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The Third Doctor Adventures #3
Doctor Who: The Third Doctor Adventures, Volume 3
3.1 The Conquest of Far by Nicholas Briggs
Earth Alliance, the future… Fleet commanders receive their orders from the President of Earth. Operation Far is ‘go’. As soon as the planets are suitably aligned, the attack will go ahead.
The Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet Far. The Doctor wants to attend the grand opening of one of the human race’s greatest achievements. A huge Hyper Gateway built to make travel around Earth’s great empire more convenient, bringing relief to many starving outer colonies.
But they land in the wrong time period, long after the Gateway has been in service, and the Daleks have conquered Far! It’s the middle of a war and a deadly game is underway. When everyone has an agenda, betrayal can happen at any time, from any side. The endgame is approaching and maybe this time no one will survive.
3.2 Storm of the Horofax by Andrew Smith
During a North Sea military exercise, the crew of the destroyer HMS Nemesis detect what they suspect is a submarine following them. But it’s actually a futuristic ship with an alien occupant, Arianda.
The Doctor and UNIT are called in, but things are already running out of control. The damaged craft is leaking particles and contaminating the Nemesis with time disruption.
But that’s not the biggest problem. For Arianda is being followed by the warships of the Horofax, who have picked precisely this moment to invade. Soon the destruction of humanity’s future will begin.
Earth Alliance, the future… Fleet commanders receive their orders from the President of Earth. Operation Far is ‘go’. As soon as the planets are suitably aligned, the attack will go ahead.
The Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet Far. The Doctor wants to attend the grand opening of one of the human race’s greatest achievements. A huge Hyper Gateway built to make travel around Earth’s great empire more convenient, bringing relief to many starving outer colonies.
But they land in the wrong time period, long after the Gateway has been in service, and the Daleks have conquered Far! It’s the middle of a war and a deadly game is underway. When everyone has an agenda, betrayal can happen at any time, from any side. The endgame is approaching and maybe this time no one will survive.
3.2 Storm of the Horofax by Andrew Smith
During a North Sea military exercise, the crew of the destroyer HMS Nemesis detect what they suspect is a submarine following them. But it’s actually a futuristic ship with an alien occupant, Arianda.
The Doctor and UNIT are called in, but things are already running out of control. The damaged craft is leaking particles and contaminating the Nemesis with time disruption.
But that’s not the biggest problem. For Arianda is being followed by the warships of the Horofax, who have picked precisely this moment to invade. Soon the destruction of humanity’s future will begin.
- GenresDoctor WhoAudiobook
Audio CD
First published August 17, 2017
39 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Briggs
375 books133 followersNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 29, 2020
Another selection of cracking tales recreating the Third Doctors era. Cast, script, music and production design all comes together beautifully. Invasion is the theme here and thankfully the Doctor and Jo are on hand to see them off. I came late to this series but I am so on board for future adventures.
September 12, 2023
A decent box set with Storm of The Horofax being the most original of the two, Admittedly it took me a while to truly get into the story but by the time it finished, I was really enjoying it and wanting more. A very interesting time-wimey story with interesting ideas with The Horofax and some emotional moments too.
Conquest of Far on the other hand is a nice continuation of The Dalek War Trilogy with a bleak atmosphere and some emotional moments but does feel like it suffers from Terry Nation's typical Dalek story syndrome of the 1970s. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because it does make the story a fast-paced and fun listen. I will say Planet of The Daleks is a very fun story even if it is pretty much a clone of The Daleks but done slightly better (in my opinion).
The Conquest of Far: 8/10
Storm of The Horofax: 7/10
Conquest of Far on the other hand is a nice continuation of The Dalek War Trilogy with a bleak atmosphere and some emotional moments but does feel like it suffers from Terry Nation's typical Dalek story syndrome of the 1970s. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because it does make the story a fast-paced and fun listen. I will say Planet of The Daleks is a very fun story even if it is pretty much a clone of The Daleks but done slightly better (in my opinion).
The Conquest of Far: 8/10
Storm of The Horofax: 7/10
September 2, 2017
Authentic exciting 3rd Doctor adventures that make you feel like Jon Pertwee is still very much alive.
August 8, 2021
The conquest of Far:
I'm abit disappointed in big finishs 3rd doctor Dalek story's. They all have really good moments in them and have nailed the eras feeling of hope, action (sometimes) and family. I still can't get into Tim Treloars Pertwee, it's okay but you can tell its an impression. I prefer John Culshaws impression or even some I've seen in fan audios like "The final game" on YouTube. But he does a good enough job. But the Daleks are so boring here and I love Daleks, I'm doing a Dalek marathon for Dalek sakes.
Here we get another very basic and typical/useal Dalek story of, planet got invaded and an army lies in awakening. Which is fine but dragging that out to four parts results in another plan of the Daleks controlling the universe with a big weapon, which just makes it a little bit of challenge to get through. By the end of this story I just felt so bored. It's a shame because there's some great stuff here that sadly got utterly ruined in the final moments for me. I also don't like this plan of the Daleks turning everyone into robomen. They must know by now how unreliable they are. But that's Daleks for ya.
It's not like the idea is a bad one just poorly done. We get the reveal at the end *Spoilers* that the character Delralis was actually a roboman and that's why he kept selling them out and getting his wife locked up etc. I can see what Nick Briggs was trying to do here, by showing us/Jo the horrible pain the robomen effect does to people. Which is good, some writers have done excellent stuff with that. But I personally feel it would of worked far better if you had that theme and more robomen involved in the story to show her, I get the reveal after all he's done is meant to be a sad shocking moment, but I just felt annoyed.
My favourite part was this characters arc and the actor George Watkins does such a great job at portraying this man who's constantly in pain/struggling to keep his life and his wife save, he'll do anything to save her and be free and the Daleks manipulate this to get him to do all this betrayal and plans to free her. I felt for the guy, he kept messing up and he didn't mean too, he just wanted his life back.
its very well done and it feels completely undone by the end that it wasn't actually him it was the Daleks controlling him.
Jo gets to be her wonderful self again, she constantly gives people hope to believe in the Dr and that the Daleks will be stopped and I loved how sweet and respectful she was to Elaquon, Delralis's wife, as she doesn't tell her about his betrayals. Even in the final moments as the Dr and the crew realized to stop the Daleks they will have to die too. Of course its very predictable it won't, but it's a good little scene when the Dr tries to make Jo understand why and she does. Considering this right after "Planet of the Daleks" it shows her arc has completed and she's grown up now and Is still loyal to the Dr and the universe.
Overall it was okay. I enjoyed it roughly the same amount of "Poison of the Daleks" but I did like here that the Daleks have multiple army's on multiple planets waiting for the second and possibly time wars. Not bad but a very simple Dalek story.
Rating 3/5 5/10
I'm abit disappointed in big finishs 3rd doctor Dalek story's. They all have really good moments in them and have nailed the eras feeling of hope, action (sometimes) and family. I still can't get into Tim Treloars Pertwee, it's okay but you can tell its an impression. I prefer John Culshaws impression or even some I've seen in fan audios like "The final game" on YouTube. But he does a good enough job. But the Daleks are so boring here and I love Daleks, I'm doing a Dalek marathon for Dalek sakes.
Here we get another very basic and typical/useal Dalek story of, planet got invaded and an army lies in awakening. Which is fine but dragging that out to four parts results in another plan of the Daleks controlling the universe with a big weapon, which just makes it a little bit of challenge to get through. By the end of this story I just felt so bored. It's a shame because there's some great stuff here that sadly got utterly ruined in the final moments for me. I also don't like this plan of the Daleks turning everyone into robomen. They must know by now how unreliable they are. But that's Daleks for ya.
It's not like the idea is a bad one just poorly done. We get the reveal at the end *Spoilers* that the character Delralis was actually a roboman and that's why he kept selling them out and getting his wife locked up etc. I can see what Nick Briggs was trying to do here, by showing us/Jo the horrible pain the robomen effect does to people. Which is good, some writers have done excellent stuff with that. But I personally feel it would of worked far better if you had that theme and more robomen involved in the story to show her, I get the reveal after all he's done is meant to be a sad shocking moment, but I just felt annoyed.
My favourite part was this characters arc and the actor George Watkins does such a great job at portraying this man who's constantly in pain/struggling to keep his life and his wife save, he'll do anything to save her and be free and the Daleks manipulate this to get him to do all this betrayal and plans to free her. I felt for the guy, he kept messing up and he didn't mean too, he just wanted his life back.
its very well done and it feels completely undone by the end that it wasn't actually him it was the Daleks controlling him.
Jo gets to be her wonderful self again, she constantly gives people hope to believe in the Dr and that the Daleks will be stopped and I loved how sweet and respectful she was to Elaquon, Delralis's wife, as she doesn't tell her about his betrayals. Even in the final moments as the Dr and the crew realized to stop the Daleks they will have to die too. Of course its very predictable it won't, but it's a good little scene when the Dr tries to make Jo understand why and she does. Considering this right after "Planet of the Daleks" it shows her arc has completed and she's grown up now and Is still loyal to the Dr and the universe.
Overall it was okay. I enjoyed it roughly the same amount of "Poison of the Daleks" but I did like here that the Daleks have multiple army's on multiple planets waiting for the second and possibly time wars. Not bad but a very simple Dalek story.
Rating 3/5 5/10
July 25, 2020
This release follows the usual format of two hour-long episodes, one featuring UNIT, and one set in space. Both give a good imitation of the relevant TV era, with Treloar getting better at imitating Pertwee (though not perfect, obviously) and the incidental music being done in the style of the original without being intrusive.
The Conquest of Far – Set immediately after The Planet of the Daleks, this sees the Doctor and Jo arrive on a remote human colony world shortly after it has been conquered by, once again, the Daleks. In fact, the Daleks’ plan here turns out to be remarkably similar to that of the TV episode it is said to follow, although the secret weapon they are devising is a different one. Indeed, the whole story very much comes across as something that could be part of the relevant season, albeit with more space battles than a ‘70s TV budget would likely allow. About the only other difference is that Jo doesn’t scream at anything, although she does at least get captured and held hostage (a trope cleverly subverted in one of the earlier 3rd Doctor releases, but not here).
Another feature this story has in common with much of the Pertwee years on TV is its relatively militaristic tone. Here, an Earth Alliance armada (the date is, unsurprisingly, never specified, but we’re presumably post the fall of the original Earth Empire) and a squad of alien marines take the place of UNIT, but their role is much the same. It’s a very typical Dalek story and, beyond the fact that the Daleks here can fly, modern series style, one that fits right in with the era it’s emulating. If you want a typical Pertwee Dalek story that doesn’t stretch any boundaries but is well made and has that ‘70s ambience, this is a good place to look. 3 stars.
Storm of the Horofax - As in the previous release, the UNIT story deals with the absence of the other regulars by placing Jo and the Doctor well away from headquarters. It also introduces a new character, in the form of a UNIT major (well, it always seemed odd that the organisation didn't seem to have anyone between the ranks of brigadier and captain).
The story starts on a naval ship in the North Sea, which has just picked up a damaged alien spacecraft. The pilot seems harmless enough, but the Doctor is suspicious that there's more going on than meets the eye, and soon the Earth is, indeed, under threat. There's a twist on the usual theme in that the hostile aliens don't actually want to invade, and have a different objective in mind - and one that fits right in with the '70s setting. The nature of their abilities is also interesting, tied in with a background that's unusual, at least for the classic series.
Combine this with a story that gives Jo quite a bit to do and has a poignant ending and we've got something that's rather better than the regular Dalek story that precedes it in the collection. 4 stars.
The Conquest of Far – Set immediately after The Planet of the Daleks, this sees the Doctor and Jo arrive on a remote human colony world shortly after it has been conquered by, once again, the Daleks. In fact, the Daleks’ plan here turns out to be remarkably similar to that of the TV episode it is said to follow, although the secret weapon they are devising is a different one. Indeed, the whole story very much comes across as something that could be part of the relevant season, albeit with more space battles than a ‘70s TV budget would likely allow. About the only other difference is that Jo doesn’t scream at anything, although she does at least get captured and held hostage (a trope cleverly subverted in one of the earlier 3rd Doctor releases, but not here).
Another feature this story has in common with much of the Pertwee years on TV is its relatively militaristic tone. Here, an Earth Alliance armada (the date is, unsurprisingly, never specified, but we’re presumably post the fall of the original Earth Empire) and a squad of alien marines take the place of UNIT, but their role is much the same. It’s a very typical Dalek story and, beyond the fact that the Daleks here can fly, modern series style, one that fits right in with the era it’s emulating. If you want a typical Pertwee Dalek story that doesn’t stretch any boundaries but is well made and has that ‘70s ambience, this is a good place to look. 3 stars.
Storm of the Horofax - As in the previous release, the UNIT story deals with the absence of the other regulars by placing Jo and the Doctor well away from headquarters. It also introduces a new character, in the form of a UNIT major (well, it always seemed odd that the organisation didn't seem to have anyone between the ranks of brigadier and captain).
The story starts on a naval ship in the North Sea, which has just picked up a damaged alien spacecraft. The pilot seems harmless enough, but the Doctor is suspicious that there's more going on than meets the eye, and soon the Earth is, indeed, under threat. There's a twist on the usual theme in that the hostile aliens don't actually want to invade, and have a different objective in mind - and one that fits right in with the '70s setting. The nature of their abilities is also interesting, tied in with a background that's unusual, at least for the classic series.
Combine this with a story that gives Jo quite a bit to do and has a poignant ending and we've got something that's rather better than the regular Dalek story that precedes it in the collection. 4 stars.
September 17, 2023
Big Finish continues to hit the nail on the head with this series of Doctor Who adventures. Continuing to feature Tim Treloar as the Third Doctor and Katy Manning as Jo Grant we are treated to an adventure off planet with lots of spaceships and another back on earth. (I must confess, I really do enjoy the earthbound stories. It is neat seeing 'regular' folk having to deal with all the extraterrestrial shenanigans.) The voice characterization of the Doctor is terrific, Katy remains, as ever, true to form, and the supporting cast, musical queues, and sound effects remain of high quality.
The first story, The Conquest of Far, written by Nicholas Briggs, has the Doctor and Jo visiting the planet of Far to see a hyper-space gateway that the Doctor had kibitzed on. However, the Tardis (Is it really the Tardis or is the Doctor just a naff driver?) lands them far in the future of the proposed destination to find the gateway abandoned and the planet at war with the Daleks! Of course he and Jo get split up with the Doctor joining forces with an armada bent on eradicating the Dalek menace, while Jo is swept up with the underground movement. However, Jo discovers a terrible secret weapon that will certainly mean victory for the Daleks if deployed. The Doctor, meanwhile, is successfully negotiating his way to leading the invasion fleet right into the trap. Those pesky Daleks!
The second story, Storm of the Horofax by Andrew Smith, has a destroyer discover an alien craft deep underwater during a North Sea military exercise. They are certainly caught unprepared when it turns out to be an alien spacecraft with a survivor on board. Unit is contacted with the Doctor, Jo, and Paul Hardy dispatched to help out. It is not long before the alien's agenda becomes clear with memories being erased and world conquest on the plate. What's worse, when the Doctor's companions turn against him how can he possibly thwart disaster?
Both of these stories feature Jo as I have really begun to appreciate her. She is a positive influence on the outcomes and swift thinking in her own right. With her truly assisting the Doctor, she adds a new dimension to these stories and makes them all the stronger for it. And by the way, listen to how convincingly she can sneeze! Truly remarkable!
There is an hour's worth of behind the scenes interviews along with musical excerpts that round off the package very nicely. Big Finish continues to deliver.
The first story, The Conquest of Far, written by Nicholas Briggs, has the Doctor and Jo visiting the planet of Far to see a hyper-space gateway that the Doctor had kibitzed on. However, the Tardis (Is it really the Tardis or is the Doctor just a naff driver?) lands them far in the future of the proposed destination to find the gateway abandoned and the planet at war with the Daleks! Of course he and Jo get split up with the Doctor joining forces with an armada bent on eradicating the Dalek menace, while Jo is swept up with the underground movement. However, Jo discovers a terrible secret weapon that will certainly mean victory for the Daleks if deployed. The Doctor, meanwhile, is successfully negotiating his way to leading the invasion fleet right into the trap. Those pesky Daleks!
The second story, Storm of the Horofax by Andrew Smith, has a destroyer discover an alien craft deep underwater during a North Sea military exercise. They are certainly caught unprepared when it turns out to be an alien spacecraft with a survivor on board. Unit is contacted with the Doctor, Jo, and Paul Hardy dispatched to help out. It is not long before the alien's agenda becomes clear with memories being erased and world conquest on the plate. What's worse, when the Doctor's companions turn against him how can he possibly thwart disaster?
Both of these stories feature Jo as I have really begun to appreciate her. She is a positive influence on the outcomes and swift thinking in her own right. With her truly assisting the Doctor, she adds a new dimension to these stories and makes them all the stronger for it. And by the way, listen to how convincingly she can sneeze! Truly remarkable!
There is an hour's worth of behind the scenes interviews along with musical excerpts that round off the package very nicely. Big Finish continues to deliver.
September 1, 2017
I have to say Big Finish seem to be having a bit of an off year all round. They have been by far my favourite Doctor Who stories for many years now. But this year, for some reason, they really seem to have taken a step backwards with the gender balance in their stories and it's just so disappointing. Here were two adventures, both of which only had one other woman in them, and many men. In the first story the woman was quite a minor character, who was there mostly as a wife, and didn't really come into her own till the last part. In the 2nd she was the main villain, but mostly a cliché, out to destroy all of humanity in a typical Doctor Who Monster kind of way.
Tim and Katy did a wonderful job with their performances. I really pictured Tim as Pertwee's Doctor. It was just a shame the scripts weren't better. It really felt like it was just going over old territory. I do hope things go back to the way they were. From now on I think I'm only going to buy Big Finish if they have more women actors listed in the credits.
Tim and Katy did a wonderful job with their performances. I really pictured Tim as Pertwee's Doctor. It was just a shame the scripts weren't better. It really felt like it was just going over old territory. I do hope things go back to the way they were. From now on I think I'm only going to buy Big Finish if they have more women actors listed in the credits.
August 19, 2021
Rating overall 4
Conquest of Far : rating 4
Storm of the Horofax : rating 3.5
Enjoyed nobody of these stories a lot
Actors were all very good and after few minutes thought Tim Treloar is very good as the third Doctor. Not an impression as such just takes vocal mannerisms with a similar voice and makes it work.
Enjoyed the Conquest story although coming directly after Planet of the Daleks felt a bit wrong somehow, not sure why but possible too many daleks for season 10. Otherwise really enjoyed this story.
The Horofax story I enjoyed slightly less, not sure why as it was set right in the middle of my personal tv watching of the series. Characters were good, actors good, aliens interesting. Just something overall made it less than Conquest. Probably just a mood thing
Overall though a definite recommendation on this set.
Conquest of Far : rating 4
Storm of the Horofax : rating 3.5
Enjoyed nobody of these stories a lot
Actors were all very good and after few minutes thought Tim Treloar is very good as the third Doctor. Not an impression as such just takes vocal mannerisms with a similar voice and makes it work.
Enjoyed the Conquest story although coming directly after Planet of the Daleks felt a bit wrong somehow, not sure why but possible too many daleks for season 10. Otherwise really enjoyed this story.
The Horofax story I enjoyed slightly less, not sure why as it was set right in the middle of my personal tv watching of the series. Characters were good, actors good, aliens interesting. Just something overall made it less than Conquest. Probably just a mood thing
Overall though a definite recommendation on this set.
November 14, 2025
Review by story…
Storm of the Horofax: I can’t believe they dramatized the 12th Doctor’s “Pete” joke. Poor by Big Finish standards, slightly below average for Classic Who, above average for New Who. Worth listening to really only because of how god damn adorable Katy Manning is. I’m glad we get more Jo from this series regardless of my issues with it. 2/5
Conquest of Far: A direct sequel to Planet of the Daleks. Delivers on the action packed thrills you’d expect from a Dalek story. Felt a lot like a TV Comic story at times. But I found the idea that Robo-Men can be made without surgery very silly. 2.5/5
Storm of the Horofax: I can’t believe they dramatized the 12th Doctor’s “Pete” joke. Poor by Big Finish standards, slightly below average for Classic Who, above average for New Who. Worth listening to really only because of how god damn adorable Katy Manning is. I’m glad we get more Jo from this series regardless of my issues with it. 2/5
Conquest of Far: A direct sequel to Planet of the Daleks. Delivers on the action packed thrills you’d expect from a Dalek story. Felt a lot like a TV Comic story at times. But I found the idea that Robo-Men can be made without surgery very silly. 2.5/5
July 8, 2023
Felt to me like an improvement after Volume 2. Picks up right from the end of Planet of the Daleks and is really suspenseful despite featuring Daleks again. And the second story feels like if a Third Doctor story were made for NuWho. The ending was sad and reminded me of The Early Adventures: The Home Guard. Poignant in a way.
March 2, 2023
3.1 'The Conquest of Far' by Nicholas Briggs: 3*
3.2 'Storm of the Horofax' by Andrew Smith: 5*
3.2 'Storm of the Horofax' by Andrew Smith: 5*
August 11, 2022
Jo and the Doctor fight Horofax and Daleks.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews