Doctor Who: Audacity

The Eighth Doctor Adventures

by Lisa McMullin, Tim Foley

The Doctor is about to gain a new best friend. Lady Audacity Montague has carved her own path in Regency England. She has also been watching the heavens, wondering what lies beyond. When the Doctor gatecrashes one of her famous society balls, Audacity is given the chance to find out...

The Devouring by Lisa McMullin (1 part)
Lady Audacity Montague - strong-minded and unconventional - has been gazing at the stars. But unfortunately for her - and everybody she knows - they've been staring back. She's made inadvertent, intergalactic eye contact with a malevolence known as The Devouring. Now it wants to consume her. But Audacity is already consumed. With rage.

The Great Cyber-War Part 1 by Tim Foley (1 part)
The Great Cyber-War. Humanity and her allies versus the horror of the Cybermen. This is no place for the Doctor to take his new best friend. But on the Aurum, the war seems far away. There are parties and cupcakes and all the gold of Voga - and not a Cyberman to be seen...

The Great Cyber-War Part 2 by Tim Foley (1 part)
The Cyber-War has come to the Aurum. The best hope of survival lies with the great Oberon Fix - the finest scientific mind of his generation, working to protect humanity. But the Doctor is worried that his own presence will affect history's outcome. And for Audacity, life with the Doctor will never be the same again...

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published November 1, 2023

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 8th Doctor was my first aquaintance with Big Finish and gave me some great fun. However financially I could not afford BF products for some time and thus lost sight of their productions. Recently I bought a few BF boxsets 2nd hand and it wetted some appetite I did not remember having. And through the BFapp I do listen these adventures on my headlines while travelling from and to work.

Now the Doctor still travels with Charlotte Pollard and in this boxset aquires a new companion by the name of Lady Audacity Montesque. He find this lady in 1813 where she is quite the liberated lady who does not believe in the power of men over women. Her guilty secret is watching the stars through her telescope. However somebody is looking back. This creature wants to have her even if it means killing of devouring all her friends. However there is this stranger who seems to know more and wants to help Audacity. This Doctor will save her and change her course in life. She cannot stay in her timestream and has to choose a new life.
Next the Doctor lands on a spacestation and gets himself and Audacity into the war with the Cybermen. The Cybermen plan to change the future and Audacity learns about the ugly side of space and timetravel.

The Devouring is a heartbreaking tale of Audacity and how her life changed with a touch of Timelord. It is easily a 5 star story with a great soundtrack.
The Cybermen story is actually quite average and not up to the quality of the opening story. But through the eyes of a new companion it adds something. And Audacity proves to be a perceptive lady when it comes too the Doctor, quite early on in her travels.

Audacity is quite a brilliant new character who is already a person out of time before she met the Doctor. She is already an interesting addition to the Who-lore. The eight Doctor is bloody good fun to listen too.

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it's that time again, a new 8th Doctor companion, new adventures. Except this time we're going back in time, before the Lucie Miller stuff and before the Charley stuff, it's time to meet Audacity!

The Devouring:
Audacity loves the stars, but despite this romantic quality, she has a bite to her, for she always carries a gun and her sharp wit. One night however she gazes upon a star that isn't a star and now a creature called The Devouring is coming for her, intent on destroying her life just to get its hands on her. Only The Doctor can save her.

Lisa McMullin has written an incredible opening story for this new companion that's beautiful, horrifying, comedic, and emotional, whilst also sensitively handling mature themes of SA and what it feels like to be a woman in a world full of dangerous and predatory men. A dark story at times that is brilliantly balanced with humor and emotion. The monologue at the end of Audacity is gorgeous as well! Definitely my favorite script from this writer so far. 10/10

The Great Cyber-War:
The Doctor is taking Audacity on her first adventure but when they arrive near the conclusion of The Cyber-War, he's hell-bent on leaving as soon as possible. Voga is in trouble because there's a scientist who could perhaps save the human race, but he might end up being responsible for the destruction of another species. The rebels are out and they're about to make a terrible mistake. The Cybermen are coming and they're after The Doctor.

Tim Foley has written an incredibly bleak and action-packed prequel to Revenge of The Cybermen that's epic in every way. A grand space opera of a story with some really intense scenes, fantastic character dynamics, fascinating ideas, and some very interesting contributions to Cyberman lore. The ending of this one took me by surprise and I'm beyond excited for the next set!! 10/10

Overall: 20/20

[Jamie Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st Story - 4 stars
2nd Story 4.5 stars (the story itself is 5 stars however the ending docs it down a little bit at the moment)

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, this was fantastic! Rarely have I been so enthusiastic about a BF audio and I've been enthusiastic about plenty of them. Especially 8th Doctor ones, I loved Stranded and the two boxsets after it (and lots of stories before of course). Audacity recaptured the joy of getting into the audios for the first time when I put on Storm Warning in 2019. Partially due to the early 8th era setting but mostly because it's great.

I don't think I've ever loved a companion as quickly as Audacity Montague (maybe Clara Oswald). She's just so magnetic and intriguing. She's also an astronomer, which is so cool and apt for a Doctor Who companion and surprisingly never been done before. I adore Jaye Griffiths' performance, I really liked her reprising her tv role in the second Eighth of March set and she's amazing as Audacity.

Her introduction, The Devouring is Recency story capturing the fun setting but not shying away from exploring darker topics from the era such as women's lack of rights and poverty. These are voiced by Audacity, a bold woman very much ahead of her time.

Part of the allure of historical companions is being from the past and carrying that historical background with them, but it's interesting to see people who are limited by living in their respective time periods. Helen is the closest example of this but I'd argue both her and Charley are of their time and mostly fit in, while Audacity is someone who rages against the system and isn't afraid to let everyone know. At the same time, she isn't a contemporary character plopped into the early 19th century. Her modern values don't make her anachronistic, as much as we associate the Regency time period with cozy and witty Jane Austen novels, it was a time of societal upheaval with the Abolitionist and Luddite movements, the French revolution happening in living memory, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman being published in 1792 (by none other than fellow 8th Doctor companion, Mary Shelley's mother). Even in more peaceful times, there were always people speaking out against injustice and living outside of the norm. It's just that they often had to pay the price and their lives ended in tragedy. I'm going to end this rant now, but I've already seen comments about Audacity's views being out of place for her background as well as her "hating men." It's sad to see that even in 2023, some people still equate a critique of sexism with "man-hating."

Anyway, Audacity is a wonderful character and I'm super grateful for Lisa McMullin for creating her and writing this story. Her Missy 2 story, The Lumiat is one of my favourites of all time and this will be joining its ranks.

The story itself is a great listen with good dialogue and side characters who turn out to be more nuanced than they first seem. The 8th Doctor and Audacity develop a great dynamic quickly and it introduces our new companion well.

The Great Cyber War follows on from (an apparently less popular) Classic story, Revenge of the Cybermen. I was a bit concerned about the two parter potentially dragging but it's a well-paced and action packed story. Tim Foley used the longer runtime for fleshing out the secondary characters and the setting. You can tell he was clearly invested of telling this prequel story of a Cybermen tale he likes.
I did find it amusing in the interviews when he mentioned the common Doctor Who fan experience of watching a story by yourself and enjoying it, only to find out you're "not supposed to" by interacting with the larger fandom. I always thought Revenge of the Cybermen was okay but this story will give me a new appreciation for it upon rewatching for sure.

A spoiler thought: Sooo Charley shows up at the end. I'm always happy to see her but this leaves an awfully short time for 8th and Audacity as a new duo. There's definitely a lot of potential in that team and it feels a bit unfair to Audacity to have an established companion to come in at the end of her second story. And especially a companion with such history with the Doctor. I hope this doesn't mean they're only planning Audacity as as a one off character. I believe in the Big Finish ability to magic any number of audios into story gaps but involving an already finished era can limit things. As long as they make many audios with Audacity (Charley or no Charley) I don't mind but please do make them.

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure I am sold on this release.
I like Audacity, and her first story was wild and different.
Audacity is a great over the top character, she is unpredictable and her heart is in the right place.
However, this second story about the Cybermen... is just is much more average, one of these usual Cyberman run-arounds.
And I just did not like the emotional Leader with the broken inhibitor chip. He was just such a typical vindictive sadist villain.
This story was completely missing the horror and menace of the silent methodical Cybermen, who live of their body horror.
Honestly, they could have replaced the Cybermen with the usual shouty Daleks and it would have been the same, even if the glitter guns would have worked even less.
Sorry, not sold on this.
And then the ending.
I am not entirely sure what to make of it.
Did they hope to increase the sales of the upcoming Christmas story set for all the nostalgia fans out there? Because it just would not be Christmas without a certain character?
What a strange decision.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories featuring the 8th Doctor teaming up with new companion Audacity. In later releases in this particular series, she will be joined by Charlie (indicating where we are in the Doctor’s personal timeline), but here, she’s on her own with the Doctor.

The Devouring – The first story, of course, has to introduce the companion. She’s a Regency-era aristocrat, albeit one who has married into money rather than being born into it (although her background is, at this point, rather vague). She’s intended to be an inspiring free spirit, railing against the restrictions that her society places on her, but, unfortunately, she mostly just comes across as annoying. Her goals are admirable enough, but her abrasive nature is overplayed, making this one of the weaker starts that we’ve had. On the other hand, her Regency origins will please those who feel a lack of non-contemporary companions in the modern series.

The plot itself is also not the strongest. The monster is a roaring menace with nothing much to recommend it, nor any interesting goals. On the plus side, the slow nature of its attack does give us the chance to interact with plenty of other characters from Audacity’s world, and as many of them are lower class as not. This gives some depth to the setting, and gives insight into Audacity’s personality and the way she deals with people, which will doubtless become relevant in later stories. It serves its function as a companion introduction, but it’s not much more than that when taken on its own. 3 stars.

The Great Cyber-War – Although it takes the Doctor a while to work it out, the cover picture makes it obvious that, this time, he has arrived on a space station above the planet Voga. The story acts as a prequel to Revenge of the Cybermen, providing some explanation for its background and papering over some of its inconsistencies with other stories. That arguably leads to an element of fanwank, depending on whether or not you were ever concerned about those inconsistencies in the first place, but fortunately, the story works well enough on its own merits.

Ironically, taken out of her original context, Audacity works better here than she did in her first story. We get some of the wonder of space travel for someone with only a Regency-era understanding of such things, but, more importantly, she gets to display her compassion for others and determination to fight for justice in a milieu that’s more suited to it. Shorn of our social expectations, she comes across as less abrasive and easier to cheer for. It’s a good base-under-siege story, too, with some elements of a wider setting on Voga itself that have some parallels with Audacity’s background. 4 stars.

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devouring
The introductory story of new companion Audacity Montague. She is definitely a unique and bold character, though a bit overwrought at times. The plot of this story is the big letdown. The alien menace is high concept but never really explained or fleshed out in a satisfying or logical manner. It is merely a contrivance to get Audacity onboard as a companion and to establish a reason why she cannot return home. It's silly to think the Doctor couldn't come up with a solution to get around this. Also, the alien's voice work falls into the usual Big Finish trap of sounding generically monstrous and difficult to understand at times. The performances are the only real stand out here.

The Great Cyber-War
A simple Cyberman story is what I needed after the nebulousness of The Devouring. However, while I like that this is a prequel to Revenge of the Cybermen, there's a lot of plot here trying to explain "continuity" instead of focusing on telling a good story. At the end, I can't help but feel this only exists to explain away the Cybermen's allergy to gold, a thing that doesn't need explaining in such a complicated way. The "science" behind it was silly. The best thing about this story was Audacity.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Who: Audacity ushers in an exciting new era for the Eighth Doctor. Freed from the confines of a decade's worth of box sets, Audacity is the perfect jumping-on point for listeners eager to dip their toes into Big Finish's Eight Doctor range. Featuring immediately captivating and endlessly endearing performances from Jaye Griffiths and Paul McGann, a trilogy of exciting, top-notch Doctor Who tales, and a mixture of horror, humor, and sci-fi camp, it offers a perfect showcase of the Eighth Doctor's range. Plus, there are plenty of treats for longtime listeners, too. Especially in the final moments of The Great Cyber-War. No spoilers, but let's just say next month's follow-up, Doctor Who: The Bleak Midwinter, is looking even more exciting.

If you're new to the range, Doctor Who: Audacity is the perfect starting point. And if you're a longtime fan of the Eighth Doctor, it offers an exciting look into a previously unexplored time of the Eighth Doctor's life. Though we may miss the ongoing adventures of Eight, Liv Chenka, and Helen Sinclair, Lady Audacity offers a breath of fresh air in the best way possible. Long may she reign.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devouring of Lisa McMullin:
5/10
Verdict: Recommended

I'm not a fan of this story, but it introduces us to the 8th Doctor's newest companion and what seems like the start of a new range. I don't like the villains of this story, I didn't enjoy the side characters and I honestly can't say I enjoy the new companion either. Nothing was overly bad about any of the writing on these, it just wasn't very interesting for me personally.

The Great Cyber-War:
5/10
Verdict: Optional

I really don't like when stories prioritize putting canon plasters into the plot instead of focusing on the plot itself. I never needed to know why the cybermen had such an on and off weakness to gold, if anything it's the least inconsistent part of them. I wasn't a fan of the side characters and honestly the writing on the new companion was somehow worse, her character seemed to regress, almost becoming comparable to Leela, less of an outgoing woman and now some kind of parody of one, addressing herself as royalty and challenging people to fencing matches. I hope that aspect is reigned in a bit going forward, or at least fully developed.

[Thomas Sherlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this start to a new era. Lisa McMullin’s opener focus on the titular new companion and brings with her a new energy. It feels fresh and new, which is something I’ve felt has been missing from the Eighth Doctor since the first boxset of Stranded.

Tim Foley’s Cyberman story that follows isn’t necessarily anything revelatory, but it’s decent spare opera fare which gives Audacity some nice material and pushes the Eighth Doctor. The Cybermen are of the Revenge of the Cybermen style in voice and characterisation, which is a nice touch and gives a certain edge to them here.

The ending of this set sees a twist, which is bound to be spoiled by the next set anyway. For now I’ll leave it vague, but for me it did take a little wind out of this set’s sails as it consigns what should be a brave new era to a subset of another one. Shame really, as I think Eight and Audacity could have worked just fine as a pair.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eighth Doctor’s adventures in audio have been linear for the most part over the past couple decades. Each series and box set tended to move his story forward, though there were instances where we’d go forward with the Time War box sets, or backward with The Further Adventures of Charlie Pollard / Lucie Miller. Audacity goes back in time during the Pollard era, but what makes this different in approach is it introduces and focuses on a new companion named Audacity, who will continue traveling with The Doctor. I think in that sense this is somewhat comparable to the Titan Comics that introduced new companions for Doctors. Audacity’s introduction is very compelling, and then we get a Cybermen story that goes into Revenge of the Cybermen. While I am curious about whether the Eighth Doctor Adventures will ever continue directly from where Connections left off, I’m looking forward to seeing what his next adventures with Audacity are like.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devouring - 4/5
The Great Cyber War -5/5

Two strong Eighth Doctor stories. Introducing the new companion Lady Audacity, who brings a great energy to bounce off the Doctor. The first story The Devouring helps to introduce her in a nice Pseudo-historical that balance the historical and sci-Fi elements well while nicely Introducing the new companion.

The Great Cyber War is amazing. It gets elements and plot points from one of the less liked cyberman stories being Revenge of the Cybermen and adds so much to that story while crafting its own tale set during, hence the title, the Great Cyber War. As its 2 parts, it allows the story to happen at a more relaxed pace but gives itself more time to explore all the plot points.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devouring ****1/2
The Great Cyber War ***

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun set. Loooove Audacity.

[Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audacity was the first of the two main Eighth Doctor boxsets for 2023. Containing two stories, it introduces a new companion for the Doctor in Lady Audacity Montague, a strong-willed regency-era woman. The first story, The Devouring is a lot of fun as it introduces us and the Doctor to Audacity. The plot revolves around Audacity who, in gazing up at the stars, catches the eye of a malevolent, obsessive alien force called the Devouring. The Doctor manages to save her, but she can never return home if she wants her friends and family to remain safe. It'll be interesting to see how she leaves the TARDIS in the end. The second story, which is actually told over two parts, in The Great Cyber-War. This was alot of fun, full of action, adventure, and just an all-around fast paced story. It also acts as a prequel to the TV story Revenge of the Cybermen as the plot also revolves around Voga, the planet of gold. The biggest surprise though, was at the end where it's revealed where in the Eighth Doctor's timeline these adventures take place. At the end, the Doctor takes Audacity to a Tibetan monestary where they reunite with Charley Pollard. This reveals that this boxset takes place in the middle of the Doctor's travels with Charley. All together, this boxset was a lot of fun. I'm enjoying Audacity as a new companion and look forward to the next set which is all Christmas themed.