Doctor Who: What Lies Inside?

The Eighth Doctor Adventures

by John Dorney, Lauren Mooney, Stewart Pringle

The Doctor, Liv and Helen are travelling once again in the universe of space and time...

They find some old enemies causing havoc on a temporal research station, before a trip to the Isle of Man in the 1930s, where they encounter a famous enigma.

Paradox of the Daleks by John Dorney (2 parts)
When the TARDIS is drawn to a space station running temporal experiments, the crew discover Daleks in control in the aftermath of an invasion. But these are no ordinary Daleks...

To stop his mortal enemies gaining control of the time technology, the Doctor must work out why these Daleks are here and where they came from.

A war fought through time has many fronts - and in this battle, the Doctor, Liv and Helen will face mortal danger in every time and place they find themselves.

The Dalby Spook by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle (1 part)
After encountering Harry Price, the Doctor decides to solve an infamous case before the paranormal debunker can.

But Liv and Helen are more concerned for the girl at the centre of events. What is really going on at the remote Isle of Man farmhouse? And who is Gef, the talking mongoose?

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction

Audiobook

First published November 2, 2022

About the author

John Dorney is a British writer and actor best known for stage roles including the National Theatre, the BBC Radio 4 sitcom My First Planet; and his scripts for the Big Finish Doctor Who range. His script 'Solitaire' was rated the most popular Doctor Who Companion Chronicle of 2010 on the Timescales website and was the runner up in Unreality Sci-fi net's poll for Story of the Year 2010-11.

As well as Doctor Who, he has written for Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel series and on radio co-wrote three series of BBC Radio 4's Recorded for Training Purposes. He won the BBC Show Me the Funny 'Sketch Factor' competition, was a finalist in the BBC 'Laughing Stock' competition, and has performed in Mark Watson's Edinburgh Comedy Award winning long shows as 'The Balladeer'. On stage, he has written plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead and Soho Theatres.

He trained at LAMDA.

Reviews

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 3 hour boxset featuring 2 stand alone stories.

Dalek Paradox ( 2 parter):
This is definitely a story that benefits from multiple listens. It is one of these intertwined timey- whimey stories that John Dorney does so well.
Very much a fun Dalek runaround, with a unique little twist to it.
However, it is more played for laughs and there is no substance to it.

I liked it, it made me smile, but I totally understand if other people find this completely irrelevant and fan- servicey.
Because it is just that- fun fan- service.

I will not say more to avoid the spoiler. If you are in mind for some simple fun and games with 8 and Liv and Helen, just go in and enjoy the ride, best without knowing any more.
If you are after some deep philosophical exploration of the meaning of life, this is not it. It is not even that great of a Dalek story.

Dalby Spook:
This was one of the best 8 th Doctor stories in quite some time, easily, for me at least, beating anything Stranded presented us with.
It was clever, it made me interested so I looked up the actual story, it had some real character drama, it was fun, it was atmospheric, it had creepy moments....
what could you possibly want more?
Oh, it also got some great character moments for Helen.
And both Liv and Helen standing up against the Doctor.

Which also shows you that a) clever new story ideas are still possible and b) we do not need a gimmick or the constant inflationary appearance of Daleks and Cybermen to create a great story. Hallelujah.

Right.
So where does this leave us with this boxset ?
We have a fun and clever but sadly not very meaningful Dalek comedy two- partner and one rather brilliant one hour story.
I think I enjoyed this more and will listen more often to this than to the whole Stranded arc.
Definitely one of my favorite releases this year.

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a new chapter for The Eighth Doctor, the epic sagas are over and now we're onto more standalone stories before we finally say goodbye to Liv for definite. I am so glad we're now back to simpler sets with not much of an arc to go on, it makes these sets feel much more accessible.

Paradox of The Daleks:
Arriving on a space station that is conducting time experiments. The Doctor, Liv, and Helen discover a rare anomaly and a squadron of Daleks, but these aren't any ordinary Daleks there from a war that might be in The Doctor's future and they're terribly desperate to win it.

John Dorney has written an incredibly clever, funny, tense, and at times creepy adventure that isn't anything too major in the grand scheme of things, except for hinting towards The Doctor's part in The Time War, but despite its complicated storyline, it does establish very well we're into more standalone adventures now which is a breath of fresh air. 10/10

The Dalby Spook:
After receiving an SOS from a psychic force, The Tardis arrives in 1933. Soon The Doctor, Liv, and Helen find themselves on a mission to a house supposedly haunted by a talking mongoose by the name of Jeff who's become close friends with the daughter of the house. However, Harry Price is also here and trying to uncover the mystery and debunk the possibility of a supernatural force but The Doctor wants to prove him wrong.

This was a really good story with plenty of humor and tension. It does deal with some dark themes, especially on the domestic side of things, the arrogance of Harry Price, and some really solid atmosphere. It can be quite a heartwarming story however with a really funny and great ending. 9/10

Overall: 39/40

[Oleg X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Забавное совпадение: ровно через месяц после Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose я слушаю аудиопьесу БигФиниша 2022-го года про приблизительно те же события. Но тут в ролях персонажей Кристофера Ллойда и Нила Геймана актеры явно не того калибра.

Всегда странное чувство, когда в SFF разоблачители паранормального - фанатичные мудаки без души. С одной стороны их цели не заслуживают осуждения. С другой - я знаю достаточно рационалистов.

Другая история в этой коробке, Paradox of the Daleks, возможно, слишком влюблена в титульный парадокс, но он довольно милый, в него легко влюбиться.

[Jamie Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 1 & 2 - 5 stars
Story 3 - 3 stars

[Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the end of Doctor Who: Stranded 4, Big Finish decided to take the Eighth Doctor Adventures in a new direction. Gone are the days of 16-episode, 4-boxset maxi-arcs (Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition, Ravenous, Stranded, and to a lesser extent, Eighth Doctor: Time War). Now, with the overall boxset era, we get two main Eighth Doctor a year in November and December (barring other potential releases like the recently announced Time War 5 & 6). These will be more stand-alone and random adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann), Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker) and Helen Sinclair (Hattie Morahan).

The first story is the two-part Paradox of the Daleks and sees the Doctor, Liv and Helen investigating a temporal research station that soon is invaded by Daleks. It's hard to review this without spoilers, but I felt it was a fun opener to the new era, that was clever in its use of time with characters looping back on each other for an enjoyable time travel story.

The second story is The Dalby Spook and is mercifully one part. The premise was somewhat interesting. The TARDIS crew arrives in 1930s Isle of Man where they investigate a local mystery of Gef, the talking mongoose. Of course, we go with the Doctor Who explaination that it's aliens. Unfortunately, I just wasn't overly thrilled with this. The acting and writing is okay, but it doesn't quite seem like the writers have the regulars down because they don't quite seem themselves.

Overall, a decent outing, with the second story bringing down the rating a bit. It'll be interesting to see how these are going forward. As much as I enjoyed some of the maxi-arcs (and some of the stories withing the maxi-arcs), I look forward to some more short-form story-telling.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paradox of the Daleks:
8/10
Verdict: Optional

Wholesome, exciting and full of twists that are all pulled off extremely well. The chemistry between the main cast is amazing, I'm somewhat tempted to say it's the best it's ever been. I can't say too much more without spoiling things, so please take me at my word that this two parter is very worth your time.

The Dalby Spook:
5/10
Verdict: Optional

It was alright, the story is pretty average on the whole, but there's a good heart to it. The relationships between the characters are all great and the voice acting for the main cast are also amazing, but... the acting on the spook themselves gave me major Scardey Cat flashbacks. I get it, they're a silly cartoon animal ghost, but the voice really does get seriously annoying after a while. I could talk about more of the things in the story, but even though there are a lot of elements, none really stand out as exceptional. If the concept sounds like your thing, you might get a kick out of this, but it wasn't for me.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two otherwise unconnected stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, with a loose thematic link to the title of the collection.

Paradox of the Daleks – Well, with a title like that, you start off knowing two things about this story, and one of them is that it’s going to be timey-wimey. It’s hard to say too much about it without being spoilery but suffice it to say that the Doctor and companions arrive on a space station experimenting with time travel that has recently been captured by the Daleks. In the first half of the story, things go from bad to worse as minor mysteries and out-of-place moments build up. Then, in the second half, we get the full-on paradox plotline, with scenes repeated from different perspectives, jumping about between timestreams and so on.

It's safe to say that if you didn’t like some of Moffat’s more complicated time travel stories, you probably won’t like this one; the second half of the story includes repeated comedic references to the guest characters not being able to follow the plot. For a listener, it does all make sense, although naturally, it repays close attention. If, like me, you enjoy such stories, this is a great example of the genre, with misdirection, a non-sequential storyline, and a good amount of humour. It's all cleverly put together and entertaining despite the superficial complexity. 5 stars.

The Dalby Spook – The TARDIS arrives on the Isle of Man in 1933, where the Doctor becomes embroiled in an investigation into the titular mystery. In the real world, the Spook, better known as ‘Gef the Talking Mongoose’ was a hoax perpetrated by a lonely teenage girl living in poverty, but here, reinforced by the sudden appearance of a psychic message in the pre-titles teaser, there’s obviously a question as to whether it might be real. The story is (rightly) sympathetic to the Irving family whose house Gef supposedly inhabited but portrays psychic investigator Harry Price in a very negative light – which is unfortunate, given that, in the real world he was correct. (We will, of course, never know how he would have reacted if faced with what happens here but there were surely better ways of handling him in the story).

Leaving that aside, it’s a decent story, with particularly strong parts for Liv and Helen, who are seeing things from a different perspective than the Doctor. It does a decent job of not making the basic premise seem inherently ridiculous and successfully conjures up the dreary atmosphere of much of the setting. The twists in the story are not, perhaps, entirely unexpected but they are welcome in what could otherwise be a straightforward tale. But I for one, can’t quite shake the unnecessary negativity. 3 stars.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor Adventures: What Lies Inside? - 4.5/5 stars
A very strong set of standalone stories featuring 8, Liv and Helen.
Paradox of the Daleks by John Dorney - 5/5 stars
Well just after dealing with a massive paradox spanning 16 audio stories over 4 boxsets, The Doctor, Liv and Helen deal with another paradox spanning 2 stories. There are so many confusing moments in part 1 that make you relate well with the main cast and then the second part explains all of it away with time paradoxes. This story is a whole lot of fun with iconic Dalek moments, Helen meeting the Daleks for the very first time, fun side characters and basically that one funny scene from The Space Museum where the First Doctor goes inside a Dalek casing made into a full story.
The Dalby Spook by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle - 4/5 stars
This one deals with a kooky cast of side characters and one of my favourite subjects - the paranormal, and how people investigate it. It’s a weird little historical set in 1933 where the TARDIS crew pose as journalists and save a little girl from a terrifying end at the hands of an evil apparition. The Doctor even gets to show up a paranormal investigator who is cynical and does his work to prove that paranormal activity isn't real.
Such great fun.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to form after the annoying 16-part "Stranded" arc.

"Paradox of the Daleks" is a fun timey-wimey two-parter that begs for a second listen the moment it ends. The Doctor, Liv, and Helen find themselves on a space station where a pair of scientists have somehow opened a time portal allowing a Dalek invasion. Except it seems the Daleks are already there. And dead. And also just arrived. And alive. And to say much more would spoil some of the enjoyment. And there's a lot to enjoy here.

"The Dalby Spook" concerns the real-life investigation into Gef, the talking mongoose, which supposedly haunted a farm on the Isle of Man. The Doctor, Liv, and Helen join paranormal investigator Harry Price in getting to the bottom of the mystery. This one's actually kind of spooky, well done, and rather personal for Helen. It's nice to get more development of Helen's character. After 47 episodes, she still feels a bit like the companion whose job it is to ask questions that give other characters opportunities to provide exposition. That's probably not really fair, but it's like Liv and Helen are the Tegan and Nyssa of this era. One gets to be loud and deliver all the snark and the other has to be the stable, calm one.

Anyway, it's a good pair of episodes and a nice change after Stranded.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who generally prefers it when Big Finish does more serialized boxsets, “What Lies Inside” doesn’t quite hit the spot the way that a series like “Stranded” did. But as a collection of two standalone stories, it’s pretty solid.

“The Dalek Paradox” is easily the standout here. A two-part story with a delightful (if somewhat pedestrian) time loop of a plot, “The Dalek Paradox” doesn’t necessarily do anything new with its premise or with its titular villains. But it is so much fun. John Dorney clearly had a lot of fun with the script, especially with some of the Dalek dialogue. But no spoilers from me. On the whole, it’s a very classic “Doctor Who” romp. (4/5 stars)

“The Daley Spook,” on the other hand, is a bit more of a mixed bag for me. The idea is really neat, and it’s inspired by the true story of Jeff the Talking Mongoose. But I’m just not sure the story fully came together as well as it could’ve. That being said, there are some lovely character beats for all three of our leads, and “Jeff” is an absolute delight. (3/5 stars)

On the whole, if you’re longing for more standalone Eighth Doctor adventures after years of serialized boxsets, then “What Lies Inside” perfectly hits the spot.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

After nearly a decade, they did away with the 16-part arc format. Stranded was a big high to end that with. I don’t mind this change of pace. Two decent standalone stories here, with Walker and McGann bringing top game as usual.

[Joseph S · Rating 4 out of 5]

part one of the first story was too short, otherwise it would be five stars.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doctor liv and Helen continue adventures.

[Dimitar Dakovski]

"Paradox of the Daleks" by John Dorney ★★★★

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go Jeff!!!