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Big Finish: Monthly Range #21
Doctor Who: Dust Breeding
On nineteenth Century Earth artist Edvard Munch hears an infinite scream pass through nature. Centuries later his painting of that Scream hangs in a gallery on the barren dust world Duchamp 331.
Why is there a colony of artists on a planet that is little more than a glorified garage? What is the event that the passengers of the huge, opulent pleasure cruiser 'Gallery' are hoping to see? And what is hidden in the crates that litter the cargo hold?
The Doctor's diary indicates that the painting is about to be destroyed in 'mysterious circumstances', and when he and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331, those circumstances are well underway.
Why is there a colony of artists on a planet that is little more than a glorified garage? What is the event that the passengers of the huge, opulent pleasure cruiser 'Gallery' are hoping to see? And what is hidden in the crates that litter the cargo hold?
The Doctor's diary indicates that the painting is about to be destroyed in 'mysterious circumstances', and when he and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331, those circumstances are well underway.
Audio Play
First published June 1, 2001
About the author
Mike Tucker
115 books46 followersMike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a number of original tv tie-in Doctor Who novels (some co-written with Robert Perry), and three books based on episodes of the television series Merlin. He co-wrote the factual books Ace! The Inside Story of the End of an Era with Sophie Aldred in 1996, and BBC VFX - The Story of the BBC Visual Effects Department with Mat Irvine in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 2, 2020
On the surface this seems like a fun futuristic romp as the enjoyable TARDIS pair of the Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive on Duchamp 331 to rescue/steal Munch's The Scream before it's mysteriously destroyed.
Apparently the Time Lord has made a habit out of this with reference to Mona Lisa (and the Fourth Doctor story City of Death) which adds to the humourous feel if the first part.
This audio adventure is best known for the shock reveal at the end of part two.
Try if you can to listen to this story without knowing anything, unfortunately with this being nearly 20 years old it might be hard to avoid spoilers - I'd already knew the suprise.
It doesn't take anything away from the first half of this release, just adds a different complexion on them scenes.
What's also fun is the main monsters to feature are the Krill, who'd appeared in the BBC PDA Storm Harvest - I'm not sure how regularly this happens but I really liked the expansion.
McCoy is certainly on top form and the scenes with Beevers are equally good.
It's a pretty standard Doctor Who adventure with all cliffhangers being pretty memorable.
One of Big Finish's standouts for the game changing revel...
Apparently the Time Lord has made a habit out of this with reference to Mona Lisa (and the Fourth Doctor story City of Death) which adds to the humourous feel if the first part.
This audio adventure is best known for the shock reveal at the end of part two.
Try if you can to listen to this story without knowing anything, unfortunately with this being nearly 20 years old it might be hard to avoid spoilers - I'd already knew the suprise.
It doesn't take anything away from the first half of this release, just adds a different complexion on them scenes.
What's also fun is the main monsters to feature are the Krill, who'd appeared in the BBC PDA Storm Harvest - I'm not sure how regularly this happens but I really liked the expansion.
McCoy is certainly on top form and the scenes with Beevers are equally good.
It's a pretty standard Doctor Who adventure with all cliffhangers being pretty memorable.
One of Big Finish's standouts for the game changing revel...
March 26, 2022
"That's the Master? With a face like a dropped pizza?"- Ace
July 3, 2023
Well now! Didn't see that coming! Or that! Not going to tell you what (don't want to spoil the surprises), but this is a great story for those `wait a minute!' moments.
January 12, 2024
I didn't love this story. I was wayyy into it to begin with, Ace and Seven are always so much fun together and that much remained true throughout the story, but I became gradually less interested in the plot about the Krill - major surprise notwithstanding.
I had read exactly one review before getting started, so I did know to expect a surprise visitor but that review was good enough to not spoil the surprise at all. It was indeed a pleasant surprise!
This one features top notch voice acting as ever and is not at all an atypical adventure, I guess it just didn't hook me for some reason or other. I still think you should go ahead and listen to it, if listening to Doctor Who audiodramas is the kind of thing you like to do.
I had read exactly one review before getting started, so I did know to expect a surprise visitor but that review was good enough to not spoil the surprise at all. It was indeed a pleasant surprise!
This one features top notch voice acting as ever and is not at all an atypical adventure, I guess it just didn't hook me for some reason or other. I still think you should go ahead and listen to it, if listening to Doctor Who audiodramas is the kind of thing you like to do.
February 28, 2013
I enjoyed this audio more than most of the others I've listened to recently. It was really great to see Ace and Bev together. I'd heard Bev in the Benny audios but this was the first time I had heard her in Doctor Who and I thought she worked really well with them. Both actresses did a lovely job as did Sylvester. Was totally un-suspecting of the plot twist at the end of part 2. I admit the climax of the story I didn't find as interesting as the first half but I still liked this one. I noticed it's the same author who wrote the Sylvester and Romana Dalek one that I liked so will definitely keep an eye out for more of his work.
July 4, 2022
I listened to this audio about five or more times not because I liked it so much but because I kept falling asleep whilst listening to it. I can't recall plot points. I think it had something to do with the Doctor wanting to get a copy of Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, to go into his private art gallery on the TARDIS?!! Then afterwards there was something about the Master and the Krill??? The plot had too many moving parts. It was a chore staying awake to listen to it.
January 21, 2016
Excellent adventure with the Master. As usual trying to control the world to cause chaios.
July 17, 2013
The Master is back, what more can I say!
September 6, 2015
too scary!! I'm sure I'll listen to it again soon. Lol
December 4, 2018
MCCOY CLASSIC
Rich sound production, quality and FX evokes and helps establish a deep space dusty, arid and barren planet surface and environment.
One of the first Big Finish that I experienced after discovering while specifically searching for McCoy and Aldred quite awhile back now. The McCoy and Aldred team is a particularly special for me as it harkens back to a real life scene, cemented forever in my photographic memory, to the day I flipped on the tube and realized Doctor Who was cancelled and that I would never then seen the final episode! What a bummer that was. It marked the end of an era in multiple ways for me. But then years later… they were back! Therefore, they have served as a form of major continuity and interest from then until now: the bridge to contemporary material, with McCoy being a Doctor I appreciated and identified with that much more with age. Like Rrrrripe cheese.
Always a favorite team, as comfortable and personal as an old shoe — and I mean this as a compliment. Pre-Big Finish McCoy and Aldred are also an important link with a few greatly favored early strange audios like The Left Hand of Darkness to Only Human and a couple in-between, and then to this fair oddity, Dust Breeding from the earlier Big Finish catalogue. In my opinion they are at their best in strange alien worlds or ones formed by or imbued with the surreal.
Sound arty? Well, jumping forward, we do in fact get Dust Breeding with a literal Art-induced plot that fits the ideal bill.
Listening to this again recently, I am loving the experience and story, which is simply in McCoy and Aldred standard, traditional mode. A perfectly satisfactory mold, just the way that fits fine — plus an intriguing premise, distant space (way out there) on some sparsely populated planet in the middle of nowhere — and sentient space dust.
The acting was great. Aldred and McCoy make Time stand still with their perhaps unparalleled consistency and unbreakability in owning their characters.
After the first disc, my impression is that is a very cool story indeed – spoiler excluded.
After the conclusion and second disc I can say:
Great villain/enemy with zany concept and tone all supported extremely well by all elements of the production. Most importantly: Amusing.
Star-studded cast including Beevers and John. Masterful, high-fidelity sound production. Very amusing and classic in concept/story and performance including some beautiful servings of obligatory well-carved cheese, only true McCoy fans could care to acknowledge.
Hardcore. Awesome.
This was 4/5.
Director: Gary Russell
Writer: Mike Tucker
Rich sound production, quality and FX evokes and helps establish a deep space dusty, arid and barren planet surface and environment.
One of the first Big Finish that I experienced after discovering while specifically searching for McCoy and Aldred quite awhile back now. The McCoy and Aldred team is a particularly special for me as it harkens back to a real life scene, cemented forever in my photographic memory, to the day I flipped on the tube and realized Doctor Who was cancelled and that I would never then seen the final episode! What a bummer that was. It marked the end of an era in multiple ways for me. But then years later… they were back! Therefore, they have served as a form of major continuity and interest from then until now: the bridge to contemporary material, with McCoy being a Doctor I appreciated and identified with that much more with age. Like Rrrrripe cheese.
Always a favorite team, as comfortable and personal as an old shoe — and I mean this as a compliment. Pre-Big Finish McCoy and Aldred are also an important link with a few greatly favored early strange audios like The Left Hand of Darkness to Only Human and a couple in-between, and then to this fair oddity, Dust Breeding from the earlier Big Finish catalogue. In my opinion they are at their best in strange alien worlds or ones formed by or imbued with the surreal.
Sound arty? Well, jumping forward, we do in fact get Dust Breeding with a literal Art-induced plot that fits the ideal bill.
Listening to this again recently, I am loving the experience and story, which is simply in McCoy and Aldred standard, traditional mode. A perfectly satisfactory mold, just the way that fits fine — plus an intriguing premise, distant space (way out there) on some sparsely populated planet in the middle of nowhere — and sentient space dust.
The acting was great. Aldred and McCoy make Time stand still with their perhaps unparalleled consistency and unbreakability in owning their characters.
After the first disc, my impression is that is a very cool story indeed – spoiler excluded.
After the conclusion and second disc I can say:
Great villain/enemy with zany concept and tone all supported extremely well by all elements of the production. Most importantly: Amusing.
Star-studded cast including Beevers and John. Masterful, high-fidelity sound production. Very amusing and classic in concept/story and performance including some beautiful servings of obligatory well-carved cheese, only true McCoy fans could care to acknowledge.
Hardcore. Awesome.
This was 4/5.
Director: Gary Russell
Writer: Mike Tucker
January 24, 2026
Dust Breeding is absolutely fantastic, simple as that. A marvellous villain, a great returning character, and 7 & Ace at their best. This one really is written like a book, which works so well because the characters feel well thought out, their dialogue is interesting as well as key to plot advancement, the settings are well visualised; it’s just lovely. The return of the Krill (hardly a spoiler, they’re on the cover) is great but I feel like one of my only criticisms lies with them, given after they show up at the cliffhanger of part three… they don’t do anything! some snarling and I think they kill a person or two but they have no real strong impact on the narrative beyond being a bit scary. Mr Seta is our real villain, so the Krill are just relegated to being evil sound effects and the provocation to make a few characters scream. I felt it was a waste of an interesting monster, but I suppose given that is the only thing I can fault the story for; that’s rather good.
Caroline John is fun as the snobby owner of the spaceship (even if the accent is dodgy at times), every scene with Geoffrey Beevers is dripping with menace, and the side characters all give great performances that make their characters all feel distinct and real. Arguably my highest praise goes to the fact that Mike Tucker seems to know how to write the dynamic of 7 & Ace better than everyone, as this just felt ripped right from TV, with their banter and more emotional moments. Given they’re my favourite Tardis team I was beyond satisfied, it’s not hard to tell they liked the script and really gave their all in this one. I was surprised that we had a character return from a previous monthly range story (especially considering I had 0 memory of her) but that was great and really created this idea that there is this sprawling universe and friends of 7/Ace are all over it, and can be met at any point.
It’s hard to find anything more to say about a story like this, partially to avoid spoilers, but mostly because I was so engrossed in the story I didn’t find myself meticulously analysing all the aspects of it. This felt like what would’ve been a season 27 story had it happened, and I just loved it. A small point that did make me sad was that Big Finish did try to get Anthony Ainley but couldn’t come to a deal, given he passed away not too long after. It’s a minor thing but just saddens me that the actor who played my favourite Master was almost in it.
Caroline John is fun as the snobby owner of the spaceship (even if the accent is dodgy at times), every scene with Geoffrey Beevers is dripping with menace, and the side characters all give great performances that make their characters all feel distinct and real. Arguably my highest praise goes to the fact that Mike Tucker seems to know how to write the dynamic of 7 & Ace better than everyone, as this just felt ripped right from TV, with their banter and more emotional moments. Given they’re my favourite Tardis team I was beyond satisfied, it’s not hard to tell they liked the script and really gave their all in this one. I was surprised that we had a character return from a previous monthly range story (especially considering I had 0 memory of her) but that was great and really created this idea that there is this sprawling universe and friends of 7/Ace are all over it, and can be met at any point.
It’s hard to find anything more to say about a story like this, partially to avoid spoilers, but mostly because I was so engrossed in the story I didn’t find myself meticulously analysing all the aspects of it. This felt like what would’ve been a season 27 story had it happened, and I just loved it. A small point that did make me sad was that Big Finish did try to get Anthony Ainley but couldn’t come to a deal, given he passed away not too long after. It’s a minor thing but just saddens me that the actor who played my favourite Master was almost in it.
December 16, 2022
A Seven and Ace story, with another special guest returning as a secondary companion. Very solid story. Some imaginative ideas, some interesting characters - especially Guthrie - all of the main cast were used well in this story. The voice acting was mostly good - Sylvester McCoy was on fine form, but he had a couple of bad moments. The performance of the main antagonist was absolutely fantastic, and he was written very well too. The soundscape and atmosphere of Duchamp 331 was impeccable. The mysteries were intriguing and paid off well. There was an absolutely perfect Chekhov's gun in there. I wasn't really emotionally engaged in it though, and I do think I missed out on some context from not reading the novel that this story was apparently a sequel to, so I'm gonna give it 3.75 stars.
November 1, 2023
There are the Big Finish audios which attempt something new & weird, and those who perfectly recreate the 'feel' of Classic Doctor Who. Dust Breeding is one of the latter. The Doctor & Ace stumble into an adventure, and the Time Lord feels compelled to investigate the strange things happening around.
The chemistry between McCoy & Aldred is just as good as in their TV adventures, and it was really good to 'hear' the return of a classic villain in this story (that reveal is great, even if you guess the identity early on).
The chemistry between McCoy & Aldred is just as good as in their TV adventures, and it was really good to 'hear' the return of a classic villain in this story (that reveal is great, even if you guess the identity early on).
April 6, 2022
Atmosphere galore! The sound of this story, a weak-metal hull constantly under the barrage of sand is a great idea and gives this adventure its own unique aesthetic. The Master is also the perfect antagonist, especially Geoffrey Beevers' classier incarnation, battling perfectly with McCoy, who is also having the time of his life performing.
The story did it's job perfectly, in when I finished it, I immediately wanted to pick up and start listening to another afterwards.
The story did it's job perfectly, in when I finished it, I immediately wanted to pick up and start listening to another afterwards.
May 17, 2017
If you've ever seen "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, this is how it sounds. A rather interesting story in which we also get to know that the Doctor likes to spend some time stealing famous pieces of art... I mean rescuing, of course. I don't give it another star, though, since the voice and weird accent of the Gallery owner is so irritating.
January 17, 2021
前半戦雰囲気はミステリアスで寂れた惑星とムンクの”叫び“がどう絡んでくるのかと興味をくすぐられたが、後半戦になって事実が明らかになっていくのはいいのだが、ピアソンとワープコアのあまりの壊れっぷりにちょっと引いてしまう。ドクターとマスターのテレパス対決もシチュエーションはカッコいいのだが、ピアソンとワープコアの状態がわかりずらく、いまいち乗り切れなかったのが残念。ガスリーのエピソードもねらいは渋くてカッコいいと思わないでもないが、いまいちうまく機能していなかったような気がする。ドクターが全編を通してそれなりにカッコよかっただけに残念だ。で、結局ドクターの当初目的ー”叫び“をターディスのギャラリーに加えるはどうなったのか。結局惑星と一緒に燃えてしまったということになるのかな。
August 20, 2021
Maybe I should have seen it coming, but I did not expect The Master to appear in this. Apparently they tried getting Anthony Ainley but ended up writing in a reason he reverted back to the decayed form so they could use Geoffrey Beavers. And like the stories with the Silence in the Moffat era, this is an instance of the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch influencing a Doctor Who story.
October 21, 2020
Always love when the doctor uses his telepathic abilities. The fact that he’s doing it to control a living planet to fight with the Master was cool. Interesting story as well, I like art so the whole book was my type of story in itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2020
Excellent 7th Doctor (Sylvester Mccoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) adventure with a few surprises.
October 3, 2020
Overall I liked it. A very short story but a good one. Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy did a great job voicing this one.
December 28, 2020
Now that was a twist I totally didn't see coming.
July 28, 2021
The master is literally the only dude in existence who steals a body from a loving father then proceeds to complain about said body.
Like dude
Like dude
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2022
This was a high-action story that was well-suited for the 7th Doctor and Ace. The connection to a famous painting that would have been familiar to teens also felt right.
February 28, 2024
Lots of little twists in this one
April 2, 2024
Another outstanding 8th Doctor adventure! 💙 and bringing back "Pizza Face The Master" was a brilliant idea! A real joy
August 8, 2025
I Like Krill
December 10, 2025
7 + Beever's Master is a unique combo. The story is not very interesting but this is a great start for more formidable stories in the future.
July 10, 2026
⭐️3.5⭐️
Geoffrey Beevers brings an old school charm as The Master.
Geoffrey Beevers brings an old school charm as The Master.
August 30, 2026
Neat little story that pulls elements from other more notable works and actually manages to have a surprising Villain reveal at the half way point.
August 27, 2025
Second listen (2025):
Over a year later, I decided to give this story another chance, this time with the Audio Scripts book in front of me. Right off the bat, it's interesting to note that this story originally started life as a sequel book to the PDA's "Illegal Alien", and the original intention for the Master's first BF story was to have the Doctor and the Master swap bodies, giving McCoy and Ainley a chance to play each other's roles - It's a shame Ainley didn't want to do BF ultimately, as I would have much preferred that story to this.
But I digress, in terms of the final product of "Dust Breeding", I still think it's generally overrated. It's not bad by any means and I appreciate the tie-in with the PDA books, but knowing now what else could have been, I feel this story was the weakest of all three possibilities.
First listen (2024):
This is a significant story for Big Finish and Doctor Who as a whole, featuring the reintroduction of an iconic TV villain to audio, the return of another Seventh Doctor MR story character, and the return of a monster race from the PDA books.
For the most part, this makes for a pretty dramatic and engaging dynamic, but the story starts to get really confusing in the final part and doesn't translate well to audio IMO.
That said, it has been a year since I listened to this and also I have recently acquired the Big Finish Scripts books, so I will be giving this story another chance in prose format soon, and perhaps my opinion will change.
Over a year later, I decided to give this story another chance, this time with the Audio Scripts book in front of me. Right off the bat, it's interesting to note that this story originally started life as a sequel book to the PDA's "Illegal Alien", and the original intention for the Master's first BF story was to have the Doctor and the Master swap bodies, giving McCoy and Ainley a chance to play each other's roles - It's a shame Ainley didn't want to do BF ultimately, as I would have much preferred that story to this.
But I digress, in terms of the final product of "Dust Breeding", I still think it's generally overrated. It's not bad by any means and I appreciate the tie-in with the PDA books, but knowing now what else could have been, I feel this story was the weakest of all three possibilities.
First listen (2024):
This is a significant story for Big Finish and Doctor Who as a whole, featuring the reintroduction of an iconic TV villain to audio, the return of another Seventh Doctor MR story character, and the return of a monster race from the PDA books.
For the most part, this makes for a pretty dramatic and engaging dynamic, but the story starts to get really confusing in the final part and doesn't translate well to audio IMO.
That said, it has been a year since I listened to this and also I have recently acquired the Big Finish Scripts books, so I will be giving this story another chance in prose format soon, and perhaps my opinion will change.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews