Doctor Who: Connections

The Eighth Doctor Adventures

by John Dorney, James Kettle, Roy Gill

The Doctor, Liv and Helen are out in the universe, picking up missing pieces, and finding lost connections. After a package entangles them with shifty Time Lord Drax, the TARDIS crew are haunted by past loves on a space station, before Helen encounters somebody she believed long gone.

Here Lies Drax by John Dorney (1 part) - The Doctor, Liv and Helen are surprised to get a letter delivered to the TARDIS from the Doctor’s old school friend, Drax. They’re even more surprised when it’s followed by a parcel also sent by the intergalactic con-man, asking them to keep its contents safe. Contents that seem to be a lot of worthless junk. And their surprise gets even bigger when this parcel is itself followed by an invitation... to Drax’s funeral.
And that’s just where the surprises start.

The Love Vampires by James Kettle (1 part) - Regret can follow people everywhere - even out into deep space, in the shadow of a dying star. When the Doctor, Liv and Helen meet the terrified crew of a space station, all are haunted by faces from the past. But these lost loves are more than mere memories - and they want to feed.

Albie's Angels by Roy Gill (1 part) - When the Doctor and friends hunt down time anomalies in 2020s Soho, Helen steps into the past and meets the brother she thought she’d lost forever. But there are Weeping Angels in London - and one of the stone assassins wants something from the Doctor and Liv.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction

Audio CD

First published December 6, 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

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Eighth Doctor is on to new adventures, without a story arc to be heard of and despite now missing the style of the past few years, this has definitely been a nice change of pace. But it's time to continue these with the second set, Connections!

Here Lies Drax:
After going through some junk mail, The Doctor discovers that he has been invited to Drax's funeral, however when he, Liv, and Helen arrive he automatically thinks the worst of his friend and that he's up to another one of his dodgy cons, but things are going to get very complicated indeed.

John Dorney has written a very fun and enjoyable run around with this sequel to The Trouble With Drax, it's not quite as good as the original 4th Doctor audio but it has plenty of humor with a clever ending. I'd love to see more of Drax in the future but it might be time to change things up a notch. 8/10

The Love Vampires:
Materializing on a spaceship, The Doctor discovers a new form of Vampires running amock in the shadows feasting upon their victims with the hallucinations of their first love, will The Doctor, Liv, and Helen defeat them or will they succumb to the past?

James Kettle is a little hit-and-miss with me as a writer, but his work is usually fun despite any issues I may have. The Love Vampires however is an atmospheric but beautifully somber story about past regrets and love. It's a deeply profound story with plenty of heart and terror, it also gives a few clues to The Doctor's past which is always fun. 9/10

Albie's Angel:
Detecting something threatening the stability of time itself, The Doctor, Liv and Helen go to resolve the situation. But when Helen is sent back in time by a Weeping Angel, she's reunited with her brother who was sent to prison when she was very young...

Albie's Angel much like UNIT: Dating is an incredibly beautiful story that nearly had me in tears, it's a heartbreaking tale where The Angels aren't the main attraction but their being here is actually very unique and gives more depth to them, which considering the themes of the story is such an interesting and a rather wonderful comparison to the attitudes of the 60s. It's a powerful story about the hatred and prejudices against gay men/women in the 20th century and just how hard life was then. The conclusion of this story was beautiful as well. Hattie Morahan as Helen was by far the best performer in this, really acting her heart out for such a beautiful piece of storytelling! 10/10

Overall: 27/30

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 1 - Here Lies Drax

I really enjoyed this story. Honestly, I downloaded a sample of this story and had to listen to it after hearing the 8th Doctor struggling with junk mail, even though I’ve now skipped rather a large chunk of Big Finish 8th Doctor novels, so aside from her appearance in the Once and Future series, I haven’t read / listened to any of the series with Liv or Helen, and I actually really enjoyed them as companions. I thought their interactions with the 8th Doctor was quite realistic to actual people, and the dry wit, oh I loved it.

Plot wise, it was just really fun. Assassins and Time Lord con men and an explosion at a funeral after a treasure hunt. Who wouldn’t love this???

Rating - 5* / 5*

Story 2 - The Love Vampires

I love vampire stories. I think this is probably a result of being a teenager when the Twilight era first started and vampires were everywhere you looked in fiction, but even now as an adult, if I see the word vampire, I’m almost immediately interested.

I did really enjoy this story. It was a very atmospheric audio, and I really enjoyed learning more about the Doctor’s companions. With the subject matter being past loves and regrets, parts could get quite somber, but it was still such a lovely read.

Rating - 4* / 5*

Story 3 - Albie’s Angels

For a Doctor Who monster that is such a visual monster, the Weeping Angels are fantastic in this audio. In fact, the entire box set has been fantastic.

In this story, Helen takes the main role, and honestly, it was such a beautiful story, and acted so well that the Doctor and Liv weren’t really needed in it, honestly they could have removed the side plot and just left it as Helen and Albie and it would still be just as fantastic.

Rating - 5* / 5*

[Jamie Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 1 - 4 stars
Story 2 - 3 stars
Story 3 - 5 stars

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another box set with 3 individual stories for the Tardis Team of 8, Liv and Helen.
I really enjoy these individual stories, there is no universe in danger and they are just having some adventures, with lots of friendly banter in between. This makes you love this team all over again, even if some critics say that they have outstayed their welcome. If they stay a bit longer with stories like these, I honestly cannot complain!

- Here lies Drax- This was a fun run around.
I think I was lucky that I had completely forgotten about the 4th Doctor audio and the MO that Drax uses (despite it being called out at the start).
So the whole plot came as a surprise and worked for me.
But it was not only the big stuff that made this a fun audio, it was also the little scenes, like Liv and Helen explaining junk mail to the Doctor. A scene that is not wasted, since it ties in to the resolution. Very well done!

- Love Vampires.
Hmm.
This sadly goes very much along with most other Who Vampire stories.
Also, again with that pseudo-mythology stuff, "ancient knowledge" helping against alien enemies to humanity....
However, I liked the twist and what the Doctor does to fight the vampires- he just turns that pseudo-mythology, "story and knowledge in one's head" and "legends brought to life" on the head and weaponizes it.
Some nice character background for Liv and Helen.
A fun enough story, but nothing really new compared to other Who vampire stories.

-Albie's Angels is an absolute wonderful story about love, family, loss and hope.
It is also a great call back to the late Trevor Baxter, as I adore Jago and Litefoot, this was a great touch.
This story will make you cry, but it will also warm your heart.
The writing is clever (showing us all the paradoxes and the different timelines), Helen is front and centre for a wonderful deep character piece and even the Angels show a new side.
All of this wrapped up in a historical story, presenting us with the horrific laws against same-sex love that sadly are all too present in some countries.
This is as perfect as it gets.

Liv and the Doctor pretty much are side characters, while Helen takes centre stage. They do get some nice banter scenes, however.

Even if some people are holding back because they dislike Liv or do not want to hear Liv anymore- you are seriously missing out on something wonderful. This box set is worth it just for the last story alone. It is amazing and easily is up there with other great Big Finish character stories like Peri and the Piscon Paradox.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another three standalone stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, unconnected with each other, but all approximately on the theme of the title.

Here Lies Drax – The first story is a comedy featuring the eponymous Time Lord con man from The Armageddon Factor. The Doctor receives an invite to his funeral and is naturally suspicious that he isn’t really dead and it’s all part of some larger con. Whether or not that’s true, there is more going on than meets the eye, and we’re soon off on a treasure hunt across the galaxy as the Doctor tries to put it all together. The characters are larger-than-life, providing a broad strokes comedy that focuses more on the Doctor than it does on the companions. It’s all implausibly daft and honestly rather slight, but it’s an enjoyable ride and a suitably convoluted plot given the nature of the title character. 4 stars.

The Love Vampires – It’s often the case in these collections that the weakest story is the one in the middle, and so it is here. The Doctor and companions arrive on a space station being infiltrated by vampires, with the twist being that the vampires hypnotically convince their victims that they are someone they once loved in order to get close. This is a worthwhile premise, which inevitably gives us an insight into the companions’ pasts… but it turns out not to be a very interesting insight, playing on their respective personalities, but little more. The Doctor’s vision is less interesting still, although I guess they were never going to address the question of Susan’s grandmother, so I probably shouldn’t be surprised. Not a lot happens, and it’s clear that the author doesn’t understand what a white dwarf star is (which is relevant to the plot). Assuming you're not actually an astrophysicist, it’s not bad, but it’s not memorable, either. 3 stars.

Albie’s Angels – The strongest story is the last which delivers on the promise of the cover to include Weeping Angels. It’s another twist on the use of these particular monsters and one that succeeds where the previous story fails in providing some genuine insight into Helen’s backstory. It’s her experiences that are central to this, rather than the Doctor’s, although to explain why would stray into spoiler territory. Indeed, the Doctor and Liv are almost tangential to the story, providing some banter and filling in some necessary gaps, but not much else… and you barely notice. There’s a lot going on in this in a story that relies heavily on the time travel premise, as well as taking a peek into one of the more negative aspects of Helen’s native time (building on a throwaway line in a previous audio story). It’s both an emotional ride for her and a clever use of the titular monsters that allows us to see them from a different angle than usual. 5 stars.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mixed bag of standalone Eighth Doctor episodes. On the one hand, I definitely appreciate the (relatively speaking) lower stakes here when compared to storylines like Stranded, Ravenous, etc. And the focus “Connections” gives to Eight, Liv, and Helen on an emotional level is a joy to behold. But the stories themselves are more mixed.

“Here Lies Drax” is a fairly fun romp. Full of strange twists, quantum assassins, and a lot of silliness. This story isn’t anything to write home about but it’s certainly a fun ride. Everyone seems to be having the time of their lives, and that joy is definitely infectious. The story itself is rather forgettable, and it doesn’t necessarily come together in the most satisfying way. But it’s fun enough. (3/5)

“The Love Vampires” is probably the most disappointing story of the set. It’s got a great premise, but it never fully comes together. There’s something very haunting about these “vampires” giving their victims hallucinations of lost loves. But the story never really does anything with that. There was a chance to really mine the leads’ backstories here, and the episode just kind of glosses over it. That being said, the way that Eight ultimately saves the day is pretty clever. (2.5/5)

“Albie’s Angels” might just be one of my favorite Big Finish stories in ages. On the one hand, it’s a Weeping Angel story that actually does something new and interesting with them. But on the other hand, it’s this gorgeous, heartbreaking story for Helen. This is the story of what happened to her brother, Albie (who was briefly mentioned in “Unit Dating” in “Stranded 2”). And let me just say, the wait was definitely worth it. It’s emotional, bittersweet, and “Doctor Who” at its finest. Plus, Hattie Morahan delivers a barnstormer of a performance here. What more could you ask for? (5/5)

On the whole, “Connections” is much more of a mixed bag than “What Lies Inside?” was. But when it works, it works very well. Sure, some of the stories are forgettable. But then there’s “Albie’s Angels,” one of the best Big Finish stories in ages. And that story, alone, is well worth the price of entry. If you’re a fan of the Eighth Doctor, Liv, or Helen, this set’s a must get.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Connections - 3.5/5 stars
A weird collection of stories, I think the last set was a little better, but this one had my favourite story from 2022’s releases.
Here Lies Drax by John Dorney - 2.5/5 stars
It’s Drax!! From the Key to Time (I only watched that last month so I barely get the reference). The Doctor, Liv and Helen are dragged into one of Drax’s schemes. Personally, not my favourite story, I only listened to some Thomas Brewster stories earlier this week and Drax is like timelord Brewster, so completely insufferable.
The Love Vampires by James Kettle - 3/5 stars
I thought this one was fine. I didn’t really care for the side characters and the stuff done with the companions and Doctor was decent. I think, though it was smart, the Doctor backstory stuff (that seemed really interesting) being fake memories made up to trick the Vampires was a cool idea.
Albie's Angels by Roy Gill - 5/5 stars
Continuing something from the best story from the Stranded series (Unit Dating), Helen manages to bump into her older brother after getting displaced in time in 1963. What she learns about how her brother Albie ended up in prison and how the Weeping Angels took her brother away finally gives her peace and closure on how her lost brother lived his life. (This one also made me cry a little.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Lies Drax:
6/10
Verdict: Optional

I get it but it's not for me. It's plot twist the story, and while I liked the comedy in this, I don't think it was enough to carry it. Can't recommend but give it a listen if the synopsis sounds like something you'd like.

The Love Vampires:
5/10
Verdict: Optional

Apart from some sweet moments at the end, this story is an absolute snore fest. The enemies are fine, the setting is fine and the character dynamics are fine. There's nothing really to say about this one, it's very skippable.

Albie's Angels:
6/10
Verdict: Optional

I wish I could rate this higher, the dynamic with Helen and Albie in this was pretty great, but unfortunately I didn't find it engaging enough to carry the story past the issues I have with Weeping Angel audio stories and the very dull villain. The Doctor and Liv also have very little to do in this one as well. I can see people loving this one, but it didn't do it for me.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Lies Drax - 3.5/5
A fun romp with some typical Doctor adventure elements, twists, turns, and characters double crossing one another!

Love Vampires - 4/5
A cool sci-fi take on an old-ish trope, and super happy to finally have Helen’s sexuality more or less confirmed with the vampire impersonating a girl as Helen’s first love. Hurray!

Albie’s Angles - 5/5
One word: Incredible! Hattie Morahan acted her chops off in this one, what an actress <3 The story is a painful one - centred on Helen’s brother Albie and societies treatment of his sexuality in the 1960s - but is beautiful and poignant for how Helen helps him, how they manage to re-connect, and plus points for Helen introducing herself as Helen Chenka <3. Includes a classic monster (the weeping angels) but Helen leads this story and uses her smarts to save the day. Wonderful storytelling.

[P.J. Benney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Lies Drax - 4/5, very funny and entertaining.
The Love Vampires - 4/5, very atmospheric and rich in character detail.
Albie's Angels 6/5 - I was trying not to cry during my flight. Holy shit one of the best and most moving episodes I can remember. It was a bit like Blink but builds upon it and the emotional core is so much more. I would recommend this episode to any newcomer as a starting point, to understand what the 8th Doctor / Big Finish / audio drama as a whole can do. Listen to all the extras at the end. Very moving.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really fun to have Drax back in Doctor Who. The vampire story is my least favorite, but the Angels story surprisingly had some depth. And I'm also a sucker for stuff related to rock and vinyl. I did notice that The Doctor says "audacity" in the second story, which is the title of the next release in the Eighth Doctor Adventures range.

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

All 3 stories are good and different (it's good to have variety in standalone stories). I am emotionally compromised by Albie's Angels. The best story in the set, had me tearing up in the kitchen while making dessert. I love Helen Sinclair. <333

[Joseph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly sweet story to close out the boxset. ❤️

[Sara Habein · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY excellent set of Eighth Doctor stories, particularly the last one, "Albie's Angels."

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liv helen and the doctor have 3 adventures

[Alien_Dwarf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Albie's Angels = phenomenal, one of the very best 8th Doctor stories

[Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the end of the Monthly Adventures range in March 2021, Big Finish moved to a looser release schedule of boxsets with each of first eight Doctors getting one or two boxsets a year. With the end of Stranded in April 2022, the Eighth Doctor moved away from 4-boxset/16-part arcs and began getting two "main" boxsets a year released in November and December. This was December 2022's release and was made up of three one-part stories. The first story, Here Lies Drax, is just really fun. The character of Drax (who appeared in the TV Story The Armageddon Factor with Tom Baker) has died and left the Doctor seemingly random junk. It's just a lot of fun. The second story, The Love Vampires, was an interesting idea of creatures that feed on love. It's creepy, but not too much so and gives some good character moments for the Doctor, Liv and Helen. The final story, Albie's Angels, is a Helen-centric story featuring Weeping Angels and her missing brother Albie. It's actually quite sad by the end. This set had three good stand-alone stories that were solid and rather fun. As good as some of the previous arcs had been, it was nice to get back to stories that don't feel weighed down by long story-arcs or tons of continuity.