Doctor Who: Blackout

BBC Doctor Who: New Series Audio Exclusives #14

by Oli Smith, Stuart Milligan (narrator)

Stuart Milligan reads this exclusive audio adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory as they encounter aliens in America.
November 9th, 1965. New York City is plunged into darkness, a taxi driver has bad dreams, and an invisible spacecraft hovers ominously above the skyline. As an extra-terrestrial disease sweeps the populace, Amy and Rory must sabotage the city's water supply to slow the spread of infection, and a dying Doctor holds another man's life in his hands.
With the death toll rising, and his companions stalked through the streets by alien businessmen, the Doctor is forced to make a terrible decision. How far must he go to save his friends?
Written specially for audio by Oli Smith, 'Blackout' features the Doctor, Amy and Rory as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. It is read by Stuart Milligan, who played President Nixon in the 2011 TV episodes 'The Impossible Astronaut' and 'Day of the Moon'.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Media Tie In

Audiobook

First published September 8, 2011

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an audiobook based on the television series. In this one, The Doctor, Amy, and Rory visit New York City in 1965 and something is amiss.

This was a quick listen but it wasn't the best audiobook I have listened to in this universe. I loved the idea of the story as it is a different twist on aliens visiting Earth. The problem was its execution. The first one is that it never took advantage of the environment of New York during the sixties. If I did not read the summary I wouldn't have known what time period we were in. The second problem was the narration. It definitely wasn't a strong suit. The Doctor and Rory were okay but I never really got an image of Amy. And that wasn't my biggest problem with the narration. It was with a minor character that was involved in the adventure. He was from New Jersey but sounded like he was from Texas. For some reason, this really bugged me.

I am giving this two stars just for the attempt at doing something different with the concept of aliens and Earth. One star would have been too harsh anyways. I think this book would have been better served as a written short story and let the reader imagine the characters.

[mary]

Zoned out a bit in the middle but loved Amy yaaaay

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't be enthusiastic, I'm afraid, about Blackout, a new audiobook by Oli Smith, read by Stuart Milligan (who played President Nixon in this season's opening two-parter). It is a rather undemanding alien invasion romp which doesn't make enough of its 1965 New York setting. Despite valiant efforts, Milligan does not quite succeed in capturing the accents and characterisations of Smith, Gillan and Darville; more seriously, he is white and the main viewpoint character is explicitly African-American. There's an intriguing continuity reference to the Doctor's knowledge of his impending death, but otherwise this really suffers from appearing in the middle of a run of TV episodes which are much better.

[Mackenzie Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oli Smith crafts a solid ‘Doctor Who’ adventure with ‘Blackout’, featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams. While the story itself has intriguing elements, the narration makes it harder to fully immerse oneself in the adventure.

Plot: ★★★★☆
The plot follows the usual ‘Doctor Who’ format - mystery, adventure, and a looming threat that the Doctor must unravel. It’s a well-structured story with exciting moments, but it doesn’t particularly stand out among other ‘Doctor Who’ audiobooks. The pacing is decent, though some sections feel a little drawn out, making it harder to stay completely invested.

Character: ★★★★☆
Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor are written true to their on-screen personalities. The Doctor is his usual quirky and brilliant self, Amy is sharp and determined, and Rory provides his usual mix of bravery and humour. Their chemistry is enjoyable, though it doesn’t feel as lively as in some other stories.

Setting: ★★★★☆
The historical setting provides an atmospheric backdrop, and there are some compelling moments that capture the tension of the era. However, the setting doesn’t feel as deeply explored as it could have been, leaving it somewhat underwhelming compared to other ‘Doctor Who’ adventures.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆
While the story itself has potential, the execution doesn’t fully grip the listener. Certain sections feel slower, and the narration style doesn’t help maintain a strong sense of excitement. It’s not boring, but it doesn’t have the same level of energy as other Doctor Who audiobooks.

Listenability: ★★★☆☆
Narrated by Stuart Milligan, the audiobook suffers somewhat from a lack of engaging narration. His delivery is clear but lacks the dynamic energy needed to truly bring the characters and story to life. His portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor feels off, and while his voice suits the setting, it doesn’t quite make up for the overall flatness of the performance.

Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
The potential for a gripping ‘Doctor Who’ adventure is here, but the combination of slower pacing and underwhelming narration makes it harder to fully enjoy. Fans of the Eleventh Doctor era may still find it worth a listen, but it’s not the most memorable or exciting entry in the ‘Doctor Who’ audiobook lineup.

‘Doctor Who: Blackout’ has all the right ingredients for a great story - historical intrigue, a solid trio of characters, and a classic ‘Doctor Who’ mystery. However, the narration and pacing hold it back from reaching its full potential. While not a bad listen, it’s not as compelling as other ‘Doctor Who’ audiobooks. It’s worth checking out for die-hard fans, but there are stronger stories available for those looking for an engaging ‘Doctor Who’ audio experience.

[Traci · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was so-so, but the narration was embarrassingly bad. So bad that it kept distracting me from the mediocre story. This one was one in the middle of a bunch of other (better) audio-dramas from the Eleven collection on Audible. I recommend the collection, but this particular part is skippable.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this story, but it fell short in the long run. A good chunk of that is on the narration by Stuart Milligan. He was good as Nixon within the show, but he doesn't do a great job giving voice to Amy, Rory, or the Doctor. At least Rory and the Doctor were fairly passable, but it's like he hardly even tried with Amy's voice and accent.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good, the only thing I didn't really get used to was the narrator's accents.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York City is being abused again, alien abduction and medical experiments.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The various voices and accents used for the characters were distracting. But otherwise a fairly simple alien invasion, not up to the usual twisty plots you expect.

[Kathryn Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

always entertaining

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the version read by Steve Milligan. Enjoyed the short episode, lots of fun will definitely listen to another.

[Tamsin Ramone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short! 😊

[Sabinemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, a good fix for when you need some doctor who in your life. Characters are reasonably believable.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was on the shorter side of these audio stories, but I still enjoyed it. I just wish there had been more time to expand upon the plot and the characters.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, but a little too easily solved and accents of the characters weren't quite right.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kind of fun. It was short, but the story really worked for me.

[Susan Chacko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another OK novel. It probably would've worked better as a TV episode. One-time listen only.

[Gabriella Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great from start to finish.

[osoi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Тот случай, когда у автора не получается раскрыть все свои идеи за час настолько, чтобы это могло меня заинтересовать. Может, и была у Смита неплохая задумка, но на выходе получилась пустышка в духе пришел-увидел-победил без капли блистательной Докторской дедукции и упоротостей. Одиннадцатому все так же баснословно везет, а решение проблемы у него занимает пару минут, после чего никакого катарсиса не наступает. Ну какого фига пришельцы с несоизмеримо бОльшими ресурсами вдруг отступили перед угрозами одного умирающего таймлорда? НЕНАВИЖУ ДЕТСКИЕ РЕШЕНИЯ ПРОБЛЕМ. Хочу крови, боли, ангста и чтобы если завоевывать планету, то выкладываться на 120%.

Нарратор побил все рекорды: было так фигово, что я даже не различала, когда говорит Эми, когда Доктор или Рори. Может, я и не особо улавливаю акценты, но после немыслимого количества аудиокнижек могу минимально судить о том, справился чтец или нет. В данном случае – однозначно нет. Побочный герой у него заговорил голосом Бэтмена, так что я, устав от попыток заинтересоваться историей, просто представляла на месте этого героя Бэтмена. Не самый худший вариант, кстати.

История.. ну. Доктор бросает ТАРДИС и отправляется на поезде из Филадельфии в Нью-Йорк, где вырубилось электричество, люди заражены странным вирусом, а таксист считает себя жертвой инопланетного похищения. И это все связано в неудобоваримый узелок событий, который даже распутывать не приходится – все и так прозрачно, за исключением мотивации злодеев. Это моя предпоследняя книга из серии эксклюзивных докторских адвенчур, и ожидалось, конечно, что-нибудь сногсшибательное. Фиг мне.

annikeh.net

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. While the reader didn't have great character voices aside from Clint; the story was good and nicely paced. And Amy & Rory actually had some bigger parts to play in this than they do in some of these audiodramas so that was nice! The Doctor's cavalier attitude at the very end was a bit more reminiscent of earlier and gruffer incarnations though and less the jovial 11th's usual demeanor.

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are in New York City; which has apparently been poisoned via the water supply but aliens hiding out just above in a huge spaceship. It's a very quick race against time to figure out what's going on and how to save the city's population which, except for the Doctor's new friend Clint, is filled with people burning up, freezing and then exploding/shattering.

[Jo Bennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor has travelled back to 1965 with Amy and Rory, they've taken a train from Philadelphia to New York City and walked into a world of alien abductions and clinical trials run on a city wide scale. There is something in the water, a hidden ship is 100ft above the city and the Doctor, Rory and Amy are all dying from a disease that makes you ultimately explode with heat.

An excellent straightforward Doctor Who adventure, fighting aliens to save mankind, but with a twist of reflection on our right to experiment on animals.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite enjoyable! As far as the writing is concerned I found it to be excellent, great descriptions, a fast moving interesting plot, and the characterization of Amy, Rory, and the Doctor seemed spot on. The problem really was that the narration was the worst I have heard from any audiobook, ever. His attempts at channeling the characters voice mannerisms were poor at best and his interpretation of a Black American man from the 60’s was embarrassing, he sounded like the Spirit of Jazz from the Mighty Boosh, which in this case is NOT a good thing.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The overwhelming reason this didn't work for me was the reader. The story is set in New York and so they've given the reading to the actor who played Nixon in a TV Doctor Who and there was simply no characterisation of the 11th Doctor, Amy or Rory. I was some way in before I realised I was supposedly listening to the Doctor speaking.

Could have been a mildly interesting little tale - I quite liked the irony behind the alien poisonings - but I never really got what Amy and Rory were up to in this one.

[Tracy St Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of this audio short was clever and held my attention. However, the narrator’s accents were weird for the characters. I couldn’t figure out what his problem was and then I realized that is what he thinks Americans sound like. It isn’t. It certainly isn’t what New Yorkers sound like.

Also, the editing to America missed some big things. The car hood is not called a bonnet in the US. There were a couple more but that is the one I remember.

[Trent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this felt a lot like Eye of the Jungle, the last audiobook, except that it was set in New York. However, don't let that deter you. The action and suspense in this story will keep you at the edge of your seat.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time with an audio book. Worked for this drive.
As far as the story... it was like a short Dr. Who episode. Not bad, lots of drama. Not sure where it fit in the Who timeline... however, given the lack of character examination, it likely doesn't matter.

[Kristen-Marie Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the reader's accents to be a little off, and it was distracting to have English jargon like 'trainers' (sneakers) and 'lift' (elevator) and 'bonnet' (hood of the car) pronounced with an American accent, but I still enjoyed the story.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is decent but the reader has a horrible American accent and is terrible. He'll put you right to sleep.

[Denorris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, new to the Doctor Who series but I will certainly try to find more of these.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair story; horrible narrator.