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The Fifth Doctor Adventures #4.1
Doctor Who: Psychodrome
Psychodrome by Jonathan Morris
Shortly after surviving the perils of Logopolis, Castrovalva and the machinations of the Master, the new Doctor and his new crew could be forgiven for wanting to take a breather from their tour of the galaxy. But when the TARDIS lands in a strange and unsettling environment, the urge to explore is irresistible... and trouble is only a few steps away.
The world they have found themselves in is populated by a wide variety of the strangest people imaginable - a crashed spacecraft here, a monastery there, even a regal court. And not everyone they meet has their best interests at heart.
With the TARDIS stolen, and the very environment itself out to get them, the travellers face an extremely personal threat. They'll have to work as a team if they want to get out alive... but can you really trust someone you barely know?
Shortly after surviving the perils of Logopolis, Castrovalva and the machinations of the Master, the new Doctor and his new crew could be forgiven for wanting to take a breather from their tour of the galaxy. But when the TARDIS lands in a strange and unsettling environment, the urge to explore is irresistible... and trouble is only a few steps away.
The world they have found themselves in is populated by a wide variety of the strangest people imaginable - a crashed spacecraft here, a monastery there, even a regal court. And not everyone they meet has their best interests at heart.
With the TARDIS stolen, and the very environment itself out to get them, the travellers face an extremely personal threat. They'll have to work as a team if they want to get out alive... but can you really trust someone you barely know?
Audiobook
First published August 1, 2014
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About the author
Jonathan Morris
214 books70 followersJonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and popular writers of Doctor Who books, including the highly-regarded novels 'Festival of Death' and 'Touched by an Angel' and the recent guide to monsters, 'The Monster Vault'. He has also written numerous comic strips, most of which were collected in 'The Child of Time', and audios for BBC Audio and Big Finish, including the highly-regarded comedies 'Max Warp' and 'The Auntie Matter', as well as the adaptation of Russell T Davies’ 'Damaged Goods'.
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 21, 2021
Psychodrome is the kind of story I wish was made in Fifth Doctor's TV early episodes. It's always a jarring sight every time I saw this group going on "adventure" and brushing off their clearly problematic relationship with each other. This audio drama is the equivalent of forcing them to "sit down and have a talk", although in a bit more disturbing way.
As the story takes place after the Castrovalva, be prepared to listen to the companions early versions. And yes, I very heartedly means TV Tegan. She's rude, whiny, complaining, and hoity-toity to the brink. It aggravates me, but it's weirdly understandable if you consider the position in her story timeline. She's yet have time to face her loss, then thrown into a weird adventures with strangers, void of possibility having the comfort of normalcy. This story is also Matthew Waterhouse's first reunion to his role, and I must say he is quite impressive. There is still that reluctance to The Doctor's new incarnation, but at the end, he still shows that strong loyalty and awe on him (burst out in a speech that painfully brought back the image of a broken star badge..).
Psychodrome forced the audience to see each personality perspectives — quite literally. The idea of Nyssa, Tegan, Adric and The Doctor creating people out of their own view of each other is actually quite interesting. Some of it is a bit too exaggerated for me — although why this then got addressed by the story (cheeky writer..). Most of the times it's quite hard to distinguish the voice actors and the multiple roles they had. Almost ironically, the caricatural nature of the characters is the only one helped me to understand who's talking as whom.
I would then say subtlety is quite lost in this. The plot moves fast, cramming each side stories in a barely two hours of runtime. Exposition is an abundance in the latter part of the story, particularly when they face the villain. It's not ruining the entire story though, just a bit too on the nose, like the title. The explanation on what is Psychodrome is short and meaningless, cutting short to make the story as another "TARDIS stuck and companions separated" formula. Not exactly making it a bad episode, but it's a lost opportunity to make the story an important piece of the lore.
The only elegance, and also highlight of the story, I can say is on Peter Davison's performance. Compared to the companions, there isn't much explained about what The Doctor's consciousness had created in the place. He held back and never gave straight answers when his companions asked, especially about his fears. It is not until the last part when it was revealed how he is burdened by his guilts. Not just because all his young friends suffered a great loss that are indirectly caused by him, but also how he actually wished to be seen by them. I think it's quite an amazing character study for the Fifth Doctor's early character.
In the end, Psychodrome is still an enjoyable episode, with writing and performances that have great insight to the era's story and characters.
As the story takes place after the Castrovalva, be prepared to listen to the companions early versions. And yes, I very heartedly means TV Tegan. She's rude, whiny, complaining, and hoity-toity to the brink. It aggravates me, but it's weirdly understandable if you consider the position in her story timeline. She's yet have time to face her loss, then thrown into a weird adventures with strangers, void of possibility having the comfort of normalcy. This story is also Matthew Waterhouse's first reunion to his role, and I must say he is quite impressive. There is still that reluctance to The Doctor's new incarnation, but at the end, he still shows that strong loyalty and awe on him (burst out in a speech that painfully brought back the image of a broken star badge..).
Psychodrome forced the audience to see each personality perspectives — quite literally. The idea of Nyssa, Tegan, Adric and The Doctor creating people out of their own view of each other is actually quite interesting. Some of it is a bit too exaggerated for me — although why this then got addressed by the story (cheeky writer..). Most of the times it's quite hard to distinguish the voice actors and the multiple roles they had. Almost ironically, the caricatural nature of the characters is the only one helped me to understand who's talking as whom.
I would then say subtlety is quite lost in this. The plot moves fast, cramming each side stories in a barely two hours of runtime. Exposition is an abundance in the latter part of the story, particularly when they face the villain. It's not ruining the entire story though, just a bit too on the nose, like the title. The explanation on what is Psychodrome is short and meaningless, cutting short to make the story as another "TARDIS stuck and companions separated" formula. Not exactly making it a bad episode, but it's a lost opportunity to make the story an important piece of the lore.
The only elegance, and also highlight of the story, I can say is on Peter Davison's performance. Compared to the companions, there isn't much explained about what The Doctor's consciousness had created in the place. He held back and never gave straight answers when his companions asked, especially about his fears. It is not until the last part when it was revealed how he is burdened by his guilts. Not just because all his young friends suffered a great loss that are indirectly caused by him, but also how he actually wished to be seen by them. I think it's quite an amazing character study for the Fifth Doctor's early character.
In the end, Psychodrome is still an enjoyable episode, with writing and performances that have great insight to the era's story and characters.
September 5, 2023
Psychodrome was the first of two stories contained in Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor Box Set which was notable for seeing the return of Matthew Waterhouse to the role of Adric. This story is set immediately after Castrovalva, the first story of Season 19 and the first Peter Davison story. This really is the type of story that we could've used on TV. The basic plot finds the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) and Tegan (Janet Fielding) land in a space station that makes dreams and fears reality. So what we get is three distinct groups of inhabitants based on Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric's perceptions of each other.
Personally, I don't think anyone would've even thought to do something like this in the early 80s, much less pulled it off with the Doctor Who budget of the time. This story takes bits from the TV stories Full Circle, The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, and Castrovalva, plus, with the benefit of being written 30 years after the fact, it's able to hint at bits of Earthshock. This is a good story for the characters of the companions, and the threat of King Magus is well-realized, but it's also quite dense and somewhat hard to follow, especially sense the three different sets of main inhabitants are all voiced by the same four guest actors. Still, as an interesting idea that expounds on emotions and character beats that the TV series should've dealt with, it's a good story and worth checking out.
Personally, I don't think anyone would've even thought to do something like this in the early 80s, much less pulled it off with the Doctor Who budget of the time. This story takes bits from the TV stories Full Circle, The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, and Castrovalva, plus, with the benefit of being written 30 years after the fact, it's able to hint at bits of Earthshock. This is a good story for the characters of the companions, and the threat of King Magus is well-realized, but it's also quite dense and somewhat hard to follow, especially sense the three different sets of main inhabitants are all voiced by the same four guest actors. Still, as an interesting idea that expounds on emotions and character beats that the TV series should've dealt with, it's a good story and worth checking out.
May 1, 2020
One of the reoccurring themes of both the last season of Tom Baker as the Doctor & the first season of Peter Davison as the Doctor was questioning and exploring the nature of reality. This is beautifully illustrated in this audio-drama. It is set immediately following the events of Castrovalva and the characters are all still somewhat unsure of this new Doctor and learning how to navigate dealing with him and one another. The actors do a beautiful job at recreating that sense and the script takes their state of mind into consideration and offers some wonderful character moments that build upon and illuminate these relationships. The sound design and music fit the time period and enhance that point in the continuity of the series. Basically it feels like a perfect fit. Kudos to the writer, director, producers, composer, sound engineers and cast on producing a gorgeous work that might even be better than the original episodes in falls between.
August 16, 2016
I don't know much about the Fifth Doctor. I haven't watched any of his TV episodes. I have heard a few of his adventures from Big Finish.
This one seemed to be a bit middling until the final segment where the Master's finale speech made the trip and travails worth it all. A character study of the three companions coming to terms with a new doctor. Quite interesting.
This one seemed to be a bit middling until the final segment where the Master's finale speech made the trip and travails worth it all. A character study of the three companions coming to terms with a new doctor. Quite interesting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews