Doctor Who: The Curse of Davros (2012) - AudioReview

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Release date: January 2012
Writer: Jonathan Morris. Director: Nicholas Briggs

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Escaping The Daleks...

The return of the Daleks is always a welcome one. And if that story happens to include a certain Kaled scientist, then much the better. In The Curse of Davros we are reunited with Philippa "Flip" Jackson (Lisa Greenwood) and her boyfriend Jared Ramon, who we last encountered in The Crimes of Thomas Brewster (2011). This time, however, the Doctor is alone and in danger. He is wanted by the Daleks. As the plot progresses we learn that his enemy can swap minds with Humans, literally taking over their physical bodies, using mind swapping technology created by Davros. The use of this weapon is obvious enough, allowing Daleks to move freely on Earth.

When Flip and Jared witness a spacecraft crashing in London, they go to investigate. The incident hasn't gone unnoticed and so it isn't long before the area is swarming with military and police officers. What DOES go unnoticed is the escape capsule that ejected from the main ship and landed nearby. From within, the Sixth Doctor emerges...

It has to be said that the casting is first rate in this one, and Big Finish delivers more often than not with their catalogue of audio adventures featuring EVERY Doctor they are fortunate to direct. It has also been an opportunity for BF to create an extension to what came before, building not just on the original television series that Colin Baker contributed to from 1984-86 but to add extra mythology surrounding the character. In the world of audio, the Sixth Doctor has met new companions such as Evelyn Smythe and Charlotte Pollard. They have been positive role models, feisty and curious, determined and loyal. These qualities can also be found in Flip. From the start she is unstoppable, a modern girl with a no nonsense approach, although she certainly has a heart.

One of the things that we do get to see in The Curse of Davros is that the Doctor - our Doctor - isn't quite himself. This gives Baker a nice juicy opportunity to step into someone else's shoes for a while, and it delivers nicely. When Jared is mind-swapped with a Dalek, the Time Lord and Flip go on the run. As usual, we see just how ruthless his deadly foes are when they threaten to exterminate a group of innocent people unless the Doctor surrenders. They clearly keep their word, as they did in Destiny of the Daleks (1979) when similarly they began systematically killing slaves until the Fourth Doctor gave in. This is what they know, and the price of a life means nothing except its usefulness as a weapon.


Meddling in history...

One moment we are on modern day Earth, the next we're witnessing the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. This is such a fantastic contrast, bringing new dynamics to the development of the play. Davros plans on using his mind-swapping tech to change Human history and aid Napoleon Bonaparte in defeating the British and Prussian armies. It would be catastrophic! Just think how the lyrics in a certain pop song from 1974 would differ, no more "At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender". But far more than that, such meddling would change the course of Human history.

Those familiar with BBC Books will recall a previous Doctor Who adventure set at the Battle of Waterloo. World Game, written by Terrance Dicks and published in 2005, featured the Second Doctor in a plot involving the Celestial Intervention Agency, Lady Serena, and Players (immortal beings who liked to tamper with history).


Holmes Vs Moriarty

Ever since he first appeared on our screens in 1975, Davros has become Moriarty to the Doctor's Holmes. With only a single televised story between them, Revelation of the Daleks (1985), it was always welcome when Big Finish decided to bring the two together again in audio. 2003's "Davros" is a particular favourite of mine. Out of all the Doctor's, Baker's incarnation feels the best fit to Terry Molloy's mad scientist. It is also fitting that this particular Doctor finally understands and shows empathy for his enemy, though that in itself doesn't stop the Gallifreyan from defeating him. We've always known that Davros' life is one of pain and suffering, though it is these that have kept him focused and hateful. Has he always been evil, or just ruthlessly efficient and practical? For that answer we have to look no further than "I, Davros", the four-part story also from Big Finish.


The adventure continues...

Given the opportunity to return home with boyfriend Jared, Flip instead decides to travel with the Doctor. This is very reminiscent of Rose Tyler's own reaction to embracing the chance of adventure through time and space. It also helps that Flip is very likeable, thanks to both the writing of the character and Greenwood's solid performance.


"Shall I compare thee to a summers day?"

How does this story compare to previous Dalek adventures? Well, it's an interesting mix, that's for sure. Over the years we've been treated to so many Dalek plots that it could easily become monotonous. The Curse of Davros, however, manages to keep a few surprises and delivers in the right areas. This is actually less about Daleks and more to do with rivalry between two old enemies: imagine if Davros could live again, without pain and mental torment... Imagine if the Doctor could spend the rest of his days trapped in a different kind of prison... It is a frightening concept indeed.

Looking on the Big Finish website I notice that they had the working title Waterloo of the Daleks, I'm so glad they changed it. Mention must also go to cover artist Simon Holub, who's work also includes favourites of mine such as "Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: Here There Be Monsters" and "Doctor Who - Robophobia". The use of blues in his The Curse of Davros looks stunning. I've just found some up and coming titles featuring his cover art and "Doctor Who: Interstitial / Feast of Fear" is particularly amazing!

I absolutely recommend The Curse of Davros, it is certainly an enjoyable ride through history. And you get to spend more time with Flip Jackson.

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Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan - AudioReview

Article author: Alwyn Ash


"The Daleks’ Master Plan reminds us just why fans of the show embraced Target books: to relive those extra pieces of magic, an extended piece of time travel and adventure."

It is easy to see why the Daleks were – and still are – so popular with fans. World domination is mere child’s play to these Kaled creatures. Instead we are given a plot, the Daleks’ master plan, that will suffocate enemy governments and their space fleets; armies will be slaughtered before the might of Dalek supremacy. This is a certainty. It has all been engineered to perfection. However, as is often the case with such plans, the Doctor’s involvement, or interference, is never accounted for.

The epic adventure that was The Daleks’ Master Plan, originally airing on BBC1 from 13th November 1965 to 29th January 1966, focused on Mavic Chen's back-stabbing, Guardian of the Solar System, whose goal and thirst for power overwhelmed any compassion for others, especially his own kind. Did he even have any compassion, or was his sole purpose to betray and control? The latter is quite clearly his motive and food for life. A man of greed, his own egotistic nature a blanket, preventing him from seeing what others around him thought. He cared not for the opinions of others, unless they were considered useful to him, even for a short time.

And now to the Daleks – instigators of the plan. Like Chen they are unaware of their own faults, oblivious to the limits of their capabilities. They are like Gods – no, they ARE gods! But this overconfidence is something that allows their missions to fail. The Doctor, for example, knows these creatures of old, having first encountered them on their home planet of Skaro. However, the Doctor refuses to underestimate them, for he knows how devious and deadly they can be. He steals the Taranium core, to prevent their master plan from ever succeeding.

But this act does not hinder the Daleks, for long. Confident of their destiny to conquer and destroy, they follow him through time and space, in a bid to regain their missing element.

It has to be said that both Peter Purves and Jean Marsh are absolutely superb, their narrative delightful and engaging. Purves’s vocal impression of the First Doctor, for example, is prime brilliance, underlining his skill as an actor and recognising his personal connection with not just the show but also William Hartnell’s character, so loved and remembered by fans.

Marsh delivers a far gentler narrative, an alternative style that helps to keep the story feeling fresh. This kind of device has been employed before, in other audiobooks, and it works brilliantly here. It is also a pleasure to hear both actors portraying their original parts too – of Steven Taylor and Sara Kingdom.

Lastly, the “Meddling Monk” (a renegade Time Lord first encountered in 1965’s The Time Meddler) makes a sudden return. Like the Daleks he is pursuing the Doctor in a time/space ship, unlike them his solitary motive is revenge. Trapped for a short time on Earth in 1066 (the Doctor had tampered with his TARDIS, preventing him from leaving the planet), the Monk now vows vengeance. Like Mavic Chen, the renegade Time Lord is capable of deceit, a skill that serves its usefulness when the Daleks capture him and he promises to deliver the Doctor to them.

Did I previously say: “it is easy to see why the Daleks were – and still are – so popular with fans”? Let me add: it is easy to see why this story has remained a true Doctor Who classic. Just who can resist a tale promising Daleks, threats of invasion and destruction, conspiracy and deceit, greed, revenge and more...?

The Daleks’ Master Plan reminds us just why fans of the show embraced Target books: to relive those extra pieces of magic, an extended piece of time travel and adventure. And, not forgetting, one of the longest stories ever written for Doctor Who (the original broadcast can boast twelve episodes – this audio adaptation of John Peel’s novelisation can promise 10 x CDs, that’s 12 hours and 10 minutes of unabridged entertainment!)

In fact, it is such a long story that, as with the original novelisations, it has been split into two parts – "The Daleks’ Master Plan Part 1: Mission To The Unknown" and "The Daleks’ Master Plan Part 2: The Mutation of Time". So, yes, you have to purchase both audio releases to enjoy the experience in full, but where would be the fun in missing out?

One of the most important elements to this superb drama reading that should be given a special mention is that of the Daleks themselves, here voiced by the brilliant Nicholas Briggs. It is no lie that an authentic Dalek voice would be missed without this man, who has shared his talents with both Big Finish and the new Doctor Who television series. Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan is a far more polished adventure with Briggs on board.


Further reading: AudioGo - Official website

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Big Finish: Energy of the Daleks - AudioReview

Article author: Alwyn Ash


Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor Adventures 1.04.

Founded in 1998, it was a relief for fans of Doctor Who when a license to produce official audio plays was awarded to Big Finish, their first story to be produced in this new range: The Sirens of Time (1999), a multi-Doctor adventure bringing together actors Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. It was to be the perfect alternative to a series that had been brought to an end in 1989 after twenty-six years on television.

It is sad to think that actor Jon Pertwee had only died three years earlier, and there is absolutely no doubt, in this reviewer's mind at least, that this great man would have contributed to the birth of this new venture for the Doctor and his companions, there is no doubt about that.

Another Doctor who could have embraced the role further was actor Tom Baker; however, it looked as if the man who had played the Time Lord the longest would not find, or wish to find, a place in this long line of tales brought magically to life by a company that would go on to produce other works including Sapphire and Steel, Dark Shadows, Sarah Jane Smith, Bernice Summerfield, and, more recently, a revival of Blake's 7 for audio.

Storm Warning (a tale of His Majesty's Airship, the R101) would signal a return to Doctor Who for Paul McGann, the man who had been tasked with the portrayal of the Eighth Doctor for the 1996 television movie.

And so back to Tom Baker, and the news that was to be announced in 2011. Though not the first to be released, Energy of the Daleks was the first to be recorded by the Big Finish team, which included Louise Jameson (reprising her role as Leela), Alex Lowe, Mark Benton (no relation to Sergeant Benton, I can assure you!), Caroline Keiff, Dan Starkey, John Dorney; and the voice of Skaro's finest, Nicholas Briggs. Was it a sensible choice to bring back the Daleks alongside Baker's first audio adventure for Big Finish? Simple answer: Yes, absolutely! It almost evokes the exact same shivers that I experienced with McCoys The Genocide Machine - almost, if it had only been that little bit longer... (Energy comes in at approx 60 minutes compared to Genocide's 120 minutes)

That aside, there is much to admire about Nick Briggs' tale of the Kaled creatures plotting Mankind's downfall - yes, another fiendish plot - aided by Andy Hardwick's excellent music score and sound design. And, honestly, there will always be a place in this reviewer's heart for both Baker and Jameson, together as the Fourth Doctor and Leela. For the latter, it is indeed a thrill to see (or in this case, hear and imagine...) how the Doctor's companion takes on the might of the Daleks, a psychological battle in which Leela refuses to submit her will to the enemy. Knife at hand, she has always been one of the strongest to accompany the Doctor and it is a pleasure to rejoin the lovely Jameson for further travels.

It is also remarkable to note that Jameson had never featured in a Dalek story before, during her time on television, and so it feels only right that that mistake be rectified.

The tale of energy, friendship, and potential genocide (did I mention The Genocide Machine earlier?) has the correct balance to play with, enhanced by nostalgia and a feeling that this is a lost adventure, one of those that had been written during Baker's original occupation of the TARDIS in his seven-year run and had not, for whatever reason, been filmed. The Earth-Moon setting also inspires thoughts of the Patrick Troughton era and Cybermen. This has "Classic" written all over it - and yes, I do differentiate between Classic and Nu-Who!

Though short in length, Energy takes bold brisk steps, never pausing for breath and making the most of its use with both scene and character. The re-introduction of Robomen nicely reflects the magic of William Hartnell's The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) while permitting a brief recollection of Mark Gatiss's Roboman as heard in The Mutant Phase, another Big Finish production from 2000.

This outing for Baker and Co. has enough energy of its own to pack a punch and will surely be a favourite with fans for many years to come? Though it has some negatives and faults - yes, even Energy - it is unfair to criticize, as where would we be without our Fourth Doctor and Leela in audio? There are already plenty of possibilities for this pairing - including what will be Mary Tamm's last appearance as Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar in another season of stories!

It is indeed sad that Elisabeth Sladen never had the opportunity to once more share in this pleasurable journey with co-star Tom Baker. I only hope that the Daleks aren't overused during Baker's time with Big Finish, although it will be an honour to experience the magic of Baker and Tamm in The Dalek Contract (featuring K9), expected for release in 2013.

It had been a long wait. But, in the end, the result of a Doctor at his best - marvellously acted by an equally marvellous actor - makes this a moment that all fans should experience. Further reading: Big Finish

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Genesis 1963: Peter Cushing

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Peter Cushing as Dr Who

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He was Dr Who, the man with a blue box, an inventor...

Doctor Who has been fortunate enough to entice a variety of actors, and not just for the lead role. But where else have we seen these people? Together we shall attempt to explore that question...

In the words of The Peter Cushing Association: "Peter Cushing was one of the most beloved and important actors for the genres of horror and fantasy films". Agreed. And the majority of his fans will, indeed, remember him for roles such as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Van Helsing in the very successful Hammer Films. But it is his contribution in two very special Dalek feature films that will always be cherished by Doctor Who fans: Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966). Movies that are seen, by most, as non-canon. Nevertheless, they remain firm favourites.

In the first instalment Dr Who is an eccentric old man, living with his granddaughters (yes, plural) Susan (Roberta Tovey) and Barbara (Jennie Linden). Susan is no more than a child (although she does possess a mind almost equal to that of her grandfather's); Barbara is dating a young gentleman named Ian (played by all round entertainer Roy Castle). It is Ian's introduction that causes events to unfold.

Dr Who has built a time machine called Tardis, and he is keen to show off his achievement. The film plays on the same aspect of the Tardis being bigger on the inside, a discovery that flabbergasts Ian. However, after accidentally knocking the instrumentation, the young man is responsible for them all being whisked off through time and space...

...where they land on a world called Skaro! The plotline follows that of its television counterpart.

The sequel, Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., was certainly greater in scale, though quite clearly less successful than the first. Original stars Peter Cushing and Roberta Tovey returned for this outing; actress Jill Curzon became the third member of the Tardis crew, as Dr Who's niece Louise. Joining them was actor Bernard Cribbins, portraying the part of British bobby Tom Campbell. Sadly DIE: 2150 A.D. underperformed at the box office and a possible third Dalek instalment (based on 1965 television story The Chase) was never produced.

It is easy to see why Peter Cushing was chosen out of so many actors. He was such a versatile performer, a man who had the ability to play dark roles in the Hammer series but still managing to maintain a softness that was quite needed for Dr Who. In life he was a gentle soul, a gentleman. Children could identify with him as being grandfatherly.

For horror fans, he was a legend; a creator of beasts, a vampire hunter, a man of many faces. His association, and friendship, with fellow actor Christopher Lee was legendary. They made the perfect team.

He had gone from theatre to Hollywood, returning to England where his career would be strengthened. From television work to film, he was an actor in demand. He appeared as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), now one of his most famous and recognisable of parts.

Born on 26th May 1913, Peter Cushing died in August 1994.

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