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Classic Doctors, New Monsters
Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 2
A brand new boxset of four adventures, featuring monsters from the new series of Doctor Who!
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney - Funworld was set to be the happiest planet in the galaxy. A planet of joy, of euphoria, of laughter and delight. Except construction was marred by reports of a predator and then, a few days before opening, all communication ceased. Owner Georgia Donnelly is desperate to open the resort and has hired Amanda Steele's crew to find out what happened on the planet. They're the best. But even they might not be up to the task. Joined by the Doctor and being picked off one by one, they slowly start to realise that something terrifying lurks in the shadows.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock - When a distress call rips the TARDIS from the Vortex, dragging it back through time, it arrives in the midst of a conflict between Gallifrey and an ancient foe. The Doctor, as ever, wants to help, but in returning a wounded combatant home, he becomes further and further entangled in a web of deceit and recrimination. A web spun by an eight-legged Empress and her minions. The Empire of the Racnoss is at war, and wherever he stands, the Doctor is on the wrong side.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier - Katy Bell returns to her Midlands home to find strange goings-on at the buskers fair. A witch trial in the 1980s. A bonfire ready to be lit. Luckily, a colourful visitor is already investigating, and the local vicar, Katy's dad, is versed in tales of the macabre. Terrifying forces are on the loose, and the town hall holds a secret. There is black magic in the Black Country, and the Doctor has the name of his enemy on the tip of his tongue. Something wicked this way comes.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton - As the Time War rages, Cardinal Ollistra of Gallifrey seeks to create ever more dangerous weapons to deploy against the enemy. When the Doctor stumbles across Synthesis Station, he discovers that the Time Lords have sponsored a project to weaponise already-lethal creatures. But in doing so, Eva Morrison and her team have unwittingly used a colony of Vashta Nerada with a very unfortunate history of humanoid contact. The Doctor finds himself leading a desperate race for survival, in which the shadows may be the least of their worries…
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney - Funworld was set to be the happiest planet in the galaxy. A planet of joy, of euphoria, of laughter and delight. Except construction was marred by reports of a predator and then, a few days before opening, all communication ceased. Owner Georgia Donnelly is desperate to open the resort and has hired Amanda Steele's crew to find out what happened on the planet. They're the best. But even they might not be up to the task. Joined by the Doctor and being picked off one by one, they slowly start to realise that something terrifying lurks in the shadows.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock - When a distress call rips the TARDIS from the Vortex, dragging it back through time, it arrives in the midst of a conflict between Gallifrey and an ancient foe. The Doctor, as ever, wants to help, but in returning a wounded combatant home, he becomes further and further entangled in a web of deceit and recrimination. A web spun by an eight-legged Empress and her minions. The Empire of the Racnoss is at war, and wherever he stands, the Doctor is on the wrong side.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier - Katy Bell returns to her Midlands home to find strange goings-on at the buskers fair. A witch trial in the 1980s. A bonfire ready to be lit. Luckily, a colourful visitor is already investigating, and the local vicar, Katy's dad, is versed in tales of the macabre. Terrifying forces are on the loose, and the town hall holds a secret. There is black magic in the Black Country, and the Doctor has the name of his enemy on the tip of his tongue. Something wicked this way comes.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton - As the Time War rages, Cardinal Ollistra of Gallifrey seeks to create ever more dangerous weapons to deploy against the enemy. When the Doctor stumbles across Synthesis Station, he discovers that the Time Lords have sponsored a project to weaponise already-lethal creatures. But in doing so, Eva Morrison and her team have unwittingly used a colony of Vashta Nerada with a very unfortunate history of humanoid contact. The Doctor finds himself leading a desperate race for survival, in which the shadows may be the least of their worries…
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First published July 27, 2017
4 people are currently reading
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About the author
John Dorney
166 books26 followersJohn Dorney is a British writer and actor best known for stage roles including the National Theatre, the BBC Radio 4 sitcom My First Planet; and his scripts for the Big Finish Doctor Who range. His script 'Solitaire' was rated the most popular Doctor Who Companion Chronicle of 2010 on the Timescales website and was the runner up in Unreality Sci-fi net's poll for Story of the Year 2010-11.
As well as Doctor Who, he has written for Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel series and on radio co-wrote three series of BBC Radio 4's Recorded for Training Purposes. He won the BBC Show Me the Funny 'Sketch Factor' competition, was a finalist in the BBC 'Laughing Stock' competition, and has performed in Mark Watson's Edinburgh Comedy Award winning long shows as 'The Balladeer'. On stage, he has written plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead and Soho Theatres.
He trained at LAMDA.
As well as Doctor Who, he has written for Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel series and on radio co-wrote three series of BBC Radio 4's Recorded for Training Purposes. He won the BBC Show Me the Funny 'Sketch Factor' competition, was a finalist in the BBC 'Laughing Stock' competition, and has performed in Mark Watson's Edinburgh Comedy Award winning long shows as 'The Balladeer'. On stage, he has written plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead and Soho Theatres.
He trained at LAMDA.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 22, 2023
Enemies and monsters from the new series with Doctors from the classic series? Sounds like a perfect combination.
Night of the Vashta Nerada - Off to a good start. I have to admit that I’m often not always a fan of Tom Baker’s (Fourth) Doctor, he tended to talk down to his companions and allies just a bit too much (although his earlier years tended to be better than his latter ones; likely as he was probably getting burnt out); but this story works very well. Very much a “classic” Doctor adventure, with the darker (pardon the pun) twist of the shadowy Vashta Nerada threatening everyone. Very entertaining.
Empire of the Racnoss - This second story started off interestingly enough, but while the middle felt a bit weak, the twists at the end made up for much of this. Peter Davison’s (Fifth) Doctor retains all the same qualities he had during his tenure on the classic series, and this story works well within that era (although exactly when it occurs is a bit problematic and is a trifle unclear).
The Carrionite Curse - And yet another (Sixth) Doctor adventure that deals with some aspect of trials and legality. Is it just The Trial of a Time Lord that makes everyone think Colin Baker has to be depicted as a lawyer, or is there something else I’m missing? At what point does this become a cliché? Nothing really wrong with this one, and I liked how the writers tied it back to The Shakespeare Code, but some of it just left me flat.
Day of the Vashta Nerada - Paul McGann’s (Eighth) Doctor returns with another chapter from The Time War and this time someone wants to weaponize the piranhas of the air - YIKES! At least in terms of production, this appears to be one of the earliest battles that McGann’s Doctor fights in the Time War. Nicely twisted little tale on the immorality of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.
These sets, that mashup classic era Doctors with “Nu-Who” monsters, are high on concept and Big Finish delivers the goods with all the usual bells and whistles. Wonderful and completely mesmerizing. This set also includes a bonus disc of behind-the-scenes interviews and clips.
Night of the Vashta Nerada - Off to a good start. I have to admit that I’m often not always a fan of Tom Baker’s (Fourth) Doctor, he tended to talk down to his companions and allies just a bit too much (although his earlier years tended to be better than his latter ones; likely as he was probably getting burnt out); but this story works very well. Very much a “classic” Doctor adventure, with the darker (pardon the pun) twist of the shadowy Vashta Nerada threatening everyone. Very entertaining.
Empire of the Racnoss - This second story started off interestingly enough, but while the middle felt a bit weak, the twists at the end made up for much of this. Peter Davison’s (Fifth) Doctor retains all the same qualities he had during his tenure on the classic series, and this story works well within that era (although exactly when it occurs is a bit problematic and is a trifle unclear).
The Carrionite Curse - And yet another (Sixth) Doctor adventure that deals with some aspect of trials and legality. Is it just The Trial of a Time Lord that makes everyone think Colin Baker has to be depicted as a lawyer, or is there something else I’m missing? At what point does this become a cliché? Nothing really wrong with this one, and I liked how the writers tied it back to The Shakespeare Code, but some of it just left me flat.
Day of the Vashta Nerada - Paul McGann’s (Eighth) Doctor returns with another chapter from The Time War and this time someone wants to weaponize the piranhas of the air - YIKES! At least in terms of production, this appears to be one of the earliest battles that McGann’s Doctor fights in the Time War. Nicely twisted little tale on the immorality of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.
These sets, that mashup classic era Doctors with “Nu-Who” monsters, are high on concept and Big Finish delivers the goods with all the usual bells and whistles. Wonderful and completely mesmerizing. This set also includes a bonus disc of behind-the-scenes interviews and clips.
August 12, 2017
2.1 Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney
Il quarto Dottore, un parco giochi galattico, costruito dove un tempo c'era una foresta, un gruppo di risolutori contro la minaccia che potrebbe impedire l'apertura dell'attrazione.
Peccato che il nemico sia uno sciame di Vashta Nerada assetato di vendetta.
Dinamico e godibilissimo. Si sa come andrà a finire, ma è irrilevante.
2.2 Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock
Quinto Dottore vs l'Imperatrice dei Racnoss... e il resto della famiglia.
Intrighi e contro intrighi, con il fine ultimo di ammazzarsi a vucenda. Tipico dei Racnoss... e dei Time Lord.
Un po' noioso, non amando l'argomento.
2.3 Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier
Carrionite redivive contro la dialettica del sesto Dottore. Più chiaro, rispetto agli altri due episodi, il collegamento con la serie tv. Scambi ben giocati e la storia, nonostante o grazie ai paradossi, regge benissimo.
2.4 Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton
L'ottavo Dottore, la Cardinale Ollistra (già incontrata con il War Doctor) e un allevamento Vashta Nerada, dove vengono studiate nuove applicazioni adatte alla Guerra del Tempo.
Collegato direttamente al primo episodio del cofanetto, mostra un nuovo tassello della resistenza del Dottore alla partecipazione attiva alla Time War.
Per certi aspetti migliori rispetto al primo cofanetto, offre più collegamenti con la serie televisiva e, per quanto riguarda il Dottore di McGann, si collega al percorso delle storie pre Time War attualmente in corso.
Visto e considerato che il connubio vecchi Dottori vs nuovi mostri funziona... aspettiamo la terza tornata.
Il quarto Dottore, un parco giochi galattico, costruito dove un tempo c'era una foresta, un gruppo di risolutori contro la minaccia che potrebbe impedire l'apertura dell'attrazione.
Peccato che il nemico sia uno sciame di Vashta Nerada assetato di vendetta.
Dinamico e godibilissimo. Si sa come andrà a finire, ma è irrilevante.
2.2 Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock
Quinto Dottore vs l'Imperatrice dei Racnoss... e il resto della famiglia.
Intrighi e contro intrighi, con il fine ultimo di ammazzarsi a vucenda. Tipico dei Racnoss... e dei Time Lord.
Un po' noioso, non amando l'argomento.
2.3 Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier
Carrionite redivive contro la dialettica del sesto Dottore. Più chiaro, rispetto agli altri due episodi, il collegamento con la serie tv. Scambi ben giocati e la storia, nonostante o grazie ai paradossi, regge benissimo.
2.4 Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton
L'ottavo Dottore, la Cardinale Ollistra (già incontrata con il War Doctor) e un allevamento Vashta Nerada, dove vengono studiate nuove applicazioni adatte alla Guerra del Tempo.
Collegato direttamente al primo episodio del cofanetto, mostra un nuovo tassello della resistenza del Dottore alla partecipazione attiva alla Time War.
Per certi aspetti migliori rispetto al primo cofanetto, offre più collegamenti con la serie televisiva e, per quanto riguarda il Dottore di McGann, si collega al percorso delle storie pre Time War attualmente in corso.
Visto e considerato che il connubio vecchi Dottori vs nuovi mostri funziona... aspettiamo la terza tornata.
October 29, 2018
42 WORD REVIEWS:
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney
A standard base under siege story with stock characters but nice execution and snatches of dark humour. The script is slick and the actors embrace their parts, Tom Baker veering away from his latter-day flippancy to give an unusually measured, heartfelt performance.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock
Peter Davison is in fine form and clearly relishing his freedom from petulant, dialogue deadweight companions. Unfortunately the Racnoss are equally hard to stomach, here proving themselves to be one of Doctor Who’s most incessantly shrill, one-dimensional and irrationally motivated alien races.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier
Guerrier captures the Sixth Doctor’s character and the salient features of that era (in a good way). Colin Baker’s vitality is undiminished 30+ years on, but the Carrionites—being the type of monster that screeches and threatens but never attacks—are disappointing.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton
Conceptually, there’s a lot to like about bringing New Series monsters (and now even the Time War) to Classic Who. The story itself, however, is so bog-standard a rehash of earlier plotlines that it plays out like a badly degraded VHS transfer.
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney
A standard base under siege story with stock characters but nice execution and snatches of dark humour. The script is slick and the actors embrace their parts, Tom Baker veering away from his latter-day flippancy to give an unusually measured, heartfelt performance.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock
Peter Davison is in fine form and clearly relishing his freedom from petulant, dialogue deadweight companions. Unfortunately the Racnoss are equally hard to stomach, here proving themselves to be one of Doctor Who’s most incessantly shrill, one-dimensional and irrationally motivated alien races.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier
Guerrier captures the Sixth Doctor’s character and the salient features of that era (in a good way). Colin Baker’s vitality is undiminished 30+ years on, but the Carrionites—being the type of monster that screeches and threatens but never attacks—are disappointing.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton
Conceptually, there’s a lot to like about bringing New Series monsters (and now even the Time War) to Classic Who. The story itself, however, is so bog-standard a rehash of earlier plotlines that it plays out like a badly degraded VHS transfer.
September 29, 2025
Night Of The Vashta Nerada -
Night Of The Vashta Nerada is quite a pleasant story, but ultimately it really is just a rip-off of the original 10th Doctor story. Pretty much every aspect of the plot is copied, with only cosmetic changes to give it an original feel. The quirky location is changed from a library to an amusement park, and besides the lack of a River Song type character; it’s the same. The only really impressive thing about this story is the fact that such a visual monster like the Vashta Nerada work surprisingly well on audio. The story had plenty of killings which amplifies them past being villains who just have a menacing catchphrase and nothing more.
Tom Baker gives a great performance here, and with his Doctor not required to do much but follow the side characters around; he does a great job providing the only actually funny comedy. Said side characters are pretty generic: super tough captain lady, feeble second in command, quirky alien, a psychic, and an antagonistic corporate type. None of the characters bar the last one were remotely interesting and numerous times I found myself going ‘oh he died, what a shock…. (eye roll)’. Having someone to hate that isn’t the villain is always nice, plus the owner of the park is a great device to make a point about how corporations neglect human life. That gave the story some agency, and anything more interesting than a bunch of twists that you see coming a mile off.
I thought the cast all gave good performances and were only let down by the narrative, and the fake-out ending just made me grow tired of those characters; with me thinking to myself that this story really should end before any aspect of drama becomes tedious. Despite all these negative elements there were merits, especially with the Vashta Nerada being very menacing and the excellent sound design creating a very tense atmosphere. The incidental music was really nice, but even that couldn’t keep the tension going through the twelve or so twists that constantly occurred. Personally the story entertained me, even with many weak aspects, and I think it did a decent job opening the boxset.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Empire Of The Racnoss -
Fundamentally this story is actually quite good, but there is one overriding factor that makes it suck; the Racnoss voices. They are screechy, take about 30 seconds to deliver each line that is only about five words, and just hiss constantly. Any menace or drama that is meant to come from them really evaporates when you just start thinking ‘stop talking in such a silly way and deliver the bloody lines’. They are hardly unique villains to begin with, being generic alien spiders, but there is a good idea in the plot that doesn’t work when the line delivery really is painful.
For the Racnoss there is one saving grace; the masterful Nigel Planner. Distant from his beloved role in The Young Ones, he plays a Racnoss emperor and is quite fun. Even he is beset by the stupid line delivery, but he imbues the performance with his natural charisma; making it tolerable, even enjoyable occasionally. Peter Davison is on form here, a fantastic performance as the Doctor. He is easily the strongest member of the cast, and managed to retain my waining interest through his acting. He gives a real urgency to the dramatic moments, delivering comedic lines quite well, and mostly just feels like the Doctor should be; the person to guide you through this adventure.
I did quite like the plot, and themes too, especially the setting being some ancient Time Lord/Racnoss war; the only criticism is it’s not exactly original, not does it actually lead anywhere interesting. I came away from this tale of Racnoss infighting and conspiracy, thinking that this wad clearly a desperate attempt to make a bland New Who villain remotely interesting. The Time Lord companion for the story is fun, but beyond that everyone else in the cast, or their narrative relevance; are so forgettable.
⭐️⭐️1/2
The Carrionite Curse -
The Carrionite Curse is a very odd story. If you ignore the fact that the Doctor’s companion is a goth teenager then you get to the fact the Carrionites have an incredibly stupid plan. I think the very 80s feeling absurdity really did give the story some charm, and the witty dialogue gives something to engage the listener. Ultimately the Carrionites are exactly the same as the Racnoss, in that they are a very generic villain (with the bit of quirky being they know a lot of words) and this story tries its best to give them some agency. Pairing them with the most verbose Doctor was very clever, and those exchanges near the end were fun, but beyond that nice little niche; they don’t really do anything.
The story does have a lot of charm, with subtle backing music, witty dialogue and a simple to follow plot. The problem is that there aren’t any strong themes and that simple plot makes everything very predictable. The story clearly banks a lot on the twist ending but ultimately you can see it coming a mile off, with the story practically screaming at the listened ‘DO YOU LOVE THIS CHARACTER NOW?’. The Carrionites are just a typical ‘monster of the week’ and are very easy to forget. There is some lovely stuff that ties this story to The Shakespeare Code and I always find subtle links to New Who really sweet. That was definitely another aspect of the story that really contributed to its strengths.
I found the story a pleasant enough listen, but for an hour of narrative; I was surprised that the quality of the story was practically just the references and the performances. The comedy didn’t outstay its welcome, but at the same time was clearly there to actually compensate for an implicit lack of drama and tension. All these single stories that Colin Baker appears in always follow a theme, quirky characters help him story a zany villain and occasionally really dark stuff happens. It does really give the story an 80s feel, but given it’s been done so frequently; being able to predict the plot and twists so easily does devalue the actual story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Day Of The Vashta Nerada -
Day Of The Vashta Nerada is a very loose sequel to the opening story of the boxset, and only adheres the to theme by having the Vashta Nerada there in a minor capacity. Instead the focus here is the Time War and its consequences, with most of the dialogue focusing on the Doctor’s abstinence against participating in the war. Him and Cardinal Ollistra play off each-other superbly, with some fantastic drama and on occasion philosophy, with light humour there to stop the story feeling too serious. This final part of the boxset is incredibly short and even New Who episodes are longer, but it is to be expected when the actual plot of the story is paper thin.
The Vashta Nerada are being experimented on for potential use in the war, the Doctor arrives and they are freed, and the Doctor has to stop them. Safe to say, the narrative is not the thing to enjoy here, rather it is something that works against the story. There is some amazing imagery in this one, and the new variants of the Vashta Nerada are incredible, if not quite scary. The actual space station is made to feel a very confined space, with the tense atmospheric music; relying also on the sound design to create an empty echoey effect in each scene that is mostly dialogue. All those different aspects lead to a few things to enjoy and keep you engaged, so the actual story itself feels like something with meaning.
There is a nice cast here, with solid performances from all, and Paul McGann carrying the story as he often does. I don’t think there is much to criticise here, besides perhaps the fact that the characters killed off are hard to care about given they’ve only had about 10 means of ‘screen time’ each. I was just glad that not too much mind is wasted on the human antagonist, instead the focus in on the horror, and the moral aspects of the plot; something far more interesting than the main plot being told. It’s safe to say all enjoyment of the story comes from short snappy scenes, where all the constructive elements such as music, dialogue and twists; are the thing to make the story worth listening to.
All in all this story proved I was right to be underwhelmed by the gimmick of the boxset, and these stories would’ve worked better in each Doctor’s respective ranges, than slapping a genetic new who villain into each part and expecting gold-dust. I would say this episode has the strongest performance of the four Doctors in the set, and it’s just a shame the story couldn’t be more ambitious or horror laden. The story definitely had the chance to go for what the famous horror film Alien did, but sadly just goes with everything being nice and optimistic; rather than a creative bloodbath. Well worth a listen, but don’t expect anything too special.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Night Of The Vashta Nerada is quite a pleasant story, but ultimately it really is just a rip-off of the original 10th Doctor story. Pretty much every aspect of the plot is copied, with only cosmetic changes to give it an original feel. The quirky location is changed from a library to an amusement park, and besides the lack of a River Song type character; it’s the same. The only really impressive thing about this story is the fact that such a visual monster like the Vashta Nerada work surprisingly well on audio. The story had plenty of killings which amplifies them past being villains who just have a menacing catchphrase and nothing more.
Tom Baker gives a great performance here, and with his Doctor not required to do much but follow the side characters around; he does a great job providing the only actually funny comedy. Said side characters are pretty generic: super tough captain lady, feeble second in command, quirky alien, a psychic, and an antagonistic corporate type. None of the characters bar the last one were remotely interesting and numerous times I found myself going ‘oh he died, what a shock…. (eye roll)’. Having someone to hate that isn’t the villain is always nice, plus the owner of the park is a great device to make a point about how corporations neglect human life. That gave the story some agency, and anything more interesting than a bunch of twists that you see coming a mile off.
I thought the cast all gave good performances and were only let down by the narrative, and the fake-out ending just made me grow tired of those characters; with me thinking to myself that this story really should end before any aspect of drama becomes tedious. Despite all these negative elements there were merits, especially with the Vashta Nerada being very menacing and the excellent sound design creating a very tense atmosphere. The incidental music was really nice, but even that couldn’t keep the tension going through the twelve or so twists that constantly occurred. Personally the story entertained me, even with many weak aspects, and I think it did a decent job opening the boxset.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Empire Of The Racnoss -
Fundamentally this story is actually quite good, but there is one overriding factor that makes it suck; the Racnoss voices. They are screechy, take about 30 seconds to deliver each line that is only about five words, and just hiss constantly. Any menace or drama that is meant to come from them really evaporates when you just start thinking ‘stop talking in such a silly way and deliver the bloody lines’. They are hardly unique villains to begin with, being generic alien spiders, but there is a good idea in the plot that doesn’t work when the line delivery really is painful.
For the Racnoss there is one saving grace; the masterful Nigel Planner. Distant from his beloved role in The Young Ones, he plays a Racnoss emperor and is quite fun. Even he is beset by the stupid line delivery, but he imbues the performance with his natural charisma; making it tolerable, even enjoyable occasionally. Peter Davison is on form here, a fantastic performance as the Doctor. He is easily the strongest member of the cast, and managed to retain my waining interest through his acting. He gives a real urgency to the dramatic moments, delivering comedic lines quite well, and mostly just feels like the Doctor should be; the person to guide you through this adventure.
I did quite like the plot, and themes too, especially the setting being some ancient Time Lord/Racnoss war; the only criticism is it’s not exactly original, not does it actually lead anywhere interesting. I came away from this tale of Racnoss infighting and conspiracy, thinking that this wad clearly a desperate attempt to make a bland New Who villain remotely interesting. The Time Lord companion for the story is fun, but beyond that everyone else in the cast, or their narrative relevance; are so forgettable.
⭐️⭐️1/2
The Carrionite Curse -
The Carrionite Curse is a very odd story. If you ignore the fact that the Doctor’s companion is a goth teenager then you get to the fact the Carrionites have an incredibly stupid plan. I think the very 80s feeling absurdity really did give the story some charm, and the witty dialogue gives something to engage the listener. Ultimately the Carrionites are exactly the same as the Racnoss, in that they are a very generic villain (with the bit of quirky being they know a lot of words) and this story tries its best to give them some agency. Pairing them with the most verbose Doctor was very clever, and those exchanges near the end were fun, but beyond that nice little niche; they don’t really do anything.
The story does have a lot of charm, with subtle backing music, witty dialogue and a simple to follow plot. The problem is that there aren’t any strong themes and that simple plot makes everything very predictable. The story clearly banks a lot on the twist ending but ultimately you can see it coming a mile off, with the story practically screaming at the listened ‘DO YOU LOVE THIS CHARACTER NOW?’. The Carrionites are just a typical ‘monster of the week’ and are very easy to forget. There is some lovely stuff that ties this story to The Shakespeare Code and I always find subtle links to New Who really sweet. That was definitely another aspect of the story that really contributed to its strengths.
I found the story a pleasant enough listen, but for an hour of narrative; I was surprised that the quality of the story was practically just the references and the performances. The comedy didn’t outstay its welcome, but at the same time was clearly there to actually compensate for an implicit lack of drama and tension. All these single stories that Colin Baker appears in always follow a theme, quirky characters help him story a zany villain and occasionally really dark stuff happens. It does really give the story an 80s feel, but given it’s been done so frequently; being able to predict the plot and twists so easily does devalue the actual story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Day Of The Vashta Nerada -
Day Of The Vashta Nerada is a very loose sequel to the opening story of the boxset, and only adheres the to theme by having the Vashta Nerada there in a minor capacity. Instead the focus here is the Time War and its consequences, with most of the dialogue focusing on the Doctor’s abstinence against participating in the war. Him and Cardinal Ollistra play off each-other superbly, with some fantastic drama and on occasion philosophy, with light humour there to stop the story feeling too serious. This final part of the boxset is incredibly short and even New Who episodes are longer, but it is to be expected when the actual plot of the story is paper thin.
The Vashta Nerada are being experimented on for potential use in the war, the Doctor arrives and they are freed, and the Doctor has to stop them. Safe to say, the narrative is not the thing to enjoy here, rather it is something that works against the story. There is some amazing imagery in this one, and the new variants of the Vashta Nerada are incredible, if not quite scary. The actual space station is made to feel a very confined space, with the tense atmospheric music; relying also on the sound design to create an empty echoey effect in each scene that is mostly dialogue. All those different aspects lead to a few things to enjoy and keep you engaged, so the actual story itself feels like something with meaning.
There is a nice cast here, with solid performances from all, and Paul McGann carrying the story as he often does. I don’t think there is much to criticise here, besides perhaps the fact that the characters killed off are hard to care about given they’ve only had about 10 means of ‘screen time’ each. I was just glad that not too much mind is wasted on the human antagonist, instead the focus in on the horror, and the moral aspects of the plot; something far more interesting than the main plot being told. It’s safe to say all enjoyment of the story comes from short snappy scenes, where all the constructive elements such as music, dialogue and twists; are the thing to make the story worth listening to.
All in all this story proved I was right to be underwhelmed by the gimmick of the boxset, and these stories would’ve worked better in each Doctor’s respective ranges, than slapping a genetic new who villain into each part and expecting gold-dust. I would say this episode has the strongest performance of the four Doctors in the set, and it’s just a shame the story couldn’t be more ambitious or horror laden. The story definitely had the chance to go for what the famous horror film Alien did, but sadly just goes with everything being nice and optimistic; rather than a creative bloodbath. Well worth a listen, but don’t expect anything too special.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
August 10, 2017
I wasn't going to buy this one as Doctors and Monsters are my least favourite thing about Doctor Who. I love it for the companions, and they don't get included in this series. But when I saw that the eighth Doctor story had Ollestra in it I had to buy it. Cause I do love Jacks' Time Lord! And I'm glad I did. For one thing the gender balance in these stories was MUCH better than the original box set! Which was a very nice surprise. The first saw Tom and some rather interesting women battle the Vashta Nerada. The story wasn't as exciting, as really the "monster" did nothing and well honestly I prefer aliens that are aliens and not monsters. But it's always nice to hear Tom.
The second story with Davison and the Racknoss I really liked. I've only seen Runaway Bride a couple times, years ago, and so barely remembered them, besides some screaming in some water. I really liked the way they developed in this one. The allusions to Medea and the fact that it was more of a society of aliens than simply Monsters out to get you. I also liked the way the Time Lords were portrayed.
The third story was my favourite. I'm used to Simon writing for the earlier Doctors so it was nice to see him with Sixie. First of all this story had the best use of a Goth in anything ever! She wasn't the horrible stereotypes you usually see in media, but just someone who liked black, hated the small town she was from and trying to get away by going to Poly. I really liked her. And she got on wonderfully with sixie. (it was great to picture her all in black besides his colours). Then there was the really great storyline about the witches, which while bordering between aliens and monsters had some wonderful ideas, and some excellent twists and turns and motivations.
The fourth story was back to the Vashta Nerada. It was definitely a Monster story. But hearing Paul and Jacks together was marvellous. Despite it being a things are trying to kill us plot it did have some fun moments.
All told a really good box set. I'm very glad I bought it after all.
The second story with Davison and the Racknoss I really liked. I've only seen Runaway Bride a couple times, years ago, and so barely remembered them, besides some screaming in some water. I really liked the way they developed in this one. The allusions to Medea and the fact that it was more of a society of aliens than simply Monsters out to get you. I also liked the way the Time Lords were portrayed.
The third story was my favourite. I'm used to Simon writing for the earlier Doctors so it was nice to see him with Sixie. First of all this story had the best use of a Goth in anything ever! She wasn't the horrible stereotypes you usually see in media, but just someone who liked black, hated the small town she was from and trying to get away by going to Poly. I really liked her. And she got on wonderfully with sixie. (it was great to picture her all in black besides his colours). Then there was the really great storyline about the witches, which while bordering between aliens and monsters had some wonderful ideas, and some excellent twists and turns and motivations.
The fourth story was back to the Vashta Nerada. It was definitely a Monster story. But hearing Paul and Jacks together was marvellous. Despite it being a things are trying to kill us plot it did have some fun moments.
All told a really good box set. I'm very glad I bought it after all.
December 11, 2021
Doctor Who: Classic Doctors New Monsters Volume 02 - 4.5/5 stars
Four decent stories. I liked these stories as much as the last boxset and its a bit sad to know that they don’t do this series anymore. No Pting vs 7 or Tim Shaw vs 3.
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney - 5/5 stars
Basic base under siege story. Tom Baker is really entertaining in this and the story seems to flow quite naturally. I’m surprised another visual and non-speaking monster worked so well in the audio but in Big Finish we trust.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock - 5/5 stars
Another basic and solid story. The Racnoss are really fun and interesting villains and also protagonists? The constant back and forth between the Emperor and Empress. Peter Davidson is a joy in this story. I really liked this one as well.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier - 3/5 stars
Wasn’t really a fan of the Shakespeare Code but the irony of this being yet another Trial and Legal based story with 6 is kinda funny. The Carrionites are okay but Colin Baker is definitely a highlight in this story.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars
A decent early Time War story. This was a good sequel to Night of the Vashta Nerada. Paul McGann is amazing as always. It’s interesting that the Time War boxset came out soon after this and had 8 get forced into helping Gallifrey.
Four decent stories. I liked these stories as much as the last boxset and its a bit sad to know that they don’t do this series anymore. No Pting vs 7 or Tim Shaw vs 3.
Night of the Vashta Nerada by John Dorney - 5/5 stars
Basic base under siege story. Tom Baker is really entertaining in this and the story seems to flow quite naturally. I’m surprised another visual and non-speaking monster worked so well in the audio but in Big Finish we trust.
Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock - 5/5 stars
Another basic and solid story. The Racnoss are really fun and interesting villains and also protagonists? The constant back and forth between the Emperor and Empress. Peter Davidson is a joy in this story. I really liked this one as well.
The Carrionite Curse by Simon Guerrier - 3/5 stars
Wasn’t really a fan of the Shakespeare Code but the irony of this being yet another Trial and Legal based story with 6 is kinda funny. The Carrionites are okay but Colin Baker is definitely a highlight in this story.
Day of the Vashta Nerada by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars
A decent early Time War story. This was a good sequel to Night of the Vashta Nerada. Paul McGann is amazing as always. It’s interesting that the Time War boxset came out soon after this and had 8 get forced into helping Gallifrey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2024
✅75/100 = 👍🏼70 ✊🏼19 👎🏼5 = Great!
This past week saw the release of the fourth volume of the popular Classic Doctors, New Monsters set, but before delving into it, I decided to revisit the first three sets. Next up: Classic Doctors facing killer shadows, talking crabs, and Shakesperean witches!
❤️90/100 = 👍🏼27 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Great!
This is NIGHT OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka HEY, JOHN DID IT AGAIN!
This story has a wonderfully tense atmosphere from the onset, like a take on Alien or Predator. This even means that the basic premise and flow of the story are familiar, albeit effective. The Funworld amusement park setting is effectively creepy (it makes me think of Nightmare in Silver), and the small but contained cast carries the story beautifully.
Tom Baker is fun, witty, and energetic in the lead, and the hunting team members are overconfident, a bit selfish, and not too smart, which makes them satisfying victims. Lorelei King is easy to dislike as the dismissive Funworld owner who goes from a pretty unlikable character to a tragic hero, while Emma Lowndes brings a creepy quality as the opsychic Phelan, the only truly likeable character in the hunting team.
John Dorney keeps the cards close to his chest and the mystery of the Vashta Nerada a secret to maintain tension, and it works well even if you are familiar with the aliens. This audio remains surprisingly engaging, even if there isn't a whole lot of action or actual killing.
The deeper aspects of the plot kind of mirror similar points in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, which is a pity.
Dorney sticks the landing with a tense and action-filled finale.
****
✅80/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Good!
This is EMPIRE OF THE RACNOSS, aka THEY HAVE AN EMPEROR AS WELL?!
I've never been a huge fan of the Racnoss, but this story makes them interesting by having them involved in a war with Gallifrey, with the Doctoe stuck between the two sides, as per usual. Five is a good choice for this type of story, as he tries to prove to the Racnoss that all Time Lords aren't the same.
What I do like is how Scott Handcock fleshes out the Racnoss and their part in this war.
This ends up being a surprisingly character-centred and engaging drama. Having said that, I found the second half a bit disappointing, as it didn't seem to be building towards a thrilling finale.
The Racnoss voice actors are superb, considering the strain they put on their voices. Andjoa Andoh voices the Empress, reprising her role from The Runaway Bride. The human characters aren't all that interesting this time around.
****
✅70/100 = 👍🏼19 ✊🏼2 👎🏼0 = Okay!
This is THE CARRIONITE CURSE, aka SEMIOTICS IS THE SHIT!
The opening scene is a fun little reintroduction to the Carrionite witch sisters from The Shakespeare Code. The setting in Birmingham in the 1980s sets this story apart from the previous one. A slow build-up throughout the first third of the adventure follows the promising opening scene before the Carrionites reveal themselves in full force.
After the introduction of the initial premise, the story doesn't grow or evolve much, and until the climax, it feels a bit longwinded and empty.
The action scenes with the witches come alive pretty well, and I also like how a big chunk of this forced Doctor and his friends to do some research to find out the truth behind the Carrionites. Semiotics, history, and the power of words play an important part in the narrative. It also ties pretty nicely to The Shakespeare Code and the fact that it is in the Doctor's future but the Carrionites' past.
Colin Baker is a great choice for this story, and he sounds very eager throughout. The Carrionite actresses are lovely as well, and I grew to like Katy and her father, Douglas.
****
🙏🏼60/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼5 👎🏼5 = Okay!
This is DAY OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka THEY ALSO COME IN LIGHT!
Following a fake distress call, the Doctor arrives on a satellite station in the midst of the Time War, only to find a team of scientists who have imprisoned Vashta Nerada in order to research them. We quickly learn the connection to "Night of the Vashta Nerada" and how the Time Lords hope to use the Vashta Nerada as another deadly weapon against the Daleks (a bad idea, needless to say).
The basic story is pretty much a standard Time War fare, but I appreciate that they try to do something slightly different with the Vashta Nerada. This encompasses their altered counterparts, the Nerada Vashta, whose full potential remains untapped.
Paul McGann and Jacqueline Pearce are great as per usual, and the other actors do a good job as well. The sound design helps bring the moments of action to life.
The atmosphere here isn't as tense as in Night, and the plot remains a bit too streamlined to easily remain engaging, and it doesn't grow in intensity or stakes as much as I'd hoped.
This past week saw the release of the fourth volume of the popular Classic Doctors, New Monsters set, but before delving into it, I decided to revisit the first three sets. Next up: Classic Doctors facing killer shadows, talking crabs, and Shakesperean witches!
❤️90/100 = 👍🏼27 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Great!
This is NIGHT OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka HEY, JOHN DID IT AGAIN!
This story has a wonderfully tense atmosphere from the onset, like a take on Alien or Predator. This even means that the basic premise and flow of the story are familiar, albeit effective. The Funworld amusement park setting is effectively creepy (it makes me think of Nightmare in Silver), and the small but contained cast carries the story beautifully.
Tom Baker is fun, witty, and energetic in the lead, and the hunting team members are overconfident, a bit selfish, and not too smart, which makes them satisfying victims. Lorelei King is easy to dislike as the dismissive Funworld owner who goes from a pretty unlikable character to a tragic hero, while Emma Lowndes brings a creepy quality as the opsychic Phelan, the only truly likeable character in the hunting team.
John Dorney keeps the cards close to his chest and the mystery of the Vashta Nerada a secret to maintain tension, and it works well even if you are familiar with the aliens. This audio remains surprisingly engaging, even if there isn't a whole lot of action or actual killing.
The deeper aspects of the plot kind of mirror similar points in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, which is a pity.
Dorney sticks the landing with a tense and action-filled finale.
****
✅80/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Good!
This is EMPIRE OF THE RACNOSS, aka THEY HAVE AN EMPEROR AS WELL?!
I've never been a huge fan of the Racnoss, but this story makes them interesting by having them involved in a war with Gallifrey, with the Doctoe stuck between the two sides, as per usual. Five is a good choice for this type of story, as he tries to prove to the Racnoss that all Time Lords aren't the same.
What I do like is how Scott Handcock fleshes out the Racnoss and their part in this war.
This ends up being a surprisingly character-centred and engaging drama. Having said that, I found the second half a bit disappointing, as it didn't seem to be building towards a thrilling finale.
The Racnoss voice actors are superb, considering the strain they put on their voices. Andjoa Andoh voices the Empress, reprising her role from The Runaway Bride. The human characters aren't all that interesting this time around.
****
✅70/100 = 👍🏼19 ✊🏼2 👎🏼0 = Okay!
This is THE CARRIONITE CURSE, aka SEMIOTICS IS THE SHIT!
The opening scene is a fun little reintroduction to the Carrionite witch sisters from The Shakespeare Code. The setting in Birmingham in the 1980s sets this story apart from the previous one. A slow build-up throughout the first third of the adventure follows the promising opening scene before the Carrionites reveal themselves in full force.
After the introduction of the initial premise, the story doesn't grow or evolve much, and until the climax, it feels a bit longwinded and empty.
The action scenes with the witches come alive pretty well, and I also like how a big chunk of this forced Doctor and his friends to do some research to find out the truth behind the Carrionites. Semiotics, history, and the power of words play an important part in the narrative. It also ties pretty nicely to The Shakespeare Code and the fact that it is in the Doctor's future but the Carrionites' past.
Colin Baker is a great choice for this story, and he sounds very eager throughout. The Carrionite actresses are lovely as well, and I grew to like Katy and her father, Douglas.
****
🙏🏼60/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼5 👎🏼5 = Okay!
This is DAY OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka THEY ALSO COME IN LIGHT!
Following a fake distress call, the Doctor arrives on a satellite station in the midst of the Time War, only to find a team of scientists who have imprisoned Vashta Nerada in order to research them. We quickly learn the connection to "Night of the Vashta Nerada" and how the Time Lords hope to use the Vashta Nerada as another deadly weapon against the Daleks (a bad idea, needless to say).
The basic story is pretty much a standard Time War fare, but I appreciate that they try to do something slightly different with the Vashta Nerada. This encompasses their altered counterparts, the Nerada Vashta, whose full potential remains untapped.
Paul McGann and Jacqueline Pearce are great as per usual, and the other actors do a good job as well. The sound design helps bring the moments of action to life.
The atmosphere here isn't as tense as in Night, and the plot remains a bit too streamlined to easily remain engaging, and it doesn't grow in intensity or stakes as much as I'd hoped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2020
Another collection of four hour-long stories in which classic era Doctors face off against monsters from the modern series. This time around, all of the monsters are from the Tenth Doctor’s run, which is quite a while ago itself by now, especially since none of them have so far made a repeat appearance since their first one.
• Night of the Vashta Nerada - We begin with the Fourth Doctor encountering one of the more memorable Tenth Doctor monsters for the first time. The story concerns a group of hunters/pest exterminators trying to find out what has been threatening an off-world amusement park – and kill it. It effectively contrasts the Doctor’s attitude to those of the hunters and their employer as well as providing a tense story as the (initially) mysterious foe starts to stalk them. It’s a bit like Aliens, only with a less tangible opponent and more one-liners (mostly from the Doctor), and it builds up a great atmosphere as well as fleshing out the personalities of the team. 5 stars.
• Empire of the Racnoss – The Fifth Doctor travels back billions of years to a time when the then-nascent Time Lord civilisation was fighting against the Racnoss (who he had believed were destroyed when he encountered them later in The Runaway Bride). On the face of it, the Racnoss are just rather nasty-looking aliens with a propensity for bloodlust, but the story manages to make more of them than this. It shows further elements of their culture as well as depicting them as more complex beings than we see on screen, although still staying true to the televised version. Despite the lack of companions, it also manages to convey some of the themes of Five’s television era, with the most peaceable of Doctors caught up in another bloody war. 4 stars.
• The Carrionite Curse - I can't say that I find the Carrionites particularly interesting in their own right, but I'd have to admit that this story does have a number of things going for it. Not least among these is that it's a sequel to The Shakespeare Code rather than a prequel - at least from the perspective of the witches. Links to that earlier story abound, including cheeky references to Harry Potter, and there are connections to other aspects of DW lore as well. It's let down slightly by the Carrionites' weakness to words making some of the scenes come across as too reminiscent of The Knights Who Say Ni, but the supporting cast are great (I love the idea of the Goth girl in the surrogate companion role) and there are some nice touches in the story. 4 stars.
• Day of the Vashta Nerada - We come full circle for the final story in the collection, although the links to the first one are largely incidental. Here we see the Eighth Doctor crossing swords with Cardinal Ollistra (from the War Doctor audios) on a space station where the Time Lords are sponsoring genetic manipulation of the titular monster in order to use them as a weapon in the Time War. Like the first story, it is a base-under-siege, although arguably more typical in its format and with it being harder to feel sympathy for most of the supporting characters. It doesn't break much new ground, modified monsters aside, but at least the Time War provides obvious connections with the new series. 4 stars.
• Night of the Vashta Nerada - We begin with the Fourth Doctor encountering one of the more memorable Tenth Doctor monsters for the first time. The story concerns a group of hunters/pest exterminators trying to find out what has been threatening an off-world amusement park – and kill it. It effectively contrasts the Doctor’s attitude to those of the hunters and their employer as well as providing a tense story as the (initially) mysterious foe starts to stalk them. It’s a bit like Aliens, only with a less tangible opponent and more one-liners (mostly from the Doctor), and it builds up a great atmosphere as well as fleshing out the personalities of the team. 5 stars.
• Empire of the Racnoss – The Fifth Doctor travels back billions of years to a time when the then-nascent Time Lord civilisation was fighting against the Racnoss (who he had believed were destroyed when he encountered them later in The Runaway Bride). On the face of it, the Racnoss are just rather nasty-looking aliens with a propensity for bloodlust, but the story manages to make more of them than this. It shows further elements of their culture as well as depicting them as more complex beings than we see on screen, although still staying true to the televised version. Despite the lack of companions, it also manages to convey some of the themes of Five’s television era, with the most peaceable of Doctors caught up in another bloody war. 4 stars.
• The Carrionite Curse - I can't say that I find the Carrionites particularly interesting in their own right, but I'd have to admit that this story does have a number of things going for it. Not least among these is that it's a sequel to The Shakespeare Code rather than a prequel - at least from the perspective of the witches. Links to that earlier story abound, including cheeky references to Harry Potter, and there are connections to other aspects of DW lore as well. It's let down slightly by the Carrionites' weakness to words making some of the scenes come across as too reminiscent of The Knights Who Say Ni, but the supporting cast are great (I love the idea of the Goth girl in the surrogate companion role) and there are some nice touches in the story. 4 stars.
• Day of the Vashta Nerada - We come full circle for the final story in the collection, although the links to the first one are largely incidental. Here we see the Eighth Doctor crossing swords with Cardinal Ollistra (from the War Doctor audios) on a space station where the Time Lords are sponsoring genetic manipulation of the titular monster in order to use them as a weapon in the Time War. Like the first story, it is a base-under-siege, although arguably more typical in its format and with it being harder to feel sympathy for most of the supporting characters. It doesn't break much new ground, modified monsters aside, but at least the Time War provides obvious connections with the new series. 4 stars.
July 28, 2017
So, is volume two of the Classic Doctors, New Monsters series good? God, yes. It's even better than the first volume was, and the first volume was pretty good. This one just really upped the game. They learned from the mistakes that were made in the first box set and improved on them in every way. Each Doctor was perfectly represented in their respective stories, the monsters were accurately written and portrayed, and the episodes themselves were just really good ones. All of the supporting actors delivered very strong performances, as did the four Doctors themselves. The sound design was superb and Barany Edwards' direction was spot on. I can't recommend this set enough. It's a great jumping-on point for anybody new to the Big Finish line of Doctor Who audios, or anybody new to any of the classic Doctors in general. A+, Big Finish. This was truly spectacular.
(Full review on my blog)
(Full review on my blog)
June 8, 2018
Another wonderful Big Finish production.
As usual high quality and great acting by the main cast.
The two stories with the Vashta Nerada were absolutely amazing. The first story alone (Tom Baker) is worth the price of admission.
The two middle stories had some issues, though.
In the Racnoss story, I really did not understand at all why the Doctor stubbornly insists on saving the Racnoss, especially with all the backstabbing going on... this was stretched beyond all believability for my tastes.
And the Carrionites... the story just left me confused in the end.
I think the only thing that saves these stories are the performances by Peter Davison and Colin Baker.
Normally I would give 3 stars, but since two of the stories were really great, it goes up to 4 stars.
As usual high quality and great acting by the main cast.
The two stories with the Vashta Nerada were absolutely amazing. The first story alone (Tom Baker) is worth the price of admission.
The two middle stories had some issues, though.
In the Racnoss story, I really did not understand at all why the Doctor stubbornly insists on saving the Racnoss, especially with all the backstabbing going on... this was stretched beyond all believability for my tastes.
And the Carrionites... the story just left me confused in the end.
I think the only thing that saves these stories are the performances by Peter Davison and Colin Baker.
Normally I would give 3 stars, but since two of the stories were really great, it goes up to 4 stars.
March 23, 2022
The Vashta Nerada bookend this box set. Makes me wonder whether the writers couldn’t figure out what other newer monster to incorporate. When we first saw them in the Tenth Doctor’s tenure, it felt apparent that The Doctor had encountered them before. So it was great to see how Four deals with them and later Eight during the Time War he’s reluctant to fight. (I got nostalgic hearing the intro music used for his monthly adventures.) We’ve also got kind of a dark story for Five, and yet another trial/legal stuff story for Six. I swear Trial of the Time Lord is the reason this incarnation gets put into these types of stories. In any case, still fun to hear.
September 22, 2020
This is, believe it or not, just what it says it is: wait for it... classic doctors (4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th) taking on... you guessed it!... new monsters (the shadowy Vashta Nerada, the frightening Racnoss, the evil Carrionite, and... the Vashta Nerada again!).
Excellent.
Excellent.
August 10, 2017
Night of the Vashta Nerada - 2/5
Empire of the Racnoss - 3/5
The Carrionite Curse - 3/5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 3/5
Empire of the Racnoss - 3/5
The Carrionite Curse - 3/5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 3/5
November 9, 2017
Old Doctors fight new doctor monsters.
March 7, 2018
Really, really enjoyed this boxset. All fantastic stories and I loved the Vashta Nerada and how it was presented on audio.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
August 1, 2020
Night of the Vashta Nerada - 4
Empire of the Racnoss - 4
The Carrionite Curse - 3.5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 4
Empire of the Racnoss - 4
The Carrionite Curse - 3.5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 4
May 7, 2023
The Eighth Doctor is rapidly becoming one of my absolute favorites!
July 31, 2022
Night of the Vashta Nerada:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun setting and Baker is top notch, but the story wasn't really for me and I found the side characters to be boring. I feel like the Vashta Nerada are an antagonist that's best suited to mediums with visuals as the encroaching Darkness and sharp contrast between light and dark makes for stunning scenes with a really claustrophobic feel. Here, having the characters say all the actions out loud sort of ruins it in the same way it does with the Angels, since a lot of the entertainment comes from seeing things the characters don't see or having distinct visual motifs.
Empire of the Racnoss:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
This story is fine, but made me realise that the Racnoss without their amazing visuals are just big talking spiders of the generic variety. Royal Squabbles are very droll. I'd take an eight legs over these guys any day. 5 is great but the side characters are forgettable, along with the general plot.
The Carrionite Curse:
5/10
Verdict: Optional
The carrionite's don't really work well outside of the context for 'The Shakespear Code'. They come off as generically evil with rules being made up on the fly, meaning the story isn't satisfying at all. The 'words have power' thing from that has become a bit embarrassing, using random words like 'flabbergasted' to hold them off. The side characters are boring, the setting is uninteresting and the general plot is meandering and dull. You might get some fun out of this if you really liked the Shakespeare Code, but otherwise this should be passed over.
Day of the Vasta Nerada:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun setting, story and characters, but I can't bring myself to give it a 7, it's almost there though. The 8 and Ollistra dialogue is great, and there's good tension throughout, especially at the end. I have to say the Vashta Nerada were interesting when looking at the end result of the experiments, and leads to some fun moments, especially navigating the giant one's cage, but I felt like it got a bit stale after a while. I'd totally be up for a whole story with the Nashta Verada though, maybe one set in the desert.
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun setting and Baker is top notch, but the story wasn't really for me and I found the side characters to be boring. I feel like the Vashta Nerada are an antagonist that's best suited to mediums with visuals as the encroaching Darkness and sharp contrast between light and dark makes for stunning scenes with a really claustrophobic feel. Here, having the characters say all the actions out loud sort of ruins it in the same way it does with the Angels, since a lot of the entertainment comes from seeing things the characters don't see or having distinct visual motifs.
Empire of the Racnoss:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
This story is fine, but made me realise that the Racnoss without their amazing visuals are just big talking spiders of the generic variety. Royal Squabbles are very droll. I'd take an eight legs over these guys any day. 5 is great but the side characters are forgettable, along with the general plot.
The Carrionite Curse:
5/10
Verdict: Optional
The carrionite's don't really work well outside of the context for 'The Shakespear Code'. They come off as generically evil with rules being made up on the fly, meaning the story isn't satisfying at all. The 'words have power' thing from that has become a bit embarrassing, using random words like 'flabbergasted' to hold them off. The side characters are boring, the setting is uninteresting and the general plot is meandering and dull. You might get some fun out of this if you really liked the Shakespeare Code, but otherwise this should be passed over.
Day of the Vasta Nerada:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun setting, story and characters, but I can't bring myself to give it a 7, it's almost there though. The 8 and Ollistra dialogue is great, and there's good tension throughout, especially at the end. I have to say the Vashta Nerada were interesting when looking at the end result of the experiments, and leads to some fun moments, especially navigating the giant one's cage, but I felt like it got a bit stale after a while. I'd totally be up for a whole story with the Nashta Verada though, maybe one set in the desert.
Read
October 4, 2018CLASSIC DOCTORS, NEW MONSTERS: Volume Two
The Night of the Vashta Nerada: finished 27 July 2017
Empire of the Racnoss: finished 1 August 2017
The Carrionite Curse: finished 6 August 2017
The Day of the Vashta Nerada: finished 6 August 2017
Behind the Scenes: finished 7 August 2017
I'm going back and adding these retrospectively. Hopefully new additions (after 5/10/18) will have more details.
The Night of the Vashta Nerada: finished 27 July 2017
Empire of the Racnoss: finished 1 August 2017
The Carrionite Curse: finished 6 August 2017
The Day of the Vashta Nerada: finished 6 August 2017
Behind the Scenes: finished 7 August 2017
I'm going back and adding these retrospectively. Hopefully new additions (after 5/10/18) will have more details.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews