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Doctor Who: Dalek Universe #0
Doctor Who: Dalek Universe - The Dalek Protocol
The Earth mission to Exxilon is nearing completion after many long years. Enough parrinium has been mined to stop the spread of the deadly space plague. But suddenly, the power-draining beacon from the Exxilon city is inexplicably reactivated, stranding the humans.
The Doctor, Leela and K9 are stuck too, right on top of the remains of the city – under attack!
Somewhere nearby, the android agent Mark Seven is enacting his secret orders while the Doctor’s estranged future companion, Anya Kingdom, is hoping for redemption.
And heading inexorably towards them all… the Daleks!
The Doctor, Leela and K9 are stuck too, right on top of the remains of the city – under attack!
Somewhere nearby, the android agent Mark Seven is enacting his secret orders while the Doctor’s estranged future companion, Anya Kingdom, is hoping for redemption.
And heading inexorably towards them all… the Daleks!
Audiobook
First published April 13, 2021
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About the author
Nicholas Briggs
376 books133 followersNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 8, 2021
A deadly space plague is infecting everyone, including the Daleks. This serves as both a sequel to Death to the Daleks and more importantly, as a prequel to the Dalek Universe. The plot is a bit weak as a standalone story to be honest. But that’s not what this story is about. The story does what it needs to do, introduce or reintroduce Mark Seven and Anya Kingdom to the audience. And with the fourth doctor and Leela added to the mix, you really can’t go wrong. It also does whet your appetite for the hopefully incredible adventure that is yet to come in the Dalek Universe.
July 6, 2021
Capitolo zero di Dalek Universe, nuova serie audio della Big Finish.
Dieci avventure che, partendo da un episodio con il quarto Dottore, coinvolgeranno prevalentemente il decimo.
In questo capitolo di apertura il Dottore di Tom Baker, accompagnato da Leela e K9, si ritrova come sempre nei guai.
Ritroviamo molti elementi conosciuti, a partire dal pianeta e dai suoi abitanti, già
visti nel serial Death to the Daleks, con il terzo Dottore e Sarah Jane.
Incontriamo poi Anya Kingdom, agente del Space Security Service e nipote di Sara Kingdom e Bret Vyon (sfortunati companion del primo Dottore nel serial Daleks' Master Plan), già conosciuta in altri audio del quarto Dottore ambientati successivamente a questo.
Ritroviamo anche Mark Seven, androide comparso in vari fumetti, accanto a Sara Kingdom, e in Queen of the Mechonoids, ultima avventura dell'ottavo boxset di River Song, accanto alla stessa Anya Kingdom.
I Dalek compaiono quasi di straforo, fondamentali per la storia ma non eccessivamente presenti.
Pur non avendo ascoltato le precedenti avventure dei vari personaggi non ho avuto problemi a gradire storia e personaggi. Anche i riferimenti ai serial della Classica sono interessanti ma, se non si sono visti, non intralciano l'ascolto.
La trama è solito caos timey whimey, con l'aggiunta dell'immancabile piano dei Dalek di sterminare tutti.
Vedremo nei prossimi audio come questa storia, creata molto prima della nascita della serie, sarà collegata ai boxset del decimo Dottore.
Dieci avventure che, partendo da un episodio con il quarto Dottore, coinvolgeranno prevalentemente il decimo.
In questo capitolo di apertura il Dottore di Tom Baker, accompagnato da Leela e K9, si ritrova come sempre nei guai.
Ritroviamo molti elementi conosciuti, a partire dal pianeta e dai suoi abitanti, già
visti nel serial Death to the Daleks, con il terzo Dottore e Sarah Jane.
Incontriamo poi Anya Kingdom, agente del Space Security Service e nipote di Sara Kingdom e Bret Vyon (sfortunati companion del primo Dottore nel serial Daleks' Master Plan), già conosciuta in altri audio del quarto Dottore ambientati successivamente a questo.
Ritroviamo anche Mark Seven, androide comparso in vari fumetti, accanto a Sara Kingdom, e in Queen of the Mechonoids, ultima avventura dell'ottavo boxset di River Song, accanto alla stessa Anya Kingdom.
I Dalek compaiono quasi di straforo, fondamentali per la storia ma non eccessivamente presenti.
Pur non avendo ascoltato le precedenti avventure dei vari personaggi non ho avuto problemi a gradire storia e personaggi. Anche i riferimenti ai serial della Classica sono interessanti ma, se non si sono visti, non intralciano l'ascolto.
La trama è solito caos timey whimey, con l'aggiunta dell'immancabile piano dei Dalek di sterminare tutti.
Vedremo nei prossimi audio come questa storia, creata molto prima della nascita della serie, sarà collegata ai boxset del decimo Dottore.
May 9, 2023
ドクターがターディスの目的地をいつも知らないことからターディスの操縦ができないのではないかと疑うリーラを納得させるためにこれまで行ったことのある場所リストの中からリーラが好きなところを選びきちんとそこに辿り着けるか試すことにする。
ドクターとリーラとK9は謎のビーコンに引き寄せられ蔓延しているウィルスにきく薬をつくる成分を採掘しにきている地球人のことを快く思わない派と採掘の代わりに地球人が提供してくれる技術で生活を向上させることを受け入れる派で分裂しかかっている部族と出会う。反対派は地球人を追い出そうと異星人のテクノロジーを借りていたがその異星人とはダーレクだった。
ダーレクの洗脳を受けたマーク7が本来の自分を取り戻そうとする。
アーニャは将来ドクターと旅をすることになるらしく、リーラのことも知っている。リーラはいつか自分がドクターの元を去ることになるのがショックだったようでそこが切なかった。
しかし今回実はダーレクもウィルスにやられて治療薬が必要だったというのはなんだか意外な感じがした。まぁ治すというよりは抗体をもった種族をつくるということなんだろうけれど。
アーニャとマーク7コンビは結構好き。
ドクターとリーラとK9は謎のビーコンに引き寄せられ蔓延しているウィルスにきく薬をつくる成分を採掘しにきている地球人のことを快く思わない派と採掘の代わりに地球人が提供してくれる技術で生活を向上させることを受け入れる派で分裂しかかっている部族と出会う。反対派は地球人を追い出そうと異星人のテクノロジーを借りていたがその異星人とはダーレクだった。
ダーレクの洗脳を受けたマーク7が本来の自分を取り戻そうとする。
アーニャは将来ドクターと旅をすることになるらしく、リーラのことも知っている。リーラはいつか自分がドクターの元を去ることになるのがショックだったようでそこが切なかった。
しかし今回実はダーレクもウィルスにやられて治療薬が必要だったというのはなんだか意外な感じがした。まぁ治すというよりは抗体をもった種族をつくるということなんだろうけれど。
アーニャとマーク7コンビは結構好き。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2021
Well, this was fine.
Yes, it is not the best thing Briggs has written, but it is also far from the worst.
Nice little adventure with 4, Leela and K9.
Good performances by the leads.
Yes, it is not the best thing Briggs has written, but it is also far from the worst.
Nice little adventure with 4, Leela and K9.
Good performances by the leads.
April 20, 2024
A somewhat decent prequel to Dalek Universe.
July 10, 2021
This was fun but, at least for me, there was nothing special here.
October 10, 2021
There are a lot of good things about this story, the Fourth Doctor & Leela, the Daleks, Mark Seven and Anya Kingdom. First of all there's the Daleks and the fact that this story is a sequel to the televised story Death to the Daleks. Like Death to the Daleks this story takes place on the planet Exxilon; it also revisits the plague storyline from Death to the Daleks.
This is also a fun adventure for fans of classic Doctor Who because it features the Fourth Doctor & Leela facing off against the Daleks. The Daleks only ever featured in two of Tom Baker's televised adventures.
The plot may be about dealing with a plague, but the main story is really about Mark Seven and Anya Kingdom. Mark Seven is an android character originally created by Terry Nation for his proposed Dalek tv series and featured in some Dalek annuals. Can an android overcome his programing? Good question which is answered here.
Including Anya Kingdom in this story is a nice touch as she is a future companion who is meeting her Doctor before he has met her; I know " time travel, head hurts" Anya goes out of her way to avoid interacting with The Doctor, but does have a wonderful scene with Leela where Anya admits that she will travel with The Doctor, but only after Leela has left the Doctor and both reflect on what that means before Anya begs Leela to say nothing to the Doctor about meeting Anya.
The story itself may be average with a predictable Dalek defeat, but thanks to Anya and Mark it has some emotional impact and is worth listening to.
This is also a fun adventure for fans of classic Doctor Who because it features the Fourth Doctor & Leela facing off against the Daleks. The Daleks only ever featured in two of Tom Baker's televised adventures.
The plot may be about dealing with a plague, but the main story is really about Mark Seven and Anya Kingdom. Mark Seven is an android character originally created by Terry Nation for his proposed Dalek tv series and featured in some Dalek annuals. Can an android overcome his programing? Good question which is answered here.
Including Anya Kingdom in this story is a nice touch as she is a future companion who is meeting her Doctor before he has met her; I know " time travel, head hurts" Anya goes out of her way to avoid interacting with The Doctor, but does have a wonderful scene with Leela where Anya admits that she will travel with The Doctor, but only after Leela has left the Doctor and both reflect on what that means before Anya begs Leela to say nothing to the Doctor about meeting Anya.
The story itself may be average with a predictable Dalek defeat, but thanks to Anya and Mark it has some emotional impact and is worth listening to.
April 25, 2021
Gorgeous soundscapes and some nice action. The cast includes old favourites Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Jane Slavin, all of whom are on their normal top-form. Joe Sims joins the cast as Mark Seven (technically this isn't his first outing as the character as he featured in the recent River Song boxset which is annoyingly not referenced here which is a bit of a blunder) and his character is well-acted and compelling to listen to. The plot of the story isn't very fast paced and its a sequel to Death to the Daleks, one of my least favourite classic-Dalek stories. This does pose well for the future of the Dalek Universe sets though. 3 stars.
August 8, 2021
"Death to the Daleks" has never been a personal favourite of mine, however I do believe it has a lot of great stuff/ideas in it and I like what it sets up with the space plague which would eventually be explored and finished in Dalek Empire series 3. So already the Dalek universe has a problem. We know the ending already and it's a bloody good one and incredibly creepy/horrific for the Daleks. So I'm actually worried this is a big finish recon. Replacing that great story with the Movellans (who are never going to look badass) and Davros taking over in boxset 3. I really hope this doesn't happen as it will make the Daleks look poor and side fiddles rather than the evil, manipulated ending in Dalek Empire 3. But I could be wrong. I just think I'd be annoyed listening to this boxset series and still not have the answer. Plus it shows the problem with big finish today. Dragging a story out for 3 boxsets when the original was done in one series but we'll see but I don't think I'll get much out of this.
There is a lot of references here to the Dalek Empire series and the outter world's. We see in Dalek Empire series 3 how the Daleks created this plague as a weapon that backfired on them and eventually managed to find a cure that mutated humans into Daleks. The Daleks make a fake pace relationship with humanity, all to trick them. So if you listen to this story carefully it reveals where those ideas came from. Which as a massive fan of that series I utterly loved.
This story does feel like a "Death to the Daleks" re-write in order to set up/make the story work better, and for me it's a better death story. And possibly Tom Bakers best Dalek audio. It's good fun, it's paced very well at times and had some amazing moments and surprisingly great characters. Like others have said, the story is nothing new/groundbreaking but it's story telling felt different enough to enjoy
The whole story here is the Daleks trying to steal the purinum for themselves and stop the humans from getting it. Allowing the city to be rebuilt for the Exxilon leader to gets his revenge with the humans. However earth are tired of this waiting and squabbling between the two, so decided to blow up the base to stop it and work with ballel.
I enjoyed the story, I really like how big finish was able to make the Exxilons actual characters here with the anger towards humanity and it worked brilliant with Leela. She gets an excellent scene as she calls him out and tires to make him understand that fear and superstition can be dangerous to a tribe as she knows as she was in one)went through it. It was a lovely scene that shows how Leela has grown as a character and learnt from the drs wisdom.
I'm also incredibly happy we saw Bellal back, while he doesn't get any of his cheesy comical lines, I was very surprised how well his little arc was, how he became a sort of ambassador for his people and I think Nicholas Briggs did a good job at it.
We then have our side plot with the character Anya who once traveled with the 4th Dr who was tricked into thinking she was a police woman to attack the Dr, she's really the niece of Sara kingdom and so follows in her steps. She's an excellent character, Jane Slavin makes her something more and so interesting. I really loved the arc of a future companion deliberately getting the Dr involved to fix the day. I really felt her pain and excitement in seeing him again. We get another really lovely scene between her and Leela as they talk about how the Dr has had many companions. There's a nice hint of Leela's sadness here as she realizes that she will leave someday and wonders what made her, but Anya cheers her up as the Dr mentions her with fondness. It's a sweet scene. Mark 7 is another character that's set up here and a great reference to the original comic/pilot in Terry nations Dalek annuals/series. I hope we see K2 someday. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this character. Joe Sims did an excellent job at making this robot feel like a character. I really enjoyed his arc here. We see how he tired to save humans and was made to attack them on behalf of the Daleks, for a robot gone rouge story it's actually quite good and you get that struggle of trying to understand which is right to save and in the end decides both must die.
Over this story is pure set up and slight reconing, but it does it very well, it's enjoyable and flows well and it made you really like these characters enough for the future boxsets. The Daleks are mainly in the background here but there excellent when on screen controlling this whole thing. The end revealing that it was infact the Dr that inspired them to one day work with humans to trick them with the space plague was a nice twist. I hope I'm worried about nothing because it does seem likely this story is very early on in the Dalek empire story. So I imagine we'll see the origin of the virus and then how it backfires on the Daleks and so they need the help of Davros to also stop the Movellans etc getting involved, filling in the gaps between death to destiny and resurrection. The sound effects was absolutely stunning here, big finish have really gotten better every release with this.
Rating 3/5 6/10
There is a lot of references here to the Dalek Empire series and the outter world's. We see in Dalek Empire series 3 how the Daleks created this plague as a weapon that backfired on them and eventually managed to find a cure that mutated humans into Daleks. The Daleks make a fake pace relationship with humanity, all to trick them. So if you listen to this story carefully it reveals where those ideas came from. Which as a massive fan of that series I utterly loved.
This story does feel like a "Death to the Daleks" re-write in order to set up/make the story work better, and for me it's a better death story. And possibly Tom Bakers best Dalek audio. It's good fun, it's paced very well at times and had some amazing moments and surprisingly great characters. Like others have said, the story is nothing new/groundbreaking but it's story telling felt different enough to enjoy
The whole story here is the Daleks trying to steal the purinum for themselves and stop the humans from getting it. Allowing the city to be rebuilt for the Exxilon leader to gets his revenge with the humans. However earth are tired of this waiting and squabbling between the two, so decided to blow up the base to stop it and work with ballel.
I enjoyed the story, I really like how big finish was able to make the Exxilons actual characters here with the anger towards humanity and it worked brilliant with Leela. She gets an excellent scene as she calls him out and tires to make him understand that fear and superstition can be dangerous to a tribe as she knows as she was in one)went through it. It was a lovely scene that shows how Leela has grown as a character and learnt from the drs wisdom.
I'm also incredibly happy we saw Bellal back, while he doesn't get any of his cheesy comical lines, I was very surprised how well his little arc was, how he became a sort of ambassador for his people and I think Nicholas Briggs did a good job at it.
We then have our side plot with the character Anya who once traveled with the 4th Dr who was tricked into thinking she was a police woman to attack the Dr, she's really the niece of Sara kingdom and so follows in her steps. She's an excellent character, Jane Slavin makes her something more and so interesting. I really loved the arc of a future companion deliberately getting the Dr involved to fix the day. I really felt her pain and excitement in seeing him again. We get another really lovely scene between her and Leela as they talk about how the Dr has had many companions. There's a nice hint of Leela's sadness here as she realizes that she will leave someday and wonders what made her, but Anya cheers her up as the Dr mentions her with fondness. It's a sweet scene. Mark 7 is another character that's set up here and a great reference to the original comic/pilot in Terry nations Dalek annuals/series. I hope we see K2 someday. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this character. Joe Sims did an excellent job at making this robot feel like a character. I really enjoyed his arc here. We see how he tired to save humans and was made to attack them on behalf of the Daleks, for a robot gone rouge story it's actually quite good and you get that struggle of trying to understand which is right to save and in the end decides both must die.
Over this story is pure set up and slight reconing, but it does it very well, it's enjoyable and flows well and it made you really like these characters enough for the future boxsets. The Daleks are mainly in the background here but there excellent when on screen controlling this whole thing. The end revealing that it was infact the Dr that inspired them to one day work with humans to trick them with the space plague was a nice twist. I hope I'm worried about nothing because it does seem likely this story is very early on in the Dalek empire story. So I imagine we'll see the origin of the virus and then how it backfires on the Daleks and so they need the help of Davros to also stop the Movellans etc getting involved, filling in the gaps between death to destiny and resurrection. The sound effects was absolutely stunning here, big finish have really gotten better every release with this.
Rating 3/5 6/10
July 21, 2021
Judging by the reaction in the fandom, I reckon this is one of the most subjectively viewed story ever — if ever a review could be more subjective.
For me personally, my mind preset when listening to this story make it a fairly more entertaining experience, or specifically: a surprisingly okay story.
I don't have any opinion about Death to The Daleks, mostly because I don't even remember whether I have watched the episode or not — so I'm basically starting afresh on the whole Perennium and space plague stuff. My initial thoughts before starting the episode were mostly negative: The Exxilons is a forgettable episode, Ann Kelso/Anya Kingdom's arc is my least favourite 4DA season, and I'm beginning to get tired with Daleks.
You could say that the reason I enjoy the episode is mostly because I set the bar pretty low, and I would agree with that — at least partly.
The cast delivered quite a strong performance. Tom Baker sounds like he never age and going immensely well with Louise Jameson as always. Joe Sims as Mark Seven keep stealing the scene with a well measured acting, just like when he first appeared in The Destroyers. Jane Slavin is also good of course, but my personal highlight is how her character seems a lot more sympathetic since I last listened to episode with her in it. She's more of her own character rather than the diluted Sara Kingdom in the 4DA.
As for the writing, it's Briggs as usual. It's fairly safe and methodical — probably rightly so since it's a part of a much bigger arc, not to mention related with other series, on a long and complicated old character. There's a slower, almost dragging, pace in the middle part, but the last part picks it back again. Though it's rather weird, because the whole story about the beacon in Exxilon built up in the first half seems forgotten after the story move to the colony ship. The story perhaps could be done more effectively, cutting some of the Exxilons parts, but with a nice performance and a sound design that won't threaten to drain your brain cells, I didn't mind waiting the story to roll out.
The ending is a bit anticlimactic, especially if you think of it as a standalone episode. But as a prequel/sequel of a spin off (or whatever the Dalek Universe is) I think it's okay. Pleasantly okay.
For me personally, my mind preset when listening to this story make it a fairly more entertaining experience, or specifically: a surprisingly okay story.
I don't have any opinion about Death to The Daleks, mostly because I don't even remember whether I have watched the episode or not — so I'm basically starting afresh on the whole Perennium and space plague stuff. My initial thoughts before starting the episode were mostly negative: The Exxilons is a forgettable episode, Ann Kelso/Anya Kingdom's arc is my least favourite 4DA season, and I'm beginning to get tired with Daleks.
You could say that the reason I enjoy the episode is mostly because I set the bar pretty low, and I would agree with that — at least partly.
The cast delivered quite a strong performance. Tom Baker sounds like he never age and going immensely well with Louise Jameson as always. Joe Sims as Mark Seven keep stealing the scene with a well measured acting, just like when he first appeared in The Destroyers. Jane Slavin is also good of course, but my personal highlight is how her character seems a lot more sympathetic since I last listened to episode with her in it. She's more of her own character rather than the diluted Sara Kingdom in the 4DA.
As for the writing, it's Briggs as usual. It's fairly safe and methodical — probably rightly so since it's a part of a much bigger arc, not to mention related with other series, on a long and complicated old character. There's a slower, almost dragging, pace in the middle part, but the last part picks it back again. Though it's rather weird, because the whole story about the beacon in Exxilon built up in the first half seems forgotten after the story move to the colony ship. The story perhaps could be done more effectively, cutting some of the Exxilons parts, but with a nice performance and a sound design that won't threaten to drain your brain cells, I didn't mind waiting the story to roll out.
The ending is a bit anticlimactic, especially if you think of it as a standalone episode. But as a prequel/sequel of a spin off (or whatever the Dalek Universe is) I think it's okay. Pleasantly okay.
May 20, 2021
DOCTOR WHO: DALEK UNIVERSE: THE DALEK PROTOCOL
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Jane Slavin, Joe Sims
Released in April 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 9
REPLAYABILITY: 7
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 7
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
'The Dalek Protocol' is more than just a prequel to the first 'Dalek Universe' set with the Tenth Doctor. It's also a sequel to the televised Third Doctor adventure 'Death to the Daleks' and thus, it combines plots and characters from both stories. It also references previous BF stories (such as 'The Exxilons'), but you don't have to listen to those to enjoy this adventure.
As a story, 'The Dalek Protocol' works as a fine introduction to the basic plot surrounding the Dalek Universe series and the characters involved, Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven in particular. Anya seems like a cool new companion in the vein of Sara Kingdom, while Mark has that mysterious android vibe to him, similar to the morally ambiguous androids in the Alien franchise.
The Daleks are revealed to the listener in the cliffhanger to part one but not to the characters until part three, making the lengthy tease leading up to their full reveal unnecessarily long. This is a very Dalek-light story overall, which is fine considering their overall role in the series. They are well-used in the tense and fast-paced final part, which turns out to be a great closing chapter of this prequel story, leading into the main Dalek Universe series.
Tom Baker is fine, but Louise Jameson is on fire this time around. She's really allowed to shine, which helps to remind us that this is very much a Fourth Doctor story above all else. She has a great little moment in the end with Anya. The real treats are Jane Slavin and Joe Sims though, with the latter providing surprising depth to his character. Nicholas Briggs voices Bellal, one of my favourite Classic Who sidekicks and an underrated ally to the Doctor. It's like he's never been away! Briggs is even better as the villainous Barnard, his voice booming with authority.
'The Dalek Protocol' is a great standalone 4DA and an intriguing introduction to Dalek Universe!
Written by Nicholas Briggs
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Jane Slavin, Joe Sims
Released in April 2021
PLOT: 6
PERFORMANCES: 9
REPLAYABILITY: 7
SPECIAL EFFECTS: 8
OVERALL: 7
TIMEY WIMEY THOUGHTS:
'The Dalek Protocol' is more than just a prequel to the first 'Dalek Universe' set with the Tenth Doctor. It's also a sequel to the televised Third Doctor adventure 'Death to the Daleks' and thus, it combines plots and characters from both stories. It also references previous BF stories (such as 'The Exxilons'), but you don't have to listen to those to enjoy this adventure.
As a story, 'The Dalek Protocol' works as a fine introduction to the basic plot surrounding the Dalek Universe series and the characters involved, Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven in particular. Anya seems like a cool new companion in the vein of Sara Kingdom, while Mark has that mysterious android vibe to him, similar to the morally ambiguous androids in the Alien franchise.
The Daleks are revealed to the listener in the cliffhanger to part one but not to the characters until part three, making the lengthy tease leading up to their full reveal unnecessarily long. This is a very Dalek-light story overall, which is fine considering their overall role in the series. They are well-used in the tense and fast-paced final part, which turns out to be a great closing chapter of this prequel story, leading into the main Dalek Universe series.
Tom Baker is fine, but Louise Jameson is on fire this time around. She's really allowed to shine, which helps to remind us that this is very much a Fourth Doctor story above all else. She has a great little moment in the end with Anya. The real treats are Jane Slavin and Joe Sims though, with the latter providing surprising depth to his character. Nicholas Briggs voices Bellal, one of my favourite Classic Who sidekicks and an underrated ally to the Doctor. It's like he's never been away! Briggs is even better as the villainous Barnard, his voice booming with authority.
'The Dalek Protocol' is a great standalone 4DA and an intriguing introduction to Dalek Universe!
April 22, 2021
When I first heard there was going to be a prequel to Dalek Universe to establish the character of Mark Seven to the audience whilst also being another Exxilon story with the 4th Doctor and Leela I'll confess I was a little worried to see how it would go. Death to The Daleks isn't a favorite of mine in fact I think much like Destiny it's a mess of a story.
However listening to this I needn't have worried, sure it has its flaws but whilst it's a decent story it also comes across as a love letter to the old Dalek stories and I enjoyed that aspect immensely.
After The Doctor has been teased by Leela and K9 for apparently not knowing how to fly The Tardis, the crew end up on the planet Exxilon to find much to The Timelords horror a new beacon has been put in place and that The Exxilon people have reverted to their old ways, meanwhile the earth need a mineral from Exxilon that will help them fight the space plague but one of their operatives is on a mission for Mark Seven believes there is a spy but unbeknownst to him Anya Kingdom is here and she's got a secret mission herself but when a Doctor before her time comes along, things get very difficult indeed.
Now why that may make for a very fun story and it is very fun and at times heartfelt, it does have a couple of flaws that somewhat baffle me since they could have been explained easily or not be in there at all. First would be the fact Mark Seven can somehow walk Exxilon whilst the Beacon is active despite being an Android, I'm sure there was meant to be an explanation for this but none is given and the other is the inclusion of Bellal is in this and why that's neat, he adds nothing to the story and doesn't help The Doctor or his companion's predicament and is only there for an episode which is a shame.
Overall: A decent prequel to Dalek Universe and I must say it has gotten me very excited for the main event which from what I've heard is going to be an absolute blast! 7.5/10
However listening to this I needn't have worried, sure it has its flaws but whilst it's a decent story it also comes across as a love letter to the old Dalek stories and I enjoyed that aspect immensely.
After The Doctor has been teased by Leela and K9 for apparently not knowing how to fly The Tardis, the crew end up on the planet Exxilon to find much to The Timelords horror a new beacon has been put in place and that The Exxilon people have reverted to their old ways, meanwhile the earth need a mineral from Exxilon that will help them fight the space plague but one of their operatives is on a mission for Mark Seven believes there is a spy but unbeknownst to him Anya Kingdom is here and she's got a secret mission herself but when a Doctor before her time comes along, things get very difficult indeed.
Now why that may make for a very fun story and it is very fun and at times heartfelt, it does have a couple of flaws that somewhat baffle me since they could have been explained easily or not be in there at all. First would be the fact Mark Seven can somehow walk Exxilon whilst the Beacon is active despite being an Android, I'm sure there was meant to be an explanation for this but none is given and the other is the inclusion of Bellal is in this and why that's neat, he adds nothing to the story and doesn't help The Doctor or his companion's predicament and is only there for an episode which is a shame.
Overall: A decent prequel to Dalek Universe and I must say it has gotten me very excited for the main event which from what I've heard is going to be an absolute blast! 7.5/10
March 21, 2022
This story is a 4th Doctor tie-in to the cross-series sequence "Dalek Universe." In itself, it is an enjoyable Dalek story, though not terribly original as they go. In this one, we return to Exxilon a few decades after The Doctor left it in "Death to the Daleks." Only one character returns from the previous story - the native Belal, this time voiced by Nicholas Briggs. True to "Return to ..." stories, writer Nicholas Briggs has resurrected much from the previous story. The humans are still on Exxilon, still mining Perinium to cure a space plague, still at odds with the natives, and someone has partly restored the energy-draining beacon. Nicholas Briggs does quite a bit of work in this one, voicing multiple main characters, including the testy human space captain. Briggs' take on the captain sounds uncannily like Kevin Whately. The main feature of this is to establish the characters of Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven, who feature significantly in other "Dalek Universe" stories. Typically for Big Finish, there is much fiddling with time, so that Anya is meeting a Doctor after her travels with him (Doctor 10), but before The Doctor (4 in this case) has met her. There are other bits of information linking to various other stories. In the end, there are not many surprises given the "Return to..." nostalgia in play with a Dalek story that runs like a Dalek story.
May 30, 2021
An enjoyable listen this one :) Have generally been parking listening to Big Finish audios while rereading the Target novelisations, but exception here for Dalek Universe to listen to with my daughter when going on long drives :)
A fun story this one, building on from Death to the Daleks really, as we return to Exxilon and deal with the fallout as such from that story, and get a good glimpse of the impacts of the space plague first mentioned in that TV story.
The Doctor, Leela and K9 in good form here, both in terms of what the characters get to do, and how their actors perform in this audio story.
My first introduction to Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven as well, and both come across quite well here, both quite well fleshed out characters well portrayed by their actors, and bounce off the Doctor and his companions well.
The other one off characters are also good in this story, all adding to the overall plot and tension quite well, with some interesting twists in the overall tale. All in all, a very good listen.
A fun story this one, building on from Death to the Daleks really, as we return to Exxilon and deal with the fallout as such from that story, and get a good glimpse of the impacts of the space plague first mentioned in that TV story.
The Doctor, Leela and K9 in good form here, both in terms of what the characters get to do, and how their actors perform in this audio story.
My first introduction to Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven as well, and both come across quite well here, both quite well fleshed out characters well portrayed by their actors, and bounce off the Doctor and his companions well.
The other one off characters are also good in this story, all adding to the overall plot and tension quite well, with some interesting twists in the overall tale. All in all, a very good listen.
April 18, 2021
DALEKS!
May 17, 2021
The daleks try to get a mineral to save themselves so the earthlings don't get it.
June 4, 2021
Brilliantly scary and thrilling introduction to the 'Dalek Universe'. Cannot wait to listen next adventures!
June 14, 2021
A wonderfully realised start to Dalek Universe with Tom Baker and co. in excellent form and some superb sound design. Loved it.
August 10, 2021
It was a great fun time, nothing to memerble but I had a blast listening to it.
January 28, 2023
A decent enough prequel, though the narrative is somewhat hamstrung by certain characters not being able to meet.
February 24, 2023
Glad I went and watched “Death of the Daleks” first! Mark-7 was great in this, as was the rest of the main cast. Interested to see how this leads into the rest of the Dalek Universe story.
June 26, 2024
Solid story that would have benefited from a shorter runtime.
August 15, 2023
The Dalek Protocol was, okay. Originally just starting out as a Fourth Doctor story, it eventually became a Dalek Universe prequel (where the main prequel element is Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven). It's not a bad story. Essentially, Leela asks the Doctor to accurately pilot the TARDIS to a planet of her choice, in this case Exxilon. Meanwhile, the Exxilons have rebuilt the beacon that kills tech. Thus, the Doctor, Leela and K9 get embroiled in a Dalek plot to prevent Earth from taking a miracle back home for a space plague.
I think the issue I had with this, was that while it was decent story and enjoyable enough, it's essentially a big love letter from Nick Briggs to one of his favorite TV Dalek stories, Death to the Daleks. And for me, Death to the Daleks (and the previous season's Planet of the Daleks) are probably my least favorite Dalek stories from the classic series. So unfortunately, Briggs' enthusiasm for Death to the Daleks, which permeates the whole story, doesn't carry over to me. On a side note, there are references to Series 8 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures that pertains to Anya Kingdom (so be aware that this could possibly spoil that if you haven't heard that).
I think the issue I had with this, was that while it was decent story and enjoyable enough, it's essentially a big love letter from Nick Briggs to one of his favorite TV Dalek stories, Death to the Daleks. And for me, Death to the Daleks (and the previous season's Planet of the Daleks) are probably my least favorite Dalek stories from the classic series. So unfortunately, Briggs' enthusiasm for Death to the Daleks, which permeates the whole story, doesn't carry over to me. On a side note, there are references to Series 8 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures that pertains to Anya Kingdom (so be aware that this could possibly spoil that if you haven't heard that).
June 10, 2021
A sneak preview of what is to come in The Tenth Doctor series "Dalek Universe".
Anya Kingdom, originally was a character i really didn't like, simply because i fell in love with her cover personality Ann Kelso throughout the Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 8.
She is however starting to warm to me, and i would be interested in a spin off series following the SSS with her and Mark Seven.
This story follows on from the TV Story "Death to The Daleks" which the write Nicholas Briggs is a huge fan of, as this story clearly shows - for it is full of enthusiasm.
Acting is on top form as always from all members of the cast, with Briggs himself also starring. The chemistry between The Doctor and Leela shines in this story, no doubt from the real life connection i'm sure Tom Baker and Louise Jameson share in real life.
This story, provides some kind of hindsight as to what is to come in "Dalek Universe" but wouldn't say it is essential to listen too prior, but you would be missing out on a bloody good story!
Anya Kingdom, originally was a character i really didn't like, simply because i fell in love with her cover personality Ann Kelso throughout the Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 8.
She is however starting to warm to me, and i would be interested in a spin off series following the SSS with her and Mark Seven.
This story follows on from the TV Story "Death to The Daleks" which the write Nicholas Briggs is a huge fan of, as this story clearly shows - for it is full of enthusiasm.
Acting is on top form as always from all members of the cast, with Briggs himself also starring. The chemistry between The Doctor and Leela shines in this story, no doubt from the real life connection i'm sure Tom Baker and Louise Jameson share in real life.
This story, provides some kind of hindsight as to what is to come in "Dalek Universe" but wouldn't say it is essential to listen too prior, but you would be missing out on a bloody good story!
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