This is a Doctor Who original audio adventure play by Big Finish Productions. Four self-contained, 25-minute episodes, featuring the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn.
1. 100 BC by Jacqueline Rayner
The Doctor and Evelyn arrive in Rome, 101 BC, approximately, October. They meet a young lady of 19, Aurelia. She mentions her husband - Julius Caesar. Evelyn is excited, but her excitement soon turns to confusion. Surely you can't heal a wound in time with just a bit of sticking plaster?
2. My Own Private Wolfgang by Robert Shearman
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Born in 1756, a veritable wunderkind - playing music for the crowned heads of Europe as an infant, composing by the time he was five years old. But it's tempting to wonder whether his amazing longevity has overshadowed his creative genius - would Mozart's music be better respected, maybe, if he'd died as a young man? Would he be a legend of music, rather than of scientific curiosity, if he'd never lived to compose the film score for the remake of The Italian Job?
3. Bedtime Story by Joseph Lidster
Once upon a time...
Jacob Williams is going to tell the tale of Sleeping Beauty but he realises he has told that one too many times so, instead, tells of how he once met this man called the Doctor...
It's a tale of love and death and a family with a terrifying secret…
4. The 100 Days of the Doctor By Paul Cornell
Someone has assassinated the Doctor.
And he only has 100 days to find out who did it.
Chronological Placement This story takes place between the television adventures, The Trial of a Time Lord and Time and the Rani.
Paul Cornell is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy prose, comics and television. He's been Hugo Award-nominated for all three media, and has won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, and the Eagle Award for his comics. He's the writer of Saucer Country for Vertigo, Demon Knights for DC, and has written for the Doctor Who TV series. His new urban fantasy novel is London Falling, out from Tor on December 6th.
100 BC, by Jacqueline Rayner. kind of a crazy premise, really—the 6th Doctor and Evelyn travel back to 100 BC to try to ensure that Mr. and Mrs. Caesar "do the deed", guaranteeing the existence of Julius Caesar. well, the Doctor does; Evelyn believes that the world would be better off with a Julia Caesar, and tries her best to ruin the mood. everything turns out right in the end, though.
My own private Wolfgang, by Robert Shearman. have you ever wondered what would have happened if Mozart hadn't died quite so young? or perhaps had lived to, say, 100 years old? now you don't have to. got a bit confusing with all the different Mozarts (clones, Mozarts from the future, the original Mozart himself), but funny.
Bedtime story, by Joseph Lidster. pretty eerie. a family is plagued by a strange curse: whenever a son is born, the boy's grandparents are sure to die soon after. the Doctor quickly works out that a bitter entity is the cause. spurned lovers, death-like sleeps, and a monster set on revenge. cool.
100 days of the Doctor, by Paul Cornell. the Doctor is infected with a virus that will take over his body in a mere 100 days. along with Evelyn, he travels backwards and forwards (and sideways) in time, trying to find out when he was assassinated and stop his death before it occurs.
"All of them, buried alive, lying in the coffin. Awake. Presumably until their mind breaks."- Bedtime Story, Joseph Lidster
I didn't enjoy '100BC' Evelyn was completely out of character. By this point with her travels with the Doctor, Evelyn knows not to alter history, she found this out in her first story after nearly being erased from time (also written by Jacqueline Rayner)
My favourite stories were My Own Private Wolfgang by Rob Shearman and Bedtime Story by Joseph Lidster.
2019 52 Book Challenge - 9) A Character With A Career You Wished You Had
I've never really paid much attention to the Sixth Doctor, but I've quite liked him in the multi Doctor audios that I've listened to because of the Eighth Doctor, and so I decided to listen to some of the Sixth Doctor, and this was definitely worth it. I specifically really liked Evelyn, the companion, who is a historian. I studied political history for my degrees, and so it was really lovely to read a book with somebody who had the same sort of passion as me.
In regards to the four stories, my favourite was the final story, the 100 Days of the Doctor, in which the Doctor has 100 days to search through his past and his future to determine when he was infected with a poison. I had a laugh when he saw two versions of the 8th Doctor together, one with Charley and C'rizz and one with Lucie and called Charley posh and refined and then called Lucie mainstream. However, he said that travelling with C'rizz would be his first time travelling with a non human person, and I don't know what canon the author was thinking of to not regard K9 as a companion, or any of his other non-human companions.
I also really liked the third story, Bedtime Story. It was atmospheric and a little bit terrifying. It was very good.
So it does seem like it took forever for me to listen to this book. It really didn't. The hubby and I listened to this while we were prepping the house for some renovations, stopped it when the renovations started, and I threw it back on this morning while prepping for the final bit of the renovation all these months later.
Which means I don't remember all the details of the individual stories other than the one from this morning.
All in all it was quite enjoyable as usual.
Big Finish really knows what they are doing when it comes to Doctor Who, and this 100th release was no different.
The one hundredth milestone release for long-running series such as Doctor Who (the audio version, naturally, not the original television program) can be approached in numerous ways: something dramatic and explosive and potentially audience dividing; something that furthers the plot more than the previous 99 releases; something that actually celebrates and showcases what’s kept the series running for so long. For 100, this two-disc set falls squarely into the third category, and with much aplomb. These four trips in the TARDIS with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe illustrate why listeners have been going back to Big Finish for their Who audio fixes for so many years – and will continue to do so in the far off future.
Each writer involved in 100 has seemingly brought their own views on what makes Who wonderful into their respective stories. The first story, 100 BC, written by my personal favorite of all the Big Finish authors Jacqueline Rayner, is a classic hijinks-in-history story with lots of whoopsies and madcap fun, even when Evelyn tries to change history for the “better” (and in retrospect, it so fits her character to try and turn Julius Caesar into Julia). It’s a story that manages to be terribly amusing even while teaching us a lesson (messin’ with the time line of an established figure in history is bad, mm’kay?). The second story, My Own Private Wolfgang by Robert Shearman, can be seen to celebrate the more odd stories in the series, what with its very wibbley-wobbley chain of events ending up in a veritable bevy of Mozarts (and one very confused Evelyn – and listener). It is probably the weakest story in the bunch, but it has enough wit and cleverness about it that it never drags on – and the ending is just plain brilliant. The third story, Bedtime Story by Joseph Lidster, is a great example of how Who can be both frightening and yet full of hope, something to see while crouching behind the sofa but will eventually bring you back out by tale’s end. The claustrophobic feel of the setting and the plot twist halfway through makes it truly spooky – and the ending is somewhat reminiscent of The Doctor Dances and Ninth’s cry of “This time, everybody lives!”, only with much less ‘dancing’.
The final story in the collection, The 100 Days of the Doctor by Paul Cornell, is the true gem of the set. It’s basic set-up is a mystery that only the Doctor can solve – his own murder – and it takes us back and forth through his time line (only Doctors five through eight though, of course!) to give us a look at what the Doctor has been, currently is, and soon will be. It also gives a good excuse to rehash the basics on regeneration for Evelyn’s sake, and see the other Doctors in the BF range through Six’s colorful point of view. Not to mention the time limit gives the story a sense of urgency, compounded by the horrific pain that the intelligent virus is delivering to the Doctor’s body from the inside out.
The stories themselves are superb, but stories alone do not a Big Finish production make – there is also the voice acting involved. Headlining in all four stories is the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe, played respectively by actors Colin Baker and Maggie Stables. They truly bring their A game to 100, elevating the scripts to a higher lever with their keen grasp of their characters. Six and Evelyn’s casual banter and interactions as a pair with the rest of the stories’ cast are amazing as usual and always entertaining. And then there is Mister Baker, who needs to stop being so darn good at his job; listening to The 100 Days of the Doctor - from being possessed by the virus to being in pain as he’s dying to the final showdown before assassin and target – was thrilling to the point of nerve-racking and is not for the faint of heart who hate to hear their Doctor being hurt so convincingly. But seriously, the voice acting in this is splendid and – combined with the skills of four very talented writers – once again proves that you don’t need a TV screen and props to showcase a great story.
For anyone who loves Doctor Who and is keen on getting into the Big Finish canon, or is a regular fan who has been wondering about listening to this set, you can’t go wrong with picking up a copy of 100 for keeps. There is something about settling down with a great story flowing through your speakers that can’t be duplicated through print – from the atmosphere of the soundtrack to the script tailor made for listening, not to mention the actors’ back and forth as their respective characters, creating the story and moving it forward – and this is all combined to make a unique listening experience that makes this Who audioplay so gosh darn wonderful.
Finally finished my little journey of listening to the first 100 Monthly Range audios and wow what an audio to go out on with stories by the wonderful Jacqueline Rayner, the geniuses Robert Shearman and Josepth Lidster and the always brilliant Paul Cornell. A fantastic set of stories all of which I would recommend for people to listen to. But the one that stands out for me is Bedtime Story which I thought was brilliantly creepy with a couple emotional moments.
100BC: 8/10 My Own Private Wolf Gang: 7/10 Bedtime Story: 10/10 100 Days of The Doctor: 8/10
This actually ended up being funnier than The Kingmaker. As the 100th release in Big Finish's monthly range for Doctor Who, each episode revolved around the number 300 as a theme.
100 BC has understandable reactions from Evelyn Smythe regarding the idea of what if a woman had ruled in Julius Caesar's stead. I don't know her well enough to know if she would be willing to change history this drastically, but I felt like she should have known that changing the timeline could be dangerous. Then again, that argument seems moot when in the final story, The 100 Days of the Doctor, The Doctor says that he could be killed and time could be rewritten. Anyway, 100 BC has an amusing conclusion that changes things.
The next story, My Own Private Wolfgang, plays with the idea of Mozart living longer. The abrupt ending is another amusing moment. Bedtime Story is told as a bedtime story involving The Doctor and Evelyn, though I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.
The 100 Days of the Doctor, along with the first story, is a top story here. The Doctor has 100 days to figure out how to prevent his death. We hear him and Evelyn seeing other Doctors, and Evelyn's reactions are believable. It's pretty funny when she asks why they never run into his first four incarnations. He says it's a sheer coincidence, but we all know it was due to Big Finish only having Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann as regulars at the time. Sadly, they do not have voice cameos. But this story still feels like it celebrates the continuity of Big Finish Doctor Who.
These stories are of varying quality. The first one is cringeworthily horrible. Evelyn is written as an annoying idiot who has forgotten how time - and sexism - work. I just can’t with this. 0 stars.
The second story, an AU revolving around Mozart, is a John Sessions tour de force. If you’re a fan of his, this audiobook is worth getting for this story alone. 5 stars.
I hated the third story. The tone is completely at odds with all the other stories, and not something I’d associate with a celebration of the Doctor. 0 stars.
The fourth story is much more of a Who Landmark story, and they found an interesting way to include multiple Doctors without including multiple actors. I’m not that familiar with Big Finish companions, so I didn’t know everyone introduced, but I appreciated seeing other Doctors through Evelyn’s eyes. 5 stars.
Should I just average the rating to 3 stars? Or leave it blank? Don’t want to lower the overall score, as your mileage may vary, so think I’ll leave it blank.
Took me longer than I needed to to finish this as I first listened to this when I was packing for my L.A trip but then I listened to all four stories tonight and loved them all!
I really can't wait to dive into the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn range and this set makes me excited and I loved them talking about Braxiatel and Benny in the 100 Days of the Doctor.
And Bedtime stories really was creepy. Joe Lidster is a terrific writer and I loved 100BC which had me laughing in stitches.
The only really weak one was My own private wolfgang but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
1. 100 BC - 4/5 stars Weakest story, in my opinion, but still good. Love seeing Evelyn and the Doctor fight over the past. 2. My Own Private Wolfgang - 5/5 stars Confusing but amazing. Robert Shearman is the greatest writer to touch Doctor Who. 3. Bedtime Story - 4.5/5 stars Wacky but enjoyable. I love the twist at the end, I was so shook. (Didn't help as an actual bedtime story :( ) 4. The 100 Days of the Doctor 4.5/5 stars It's just a fun story with the Doctor and Evelyn appreciating Doctor Who. What's not to love? Plus the ending is hilarious.
100 BC - Not bad. Parts of it are honestly a little funny ( especially the fact that Six & Evelyn just annoyed the Caesars ) . But Evelyn gets the Idiot Ball moment.
My Own Private Wolfgang- Weird and wacky dark comedy. From the writer of Scherzo. A lot more fun than what I’ve heard from him before. ( MOZART CLONES)
Bedtime Stories- … EeeK this one is straight Nightmare Fuel. Well- done, but EEEEeeee
The 100 Days of the Doctor- An interesting concept and very meta. It’s fun finding all the little callbacks ( and forwards?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a collection of four short stories for the 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) and Evelyn Smythe (Maggie Stables). I really like the dynamic of this duo, which makes these short stops work. The stories are a bit uneven, ranging from really good to ridiculous, but all feature the number 100 in some way. This was created to celebrate the 100th Doctor Who story created by Big Finish. I like that they chose Colin Baker to feature--he is a real standout of the Big Finish Doctor Who stories, creating a legacy of work that surpasses his television stories.
This, the one hundredth release in the main series of Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas (wow) is an anthology of four half-hour stories linked by the loose theme of the number 100.
* A comedy set in ancient Rome, concerning an event that's due to happen in 100 BC, but that the Doctor's presence may have put in peril. Evelyn's scheme is a bit ridiculous (as a historian, you'd think she'd know why it wouldn't work), but, on the whole it's a good bit of fun.
* The Doctor attends Mozart's one hundredth birthday party, in a story that mixes humour and pathos, and largely comes out in favour of the former. A bit of a mixed bag, enlivened by John Sessions playing all the parts apart from the Doctor and Evelyn.
* And then it suddenly gets a bit grim with a story about family death, and, once it eventually shows itself, a pretty scary monster. (The relevance of the number 100 to this is a bit spoilery, so no mention of that from me).
* Finally, the Doctor has 100 days to live, and spends most of them wandering through other bits of Big Finish's continuity. Which lets him point out Erimem, C'rizz, and so on, although he never gets to interact with any of them (and we don't even hear them). It's all a bit self-indulgent, but entirely forgiveable for the 100th release.
This is a quartet of stories featuring the Sixth Doctor and Dr. Evelyn Smythe; each centered around the number 100.
1) 100 BC. Doctor Evelyn Smythe and the Sixth Doctor find themselves Rome about 100 BC where they attempt to bring about either the patriarchal society we all know and love, or an idealistic matrifocal society. Somehow caused by Julius Cesar.....or his sister.
2) My Own Private Wolfgang. Somehow Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been made immortal....by his genetic clones....did I mention the clones were slaves?....and could somehow time travel. This Must Be Stopped.
3) Bedtime Story. For 100 generations a family has been cursed to have the eldest family members die when a son is born. But they don't die. Instead they get frozen in time. For 100 years. Creepy, creepy story.
4) The Hundred Days of the Doctor. The Sixth Doctor has been infected with a virus that gives him 100 days to live. In that time he and Dr. Evelyn Smythe must find out who did it, how they did it, when they did it, where they did it, and how to stop them.
I really enjoyed this one. Four absoultely wonderful stories with the Doctor and Evelyn. They go back in time and face the paradox that Julius Ceasar might be a woman. They visit Mozart and his clones. There's a creepy shapeshifter killing a family (with an extra great perfromance by Maggie Stables) and lastly a 100 days when the doctor is facing the end of his life. Evelyn makes some rather wonderful statements about how regeneration is like becoming a brownie and says how fun Bernice Summerfield is even if she doesn't have any tonic to go with her gin! ;) Not to mention how the "listeners" get related to the Time Lords. It was a nice change of pace to have shorter stories with slightly lighter plots. Very well suited to these two.
These four short stand-alone stories are some of the most delightful Who ever produced. Made to celebrate 100 episodes of Big Finish Audio's Doctor Who continuation, they highlight some of the Doctor's and the show's best qualities. Plus, they all four contain Evelyn, who's up there with Ace and Jamie for my very favorite companion (as Six is up there with Three, Nine and Eleven for favorite Doctor... though if Capaldi ever gets a good script, look out!).
Just the opposite from my last Big Finish review, (check out www.travelingthevortex.com for more thoughts). These four short vignettes are good. (Well, the first one is merely okay, the second and fourth ones are good. The third, "Bedtime Story" is hands down one of the best audios I have EVER listened too. I don't have enough words to describe how awesome this one is.
All collections of short stories are a mixed bag, but the final two stories are the best of the four. Well worth a listen, especially for Maggie Stables' performance in the final stories where she excels.
100 BC is another pure historical play: the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn get all mixed up with whether or not they have accidentally-on-purpose prevented Julius C
Instead of some huge multi-Doctor story for their 100th release, Big Finish went with a collection of four short stories featuring Six and Evelyn, each having something to do with the number 100.