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The Ninth Doctor Adventures #1.1
Doctor Who: Ravagers
Three brand new adventures featuring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, written by Nicholas Briggs.
1.1 Sphere of Freedom
On the Sphere of Freedom, the Doctor is about to shut down an evil Immersive Games business empire. He’s assisted by a valiant galley chef called Nova. But his plan spectacularly fails... And who exactly is Audrey?
1.2 Cataclysm
Nova is dislocated in time while the Time Eddies are out of control. Meanwhile, the Doctor is about to face the end of the universe. Or is that just the Battle of Waterloo?
1.3 Food Fight
The TARDIS is starting to get a little crowded! Audrey finds herself haunted by a ghostly Doctor.
1.1 Sphere of Freedom
On the Sphere of Freedom, the Doctor is about to shut down an evil Immersive Games business empire. He’s assisted by a valiant galley chef called Nova. But his plan spectacularly fails... And who exactly is Audrey?
1.2 Cataclysm
Nova is dislocated in time while the Time Eddies are out of control. Meanwhile, the Doctor is about to face the end of the universe. Or is that just the Battle of Waterloo?
1.3 Food Fight
The TARDIS is starting to get a little crowded! Audrey finds herself haunted by a ghostly Doctor.
Audiobook
First published May 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
116 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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May 29, 2021
I've been a fan of Doctor Who for a long, long time & really wish I could regenerate & replace my aging body. However, on with the review....
The modern (post 2005) television incarnations of the Doctor have varied from the brilliant Matt Smith to the surprisingly dull Peter Capaldi to the vastly overrated David Tennant & the refreshing Jodie Whittaker. So, I have no hesitation in saying (in my highly opinionated review!) that I think Christopher Eccleston was excellent as the interfering Time Lord from Gallifrey.
Here Ecleston returns to the role he left 16 years ago & it's like he's never been away. He slips effortlessly back into the role, but the he's a fine actor & it's not exactly a demanding part.
The stories on this audio adventure may not be amazing, but Christopher Eccleston certainly is. The production values are high (as you have come to expect from Big Finish) & as well as the episodes themselves there is also a music only section & behind the scenes interviews.
Although I feel it's been a lifetime (well, it has I suppose) since I first watched Jon Pertwee in Doctor Who in the 1970s I find it hard to believe Eccleston hasn't been involved with the Doctor since 2005. It feels like only yesterday since I was watching him on Saturday night TV. Must be soemhting to do with time I suppose ?
The modern (post 2005) television incarnations of the Doctor have varied from the brilliant Matt Smith to the surprisingly dull Peter Capaldi to the vastly overrated David Tennant & the refreshing Jodie Whittaker. So, I have no hesitation in saying (in my highly opinionated review!) that I think Christopher Eccleston was excellent as the interfering Time Lord from Gallifrey.
Here Ecleston returns to the role he left 16 years ago & it's like he's never been away. He slips effortlessly back into the role, but the he's a fine actor & it's not exactly a demanding part.
The stories on this audio adventure may not be amazing, but Christopher Eccleston certainly is. The production values are high (as you have come to expect from Big Finish) & as well as the episodes themselves there is also a music only section & behind the scenes interviews.
Although I feel it's been a lifetime (well, it has I suppose) since I first watched Jon Pertwee in Doctor Who in the 1970s I find it hard to believe Eccleston hasn't been involved with the Doctor since 2005. It feels like only yesterday since I was watching him on Saturday night TV. Must be soemhting to do with time I suppose ?
Read
May 14, 2021I think the context of this release is as interesting as the story - for my money, this is probably the Big Finish release with the most riding on it since Dark Eyes 1. In terms of the Big Finish chronology, I think the studio's reinvented themselves - or at least a key line of audios - a few times to keep relevant. 'Storm Warning' was the studio showing it could carry the property forward during the Wilderness years, that it existed to do more than (often excellent) fan-service and gap-plugging. 'Blood of the Daleks' and the Miller years were Big Finish showing they could match RTD's offering as a big sci-fi soap, that the show's return to TV didn't render the business model redundant. 'Dark Eyes' was the studio upping the production values, showing they could keep up with the Moffat years' HD spectacle, matching it's darker, slightly harder sci-fi hue.
'Ravagers' feels... almost full circle in a way, as a proposition. The TV series is in a bit of a state - and a hiatus doesn't seem out of the question in the near future. So there's something Sirens of Time-y about it. 'Dark Eyes' and 'Blood' are both excellent stories, but have an almost defensive quality - Big Finish proving they're still in the game every time the show on TV hit a new high. With 'Ravagers', it feels almost like... they've got the upper hand, for the first time since the revival, stepping in where the BBC falter - that they're ready and willing to serve up some meat and potatoes Dr Who.
So yeah, all that being said, there's a fair amount riding on the boxset I think, on a number of fronts.
One being that Chris is probably a more expensive talent than either McGann or any of the classic Doctors (and I'm basically assuming Tennant does it on the cheap - cheap by his standards anyway - side as basically a favour), so the benchmark to make future runs viable is probably far higher. Also think this series being an absolute *runaway* success is probably the only way we'll see Matt Smith ever return, as I think he'd be the most expensive proposition of the lot. Likewise Capaldi, but I take him at his word that he's not really interested.
I also think this is probably an interesting time for Big Finish's business model. The shift from four story to three story boxsets I think is a bigger deal than it first seems in that, at the prices they charge, the episodes really have a lot riding on them. At £25 a go, they will run into problems fast if even one of the episodes doesn't work. Two eps not working becomes a disaster on a 3 story set, as opposed to just unfortunate on a 4-box.
It's hard to tell what's going on BTS but Big Finish seem like they're in an interesting spot. On the one hand, the sheer volume of releases are insane. But they're telling big, interesting stories, and probably do get taken for granted a fair bit. But I do also really, really, really think £25 for 3 stories is just too much money. I feel bad saying that, because you get the sense the business operates on a knife edge, that they don't take the pricing decisions lightly, but I think price-wise they're at the absolute edge of the horizon. I do not think they can possibly charge any more money, even a pound, for what you get without the entire model collapsing. I 100% think we're at that point. Like, for real, I have to think very, very, very carefully about every Big Finish purchase at this point.
I wish a model of fewer releases, with more focussed product lines (eg, 8 - who should be their flagship doctor, having multiple 3+ storylines all ongoing at once like he did last year between Time War, Stranded and TLV makes the whole thing feel like a confusing mess), at half the price was viable. But I really don't doubt it's a hard business to run. But yeah. I appreciate all this very easy to say when you're not the one having the keep the lights on.
...
Onto the story then. I think I'm pretty much dead centre on what seems to be the early consensus - great central performance, brilliant to have him back.
I like that they're not going with the 10DA model of just cramming the story into the show's gaps. I'm genuinely think it's not til just now, with Dalek Universe and Out of Time, that they've started using 10 to his full potential (tho, I think we're seeing the same problem with we got with 8 at the moment, having the same Doctor in multiple storylines, literally all out of time, sapping a sense of momentum).
It seems with the 9DAs they're going all in and actually committing to one ongoing story. I think that's really positive, makes me hope the best's yet to come. Some of the writers coming up, Dorney especially, are behind some of the best Dr. Who of the decade. I'm looking forward to it.
It's interesting to think of this set as an entry point to Big Finish, which is surely how it'll function for a lot of people. In the canon of Big Finish Entry Points, I don't think it knocks it out the park the way, eg, Dark Eyes 1 or the first run of Lucie Miller stories did. But I do respect how confident and bold it is. I don't think it's ambitious *as a story* per se, but it's ambitious as a production. I think it gets taken for granted just how good Big Finish's, like, audio engineering is. They create space and scenery effortlessly now. They really are a fine-tuned machine at this point.
When you revisit old Big Finish - good writing's good writing (and I kind of think Sheridan Smith's intro run was their peak as a studio) but they've since become so *cinematic* somehow, appreciating that that's a ridiculous a thing to say about an audio drama. Vintage (in the best possible sense of the word) BF classics like Master, Marian Conspiracy, Spare Parts or Chimes sound like stage plays by contrast.
I'd be interested in seeing Big Finish take a step back almost, to focus on quieter and more language and dialogue driven stories again. I think, in hindsight, event boxsets like Dark Eyes were an experiment with upping the spectacle, pushing the medium as far as it could go, and Big Finish kind of got intoxicated with their success. Successes admittedly which are legitimately impressive.
Writing this actually just made me realise why 'Stranded' scratched such an itch for me. Big Finish really need to find time for quieter and more character given - yes, soapy - stuff across their ranges.
I'm going on a bit. At a high level. Glad they're telling a complete story with 9 - that'll pay off once the dust's settled and I think was an absolutely *essential* decision. It should clear the way for them to really make a mark with 9, not far down the line.
Nova seems very Big Finish Companion(tm) at the moment but seems *so* generic - right down to her name - maybe there's a game plan there (and Rose is a tough act to follow, as the most iconic companion since Sarah Jane). As things stand, it feels like Briggs has thought carefully about the dynamics of 9/Rose on tv - with Rose the most blatant and thoroughly conceived version of the companion as audience surrogate that we've ever got. Nova is very much not Rose, but I think Briggs has thought about Rose's function and has crafted Nova as very much an audience surrogate. I get it. But I don't think she really registers as a character yet. And a lot'll ride on it down the line. Individual Big Finish stories shine for a number of reasons - but wider eras or runs live or die on the companion dynamic (8 with Charlie, Lucie, Molly, 6 with Evelyn). So it's important something clicks down the line. Remains to be seen.
The spectacle's impressive, as a story it *barely* holds together. I think it's Briggs' "Lets Kill Hitler" moment, writing by the seat of his pants and not quite stopping it from showing. I'm impressed they have the confidence in their abilities as a studio to push it *that* far, to hinge so much of the comprehensibility on the sound design. To verge on the harsh side, impressive audio FX work - not to be understated as an achievement in their own right - compliment good stories. But really can't make a story that doesn't work... actually work, not really. Papering over cracks is still papering over cracks even when the paper's really pretty. It all comes down to the crack I suppose. This crack wasn't bad. I liked it.
'Ravagers' feels... almost full circle in a way, as a proposition. The TV series is in a bit of a state - and a hiatus doesn't seem out of the question in the near future. So there's something Sirens of Time-y about it. 'Dark Eyes' and 'Blood' are both excellent stories, but have an almost defensive quality - Big Finish proving they're still in the game every time the show on TV hit a new high. With 'Ravagers', it feels almost like... they've got the upper hand, for the first time since the revival, stepping in where the BBC falter - that they're ready and willing to serve up some meat and potatoes Dr Who.
So yeah, all that being said, there's a fair amount riding on the boxset I think, on a number of fronts.
One being that Chris is probably a more expensive talent than either McGann or any of the classic Doctors (and I'm basically assuming Tennant does it on the cheap - cheap by his standards anyway - side as basically a favour), so the benchmark to make future runs viable is probably far higher. Also think this series being an absolute *runaway* success is probably the only way we'll see Matt Smith ever return, as I think he'd be the most expensive proposition of the lot. Likewise Capaldi, but I take him at his word that he's not really interested.
I also think this is probably an interesting time for Big Finish's business model. The shift from four story to three story boxsets I think is a bigger deal than it first seems in that, at the prices they charge, the episodes really have a lot riding on them. At £25 a go, they will run into problems fast if even one of the episodes doesn't work. Two eps not working becomes a disaster on a 3 story set, as opposed to just unfortunate on a 4-box.
It's hard to tell what's going on BTS but Big Finish seem like they're in an interesting spot. On the one hand, the sheer volume of releases are insane. But they're telling big, interesting stories, and probably do get taken for granted a fair bit. But I do also really, really, really think £25 for 3 stories is just too much money. I feel bad saying that, because you get the sense the business operates on a knife edge, that they don't take the pricing decisions lightly, but I think price-wise they're at the absolute edge of the horizon. I do not think they can possibly charge any more money, even a pound, for what you get without the entire model collapsing. I 100% think we're at that point. Like, for real, I have to think very, very, very carefully about every Big Finish purchase at this point.
I wish a model of fewer releases, with more focussed product lines (eg, 8 - who should be their flagship doctor, having multiple 3+ storylines all ongoing at once like he did last year between Time War, Stranded and TLV makes the whole thing feel like a confusing mess), at half the price was viable. But I really don't doubt it's a hard business to run. But yeah. I appreciate all this very easy to say when you're not the one having the keep the lights on.
...
Onto the story then. I think I'm pretty much dead centre on what seems to be the early consensus - great central performance, brilliant to have him back.
I like that they're not going with the 10DA model of just cramming the story into the show's gaps. I'm genuinely think it's not til just now, with Dalek Universe and Out of Time, that they've started using 10 to his full potential (tho, I think we're seeing the same problem with we got with 8 at the moment, having the same Doctor in multiple storylines, literally all out of time, sapping a sense of momentum).
It seems with the 9DAs they're going all in and actually committing to one ongoing story. I think that's really positive, makes me hope the best's yet to come. Some of the writers coming up, Dorney especially, are behind some of the best Dr. Who of the decade. I'm looking forward to it.
It's interesting to think of this set as an entry point to Big Finish, which is surely how it'll function for a lot of people. In the canon of Big Finish Entry Points, I don't think it knocks it out the park the way, eg, Dark Eyes 1 or the first run of Lucie Miller stories did. But I do respect how confident and bold it is. I don't think it's ambitious *as a story* per se, but it's ambitious as a production. I think it gets taken for granted just how good Big Finish's, like, audio engineering is. They create space and scenery effortlessly now. They really are a fine-tuned machine at this point.
When you revisit old Big Finish - good writing's good writing (and I kind of think Sheridan Smith's intro run was their peak as a studio) but they've since become so *cinematic* somehow, appreciating that that's a ridiculous a thing to say about an audio drama. Vintage (in the best possible sense of the word) BF classics like Master, Marian Conspiracy, Spare Parts or Chimes sound like stage plays by contrast.
I'd be interested in seeing Big Finish take a step back almost, to focus on quieter and more language and dialogue driven stories again. I think, in hindsight, event boxsets like Dark Eyes were an experiment with upping the spectacle, pushing the medium as far as it could go, and Big Finish kind of got intoxicated with their success. Successes admittedly which are legitimately impressive.
Writing this actually just made me realise why 'Stranded' scratched such an itch for me. Big Finish really need to find time for quieter and more character given - yes, soapy - stuff across their ranges.
I'm going on a bit. At a high level. Glad they're telling a complete story with 9 - that'll pay off once the dust's settled and I think was an absolutely *essential* decision. It should clear the way for them to really make a mark with 9, not far down the line.
Nova seems very Big Finish Companion(tm) at the moment but seems *so* generic - right down to her name - maybe there's a game plan there (and Rose is a tough act to follow, as the most iconic companion since Sarah Jane). As things stand, it feels like Briggs has thought carefully about the dynamics of 9/Rose on tv - with Rose the most blatant and thoroughly conceived version of the companion as audience surrogate that we've ever got. Nova is very much not Rose, but I think Briggs has thought about Rose's function and has crafted Nova as very much an audience surrogate. I get it. But I don't think she really registers as a character yet. And a lot'll ride on it down the line. Individual Big Finish stories shine for a number of reasons - but wider eras or runs live or die on the companion dynamic (8 with Charlie, Lucie, Molly, 6 with Evelyn). So it's important something clicks down the line. Remains to be seen.
The spectacle's impressive, as a story it *barely* holds together. I think it's Briggs' "Lets Kill Hitler" moment, writing by the seat of his pants and not quite stopping it from showing. I'm impressed they have the confidence in their abilities as a studio to push it *that* far, to hinge so much of the comprehensibility on the sound design. To verge on the harsh side, impressive audio FX work - not to be understated as an achievement in their own right - compliment good stories. But really can't make a story that doesn't work... actually work, not really. Papering over cracks is still papering over cracks even when the paper's really pretty. It all comes down to the crack I suppose. This crack wasn't bad. I liked it.
June 1, 2022
He’s back! Christopher Eccleston returns as the Doctor and life is FANTASTIC!
(1.1) Sphere of Freedom - A convoluted tale that’s told out of sequence. We start at the end and work our way around through layers of stories and timeframes. Just delightful. Eccleston sounds like he’s not aged a day in the last 16 years since he’s played the Doctor and his performance is precision perfect. Just close your eyes and there he is, smiling like a know-it-all buffoon. Big Finish has done a fantastic job on this one, glorious sound scape, great supporting cast and a top notch script. I have a feeling it’s gonna be a wild ride.
(1.2) Cataclysm - Episode 2 is another fun-filled, fast-paced adventure with the Doctor. This one escalates the trouble with the time eddies and the Doctor, or his new companion Nova, just might be at fault. The pace continues at a breathtaking speed and the mystery deepens. Another stellar production, brilliantly achieved.
(1.3) Food Fight - This chapter’s title made me think this might end up like those old silent movies that concluded with everyone throwing whip cream pies into each other’s faces. I should have expected it wasn’t going to be that literal. Still, this one filled with some wonderful humor and LOTS of crazy timey-whimey stuff. Eccleston is just as fantastic as he was the first season of the rebooted series, and this certainly sets us all up for some wonderful adventures yet to come. I was practically in tears at the end, and it’s only three episode old. Good stuff this is.
Crap! I hadn’t wanted to binge all three stories in one gulp, but I just did that. It was just too good not to do so, and as I had the day off ... there ya go. Over all, I am extremely pleased with this trilogy of adventures. It’s wonderful, nope sorry, it’s fantastic to have Eccleston back as the Doctor. His tenure was far too short on television and he was sorely missed from the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. My one complaint, if it even counts as such, is that Nicholas Briggs over complicates the narrative. He has a tendency to do this, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing as his scripts are filled with delightful moments of craziness, humor, poignant drama and non-stop rollercoaster thrills. Adding the layering of, for lack of a better term, timey-whimey shenanigans just seems pointless some times and this was a case of that. This set also includes a nice little selection of music tracks from the series and the usual Big Finish making-of interviews with cast and crew. Oh jeez and now I can’t wait for Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures Volume 02 coming in August 2021.
(1.1) Sphere of Freedom - A convoluted tale that’s told out of sequence. We start at the end and work our way around through layers of stories and timeframes. Just delightful. Eccleston sounds like he’s not aged a day in the last 16 years since he’s played the Doctor and his performance is precision perfect. Just close your eyes and there he is, smiling like a know-it-all buffoon. Big Finish has done a fantastic job on this one, glorious sound scape, great supporting cast and a top notch script. I have a feeling it’s gonna be a wild ride.
(1.2) Cataclysm - Episode 2 is another fun-filled, fast-paced adventure with the Doctor. This one escalates the trouble with the time eddies and the Doctor, or his new companion Nova, just might be at fault. The pace continues at a breathtaking speed and the mystery deepens. Another stellar production, brilliantly achieved.
(1.3) Food Fight - This chapter’s title made me think this might end up like those old silent movies that concluded with everyone throwing whip cream pies into each other’s faces. I should have expected it wasn’t going to be that literal. Still, this one filled with some wonderful humor and LOTS of crazy timey-whimey stuff. Eccleston is just as fantastic as he was the first season of the rebooted series, and this certainly sets us all up for some wonderful adventures yet to come. I was practically in tears at the end, and it’s only three episode old. Good stuff this is.
Crap! I hadn’t wanted to binge all three stories in one gulp, but I just did that. It was just too good not to do so, and as I had the day off ... there ya go. Over all, I am extremely pleased with this trilogy of adventures. It’s wonderful, nope sorry, it’s fantastic to have Eccleston back as the Doctor. His tenure was far too short on television and he was sorely missed from the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. My one complaint, if it even counts as such, is that Nicholas Briggs over complicates the narrative. He has a tendency to do this, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing as his scripts are filled with delightful moments of craziness, humor, poignant drama and non-stop rollercoaster thrills. Adding the layering of, for lack of a better term, timey-whimey shenanigans just seems pointless some times and this was a case of that. This set also includes a nice little selection of music tracks from the series and the usual Big Finish making-of interviews with cast and crew. Oh jeez and now I can’t wait for Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures Volume 02 coming in August 2021.
May 14, 2021
Doctor Who: Ravagers is basically a single 45-60 minute Doctor Who episode that’s been stretched to an exhausting 150-minute runtime. Honestly, every story in this box set could probably have composed about 15-20 minutes of a normal Doctor Who episode. Instead, all three episodes (written by Nicholas Briggs) are 45-60 minutes...each. The first episode starts the whole set off on a pretty rocky path. I mean, beginning a story with the apparent death of Nova (Camilla Beeput), a character the audience has never met, isn’t the most explosive way to start a story. And then spending the next forty minutes explaining what happened before those first five minutes doesn’t exactly make for an engaging experience. There’s just not a lot of tension to be found when the whole episode builds up to a climax that happened at the episode’s beginning.
Now, Briggs does try to spice things up by having the Doctor’s conversation with Audrey (Jayne McKenna), where he explains what he and Nova were up to before Nova’s apparent death, act as a framing device. But this doesn’t entirely work either as the writing seems to suggest that the audience isn’t supposed to immediately assume Audrey is gonna be the story’s antagonist, with the framing device hinging on that big reveal as the episode’s cliffhanger. But it’s immediately obvious that’s where this is going, so the whole episode is just a waiting game for that reveal—and the subsequent cliffhanger that promises to kick the story into gear. And, to be fair, it kind of does. The problem is that there’s just not enough plot to justify another 105 minutes of story.
Episodes 2 and 3 are where the bulk of the actual action happens, with the Doctor and Nova reuniting and plotting to stop Audrey from accidentally bringing about the end of the universe by harnessing time eddies to take people out of their proper timelines for use in some kind of VR game, thereby inadvertently releasing some nearby creatures (the titular Ravagers) who intend to eat the universe. Or something. Honestly, the plot is really hard to follow because it’s caked underneath enough timey wimey elements to make a Steven Moffat episode look conventional. There are so many scenes where characters interact with past versions of other characters or cross their own time streams, and it’s really difficult to follow. Perhaps these kinds of stories aren’t well suited for an audio-only medium, where you don’t have any visual cues to help establish where and when you are in time (and in the story). And without those clues, I found it nearly impossible to actually follow what was happening. It was just one scene after another, slowly building to a climax in the third episode that did (to its credit) more-or-less explain what happened. Though, the explanation wasn't a particularly satisfying one.
Still, it’s not a bad story. The plot is interesting, even if it’s hard to follow. And there’s a lot of fun to be had in a story whose main conflict seems to revolve around the Doctor making bad assumptions and being hesitant to trust people. The problem with Ravagers is that it’s a really solid 45-minute episode that’s been expanded into a two-and-a-half-hour one without any of the character development or plot exploration that such an expansion would benefit from. Nova, in particular, is never developed in a way that makes her feel like a person instead of a generic companion archetype and her and the Doctor's plan to stop Audrey is never properly explained, undercutting much of the third episode's energy. The pacing is really off. Everything moves at a snail’s pace, with far too much time being spent on explaining the story’s intricacies instead of allowing the story to play out through the character’s actions. Plus, there are just a ton of unneeded diversions that take up time that could've been used to develop the characters more. I mean, the entire subplot featuring the various time-displaced soldiers could’ve been entirely cut (or, at minimum, significantly trimmed down), for a start. If you're not gonna expand upon the characters, or more fully explore the plot, then what's the purpose in having a story as long as this one? Edited down, this could've been quite a compelling story that would've fit in perfectly among other episodes in the RTD era.
Now, I know it sounds like I hated Ravagers, but I honestly didn’t. Yes, I think the narrative has a lot of flaws on a fundamental level. But the boxset remains extremely enjoyable despite those problems. A lot of this rests on Eccleston’s shoulders. His performance is exactly as good as you want it to be. Yes, he doesn’t quite feel or sound like the same Doctor that appeared alongside Rose in the show’s first series, but he’s not meant to feel that way. This is a Doctor that exists sometime between the end of the Time War and his initial encounter with Rose. He’s a man who wants to be optimistic but has a lot of trouble trusting people (and the universe). And that distrust gets him into a lot of trouble and interferes with his ability to actually save the day in a Doctory fashion. It's a very compelling character arc for this first boxset, and Eccleston portrays it beautifully.
The rest of the cast are great, too. Jayne McKenna is excellent as Audrey—especially as the later episodes delve deeper into her character and give McKenna a lot more depth to play with. McKenna frequently acted as a wonderful foil for Eccleston’s Doctor, and it was a dynamic I adored listening to. I may not have liked Nova as a character, but I can’t deny how good a performance Camilla Beeput gave. Beeput and Eccleston have a lot of great chemistry together, and it was a joy to listen to the two of them bounce off one another. I just wish Beeput had been given a more fully fleshed-out character to play with.
The other star of the show is the atmosphere. Ravagers truly feels like an episode of Doctor Who’s first season—albeit one written by a writer that hews closer to Moffat’s sensibilities than Davies’s. Much of this is due to Briggs’s witty-yet-personable dialogue, but a lot of praise should be heaped on Briggs' directing, Iain Meadows' sound design, and Howard Carter's score. Ravagers sounds fantastic. Every aspect of the audio landscape makes you feel like you’re in the thick of the action, and Carter’s score feels similar to Murray Gold’s early Doctor Who work without ever feeling like a copy-and-paste job. The combination of superb performances, solid dialogue, great directing, and even better sound design and music makes for a story that’s deeply enjoyable to listen to and worthy of the Doctor Who mantle.
Overall, Doctor Who: Ravagers is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s an absolute delight hearing Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor again. He slips right back into the role and it's as though he never left. All of the performances are superb, the music is great, the sound design is even better, and the story feels like an episode of RTD-era Doctor Who. The problem is that it’s a 45-minute episode that’s been needlessly expanded to a two-and-a-half-hour runtime, without the added benefit of further character development or plot exploration. And it’s a shame because, with a lot of editing, Ravagers could’ve made for an exciting opening story for this boxset, being followed up by another two stand-alone (or loosely connected) stories of similar quality. Instead, we’ve got a slow-paced, hard-to-follow story with too little action, too much time spent explaining the plot, and a somewhat disappointing ending. It's not the greatest introduction to this new era for the Ninth Doctor. It’s not a bad story, but it’s not a great one, either. That being said, I’m still excited to see where Big Finish goes from here. I think there’s a bright future ahead for the Ninth Doctor in these audio dramas.
Now, Briggs does try to spice things up by having the Doctor’s conversation with Audrey (Jayne McKenna), where he explains what he and Nova were up to before Nova’s apparent death, act as a framing device. But this doesn’t entirely work either as the writing seems to suggest that the audience isn’t supposed to immediately assume Audrey is gonna be the story’s antagonist, with the framing device hinging on that big reveal as the episode’s cliffhanger. But it’s immediately obvious that’s where this is going, so the whole episode is just a waiting game for that reveal—and the subsequent cliffhanger that promises to kick the story into gear. And, to be fair, it kind of does. The problem is that there’s just not enough plot to justify another 105 minutes of story.
Episodes 2 and 3 are where the bulk of the actual action happens, with the Doctor and Nova reuniting and plotting to stop Audrey from accidentally bringing about the end of the universe by harnessing time eddies to take people out of their proper timelines for use in some kind of VR game, thereby inadvertently releasing some nearby creatures (the titular Ravagers) who intend to eat the universe. Or something. Honestly, the plot is really hard to follow because it’s caked underneath enough timey wimey elements to make a Steven Moffat episode look conventional. There are so many scenes where characters interact with past versions of other characters or cross their own time streams, and it’s really difficult to follow. Perhaps these kinds of stories aren’t well suited for an audio-only medium, where you don’t have any visual cues to help establish where and when you are in time (and in the story). And without those clues, I found it nearly impossible to actually follow what was happening. It was just one scene after another, slowly building to a climax in the third episode that did (to its credit) more-or-less explain what happened. Though, the explanation wasn't a particularly satisfying one.
Still, it’s not a bad story. The plot is interesting, even if it’s hard to follow. And there’s a lot of fun to be had in a story whose main conflict seems to revolve around the Doctor making bad assumptions and being hesitant to trust people. The problem with Ravagers is that it’s a really solid 45-minute episode that’s been expanded into a two-and-a-half-hour one without any of the character development or plot exploration that such an expansion would benefit from. Nova, in particular, is never developed in a way that makes her feel like a person instead of a generic companion archetype and her and the Doctor's plan to stop Audrey is never properly explained, undercutting much of the third episode's energy. The pacing is really off. Everything moves at a snail’s pace, with far too much time being spent on explaining the story’s intricacies instead of allowing the story to play out through the character’s actions. Plus, there are just a ton of unneeded diversions that take up time that could've been used to develop the characters more. I mean, the entire subplot featuring the various time-displaced soldiers could’ve been entirely cut (or, at minimum, significantly trimmed down), for a start. If you're not gonna expand upon the characters, or more fully explore the plot, then what's the purpose in having a story as long as this one? Edited down, this could've been quite a compelling story that would've fit in perfectly among other episodes in the RTD era.
Now, I know it sounds like I hated Ravagers, but I honestly didn’t. Yes, I think the narrative has a lot of flaws on a fundamental level. But the boxset remains extremely enjoyable despite those problems. A lot of this rests on Eccleston’s shoulders. His performance is exactly as good as you want it to be. Yes, he doesn’t quite feel or sound like the same Doctor that appeared alongside Rose in the show’s first series, but he’s not meant to feel that way. This is a Doctor that exists sometime between the end of the Time War and his initial encounter with Rose. He’s a man who wants to be optimistic but has a lot of trouble trusting people (and the universe). And that distrust gets him into a lot of trouble and interferes with his ability to actually save the day in a Doctory fashion. It's a very compelling character arc for this first boxset, and Eccleston portrays it beautifully.
The rest of the cast are great, too. Jayne McKenna is excellent as Audrey—especially as the later episodes delve deeper into her character and give McKenna a lot more depth to play with. McKenna frequently acted as a wonderful foil for Eccleston’s Doctor, and it was a dynamic I adored listening to. I may not have liked Nova as a character, but I can’t deny how good a performance Camilla Beeput gave. Beeput and Eccleston have a lot of great chemistry together, and it was a joy to listen to the two of them bounce off one another. I just wish Beeput had been given a more fully fleshed-out character to play with.
The other star of the show is the atmosphere. Ravagers truly feels like an episode of Doctor Who’s first season—albeit one written by a writer that hews closer to Moffat’s sensibilities than Davies’s. Much of this is due to Briggs’s witty-yet-personable dialogue, but a lot of praise should be heaped on Briggs' directing, Iain Meadows' sound design, and Howard Carter's score. Ravagers sounds fantastic. Every aspect of the audio landscape makes you feel like you’re in the thick of the action, and Carter’s score feels similar to Murray Gold’s early Doctor Who work without ever feeling like a copy-and-paste job. The combination of superb performances, solid dialogue, great directing, and even better sound design and music makes for a story that’s deeply enjoyable to listen to and worthy of the Doctor Who mantle.
Overall, Doctor Who: Ravagers is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s an absolute delight hearing Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor again. He slips right back into the role and it's as though he never left. All of the performances are superb, the music is great, the sound design is even better, and the story feels like an episode of RTD-era Doctor Who. The problem is that it’s a 45-minute episode that’s been needlessly expanded to a two-and-a-half-hour runtime, without the added benefit of further character development or plot exploration. And it’s a shame because, with a lot of editing, Ravagers could’ve made for an exciting opening story for this boxset, being followed up by another two stand-alone (or loosely connected) stories of similar quality. Instead, we’ve got a slow-paced, hard-to-follow story with too little action, too much time spent explaining the plot, and a somewhat disappointing ending. It's not the greatest introduction to this new era for the Ninth Doctor. It’s not a bad story, but it’s not a great one, either. That being said, I’m still excited to see where Big Finish goes from here. I think there’s a bright future ahead for the Ninth Doctor in these audio dramas.
July 20, 2021
Big Finish made headlines when they finally convinced Christopher Eccleston that returning to his role as the ninth Doctor was something that could and should happen. The result is a couple of box-sets of stories with Eccleston in the role -- which is probably as close to him playing the Doctor again as we'll ever get.
The first box-set is out now and I finally got around to listening to it. I reviewed each installment after listening. So, if you notice some kind of horrible error or oversight in my thoughts on part one or two, please know I had no idea what was coming....
1. Sphere of Freedom
Christopher Eccleston effortlessly steps back into his role as the ninth Doctor in this introduction to the series. The first installment is all about setting up things for what's to come, including establishing a new character called Nova, who serves as a de-facto companion. Give the drama a bit of credit for having Nova call out the Doctor for issuing forth technobabble for his own sake and not because she understands a word of it.
As a story, it works well enough, giving us a look at Nova and the potential main adversary for this set of stories. I went in knowing next to nothing about this beyond the fact that Eccleston is part of it and was pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I find myself wanting to hear part two sooner rather than later.
2. Cataclysm
Thankfully, "Cataclysm" doesn't suffer from middle-leg-of-a-trilogy syndrome -- lots of treading water and bridging from part one to part three. The Doctor attempts to track down the source of the time eddies and possibly save the entire universe as we know it. The story is deeply steeped in the implications of time travel and could be seen as "wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey" in nature.
The dynamic between the Doctor and Nova is well done and deepened a bit here. Audrey's exact identity is still being kept secret and I hope the final reveal isn't disappointing. Her meeting the Doctor in a different order in her life feels like it's borrowing a bit from River Soong, but we'll see where all this leads. Here's hoping part three can stick that landing.
3. Food Fight
Well, that was...hectic. Briggs puts a lot of balls into the air in the first two installments, leading to a lot of jumping from point to point as the story attempts to wrap itself up in the fifty minutes or so it has available to it. I did find myself wishing it had a bit more time to breathe here, especially to let the implications that time travel and various characters experiencing things in a different order created some of the issues.
Overall Thoughts
I suppose I should give Big Finish credit here. After multiple box sets or seasons in the past, they finally have given me what I wanted -- a box set in which the stories connect in a meaningful way. That said, I can't help but come away from Christopher Eccleston's return to Doctor Who and not feel a bit disappointed.
A lot of this comes down to pacing. Part one has to create the situation and establish the characters. Part two has to move them into place for the finale and part three has to wrap it all up in a neat bow. For the most part, Briggs does this, but it feels like the pacing is a bit off. I appreciate that we build up to a cliffhanger in each installment. I still can't help but think that "Food Fight" needed a better pace or that some of Audrey's scenes could have been edited into part two.
Listening to this over the course of three runs, I was struck by how easily Eccleston slips back into the role and how interesting a companion Nova could be. I was disappointed that I built up Audrey as being something more of a threat or returning threat than she turned out to be -- but that is probably more on me than anything else.
Overall, this is good and it starts the ninth Doctor range well.
The first box-set is out now and I finally got around to listening to it. I reviewed each installment after listening. So, if you notice some kind of horrible error or oversight in my thoughts on part one or two, please know I had no idea what was coming....
1. Sphere of Freedom
Christopher Eccleston effortlessly steps back into his role as the ninth Doctor in this introduction to the series. The first installment is all about setting up things for what's to come, including establishing a new character called Nova, who serves as a de-facto companion. Give the drama a bit of credit for having Nova call out the Doctor for issuing forth technobabble for his own sake and not because she understands a word of it.
As a story, it works well enough, giving us a look at Nova and the potential main adversary for this set of stories. I went in knowing next to nothing about this beyond the fact that Eccleston is part of it and was pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I find myself wanting to hear part two sooner rather than later.
2. Cataclysm
Thankfully, "Cataclysm" doesn't suffer from middle-leg-of-a-trilogy syndrome -- lots of treading water and bridging from part one to part three. The Doctor attempts to track down the source of the time eddies and possibly save the entire universe as we know it. The story is deeply steeped in the implications of time travel and could be seen as "wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey" in nature.
The dynamic between the Doctor and Nova is well done and deepened a bit here. Audrey's exact identity is still being kept secret and I hope the final reveal isn't disappointing. Her meeting the Doctor in a different order in her life feels like it's borrowing a bit from River Soong, but we'll see where all this leads. Here's hoping part three can stick that landing.
3. Food Fight
Well, that was...hectic. Briggs puts a lot of balls into the air in the first two installments, leading to a lot of jumping from point to point as the story attempts to wrap itself up in the fifty minutes or so it has available to it. I did find myself wishing it had a bit more time to breathe here, especially to let the implications that time travel and various characters experiencing things in a different order created some of the issues.
Overall Thoughts
I suppose I should give Big Finish credit here. After multiple box sets or seasons in the past, they finally have given me what I wanted -- a box set in which the stories connect in a meaningful way. That said, I can't help but come away from Christopher Eccleston's return to Doctor Who and not feel a bit disappointed.
A lot of this comes down to pacing. Part one has to create the situation and establish the characters. Part two has to move them into place for the finale and part three has to wrap it all up in a neat bow. For the most part, Briggs does this, but it feels like the pacing is a bit off. I appreciate that we build up to a cliffhanger in each installment. I still can't help but think that "Food Fight" needed a better pace or that some of Audrey's scenes could have been edited into part two.
Listening to this over the course of three runs, I was struck by how easily Eccleston slips back into the role and how interesting a companion Nova could be. I was disappointed that I built up Audrey as being something more of a threat or returning threat than she turned out to be -- but that is probably more on me than anything else.
Overall, this is good and it starts the ninth Doctor range well.
January 5, 2024
My first BigFinish Audio drama ended up being an ambitious if underwhelming return for Eccleston. It starts out pretty great but I think slowly falls flat under its own complexities.
The ninth doctor is great, but doesn’t carry that mysterious, darkness to his character that I think made him interesting in the first place.
Overall though this was kind of fun and it’s nice to just get more stories with Eccleston as the lead.
The ninth doctor is great, but doesn’t carry that mysterious, darkness to his character that I think made him interesting in the first place.
Overall though this was kind of fun and it’s nice to just get more stories with Eccleston as the lead.
wishlist
August 11, 2020I never preorder stuff, ever. But this is different. Eccleston back as the Doctor! 2020 is not all bad ...
April 22, 2022
Sphere of Freedom - 4 stars
Cataclysm - 3 stars
Food Fight - 3 stars
Overall - 3.5 stars
Cataclysm - 3 stars
Food Fight - 3 stars
Overall - 3.5 stars
May 14, 2021
6/10
Verdict: Optional
I love having Eccleston back, and he's amazing in this, but I didn't end up enjoying this story all that much. I'm putting these together since they're essentially three parts to one story. The side characters are really fun, but the different threats in these stories end up failing hard for me. The plot is all about time distortions and paradoxes, so it can be really hard to follow. I also found 9 to be uncharacteristically unconcerned with the events happening in the story, he was very upbeat throughout, even though at one point the entire universe could very well be ending. Nova is also a farcry from peak 9 companions, so I wasn't too into her story. I found the resolution to be pretty unsatisfying as well, almost being a deus ex machina with hardly any build-up. This story isn't really for me, but more 9 is worth it.
Verdict: Optional
I love having Eccleston back, and he's amazing in this, but I didn't end up enjoying this story all that much. I'm putting these together since they're essentially three parts to one story. The side characters are really fun, but the different threats in these stories end up failing hard for me. The plot is all about time distortions and paradoxes, so it can be really hard to follow. I also found 9 to be uncharacteristically unconcerned with the events happening in the story, he was very upbeat throughout, even though at one point the entire universe could very well be ending. Nova is also a farcry from peak 9 companions, so I wasn't too into her story. I found the resolution to be pretty unsatisfying as well, almost being a deus ex machina with hardly any build-up. This story isn't really for me, but more 9 is worth it.
June 13, 2021
3.5 stars. Eccleston was fantastic but the story wasn't all that remarkable.
Most Big Finish boxsets manage to perfectly capture the 'essence' of an era (particularly the Hartnell and Pertwee stories) but Eccleston's era is so difficult to define - probably because it was a) so short and b) so tightly linked to David Tennant's era - that I think it will take Big Finish some time to find the right kind of stories for him.
Honestly I don't think it helped that this box set didn't have Rose in it and I really hope they bring Billie Piper back for future stories. Rose is so intrinsic to Nine's development as a Doctor, more so I would argue than any other Doctor/Companion combination, that I think it's really hard to explore his character without her there.
Most Big Finish boxsets manage to perfectly capture the 'essence' of an era (particularly the Hartnell and Pertwee stories) but Eccleston's era is so difficult to define - probably because it was a) so short and b) so tightly linked to David Tennant's era - that I think it will take Big Finish some time to find the right kind of stories for him.
Honestly I don't think it helped that this box set didn't have Rose in it and I really hope they bring Billie Piper back for future stories. Rose is so intrinsic to Nine's development as a Doctor, more so I would argue than any other Doctor/Companion combination, that I think it's really hard to explore his character without her there.
March 21, 2025
2023 52 Book Challenge - Summer Road Trip Mini Challenge - Mishap - 1) Out Of Gas! A Series That Is Not Finished Yet
This is one of those audio books that really remind you of how much you like a certain Doctor because Christopher Eccleston was so good in this.
That being said, you really have to concentrate on this because the plot is very confusing, and I got lost a few times, even though it's really interesting.
This is one of those audio books that really remind you of how much you like a certain Doctor because Christopher Eccleston was so good in this.
That being said, you really have to concentrate on this because the plot is very confusing, and I got lost a few times, even though it's really interesting.
March 29, 2025
This was my first Big Finish audio drama (and audio drama in general) and it was freaking cool, I loved every bit of it, at some point I forgot I was listening to an audio and I was watching the episode in my mind.
When I remember that nine had only one series I get sad but with this I fell in love with him again.
Nine my beloved I missed you
When I remember that nine had only one series I get sad but with this I fell in love with him again.
Nine my beloved I missed you
May 16, 2021
Christopher Eccleston back in the TARDIS, this is not a drill
May 11, 2023
Rating for part 1 (Sphere of Freedom) only, offered as a Big Finish freebie for email subscribers.
Eccleston is great and full of gusto, but the story is hard to follow (as a standalone, I appreciate the full story is over 3 parts), not very interesting, and doesn't have the vibe of a Series 1 episode. So, I'm in no hurry to pick up the full box set.
Eccleston is great and full of gusto, but the story is hard to follow (as a standalone, I appreciate the full story is over 3 parts), not very interesting, and doesn't have the vibe of a Series 1 episode. So, I'm in no hurry to pick up the full box set.
September 18, 2022
The first time I tried to listen to this, I did not finish it.
I just did not "feel" it.
Today I decided to give it another chance.
Well, it is not as bad as I first thought.
There are good scenes in to be had, the new one-off companion is nice, there are a few good action scenes. It know to entertain and does not get boring.
But with all the timey-whimey-ness, it gets confusing pretty quick.
This was the reason I stopped listening back in the day.
The timelines become entangled and are all over the place, and I think even on a second listen, it is hard to keep up. The story tries to be clever with all these time shenanigans, but I just got the feeling that it could have been done better. Maybe another round of edits? Tighten it up a bit? Make the time swings a bit smoother? I am not sure.
The next thing that bothered me- Strax. I love Dan Starkey, he is very versatile, Big Finish uses him in multiple characters and he is also a great audio book reader. So WHY was Dan Starkey used as the Roman commander shouting all the same phrases and martial nonsense that most of his Sontarans, especially the not-so-clever Strax are shouting? These Romans did not come across to me as Romans at all, just as sword wielding Sontarans. Not sure if this was meant as a joke that went too far? I just thought it was pretty un-original and tedious.
And then the elephant in the room:
The Doctor.
Honestly, this could have been any Doctor. The text would have fitted David Tennant very well, and I actually thought several times "Wait, this sounds more like 10".
This did not particularly sound like the Ninth Doctor I am afraid.
In conclusion, I am sad to say, this came across as a pretty average release to me. But at least I now finished it and it was better than first feared.
I just did not "feel" it.
Today I decided to give it another chance.
Well, it is not as bad as I first thought.
There are good scenes in to be had, the new one-off companion is nice, there are a few good action scenes. It know to entertain and does not get boring.
But with all the timey-whimey-ness, it gets confusing pretty quick.
This was the reason I stopped listening back in the day.
The timelines become entangled and are all over the place, and I think even on a second listen, it is hard to keep up. The story tries to be clever with all these time shenanigans, but I just got the feeling that it could have been done better. Maybe another round of edits? Tighten it up a bit? Make the time swings a bit smoother? I am not sure.
The next thing that bothered me- Strax. I love Dan Starkey, he is very versatile, Big Finish uses him in multiple characters and he is also a great audio book reader. So WHY was Dan Starkey used as the Roman commander shouting all the same phrases and martial nonsense that most of his Sontarans, especially the not-so-clever Strax are shouting? These Romans did not come across to me as Romans at all, just as sword wielding Sontarans. Not sure if this was meant as a joke that went too far? I just thought it was pretty un-original and tedious.
And then the elephant in the room:
The Doctor.
Honestly, this could have been any Doctor. The text would have fitted David Tennant very well, and I actually thought several times "Wait, this sounds more like 10".
This did not particularly sound like the Ninth Doctor I am afraid.
In conclusion, I am sad to say, this came across as a pretty average release to me. But at least I now finished it and it was better than first feared.
January 18, 2023
Well, this was a disappointing set.
I've held off listening to this one for some time, mainly because I was in a slump last year. But I've also heard mixed reviews.
Christopher Eccleston has always been my Doctor. Or at least, the Doctor who introduced me to this wonderful show and an actor who is very local to me. On the bright side, it was wonderful to hear him as Nine again, and feel slightly nostalgic for those adventures I grew up with.
I also did like Nova. I feel like she and Bill Potts could be awesome best friends for sure.
As for the overall arc/story...I felt like it had been done before. Nick Briggs as a writer is very hit or miss for me. When he's good, he's good like Embrace the Darkness is one of my favourite 8/Charley audios. But then there's audios like the War Master: Anti Genesis where he almost destroyed Narvin's character in writing...
I feel like this is an audio for people who have never listened to big finish before, but are big fans of 9 could listen to it easily. But my attention span wasn't on this audio as the plot was really lackluster and not over all engaging enough for me.
I'll continue to listen to the other 9th Doctor adventures in the hopes that they'll improve.
I've held off listening to this one for some time, mainly because I was in a slump last year. But I've also heard mixed reviews.
Christopher Eccleston has always been my Doctor. Or at least, the Doctor who introduced me to this wonderful show and an actor who is very local to me. On the bright side, it was wonderful to hear him as Nine again, and feel slightly nostalgic for those adventures I grew up with.
I also did like Nova. I feel like she and Bill Potts could be awesome best friends for sure.
As for the overall arc/story...I felt like it had been done before. Nick Briggs as a writer is very hit or miss for me. When he's good, he's good like Embrace the Darkness is one of my favourite 8/Charley audios. But then there's audios like the War Master: Anti Genesis where he almost destroyed Narvin's character in writing...
I feel like this is an audio for people who have never listened to big finish before, but are big fans of 9 could listen to it easily. But my attention span wasn't on this audio as the plot was really lackluster and not over all engaging enough for me.
I'll continue to listen to the other 9th Doctor adventures in the hopes that they'll improve.
April 28, 2024
Ah, my original doctor. My introduction to the amazing show that is Doctor Who - Eccleston is so wonderfully nostalgic for me, I’m so happy he’s moved to BigFinish.
As soon as you hear his voice, it’s 2005, you’re beginning new adventures into time and space and there’s so much of the universe to explore. It all came rushing back as soon as the story started and I’m so glad to be back to this doctor with a whole bunch of new stories ahead!
It was a really good and enjoyable plot too, well produced and well performed by Christopher. There’s problems with time and tantalising snippets for what’s ahead. I’m so intrigued for more!
As soon as you hear his voice, it’s 2005, you’re beginning new adventures into time and space and there’s so much of the universe to explore. It all came rushing back as soon as the story started and I’m so glad to be back to this doctor with a whole bunch of new stories ahead!
It was a really good and enjoyable plot too, well produced and well performed by Christopher. There’s problems with time and tantalising snippets for what’s ahead. I’m so intrigued for more!
July 4, 2021
Chris Eccleston is back and sounding as great as ever. Such a good doctor that we never got enough of it is great that at least he is back for these Big finish productions. I hope he does many many more.
January 8, 2024
A bit confusing to follow, but I enjoyed it. Feels just like Series 1.
March 30, 2024
Ambitious and oftentimes very funny story with fantastic sound design, that is also a bit of a mess. Still loved it very much. And it’s great to have Ecclestone back!
July 2, 2021
Spheres of Freedom
¡El noveno Doctor está de vuelta! Christopher Eccleston retoma su papel en Doctor Who tras 16 años fuera de las pantallas. Es que no sabría decir qué pasó en este primer audio porque estuve distraída todo el rato pensando que por fin teníamos nuevas aventuras del que fue, para muchos, nuestro primer Doctor.
"Spheres of Freedom" funciona de maravilla como introducción a este boxset de "Ravagers". Te introduce de pleno en la acción sin ningún tipo de explicación, algo muy común en los episodios de la serie. Y hablando de los episodios, cuando empieza a sonar la música introductoria de la etapa de Russell T Davies fue un "madre mía, he viajado en el tiempo de vuelta a 2005".
Este primer audio, de los tres que componen el volumen, nos presenta a los que serán los protagonistas de la historia a través de conversaciones y flashbacks. Es una obra importante como introducción a este set, pero no lo suficientemente interesante para funcionar por si sola. Pasan muchas cosas, pero si miras atrás te das cuenta que lo único que hicieron fue ponerte en situación. Eso sí, crea el hype necesario para empezar con ganas el siguiente audio de la colección. ¡Estoy deseando ver cómo continúa la historia!
Cataclysm
Ok... ¿Qué ha pasado? Ya os lo digo yo: nada. Este segundo audio es la descripción teórica de la expresión "nudo de la historia", aunque eso no implique que sea una buena aplicación de la misma. Se desarrolla la aventura, sí, hemos avanzado un poco en la línea temporal; pero nada realmente ha pasado.
El audio como tal está bien, nada del otro mundo, pero es que no ocurre nada interesante, podría haberse resumido en 5 minutos y no te estarías perdiendo nada. Espero sinceramente que mejore en la tercera y última parte porque mi motivación con boxset está por el suelo. Todo el hype que me hizo sentir el audio anterior se ha dispersado por el vórtice temporal.
Food Fight y conclusión
Christopher Eccleston está de nuevo en nuestras pantallas... más o menos. Depende de cómo escuchéis los audios y de lo que consideréis por "estar de vuelta". Su voz, sí, es la misma que en 2005, al igual que la personalidad que le transmitía al noveno Doctor. Las aventuras... Lo dicho, más o menos.
Esta última historia de las tres disponibles en el boxset fue un poco caótica. Conozco personas que se perdieron en las líneas temporales y fueron incapaces de seguir la trama (¡y eso que estamos acostumbrados a ver Doctor Who!). Personalmente fui capaz de seguir el orden en mi cabeza de todos los acontecimientos, pero solo porque estaba prestando suma atención. Dediqué una hora de mi tiempo a escuchar el audio y nada más. Si tu intención es escuchar "Ravagers" mientras haces ejercicio o pones una lavadora, vete olvidando, no lo vas a entender.
"Food Fight" en particular, y "Ravagers" en general, es una historia complicada con una dinámica intrincada. Si prestas la debida atención puedes entender la aventura, aunque lo de disfrutarla ya es un tema aparte. En mi opinión, es todo tan enrevesado que estás más ocupado buscándole el sentido que divirtiéndote con el audiodrama.
Eso sí, las actuaciones magistrales y la nueva companion del noveno para Big Finish, Nova, tiene muchísimo potencial. Espero que el próximo volumen del Doctor sepa satisfacer el hype que teníamos los fans por escuchar la voz de Eccleston de nuevo.
¡El noveno Doctor está de vuelta! Christopher Eccleston retoma su papel en Doctor Who tras 16 años fuera de las pantallas. Es que no sabría decir qué pasó en este primer audio porque estuve distraída todo el rato pensando que por fin teníamos nuevas aventuras del que fue, para muchos, nuestro primer Doctor.
"Spheres of Freedom" funciona de maravilla como introducción a este boxset de "Ravagers". Te introduce de pleno en la acción sin ningún tipo de explicación, algo muy común en los episodios de la serie. Y hablando de los episodios, cuando empieza a sonar la música introductoria de la etapa de Russell T Davies fue un "madre mía, he viajado en el tiempo de vuelta a 2005".
Este primer audio, de los tres que componen el volumen, nos presenta a los que serán los protagonistas de la historia a través de conversaciones y flashbacks. Es una obra importante como introducción a este set, pero no lo suficientemente interesante para funcionar por si sola. Pasan muchas cosas, pero si miras atrás te das cuenta que lo único que hicieron fue ponerte en situación. Eso sí, crea el hype necesario para empezar con ganas el siguiente audio de la colección. ¡Estoy deseando ver cómo continúa la historia!
Cataclysm
Ok... ¿Qué ha pasado? Ya os lo digo yo: nada. Este segundo audio es la descripción teórica de la expresión "nudo de la historia", aunque eso no implique que sea una buena aplicación de la misma. Se desarrolla la aventura, sí, hemos avanzado un poco en la línea temporal; pero nada realmente ha pasado.
El audio como tal está bien, nada del otro mundo, pero es que no ocurre nada interesante, podría haberse resumido en 5 minutos y no te estarías perdiendo nada. Espero sinceramente que mejore en la tercera y última parte porque mi motivación con boxset está por el suelo. Todo el hype que me hizo sentir el audio anterior se ha dispersado por el vórtice temporal.
Food Fight y conclusión
Christopher Eccleston está de nuevo en nuestras pantallas... más o menos. Depende de cómo escuchéis los audios y de lo que consideréis por "estar de vuelta". Su voz, sí, es la misma que en 2005, al igual que la personalidad que le transmitía al noveno Doctor. Las aventuras... Lo dicho, más o menos.
Esta última historia de las tres disponibles en el boxset fue un poco caótica. Conozco personas que se perdieron en las líneas temporales y fueron incapaces de seguir la trama (¡y eso que estamos acostumbrados a ver Doctor Who!). Personalmente fui capaz de seguir el orden en mi cabeza de todos los acontecimientos, pero solo porque estaba prestando suma atención. Dediqué una hora de mi tiempo a escuchar el audio y nada más. Si tu intención es escuchar "Ravagers" mientras haces ejercicio o pones una lavadora, vete olvidando, no lo vas a entender.
"Food Fight" en particular, y "Ravagers" en general, es una historia complicada con una dinámica intrincada. Si prestas la debida atención puedes entender la aventura, aunque lo de disfrutarla ya es un tema aparte. En mi opinión, es todo tan enrevesado que estás más ocupado buscándole el sentido que divirtiéndote con el audiodrama.
Eso sí, las actuaciones magistrales y la nueva companion del noveno para Big Finish, Nova, tiene muchísimo potencial. Espero que el próximo volumen del Doctor sepa satisfacer el hype que teníamos los fans por escuchar la voz de Eccleston de nuevo.
July 26, 2021
Il primo cofanetto dedicato al nono Dottore, interpretato nuovamente da Christopher Eccleston, scritto da Nicholas Briggs, è una singola storia divisa in tre episodi.
1.1 Sphere of Freedom
Il Dottore si trova su un pianeta risulta essere la sede di un gigantesco gioco virtuale.
Saltando avanti e indietro nel tempo, la narrazione si sposta dalla Sphere of Freedom alla Terra, in diversi momenti temporali, colpita da anomalie temporali di origine sconosciuta.
Grazie all'aiuto di Nova, nuova companion per la serie, e ad un gruppo di soldati dislocati da diversi piani temporali, il Dottore cerca di individuare la fonte dei disturbi temporali, collegata alla misteriosa Audrey.
1.2 Cataclysm
Dislocata nel tempo, Nova si trova in balia di droni assassini, mentre i vari soldati dislocati nel tempo continuano a combattere per la loro vita.
Il Dottore si mette in cerca di Nova, cercando di individuare Audrey e di riportare il tempo sui giusti binari.
Ovviamente tutto andrà storto, permettendoci però di incontrare i misteriosi Ravagers del titolo.
1.3 Food Fight
La parte finale è tutta dedicata alla ricerca di una soluzione contro la fine del tempo stesso.
Con salti temporali, poca collaborazione tra i vari ospiti del Tardis e una soluzione che richiama precedenti avventure, Jon si può dire che la storia non tenga incollati alle cuffie.
Questo primo boxset ci riporta un nono Dottore in forma e Eccleston perfettamente a suo agio nel ruolo interpretato quindici anni fa.
La trama è timey whimey all'ennesima potenza, come capita spesso con le storia scritte da Briggs. Ma, avendo la pazienza di arrivare in fondo, si troverà che il tutto è perfettamente incastrato e soddisfacente.
Vista la conclusione della vicenda, suppongo che il secondo boxset (Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures - Respond to All Calls) ci introdurrà ad una nuova avventura.
1.1 Sphere of Freedom
Il Dottore si trova su un pianeta risulta essere la sede di un gigantesco gioco virtuale.
Saltando avanti e indietro nel tempo, la narrazione si sposta dalla Sphere of Freedom alla Terra, in diversi momenti temporali, colpita da anomalie temporali di origine sconosciuta.
Grazie all'aiuto di Nova, nuova companion per la serie, e ad un gruppo di soldati dislocati da diversi piani temporali, il Dottore cerca di individuare la fonte dei disturbi temporali, collegata alla misteriosa Audrey.
1.2 Cataclysm
Dislocata nel tempo, Nova si trova in balia di droni assassini, mentre i vari soldati dislocati nel tempo continuano a combattere per la loro vita.
Il Dottore si mette in cerca di Nova, cercando di individuare Audrey e di riportare il tempo sui giusti binari.
Ovviamente tutto andrà storto, permettendoci però di incontrare i misteriosi Ravagers del titolo.
1.3 Food Fight
La parte finale è tutta dedicata alla ricerca di una soluzione contro la fine del tempo stesso.
Con salti temporali, poca collaborazione tra i vari ospiti del Tardis e una soluzione che richiama precedenti avventure, Jon si può dire che la storia non tenga incollati alle cuffie.
Questo primo boxset ci riporta un nono Dottore in forma e Eccleston perfettamente a suo agio nel ruolo interpretato quindici anni fa.
La trama è timey whimey all'ennesima potenza, come capita spesso con le storia scritte da Briggs. Ma, avendo la pazienza di arrivare in fondo, si troverà che il tutto è perfettamente incastrato e soddisfacente.
Vista la conclusione della vicenda, suppongo che il secondo boxset (Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures - Respond to All Calls) ci introdurrà ad una nuova avventura.
May 19, 2021
DOCTOR WHO: RAVAGERS: SPHERE OF FREEDOM
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 8
REPLAYABILITY: 6
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 7
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
Here we are then, listening to a full-cast audio drama with Christopher Eccleston back as the Doctor after a 15-year break from the role. 'Ravagers' sees Nicholas Briggs depict a younger, pre-Rose version of Nine in three connected adventures, the first of which introduces us to new companion Nova.
The first story begins in the middle of things and seems to lack a clear structure, meaning that it feels challenging to get into. Additionally, some of the dialogue is so fast-paced that keeping up with it requires real work. I don't know whether it's down to the writing, the editing or some mix of them both, but Sphere of Freedom is unusually messy and difficult to grasp for a BF production, which is a shame.
I'm so happy and satisfied to hear Eccleston back, and he brings with him ferocious and youthful energy almost as if he had never been away. Briggs mixes the scarred and cynic Doctor from Series 1 with a fresh take, allowing Eccleston to bring out as of yet unexplored sides of the short-lived incarnation. Parts of Nine's characterisation feel closer to David Tennant's Doctor than the Nine from TV, but I can overlook that. Eccleston also manages to bring out a more youthful version of his Doctor, despite being 15 years older, which is a testament to his skill as an actor.
Beeput makes a promising debut, even though her part in this first story remains pretty minor. She does fit Eccleston's energetic performance well enough, though. The other actors don't stand out particularly. The soundscapes are fine, even though I find the strange echo effect present throughout the story jarring. It feels as if this story (and the overall set) was rushed into production to get it out as quickly as possible, and thus the production suffers somewhat.
----
DOCTOR WHO: RAVAGERS: CATACLYSM
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 8
REPLAYABILITY: 5
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 6
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
Continuing directly from where 'Sphere of Freedom' left off, 'Cataclysm' shifts the focus slightly, allowing for some extended sequences with Nova. It also continues developing Audrey as a mysterious and engaging character. Nova and Audrey are intriguing enough to work as supporting characters next to Eccleston's Doctor, even if I'm getting the feeling that writer Nicholas Briggs isn't completely sure how to use them in the story.
While the script continues to flesh out and deepen the ongoing arc of the set, I was hoping we’d get some callbacks to the Time War to allow the doctor to reflect on his past the way he does during Series 1. This set feels very disconnected from the TV series, unlike, say, the three Tenth Doctor Adventures sets that have been released so far. That being said, I like how the script plays around with time streams and time eddies, even though these also are a constant source of headache as you're trying to sort out how things are connected.
The plot doesn’t clear things up particularly, still moving along with a fierce energy that’s hard to keep up with. The dialogue is overwritten and unnatural, which means you'll have a hard time understanding what's going on. I like the growing tension, though, and the way the stakes are raised for the final story on the set. The production feels rushed on 'Cataclysm' as well and the performances don't stand out particularly, except for Eccleston's Doctor.
----
DOCTOR WHO: RAVAGERS: FOOD FIGHT
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 7
PERFORMANCES: 9
REPLAYABILITY: 8
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 7
OVERALL: 8
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
The aptly titled 'Food Fight' brings the plot threads of this first set together nicely, stuffing the TARDIS full with people from across time and space and featuring some hilarious banter and character moments that alone make it the best story on the set. Meanwhile, Audrey's plan reaches its sinister zenith, which leads to some great moments between her and a defiant Doctor, something akin to Nine's first meeting with the Daleks from the TV show.
The ending is wonderfully upbeat and fun, setting up the future nicely and promising more (hopefully) fun adventures with Nine and Nova. As for Nova, I feel she isn't allowed to develop much throughout this set, mostly because she has to share the spotlight with Audrey. I am intrigued enough to want to learn more about her, though.
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 8
REPLAYABILITY: 6
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 7
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
Here we are then, listening to a full-cast audio drama with Christopher Eccleston back as the Doctor after a 15-year break from the role. 'Ravagers' sees Nicholas Briggs depict a younger, pre-Rose version of Nine in three connected adventures, the first of which introduces us to new companion Nova.
The first story begins in the middle of things and seems to lack a clear structure, meaning that it feels challenging to get into. Additionally, some of the dialogue is so fast-paced that keeping up with it requires real work. I don't know whether it's down to the writing, the editing or some mix of them both, but Sphere of Freedom is unusually messy and difficult to grasp for a BF production, which is a shame.
I'm so happy and satisfied to hear Eccleston back, and he brings with him ferocious and youthful energy almost as if he had never been away. Briggs mixes the scarred and cynic Doctor from Series 1 with a fresh take, allowing Eccleston to bring out as of yet unexplored sides of the short-lived incarnation. Parts of Nine's characterisation feel closer to David Tennant's Doctor than the Nine from TV, but I can overlook that. Eccleston also manages to bring out a more youthful version of his Doctor, despite being 15 years older, which is a testament to his skill as an actor.
Beeput makes a promising debut, even though her part in this first story remains pretty minor. She does fit Eccleston's energetic performance well enough, though. The other actors don't stand out particularly. The soundscapes are fine, even though I find the strange echo effect present throughout the story jarring. It feels as if this story (and the overall set) was rushed into production to get it out as quickly as possible, and thus the production suffers somewhat.
----
DOCTOR WHO: RAVAGERS: CATACLYSM
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 8
REPLAYABILITY: 5
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 6
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
Continuing directly from where 'Sphere of Freedom' left off, 'Cataclysm' shifts the focus slightly, allowing for some extended sequences with Nova. It also continues developing Audrey as a mysterious and engaging character. Nova and Audrey are intriguing enough to work as supporting characters next to Eccleston's Doctor, even if I'm getting the feeling that writer Nicholas Briggs isn't completely sure how to use them in the story.
While the script continues to flesh out and deepen the ongoing arc of the set, I was hoping we’d get some callbacks to the Time War to allow the doctor to reflect on his past the way he does during Series 1. This set feels very disconnected from the TV series, unlike, say, the three Tenth Doctor Adventures sets that have been released so far. That being said, I like how the script plays around with time streams and time eddies, even though these also are a constant source of headache as you're trying to sort out how things are connected.
The plot doesn’t clear things up particularly, still moving along with a fierce energy that’s hard to keep up with. The dialogue is overwritten and unnatural, which means you'll have a hard time understanding what's going on. I like the growing tension, though, and the way the stakes are raised for the final story on the set. The production feels rushed on 'Cataclysm' as well and the performances don't stand out particularly, except for Eccleston's Doctor.
----
DOCTOR WHO: RAVAGERS: FOOD FIGHT
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Camilla Beeput, Jayne McKenna
Released in May 2021
PLOT: 7
PERFORMANCES: 9
REPLAYABILITY: 8
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 7
OVERALL: 8
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
The aptly titled 'Food Fight' brings the plot threads of this first set together nicely, stuffing the TARDIS full with people from across time and space and featuring some hilarious banter and character moments that alone make it the best story on the set. Meanwhile, Audrey's plan reaches its sinister zenith, which leads to some great moments between her and a defiant Doctor, something akin to Nine's first meeting with the Daleks from the TV show.
The ending is wonderfully upbeat and fun, setting up the future nicely and promising more (hopefully) fun adventures with Nine and Nova. As for Nova, I feel she isn't allowed to develop much throughout this set, mostly because she has to share the spotlight with Audrey. I am intrigued enough to want to learn more about her, though.
December 19, 2021
After it was announced last year that Christopher Ecclestone would be returning as The Ninth Doctor to Big Finish this release had a huge excitement behind it and everyone was wondering how it was going to all play out and finally at long last it's here and I'm getting round to listening to it!
Sphere of Freedom:
The Doctor after detecting traces of time eddies goes about the known universe and history itself to find out what is causing it, he meets new friends Nova and Audrey on the way whilst Roman legions battle in Piccadilly Circus back in the war. But it seems a mysterious business that creates immersive reality games is behind it all but why?
This was a really fun start with The Doctor bringing the character Audrey and the listener up to speed on what's going on and how time itself seems to be splitting around him. I really liked the way they set up Audrey's character in this and Nova seems like a really exciting companion to have onboard as well. My only problem with this is the fact I didn't realize at first that this segment was The Doctor telling Audrey what had happened previously until halfway through so either I wasn't paying too much attention or this was an issue with the writing itself, but other than that really fun. 8/10
Cataclysm:
Now this is more like it, I like how the set was set up to be this fun but complicated adventure but now we're really getting into the meat of things. This is very all over the place admittedly but I feel how it was done all made sense and I'm sure will start to come all together once the final episode is in motion.
Heading into certain doom The Doctor has to find a way out of his predicament whilst slowly trying to figure out what started all this in the first place and is our villain truly all that evil or is there more to it than meets the eye? Meanwhile, Nova finds herself in a mysterious world where a squadron of robots wants to cleanse her brain of intelligence.
I really enjoyed this episode and found it bloody exciting to be really honest, I love it when Big Finish does complex timey-wimey stories like these and I'm so glad their not going for a very simple but bland story for Nine's introduction simply because that's what they did with 10 and in my personal opinion didn't go so well, so I'm so glad Nicholas Briggs has decided to go for something with more meat on its bones because it really is something exciting but epic! 8.5/10
Food Fight:
The finale of this set had a lot to live up to with all that had been set up beforehand but luckily Nicholas Briggs had it all planned out from the start and this convoluted time travel story comes together in a brilliant fashion!
With the universe slowly coming to an end, Audrey is haunted by a phantom Doctor whilst his friends are ready to help him save the day and to stop The Ravagers.
This was a very clever way to tie up the set and unlike some very convoluted Doctor Who stories, it all makes sense. This is the Briggs I have absolutely missed, it's not very often when we get some creative stories from this man so it's lovely to see him having so much fun and imagination with Nine! But overall this boxset was brilliant with a fantastic cast, superb writing for the most part, and an exciting epic to bring back Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. Fantastic!! 9/10
Sphere of Freedom:
The Doctor after detecting traces of time eddies goes about the known universe and history itself to find out what is causing it, he meets new friends Nova and Audrey on the way whilst Roman legions battle in Piccadilly Circus back in the war. But it seems a mysterious business that creates immersive reality games is behind it all but why?
This was a really fun start with The Doctor bringing the character Audrey and the listener up to speed on what's going on and how time itself seems to be splitting around him. I really liked the way they set up Audrey's character in this and Nova seems like a really exciting companion to have onboard as well. My only problem with this is the fact I didn't realize at first that this segment was The Doctor telling Audrey what had happened previously until halfway through so either I wasn't paying too much attention or this was an issue with the writing itself, but other than that really fun. 8/10
Cataclysm:
Now this is more like it, I like how the set was set up to be this fun but complicated adventure but now we're really getting into the meat of things. This is very all over the place admittedly but I feel how it was done all made sense and I'm sure will start to come all together once the final episode is in motion.
Heading into certain doom The Doctor has to find a way out of his predicament whilst slowly trying to figure out what started all this in the first place and is our villain truly all that evil or is there more to it than meets the eye? Meanwhile, Nova finds herself in a mysterious world where a squadron of robots wants to cleanse her brain of intelligence.
I really enjoyed this episode and found it bloody exciting to be really honest, I love it when Big Finish does complex timey-wimey stories like these and I'm so glad their not going for a very simple but bland story for Nine's introduction simply because that's what they did with 10 and in my personal opinion didn't go so well, so I'm so glad Nicholas Briggs has decided to go for something with more meat on its bones because it really is something exciting but epic! 8.5/10
Food Fight:
The finale of this set had a lot to live up to with all that had been set up beforehand but luckily Nicholas Briggs had it all planned out from the start and this convoluted time travel story comes together in a brilliant fashion!
With the universe slowly coming to an end, Audrey is haunted by a phantom Doctor whilst his friends are ready to help him save the day and to stop The Ravagers.
This was a very clever way to tie up the set and unlike some very convoluted Doctor Who stories, it all makes sense. This is the Briggs I have absolutely missed, it's not very often when we get some creative stories from this man so it's lovely to see him having so much fun and imagination with Nine! But overall this boxset was brilliant with a fantastic cast, superb writing for the most part, and an exciting epic to bring back Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. Fantastic!! 9/10
May 14, 2021
This is it! Christopher Eccleston's triumphant return to Doctor Who. And... it's good. It's fun, Eccleston feels like he never left, the sound design and production values are top notch. But, it has a timey-wimey feeling to it that while it works out by the end, can be a bit confusing, especially towards the start.
I enjoyed it and found Eccleston to be in fine form. However, all three stories are in reality just one big super-story, as opposed to being three separate stories that happen to be sequential and/or linked together in an arc. According to the CD Extras (which are totally worth listening to), this won't be the case for most if not all of the remaining announced sets. The complaint that I'd have, besides the timey-wimey-ness and potential confusion of the plot, especially at first, is in the companion (or more accurately, the character filling the companion role), Nova.
In the end though, this was still enjoyable and worth the listen. It is new Doctor Who with Christoper Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and just because it's on audio and not on TV doesn't make it any less Doctor Who. It's full-cast, with good actors and sound design. Is it a good jumping on point for someone who's never tried Big Finish? I don't know. Audio drama, while very good, can be something of an acquired taste. And the timey-wimey, non-linear storytelling here, plus the fact that the whole boxset is one long story broken into three episodes, may turn people off. That said, I still think it's a worthy addition to Big Finish's catalog and it's fantastic to hear Eccleston back in the role.
I enjoyed it and found Eccleston to be in fine form. However, all three stories are in reality just one big super-story, as opposed to being three separate stories that happen to be sequential and/or linked together in an arc. According to the CD Extras (which are totally worth listening to), this won't be the case for most if not all of the remaining announced sets. The complaint that I'd have, besides the timey-wimey-ness and potential confusion of the plot, especially at first, is in the companion (or more accurately, the character filling the companion role), Nova.
In the end though, this was still enjoyable and worth the listen. It is new Doctor Who with Christoper Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and just because it's on audio and not on TV doesn't make it any less Doctor Who. It's full-cast, with good actors and sound design. Is it a good jumping on point for someone who's never tried Big Finish? I don't know. Audio drama, while very good, can be something of an acquired taste. And the timey-wimey, non-linear storytelling here, plus the fact that the whole boxset is one long story broken into three episodes, may turn people off. That said, I still think it's a worthy addition to Big Finish's catalog and it's fantastic to hear Eccleston back in the role.
May 14, 2021
Not groundbreaking, but fun to listen to. It’s great to have Chris back in Doctor Who. In fact, for a while, he was the last Doctor around that I ever thought would do Big Finish, and it turns out he beat Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi to the punch!
Some of the time-related stuff can be tough to follow, but I love the banter. Especially when The Doctor says he’s not a nice man and then is told that he is. There are Roman centurions, and I appreciate that they didn’t shoehorn in a Rory cameo somehow.
According to the behind the scenes track, these Ravagers box sets take place in the early days of the Ninth Doctor, before he ever meets Roses I really appreciate this approach. I’ve found that some of my favorite Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctor stories outside of the show are the ones where they have unfamiliar companions. Looking forward to future box sets, and let’s hope that Nine can appear in multi-Doctor stories.
Some of the time-related stuff can be tough to follow, but I love the banter. Especially when The Doctor says he’s not a nice man and then is told that he is. There are Roman centurions, and I appreciate that they didn’t shoehorn in a Rory cameo somehow.
According to the behind the scenes track, these Ravagers box sets take place in the early days of the Ninth Doctor, before he ever meets Roses I really appreciate this approach. I’ve found that some of my favorite Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctor stories outside of the show are the ones where they have unfamiliar companions. Looking forward to future box sets, and let’s hope that Nine can appear in multi-Doctor stories.
November 12, 2023
The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) while not my favorite version of The Doctor, is still a phenomenal character. This audioplay "Ravagers" was among the first Big Finish Doctor Who stories I listened to. Bit unclear when it takes place, before Nine meet Rose or in that "brief" bit of time when he travel for a 100 years in the 30 seconds in between when Rose saw him. Either way, more Doctor Who with Eccleston is nice. This collection of 3 stories is fine, The Doctor stumbles upon a video game that snatches people from various times and makes them fight one another. It's got traces of the TV episodes that Eccleston did but still feeling a bit unique. It's got some confusing out of order time travel misadventures fans have come to expect from New Who as well.
Ultimately barring some issues with the audio in some sections, this is a solid Big Finish story and it was fun hearing Eccleston voicing the Doctor he played only so briefly.
Ultimately barring some issues with the audio in some sections, this is a solid Big Finish story and it was fun hearing Eccleston voicing the Doctor he played only so briefly.
November 28, 2021
1 Sphere of Freedom ⭐️: 4/5
ドクターは1959年のロンドンに突如ローマ時代の兵士たちが出現した事象を解決しようと試みていた。タイムエディを使用したこういった現象が頻発しており、ドクターは犯人を突き止めようとしていた。ローマの兵士たちを説得しているうちにタイムエディの波を感じ取り、ドクターはそれをたどってターディスを飛ばす。辿り着いたのはフリーダム・スクエアというリアリティゲームを展開する施設だった。そこで働くシェフのノバと出会いノバに協力してもらいタイム・エディを止めようとするが、計画通りにいかずのばはタイム・エディによってどこかに飛ばされてしまい、ドクターも、ゲーム会社のCEOオードリーによってタイム・エディによって超新星の元に飛ばされてしまう。
とても面白かった！
9thドクター、めちゃくちゃかっこよくてエクルストンさんがBig Finishに参戦する気になってくれて本当に嬉しいなとしみじみ。
ドラマの時以上にとってもドクターっぽくて続きを聞くのが楽しみでたまらない。
Cataclysm
タイムエディの影響でドクターのタイムラインも狂い出していることが判明。
オードリーとドクターの関係も徐々に明かになっていく。
FoodFight
Ravegersの食欲を満たし、この宇宙の崩壊を防ぐ目的で作られたゲーム。オードリーは世界の危機にいち早く気がつきどうにか食い止めようとしていた。そしてそのシステムを作る手伝いをドクターがする。
タイムラインの流れ通りにこれまでの物語が展開。そのピースのハマりぶりは見事だったと思う。
9thドクターとノヴァのラストが可愛い。
9thドクター、これからの作品がめちゃくちゃ楽しみ！
ドクターは1959年のロンドンに突如ローマ時代の兵士たちが出現した事象を解決しようと試みていた。タイムエディを使用したこういった現象が頻発しており、ドクターは犯人を突き止めようとしていた。ローマの兵士たちを説得しているうちにタイムエディの波を感じ取り、ドクターはそれをたどってターディスを飛ばす。辿り着いたのはフリーダム・スクエアというリアリティゲームを展開する施設だった。そこで働くシェフのノバと出会いノバに協力してもらいタイム・エディを止めようとするが、計画通りにいかずのばはタイム・エディによってどこかに飛ばされてしまい、ドクターも、ゲーム会社のCEOオードリーによってタイム・エディによって超新星の元に飛ばされてしまう。
とても面白かった！
9thドクター、めちゃくちゃかっこよくてエクルストンさんがBig Finishに参戦する気になってくれて本当に嬉しいなとしみじみ。
ドラマの時以上にとってもドクターっぽくて続きを聞くのが楽しみでたまらない。
Cataclysm
タイムエディの影響でドクターのタイムラインも狂い出していることが判明。
オードリーとドクターの関係も徐々に明かになっていく。
FoodFight
Ravegersの食欲を満たし、この宇宙の崩壊を防ぐ目的で作られたゲーム。オードリーは世界の危機にいち早く気がつきどうにか食い止めようとしていた。そしてそのシステムを作る手伝いをドクターがする。
タイムラインの流れ通りにこれまでの物語が展開。そのピースのハマりぶりは見事だったと思う。
9thドクターとノヴァのラストが可愛い。
9thドクター、これからの作品がめちゃくちゃ楽しみ！
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2023
So great to hear Eccleston back as the doctor again. Took me a second to get used to his voice in the role but by the end I was hanging on to every word.
Some of the time bouncing, non-chronological narrative stuff was a little much, even with how much I enjoy that generally. But I accidentally listened to half of Part 3 (Food Fight) right after Part 1 without realizing I had mixed up the order. And the fact that it didn’t immediately stand out makes me think there’s a little too much confusion for the sake of it. Also Audrey’s change in demeanor from part 1 to part 2 is a little hard to swallow.
But overall it was brilliant. Looking forward to more Eccleston as the doctor. Something I never thought I would be able to say.
Some of the time bouncing, non-chronological narrative stuff was a little much, even with how much I enjoy that generally. But I accidentally listened to half of Part 3 (Food Fight) right after Part 1 without realizing I had mixed up the order. And the fact that it didn’t immediately stand out makes me think there’s a little too much confusion for the sake of it. Also Audrey’s change in demeanor from part 1 to part 2 is a little hard to swallow.
But overall it was brilliant. Looking forward to more Eccleston as the doctor. Something I never thought I would be able to say.
May 19, 2021
When Dr Who returned with Eccleston it was short, sharp and to the point. A vague story arc but otherwise 50 minutes of standalone stories.
This is anything but. A 50 minutes story stretched over three long episode. Sad as there is a good story trying to get out, even with a Moffat-esque resolution.
It could be my listening device but the audio was awful. Hardly hear anything over the noise, the first five minutes of eps 1 especially.
I've rated it as as average as the premise of the story was good and the difficulty of hearing what was going on could have been my device (though it's perfectly fine with other audios).
This is anything but. A 50 minutes story stretched over three long episode. Sad as there is a good story trying to get out, even with a Moffat-esque resolution.
It could be my listening device but the audio was awful. Hardly hear anything over the noise, the first five minutes of eps 1 especially.
I've rated it as as average as the premise of the story was good and the difficulty of hearing what was going on could have been my device (though it's perfectly fine with other audios).
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