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Doctor Who: The BBC Radio Episodes
A special box set containing each of the Doctor s full-cast BBC Radio adventures plus the 1975 made-for-LP audio adventure "Doctor Who and the Pescatons" and the 1994 spoof "Whatever Happened to Susan?"
"The Paradise of Death" (first broadcast August 27, 1993). When a horrific death occurs at Space World theme park, the Brigadier and UNIT are called in accompanied by the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
"The Ghosts of N-Space "(first broadcast January 20, 1996). The Brigadier s great-uncle Mario seems unsurprised by the specters that haunt his ancient Sicilian castle. But when the Doctor comes to investigate, he finds himself in great danger
"Doctor Who and the Pescatons" (first broadcast August 27, 1993). The TARDIS arrival on a lonely beach at night marks the beginning of a terrifying adventure on present-day Earth for the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
"Exploration Earth" (first broadcast October 4, 1976). The Doctor takes Sarah Jane back in time to witness the Earth s development only to find that the existence of mankind itself is in danger!
"Whatever Happened to Susan?" (first broadcast July 11, 1994). A tongue-in-cheek look at how Susan s life might have turned out after her adventures with the Doctor.
"Slipback" (first broadcast July 25, 1985). The TARDIS materializes in the service ducting of the Vipod Mor, a huge craft floating in deep space. The console has detected time spillage, and the past and future history of the entire universe is at risk "
"The Paradise of Death" (first broadcast August 27, 1993). When a horrific death occurs at Space World theme park, the Brigadier and UNIT are called in accompanied by the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
"The Ghosts of N-Space "(first broadcast January 20, 1996). The Brigadier s great-uncle Mario seems unsurprised by the specters that haunt his ancient Sicilian castle. But when the Doctor comes to investigate, he finds himself in great danger
"Doctor Who and the Pescatons" (first broadcast August 27, 1993). The TARDIS arrival on a lonely beach at night marks the beginning of a terrifying adventure on present-day Earth for the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
"Exploration Earth" (first broadcast October 4, 1976). The Doctor takes Sarah Jane back in time to witness the Earth s development only to find that the existence of mankind itself is in danger!
"Whatever Happened to Susan?" (first broadcast July 11, 1994). A tongue-in-cheek look at how Susan s life might have turned out after her adventures with the Doctor.
"Slipback" (first broadcast July 25, 1985). The TARDIS materializes in the service ducting of the Vipod Mor, a huge craft floating in deep space. The console has detected time spillage, and the past and future history of the entire universe is at risk "
- GenresDoctor Who
Audio CD
First published April 1, 2014
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About the author
Barry Letts
21 books15 followersBarry Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer. He was most associated with the television series Doctor Who for many years, with active involvement in the television series from 1967 to 1981, and later contributions to its spin-offs in other media.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 2, 2024
The Paradise of Death - First broadcast August-September 1993 - Considering when this originally came out, one would have to look at this as a precursor to the entirety of the Doctor Who output from Big Finish. While the format tries to maintain the serialized aspect of the original TV series, the presentation is definitely an inspiration for the audio-dramas from Big Finish. As for this narrative itself? It is absolutely wonderful to have Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen, and Nicholas Courtney all back in their respective roles as The (Third) Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and the Brigadier. The adventure itself is a rollicking yarn that could never have actually been budgeted on film. It’s a lot of fun, but short on substance, and the characterizations are pretty stereotypical with little to no nuance. Nothing wrong with the performances though, typical British production narrative leaves a lot to be desired, but the acting is brilliant. (3/5)
The Ghosts of N-Space - First broadcast January to February 1996 - I didn’t really enjoy this one very much. The attempt to rationalize the existence of ghosts via pseudoscience felt very contrived. But I’m giving it an extra star for the performances from Jon Pertwee, as The (Third) Doctor, Elisabeth Sladen, as Sarah Jane Smith, and Nicholas Courtney, as the Brigadier. But the time we get to the end, it’s just about as silly as camp pantomime. (3/5)
Doctor Who and the Pescatons - Originally release on Vinyl LP in June 1976 by Argo Records - Despite the presence of Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen reprising their roles as The (Fourth) Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, this is actually pretty uninspired. The story is partially narrated like an audiobook and partially performed like an audio-drama, and it just doesn’t work. Maybe it’s because Baker doesn’t change his voice between narrating and performing, so it all comes across as The Doctor. But the story itself wasn’t very engaging either. Rather disappointing. (2/5)
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine - This was originally recorded on 27 April 1976 & broadcast in October 1976 - Really not sure what to make of this one. It was billed as having been intended to be educational and I suppose on some level it is. But it felt rather tired and boring, nothing really interesting or exciting. Just bland. (2/5)
Whatever Happened to … Susan? - First broadcast in July 1994 - I’m going to have put this one down as a kind of Unbound piece, because it’s trying so desperately to make the Hartnell years more mature, with lots of drama happening sort of between-the-scenes. It’s all very weird and odd and rather silly. (2/5)
Slipback - First broadcast in July to August 1985 - So this was produced in the hiatus between the two seasons starring Colin Baker, who reprises his role as The (Sixth) Doctor. And with Nicola Bryant appearing as Peri this really does feel like a “canon” story for Doctor Who. Unfortunately, that’s about all the good I saw about it. It certainly feels just like the episodes from that era and, as that is probably the era I find the least entertaining, it really doesn’t hold up for this particular narrative. This is 6-episodes long and around an hour in total length, so for 10-minute episode, this story really drags. So unfortunately, this story keeps all the faults of Doctor Who and loses all the charm. (2/5)
Bonus Feature: Elisabeth Sladen: In Conversation - Disc 9 of this set features a lengthy interview with Sladen discussing the recording of Doctor Who and the Pescatons, and briefly Exploration Earth: The Time Machine, before moving on to her time on the TV series as Sarah Jane Smith; recorded approximately 30 years after production on 21 May 2004. (3/5)
Overall, I’d have to say this collection is pretty disappointing. The first two stories are interesting, but not very compelling, and the rest of this stuff is rather bland. The bonus interview with Sladen might actually be the best thing here. And that’s why I’m giving it 3-stars, even though I should probably only give it two.
The Ghosts of N-Space - First broadcast January to February 1996 - I didn’t really enjoy this one very much. The attempt to rationalize the existence of ghosts via pseudoscience felt very contrived. But I’m giving it an extra star for the performances from Jon Pertwee, as The (Third) Doctor, Elisabeth Sladen, as Sarah Jane Smith, and Nicholas Courtney, as the Brigadier. But the time we get to the end, it’s just about as silly as camp pantomime. (3/5)
Doctor Who and the Pescatons - Originally release on Vinyl LP in June 1976 by Argo Records - Despite the presence of Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen reprising their roles as The (Fourth) Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, this is actually pretty uninspired. The story is partially narrated like an audiobook and partially performed like an audio-drama, and it just doesn’t work. Maybe it’s because Baker doesn’t change his voice between narrating and performing, so it all comes across as The Doctor. But the story itself wasn’t very engaging either. Rather disappointing. (2/5)
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine - This was originally recorded on 27 April 1976 & broadcast in October 1976 - Really not sure what to make of this one. It was billed as having been intended to be educational and I suppose on some level it is. But it felt rather tired and boring, nothing really interesting or exciting. Just bland. (2/5)
Whatever Happened to … Susan? - First broadcast in July 1994 - I’m going to have put this one down as a kind of Unbound piece, because it’s trying so desperately to make the Hartnell years more mature, with lots of drama happening sort of between-the-scenes. It’s all very weird and odd and rather silly. (2/5)
Slipback - First broadcast in July to August 1985 - So this was produced in the hiatus between the two seasons starring Colin Baker, who reprises his role as The (Sixth) Doctor. And with Nicola Bryant appearing as Peri this really does feel like a “canon” story for Doctor Who. Unfortunately, that’s about all the good I saw about it. It certainly feels just like the episodes from that era and, as that is probably the era I find the least entertaining, it really doesn’t hold up for this particular narrative. This is 6-episodes long and around an hour in total length, so for 10-minute episode, this story really drags. So unfortunately, this story keeps all the faults of Doctor Who and loses all the charm. (2/5)
Bonus Feature: Elisabeth Sladen: In Conversation - Disc 9 of this set features a lengthy interview with Sladen discussing the recording of Doctor Who and the Pescatons, and briefly Exploration Earth: The Time Machine, before moving on to her time on the TV series as Sarah Jane Smith; recorded approximately 30 years after production on 21 May 2004. (3/5)
Overall, I’d have to say this collection is pretty disappointing. The first two stories are interesting, but not very compelling, and the rest of this stuff is rather bland. The bonus interview with Sladen might actually be the best thing here. And that’s why I’m giving it 3-stars, even though I should probably only give it two.
February 27, 2023
This is a compilation of 6 episodes that were originally broadcast on radio.
1. The Paradise of Death
This broadcast featured Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor along with Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith and Nicholas Courtney portraying Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. The story takes place early in the Doctor's incarnation with Sarah trying to get a scoop as an investigative reporter. The adventure takes place at a new amusement park called Spaceworld. UNIT has been called in to investigate a suspicious death by "6 foot Sabre toothed rottweiler." The attractions at Spaceworld are truly amazing and lead our team to believe there is more to them that meets the eye.
This tale gives a big shout out to the Blenovitch Effect and also has a nice way of dealing with the tired trope of, "reversing the polarity."
2. Doctor Who and the Ghosts of N Space.
This story features the same cast as #1 and has the Brigadier's Great Uncle receiving various threats in Sicily. Yep, some of these are from the mob, but there are also some winged demons flitting about. Lethbridge Stewart enlists the Doctor to help. Sarah Jane just happens to be there and the Adventure commences.
3 The third tale features the fourth Doctor played by Tom Baker with Elizabeth Sladen continuing as Sarah Jane. They materialize on a lonely beach in England, sometime in winter, but they are unsure exactly where. After discovering some unusual seaweed they end up being pursued by a strange beast. They seek refuge in a cottage owned by a woman and they learn the government is investigating a strange meteorite.
4. Is an educational broadcast put out by VHF Radio 4 for Schools.
This is another 4th Doctor and Sarah romp and we join them as they journey through the universe. In order to educate Sarah, they go back 4.t Billion years to see the creation of the Earth. However, they cross paths with Megron, the Lord of Chaos. He is a pretty grumpy Lord of Chaos to boot!
5. This is a tongue in cheek look at the 1sr Doctor's granddaughter called, "Whatever happened to Susan?"
She reminisces about her life, before and after being stranded by the Doctor and includes interviews Ian, Barbara, and others.
6. The 6th and Final story is titled Slip Back and features the 6th Doctor as voiced by Nicola Bryant's Peri. Waking after a bout of drinking(!) The Doctor announces they have materialized by a space freighter which has been invaded! Much of the story is given over to a dysfunctional computer that shares its consciousness with an ethereal evil entity. Oh and there is also a monster running amok.
This is a fun set with plenty of wonderful hijinks and is true to form with the various versions of the Doctor. Enjoyable and worth the money.
1. The Paradise of Death
This broadcast featured Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor along with Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith and Nicholas Courtney portraying Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. The story takes place early in the Doctor's incarnation with Sarah trying to get a scoop as an investigative reporter. The adventure takes place at a new amusement park called Spaceworld. UNIT has been called in to investigate a suspicious death by "6 foot Sabre toothed rottweiler." The attractions at Spaceworld are truly amazing and lead our team to believe there is more to them that meets the eye.
This tale gives a big shout out to the Blenovitch Effect and also has a nice way of dealing with the tired trope of, "reversing the polarity."
2. Doctor Who and the Ghosts of N Space.
This story features the same cast as #1 and has the Brigadier's Great Uncle receiving various threats in Sicily. Yep, some of these are from the mob, but there are also some winged demons flitting about. Lethbridge Stewart enlists the Doctor to help. Sarah Jane just happens to be there and the Adventure commences.
3 The third tale features the fourth Doctor played by Tom Baker with Elizabeth Sladen continuing as Sarah Jane. They materialize on a lonely beach in England, sometime in winter, but they are unsure exactly where. After discovering some unusual seaweed they end up being pursued by a strange beast. They seek refuge in a cottage owned by a woman and they learn the government is investigating a strange meteorite.
4. Is an educational broadcast put out by VHF Radio 4 for Schools.
This is another 4th Doctor and Sarah romp and we join them as they journey through the universe. In order to educate Sarah, they go back 4.t Billion years to see the creation of the Earth. However, they cross paths with Megron, the Lord of Chaos. He is a pretty grumpy Lord of Chaos to boot!
5. This is a tongue in cheek look at the 1sr Doctor's granddaughter called, "Whatever happened to Susan?"
She reminisces about her life, before and after being stranded by the Doctor and includes interviews Ian, Barbara, and others.
6. The 6th and Final story is titled Slip Back and features the 6th Doctor as voiced by Nicola Bryant's Peri. Waking after a bout of drinking(!) The Doctor announces they have materialized by a space freighter which has been invaded! Much of the story is given over to a dysfunctional computer that shares its consciousness with an ethereal evil entity. Oh and there is also a monster running amok.
This is a fun set with plenty of wonderful hijinks and is true to form with the various versions of the Doctor. Enjoyable and worth the money.
August 28, 2018
This collection is a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories make for better listening than others. So, I gave it 3 stars for the overall collection. Here is what I think of each story:
1. The Paradise of Death: This marked Jon Pertwee's return to his iconic role. The trio of him, Liz Sladen, and Nick Courtney works well. This episode fits well with any of the episodes of his era. They even poke fun at his most famous techno babble line of "reversing the polarity..." The story is a fun romp. This story is 4 stars.
2. The Ghosts of N-Space : This marked Pertwee's last outing as the Doctor. But, it is a very weak story filled with bad stereotypical American, Italians, and mafia characters. This one is 3 stars.
3. Doctor Who and the Pescatons: This story was done when Tom Baker was still the Doctor. I always like hearing Tom Baker. But, it is a very bad story. I rate it 2 stars.
4. Exploration Earth: This one is very dated. I rate it two stars.
5. Whatever Happened to Susan: This one is a comedic send up of the First Doctor's era. It is pretty funny. But, you need to know the history of the show to appreciate it. One major problem with it is that none of the characters are voiced by the original actors. I know that Barbara was dead by the time this was made. But, both Ian and Susan were still around. I would have had one or both of them in the cast. I rate it three stars.
6. Slipback: This is a 6th Doctor era story. It is really poorly done. It is comprised of 6 ten minute episodes. It is more childish than the average Doctor Who story. Also, ten minute episodes are not a good format for this show. I rate it two stars.
The overall collection is good for listening to while driving.
1. The Paradise of Death: This marked Jon Pertwee's return to his iconic role. The trio of him, Liz Sladen, and Nick Courtney works well. This episode fits well with any of the episodes of his era. They even poke fun at his most famous techno babble line of "reversing the polarity..." The story is a fun romp. This story is 4 stars.
2. The Ghosts of N-Space : This marked Pertwee's last outing as the Doctor. But, it is a very weak story filled with bad stereotypical American, Italians, and mafia characters. This one is 3 stars.
3. Doctor Who and the Pescatons: This story was done when Tom Baker was still the Doctor. I always like hearing Tom Baker. But, it is a very bad story. I rate it 2 stars.
4. Exploration Earth: This one is very dated. I rate it two stars.
5. Whatever Happened to Susan: This one is a comedic send up of the First Doctor's era. It is pretty funny. But, you need to know the history of the show to appreciate it. One major problem with it is that none of the characters are voiced by the original actors. I know that Barbara was dead by the time this was made. But, both Ian and Susan were still around. I would have had one or both of them in the cast. I rate it three stars.
6. Slipback: This is a 6th Doctor era story. It is really poorly done. It is comprised of 6 ten minute episodes. It is more childish than the average Doctor Who story. Also, ten minute episodes are not a good format for this show. I rate it two stars.
The overall collection is good for listening to while driving.
October 3, 2023
No wonder audio format Who didn't take off until Big Finish captured the license.
The Paradise of Death - 2/5
Started OK but quickly descended into the poorer end of Pertwee's era. It was often hard to follow where characters were (or how they arrived there - not the TARDIS) and much of the action was reported by characters.
The Ghosts of N-Space - 1.5/5
Didn't get going until halfway through. Much time was wasted on reportage and long actions scenes that may have worked with visuals but didn't land in audio. Sandra Dickinson was particularly annoying, and her Harry met Sally moment was... unexpected. The only saving grace was Elisabeth Sladen's masterclass in bringing a well-loved character to life in a different medium, and sounding like she was having a whale of a time while doing so.
Doctor Who and the Pescatons - 2/5
A prose reading with sound effects and the odd cast-spoken dialogue. By cast, I mean Tom and Liz. By odd, I mean that if I were to hazard a guess, Vic Pemberton had written a Wellsian invasion story and when asked for a DW script simply recycled it by awkwardly adding in Sarah Jane and the Doctor.
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine - 1/5
There's so much potential to create a 20-minute 'TheDoc'-umentary on Earth's origin, yet it was squandered. Charmless and not very educational.
Whatever Happened to... Susan? 5/5
Hilarious. What a lovely surprise.
Slipback - 1/5
No story, no charm. What were they thinking?
Elisabeth Sladen in conversation - 5/5
Lovely. Always interesting.
The Paradise of Death - 2/5
Started OK but quickly descended into the poorer end of Pertwee's era. It was often hard to follow where characters were (or how they arrived there - not the TARDIS) and much of the action was reported by characters.
The Ghosts of N-Space - 1.5/5
Didn't get going until halfway through. Much time was wasted on reportage and long actions scenes that may have worked with visuals but didn't land in audio. Sandra Dickinson was particularly annoying, and her Harry met Sally moment was... unexpected. The only saving grace was Elisabeth Sladen's masterclass in bringing a well-loved character to life in a different medium, and sounding like she was having a whale of a time while doing so.
Doctor Who and the Pescatons - 2/5
A prose reading with sound effects and the odd cast-spoken dialogue. By cast, I mean Tom and Liz. By odd, I mean that if I were to hazard a guess, Vic Pemberton had written a Wellsian invasion story and when asked for a DW script simply recycled it by awkwardly adding in Sarah Jane and the Doctor.
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine - 1/5
There's so much potential to create a 20-minute 'TheDoc'-umentary on Earth's origin, yet it was squandered. Charmless and not very educational.
Whatever Happened to... Susan? 5/5
Hilarious. What a lovely surprise.
Slipback - 1/5
No story, no charm. What were they thinking?
Elisabeth Sladen in conversation - 5/5
Lovely. Always interesting.
March 21, 2025
In "The Paradise of Death" & "The Ghosts of N-Space" I found Jeremy to be quite annoying, and Maggie's voice was awful. Also why are they eating so often? I've never heard so much chewing in Doctor Who. The "Pescatons" was OK, but so short they don't really get into much detail. "Exploration Earth" just seemed odd. "Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?" was pretty interesting, though a bit non-canonical(?) and she seemed pissed. "Slipback" was another OK one, but the 10 minute episodes seemed to cut the flow of things.
July 6, 2022
An excellent collection of radio adventures featuring the Third, Fourth and Sixth Doctors rounded off with a lovely interview with Elisabeth Sladen.
Definitely worth a listen for fans of Classic Who.
Definitely worth a listen for fans of Classic Who.
June 8, 2024
A brief ranking
The Paradise of Death
Whatever happened to Susan Foreman
The Ghosts of N-Space
The Pescatons
Exploration Earth: the Time Machine
The Paradise of Death
Whatever happened to Susan Foreman
The Ghosts of N-Space
The Pescatons
Exploration Earth: the Time Machine
December 20, 2024
Thank you Narrators and Authors for this book.
November 19, 2017
These episodes are fun for any Doctor Who fan, especially the episode about Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter. My second favorite was the one with Tom Baker. Good for long car trips.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews