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The First Doctor Adventures #1.4
Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures, Volume 4
4.1 Return to Skaro by Andrew Smith
A new plan to return to Earth actually returns the TARDIS to another place its crew have recently visited - Skaro, home world of the Daleks.
But it is some time after their previous visit. The Thals have moved on with developing their species... Yet the shadow of the Dalek city always looms large over them.
Venturing into the abandoned metropolis, the Doctor and his friends discover the Daleks aren’t as dead as they might have thought... and it isn’t only their enemies who have secrets.
4.2 Last of the Romanovs by Jonathan Barnes
The TARDIS lands on Earth near to an eerie and familiar house... with the only witness a regal man watching from inside through a broken window.
Leaving the ship the crew immediately find themselves in trouble - because they have landed in Ekaterinburg early in the twentieth century.
The man inside the house is Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia, imprisoned with his family... and one of the most notorious crimes in history is just about to happen.
A new plan to return to Earth actually returns the TARDIS to another place its crew have recently visited - Skaro, home world of the Daleks.
But it is some time after their previous visit. The Thals have moved on with developing their species... Yet the shadow of the Dalek city always looms large over them.
Venturing into the abandoned metropolis, the Doctor and his friends discover the Daleks aren’t as dead as they might have thought... and it isn’t only their enemies who have secrets.
4.2 Last of the Romanovs by Jonathan Barnes
The TARDIS lands on Earth near to an eerie and familiar house... with the only witness a regal man watching from inside through a broken window.
Leaving the ship the crew immediately find themselves in trouble - because they have landed in Ekaterinburg early in the twentieth century.
The man inside the house is Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia, imprisoned with his family... and one of the most notorious crimes in history is just about to happen.
Audiobook
First published March 18, 2020
About the author
Andrew Smith
58 books8 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Andrew Smith wrote the Doctor Who television story Full Circle and its novelisation. At the time of initial broadcast, he was the youngest writer to contribute to the TV series.
Smith submitted his work to more than one Doctor Who script editor. They replied with "positive criticism". Finally he sent The Planet that Slept, which became Full Circle.
Shortly afterwards, he became a police officer, spending a long time in that career.
Smith was approached by Big Finish and displayed interest in writing for them. Because he had started the trilogy with Full Circle, they asked him to write a Companion Chronicles story set in E-Space. The Invasion of E-Space was released in October 2010.
Andrew Smith wrote the Doctor Who television story Full Circle and its novelisation. At the time of initial broadcast, he was the youngest writer to contribute to the TV series.
Smith submitted his work to more than one Doctor Who script editor. They replied with "positive criticism". Finally he sent The Planet that Slept, which became Full Circle.
Shortly afterwards, he became a police officer, spending a long time in that career.
Smith was approached by Big Finish and displayed interest in writing for them. Because he had started the trilogy with Full Circle, they asked him to write a Companion Chronicles story set in E-Space. The Invasion of E-Space was released in October 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 14, 2022
This volume continues the adventures of The Doctor, Susan, Barbara & Ian as they travel through time & space aboard the TARDIS, which are set after the events of The Reign of Terror and before Planet of Giants as a kind of Doctor Who season 1B.
(4.1) Return to Skaro - There’s this thing that happens in comic books, actually it happens a LOT in comic books. Retroactive Continuity. Sometimes it can actually work out pretty well, most of the time it’s an unmitigated disaster. When I saw that the title of this story was Return to Skaro I have to admit I had my reservations. The production team on an earlier First Doctor Adventure did a remarkable job of retroactive continuity when they brought in a pretty major reoccurring villain that the William Hartnell incarnation of the Doctor never encountered, but I was worried that offering a new Dalek adventure between their introduction and their second appearance might prove ... let’s just say problematic shall we. Retroactive continuity is a hobgoblin of hack writers who can’t leave well enough alone and want to go live in their younger selves memories. Don’t get me wrong, some retconning can be enormously entertaining and frighteningly effective, but more likely than not it just comes off as glorified fan-fiction. And BAD fan-fiction at that. This time though, Big Finish delivered a wonderful story that helps build on the original Dalek arc, The Mutants, and doesn’t create plot holes for their second appearance in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. I was surprised and delighted with the result. My compliments to EVERYONE involved, you did a great job.
(4.2) Last of the Romanovs - I’m amazed that this bit of history has never been touched on by Doctor Who (at least to my knowledge). What starts out as a rather typical historical adventure, with no monsters or aliens, becomes a kind of espionage thriller that almost edges into magical realism. I’ve always enjoyed the historical adventures, they challenge the status quo of Doctor Who, particularly these days, and force the viewer, in this case listener, into a very different mindset. You’re not asked to suspend your disbelief in the same way and it makes events seemingly more believable and realistic. I particularly enjoyed the looming tension as the growing realization of where and when the travelers are fills them with a dread of their own lack of agency and the futility of the events in which they are surrounded. There is also some wonderful characterization that fits beautifully in the larger continuity of the Doctor Who series that the cast portrays with such wonderful nuance and subtlety that it does not come across in the slightest as forced or contrived (in order to place it within the context of the original series).
Again, I am enormously pleased with the structure of these audio-dramas. They excite the imagination of the mind’s eye and perfectly fit into the larger tapestry of Doctor Who. The four-episode/chapter structure feels perfect, the cast do an astonishingly believable job at both portraying their characters from the original series and simultaneously owning them and remaking them as their own. Fans of the William Hartnell years of Doctor Who should simply rejoice that these continuing audio-dramas exist.
(4.1) Return to Skaro - There’s this thing that happens in comic books, actually it happens a LOT in comic books. Retroactive Continuity. Sometimes it can actually work out pretty well, most of the time it’s an unmitigated disaster. When I saw that the title of this story was Return to Skaro I have to admit I had my reservations. The production team on an earlier First Doctor Adventure did a remarkable job of retroactive continuity when they brought in a pretty major reoccurring villain that the William Hartnell incarnation of the Doctor never encountered, but I was worried that offering a new Dalek adventure between their introduction and their second appearance might prove ... let’s just say problematic shall we. Retroactive continuity is a hobgoblin of hack writers who can’t leave well enough alone and want to go live in their younger selves memories. Don’t get me wrong, some retconning can be enormously entertaining and frighteningly effective, but more likely than not it just comes off as glorified fan-fiction. And BAD fan-fiction at that. This time though, Big Finish delivered a wonderful story that helps build on the original Dalek arc, The Mutants, and doesn’t create plot holes for their second appearance in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. I was surprised and delighted with the result. My compliments to EVERYONE involved, you did a great job.
(4.2) Last of the Romanovs - I’m amazed that this bit of history has never been touched on by Doctor Who (at least to my knowledge). What starts out as a rather typical historical adventure, with no monsters or aliens, becomes a kind of espionage thriller that almost edges into magical realism. I’ve always enjoyed the historical adventures, they challenge the status quo of Doctor Who, particularly these days, and force the viewer, in this case listener, into a very different mindset. You’re not asked to suspend your disbelief in the same way and it makes events seemingly more believable and realistic. I particularly enjoyed the looming tension as the growing realization of where and when the travelers are fills them with a dread of their own lack of agency and the futility of the events in which they are surrounded. There is also some wonderful characterization that fits beautifully in the larger continuity of the Doctor Who series that the cast portrays with such wonderful nuance and subtlety that it does not come across in the slightest as forced or contrived (in order to place it within the context of the original series).
Again, I am enormously pleased with the structure of these audio-dramas. They excite the imagination of the mind’s eye and perfectly fit into the larger tapestry of Doctor Who. The four-episode/chapter structure feels perfect, the cast do an astonishingly believable job at both portraying their characters from the original series and simultaneously owning them and remaking them as their own. Fans of the William Hartnell years of Doctor Who should simply rejoice that these continuing audio-dramas exist.
December 10, 2022
Two more unconnected stories set between the first and second seasons of the TV series. As usual, one is set in space, and the other is a straight historical.
Return to Skaro – Given its placing, this story has to be set between the original Daleks story and The Dalek Invasion of Earth, which obviously no actual Dalek story does. This necessarily means that it can’t add anything new, which might be a limitation, but here produces a story that’s surprisingly good. It achieves this by feeling as if it is a sequel to the original TV story as if that had existed in isolation and its titular villains had, perhaps, never appeared again.
The basic idea is that the time travellers arrive on Skaro four generations after their previous visit to discover that the Thals have rebuilt and now live happily in a world entirely free from their former enemies. I can’t imagine it’s much of a spoiler to say that that doesn’t last…
There’s a great ’60s TV atmosphere in here in terms of the music and sound effects, evoking the creepy feel of much of the original and of us seeing Daleks still limited by their need for static electricity and stuck on a single planet. Indeed, despite them having multiple opportunities to do so, they hardly ever use the word ‘exterminate’, and never as a battle cry – at the time in the TV series that this is supposedly set that part of their lore had not yet been developed.
Yes, significant elements of the plot are driven by some of the characters doing remarkably stupid things. Barbara is also underused; she does get to shine a little towards the end but is very much playing second fiddle to the other three. And, at times, it’s hard to tell some of the Thals apart, not aided by the fact that only one of the speaking parts is a woman. But as a piece of nostalgia, evoking a very early feel of the Dalek race, before the show developed them as star-spanning conquerors, it’s an interesting and enjoyable take. 4 stars.
Last of the Romanovs – The TARDIS arrives in Yekatarinburg on the day that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. So you know right from the setup that this isn’t going to be one with a lot of laughs (and it’s not as if there weren’t historicals with a sense of fun, such as The Romans, although admittedly, they were rare). Inevitably, of course, some liberty has to be taken with historical events but it’s surprisingly little, all things considered.
All but one of the named characters, for instance, are real historical people. Of these, the Romanovs themselves are reduced to just two, the Tsar himself and Princess Anastasia, to cut down on what would otherwise be an impossibly large cast. Anastasia, of course, was picked because of the rumours around her real fate. While those were disproven in our world in 2009, there’s naturally a subplot that leaves us wondering whether the same will turn out to be true in the Whoniverse.
For the other characters, most of them are portrayed with some complexity. Nobody is entirely good, and only Nikulin lacks any saving graces at all (in real life, he said that he was proud of helping to carry out the murders in an interview in the 1960s… so, yeah, probably not a nice guy). It all adds up to a tense and grim story that forces the Doctor to question his own “not one line” philosophy and there’s more reflection than usual of the emotional fallout on the travellers.
On the downside, there are a couple of weaknesses in the story. The one character who isn’t (that I know of) historical doesn’t seem to make any sense and part of the resolution is essentially deus ex machina, in that there’s no hint it’s going to happen, and it's merely lampshaded after the fact. But these are minor flaws in a story laden with menace and foreboding. 5 stars.
Return to Skaro – Given its placing, this story has to be set between the original Daleks story and The Dalek Invasion of Earth, which obviously no actual Dalek story does. This necessarily means that it can’t add anything new, which might be a limitation, but here produces a story that’s surprisingly good. It achieves this by feeling as if it is a sequel to the original TV story as if that had existed in isolation and its titular villains had, perhaps, never appeared again.
The basic idea is that the time travellers arrive on Skaro four generations after their previous visit to discover that the Thals have rebuilt and now live happily in a world entirely free from their former enemies. I can’t imagine it’s much of a spoiler to say that that doesn’t last…
There’s a great ’60s TV atmosphere in here in terms of the music and sound effects, evoking the creepy feel of much of the original and of us seeing Daleks still limited by their need for static electricity and stuck on a single planet. Indeed, despite them having multiple opportunities to do so, they hardly ever use the word ‘exterminate’, and never as a battle cry – at the time in the TV series that this is supposedly set that part of their lore had not yet been developed.
Yes, significant elements of the plot are driven by some of the characters doing remarkably stupid things. Barbara is also underused; she does get to shine a little towards the end but is very much playing second fiddle to the other three. And, at times, it’s hard to tell some of the Thals apart, not aided by the fact that only one of the speaking parts is a woman. But as a piece of nostalgia, evoking a very early feel of the Dalek race, before the show developed them as star-spanning conquerors, it’s an interesting and enjoyable take. 4 stars.
Last of the Romanovs – The TARDIS arrives in Yekatarinburg on the day that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. So you know right from the setup that this isn’t going to be one with a lot of laughs (and it’s not as if there weren’t historicals with a sense of fun, such as The Romans, although admittedly, they were rare). Inevitably, of course, some liberty has to be taken with historical events but it’s surprisingly little, all things considered.
All but one of the named characters, for instance, are real historical people. Of these, the Romanovs themselves are reduced to just two, the Tsar himself and Princess Anastasia, to cut down on what would otherwise be an impossibly large cast. Anastasia, of course, was picked because of the rumours around her real fate. While those were disproven in our world in 2009, there’s naturally a subplot that leaves us wondering whether the same will turn out to be true in the Whoniverse.
For the other characters, most of them are portrayed with some complexity. Nobody is entirely good, and only Nikulin lacks any saving graces at all (in real life, he said that he was proud of helping to carry out the murders in an interview in the 1960s… so, yeah, probably not a nice guy). It all adds up to a tense and grim story that forces the Doctor to question his own “not one line” philosophy and there’s more reflection than usual of the emotional fallout on the travellers.
On the downside, there are a couple of weaknesses in the story. The one character who isn’t (that I know of) historical doesn’t seem to make any sense and part of the resolution is essentially deus ex machina, in that there’s no hint it’s going to happen, and it's merely lampshaded after the fact. But these are minor flaws in a story laden with menace and foreboding. 5 stars.
April 14, 2020
Another great set of stories for the First Doctor Adventures team. Return to Skaro helps fill in a gap in Dalek history and Nicholas Briggs even does the David Graham Dalek voice 😂 Last of the Romanovs is another bleak historical like reign of terror and The Massacre. It treats the subject matter very respectfully and is very engaging. The only downside to these stories is the voice they've asked Claudia grant to put on for Susan. I'd much rather a more naturalistic performance but appreciate that they are trying to emulate Carol Ann ford's delivery. Minor quibble on an otherwise excellent box set
March 4, 2021
★★★☆☆ Return to Skaro by Andrew Smith
This direct sequel to the first ever Dalek story works best if one can disregard all subsequent canon (plus the Thals lacking so developmentally arduous a skill as timekeeping; condescension begets poppycockery). The recast TARDIS crew also takes some getting used to.
★★★☆☆ Last of the Romanovs by Jonathan Barnes
A nicely understated, character-focussed story that sticks to the ‘observe and depart, become emotionally involved but don’t interfere’ blueprint of early Hartnell historical adventures. Claudia Grant’s Susan continues to sound less like Carole Ann Ford and more like a young Queen Elizabeth.
This direct sequel to the first ever Dalek story works best if one can disregard all subsequent canon (plus the Thals lacking so developmentally arduous a skill as timekeeping; condescension begets poppycockery). The recast TARDIS crew also takes some getting used to.
★★★☆☆ Last of the Romanovs by Jonathan Barnes
A nicely understated, character-focussed story that sticks to the ‘observe and depart, become emotionally involved but don’t interfere’ blueprint of early Hartnell historical adventures. Claudia Grant’s Susan continues to sound less like Carole Ann Ford and more like a young Queen Elizabeth.
November 7, 2025
This was ok - to good. Very cool take on the Romanovs and the laws that Doctor tries to impose on his travels and the people travelling with him. The first one was pretty good and it has some political stuff behind that made me wonder. We are doomed to repeat history if we don't talk or understand what happened. You can see it today. We are repeating what happened in history. Pretty good.
September 7, 2020
THE CAWPINE OF 'THE FIRST DOCTOR ADVENTURES 4'
By the beginning of the fourth First Doctor volume, I've completely forgotten the TARDIS crew isn't played by the original actors. David Bradley, in particular, sounds more and more like Hartnell. I also like the rather tough personality of Barbara and the way Ian for once acts the way he did in most of his TV appearances.
Despite a great regular cast, this story features a very interesting supporting cast, in particular, the tough Tryana and the curious Jyden. These are my favourite Thal characters in the entire DW universe.
The Daleks are great as well; particularly the early version of the Supreme Dalek, which feels like it could have been a real thing back in the 60s.
----
Last of the Romanovs effectively separates the Doctor and Ian from Barbara and Susan, forcing both pairs to utilize their strengths to survive the politically tense era of the post-revolution Russia. What is great about this set, and this story, in particular, is that Susan's psychic abilities (established in The Sensorites but never utilized on TV after that story) are put to good use. Without Barbara, Ian has to use his limited knowledge of history to save his skin.
I rather like the guest characters, Nikolai and Anastacia in particular, who share very warm scenes.
The atmosphere of Return to Skaro matches the eerie and mysterious quality of The Daleks while also offering new mysteries and stronger tension thanks to so much on Skaro being unprecedented. The tension is developed slowly throughout the story, and it holds the listener tightly in its grip. This is one of the most atmospheric First Doctor stories Big Finish has created so far, expertly combining the original tone of The Daleks with a magic of their own. By the third episode, things turn intense as we start to understand that the Daleks aren't quite what they seem.
----
After setting the scene, the adventure throws our heroes straight into trouble and quickly turns into a tense, exciting and fast-paced political thriller. The political tension, the incoming war and the broken Russian society are palpable from the onset, perfectly captured by the dialogue. The final moments of Part 4 are very touching.
Andrew Smith has drawn inspiration from other 60s Dalek stories to expertly make Return to Skaro feel like a product of its era. He accurately depicts the heroes and the peppershakers the way they were depicted at the time, while boldly taking the story into directions that would have been almost impossible to reach on the BBC shoestring budget. This is one of the most densely written adventures Big Finish has released in a long time.
----
Written to closely resemble historical adventures of the era, but expertly capturing that James Bond spy thriller feel, Last of the Romanovs feels like it could have been a high-budget entry made during Doctor Who's first season.
What is lovely about the plot is that it bounces off The Daleks without trying to recreate it. It feels like a natural progression of events, like a sequel; the story gives us enough material to make it feel familiar but still offers new elements so that we don't know what to expect. I also like how fleshed out the Thals are and how we learn exactly how they have developed their society since the Doctor last visited Skaro. We also see a natural progression of Dalek society, which taps accurately into their later appearances. The plot also draws inspiration from the splendid Power of the Daleks. We finally get an origin story for the Black Dalek!
----
Choosing the era of the fall of the Russian Empire 100 years ago as a pure historical is a brilliant move and one that for some reason has not been touched upon previously. The politics of the early 20th century Russia is fascinating and tense, giving loads of content to work with in terms of plot. I love the way the TARDIS crew gets involved in the historical shenanigans in different ways. The story also reiterates the importance of not interfering with history, this time for Susan’s benefit. Of course, we know how everything will end, which doesn’t allow for any bigger turns in the plot and means the climax is slightly underwhelming.
The setting and the connections to The Daleks keep this story interesting, as do the interesting Thal characters and the early Dalek voices. The way things have evolved on Skaro is fascinating, as are the scenes shared by the Doctor and the Daleks. The Dalek attack in Part 4 feels like something close to the climactic sequence of Evil of the Daleks.
----
Last of the Romanovs proves to be an intriguing affair, mostly thanks to how the two separate pairs get involved in the affairs; the Doctor gets close to the former czar while Barbara and Susan are forced to go undercover. The light political thriller atmosphere keeps the story tense all the way.
Amazingly, Return to Skaro manages to feel fresh among the plethora of Dalek stories created by the BBC and Big Finish. It feels like it could be a lost adventure for, the Hartnell era, by expertly continuing from The Daleks and naturally fitting itself between that and later Dalek adventures. It sheds new light on Thals, on Skaro and 60s Daleks.
----
The political thriller style of this story makes it feel fresh compared to other historicals of the era. This is something akin to The Enemy of the World, but with real people and a real historical setting.
With likeable characters, a tense atmosphere and a believable plot, Return to Skaro proves to be not only one of the best First Doctor stories across all media but also one of the best Dalek stories made by Big Finish. It is an epic, fast-paced and exciting adventure and hugely satisfying addition to Dalek lore.
----
Last of the Romanovs is a thrilling, touching and educational historical adventure and arguably the strongest one written by Big Finish so far.
CAWPINE RATING: 8.64 / 10 = 4 stars
By the beginning of the fourth First Doctor volume, I've completely forgotten the TARDIS crew isn't played by the original actors. David Bradley, in particular, sounds more and more like Hartnell. I also like the rather tough personality of Barbara and the way Ian for once acts the way he did in most of his TV appearances.
Despite a great regular cast, this story features a very interesting supporting cast, in particular, the tough Tryana and the curious Jyden. These are my favourite Thal characters in the entire DW universe.
The Daleks are great as well; particularly the early version of the Supreme Dalek, which feels like it could have been a real thing back in the 60s.
----
Last of the Romanovs effectively separates the Doctor and Ian from Barbara and Susan, forcing both pairs to utilize their strengths to survive the politically tense era of the post-revolution Russia. What is great about this set, and this story, in particular, is that Susan's psychic abilities (established in The Sensorites but never utilized on TV after that story) are put to good use. Without Barbara, Ian has to use his limited knowledge of history to save his skin.
I rather like the guest characters, Nikolai and Anastacia in particular, who share very warm scenes.
The atmosphere of Return to Skaro matches the eerie and mysterious quality of The Daleks while also offering new mysteries and stronger tension thanks to so much on Skaro being unprecedented. The tension is developed slowly throughout the story, and it holds the listener tightly in its grip. This is one of the most atmospheric First Doctor stories Big Finish has created so far, expertly combining the original tone of The Daleks with a magic of their own. By the third episode, things turn intense as we start to understand that the Daleks aren't quite what they seem.
----
After setting the scene, the adventure throws our heroes straight into trouble and quickly turns into a tense, exciting and fast-paced political thriller. The political tension, the incoming war and the broken Russian society are palpable from the onset, perfectly captured by the dialogue. The final moments of Part 4 are very touching.
Andrew Smith has drawn inspiration from other 60s Dalek stories to expertly make Return to Skaro feel like a product of its era. He accurately depicts the heroes and the peppershakers the way they were depicted at the time, while boldly taking the story into directions that would have been almost impossible to reach on the BBC shoestring budget. This is one of the most densely written adventures Big Finish has released in a long time.
----
Written to closely resemble historical adventures of the era, but expertly capturing that James Bond spy thriller feel, Last of the Romanovs feels like it could have been a high-budget entry made during Doctor Who's first season.
What is lovely about the plot is that it bounces off The Daleks without trying to recreate it. It feels like a natural progression of events, like a sequel; the story gives us enough material to make it feel familiar but still offers new elements so that we don't know what to expect. I also like how fleshed out the Thals are and how we learn exactly how they have developed their society since the Doctor last visited Skaro. We also see a natural progression of Dalek society, which taps accurately into their later appearances. The plot also draws inspiration from the splendid Power of the Daleks. We finally get an origin story for the Black Dalek!
----
Choosing the era of the fall of the Russian Empire 100 years ago as a pure historical is a brilliant move and one that for some reason has not been touched upon previously. The politics of the early 20th century Russia is fascinating and tense, giving loads of content to work with in terms of plot. I love the way the TARDIS crew gets involved in the historical shenanigans in different ways. The story also reiterates the importance of not interfering with history, this time for Susan’s benefit. Of course, we know how everything will end, which doesn’t allow for any bigger turns in the plot and means the climax is slightly underwhelming.
The setting and the connections to The Daleks keep this story interesting, as do the interesting Thal characters and the early Dalek voices. The way things have evolved on Skaro is fascinating, as are the scenes shared by the Doctor and the Daleks. The Dalek attack in Part 4 feels like something close to the climactic sequence of Evil of the Daleks.
----
Last of the Romanovs proves to be an intriguing affair, mostly thanks to how the two separate pairs get involved in the affairs; the Doctor gets close to the former czar while Barbara and Susan are forced to go undercover. The light political thriller atmosphere keeps the story tense all the way.
Amazingly, Return to Skaro manages to feel fresh among the plethora of Dalek stories created by the BBC and Big Finish. It feels like it could be a lost adventure for, the Hartnell era, by expertly continuing from The Daleks and naturally fitting itself between that and later Dalek adventures. It sheds new light on Thals, on Skaro and 60s Daleks.
----
The political thriller style of this story makes it feel fresh compared to other historicals of the era. This is something akin to The Enemy of the World, but with real people and a real historical setting.
With likeable characters, a tense atmosphere and a believable plot, Return to Skaro proves to be not only one of the best First Doctor stories across all media but also one of the best Dalek stories made by Big Finish. It is an epic, fast-paced and exciting adventure and hugely satisfying addition to Dalek lore.
----
Last of the Romanovs is a thrilling, touching and educational historical adventure and arguably the strongest one written by Big Finish so far.
CAWPINE RATING: 8.64 / 10 = 4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2021
Return to Skaro:
I was really looking forward to this story as I really liked the idea of it/the way of filling in the gaps of there history between the Thals etc. I was alittle unsure about the recast from "an adventure in space and time" but despite having mixed feelings about the story, I did enjoy it. However part 1 & 2 drag and it's mainly down to the script being very visionary and not being realized on audio very well. It's the most your imagination of skaros new city and old decaying city you'll have to do. There was a few missing pieces of sound I felt.
The idea here isnt really anything new which is a shame because it could of been something new. With a slight rewrite here's my idea.
In terms of Dalek history we have yet to see the day they decided to leave skaro and the thals began there war with them again. Make this that story. Get rid of the dr/companions because it results in the Daleks always having to be defeated. We follow the two sides of the thals. One side who have spent years fighting/Training and learning from the technology they stole. The other side who think there evolving too much and should go back to the surviving years on skaro. Tryana is apart of the 2nd side and so teams up with the Daleks hiding underground to put them back to that era we see in "The dead planet", she helps the Daleks grow and promise not to kill anyone, only scare them to living like the old way. Eventually the Daleks kill her and start attacking the thals again. The other side must now fight and team up with the other side because of this mess. Finally Realizing the future is to go forward. The Daleks still get new suits and new mutation tech and plan to flee skaro to invade other planets from the stars. The thals see this and understand it's there fault so order a platoon to find and kill the Daleks. Filling in the gap of the history of the Daleks and thals after "The Daleks" and how we see them in "Planet of the Daleks".
But for this version the Dr and the companions recast from "An adventure in space and time" was always going to be difficult for a fan like me to except them straight away. I massively disagree with fans who hate the idea and don't listen to it, because the essence/spirit is there in all of them. They do a great job at replicating the characters but also trying to make it there own alittle. The only one I struggled with was Susan, the actress does an excellent job but that role is so hard to make serious/work and this script doesn't really make her anything but naïve runaround. The quicker you stop trying to imagine the original actors with a new voice you'll enjoy it more, I did. They all get good stuff to do, Ian gets some great action/hero stuff to do and the 1st dr gets more time against the Daleks here. I'm alittle annoyed Barbara had barely anything to do though. I thought she could of been easily used to meet the other thals we get told about and inspire them to help them later on. The thals are good enough fun to, while we dont get to see too much into how they have changed, I did like seeing how they act around each other in this world, even joking about Daleks now. I just wish the soundscape was helping the imagery.
The Daleks here for me are the best part and I loved seeing them being manipulative with the thals and creating a fake friendship to help them be reborn. We start to see them start again/mutate from there radiation state and get new casings. There's an excellent cliffhanger to part 3 as the all casings go to the mutants and the Supreme Dalek finally gets his new casing, escaping the filed jar. I like seeing the origin of the supreme Dalek from the stage play and "the Daleks master plan".
Overall it's an enjoyable story that had some good ideas that could of been reworked to something new. The Daleks get some good action scenes and set pieces but it can drag abit at the start.
Rating 3/5 6/10
I was really looking forward to this story as I really liked the idea of it/the way of filling in the gaps of there history between the Thals etc. I was alittle unsure about the recast from "an adventure in space and time" but despite having mixed feelings about the story, I did enjoy it. However part 1 & 2 drag and it's mainly down to the script being very visionary and not being realized on audio very well. It's the most your imagination of skaros new city and old decaying city you'll have to do. There was a few missing pieces of sound I felt.
The idea here isnt really anything new which is a shame because it could of been something new. With a slight rewrite here's my idea.
In terms of Dalek history we have yet to see the day they decided to leave skaro and the thals began there war with them again. Make this that story. Get rid of the dr/companions because it results in the Daleks always having to be defeated. We follow the two sides of the thals. One side who have spent years fighting/Training and learning from the technology they stole. The other side who think there evolving too much and should go back to the surviving years on skaro. Tryana is apart of the 2nd side and so teams up with the Daleks hiding underground to put them back to that era we see in "The dead planet", she helps the Daleks grow and promise not to kill anyone, only scare them to living like the old way. Eventually the Daleks kill her and start attacking the thals again. The other side must now fight and team up with the other side because of this mess. Finally Realizing the future is to go forward. The Daleks still get new suits and new mutation tech and plan to flee skaro to invade other planets from the stars. The thals see this and understand it's there fault so order a platoon to find and kill the Daleks. Filling in the gap of the history of the Daleks and thals after "The Daleks" and how we see them in "Planet of the Daleks".
But for this version the Dr and the companions recast from "An adventure in space and time" was always going to be difficult for a fan like me to except them straight away. I massively disagree with fans who hate the idea and don't listen to it, because the essence/spirit is there in all of them. They do a great job at replicating the characters but also trying to make it there own alittle. The only one I struggled with was Susan, the actress does an excellent job but that role is so hard to make serious/work and this script doesn't really make her anything but naïve runaround. The quicker you stop trying to imagine the original actors with a new voice you'll enjoy it more, I did. They all get good stuff to do, Ian gets some great action/hero stuff to do and the 1st dr gets more time against the Daleks here. I'm alittle annoyed Barbara had barely anything to do though. I thought she could of been easily used to meet the other thals we get told about and inspire them to help them later on. The thals are good enough fun to, while we dont get to see too much into how they have changed, I did like seeing how they act around each other in this world, even joking about Daleks now. I just wish the soundscape was helping the imagery.
The Daleks here for me are the best part and I loved seeing them being manipulative with the thals and creating a fake friendship to help them be reborn. We start to see them start again/mutate from there radiation state and get new casings. There's an excellent cliffhanger to part 3 as the all casings go to the mutants and the Supreme Dalek finally gets his new casing, escaping the filed jar. I like seeing the origin of the supreme Dalek from the stage play and "the Daleks master plan".
Overall it's an enjoyable story that had some good ideas that could of been reworked to something new. The Daleks get some good action scenes and set pieces but it can drag abit at the start.
Rating 3/5 6/10
April 13, 2020
The only reason it took me so long to get through this one is that I have two little ones that need a lot of time and attention. And since we’re all stuck at home because of the current WuFlu pandemic, my audio listening time has been cut down substantially. If I was still going to work, I’d be listening to these audios a lot quicker since my job does allow for such.
That being said, this box set is amazing! Particularly the second one, but I’ll get there in a moment. As great as these First Doctor Adventures have been, this one might be my absolute favorite so far.
Return to Skaro - You though “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” was the sequel to “The Daleks”? Think again! One thing Big Finish does beautifully is taking classic stories from the TV series and asks “What if the Doctor went back to see the results of his visit years down the road?” And this story actually does it! We get to see the society the Thals built after they defeated the Daleks - and also the first instance of the Daleks coming back after being (presumably) wipes out. But in true Dalek fashion, they aren’t gone nor are they without some complicated scheme for universe domination.
Last of the Romanovs - I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I was absolutely floored by how great it was. There are cues in here reminiscent of “The Aztecs” (one of the great Hartnell historical TV episodes), but made even more personal and heartbreaking. I love that the story didn’t shy away from the brutality of not only the event being portrayed, but also what would happen in Russia during the 20th century. When the Doctor tells the Russian guard what sorts of atrocities would be committed in the name of their precious revolution. I suppose I was surprised because so many people ignore the mass murders and starvations and other crimes perpetrated by communist dictatorships (both past and present) in favor of focusing on the idealistic utopia that these revolutions claimed to be bringing about. True, life under the Czar wasn’t all sunshine and daisies either. It was like the Bolsheviks (and the later Soviet Union) looked at the crap the Russian Empire did and said “Hold my vodka.” Kudos to Jonathan Barnes and Big Finish for not shying away from that dark chapter in history or trying to gloss over the worst of it.
The whole story is perfectly balanced in terms of characters and historical accuracy. I could easily see this as having been produced back in the early days of Doctor Who. The ideas are sound and I certainly learned some information here (I say this as having read quite extensively about the fall of the Czar and the revolution). And the performances are wonderful. I continue to be impressed by this version of Team TARDIS Prime and how great they work together. I’ve mentioned before that it’s no question that these actors are not the originals, but they bring the spirit of the original into the production. It’s both entertaining and respectful of that classic era of Doctor Who.
A fantastic box set - highly recommended! If you haven’t treated yourself to these First Doctor Adventures, you really should give them a try!
That being said, this box set is amazing! Particularly the second one, but I’ll get there in a moment. As great as these First Doctor Adventures have been, this one might be my absolute favorite so far.
Return to Skaro - You though “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” was the sequel to “The Daleks”? Think again! One thing Big Finish does beautifully is taking classic stories from the TV series and asks “What if the Doctor went back to see the results of his visit years down the road?” And this story actually does it! We get to see the society the Thals built after they defeated the Daleks - and also the first instance of the Daleks coming back after being (presumably) wipes out. But in true Dalek fashion, they aren’t gone nor are they without some complicated scheme for universe domination.
Last of the Romanovs - I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I was absolutely floored by how great it was. There are cues in here reminiscent of “The Aztecs” (one of the great Hartnell historical TV episodes), but made even more personal and heartbreaking. I love that the story didn’t shy away from the brutality of not only the event being portrayed, but also what would happen in Russia during the 20th century. When the Doctor tells the Russian guard what sorts of atrocities would be committed in the name of their precious revolution. I suppose I was surprised because so many people ignore the mass murders and starvations and other crimes perpetrated by communist dictatorships (both past and present) in favor of focusing on the idealistic utopia that these revolutions claimed to be bringing about. True, life under the Czar wasn’t all sunshine and daisies either. It was like the Bolsheviks (and the later Soviet Union) looked at the crap the Russian Empire did and said “Hold my vodka.” Kudos to Jonathan Barnes and Big Finish for not shying away from that dark chapter in history or trying to gloss over the worst of it.
The whole story is perfectly balanced in terms of characters and historical accuracy. I could easily see this as having been produced back in the early days of Doctor Who. The ideas are sound and I certainly learned some information here (I say this as having read quite extensively about the fall of the Czar and the revolution). And the performances are wonderful. I continue to be impressed by this version of Team TARDIS Prime and how great they work together. I’ve mentioned before that it’s no question that these actors are not the originals, but they bring the spirit of the original into the production. It’s both entertaining and respectful of that classic era of Doctor Who.
A fantastic box set - highly recommended! If you haven’t treated yourself to these First Doctor Adventures, you really should give them a try!
December 3, 2024
It's been a while since I've last listened to the Bradley sets, which is a shame considering how good the stories tend to be in this range. Return to Skaro, a sequel to the original Dalek story, was received with mixed reception, whereas Last of the Romanovs was received with applause. I'm intrigued by both of these stories and can't wait to see how they turn out.
Return to Skaro:
Trying to use the fast return switch to take Ian and Barbara back home, the Doctor believes he's found a way to make it go back to 1963. Instead, they arrive on Skaro, the planet of the Daleks. The Thals have established a society and the radiation polluting the planet is almost non-existent. It seems a new golden age for Skaro has begun, but back in the old city something deadly and persistent lurks in the darkness, waiting. The Daleks return.
Andrew Smith has written an engaging and action-packed sequel to The Daleks that introduces the Supreme Dalek. It's a sequel that can't create many new elements, but it gives us a glance into how the Thals are doing after the Doctor and his friends saved them all last time. It's a fast-paced adventure with a solid cast of characters and a terrific unsettling atmosphere that captures what made the original story work so brilliantly. 9/10
Last of The Romanovs:
The Tardis lands on Earth near a hauntingly familiar house where history is to change forever and nobody can stop it. Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia, and his family are about to be murdered by the uprising forces that will one day put together the Soviet Union. The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara are about to witness one of the worst crimes in human history that will lead to a devastating domino effect.
Jonathan Barnes has written a brilliant pure-historical that is heartwrenching and bleak. It's a very emotional and hopeless story with an amazing cast of characters, plenty of drama, and an ending that will break your heart. If I didn't hate the Soviet Union enough already, I certainly do now. 10/10
Overall: 19/20
Return to Skaro:
Trying to use the fast return switch to take Ian and Barbara back home, the Doctor believes he's found a way to make it go back to 1963. Instead, they arrive on Skaro, the planet of the Daleks. The Thals have established a society and the radiation polluting the planet is almost non-existent. It seems a new golden age for Skaro has begun, but back in the old city something deadly and persistent lurks in the darkness, waiting. The Daleks return.
Andrew Smith has written an engaging and action-packed sequel to The Daleks that introduces the Supreme Dalek. It's a sequel that can't create many new elements, but it gives us a glance into how the Thals are doing after the Doctor and his friends saved them all last time. It's a fast-paced adventure with a solid cast of characters and a terrific unsettling atmosphere that captures what made the original story work so brilliantly. 9/10
Last of The Romanovs:
The Tardis lands on Earth near a hauntingly familiar house where history is to change forever and nobody can stop it. Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia, and his family are about to be murdered by the uprising forces that will one day put together the Soviet Union. The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara are about to witness one of the worst crimes in human history that will lead to a devastating domino effect.
Jonathan Barnes has written a brilliant pure-historical that is heartwrenching and bleak. It's a very emotional and hopeless story with an amazing cast of characters, plenty of drama, and an ending that will break your heart. If I didn't hate the Soviet Union enough already, I certainly do now. 10/10
Overall: 19/20
June 20, 2021
I keep having to remind myself that these actors were originally cast for their physical resemblance to the characters rather than as impressionists. They all certainly have the spirit and personality of the characters down, but the audio drama format really highlights the moments where their vocal mannerisms just aren't quite right. But honestly that's me being nitpicky because a) I love this particular Tardis team and b) I've been listening to a lot of Third Doctor audios where the emphasis really is on replicating the original actor's mannerisms.
Also I wish Big Finish would invest in a dialect coach because I have heard some truly bizarre accents across all the audios I've listened to.
BUT that being said I really like that these stories - written for 1960s companions but after 50+ years of Doctor Who content - give us an opportunity to explore more recent developments in the franchise with the original Doctor and his companions. I just wish they'd be a bit braver and make it the focus of an episode, 'Last of the Romanovs' being a perfect example of this - the opening makes a point of telling us that Susan went the Academy and that she has telepathic abilities, then ignores it for the majority of the episode only to reveal at the end that Susan may have taught these skills to Anastasia. The story could have focused much more on Susan and Anastasia's friendship and telling us more about Susan's past on Gallifrey, instead of it jumping around between all four characters so much.
Also I wish Big Finish would invest in a dialect coach because I have heard some truly bizarre accents across all the audios I've listened to.
BUT that being said I really like that these stories - written for 1960s companions but after 50+ years of Doctor Who content - give us an opportunity to explore more recent developments in the franchise with the original Doctor and his companions. I just wish they'd be a bit braver and make it the focus of an episode, 'Last of the Romanovs' being a perfect example of this - the opening makes a point of telling us that Susan went the Academy and that she has telepathic abilities, then ignores it for the majority of the episode only to reveal at the end that Susan may have taught these skills to Anastasia. The story could have focused much more on Susan and Anastasia's friendship and telling us more about Susan's past on Gallifrey, instead of it jumping around between all four characters so much.
April 18, 2022
Despite having felt Dalek fatigue apart from listening to Enemy of the Daleks recently, Return to Skaro worked pretty well for me. It's a direct sequel to the first Dalek serial, checking in on descendants of the people introduced there. Last of the Romanovs is the more historical one. Not my favorite of the two, but still good. It's kind of bizarre to imagine the First Doctor making reference to his own people.
April 5, 2020
Fabulous! First Adventure is better but Future > Past
May 19, 2020
The doctor, susan, ian and barbara land on skaro and battle the daleks again. Then the goto russia just before the death of the czar and his family.
July 3, 2023
Return to Skaro is a banger. Last Of The Romanovs is fine.
June 6, 2024
4.1 'Return to Skaro' by Andrew Smith: 5*
4.2 'Last of the Romanovs' by Jonathan Barnes: 5*
4.2 'Last of the Romanovs' by Jonathan Barnes: 5*
January 8, 2025
RETURN TO SKARO - 08/10
LAST OF THE ROMANOVS - 10/10
LAST OF THE ROMANOVS - 10/10
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews