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The Fourth Doctor Adventures #12B
Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures, Series 12: Angels and Demons
12.3 The Wizard of Time by Roy Gill (2 parts)
It’s time for a story. Jacob Harmer was one of the greats. His fantasy novels for children entranced a generation. But how much of their stories were fantasy and how much of them was the truth? At last he’s ready to tell the tale of what really happened.
12.4 The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman (2 parts)
It’s 1943 and the village of Westbourne has been invaded… not by the enemy, but by the allies. The American troops are ‘over here’ and enjoying themselves mightily. Except there’s someone else visiting the village. And not just the new barmaid, Margaret. Or her unusual friends, Leela and the Doctor. Something with a sinister agenda all its own.
12.5 Stone Cold by Roland Moore (4 parts)
The TARDIS lands on a rocky, volcanic planet and its crew soon find they are not alone. A pleasure cruiser has recently crashed on this world… but survival has proved rather dangerous. Because there’s something out on the surface snatching people away. Something made of stone. And with wings. Don't blink.
12.6 The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley (2 parts)
The journey has been long, but it’s time for Margaret to come home.
Or is it a different time entirely? Reunited with a ghost from her past, she’s finds herself in a whole new world. The Doctor and Leela are about to discover that people don’t always leave easily?
It’s time for a story. Jacob Harmer was one of the greats. His fantasy novels for children entranced a generation. But how much of their stories were fantasy and how much of them was the truth? At last he’s ready to tell the tale of what really happened.
12.4 The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman (2 parts)
It’s 1943 and the village of Westbourne has been invaded… not by the enemy, but by the allies. The American troops are ‘over here’ and enjoying themselves mightily. Except there’s someone else visiting the village. And not just the new barmaid, Margaret. Or her unusual friends, Leela and the Doctor. Something with a sinister agenda all its own.
12.5 Stone Cold by Roland Moore (4 parts)
The TARDIS lands on a rocky, volcanic planet and its crew soon find they are not alone. A pleasure cruiser has recently crashed on this world… but survival has proved rather dangerous. Because there’s something out on the surface snatching people away. Something made of stone. And with wings. Don't blink.
12.6 The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley (2 parts)
The journey has been long, but it’s time for Margaret to come home.
Or is it a different time entirely? Reunited with a ghost from her past, she’s finds herself in a whole new world. The Doctor and Leela are about to discover that people don’t always leave easily?
- GenresDoctor Who
Audio CD
First published June 21, 2023
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Roy Gill
49 books13 followers"Heady, wonderful stuff… I adored this novel" (Paul Magrs on "Daemon Parallel")
The manuscript for Roy’s first novel, Daemon Parallel, was shortlisted for both the Sceptre and the Kelpies prize, and won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. A sequel, Werewolf Parallel (“Clever, creative and fun.” Kirkus Reviews) completed the duology.
Roy's recent short stories have appeared in The Myriad Carnival, Out There and the British Fantasy Society Journal.
As a scriptwriter, Roy has worked on several of Big Finish’s acclaimed audio drama series including The Confessions of Dorian Gray, The Omega Factor, and the Worlds of Doctor Who. His epic Dark Shadows 50th Anniversary Blood & Fire script won the 2017 Scribe Award for Best Audio Drama.
The manuscript for Roy’s first novel, Daemon Parallel, was shortlisted for both the Sceptre and the Kelpies prize, and won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. A sequel, Werewolf Parallel (“Clever, creative and fun.” Kirkus Reviews) completed the duology.
Roy's recent short stories have appeared in The Myriad Carnival, Out There and the British Fantasy Society Journal.
As a scriptwriter, Roy has worked on several of Big Finish’s acclaimed audio drama series including The Confessions of Dorian Gray, The Omega Factor, and the Worlds of Doctor Who. His epic Dark Shadows 50th Anniversary Blood & Fire script won the 2017 Scribe Award for Best Audio Drama.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 11, 2023
The Wizard of Time by Roy Gill - 4/5
Jacob Harmer is a famous children’s fantasy author. Now that he’s nearing the end of his life, he reveals that his bedtime stories might not have been fantasy at all.
Something hiding and snarling in the dark is just a very smart way to describe the antagonists in the beginning of the story. It certainly gets my attention. The only real negative here is that it’s more of a story about the guest character of Jacob Harmer, rather than the actual Tardis crew. Because Jacob Harmer is the protagonist, trying to recollect his inspirations for his fantasy fairy tale stories to us. Still, quite a fun adventure. The rather light and amusing fairy tale atmosphere is done well here, with a charming little bit of comedy sprinkled on top of it. There’s some thrilling action to keep our attention. And there might be a really cool twist.
The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman – 2,5/5
Margaret’s working as a barmaid in 1943. There’s something weird going on in the village of Westbourne. And the doctor asked Margaret to investigate. She talks to the young sympathetic American soldiers stationed there and asks them questions, like any barmaid would. Margaret needs time to properly investigate the matter. Unfortunately, the doctor quickly grows tired of waiting in the shadows.
A solid historical story with a great concept at its core. It’s a very character-driven story that revolves around a very globally important moment in history, done on a very small and human scale. It doesn’t help that the stereotypical American accents are a bit off, but it’s not too distracting. The antagonists however are the biggest letdown of this story. I think I like the idea of this story more than the actual story.
Stone Cold by Roland Moore – 4/5
The doctor, Leela and Margaret arrive on a rocky, volcanic planet and are captured by a man with an itchy trigger finger. They’re led to a crashed pleasure cruiser. The stranded crew and passengers have been surviving as best they could on this barren and inhospitable planet for months now. But even though they had yet to find any living thing on this planet, they know something must be out there. Because people have been disappearing at an alarming rate. The crew seems to think that the doctor and his companions are responsible for the disappearances. But the Tardis crew has only just arrived. And the doctor is shocked when he figures out what kind of dangerous enemy they’ve stumbled across this time around.
Considering the Weeping Angels are featured very prominently on the cover for marketing purposes, it’s no surprise that they’re the antagonists in this one. I didn’t know if this concept would work so well on audio, as they’re a very visual kind of antagonist. But they’re cleverly used here, seemingly effortlessly making them come to life. It’s also quite an atmospheric story, especially in the beginning as the tension is slowly elevated towards the big revelation. Though I will admit, it does feel like a very familiar kind of Weeping Angels story.
Overall, a thrilling and suspenseful story that’s marketed as the highlight of the set and significantly advances Margaret’s character arc. The writer does a great job making such a visual antagonist come to life on audio. And I’m always a sucker for a base under siege story done right.
The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley – 4,5/5
Margaret’s had enough. All she wants to do is go home. The doctor reluctantly drops her off not far from her home. But, distracted by his own reluctance, he makes a really big mistake. Margaret’s home now. Or so she thinks. When she’s reunited with a ghost from her past, she realizes she’s not out of the woods just yet.
The setting reminds me a little bit of the upside down world in Stranger Things. It’s weird and experimental, but also strangely familiar. The story itself is a bit weird, but also quite clever. And it’s Margaret’s character arc that shines the most here. It ends up being quite a deserving and satisfying finale for Margaret’s adventures as a whole.
This is the end of the adventures with Margaret Hopwood. Which is a bit unfortunate, as I really enjoyed both her character and her chemistry with the fourth doctor and Leela. Adding an actual pensioner character in there with the aging actors brings a very different and more natural dynamic to the Tardis crew at this point. It’s a very refreshing take on the fourth doctor and Leela adventures that I hope they can revisit in the future.
Jacob Harmer is a famous children’s fantasy author. Now that he’s nearing the end of his life, he reveals that his bedtime stories might not have been fantasy at all.
Something hiding and snarling in the dark is just a very smart way to describe the antagonists in the beginning of the story. It certainly gets my attention. The only real negative here is that it’s more of a story about the guest character of Jacob Harmer, rather than the actual Tardis crew. Because Jacob Harmer is the protagonist, trying to recollect his inspirations for his fantasy fairy tale stories to us. Still, quite a fun adventure. The rather light and amusing fairy tale atmosphere is done well here, with a charming little bit of comedy sprinkled on top of it. There’s some thrilling action to keep our attention. And there might be a really cool twist.
The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman – 2,5/5
Margaret’s working as a barmaid in 1943. There’s something weird going on in the village of Westbourne. And the doctor asked Margaret to investigate. She talks to the young sympathetic American soldiers stationed there and asks them questions, like any barmaid would. Margaret needs time to properly investigate the matter. Unfortunately, the doctor quickly grows tired of waiting in the shadows.
A solid historical story with a great concept at its core. It’s a very character-driven story that revolves around a very globally important moment in history, done on a very small and human scale. It doesn’t help that the stereotypical American accents are a bit off, but it’s not too distracting. The antagonists however are the biggest letdown of this story. I think I like the idea of this story more than the actual story.
Stone Cold by Roland Moore – 4/5
The doctor, Leela and Margaret arrive on a rocky, volcanic planet and are captured by a man with an itchy trigger finger. They’re led to a crashed pleasure cruiser. The stranded crew and passengers have been surviving as best they could on this barren and inhospitable planet for months now. But even though they had yet to find any living thing on this planet, they know something must be out there. Because people have been disappearing at an alarming rate. The crew seems to think that the doctor and his companions are responsible for the disappearances. But the Tardis crew has only just arrived. And the doctor is shocked when he figures out what kind of dangerous enemy they’ve stumbled across this time around.
Considering the Weeping Angels are featured very prominently on the cover for marketing purposes, it’s no surprise that they’re the antagonists in this one. I didn’t know if this concept would work so well on audio, as they’re a very visual kind of antagonist. But they’re cleverly used here, seemingly effortlessly making them come to life. It’s also quite an atmospheric story, especially in the beginning as the tension is slowly elevated towards the big revelation. Though I will admit, it does feel like a very familiar kind of Weeping Angels story.
Overall, a thrilling and suspenseful story that’s marketed as the highlight of the set and significantly advances Margaret’s character arc. The writer does a great job making such a visual antagonist come to life on audio. And I’m always a sucker for a base under siege story done right.
The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley – 4,5/5
Margaret’s had enough. All she wants to do is go home. The doctor reluctantly drops her off not far from her home. But, distracted by his own reluctance, he makes a really big mistake. Margaret’s home now. Or so she thinks. When she’s reunited with a ghost from her past, she realizes she’s not out of the woods just yet.
The setting reminds me a little bit of the upside down world in Stranger Things. It’s weird and experimental, but also strangely familiar. The story itself is a bit weird, but also quite clever. And it’s Margaret’s character arc that shines the most here. It ends up being quite a deserving and satisfying finale for Margaret’s adventures as a whole.
This is the end of the adventures with Margaret Hopwood. Which is a bit unfortunate, as I really enjoyed both her character and her chemistry with the fourth doctor and Leela. Adding an actual pensioner character in there with the aging actors brings a very different and more natural dynamic to the Tardis crew at this point. It’s a very refreshing take on the fourth doctor and Leela adventures that I hope they can revisit in the future.
August 3, 2025
A beautiful boxset to wrap up the Nerys Hughes' time as companion Margaret Hopwood.
The Wizard of Time is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It features the final released performance of actor Ronald Pickup, who has since passed away. A nice full circle moment and fitting tribute to him as his first job as an actor was in Doctor Who back in 1964 in the Reign of Terror. The story itself is told from the perspective of this fictional author, who's played by Ronald Pickup. Which means he's given a lot of audio time. This fresh perspective allows the story to stand out.
The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman was the story I was most looking forward to due to the author being one of my favourite writers as well as the fact it was set in the past during the Second World War. Again, Chris Chapman tackles a lesser thought of element of WW2, that being the time the American soldiers were over in Britain getting ready for Dday. This story goes nicely with Chris Chapman's other WW2 story, which tackles the aftermath of Dday. That being the brilliant Scorched Earth. This story, however, isn't as good but still a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Stone Cold by Roland Moore sees the Fourth Doctor, Leela, and Margaret face the Weeping Angels. It's always nice when expanded media brings classic and new who together to make it feel like one universe. This story is very much the best bits of other Weeping Angel stories and would be a solid 5 out 5 stars, but it clashes with the TV Story Flesh and Stone in which the Doctor seems to discover the Weeping Angels' ability to form from an image of an angel. Yet that same ability is explained by the Doctor in this story. If this story was written differently, it could have avoided this continuity clash. So I can only really give it 4 out of 5 stars and extend my disbelief that the 11th Doctor somehow forgot that ability when faced with the Angels in Flesh and Stone.
Finally, we end the set with the Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley. It's easily the best story of the set. This story breaks my heart, and I can sadly relate to what both Margaret and the Doctor go through emotionally in this one. Exploring Margaret's loneliness in a very sci-fi way. Beautifully written and a very fitting end for Margaret Hopwood as a companion. Definitely brought more than one tear to my eyes 😢.
The Wizard of Time is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It features the final released performance of actor Ronald Pickup, who has since passed away. A nice full circle moment and fitting tribute to him as his first job as an actor was in Doctor Who back in 1964 in the Reign of Terror. The story itself is told from the perspective of this fictional author, who's played by Ronald Pickup. Which means he's given a lot of audio time. This fresh perspective allows the story to stand out.
The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman was the story I was most looking forward to due to the author being one of my favourite writers as well as the fact it was set in the past during the Second World War. Again, Chris Chapman tackles a lesser thought of element of WW2, that being the time the American soldiers were over in Britain getting ready for Dday. This story goes nicely with Chris Chapman's other WW2 story, which tackles the aftermath of Dday. That being the brilliant Scorched Earth. This story, however, isn't as good but still a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Stone Cold by Roland Moore sees the Fourth Doctor, Leela, and Margaret face the Weeping Angels. It's always nice when expanded media brings classic and new who together to make it feel like one universe. This story is very much the best bits of other Weeping Angel stories and would be a solid 5 out 5 stars, but it clashes with the TV Story Flesh and Stone in which the Doctor seems to discover the Weeping Angels' ability to form from an image of an angel. Yet that same ability is explained by the Doctor in this story. If this story was written differently, it could have avoided this continuity clash. So I can only really give it 4 out of 5 stars and extend my disbelief that the 11th Doctor somehow forgot that ability when faced with the Angels in Flesh and Stone.
Finally, we end the set with the Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley. It's easily the best story of the set. This story breaks my heart, and I can sadly relate to what both Margaret and the Doctor go through emotionally in this one. Exploring Margaret's loneliness in a very sci-fi way. Beautifully written and a very fitting end for Margaret Hopwood as a companion. Definitely brought more than one tear to my eyes 😢.
September 18, 2024
Great set of 4 stories (3x 1 hour and 1x 2hour length).
I liked the first story, "Wizard of Time".
It was timey-whimey and whimsical and the story was told through the point of view of an aging fiction writer, which gave an unusual perspective.
The second story, "Friendly Invasion", was a pretty standard WWII base under siege story. Although it had kind of an unique twist to it at the end, it was just too standard for my tastes.
Stone Cold- THIS is how you do a great audio angels story! Very well paced, genuinely creepy, great use of sound effects and cues and the performances are perfect. I think the angels are used very well here.
This story was actually the reason I decided to buy this set, and I am not disappointed.
The Ghost of Margret- Nice sentimental character-driven story. I liked this. Others commented above that the 4th Doctor comes across as too sentimental and "nice" in this story. Yes, I noticed that, too. However, I admit, I am just not a fan of the rude 4th Doctor, and in general, not the greatest 4th Doctor fan at all. I actually welcomed this new touch.
All in all, this is a great set of stories which I enjoyed.
I liked the first story, "Wizard of Time".
It was timey-whimey and whimsical and the story was told through the point of view of an aging fiction writer, which gave an unusual perspective.
The second story, "Friendly Invasion", was a pretty standard WWII base under siege story. Although it had kind of an unique twist to it at the end, it was just too standard for my tastes.
Stone Cold- THIS is how you do a great audio angels story! Very well paced, genuinely creepy, great use of sound effects and cues and the performances are perfect. I think the angels are used very well here.
This story was actually the reason I decided to buy this set, and I am not disappointed.
The Ghost of Margret- Nice sentimental character-driven story. I liked this. Others commented above that the 4th Doctor comes across as too sentimental and "nice" in this story. Yes, I noticed that, too. However, I admit, I am just not a fan of the rude 4th Doctor, and in general, not the greatest 4th Doctor fan at all. I actually welcomed this new touch.
All in all, this is a great set of stories which I enjoyed.
June 28, 2023
I only have listen to the two stories from this set
March 23, 2025
A set of four stories wrapping up the loose arc in which an elderly sculptor travels with the Doctor as an additional companion to Leela.
The Wizard of Time – The initial, hour-long story is unusual in that it is told from the perspective of an outsider, with the regulars as effective guest characters in their own show. The narrator is an elderly children’s author who, it turns out early on, has based the plots of some of his novels on his sporadic encounters with the Doctor. The story is told partly in flashback and partly as a conversation between the author and a visitor who doubts his sanity. These two plot elements are directly connected, although it’s perhaps the latter that ends up being more significant.
Otherwise, the basic plot concerns the time travellers having to make an emergency stop to escape a monster in the Vortex, which recurs in various ways as we follow the life story of the narrator. This isn’t to say that there aren’t some good scenes for the main characters, with all of them getting to do their bit, even if half of the fun is seeing the narrator’s reaction to them rather than following things from their own perspective. It’s a quirky little tale where the monster is incidental to the real story. 4 stars.
The Friendly Invasion – Next, we’re off to a country village close to a barracks where American GIs are stationed shortly before D-Day. Here, the Doctor is tracking down the source of a time anomaly in a story that turns out to be more complex than at first appears (which isn’t much, to be fair). Unusually, one of the main American characters is played by a US actor, rather than a Brit, but I confess I found it hard to distinguish the voices of the different GIs – something that I suspect US listeners may find easier.
While the story ends up being a traditional base-under-siege, one of the nice touches is that Margaret, being an elderly woman from the 1970s, had bittersweet memories of living through WWII. This gives us more of an insight into her background and adds an emotional angle to the story that wouldn’t be possible with a regular companion. It’s not the only such angle, due to a subplot about a romance between one of the GIs and an English girl but it helps to put things into perspective. The explanation for what’s going on is also not a standard one – the only “invaders” are the Yanks – and has some tangential connections with at least one TV story, even if the motivation of the villains is a little sketchy. 4 stars.
Stone Cold – The third story is a two-hour one, in the four-part format most common in the TV series. It’s another base-under-siege, this time set on a passenger liner that has crashed on a planet supposedly devoid of life. The monster isn’t revealed until surprisingly late, but it’s prominently featured on the cover, so it hardly seems a spoiler to say that it’s a Weeping Angel. From there, what already feels like a disaster movie escalates into a desperate battle for survival as you wonder whether anyone other than the regulars will make it out.
As in any disaster movie, there is a good cast of characters, who manage to be familiar despite coming from an interstellar empire we’ve not previously heard of. One of the passengers, to be fair, is over-the-top obnoxious to the point of being implausible, but the longer lead-up to the monster ‘reveal’ gives us time to get to know the others and the tensions of their native society. Weeping Angels feel as if they really shouldn’t work on audio, but they do so here, building a sense of menace with no speech and only the most minimal of sound effects. It’s the characters’ response to the threat that sells it, and they do that in spades. 5 stars.
The Ghost of Margaret – The conclusion of the arc sees Margaret return home, only to find that a TARDIS malfunction has placed her in danger. There’s a link back to one of the earlier stories in the arc in something that has the general tone of a ghost story (or, perhaps, Sapphire and Steel). Technically, it’s another base-under-siege but it doesn’t at all follow the usual format of that, instead offsetting a general sense of despair with one of hope and providing a more metaphorical method for keeping the monsters at bay.
It’s well performed and nicely written, delving into the pasts of all the characters and with a clever use of the TARDIS, beyond harking back to some early stories from the TV series. Margaret’s eventual method of departure can also be seen as a commentary on Leela’s… here, we see the same idea done properly, giving the story a strong emotional core. 4.5. stars.
The Wizard of Time – The initial, hour-long story is unusual in that it is told from the perspective of an outsider, with the regulars as effective guest characters in their own show. The narrator is an elderly children’s author who, it turns out early on, has based the plots of some of his novels on his sporadic encounters with the Doctor. The story is told partly in flashback and partly as a conversation between the author and a visitor who doubts his sanity. These two plot elements are directly connected, although it’s perhaps the latter that ends up being more significant.
Otherwise, the basic plot concerns the time travellers having to make an emergency stop to escape a monster in the Vortex, which recurs in various ways as we follow the life story of the narrator. This isn’t to say that there aren’t some good scenes for the main characters, with all of them getting to do their bit, even if half of the fun is seeing the narrator’s reaction to them rather than following things from their own perspective. It’s a quirky little tale where the monster is incidental to the real story. 4 stars.
The Friendly Invasion – Next, we’re off to a country village close to a barracks where American GIs are stationed shortly before D-Day. Here, the Doctor is tracking down the source of a time anomaly in a story that turns out to be more complex than at first appears (which isn’t much, to be fair). Unusually, one of the main American characters is played by a US actor, rather than a Brit, but I confess I found it hard to distinguish the voices of the different GIs – something that I suspect US listeners may find easier.
While the story ends up being a traditional base-under-siege, one of the nice touches is that Margaret, being an elderly woman from the 1970s, had bittersweet memories of living through WWII. This gives us more of an insight into her background and adds an emotional angle to the story that wouldn’t be possible with a regular companion. It’s not the only such angle, due to a subplot about a romance between one of the GIs and an English girl but it helps to put things into perspective. The explanation for what’s going on is also not a standard one – the only “invaders” are the Yanks – and has some tangential connections with at least one TV story, even if the motivation of the villains is a little sketchy. 4 stars.
Stone Cold – The third story is a two-hour one, in the four-part format most common in the TV series. It’s another base-under-siege, this time set on a passenger liner that has crashed on a planet supposedly devoid of life. The monster isn’t revealed until surprisingly late, but it’s prominently featured on the cover, so it hardly seems a spoiler to say that it’s a Weeping Angel. From there, what already feels like a disaster movie escalates into a desperate battle for survival as you wonder whether anyone other than the regulars will make it out.
As in any disaster movie, there is a good cast of characters, who manage to be familiar despite coming from an interstellar empire we’ve not previously heard of. One of the passengers, to be fair, is over-the-top obnoxious to the point of being implausible, but the longer lead-up to the monster ‘reveal’ gives us time to get to know the others and the tensions of their native society. Weeping Angels feel as if they really shouldn’t work on audio, but they do so here, building a sense of menace with no speech and only the most minimal of sound effects. It’s the characters’ response to the threat that sells it, and they do that in spades. 5 stars.
The Ghost of Margaret – The conclusion of the arc sees Margaret return home, only to find that a TARDIS malfunction has placed her in danger. There’s a link back to one of the earlier stories in the arc in something that has the general tone of a ghost story (or, perhaps, Sapphire and Steel). Technically, it’s another base-under-siege but it doesn’t at all follow the usual format of that, instead offsetting a general sense of despair with one of hope and providing a more metaphorical method for keeping the monsters at bay.
It’s well performed and nicely written, delving into the pasts of all the characters and with a clever use of the TARDIS, beyond harking back to some early stories from the TV series. Margaret’s eventual method of departure can also be seen as a commentary on Leela’s… here, we see the same idea done properly, giving the story a strong emotional core. 4.5. stars.
October 7, 2023
The Fourth Doctor Adventures is a range I'll always be incredibly fond of not only because it's led by the incredible Tom Baker but because it was the range of audios I first got into when I started Big Finish. I really enjoyed New Frontiers so wanted to start Angels and Demons as soon as I could!
The Wizard of Time:
Jacob Harmer was one of the greatest storytellers of all time, having written fantastical fantasy stories for generations of children. Now he has one last story to tell, that inspired them all but the problem is this one doesn't yet have an ending for it's about to be written. The Doctor and his companions need Jacob's help from a terrible monstrosity.
Roy Gill's script is beautiful, fantastical, and most of all clever. It's a gorgeous piece of storytelling that really utilizes a character helping The Doctor and his companions throughout his entire life in an incredibly unique way that I really appreciated. The score in this story is beautiful, and the atmosphere is astonishing. The ending of this one is really solid and honestly, I didn't see the twist coming. 10/10
The Friendly Invasion:
It's 1943 and the village of Westbourne is invaded... not by the enemy, but by the allies. American troops are about to embark on a deadly mission that will one day become known as D-Day. But a threat from the future hopes to change the past and The Doctor, Leela, and Margaret have to prevent history from being altered. But they're also about to find out that not every story has a happy ending.
Chris Chapman has written a very heartfelt and tense script that's incredibly emotional. A very deep historical story, that has an interesting take on an enemy from the future attempting to alter history trope. The ending of this one is incredibly sad and depressing, knowing what's to come next for these soldiers. 8.5/10
Stone Cold:
The Doctor and co find themselves on a volcanic planet and lying nearby is a space cruiser, the people inside are terrified and they're all stuck on this dying world. But something is plucking them off one by one and The Doctor's about to discover The Weeping Angels are involved. Time isn't on their side and it's running out.
Roland Moore has written an incredibly creepy and atmospheric tale that perfectly fits in with the Philip Hinchcliffe era of storytelling. The Weeping Angels here are spine-chilling and the base under siege formula here is executed to perfection. The characters are really enjoyable, some more complex than others. This is also a story with a very bittersweet ending that brought a tear to my eye. 10/10
The Ghost of Margaret:
Margaret Hopwood has decided to return home, it seems that traveling in The Tardis isn't for her anymore. But something is amiss about her home and The Doctor and Leela soon realize they've left her in a realm between realms and that something terrifying is after her. Not everyone has a happy ending and The Doctor's about to discover that for himself.
Tim Foley has written an incredibly emotional and creepy script that wonderfully sends off the character of Margaret Hopwood in her best story yet. The ideas here are exceptional, the characters are full of life and energy and the atmosphere is chilling. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but what we got I absolutely loved! 10/10
Overall: 38.5/40
The Wizard of Time:
Jacob Harmer was one of the greatest storytellers of all time, having written fantastical fantasy stories for generations of children. Now he has one last story to tell, that inspired them all but the problem is this one doesn't yet have an ending for it's about to be written. The Doctor and his companions need Jacob's help from a terrible monstrosity.
Roy Gill's script is beautiful, fantastical, and most of all clever. It's a gorgeous piece of storytelling that really utilizes a character helping The Doctor and his companions throughout his entire life in an incredibly unique way that I really appreciated. The score in this story is beautiful, and the atmosphere is astonishing. The ending of this one is really solid and honestly, I didn't see the twist coming. 10/10
The Friendly Invasion:
It's 1943 and the village of Westbourne is invaded... not by the enemy, but by the allies. American troops are about to embark on a deadly mission that will one day become known as D-Day. But a threat from the future hopes to change the past and The Doctor, Leela, and Margaret have to prevent history from being altered. But they're also about to find out that not every story has a happy ending.
Chris Chapman has written a very heartfelt and tense script that's incredibly emotional. A very deep historical story, that has an interesting take on an enemy from the future attempting to alter history trope. The ending of this one is incredibly sad and depressing, knowing what's to come next for these soldiers. 8.5/10
Stone Cold:
The Doctor and co find themselves on a volcanic planet and lying nearby is a space cruiser, the people inside are terrified and they're all stuck on this dying world. But something is plucking them off one by one and The Doctor's about to discover The Weeping Angels are involved. Time isn't on their side and it's running out.
Roland Moore has written an incredibly creepy and atmospheric tale that perfectly fits in with the Philip Hinchcliffe era of storytelling. The Weeping Angels here are spine-chilling and the base under siege formula here is executed to perfection. The characters are really enjoyable, some more complex than others. This is also a story with a very bittersweet ending that brought a tear to my eye. 10/10
The Ghost of Margaret:
Margaret Hopwood has decided to return home, it seems that traveling in The Tardis isn't for her anymore. But something is amiss about her home and The Doctor and Leela soon realize they've left her in a realm between realms and that something terrifying is after her. Not everyone has a happy ending and The Doctor's about to discover that for himself.
Tim Foley has written an incredibly emotional and creepy script that wonderfully sends off the character of Margaret Hopwood in her best story yet. The ideas here are exceptional, the characters are full of life and energy and the atmosphere is chilling. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but what we got I absolutely loved! 10/10
Overall: 38.5/40
March 16, 2024
12.3 The Wizard of Time by Roy Gill - 4/5 Stars
12.4 The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman - 3/5 Stars
12.5 Stone Cold by Roland Moore - 4/5 Stars
12.6 The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley - 5/5 Stars
12.4 The Friendly Invasion by Chris Chapman - 3/5 Stars
12.5 Stone Cold by Roland Moore - 4/5 Stars
12.6 The Ghost of Margaret by Tim Foley - 5/5 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2023
"Stone Cold" only
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