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The Third Doctor Adventures #1
Doctor Who: The Third Doctor Adventures, Volume 1
1.1 Prisoners of the Lake by Justin Richards
Captain Mike Yates is investigating the disappearance of artefacts from an archaeological site deep below Dunstanton Lake. It’s hardly a job for UNIT. But when the team discover a mysterious ancient structure buried deep underwater, all that changes.
When chief archaeologist Freda Mattingly ventures inside, she soon realises that her skills do not begin to equip her to deal with what she finds. As an ancient menace begins to stir the Doctor, Jo Grant and Mike Yates must dive down to the lake bed and discover the secrets hidden there. Secrets that could mean the end of all life on Earth…
1.2 The Havoc of Empires by Andy Lane
The Doctor and Jo take Mike Yates on his first trip in the TARDIS, but instead of the historical cricket match they were aiming for they end up on a futuristic space station in the middle of a diplomatic crisis that might escalate into galactic war.
The alien leader of the Chalnoth Hegemony is marrying the human Director of the Teklarn Incorporation, but there are forces that will stop at nothing to disrupt the ceremony. The Doctor is accused of murder while explosions occur across the station, and only Jo Grant, pretending to be a security consultant, can save the day.
But then, there’s the Eels to consider…
Captain Mike Yates is investigating the disappearance of artefacts from an archaeological site deep below Dunstanton Lake. It’s hardly a job for UNIT. But when the team discover a mysterious ancient structure buried deep underwater, all that changes.
When chief archaeologist Freda Mattingly ventures inside, she soon realises that her skills do not begin to equip her to deal with what she finds. As an ancient menace begins to stir the Doctor, Jo Grant and Mike Yates must dive down to the lake bed and discover the secrets hidden there. Secrets that could mean the end of all life on Earth…
1.2 The Havoc of Empires by Andy Lane
The Doctor and Jo take Mike Yates on his first trip in the TARDIS, but instead of the historical cricket match they were aiming for they end up on a futuristic space station in the middle of a diplomatic crisis that might escalate into galactic war.
The alien leader of the Chalnoth Hegemony is marrying the human Director of the Teklarn Incorporation, but there are forces that will stop at nothing to disrupt the ceremony. The Doctor is accused of murder while explosions occur across the station, and only Jo Grant, pretending to be a security consultant, can save the day.
But then, there’s the Eels to consider…
Audio CD
First published September 2, 2015
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About the author
Justin Richards
332 books242 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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January 9, 2024Ah, two of my favourite Doctor Who authors in one boxset.
I enjoyed both stories! Both are well done plot and character wise. I think I preferred the Havoc Empires more than the Prisoners of the Lake and I loved how much Jo had to do in the story, and the intergalactic marriage. But I also did enjoy Prisoners of the Lake for the fun, underwater archaeological dig. Benny would have loved it.
I enjoyed both stories! Both are well done plot and character wise. I think I preferred the Havoc Empires more than the Prisoners of the Lake and I loved how much Jo had to do in the story, and the intergalactic marriage. But I also did enjoy Prisoners of the Lake for the fun, underwater archaeological dig. Benny would have loved it.
June 5, 2023
I first discovered Doctor Who when I was in University. It was a Saturday in 1981. I had come back to my residence from the Library for a spot of lunch and clicked on my TV to the local PBS station. There was Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor fighting a robot. I was hooked and watched every other subsequent episode. However, there was little opportunity to see much of the preceding broadcasts. I knew they were out there and I have read a lot of the books, but aside from the odd special, not much joy. Then I recently subscribed to BritBox.
It turns out Britbox has the full run of the existing classic Doctor Who episodes. Sure, some episodes are still missing, but I began with William Hartnell working forward and was blown away by the third Doctor, as portrayed by Jon Pertwee. Yes, his episodes show their age as they are dated in the 1970s, but there was something about this dashing, far more action oriented Doctor that swept me away. Then, sadly in this era of streaming, his tenure, except for the odd special or two, came to an end. Or did it?
I am an admirer of Big Finish productions and have some of their Doctor Who range, but have been more ardently devouring their The Prisoner, Space: 1999, and UFO series. Luckily, they also have a swath of Third Doctor adventures. I bought them all. Sadly, Mr. Pertwee is no longer with us, but he is admirably supplanted by Tim Treloar, who sometimes is so like Jon, I cannot tell the difference. Still the story has to ring true for the illusion to be complete and in both stories of this first volume, it does.
The first outing, Prisoners of the Lake, finds Captain Mike Yates assigned to investigate missing artifacts from an underwater excavation from one of England's largest lakes. Here he encounters Freda Mattingly, the Senior Archaeologist, who has discovered an entire building underwater, replete with a talking statue! This warrants looking into and the Brigadier dispatches the Doctor and Jo Grant to have a look. Things take a turn for the worse however when a worker is found strangled and a stone robot attacks! Where are the missing artifacts? What is the secret of the submerged structure? Why is the robot initially friendly, then murderous? Sounds like just the mystery a Time Lord should unravel.
The performances here are marvelous. Josephine Grant, voiced by the original Katy Manning, is just as effervescent as ever. But, she is far more self-sufficient and forceful, making her a much stronger counterpoint for the Doctor. As for the lead character, he is the same kindly curmudgeon we saw on the screen. And before you ask, yes there is Venusian Akido. (And Nicholas, question for you. You know what the surface conditions on Venus are like. How is there life there? And where did their version of Akido come from?)
The second story is titled The Havoc of Empires. This tale is set after the Time Lords have restored the Doctor's memory and his Tardis to full operating efficiency (If that is not an oxymoron). It opens with Jo and Mike getting ready to go out on a date (This gets explored a bit more in the extras at the end of the collection). While Jo has The Beatles on her mind, Mike has Cricket on his. After convincing the Doctor to take them to an historic match, they instead wind up on a Space Station. Ignoring Jo's entreaties to leave before they get into trouble as, "That's what always happens," they soon find themselves caught between two factions who are looking for a political marriage to smooth things over. To explain their presence, Jo takes charge and in a nice turn, makes the Doctor her assistant. Which is when the bombs start going off. Is one side trying to throw a wrench in the gears or are there other forces at work? As the Doctor is the prime suspect, Jo needs to use her newfound authority and determine the real culprits before time runs out for the Doctor.
What is marvelous about this story is you learn you do not mess with Jo Grant. Katy Manning knocks this brilliant script out of the park and shows that just because you are nice and bubbly it does not mean you cannot be efficient and terribly clever.
To round this set out there are a huge number of behind the scenes interviews with cast and crew that are really the icing on the cake. I totally agree with Nichola's Briggs when he states, "There are moments when Tim Treloar is the third Doctor." However, as you will learn, it is not always so easy when you are trying to record with Katy Manning!
All in all, I could not have asked for more. Brilliant is the only word I have to describe this box set and I am looking forward to Volume 2!
It turns out Britbox has the full run of the existing classic Doctor Who episodes. Sure, some episodes are still missing, but I began with William Hartnell working forward and was blown away by the third Doctor, as portrayed by Jon Pertwee. Yes, his episodes show their age as they are dated in the 1970s, but there was something about this dashing, far more action oriented Doctor that swept me away. Then, sadly in this era of streaming, his tenure, except for the odd special or two, came to an end. Or did it?
I am an admirer of Big Finish productions and have some of their Doctor Who range, but have been more ardently devouring their The Prisoner, Space: 1999, and UFO series. Luckily, they also have a swath of Third Doctor adventures. I bought them all. Sadly, Mr. Pertwee is no longer with us, but he is admirably supplanted by Tim Treloar, who sometimes is so like Jon, I cannot tell the difference. Still the story has to ring true for the illusion to be complete and in both stories of this first volume, it does.
The first outing, Prisoners of the Lake, finds Captain Mike Yates assigned to investigate missing artifacts from an underwater excavation from one of England's largest lakes. Here he encounters Freda Mattingly, the Senior Archaeologist, who has discovered an entire building underwater, replete with a talking statue! This warrants looking into and the Brigadier dispatches the Doctor and Jo Grant to have a look. Things take a turn for the worse however when a worker is found strangled and a stone robot attacks! Where are the missing artifacts? What is the secret of the submerged structure? Why is the robot initially friendly, then murderous? Sounds like just the mystery a Time Lord should unravel.
The performances here are marvelous. Josephine Grant, voiced by the original Katy Manning, is just as effervescent as ever. But, she is far more self-sufficient and forceful, making her a much stronger counterpoint for the Doctor. As for the lead character, he is the same kindly curmudgeon we saw on the screen. And before you ask, yes there is Venusian Akido. (And Nicholas, question for you. You know what the surface conditions on Venus are like. How is there life there? And where did their version of Akido come from?)
The second story is titled The Havoc of Empires. This tale is set after the Time Lords have restored the Doctor's memory and his Tardis to full operating efficiency (If that is not an oxymoron). It opens with Jo and Mike getting ready to go out on a date (This gets explored a bit more in the extras at the end of the collection). While Jo has The Beatles on her mind, Mike has Cricket on his. After convincing the Doctor to take them to an historic match, they instead wind up on a Space Station. Ignoring Jo's entreaties to leave before they get into trouble as, "That's what always happens," they soon find themselves caught between two factions who are looking for a political marriage to smooth things over. To explain their presence, Jo takes charge and in a nice turn, makes the Doctor her assistant. Which is when the bombs start going off. Is one side trying to throw a wrench in the gears or are there other forces at work? As the Doctor is the prime suspect, Jo needs to use her newfound authority and determine the real culprits before time runs out for the Doctor.
What is marvelous about this story is you learn you do not mess with Jo Grant. Katy Manning knocks this brilliant script out of the park and shows that just because you are nice and bubbly it does not mean you cannot be efficient and terribly clever.
To round this set out there are a huge number of behind the scenes interviews with cast and crew that are really the icing on the cake. I totally agree with Nichola's Briggs when he states, "There are moments when Tim Treloar is the third Doctor." However, as you will learn, it is not always so easy when you are trying to record with Katy Manning!
All in all, I could not have asked for more. Brilliant is the only word I have to describe this box set and I am looking forward to Volume 2!
April 21, 2019
Although he had previously made what are effectively guest appearances In the Companion Chronicles, the Third Doctor was the last of the classic Doctors to receive his own, full-length stories, of which this is the first. This, of course, was only possible because Big Finish finally decided to take the plunge and recast the iconic role. Naturally, even those happy with, say, Frazer Hines re-voicing Two might balk at the thought of an entirely new actor taking on a role of this significance to fans… and, if that includes you, then it’s a safe bet you are not going to want to listen to this no matter what I have to say about it.
And indeed, Tim Treloar is very obviously not Pertwee. His impression actually isn’t bad and it’s helped by the way the dialogue is written, but it’s clearly not going to fool anybody familiar with the original. For that matter, while Manning is quite impressive at imitating her younger self, Richard Franklin’s voice has unavoidably aged forty years. There’s a final oddity in that the story is narrated in places, which feels jarring but might, I suppose, be a device to cover for the fact that the Brigadier doesn’t get any lines.
The set consists of two 2-hour stories which are unconnected beyond featuring the same two companions.
Prisoners of the Lake
The first story is an archetypal UNIT tale, albeit one featuring underwater action that would have been far beyond the budget of the BBC in the 1970s. UNIT are called to investigate an archaeological site beneath a lake that, it almost immediately becomes clear, is actually a crashed spaceship.
The resulting story is often claustrophobic, much of the action being tightly confined to the wreck, with limited access to the shore (or, indeed, oxygen). Many of the tropes of the Pertwee era are on display and, in that respect, it’s clear that this story isn’t attempting to break any boundaries – which was probably wise, given the need to establish the new actor. Having said which, it’s riffing off some of the better TV stories of the era, with elements that are reminiscent – but not imitative – of The Silurians and The Daemons.
The focus is clearly on the Doctor, in a way that was never possible with The Companion Chronicles, but Yates and Jo also have significant roles to play. Jo, in particular, is given more to do than she often was on TV, and neither screams at the monsters nor gets tied up and held to ransom. Despite which, she is identifiably the same character, and arguably a key element in bringing back the atmosphere of the original. 3 stars.
The Havoc of Empires
Despite his association with UNIT, over a third of the Third Doctor's TV stories involved more traditional journies in the TARDIS, usually into the future. This second audio story takes up that theme, following up on the themes of the Earth Empire seen in stories such as Frontier in Space and The Mutants. Other links with Pertwee-era stories are also apparent, with references to Sontarans (The Time Warrior) and even the Delphons (a throwaway line in Spearhead from Space).
The story itself is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a potential marriage alliance between a branch of the Empire and an alien polity. Echoing The Curse of Peladon, the TARDIS crew are mistaken for Earth agents sent to oversee the wedding although, this time, it's Jo who gets to take the lead, with the Doctor having to act as her assistant - something that helps to make them more equal here than their partnership often was on TV. The mystery is a decent one, with plenty of suspects, obligatory monsters, and a race against time all adding to the suspense. Perhaps due to not being shackled by the UNIT format, this story has more originality than the first one, despite numerous call-backs to the era and a definite feel that is a story that could only have been written for Three. 4 stars.
And indeed, Tim Treloar is very obviously not Pertwee. His impression actually isn’t bad and it’s helped by the way the dialogue is written, but it’s clearly not going to fool anybody familiar with the original. For that matter, while Manning is quite impressive at imitating her younger self, Richard Franklin’s voice has unavoidably aged forty years. There’s a final oddity in that the story is narrated in places, which feels jarring but might, I suppose, be a device to cover for the fact that the Brigadier doesn’t get any lines.
The set consists of two 2-hour stories which are unconnected beyond featuring the same two companions.
Prisoners of the Lake
The first story is an archetypal UNIT tale, albeit one featuring underwater action that would have been far beyond the budget of the BBC in the 1970s. UNIT are called to investigate an archaeological site beneath a lake that, it almost immediately becomes clear, is actually a crashed spaceship.
The resulting story is often claustrophobic, much of the action being tightly confined to the wreck, with limited access to the shore (or, indeed, oxygen). Many of the tropes of the Pertwee era are on display and, in that respect, it’s clear that this story isn’t attempting to break any boundaries – which was probably wise, given the need to establish the new actor. Having said which, it’s riffing off some of the better TV stories of the era, with elements that are reminiscent – but not imitative – of The Silurians and The Daemons.
The focus is clearly on the Doctor, in a way that was never possible with The Companion Chronicles, but Yates and Jo also have significant roles to play. Jo, in particular, is given more to do than she often was on TV, and neither screams at the monsters nor gets tied up and held to ransom. Despite which, she is identifiably the same character, and arguably a key element in bringing back the atmosphere of the original. 3 stars.
The Havoc of Empires
Despite his association with UNIT, over a third of the Third Doctor's TV stories involved more traditional journies in the TARDIS, usually into the future. This second audio story takes up that theme, following up on the themes of the Earth Empire seen in stories such as Frontier in Space and The Mutants. Other links with Pertwee-era stories are also apparent, with references to Sontarans (The Time Warrior) and even the Delphons (a throwaway line in Spearhead from Space).
The story itself is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a potential marriage alliance between a branch of the Empire and an alien polity. Echoing The Curse of Peladon, the TARDIS crew are mistaken for Earth agents sent to oversee the wedding although, this time, it's Jo who gets to take the lead, with the Doctor having to act as her assistant - something that helps to make them more equal here than their partnership often was on TV. The mystery is a decent one, with plenty of suspects, obligatory monsters, and a race against time all adding to the suspense. Perhaps due to not being shackled by the UNIT format, this story has more originality than the first one, despite numerous call-backs to the era and a definite feel that is a story that could only have been written for Three. 4 stars.
December 22, 2022
Valoración general del primer volumen de Las Aventuras del Tercer Doctor: muy buena.
Comenzar a escuchar las audio aventuras de los Doctores clásicos por el Tercero era la decisión lógica, siendo mi Doctor clásico favorito. Sí que es verdad que las aventuras de casi dos horas, con su división tradicional en episodios como si fuera un serial de antaño, no son mi formato preferido. Me gustan más los audios de New Who, de 45-50 minutos, ya que no requieren tanto tiempo si los quieres escuchar de una sentada. Pero puedo entender el propósito de imitar el feel de Classic Who.
Lo mejor de todo es el impresionante trabajo de Tim Treloar. Si no fuera porque sé que lleva más de 25 años muerto, pensaría que estoy escuchando al mismísimo Jon Pertwee. Seguiré con esta serie, y probablemente saltaré a otros Doctores clásicos con el tiempo, pero seguramente no sea tan constante como con las series de la moderna.
Comenzar a escuchar las audio aventuras de los Doctores clásicos por el Tercero era la decisión lógica, siendo mi Doctor clásico favorito. Sí que es verdad que las aventuras de casi dos horas, con su división tradicional en episodios como si fuera un serial de antaño, no son mi formato preferido. Me gustan más los audios de New Who, de 45-50 minutos, ya que no requieren tanto tiempo si los quieres escuchar de una sentada. Pero puedo entender el propósito de imitar el feel de Classic Who.
Lo mejor de todo es el impresionante trabajo de Tim Treloar. Si no fuera porque sé que lleva más de 25 años muerto, pensaría que estoy escuchando al mismísimo Jon Pertwee. Seguiré con esta serie, y probablemente saltaré a otros Doctores clásicos con el tiempo, pero seguramente no sea tan constante como con las series de la moderna.
January 17, 2024
Going into this volume I was pretty worried since I'd heard it was by far the worst of the range and while it does have Tim Treloars worst performance, I still think it's a solid box set.
Prisoners of the Lake
I really enjoyed this story and it felt like an authentic Third Doctor story. The characters are all faithful and the villains are unique and cool. I do think the confusion is a bit weak but overall its great.
8/10
The Havoc of Empires
This was a pretty nice political thriller. There was a fairly good mystery with all the good twist and turns of classic Who cliffhangers. I really enjoyed its use of A.I. and think we should have more like it.
7/10
The weakest part of this set may be the half narrated half full cast style it has but I only think that's a problem when you look at it against the rest of the range. Like the Incredibly Hulk film it stands out quite a bit and just feels weird but is by no means a bad experience.
Overall: 7/10
Prisoners of the Lake
I really enjoyed this story and it felt like an authentic Third Doctor story. The characters are all faithful and the villains are unique and cool. I do think the confusion is a bit weak but overall its great.
8/10
The Havoc of Empires
This was a pretty nice political thriller. There was a fairly good mystery with all the good twist and turns of classic Who cliffhangers. I really enjoyed its use of A.I. and think we should have more like it.
7/10
The weakest part of this set may be the half narrated half full cast style it has but I only think that's a problem when you look at it against the rest of the range. Like the Incredibly Hulk film it stands out quite a bit and just feels weird but is by no means a bad experience.
Overall: 7/10
January 13, 2020
I had heard about the narration but i can say that i didnt find it intrusive. Tim Treloar is still finding his feet as Pertwees Doctor but does an incredible job of bringing us a superb portrayal of the Third Doctor. Ably assisted by Katy Manning and Richard Franklin these tales feel perfect fir the era and the amazing music by Nick Briggs and Jamie Robertson really take you back to early 70s Saturday night TV
May 21, 2020
Tim Treloar does a pretty good job emulating Jon Pertwee. There wasn't really a moment where I wasn't visualizing anyone other than Pertwee. Between the two stories here, I think I prefer "Prisoners of the Lake" over "The Havoc of Empires," if only because the underwater location captured my imagination more. I also thought it was interesting how "Execute!" was being said in a manner similar to "Exterminate!"
March 26, 2026
Review by Story…
Prisoners of the Lake: It’s Big Finish, even my least favorite of their series is really really good most of the time. This is a fantastic 3rd Doctor story. Really makes you feel the claustrophobia of being underwater. And the lore around the aliens was good and made for an intriguing investigation. Great all around! 4/5
Havoc of Empires: It’s a fun pastiche of Brian Hayles’ Peladon stories. Quite silly, fun, but hardly essential. Unless you really can’t live without meeting a Delphon in universe. 3/5
Prisoners of the Lake: It’s Big Finish, even my least favorite of their series is really really good most of the time. This is a fantastic 3rd Doctor story. Really makes you feel the claustrophobia of being underwater. And the lore around the aliens was good and made for an intriguing investigation. Great all around! 4/5
Havoc of Empires: It’s a fun pastiche of Brian Hayles’ Peladon stories. Quite silly, fun, but hardly essential. Unless you really can’t live without meeting a Delphon in universe. 3/5
October 30, 2021
3 stars for the first story, 5 for the second, averaged out at four. Didn't like the narration but that apparently only last this first volume.
February 15, 2023
1.1 'Prisoners of the Lake' by Justin Richards: 3*
1.2 'The Havoc of Empires' by Andy Lane: 3*
1.2 'The Havoc of Empires' by Andy Lane: 3*
February 12, 2026
(3.5)
I was into the second story more than the first, but still a fun listen.
I was into the second story more than the first, but still a fun listen.
January 18, 2026
I was quite looking forward to hearing some new Third Doctor Stories as Jon Pertwee is in my top five favourite Doctors of all time. But this first series of stories was anything "but" the Jon Pertwee era, I don't know how this is supposed to reflect the Third Doctor's era in any way as it barely fits into the classic era.
Nether of the stories feel like Jon Pertwee stories, they just feel like really bad and forgettable episodes from the modern era. Especially Havoc of Empires, this felt way too much like some really generic Star Trek: the Next Generation episode than a 70s Doctor Who episode. And as for Prisoners of the Lake, it is closer to the Third Doctor era, but it has not focused. You have a race of living statues "and" a race of alien werewolf living under a lake, how is that supposed to be a concept.
I liked the opening few minutes of Havoc of Empires as it really felt like a prober introduction to a story and you felt like you were discovering a whole new world with this character. But then disappears very quickly and it just becomes to super generic space opera crap that feels like some really dumb nerd role play session.
Also, for some reason, they added narration to this one like the companion chronicles, but it is "really" pointless and isn't really used that much, making you wanted why they used this, considering this is just like their monthly play. This "really" took me out of the experience and made me wonder if the Big Finish team really know what they were doing.
Overall, this was just a waste of time, I hope that the next few sets are better because this one just "isn't" a good example of the Third Doctor's era, or "any" era for that matter. This is one of the worse boxes sets that Big Finish has ever put out and is just some of the worse examples of their writing.
Nether of the stories feel like Jon Pertwee stories, they just feel like really bad and forgettable episodes from the modern era. Especially Havoc of Empires, this felt way too much like some really generic Star Trek: the Next Generation episode than a 70s Doctor Who episode. And as for Prisoners of the Lake, it is closer to the Third Doctor era, but it has not focused. You have a race of living statues "and" a race of alien werewolf living under a lake, how is that supposed to be a concept.
I liked the opening few minutes of Havoc of Empires as it really felt like a prober introduction to a story and you felt like you were discovering a whole new world with this character. But then disappears very quickly and it just becomes to super generic space opera crap that feels like some really dumb nerd role play session.
Also, for some reason, they added narration to this one like the companion chronicles, but it is "really" pointless and isn't really used that much, making you wanted why they used this, considering this is just like their monthly play. This "really" took me out of the experience and made me wonder if the Big Finish team really know what they were doing.
Overall, this was just a waste of time, I hope that the next few sets are better because this one just "isn't" a good example of the Third Doctor's era, or "any" era for that matter. This is one of the worse boxes sets that Big Finish has ever put out and is just some of the worse examples of their writing.
September 11, 2015
I did not love this as much as I was hoping to. I was very excited to hear that the Third doctor was getting full cast audios, instead of narrated ones as previously done. But when I started listening to these they were done as both full cast and narrated. It was very disconcerting. It seemed like Big Finish had suddenly forgotten how to do audio dramas and needed to put in extra bits to describe what was happening instead of just letting the story tell itself as happens in the other ranges. For me they just broke up the flow and interrupted my suspension of disbelief. It went from listening to an adventure, to hearing about the adventure, back into the adventure. Which was a shame because apart from that these were very good. Tim wasn't an exact match for Pertwee but you could picture Pertwee's doctor standing there saying things with the rest of them.
There were two stories, the first set on Earth, the 2nd a highly diplomatic story set in space. Neither of them had a huge emotional side to them but they felt like 70s adventures. Of the two the 2nd was my favourite as Jo had much more to do, from befriending the ships AI to having a laser pulse riffle!
I listened to these in bits over a few days and I think I'll have to listen to them again properly. Each story in one go to be able to appreciate them a bit more.
There were two stories, the first set on Earth, the 2nd a highly diplomatic story set in space. Neither of them had a huge emotional side to them but they felt like 70s adventures. Of the two the 2nd was my favourite as Jo had much more to do, from befriending the ships AI to having a laser pulse riffle!
I listened to these in bits over a few days and I think I'll have to listen to them again properly. Each story in one go to be able to appreciate them a bit more.
February 10, 2017
A wonderful pair of stories that perfectly captures the Third Doctor era of the show. (The first story moreso than the second.) Until now, every Third Doctor story that Big Finish has produced has been largely narrated, generally with Katy Manning or Richard Franklin providing the voice of the Doctor. So recasting the Third Doctor was a big gamble, and fans were very polarized on the idea of someone else filling the void. Although there is narration in these episodes, it's very minimal.
Now we have a fully-voiced Doctor role, provided by Tim Treloar, who does a very good job capturing the essence of Jon Pertwee. Although not an exact mimic, he gets the inflections and the cadence of Jon Pertwee's Doctor, and you quickly adapt. It helps that these are audio dramas, so even though it's another actor playing Jon Pertwee playing The Doctor, in your mind you'll still see Pertwee in his puffy shirt.
Now we have a fully-voiced Doctor role, provided by Tim Treloar, who does a very good job capturing the essence of Jon Pertwee. Although not an exact mimic, he gets the inflections and the cadence of Jon Pertwee's Doctor, and you quickly adapt. It helps that these are audio dramas, so even though it's another actor playing Jon Pertwee playing The Doctor, in your mind you'll still see Pertwee in his puffy shirt.
July 7, 2022
Whilst this is an alright enough release the stories do feel very uninspiring I did, however, enjoy The Havoc of Empires even if it is nothing particularly special but it was a good way to spend a couple of hours. Seeing the result of the other sets I'm glad they have improved with this range, by getting rid of the narration and coming up with better storylines for the cast to go with.
Prisoners of The Lake: 2/10
The Havoc of Empires: 7/10
Prisoners of The Lake: 2/10
The Havoc of Empires: 7/10
October 28, 2015
Tim Treloar does a brilliant Pertwee impersonation here. Almost perfect so it's actually quite jarring when he misses something slightly.
And we finally get to encounter the Delphons and their waggling eyebrows, a natural fit for audio, heh!
And we finally get to encounter the Delphons and their waggling eyebrows, a natural fit for audio, heh!
July 25, 2022
Two great adventures with Mike Yates and Jo Grant.
July 27, 2025
Excellent pair of stories. Felt like watching a lost Pertwee story.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews