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The War Doctor Begins #1
Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins, Vol. 1: Forged in Fire
The Doctor is no more. In his place, a warrior, finally joining the Time War between the Daleks and the Time Lords. But how far will he go to end this conflict? What lines will he cross? How much of himself will he sacrifice? The War Doctor is only just beginning to find out who he is…
1.1 Light the Flame by Matt Fitton
The Sisterhood of Karn have a guest, recovering from his traumatic regeneration. To do what is asked of him, the Doctor has rejected his name and his code.
The Time Lords have plans for him and for Karn. Is he ready to light the flame of war?
1.2 Lion Hearts by Lou Morgan
Seeking out Gallifrey’s new warrior, Commodore Tamasan finds that the War Doctor has invited himself on a secret mission. The time-sensitive Tharils are in danger, and an old friend of the Doctor is trapped.
But Biroc knows better than to trust either side in this war.
1.3 The Shadow Squad by Andrew Smith
Tamasan is unconvinced of the War Doctor’s loyalties, though when their paths collide, both agree that the destruction of the Dalek Time Strategist could be the best route to victory. But on Atherea, the Daleks may have found a way to annihilate all plans to defeat them before they are even begun…
1.1 Light the Flame by Matt Fitton
The Sisterhood of Karn have a guest, recovering from his traumatic regeneration. To do what is asked of him, the Doctor has rejected his name and his code.
The Time Lords have plans for him and for Karn. Is he ready to light the flame of war?
1.2 Lion Hearts by Lou Morgan
Seeking out Gallifrey’s new warrior, Commodore Tamasan finds that the War Doctor has invited himself on a secret mission. The time-sensitive Tharils are in danger, and an old friend of the Doctor is trapped.
But Biroc knows better than to trust either side in this war.
1.3 The Shadow Squad by Andrew Smith
Tamasan is unconvinced of the War Doctor’s loyalties, though when their paths collide, both agree that the destruction of the Dalek Time Strategist could be the best route to victory. But on Atherea, the Daleks may have found a way to annihilate all plans to defeat them before they are even begun…
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First published June 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 28, 2021
Presentato negli istanti finali di The name of the Doctor, abbiamo conosciuto il War Doctor durante The day of the Doctor, lo speciale per il 50mo della serie.
Come già capitato con l'ottavo Dottore, protagonista solo di un film, la Big Finish si è impossessata del personaggio e, complice lo sviluppo delle varie serie legate alla Guerra del Tempo, ha realizzato una serie in a href="https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wa... boxset con John Hurt come protagonista.
La dipartita dell'attore sembrava aver concluso il progetto ma, con il recast di Jonathon Carley nel ruolo del Dottore della Guerra, le avventure sono ricominciate, partendo dalla prima apparizione della nona incarnazione del Dottore.
1.1 Light the Flame by Matt Fitton
Siamo su Karn, l'ottavo Dottore si è appena rigenerato grazie ai poteri della Sorellanza è non ha ancora deciso come dovrà comportarsi.
L'arrivo di una vecchia conoscenza, accompagnato da un agente al servizio dei piani folli di Rassilon, gli farà prendere la decisione definitiva.
1.2 Lion Hearts by Lou Morgan
Ritroviamo Tamasan e, attraverso la testimonianza di un agente del Consiglio, inviato in soccorso di Biroc, un Tharil già conosciuto in Warriors' Gate (con il quarto Dottore e Romana II).
Il War Doctor sembra essersi intromesso nella missione di salvataggio e, da quanto raccontato, sembra essersi deciso ad entrare in guerra e sporcarsi le mani... sembra...
1.3 The Shadow Squad by Andrew Smith
Tamasan, ovviamente, non è convinta del cambiamento del Dottore e, durante una missione apparentemente banale, si trova nuovamente in coppia con lui.
La scoperta della nuova arma dei Dalek, destinata a sovvertire l'esito della Guerra cambiandola dalle sue fondamenta, si rivelerà un problema molto più grande da gestire rispetto a quanto previsto.
Tre autori, un solo regista, la nostra Louise"Leela" Jameson, un ottimo risultato per il primo boxset sui primi passi del War Doctor.
L'interpretazione che Jonathon Carley fa di John Hurt mi sembra ottima, forse un tono più giovanile avrebbe dato più l'idea della prima giovinezza dell'Incarnazione, ma non posso lamentarmi.
Gli intrighi del Consiglio e dei Dalek sono sempre i soliti, ma le tre storie sono buone anche in solitaria, con consolidamento del carattere del nuovo Dottore.
Sono previsti i soliti quattro cofanetti e, vista la partenza, vengono attesi con interesse.
Come già capitato con l'ottavo Dottore, protagonista solo di un film, la Big Finish si è impossessata del personaggio e, complice lo sviluppo delle varie serie legate alla Guerra del Tempo, ha realizzato una serie in a href="https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wa... boxset con John Hurt come protagonista.
La dipartita dell'attore sembrava aver concluso il progetto ma, con il recast di Jonathon Carley nel ruolo del Dottore della Guerra, le avventure sono ricominciate, partendo dalla prima apparizione della nona incarnazione del Dottore.
1.1 Light the Flame by Matt Fitton
Siamo su Karn, l'ottavo Dottore si è appena rigenerato grazie ai poteri della Sorellanza è non ha ancora deciso come dovrà comportarsi.
L'arrivo di una vecchia conoscenza, accompagnato da un agente al servizio dei piani folli di Rassilon, gli farà prendere la decisione definitiva.
1.2 Lion Hearts by Lou Morgan
Ritroviamo Tamasan e, attraverso la testimonianza di un agente del Consiglio, inviato in soccorso di Biroc, un Tharil già conosciuto in Warriors' Gate (con il quarto Dottore e Romana II).
Il War Doctor sembra essersi intromesso nella missione di salvataggio e, da quanto raccontato, sembra essersi deciso ad entrare in guerra e sporcarsi le mani... sembra...
1.3 The Shadow Squad by Andrew Smith
Tamasan, ovviamente, non è convinta del cambiamento del Dottore e, durante una missione apparentemente banale, si trova nuovamente in coppia con lui.
La scoperta della nuova arma dei Dalek, destinata a sovvertire l'esito della Guerra cambiandola dalle sue fondamenta, si rivelerà un problema molto più grande da gestire rispetto a quanto previsto.
Tre autori, un solo regista, la nostra Louise"Leela" Jameson, un ottimo risultato per il primo boxset sui primi passi del War Doctor.
L'interpretazione che Jonathon Carley fa di John Hurt mi sembra ottima, forse un tono più giovanile avrebbe dato più l'idea della prima giovinezza dell'Incarnazione, ma non posso lamentarmi.
Gli intrighi del Consiglio e dei Dalek sono sempre i soliti, ma le tre storie sono buone anche in solitaria, con consolidamento del carattere del nuovo Dottore.
Sono previsti i soliti quattro cofanetti e, vista la partenza, vengono attesi con interesse.
June 7, 2023
Jonathan Carley steps in to take over the intimidating role originated by the one and only, late Sir John Hurt. How could anyone hope to match that same gravely and subtly nuanced voice? Well, you’ll have to judge for yourself, but I’m very pleased. Beginning just after the Doctor has abandoned his previous nom de guerre and thus, the Doctor is no more! Make way for the Warrior (aka the War Doctor). And the Time War will never be the same.
1.1 Light the Flame - This really is, at its heart, a set up story. This is the Warrior trying to figure out who he is and what exactly he’s willing to do. This is like all those episodes of Doctor Who where the new actor is trying out the part and stretching to see what works and what doesn’t.
1.2 Lion Hearts - Here we have one of those stories that pushes the Doctor (“Don’t call me that!”), I mean the Warrior, to see if he’s truly willing to do what it takes. I like how the Warrior plays every one’s expectations of him against themselves. And it was fun to revisit some familiar characters from Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate.
1.3 The Shadow Squad - While I enjoyed the first two stories in this collection, they didn’t quite live up to my hopes of what this early side of this incarnation could be. But this third one was really the icing on the cake. This was more like what is was hoping for.
In any case, this was a very entertaining collection. High quality production and amazingly rich soundscapes. Wonderful music and brilliant performances. Fun from the start right to the Big Finish (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
1.1 Light the Flame - This really is, at its heart, a set up story. This is the Warrior trying to figure out who he is and what exactly he’s willing to do. This is like all those episodes of Doctor Who where the new actor is trying out the part and stretching to see what works and what doesn’t.
1.2 Lion Hearts - Here we have one of those stories that pushes the Doctor (“Don’t call me that!”), I mean the Warrior, to see if he’s truly willing to do what it takes. I like how the Warrior plays every one’s expectations of him against themselves. And it was fun to revisit some familiar characters from Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate.
1.3 The Shadow Squad - While I enjoyed the first two stories in this collection, they didn’t quite live up to my hopes of what this early side of this incarnation could be. But this third one was really the icing on the cake. This was more like what is was hoping for.
In any case, this was a very entertaining collection. High quality production and amazingly rich soundscapes. Wonderful music and brilliant performances. Fun from the start right to the Big Finish (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
August 2, 2021
Stepping into the very big shoes of John Hurt, Jonathon Carley does an amazing job in the role. Early excerpts had me wondering if I'd be too focused on the "impression" to be able to appreciate the episodes themselves, but he has ably inhabited the role. So . . . great casting job there.
Aside from the first episode -- picking up directly from "Night of the Doctor" -- episodes 2 and 3 were standard fare. Nice to see an inclusion of the Tharils here (from "Warrior's Gate") and an interesting comment in the Behind the Scenes portions that they are slated to appear in another series, too. Also confirmation there were plans to continue the War Doctor series with scripts already written when John Hurt passed away. So I suspect episodes 2 and 3 were rewrites of these unused scripts.
So although these are set earlier than John Hurt's War Doctor series, in a sense, the series is continuing, and that's fun. What I really want to see, however, is some unique storytelling. There must be more going on than just "Here's an enemy outpost -- let's sneak in and do a mission."
The big question is whether we'll ever see the Doctor doing unDoctorish things that he later regrets, as we were led to believe. I felt like the earlier War Doctor series he was really just The Doctor. Grumpier, perhaps. But still with the same moral sense. Now, in this new series there are a couple of places where he does surprise us a bit. One ends up being a bit of misdirection, the other arguably the sort of action the Doctor would never have taken.
So if we're really going to explore the Doctor's actions during the war, which leave him with a pile of regret -- well, let's see it! (Or, er . . . hear it, I guess.)
Aside from the first episode -- picking up directly from "Night of the Doctor" -- episodes 2 and 3 were standard fare. Nice to see an inclusion of the Tharils here (from "Warrior's Gate") and an interesting comment in the Behind the Scenes portions that they are slated to appear in another series, too. Also confirmation there were plans to continue the War Doctor series with scripts already written when John Hurt passed away. So I suspect episodes 2 and 3 were rewrites of these unused scripts.
So although these are set earlier than John Hurt's War Doctor series, in a sense, the series is continuing, and that's fun. What I really want to see, however, is some unique storytelling. There must be more going on than just "Here's an enemy outpost -- let's sneak in and do a mission."
The big question is whether we'll ever see the Doctor doing unDoctorish things that he later regrets, as we were led to believe. I felt like the earlier War Doctor series he was really just The Doctor. Grumpier, perhaps. But still with the same moral sense. Now, in this new series there are a couple of places where he does surprise us a bit. One ends up being a bit of misdirection, the other arguably the sort of action the Doctor would never have taken.
So if we're really going to explore the Doctor's actions during the war, which leave him with a pile of regret -- well, let's see it! (Or, er . . . hear it, I guess.)
December 15, 2025
Brilliant beginning to The War Doctor's story.
Jonathon Carley nails his impersonation of John Hurt and really makes you feel like he's slipped into the role effortlessly. The opening of this episode, starting directly from the conclusion of The Night of the Doctor with perfect references to it, is some of the best audio Big Finish has ever done. The War Doctor bitterly coming to terms with his new incarnation before his theme hits is exquisitely done. I had to hide how shaken I was when walking down the street listening to this!
It's intriguing how The War Doctor's part in the Time War started off considering the huge role he plays in it and this first story is great in implementing the duplicity in play by the belligerents and setting him off on his new path as a more brutal, detached and dispassionate instrument of war that third parties have decreed him to.
An excellent start to the series and character overall and I can't wait to start the next serial.
Jonathon Carley nails his impersonation of John Hurt and really makes you feel like he's slipped into the role effortlessly. The opening of this episode, starting directly from the conclusion of The Night of the Doctor with perfect references to it, is some of the best audio Big Finish has ever done. The War Doctor bitterly coming to terms with his new incarnation before his theme hits is exquisitely done. I had to hide how shaken I was when walking down the street listening to this!
It's intriguing how The War Doctor's part in the Time War started off considering the huge role he plays in it and this first story is great in implementing the duplicity in play by the belligerents and setting him off on his new path as a more brutal, detached and dispassionate instrument of war that third parties have decreed him to.
An excellent start to the series and character overall and I can't wait to start the next serial.
August 8, 2021
The Shadow Squad:
So after 2 and half months we see the Daleks Return and more importantly a new series of the war Dr. Fans will be happy to know that the boxset takes place directly after the 8ths Dr regeneration. Jonathon Carley does an near perfect impression of John hurt you'll very quickly forget it's not actually him, still miss ya John. It plays around with some really interesting ideas with this new Dr too.
Instead of having this dr learn who he is and find his new morals, this Dr deliberately forces himself not to and become a solider. There's some excellent lines as the Dr looks over/puts to rest the body of his last companion, saying his lost himself/is burrying his past too. Sadly this all gets lost on the arc of this box set and he becomes like an normal doctor and starts to help people very quickly. I personally think it happened ridiculously too quick, proving the problems of the war Dr. He's no different to any other Dr and never really becomes this so called war Dr we hear about later on. There are some dark moments but this box set seemed to have rushed any arc and had the war Dr being the war Dr we meet towards the end.
Which is a shame. There are many great stories you could do here with that. I actually think a lot of this boxset get weakened by not having this Dr be little darker. Like in the 2nd story when we are lead to believe he killed a group of prisoners as an act of mercy.
We get a break from Matt fittion, John dorney and Nicholas briggs writing for the Daleks all the time and get Andrew Smith, who manages to make a really enjoyable Dalek story with a nice blend of great dialogue, great time stuff and some really great corrupt timelord stuff too. The plot shows that the Daleks have a secret weapon, a Dalek that can wipeout or track anyone's timeline. This is the same Dalek that caused Leelas alternative timelines, so I really liked seeing it return/more of it. We also discover that a secret army of timelords have been waiting to attack it. I really enjoyed this idea of an army that's been forced to live and hide away from the world so they make no impact in time.
it's really quite messed up that they have to hide away for years and not get too involved in each other's life, no meets, exploring, fallin love etc. I just wish we've of been able to see this more. I really enjoyed the war dr in this story too as he plans to destroy the time strategist after the events of the 8th Dr, which we saw how instrumental the Dalek was to the war, by bringing back Davros and the emperor etc. It also surprisingly works for the whole time line plot, the Dr can't be killed/removed from the timelines because he helped them leave skaro from the beginning and there history is very very long. However the writer doesnt mention this, instead he comes up with a much more clever sounding reason to have him used as bait. You really don't need to over explain something that simple, we know why he can't be killed. We get some great moments between the Dalek time strategist and Dalek temporal eradactor. I really love the creepy and gentle voices that Nicholas briggs gives them.
Towards the end as the group successfully attack and destroy the Dalek base we get another twist. During the story we saw how the Dr and Tamasan was saved from a Dalek, it was the Dr himself stopping the Dalek termporal eradactor from changing this event. It's a good and satisfying enough ending. But the Dr gets to be a little darker here and forces the Daleks dome open to rip out it's time travel capability and make it get stranded and continually explode in the vortex. The Dalek pleas with him that Dr wouldn't do this, but this is not the Dr. It's such a great final scene that really makes the war Dr feel like a war Dr. It's great to finally see the Dr be much more aggressive towards the Daleks and get a victory.
Overall while you could find a few holes in he story such as why was the opening scene/kill needed when it contradicts your ending victory a little and you could say it's a little lacking with the Daleks as they mainly stand around and talk. Buts it's great fun with great ideas and great performances and moments. I really enjoyed it.
Rating 3/5 7/10
Time war ranking : 22/61 stories
Boxset rating : 2/5 6/10
Box set ranking : 9/15 box sets
Other Recommendations
So after 2 and half months we see the Daleks Return and more importantly a new series of the war Dr. Fans will be happy to know that the boxset takes place directly after the 8ths Dr regeneration. Jonathon Carley does an near perfect impression of John hurt you'll very quickly forget it's not actually him, still miss ya John. It plays around with some really interesting ideas with this new Dr too.
Instead of having this dr learn who he is and find his new morals, this Dr deliberately forces himself not to and become a solider. There's some excellent lines as the Dr looks over/puts to rest the body of his last companion, saying his lost himself/is burrying his past too. Sadly this all gets lost on the arc of this box set and he becomes like an normal doctor and starts to help people very quickly. I personally think it happened ridiculously too quick, proving the problems of the war Dr. He's no different to any other Dr and never really becomes this so called war Dr we hear about later on. There are some dark moments but this box set seemed to have rushed any arc and had the war Dr being the war Dr we meet towards the end.
Which is a shame. There are many great stories you could do here with that. I actually think a lot of this boxset get weakened by not having this Dr be little darker. Like in the 2nd story when we are lead to believe he killed a group of prisoners as an act of mercy.
We get a break from Matt fittion, John dorney and Nicholas briggs writing for the Daleks all the time and get Andrew Smith, who manages to make a really enjoyable Dalek story with a nice blend of great dialogue, great time stuff and some really great corrupt timelord stuff too. The plot shows that the Daleks have a secret weapon, a Dalek that can wipeout or track anyone's timeline. This is the same Dalek that caused Leelas alternative timelines, so I really liked seeing it return/more of it. We also discover that a secret army of timelords have been waiting to attack it. I really enjoyed this idea of an army that's been forced to live and hide away from the world so they make no impact in time.
it's really quite messed up that they have to hide away for years and not get too involved in each other's life, no meets, exploring, fallin love etc. I just wish we've of been able to see this more. I really enjoyed the war dr in this story too as he plans to destroy the time strategist after the events of the 8th Dr, which we saw how instrumental the Dalek was to the war, by bringing back Davros and the emperor etc. It also surprisingly works for the whole time line plot, the Dr can't be killed/removed from the timelines because he helped them leave skaro from the beginning and there history is very very long. However the writer doesnt mention this, instead he comes up with a much more clever sounding reason to have him used as bait. You really don't need to over explain something that simple, we know why he can't be killed. We get some great moments between the Dalek time strategist and Dalek temporal eradactor. I really love the creepy and gentle voices that Nicholas briggs gives them.
Towards the end as the group successfully attack and destroy the Dalek base we get another twist. During the story we saw how the Dr and Tamasan was saved from a Dalek, it was the Dr himself stopping the Dalek termporal eradactor from changing this event. It's a good and satisfying enough ending. But the Dr gets to be a little darker here and forces the Daleks dome open to rip out it's time travel capability and make it get stranded and continually explode in the vortex. The Dalek pleas with him that Dr wouldn't do this, but this is not the Dr. It's such a great final scene that really makes the war Dr feel like a war Dr. It's great to finally see the Dr be much more aggressive towards the Daleks and get a victory.
Overall while you could find a few holes in he story such as why was the opening scene/kill needed when it contradicts your ending victory a little and you could say it's a little lacking with the Daleks as they mainly stand around and talk. Buts it's great fun with great ideas and great performances and moments. I really enjoyed it.
Rating 3/5 7/10
Time war ranking : 22/61 stories
Boxset rating : 2/5 6/10
Box set ranking : 9/15 box sets
Other Recommendations
May 9, 2023
I honestly never thought Big Finish would ever do more War Doctor stories considering the beloved and amazing John Hurt passed away a few years back which I know for us all was a terribly sad day, that broke a great many hearts. He was amazing as The War Doctor and knowing he wasn't interested in science fiction, but still loved the role really warms my heart. When they announced this set I was skeptical but knowing Jonathan Carley's work I knew for sure he could pull it off.
Light The Flame:
He's no longer The Doctor, he's now a warrior of war. He must change who he is in order to save the universe from an ongoing terrible conflict that threatens all of reality. But unbeknownst to him, his first mission in the war is right around the corner for Karn needs him, The Timelords are coming, and with them, they bring a terrible disaster.
Matt Fitton has written a brilliant opening story for this incarnation of The Doctor, it's such a nice self-contained story with a small threat that honestly really works. Jonathan Carley as The War Doctor is brilliant, he doesn't replace John Hurt at all in this, but rather honors his work and does something new with it. This story also has a heart to it that I really liked. An opening story for a new Doctor always works best, when it's given a smaller situation for our favorite Timelord to handle and here Fitton does that brilliantly. 10/10
Lion Hearts:
Lorinus has been sent on an infiltration mission to rescue Biroc for The Timelords. However, when The Doctor and Biroc's sister Valetta arrive, they no longer make this a solo mission. Lorinus is about to first handily find out just how much The Doctor has changed in this incarnation and the consequences of who he's become.
Lou Morgan has written a fantastic story about releasing a Tharil from being turned into a slave for The Daleks. It's a story that keeps you guessing, with some really satisfying twists and a very interesting moral dilemma for The Doctor, that actually had me horrified with the possibility of knowing what he may have just done to Biroc and his people. 9/10
The Shadow Squad:
Tamasan convinced of The Doctor's loyalties allows him to come on a mission where they must try and find a way to stop Timelords who are being assassinated before their victories in the Time War. They need help from The Shadow Squad, but The Dalek Time Strategist's recent weapon in the conflict very well help The Dalek's achieve victory not just in this war but all wars.
Andrew Smith has written an incredible blockbuster finale to this set, it's an installment filled to the brim with action, explosions, timey-wimey shenanigans, and a very creepy but unique Dalek in the fold as well. It's a story that's epic in scale that really highlights just how far this Doctor is willing to go to end the Time War. 10/10
Overall: 29/30
Light The Flame:
He's no longer The Doctor, he's now a warrior of war. He must change who he is in order to save the universe from an ongoing terrible conflict that threatens all of reality. But unbeknownst to him, his first mission in the war is right around the corner for Karn needs him, The Timelords are coming, and with them, they bring a terrible disaster.
Matt Fitton has written a brilliant opening story for this incarnation of The Doctor, it's such a nice self-contained story with a small threat that honestly really works. Jonathan Carley as The War Doctor is brilliant, he doesn't replace John Hurt at all in this, but rather honors his work and does something new with it. This story also has a heart to it that I really liked. An opening story for a new Doctor always works best, when it's given a smaller situation for our favorite Timelord to handle and here Fitton does that brilliantly. 10/10
Lion Hearts:
Lorinus has been sent on an infiltration mission to rescue Biroc for The Timelords. However, when The Doctor and Biroc's sister Valetta arrive, they no longer make this a solo mission. Lorinus is about to first handily find out just how much The Doctor has changed in this incarnation and the consequences of who he's become.
Lou Morgan has written a fantastic story about releasing a Tharil from being turned into a slave for The Daleks. It's a story that keeps you guessing, with some really satisfying twists and a very interesting moral dilemma for The Doctor, that actually had me horrified with the possibility of knowing what he may have just done to Biroc and his people. 9/10
The Shadow Squad:
Tamasan convinced of The Doctor's loyalties allows him to come on a mission where they must try and find a way to stop Timelords who are being assassinated before their victories in the Time War. They need help from The Shadow Squad, but The Dalek Time Strategist's recent weapon in the conflict very well help The Dalek's achieve victory not just in this war but all wars.
Andrew Smith has written an incredible blockbuster finale to this set, it's an installment filled to the brim with action, explosions, timey-wimey shenanigans, and a very creepy but unique Dalek in the fold as well. It's a story that's epic in scale that really highlights just how far this Doctor is willing to go to end the Time War. 10/10
Overall: 29/30
July 23, 2021
Light the Flame:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
A solid post regeneration story where this incarnation tests the limits of what he's willing to do. It's a solid little plot set on Karn and while it's not mind blowing, it's a good indication of where they want to go with this series of boxsets. It was a little weird not hearing actual John Hurt, but Jonathan Carley quickly settles in and he does a solid job of replicating the war doctor.
Lion Hearts:
7/10
Verdict: Optional
This is an interesting story, and bar the pretentiousness regarding the twist, quite a solid one. I think the stakes are decently high, there's a nice feel to this trek the characters go on, it feels like a journey. When the characters reach their destination and... find out about the thing... (look I'm avoiding spoilers) it does come with a sense of hopelessness after the lengths they've gone to. And then they do the twist, and frankly I wasn't buying it at all. I know he's supposed to be the edgy incarnation but the course of action didn't feel right at all, so when they try to pull a gotcha moment it feels a little cheap. Overall, it's a solid little tale with a bit of a cheap but wholesome ending.
The Shadow Squad:
7/10
Verdict: Optional
Very cool timey-wimey plot involving a pretty great new dalek varient and a really nice set-up and setting. The stakes feel high, and the characters are pretty likable. The only negative I have for this is that the story acts like the doctor is a completely new person because The doctor would never... kill a dalek? I think that's probably my biggest downside from this boxset as a whole, it keeps trying to imply that the doctor is capable of doing horrendous things now, but he's never actually shown doing anything close. The closest he probably gets is threatening to beat someone to death with a rock in the first story, but it came off as a bit forced and it was clear no one actually took that threat seriously in the story. I hope we get to see the doctor put in more precarious situations in future boxsets that test what he's willing to do.
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
A solid post regeneration story where this incarnation tests the limits of what he's willing to do. It's a solid little plot set on Karn and while it's not mind blowing, it's a good indication of where they want to go with this series of boxsets. It was a little weird not hearing actual John Hurt, but Jonathan Carley quickly settles in and he does a solid job of replicating the war doctor.
Lion Hearts:
7/10
Verdict: Optional
This is an interesting story, and bar the pretentiousness regarding the twist, quite a solid one. I think the stakes are decently high, there's a nice feel to this trek the characters go on, it feels like a journey. When the characters reach their destination and... find out about the thing... (look I'm avoiding spoilers) it does come with a sense of hopelessness after the lengths they've gone to. And then they do the twist, and frankly I wasn't buying it at all. I know he's supposed to be the edgy incarnation but the course of action didn't feel right at all, so when they try to pull a gotcha moment it feels a little cheap. Overall, it's a solid little tale with a bit of a cheap but wholesome ending.
The Shadow Squad:
7/10
Verdict: Optional
Very cool timey-wimey plot involving a pretty great new dalek varient and a really nice set-up and setting. The stakes feel high, and the characters are pretty likable. The only negative I have for this is that the story acts like the doctor is a completely new person because The doctor would never... kill a dalek? I think that's probably my biggest downside from this boxset as a whole, it keeps trying to imply that the doctor is capable of doing horrendous things now, but he's never actually shown doing anything close. The closest he probably gets is threatening to beat someone to death with a rock in the first story, but it came off as a bit forced and it was clear no one actually took that threat seriously in the story. I hope we get to see the doctor put in more precarious situations in future boxsets that test what he's willing to do.
August 27, 2021
So, a bit of background. The War Doctor is a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor that sits between the Eighth (Paul McGann) and Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) Doctors that was introduced in the 50th Anniversary Special Day of the Doctor and was the Doctor who fought in the Time War. On TV, the War Doctor was played by the late John Hurt. In 2015, Big Finish secured John Hurt and was able to produce four, three-story boxsets before the actor sadly passed away. Now, the War Doctor is back, this time played Jonathan Carley. And, if I didn't know it was a new actor, I'd swear it John Hurt again.
So, the first War Doctor Begins set has three stories. The first, Light the Flame, sees the newly-regenerated War Doctor immediately after the events of the webisode Night of the Doctor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo). The story is good and gives the War Doctor a chance to find his feet before charging out into the greater war. My biggest complaint is that Big Finish got a different actress to play Ohilla than the one who played her on TV, and as such, they sound rather dissimilar (especially having just watched the webisode before starting the audio).
The second story, Lion Hearts, sees the Doctor on a mission to rescue the Tharil Biroc (from the TV Story Warrior's Gate from incarceration by a Dalek ally species. It's an enjoyable story and a good species to bring into the Time War.
The third story is The Shadow Squad. Here we see the Doctor in search of the Dalek Time Strategist. But the Dalek's have a secret weapon that can wipe people from existence before they they do their great deeds, thus turning the tide of the war in favor of the Daleks. This was the best story of the set. I think because it actually did interesting things with time. I won't anymore than what I have for set up, but this was an enjoyable, interesting story.
In the end, I think this was a great success. The recasting of the War Doctor succeeded beyond my wildest dreams and Big Finish gave us three excellent stories. With at least three more sets of War Doctor Begins, I can't wait to see what comes next.
So, the first War Doctor Begins set has three stories. The first, Light the Flame, sees the newly-regenerated War Doctor immediately after the events of the webisode Night of the Doctor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo). The story is good and gives the War Doctor a chance to find his feet before charging out into the greater war. My biggest complaint is that Big Finish got a different actress to play Ohilla than the one who played her on TV, and as such, they sound rather dissimilar (especially having just watched the webisode before starting the audio).
The second story, Lion Hearts, sees the Doctor on a mission to rescue the Tharil Biroc (from the TV Story Warrior's Gate from incarceration by a Dalek ally species. It's an enjoyable story and a good species to bring into the Time War.
The third story is The Shadow Squad. Here we see the Doctor in search of the Dalek Time Strategist. But the Dalek's have a secret weapon that can wipe people from existence before they they do their great deeds, thus turning the tide of the war in favor of the Daleks. This was the best story of the set. I think because it actually did interesting things with time. I won't anymore than what I have for set up, but this was an enjoyable, interesting story.
In the end, I think this was a great success. The recasting of the War Doctor succeeded beyond my wildest dreams and Big Finish gave us three excellent stories. With at least three more sets of War Doctor Begins, I can't wait to see what comes next.
August 16, 2023
Light the Flame - Time War material typically leaves me cold but while this is still more continuity and mythology driven than I like, it is done well and does a great job of defining this new incarnation of the Doctor. I might go so far as to suggest it is better than the authentic Hurt adventures.
Carley is brilliant. The closest of the Doctor impersonators. The scenario here illustrates several distinctive aspects of this incarnation. Bravo.
Lion Hearts - Another very good story that surpassed my expectations of this range. Carley gives a great, snarling performance as the Doctor that stretches and plays with our understanding of the character and I had no idea how much I wanted another Tharil story until I listened to this. They are used intelligently, both in the context of this story but also in how they are conceived within the scope of the Time War. Very, very good work.
The Shadow Squad - One of the best stories to visualize and make sense of the Time War in a meaningful way. An engaging war time adventure.
Carley is brilliant. The closest of the Doctor impersonators. The scenario here illustrates several distinctive aspects of this incarnation. Bravo.
Lion Hearts - Another very good story that surpassed my expectations of this range. Carley gives a great, snarling performance as the Doctor that stretches and plays with our understanding of the character and I had no idea how much I wanted another Tharil story until I listened to this. They are used intelligently, both in the context of this story but also in how they are conceived within the scope of the Time War. Very, very good work.
The Shadow Squad - One of the best stories to visualize and make sense of the Time War in a meaningful way. An engaging war time adventure.
March 26, 2023
I had this in my backlog for a while.
I will be honest-
I had started on this set when it came out and it took me until now to actually finish it. It just completely ran out of steam.
And I am pretty tired of Time War stories.
However, the writing is tight, the stories are exciting and the performances are great.
It probably won't become my favorite range, but it is far from the worst and it is above the stale standard stories we got too many of recently.
As for the performance- yes, the sound-alike is uncannily like John Hurt. But I will be totally honest again- something is missing in the performance. Yes, this actor may sound exactly like John Hurt. But it is NOT John Hurt. The performance is missing something, it lacks a certain umph and gravitas. At times, this completely kicked me out of the story. It is some kind of audio UNCANNY VALLEY.
Pretty weird effect....
I will be honest-
I had started on this set when it came out and it took me until now to actually finish it. It just completely ran out of steam.
And I am pretty tired of Time War stories.
However, the writing is tight, the stories are exciting and the performances are great.
It probably won't become my favorite range, but it is far from the worst and it is above the stale standard stories we got too many of recently.
As for the performance- yes, the sound-alike is uncannily like John Hurt. But I will be totally honest again- something is missing in the performance. Yes, this actor may sound exactly like John Hurt. But it is NOT John Hurt. The performance is missing something, it lacks a certain umph and gravitas. At times, this completely kicked me out of the story. It is some kind of audio UNCANNY VALLEY.
Pretty weird effect....
June 23, 2021
It's always a risk re-casting, especially someone as beloved as John Hurt, however Jonathan Carley has pulled it out of the bag with his performance. If i didn't know it was Jonathan, i would honestly believe it was John Hurt, the performance is that good.
In terms of story, with it being the first boxset of a new range it's clear that Big Finish are playing it safe, which makes sense given that it's a full cast audio drama with a re-cast lead role.
The story does develop the War Doctor in a way we've never seen before, literally picking up from his regeneration we can see the conflict and uncertainty within him to do the things he would never normally do, however he does them because he must.
A wonderful boxset by Big Finish and i look forward to the rest!
In terms of story, with it being the first boxset of a new range it's clear that Big Finish are playing it safe, which makes sense given that it's a full cast audio drama with a re-cast lead role.
The story does develop the War Doctor in a way we've never seen before, literally picking up from his regeneration we can see the conflict and uncertainty within him to do the things he would never normally do, however he does them because he must.
A wonderful boxset by Big Finish and i look forward to the rest!
December 10, 2025
This was a very solid set — there wasn’t anything immensely profound, but the stories all dealt with time in really fascinating ways, especially the last one, The Shadow Squad, about a Gallifreyan unit hidden in time to ambush powerful daleks, who then get erased from time once they complete their mission. Seeing the War Doctor in his first moments after regeneration was quite nice as well; he shows us that while he still values life and will do everything he can to protect it, he’s willing to do whatever it takes for the greater good.
I adore the War Doctor, and I’m glad they’ve done him justice even after the passing of John Hurt.
I adore the War Doctor, and I’m glad they’ve done him justice even after the passing of John Hurt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2021
It was definitely good, but it’s also true I definitely didn’t understand all of what was going on… so I do think I wish they’d done a better job with the exposition? But I’d still recommend this book, the entire War Doctor series in fact is pretty much excellent (the rest of it does do a better job explaining things for us though, promise)
September 17, 2024
First story is a great start to this series, picking up straight from the regeneration mini episode and doing so excellently.
The second was fine, a step down for the first, vaguely enjoyable, not a lot to say on it honestly 😂
Third story again is a step up, not as strong as the first but a nice way to end the first boxset with some interesting ideas
The second was fine, a step down for the first, vaguely enjoyable, not a lot to say on it honestly 😂
Third story again is a step up, not as strong as the first but a nice way to end the first boxset with some interesting ideas
July 3, 2021
Jonathon Carley perfectly captures the essence of the late John Hurt in his version of the young War Doctor. I was very impressed with amount of love and respect this series was given and I can't wait to see what comes next.
August 8, 2021
Sometimes when people take on an iconic role, you can spend a lot of time listening to them and thinking "he wouldn't have said it that way" or "they're not hitting the mark". None of that here. Jonathon Carley owns the young War Doctor. Brilliant job.
July 3, 2021
Fabulous work. Each story is nearly an hour. No sub 50 minute stories!
Huzzah!
Huzzah!
August 3, 2021
The doctor fights in the time war.
September 18, 2021
The new guy doing the War Doctor voice does an excellent job. I really liked this.
May 18, 2023
A great start to The War Doctor Begins, picking up right after The Night of the Doctor. I find it fascinating how he removes himself from his past as The Doctor by mourhing the Eighth Doctor and saying he couldn’t save him.
August 31, 2025
Not a bad series and the person who plays the war doctor does an excellent job. It’s just a shame that the war doctor is nothing really out of the ordinary. Just another doctor.
Also, the 15 minutes of padding at the end of each episode was really quite annoying.
Also, the 15 minutes of padding at the end of each episode was really quite annoying.
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