel has been set up to help spread the word. There is also a Facebook group. 

Frances Barber visited Daniel yesterday and it really boosted his morale. Click here to read what happened. 

Supergirl/Flash crossover in development? 

Ever since Supergirl was announced, there have been rumours that she would crossover with The Flash and Arrow. 
But CBS (the network that produces Supergirl) said they weren’t interested in a crossover. Now Bleeding Cool have suggested that CBS might have reconsidered their stance and are moving forward with crossover plans. 

Supergirl was initially ordered for thirteen episodes with an option for nine more to complete a twenty-two episode first series. Bleeding cool say that if CBS orders those extra nine, the crossover could happen in one of those episodes. 

We already know that every DC TV project takes place in the same universe, regardless of Network. The recent appearance of Constantine in Arrow saw a ratings increase of 11% so CBS would be crazy to turn down the opportunity. 

Fox remove Fantastic Four from their 2017 schedule

Ever since Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot tanked at the box office this summer, there’s been a lot of speculation regarding Fox’s commitment to the franchise.

A sequel was still scheduled for release in 2017. Today, Fox announced that they were removing Fantastic Four 2 from their 2017 date. Now, just because the film has been removed from the schedule that doesn’t mean the project has been shelved, or that they plan to revert the rights back to Marvel. Fantastic Four 2 could still happen. One day.

Personally, I think Josh Trank’s take on Fantastic Four was incredibly flawed. But; it could have worked as a TV series. In fact I think that is the route Fox should actively pursue.

Check out the honest trailer from Screen Junkies.

Review-Jago & Litefoot & Strax-The Haunting

Earlier this year Big Finish obtained the rights to use Nu-Who characters. Which means we will soon see classic Doctors battle new monsters, the Fifth Doctor will meet the weeping Angels, the Eighth Doctor will have an adventure with River Song etc.

Fans have long speculated that Jago and Litefoot could conceivably run into the Paternoster Gang. And given the similar nature of their work, it is a lovely thought that the former associates of the Doctor would cross paths. I’m still waiting for a Torchwood/Unit cross over.

We join Jago and Litefoot as they investigate a spate of murders, where the victims brains have been removed. Meanwhile Strax is on the trail of an alien power source, which leads him to the Red Tavern.

The plot is fairly basic and echoes a lot of the Jago and Litefoot range. But what it lacks in plot, it makes up for with fun; a lot of comedy stems form  Strax’s misunderstanding of human gender and Victorian equate, which puts him at odds with gentleman investigators Jago and Litefoot.

The cast are strong and the direction is flawless. This is an enjoyable listen, that will please fans of the Paternoster gang as well as fans of Jago and Litefoot.

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How the 50th nearly ended up being Doctor-less

As every Doctor Who fan knows, it’s 52 years ago today that two concerned teachers followed a student into 76 Totters Lane. The rest as they say, is history.


As we all know that the show celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago. But, what we didn’t know is just how close we came to getting a 50th anniversary episode, that didn’t feature ANY Doctor’s!

Speaking to the Radio Times, current show runner Steven Moffat revealed that as Matt Smith’s contract expired with Name of the Doctor, he was forced to write a plot, in which none of the Doctors featured. The only person still under contract was Jenna Coleman.

“We had to work out what else to do. At that point neither David nor Matt were under contract either. I had Jenna [Coleman]. And I did come up with a plotline that was just Jenna. It was a nightmare. We’re weeks from filming. A production team is assembled, people are doing storyboards and I don’t even know if anyone who has ever played the Doctor is going to be in it”.

In the interview Moffat also reveals just how close we came to seeing Christopher Eccleston return as the ninth Doctor.

“The first version was David [Tennant], Matt [Smith] and Chris [Eccleston] together. With whatever involvement we could contrive for the other Doctors, but – being brutal – it had to be Doctors that still looked like their Doctors. I know I’m a bastard but hey, I think Peter [Davison], Colin [Baker] and Sylvester [McCoy] were better deployed in The Five-ish Doctors [a spoof short film] than they could ever be elsewhere. But I knew that Chris was almost certainly going to say no. I met him a couple of times and he was absolutely lovely. He met with me because he didn’t want to say no through his agent or a phone call or email. He wanted to do it personally. And I three-quarters talked him into it”.


Read the full interview here.

Big Finish review-Torchwood: Forgotten Lives

For the first time in this range, as opposed to stepping back in time, Torchwood instead fast-forwards to the modern day, by visiting Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams five years after Miracle Day. Jack is missing, the Committee are at it again and why exactly is someone who isn’t John Barrowman claiming to be Captain Jack Harkness?

Fall to Earth is a lot like The Zygon Inversion. Both are very good stories and are tough acts to follow. But if there’s anyone who can avoid pulling a Sleep No More, it’s Gwen and Rhys. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t quite work out that way.

One of the main problems with this story is “Jack Harkness”, or rather the elderly man who summons Gwen and Rhys, claiming to be Jack Harkness’s mind in another person’s body. Philip Bond doesn’t play a noteworthy Jack. His accent is all over the place and the characterisation of Jack Harkness is a joke. He’s incompetent and idiotic in most of his scenes, bordering on putting listeners off this story entirely. In truth, it took me three tries before I could finish this story, which helps explain why this review is so late. The story tries to juggle some big ideas, at times it feels like two separate scripts fused together. The Evolved are aliens who can transfer people’s minds into other people which on its own is already enough story material to base a whole miniseries off of. Constraining such an extravagant idea to one story with a lot of lagging in the middle feels like a waste.

Fans hoping for some kind of closure to the awful cliffhanger featured at the end of Miracle Day, I’m sorry to say that you’re in for a big disappointment (probably due to rights issues with Starz). Worthwhile references to Miracle Day are scarce or cheap attempts at continuity; the only one being that at some point Jack discovered that the Three Families were controlled by the Committee, which is just an okay way of retconning Miracle Day into the Torchwood audios. If you were hoping to hear what happened to Rex Matheson and his immortality, you’d have better luck asking Russell T Davies.

It’s worth noting, however, that the saving grace of Forgotten Lives is the excellent performance of Eve Myles and Kai Owen. Despite the weaknesses in the script, the two actors slip effortlessly back into their roles as Gwen and Rhys, and their chemistry remains as strong as ever. They bring much-needed energy and heart to the story, and their interactions are some of the most engaging parts of the episode. Their performances alone make the episode worth a listen for die-hard Torchwood fans.