What do you think?
Rate this book
The Companion Chronicles #5.07
Doctor Who: Peri and the Piscon Paradox
The Doctor and Peri journey to Los Angeles 2009 to do battle with a Piscon. His name is Zarl, and he's a fish of utmost evil.
Zarl is going to steal all the water of Earth and sell it to the highest bidder. Or blow up the San Andreas fault. Or the planet. Or something like that. He's a bit vague on that point.
Fortunately, to stop him there’s help from an unexpected source: a future version of Peri. She knows Zarl's dark secret.
But should the future Peri be on Earth at all? Something smells fishy – and it's not just Zarl.
Zarl is going to steal all the water of Earth and sell it to the highest bidder. Or blow up the San Andreas fault. Or the planet. Or something like that. He's a bit vague on that point.
Fortunately, to stop him there’s help from an unexpected source: a future version of Peri. She knows Zarl's dark secret.
But should the future Peri be on Earth at all? Something smells fishy – and it's not just Zarl.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2011
67 people want to read
About the author
Nev Fountain
52 books45 followersNev Fountain, born Steven John Fountain, is an English writer, best known for his comedy work with writing partner Tom Jamieson on the radio and television programme 'Dead Ringers'.
He is currently writing for Dead Ringers and the satirical magazine 'Private Eye'.
He has written three humorous murder-mystery novels, collectively called 'The Mervyn Stone Mysteries', and a serious thriller called 'Painkiller'.
His latest book, 'The Fan Who Knew Too Much' was released in July this year.
Nev was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire and now resides in Surrey.
He is currently writing for Dead Ringers and the satirical magazine 'Private Eye'.
He has written three humorous murder-mystery novels, collectively called 'The Mervyn Stone Mysteries', and a serious thriller called 'Painkiller'.
His latest book, 'The Fan Who Knew Too Much' was released in July this year.
Nev was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire and now resides in Surrey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 29, 2016
I've enjoyed Big Finish's Doctor Who and other audios for years. I enjoy the Companion Chronicles very much. But this story marks a milestone for me as it is the first time I have listened to an entire story in my car while driving back and forth to work and while doing my errands. I've had friends tell me I should try listening to audios in the car, but I always figured it would be too distracting while I'm driving - or that I'd miss too much of the story. Actually, I found that I could pay attention to the story and drive - so this will definitely be an experience I'll repeat soon.
This double-CD story (which took me four days to listen to - the only time I've regretted having a short 25-minute commute) is told first from the point of view of younger Peri, and the Fifth Doctor, who land in L.A. in 2009, and the second CD is told from the point of view of an older Peri, with assistance from the Sixth Doctor. You also could listen to them in reverse order. It's not recommended, but possible - and it some ways, if you know what's coming from the older Peri's point of view, some of what's going on in the first disc makes more sense.
Disc 1 plays very much like a normal Doctor Who Adventure, told by younger Peri - the Doctor and Peri land in L.A. and discover an alien fish, whom the Doctor knows as a Piscon, is planning on stealing the Earth's water, or something. But when Peri spots a curiously familiar woman - things get strange.
Disc 2 has the older Peri as the host of a relationship advice cable show, a very successful one. Dr. Peri Brown runs into the Sixth Doctor who shows up in the audience of her show. But she doesn't remember him, or rather, she remembers their first adventure, and that's it. The older Peri also meets her younger self. Soon, it's Peri who spins a tale, an, um, fish tale, to tell Peri and the younger Doctor - because the Sixth Doctor accidentally causes the death of the Piscon Zarl before his younger self can defeat him. This, of course, creates a paradox, as the Doctor explains to Peri, who suggests using time travel to fix the mistake, "What? Are you mad? I can't go back in time to stop myself interfering with my own past, because that would mean I'd be interfering with my own past to stop myself interfering with my own past! Then where would we be?"
So the Sixth Doctor goes along with Peri's plan: They will hide the dead Piscon in the trunk of her car, and the Doctor will disguise himself in the Piscon's spacesuit. Peri will spin her story to her younger self, and the Doctor's previous incarnation, and they will push the Fifth Doctor into defeating Zarl, thus returning history to what the Sixth Doctor remembers.
Well, that's the plan, which, when listening you don't know - all you know is some evil Fish are running around L.A., the fish police (Piscon police) are after Zarl, and older Peri is pretending to be working for an secret government "Men in Black"/X-files organization that deals with alien insurgents. As things shake out, younger Peri becomes very angry at and disillusioned with her older self. But older Peri is hiding quite a lot. And it's in the last few chapters, or tracks of disc 2 that delivers quite the kick in the teeth. The truth of Peri's past and long and winding road that led to her career as a relationship counselor. The story also explains Peri's contradicting "ends" from the canon/aired episodes of Doctor Who. It's a satisfactory, bittersweet, and sad ending, which I'm not going to spoil.
I recommend Peri and the Piscon Paradox but it's not entirely the light-hearted adventure one might expect.
This double-CD story (which took me four days to listen to - the only time I've regretted having a short 25-minute commute) is told first from the point of view of younger Peri, and the Fifth Doctor, who land in L.A. in 2009, and the second CD is told from the point of view of an older Peri, with assistance from the Sixth Doctor. You also could listen to them in reverse order. It's not recommended, but possible - and it some ways, if you know what's coming from the older Peri's point of view, some of what's going on in the first disc makes more sense.
Disc 1 plays very much like a normal Doctor Who Adventure, told by younger Peri - the Doctor and Peri land in L.A. and discover an alien fish, whom the Doctor knows as a Piscon, is planning on stealing the Earth's water, or something. But when Peri spots a curiously familiar woman - things get strange.
Disc 2 has the older Peri as the host of a relationship advice cable show, a very successful one. Dr. Peri Brown runs into the Sixth Doctor who shows up in the audience of her show. But she doesn't remember him, or rather, she remembers their first adventure, and that's it. The older Peri also meets her younger self. Soon, it's Peri who spins a tale, an, um, fish tale, to tell Peri and the younger Doctor - because the Sixth Doctor accidentally causes the death of the Piscon Zarl before his younger self can defeat him. This, of course, creates a paradox, as the Doctor explains to Peri, who suggests using time travel to fix the mistake, "What? Are you mad? I can't go back in time to stop myself interfering with my own past, because that would mean I'd be interfering with my own past to stop myself interfering with my own past! Then where would we be?"
So the Sixth Doctor goes along with Peri's plan: They will hide the dead Piscon in the trunk of her car, and the Doctor will disguise himself in the Piscon's spacesuit. Peri will spin her story to her younger self, and the Doctor's previous incarnation, and they will push the Fifth Doctor into defeating Zarl, thus returning history to what the Sixth Doctor remembers.
Well, that's the plan, which, when listening you don't know - all you know is some evil Fish are running around L.A., the fish police (Piscon police) are after Zarl, and older Peri is pretending to be working for an secret government "Men in Black"/X-files organization that deals with alien insurgents. As things shake out, younger Peri becomes very angry at and disillusioned with her older self. But older Peri is hiding quite a lot. And it's in the last few chapters, or tracks of disc 2 that delivers quite the kick in the teeth. The truth of Peri's past and long and winding road that led to her career as a relationship counselor. The story also explains Peri's contradicting "ends" from the canon/aired episodes of Doctor Who. It's a satisfactory, bittersweet, and sad ending, which I'm not going to spoil.
I recommend Peri and the Piscon Paradox but it's not entirely the light-hearted adventure one might expect.
February 10, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this story even before the last revelation hit it way out of the ball park. Nicola Bryant does a great job of both younger/older Peri especially with the raw emotion with what happened to her after she left the TARDIS. BF is very good at the emotional punches and the material they do handle/address. This one in particular is a reminder of why I listen to these plays.
January 20, 2020
Dès le début de l'écoute, je trouvais beaucoup de stéréotypes dans le premier DC: une rencontre très malaisante entre Peri et son futur (jusqu'à toucher son sein pour s'assurer de sa véracité...). Je n'avais pas souvenir d'une Peri aussi superficielle et stéréotypée, je suis très déçu· du traitement du personnage à ce niveau. Le premier épisode était assez classique, prévisible, il voulait avoir un angle beaucoup plus comique, mais ce n'était malheureusement pas mon genre d'humour. Je suis content· toutefois d'avoir poursuivi parce que la seconde partie prend vraiment une meilleure tournure.
Le second DC revient sur le déroulement du premier, mais avec le point de vue de la Peri plus âgée. Il y a beaucoup trop de spoilers pour discuter de ce cet épisode ici, mais il y a définitivement un retournement de situation important, inattendu et le jeu avec le Sixième Docteur est suffisamment discret pour vraiment laisser toute la place à Peri afin de construire son personnage.
L'épilogue, appelons-le ainsi, est un peu long: on explique pourquoi Peri n'est plus avec le roi Yrcanos, explication probablement là pour expliquer pourquoi elle est sur Terre et lacer un peu toute la continuité ensemble ; j'aurais honnêtement presque voulu sauter ce moment pour rester sur la fin:
Avant l'épilogue, il y a une scène très forte à laquelle je ne m'attendais pas du tout, une scène très surprenante et qui m'a définitivement remué. Alors que je pensais pas mal que le traitement des Peri dans le premier DC était un peu bâclé, superficiel, inintéressant, le second DC ne vient pas remplacer l'impression du premier épisode, mais prend une voix beaucoup plus mature et démontre bien que Nev Fountain peut vraiment bien réussir à écrire des personnages féminins.
Bref, un audio très ambivalent dont le premier épisode ne vaut la peine d'être écouté, à mon avis, que pour la subversion qu'on lui prépare dans le DC suivant. Il vaut vraiment la peine d'être écouté au premier, je suis presque content que le premier soit aussi différent du second, ça ne nous prépare par pour le choc et la qualité qui s'en vient.
Le second DC revient sur le déroulement du premier, mais avec le point de vue de la Peri plus âgée. Il y a beaucoup trop de spoilers pour discuter de ce cet épisode ici, mais il y a définitivement un retournement de situation important, inattendu et le jeu avec le Sixième Docteur est suffisamment discret pour vraiment laisser toute la place à Peri afin de construire son personnage.
L'épilogue, appelons-le ainsi, est un peu long: on explique pourquoi Peri n'est plus avec le roi Yrcanos, explication probablement là pour expliquer pourquoi elle est sur Terre et lacer un peu toute la continuité ensemble ; j'aurais honnêtement presque voulu sauter ce moment pour rester sur la fin:
Avant l'épilogue, il y a une scène très forte à laquelle je ne m'attendais pas du tout, une scène très surprenante et qui m'a définitivement remué. Alors que je pensais pas mal que le traitement des Peri dans le premier DC était un peu bâclé, superficiel, inintéressant, le second DC ne vient pas remplacer l'impression du premier épisode, mais prend une voix beaucoup plus mature et démontre bien que Nev Fountain peut vraiment bien réussir à écrire des personnages féminins.
Bref, un audio très ambivalent dont le premier épisode ne vaut la peine d'être écouté, à mon avis, que pour la subversion qu'on lui prépare dans le DC suivant. Il vaut vraiment la peine d'être écouté au premier, je suis presque content que le premier soit aussi différent du second, ça ne nous prépare par pour le choc et la qualité qui s'en vient.
July 1, 2018
Well, this was good. But I really had to wait for the second half for it to come together...
after the first half, I was wondering why this got such good reviews.
But then it all made sense and I understood why this play is so much fun.
So if you are starting and wondering in the first half where this is going, just wait, it will fit together nicely. Needs to be listened to at least twice.
Recommended.
after the first half, I was wondering why this got such good reviews.
But then it all made sense and I understood why this play is so much fun.
So if you are starting and wondering in the first half where this is going, just wait, it will fit together nicely. Needs to be listened to at least twice.
Recommended.
November 21, 2021
This audio is such a beautiful send off for a wonderful companion who deserved a better ending than she was given in the show. I’m honestly sobbing after listening to this. It’s worth the listen. From hilarious puns to heartfelt moments, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
This is the true ending for Peri. Can’t say anything more than that.
This is the true ending for Peri. Can’t say anything more than that.
June 17, 2019
And this is how you do it, kids. This is how you make a farce out of Doctor Who. Fun and light-hearted, fast and funny. Until it isn't. Until the ending hits you like a Dalek disruptor. For our full thoughts, visit https://travelingthevortex.com/?p=8737
August 13, 2019
Wow, that was incredible! A very clever, funny, heartbreaking story! This story made me feel so many emotions, with such rich characterization, clever plot, heart wrenching moments and is just downright hailarious! Nev Fountain you've done it again! 10/10
November 22, 2020
I wasn't expecting to like this as much, given that Nicola Bryant reads the Fifth Doctor's lines in Peter Davison's absence. But Nicola Bryant does an amazing job playing young and old versions of herself. And thankfully, she also has Colin Baker to play off of.
October 17, 2017
This one was great! Thankfully, it cleared up what really happened to Peri during Trial of a Time Lord.
July 1, 2020
I love Peri and, by extension, Nicola Bryant. Excellent story.
August 17, 2020
"We'll always have Peris..."
December 15, 2025
A brilliant story to give Peri the spotlight. Great and unique story.
January 16, 2023
A clever paradox story with good humour.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
A Fifth and Sixth Doctor story, told from the perspective of Peri.
Or, to be more precise, from the perspectives of Peri at two different points in her personal timeline. This is the second in what became an annual tradition of double-length (2 hour) Companion Chronicles, and makes good use of that extra time to tell the same regular length story from two perspectives. Of course, it not being a full-cast play does bring the usual limitations of a Companion Chronicle, but, here, it's hard to see how else you could tell the story.
Peri and the Fifth Doctor arrive in present day Los Angeles on the trail of a malevolent fish-alien. The story is best described as a comedy, much of the humour in the first half of which comes from Peri's interactions with her future self, as well as her wry '80s viewpoint of modern LA culture. However, the story livens up even further in the second half, where we discover, now from the viewpoint of future-Peri, what was really going on in the first half.
The story does this without too much repetition, the two Peris being apart for significant stretches, while the actual paradox - of how any of this is even possible - is sensibly glossed over until close to the end. While the first half offsets the comedy with some pathos, in Peri's despair at what kind of person she will eventually become, the second half not only adds further humour, but provides a real kicker as the truth of the intervening years is finally revealed.
In summary, this is an excellent use of what's normally a rather limited format, that's both funny and sad at the same time. If nothing else, it's a much better send-off for Peri than the one the TV writers gave her. It brought a tear to my eye, and if that isn't worth a 5, I don't know what is.
Or, to be more precise, from the perspectives of Peri at two different points in her personal timeline. This is the second in what became an annual tradition of double-length (2 hour) Companion Chronicles, and makes good use of that extra time to tell the same regular length story from two perspectives. Of course, it not being a full-cast play does bring the usual limitations of a Companion Chronicle, but, here, it's hard to see how else you could tell the story.
Peri and the Fifth Doctor arrive in present day Los Angeles on the trail of a malevolent fish-alien. The story is best described as a comedy, much of the humour in the first half of which comes from Peri's interactions with her future self, as well as her wry '80s viewpoint of modern LA culture. However, the story livens up even further in the second half, where we discover, now from the viewpoint of future-Peri, what was really going on in the first half.
The story does this without too much repetition, the two Peris being apart for significant stretches, while the actual paradox - of how any of this is even possible - is sensibly glossed over until close to the end. While the first half offsets the comedy with some pathos, in Peri's despair at what kind of person she will eventually become, the second half not only adds further humour, but provides a real kicker as the truth of the intervening years is finally revealed.
In summary, this is an excellent use of what's normally a rather limited format, that's both funny and sad at the same time. If nothing else, it's a much better send-off for Peri than the one the TV writers gave her. It brought a tear to my eye, and if that isn't worth a 5, I don't know what is.
September 6, 2012
With Doctor Who back on the air I've decided start listening to audio dramas again. I picked this one out as I really liked Peri and didn't care for her ending in the series. Before listening to this I'd say you need to watch Planet of Fire, The Caves of Androzani, and the Trial of a Timelord season of Doctor Who. As this resolves Peri's fate and shows us her possible future along with going over a few others.
It is narrated by Nicola Bryant who played Peri and she does a very convincing job of differentiating younger and older Peri plus the plethora of others including the Fifth Doctor. This drama is all about exploring Peri's character with the Piscons really being a MacGuffin that unites the two Peris. The story is divided into two parts the first is from younger pre-Androzani Peri, trying to stop the Piscons and running into her older self. The second is from older Peri who is contacted by the Sixth Doctor, who she doesn't remember, in order to help him solve a blunder he's made. I enjoyed, but was let down by the plot explanations in the first half, but trust me, finish the story. The conclusion was awesome and definitely worth it.
Also, Colin Baker reprises his role as the Sixth Doctor. This is the Sixth Doctor as his finest, arrogant and witty, but caring and determined. He really shows what I felt were the strongest parts of his tenure and I've really been meaning to get to more of his audio dramas.
Overall, this one is for fans of Peri and the Sixth Doctor. Both of them fare very well and there is the classic mix of humor and action famous in doctor who. Plus, this proves that Peri is far more than just 'TARDIS Barbie.'
It is narrated by Nicola Bryant who played Peri and she does a very convincing job of differentiating younger and older Peri plus the plethora of others including the Fifth Doctor. This drama is all about exploring Peri's character with the Piscons really being a MacGuffin that unites the two Peris. The story is divided into two parts the first is from younger pre-Androzani Peri, trying to stop the Piscons and running into her older self. The second is from older Peri who is contacted by the Sixth Doctor, who she doesn't remember, in order to help him solve a blunder he's made. I enjoyed, but was let down by the plot explanations in the first half, but trust me, finish the story. The conclusion was awesome and definitely worth it.
Also, Colin Baker reprises his role as the Sixth Doctor. This is the Sixth Doctor as his finest, arrogant and witty, but caring and determined. He really shows what I felt were the strongest parts of his tenure and I've really been meaning to get to more of his audio dramas.
Overall, this one is for fans of Peri and the Sixth Doctor. Both of them fare very well and there is the classic mix of humor and action famous in doctor who. Plus, this proves that Peri is far more than just 'TARDIS Barbie.'
March 19, 2011
This is one of the best plays Big Finish have ever done. I had reasonably high hopes after reading the very connubial mutual interview between author Nev Fountain and star Nicola Bryant in the last Doctor Who Magazine, and even more so after reading Andrew Hickey's very positive and detailed review, and I was not disappointed. Nicola Bryant has been awfully good as Peri throughout the Big Finish run of audios; here Fountain has picked up on a number of the things that made The Kingmaker also one of the best Big Finish audios, and managed to both tie up a number of loose ends in Peri's story and add considerable depth to her character without overburdening her. The two actors involved, Bryant and Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, are both called on to perform rather more intensely than usual and both really rise to it. Like Andrew Hickey, I was left full of admiration for Bryant's convincing portrayal of young Peri with the Fifth Doctor just before The Caves of Androzani, combined with her equally convincing portrayal of 2009 Peri who has no memory of the Sixth Doctor at all. I am always attracted by doppelganger-style stories anyway but I loved the layers of disguise and identity in this one. And Fountain and Bryant managed to mix some pretty grim subject matter (which Big Finish don't always manage to pull off) with the comedy elements where they are perhaps more at home. Very strongly recommended, though I think one would need at least a passing familiarity not just with Doctor Who but with the Peri era to really enjoy it.
December 17, 2015
I enjoyed this one. That's saying a lot since Peri is far from my favorite companion. Still, I think I like Peri more in the Big Finish audios than I do on the actual show. This audio was genuinely funny and had moments of real heart.
January 21, 2016
Peri and 2 doctor have an adventure with 2 Peri's and a talking fish trying to take over the world. Excellent story.
April 10, 2015
I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its title but from the awful alliteration here my heart sank even before I'd started listening.
October 2, 2015
"I can't interfere with my own past! Because that would mean I'd be interfering with my own past- to stop myself from interfering with my own past! THEN where would we be?!"
April 25, 2017
I really enjoyed hearing Nicola Bryant's voice - she did a passable imitation of the 5th Doctor - and, of course, hearing Colin Baker's 6th was great. The adventure was humorous but the end was pretty dark and deep, especially in regards to dealing with Peri's fate, always a sore spot with me, actually. I kind of like how they wrapped things up.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews