Doctor Who: Return of the Krotons

The Sixth Doctor Adventures

by Nicholas Briggs (Author/Narrator), Colin Baker (Narrator), India Fisher (Narrator)

The dead planet Onyakis is being plundered by the last survivors of the human race, and their leader, Commander Cobden, will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Already there are rumours of those who stand against him mysteriously disappearing. But when the Doctor and Charley find themselves on the side of those trying to expose Cobden, they discover something far more sinister.

Deep in the mines of Onyakis, alien technology is reactivating. Power is flowing. Something is forming in the darkness…

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Time Travel

Audio CD

First published December 1, 2008

About the author

Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.

He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).

Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.

Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.

Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a predictable but enjoyable Doctor Who adventure. I loved the interactions between Six and Charley, and the characters growth for Charley is so lovely, especially at the end when she talks about C'rizz.

[Kathryn Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really loved Charley and Six’s dynamic. I was a little worried going into their audios loving Eight so much but this is a nice side arc that I think is going to give a lot of character growth to Charley. The enemy in this story was pretty predictable, but other than that it was enjoyable. And oh gosh that bit at the end where Charley is a bit out of it and starts talking about C’rizz and how she thinks the Doctor just didn’t care about him 😭

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt like kind of a detour. Maybe a nostalgia trip for anyone who wants more Krotons.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good enough, but a bit hard to follow in a couple places

[Finn Chamberlain-Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

twas fine. but kinda boring

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another mediocre Kroton story

[Nicholas Whyte]

The Krotons are, everyone will agree, not the greatest of Old Who monsters, but Return of the Krotons actually does a decent job of reconstructing them, fitting them also into the chronology of The Ark in Space and perhaps also The Ark. I liked the sense of the small group of people trapped by their own culture and by the growing alien menace which they won't comprehend. Nicholas Briggs does a great Kroton voice and also puts a bit more substance into the concept of the creatures. I enjoyed it. (And Charley gets to make the Kroton/crouton joke.)

[Keiran Thegreat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crystalline Krotons are a monster I have always wanted to see make a return. Although not the most powerful or deadly alien of all time I think the unusual and complex nature of the Krotons is very appealing.
This story features two of the strongest audio cast amongst the Big Finish regulars (6th Doctor, Colin Baker and Charley Pollard, India Fisher) a solid script and decent plot complete an entertaining story.
This story proves that with the right approach any classic monster is capable of a triumphant return.

[Audrey M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. More interaction between Charley and the Doctor, which is always welcome, and Charley's getting closer and closer to the big reveal as she gets closer and closer to this version of the Doctor.

There was a moment that wrenched my heart in a very good way, but I don't want to give and spoiler. Now I know I'll be heartbroken when Charley finally has to leave the Doctor for good.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having loved Sixie and Evelyn so much and Charley and the Eighth Doctor I really wasn't expecting to like the two of them together. But this was lots of fun. It was nice to have a very futuristic adventure for these two. They played off each other beautifully. While the Krotons were probably not really a villain that needed to come back they were fine and it was nice to see all the ark in space references.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Krotons are one of the Whoniverse's more interesting species, which is always a plus. Good incidental characters, another plus. How Sixie defeats the Krotons, though -- that is just the best!!

[Danny Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

An underrated small tale that I found to be really enjoyable and a nice return for a rather controversial villain. Colin and India are of course once again brilliant! 8/10

[Debra Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Charlie try to stop the Krotons from destroying a civilization.