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The Fourth Doctor at Nest Cottage #6-10
Doctor Who: Demon Quest
Following on the success of Hornet’s Nest, here is the second brand-new, five-part series of exciting adventures written expressly for audio.
5 pages, Audio CD
First published December 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 23, 2012
With the success of “Doctor Who: Hornet’s Nest”, BBC Audiodrama was keen to get Tom Baker back in the recording booth. As it happens, Baker was also more than ready, with his love for the character restored, so it was a foregone conclusion. And with Paul Magrs picking up where the previous story left off, the same level of quality was to be expected.
Of course, it would have been all too easy to simply repeat the same formula: having the Doctor recount much of the story, giving Baker a chance to show off his impressive oratory skills. Instead, this five-part epic is a bit more varied. Each of the five episodes (again totaling roughly 5-6 hours of ear candy) is told from a different character’s perspective. It keeps the story fresh as events play out, but as one might expect, the quality of the individual episodes varies a bit more, depending on the strength of the narrator.
The central conceit is that a critical piece of the TARDIS has been taken, forcing the Doctor to travel through time on Earth to retrieve the various elements of the instrument, all the while led on this merry chase by unusual objects left for his benefit. On the one hand, this is a familiar Classic Who plot device, and it works particularly well for the episodic format, giving a logical context for the various narrators. On the other hand, many of those “fetch quest” serials felt incredibly forced, and by the end of the story, this particular quest definitely feels extraneous to the point of the villain’s gambit.
I was also a bit confused as to the nature of the “demon”, especially as the story makes quite a big deal of the potential reveal of the character’s identity. Any Classic Who fan immediately thinks of “The Daemons”, and with Mike Yates involved, a callback to the Third Doctor era is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. But this “demon” is completely unrelated, which isn’t so much a disappointment as a storytelling oddity.
With the success of “Hornet’s Nest”, the eventual sequel was never in doubt, and sure enough, this story also leads directly into a follow-up as well (“Serpent’s Crest”). Tom Baker seems to have found a renaissance of Doctordom between these productions and his work for Big Finish, and it’s the fans of his era that reap the benefits!
Of course, it would have been all too easy to simply repeat the same formula: having the Doctor recount much of the story, giving Baker a chance to show off his impressive oratory skills. Instead, this five-part epic is a bit more varied. Each of the five episodes (again totaling roughly 5-6 hours of ear candy) is told from a different character’s perspective. It keeps the story fresh as events play out, but as one might expect, the quality of the individual episodes varies a bit more, depending on the strength of the narrator.
The central conceit is that a critical piece of the TARDIS has been taken, forcing the Doctor to travel through time on Earth to retrieve the various elements of the instrument, all the while led on this merry chase by unusual objects left for his benefit. On the one hand, this is a familiar Classic Who plot device, and it works particularly well for the episodic format, giving a logical context for the various narrators. On the other hand, many of those “fetch quest” serials felt incredibly forced, and by the end of the story, this particular quest definitely feels extraneous to the point of the villain’s gambit.
I was also a bit confused as to the nature of the “demon”, especially as the story makes quite a big deal of the potential reveal of the character’s identity. Any Classic Who fan immediately thinks of “The Daemons”, and with Mike Yates involved, a callback to the Third Doctor era is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. But this “demon” is completely unrelated, which isn’t so much a disappointment as a storytelling oddity.
With the success of “Hornet’s Nest”, the eventual sequel was never in doubt, and sure enough, this story also leads directly into a follow-up as well (“Serpent’s Crest”). Tom Baker seems to have found a renaissance of Doctordom between these productions and his work for Big Finish, and it’s the fans of his era that reap the benefits!
August 15, 2025
I have been a Doctor Who fan for quite a while, but I always struggled to get into the classic episodes until recently. I decided I was going to watch all of Tom Baker’s stories from start to finish. I am about halfway through his seven-year run now, and I have also started dipping into some audio dramas. I came across this one and thought, “Why not?” I had no idea if it would be good or bad, and as it turns out, I accidentally jumped right into the middle of a three-story series. Now I am going to go back, listen to the first one, and then finish with the third.
That said, this one was great. The inclusion of Tom Baker as the Doctor was fantastic. He still has that same energy and charm. The other voice actors, including the wonderful Mrs Wibbsey, did an amazing job. The whole thing was well produced, and I loved that it was split into episodes just like the classic TV format.
The story itself was solid. Not the best Doctor Who I have ever experienced, but definitely not the worst. Honestly, I would say it sits toward the better end. I did feel a little lost toward the end when the plot turned to the bugs, but I am guessing that is something covered in the first installment of the series.
One of my favorite parts was the constant jumping from place to place and time to time. So often with Doctor Who, especially in the classics, you stay in one location for the entire story. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but I really enjoyed how this one took you to different places, different eras, and introduced new characters and scenarios in each episode.
Tom Baker is quickly becoming my favorite Doctor overall, if not my favorite classic Doctor, and his reputation is well deserved. I would give this a solid 9 out of 10. I might not revisit it right away, but it is a very good story and well worth listening to.
That said, this one was great. The inclusion of Tom Baker as the Doctor was fantastic. He still has that same energy and charm. The other voice actors, including the wonderful Mrs Wibbsey, did an amazing job. The whole thing was well produced, and I loved that it was split into episodes just like the classic TV format.
The story itself was solid. Not the best Doctor Who I have ever experienced, but definitely not the worst. Honestly, I would say it sits toward the better end. I did feel a little lost toward the end when the plot turned to the bugs, but I am guessing that is something covered in the first installment of the series.
One of my favorite parts was the constant jumping from place to place and time to time. So often with Doctor Who, especially in the classics, you stay in one location for the entire story. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but I really enjoyed how this one took you to different places, different eras, and introduced new characters and scenarios in each episode.
Tom Baker is quickly becoming my favorite Doctor overall, if not my favorite classic Doctor, and his reputation is well deserved. I would give this a solid 9 out of 10. I might not revisit it right away, but it is a very good story and well worth listening to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2020
doctor who is always a fun charter. Like superman though the story needs extra attention to make a good story. either can do almost anything and can easily end in a situation were there is little or no challenges, or what challenges their are aren't interesting.
the 3rd act did have a framing store that changed up in the story and the 4th act had a very interesting supper hero angle that was very interesting but could have been done better(probably needed to spend more time to address the subject)
the 3rd act did have a framing store that changed up in the story and the 4th act had a very interesting supper hero angle that was very interesting but could have been done better(probably needed to spend more time to address the subject)
October 27, 2023
This one takes some real liberties in the sci-fi stakes, and doesn't really bother by part 3 to even try and technobabble its way out of it. It does pick up a bit, but it's really missing a good hook and any actual Doctor Who-ness. I enjoyed listening to it more than its predecessor, because the unpredictability made it worthwhile to wonder what happens next, but none of it ever delivered on what it was selling.
January 29, 2022
This is a fun audiobook to listen to. Each chapter is it's own story which feels exactly like an episode from the show. I loved listening to these stories and following along with the Doctor on these crazy adventures.
February 3, 2026
Fenella Wibbsey is a real G. I enjoyed these 4th Doctor stories.
January 9, 2017
When browsing selections, I first saw Doctor Who, then Tom Baker, then a story I didn't know. I grabbed it without a second thought.
I should have paused then I would have noticed that there is a story before this one that is connected. Therefore, I ended up spoiling myself for elements of Hornet's Nest, that I shall get to very shortly. Also, I see there is a tale after this one, so my nights shall be filled with the wonderful mellifluous tones of Tom Baker.
I discovered a new companion, but of a different style; a housekeeper. At some levels she reminds me of Sherlock Holmes' Mrs. Hudson; helpful yet affirms her own opinions freely.
Then, mention of a favorite character from the old series, Captain Mike Yates, who served as an excellent counterpoint to the more militant Brigadier.
One feature I especially enjoyed is the use of different narrators for each part of the story. That added both to the charm, and the mystery of unfolding events. I do love a good mystery. If that also happens to contain Doctor Who, which, to a point, many mysteries are solved by the good Doctor, I am all the happier for it.
Above all, honestly, I am thrilled to hear Tom Baker again. My cup of joy overfloweth that he offers his unique, and to my not so humble opinion, definitive interpretation of the character. The wit, the intelligence, and the conscious propel him through his many adventures, especially when it seems all hope is lost; he is there with a quip, and a solution. Even if the reader/listener/viewer isn't told about it until the tension is over.
For my introduction to these new stories, I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
I should have paused then I would have noticed that there is a story before this one that is connected. Therefore, I ended up spoiling myself for elements of Hornet's Nest, that I shall get to very shortly. Also, I see there is a tale after this one, so my nights shall be filled with the wonderful mellifluous tones of Tom Baker.
I discovered a new companion, but of a different style; a housekeeper. At some levels she reminds me of Sherlock Holmes' Mrs. Hudson; helpful yet affirms her own opinions freely.
Then, mention of a favorite character from the old series, Captain Mike Yates, who served as an excellent counterpoint to the more militant Brigadier.
One feature I especially enjoyed is the use of different narrators for each part of the story. That added both to the charm, and the mystery of unfolding events. I do love a good mystery. If that also happens to contain Doctor Who, which, to a point, many mysteries are solved by the good Doctor, I am all the happier for it.
Above all, honestly, I am thrilled to hear Tom Baker again. My cup of joy overfloweth that he offers his unique, and to my not so humble opinion, definitive interpretation of the character. The wit, the intelligence, and the conscious propel him through his many adventures, especially when it seems all hope is lost; he is there with a quip, and a solution. Even if the reader/listener/viewer isn't told about it until the tension is over.
For my introduction to these new stories, I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews