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Big Finish: Monthly Range #38
Doctor Who: The Church and the Crown
A nation divided.
A Queen's life at risk.
A net of conspiracy closing in...
Sometimes being a time travelling adventurer just isn't easy...
For a start there's a temperamental TARDIS that lands a few thousand years off course in 17th Century Paris. But why shouldn't the Doctor, Peri and their travelling guest Erimem take a look around the city on the morning of King Louis's annual State Ball?
As Peri becomes embroiled in a plot to kill Queen Anne and smash the unity of the Church and the Crown, the Doctor finds himself duelling Musketeers on the streets.
With Peri missing, Erimem catching King Louis' eye and a Musketeer's sword at your throat, could things get any worse?
Probably...
A Queen's life at risk.
A net of conspiracy closing in...
Sometimes being a time travelling adventurer just isn't easy...
For a start there's a temperamental TARDIS that lands a few thousand years off course in 17th Century Paris. But why shouldn't the Doctor, Peri and their travelling guest Erimem take a look around the city on the morning of King Louis's annual State Ball?
As Peri becomes embroiled in a plot to kill Queen Anne and smash the unity of the Church and the Crown, the Doctor finds himself duelling Musketeers on the streets.
With Peri missing, Erimem catching King Louis' eye and a Musketeer's sword at your throat, could things get any worse?
Probably...
Audio CD
First published November 1, 2002
2 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Cavan Scott
844 books436 followersis a freelance comic writer and author. He is best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from both Doctor Who and Star Wars, as well as comics and novels for Vikings, Pacific Rim, Sherlock Holmes, and Penguins of Madagascar.
Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.
Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 2, 2024
‘I’m the Doctor!’
‘Good you can attend to your wounds when I have finished with you!’
The TARDIS lands in 17th century, Paris. Peri ends up missing, the Doctor duels with musketeers and Erimen wonders around and catches the eye of King Louis. I am thrilled to have an adventure without aliens. History being history- humans being the real evil. You get to see Erimen grow as a character and Peri is given a lot more to do. The main room of improvement would be the voice difference between Peri and Queen Anne.
‘Good you can attend to your wounds when I have finished with you!’
The TARDIS lands in 17th century, Paris. Peri ends up missing, the Doctor duels with musketeers and Erimen wonders around and catches the eye of King Louis. I am thrilled to have an adventure without aliens. History being history- humans being the real evil. You get to see Erimen grow as a character and Peri is given a lot more to do. The main room of improvement would be the voice difference between Peri and Queen Anne.
May 15, 2016
This is a fifth Doctor adventure with PerI Brown and Erimem as companions and is #38 in the Big Finish main range.
En route to take Erimem (and her cat) to refuge in the Braxiatel Collection the TARDIS instead drops them in 17th century France and the time of Anne of Austria, Louis XII, Cardinal Richelieu and the Duke of Wellington. It turns out that Peri is the spitting image of Queen Anne and the TARDIS crew gets caught up in a plot to kidnap the Queen and more. There's lot of musketeers and swashbuckling, and Erimem, Peri and the Doctor all get turns at the action.
This episode follows on from The Eye of the Scorpion back at #24 where Erimem fled Egypt with the Doctor and Peri. Despite being excellent in her first outing, the Doctor hasn't quite upgraded her to companion just yet, so this one has a lot of the feeling of a "companion audition" piece with Erimem getting a lot of the focus. She deals with the French royalty much better than the Doctor does and also gets to show off by leading the French army at one point; quite fitting for a martial Egyptian ruler.
This is also the first pure historical of the Big Finish line and it's lots of fun. The in-jokes with the comparison with what the musketeers are actually like and what they're like in the Dumas books are mostly funny, and the relationship between Louis XIII and Anne feels quite (prickly) authentic, and Richelieu comes across much better than he normally does in musketeer fiction as well. I'm not normally a fan of the historicals but this one feels like good solid Doctor Who to me.
En route to take Erimem (and her cat) to refuge in the Braxiatel Collection the TARDIS instead drops them in 17th century France and the time of Anne of Austria, Louis XII, Cardinal Richelieu and the Duke of Wellington. It turns out that Peri is the spitting image of Queen Anne and the TARDIS crew gets caught up in a plot to kidnap the Queen and more. There's lot of musketeers and swashbuckling, and Erimem, Peri and the Doctor all get turns at the action.
This episode follows on from The Eye of the Scorpion back at #24 where Erimem fled Egypt with the Doctor and Peri. Despite being excellent in her first outing, the Doctor hasn't quite upgraded her to companion just yet, so this one has a lot of the feeling of a "companion audition" piece with Erimem getting a lot of the focus. She deals with the French royalty much better than the Doctor does and also gets to show off by leading the French army at one point; quite fitting for a martial Egyptian ruler.
This is also the first pure historical of the Big Finish line and it's lots of fun. The in-jokes with the comparison with what the musketeers are actually like and what they're like in the Dumas books are mostly funny, and the relationship between Louis XIII and Anne feels quite (prickly) authentic, and Richelieu comes across much better than he normally does in musketeer fiction as well. I'm not normally a fan of the historicals but this one feels like good solid Doctor Who to me.
February 25, 2024
I was entertained but I could definitely relate to Peri when near the end she asks the Doctor to wait and answer a question: "Why are we doing this?"
The voice acting was sensational and all of the characters were enjoyable but I did wonder several times what the point of this adventure actually was.
The voice acting was sensational and all of the characters were enjoyable but I did wonder several times what the point of this adventure actually was.
April 16, 2023
Maybe it's because I have a nostalgic love of the Dick Lester Musketeer films of the 1970s but this was a surprisingly highly enjoyable relisten. This is one I'd be happy to revisit several times. There's some nice stuff about the real life counterparts of the character ls Dumas' Musketeer stories and the team of Fifth Doctor, Peri and Erimem the young Egyptian Pharaoh is out to good use here with each of their storyline strands working perfectly. It might not feature on many "Best of" Big Finish Lists but I'd happily put this up there with Chimes of Midnight and Spare Parts :D
October 2, 2023
A fun, frothy, fast paced light concoction involving mistaken identity and the Musketeers. This is one of rare audio plays that is a pure historical with absolutely no alien involvement! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Not once was I bored or fell asleep while listening to it.
September 27, 2018
Quattro stelle, ma solo perché ci sono i Moschettieri (anche se non sono I tre moschettieri sono ben caratterizzati), il Cardinale Richelieu, Luigi XIII e la Regina Anna, con Buckingham a fare da cattivo.
Il quinto Dottore, con Peri e Erimem (incontrata in The Eye of the Scorpion) si trovano coinvolti nel solito complotto contro lo Stato (niente collane o pendenti questa volta) e la Chiesa, con un Cardinale dalla parte dei buoni.
Storia godevole, caratterizzazione di Luigi sgradevole, accettabili gli altri.
Ma, se fossimo stati in un altro periodo storico, saremmo sulle 2 stelle e mezza.
Il quinto Dottore, con Peri e Erimem (incontrata in The Eye of the Scorpion) si trovano coinvolti nel solito complotto contro lo Stato (niente collane o pendenti questa volta) e la Chiesa, con un Cardinale dalla parte dei buoni.
Storia godevole, caratterizzazione di Luigi sgradevole, accettabili gli altri.
Ma, se fossimo stati in un altro periodo storico, saremmo sulle 2 stelle e mezza.
July 23, 2022
Whoops! I just realized I skipped over this one when doing my previous reviews of Jubilee and Bang-Bang-a-Boom, not sure how it happened, but it’s time to rectify the situation. Waiting this long is quite a shame because this particular audio drama is written by a certain Cavan Scott, someone that has become a very prominent author for Star Wars content as of late (and someone I have been reading a lot of), being one of the chief architects of Disney’s The High Republic cross-platform initiative. This is the second Fifth Doctor/Peri/Erimem story, continuing on from The Eye of the Scorpion, an audio that I reviewed a LOOOONG time ago, but recall enjoying a lot. This grouping of The Doctor and his Companions is very interesting to me for many reasons – notably because The Fifth Doctor as played by Peter Davison and Perpugilliam “Peri” Brown as played by Nikola Bryant never really got to do a whole ton when they were paired up. Peri specifically never had a good second companion to work off of, which Erimen, as played by Caroline Morris, excels at.
For those possibly new to these productions, Erimem is an interesting companion simply due to her status. Considering there is a trend of The Doctor generally hanging around with normal everyday people, save perhaps Nyssa who was of royal blood, having a literal Queen in The Tardis is quite different. Erimemushinteperem, or Erimem for short, was an uncrowned Khemetic Pharaoh from Ancient Egypt who was destined to succeed her father Amenhotep II, which The Doctor was aware never happened. Once she realized she had no place in history, she began traveling with The Tardis crew to make her own life her own way. Despite her previous station in life, she is a very kind character and a near sister to Peri, which is a dynamic that I quite enjoy. I always talk about how Big Finish “redeems” characters that may have had a rough time in the actual TV show, and Peri is a great example. No longer simply existing as eye-candy for the male fans of the series, Nikola Bryant delivers solid performances in every one of these I hear, and my entire opinion of her character has vastly changed.
One of the best things about this series is that this is a genuine historical, something you rarely see anymore. There aren’t secret alien musketeers, robot cardinals, monsters, meddling timelords, or any of the tropes we usually see in modern televised episodes. It follows the idea that the seemingly anachronistic events DID happen, but were covered up in order to avert a possible war between England and France. I thought this was a fun way to do a “what if” sort of episode, something that we all know is historically inaccurate without skewing reality. I honestly wish these sorts of episodes were made more, with me being a history buff, I’d absolutely love it, but I can see why the casual fan might get bored with it. It’s a shame really.
The story takes place during the reign of France’s Louis XIII and Queen Anne, in the era of The Three Musketeers. Most of the humor lies in the obvious subversions of the narrative from the classic Alexandre Dumas story, especially by making the titular swordsmen ridiculous goofs that are basically obsessed with getting into random swordfights at the drop of a hat. It’s not until Erimem jacks them up them with an inspirational war speech that they come to their senses and do the heroics they end up known for. One joke I loved was The Doctor trying to introduce the Musketeers to their “all for one, and one for all!” catchphrase from the novel, to which it is suggested “that will never catch on!” While these little jokes are great, that isn’t to say this is a comedy episode at all. The main plot revolves around The Duke of Buckingham, George Villers, staging a series of “false flag” attacks to pit the Royals and the Church against each other, making it much easier for a British Invasion. It’s a well-researched episode and very well written.
One of the best parts of this story is how strong Erimem is portrayed throughout. Despite being a total “fish out of water”, that has trouble understanding a lot of phrases and social conventions of people that live thousands of years after her young life, she knows exactly how to deal with the whims of nobility, shady clergymen, and unenthusiastic military-types. She’s a great asset to The Doctor, and I’d love to see a character such as her in the TV show for a change. She served the often used “man of action” archetype of the show, just flipped completely upside down.
I really liked this episode, and want to see more “pure historicals” like this in the future. Considering that I’m some TWENTY years behind, I’m sure more of them pop up eventually. This is one of the few in this line (so far) where every character feels big and important, everyone does something worthwhile, and nobody ends up being the “oh no I’ve twisted my ankle” character. Even though Peri is captured early on, she isn’t totally helpless. The acting is great, the audio design is top notch, and the writing is excellent, thus continuing a string of Peter Davison episodes hitting it out of the proverbial park. That’s saying a lot for me, as The Fifth Doctor is not one of my favorite eras of the show, but in audio form he consistently good!
https://arcadiapod.com/2022/07/23/rev...
For those possibly new to these productions, Erimem is an interesting companion simply due to her status. Considering there is a trend of The Doctor generally hanging around with normal everyday people, save perhaps Nyssa who was of royal blood, having a literal Queen in The Tardis is quite different. Erimemushinteperem, or Erimem for short, was an uncrowned Khemetic Pharaoh from Ancient Egypt who was destined to succeed her father Amenhotep II, which The Doctor was aware never happened. Once she realized she had no place in history, she began traveling with The Tardis crew to make her own life her own way. Despite her previous station in life, she is a very kind character and a near sister to Peri, which is a dynamic that I quite enjoy. I always talk about how Big Finish “redeems” characters that may have had a rough time in the actual TV show, and Peri is a great example. No longer simply existing as eye-candy for the male fans of the series, Nikola Bryant delivers solid performances in every one of these I hear, and my entire opinion of her character has vastly changed.
One of the best things about this series is that this is a genuine historical, something you rarely see anymore. There aren’t secret alien musketeers, robot cardinals, monsters, meddling timelords, or any of the tropes we usually see in modern televised episodes. It follows the idea that the seemingly anachronistic events DID happen, but were covered up in order to avert a possible war between England and France. I thought this was a fun way to do a “what if” sort of episode, something that we all know is historically inaccurate without skewing reality. I honestly wish these sorts of episodes were made more, with me being a history buff, I’d absolutely love it, but I can see why the casual fan might get bored with it. It’s a shame really.
The story takes place during the reign of France’s Louis XIII and Queen Anne, in the era of The Three Musketeers. Most of the humor lies in the obvious subversions of the narrative from the classic Alexandre Dumas story, especially by making the titular swordsmen ridiculous goofs that are basically obsessed with getting into random swordfights at the drop of a hat. It’s not until Erimem jacks them up them with an inspirational war speech that they come to their senses and do the heroics they end up known for. One joke I loved was The Doctor trying to introduce the Musketeers to their “all for one, and one for all!” catchphrase from the novel, to which it is suggested “that will never catch on!” While these little jokes are great, that isn’t to say this is a comedy episode at all. The main plot revolves around The Duke of Buckingham, George Villers, staging a series of “false flag” attacks to pit the Royals and the Church against each other, making it much easier for a British Invasion. It’s a well-researched episode and very well written.
One of the best parts of this story is how strong Erimem is portrayed throughout. Despite being a total “fish out of water”, that has trouble understanding a lot of phrases and social conventions of people that live thousands of years after her young life, she knows exactly how to deal with the whims of nobility, shady clergymen, and unenthusiastic military-types. She’s a great asset to The Doctor, and I’d love to see a character such as her in the TV show for a change. She served the often used “man of action” archetype of the show, just flipped completely upside down.
I really liked this episode, and want to see more “pure historicals” like this in the future. Considering that I’m some TWENTY years behind, I’m sure more of them pop up eventually. This is one of the few in this line (so far) where every character feels big and important, everyone does something worthwhile, and nobody ends up being the “oh no I’ve twisted my ankle” character. Even though Peri is captured early on, she isn’t totally helpless. The acting is great, the audio design is top notch, and the writing is excellent, thus continuing a string of Peter Davison episodes hitting it out of the proverbial park. That’s saying a lot for me, as The Fifth Doctor is not one of my favorite eras of the show, but in audio form he consistently good!
https://arcadiapod.com/2022/07/23/rev...
January 23, 2021
“三銃士”のお話や歴史背景をきちんと知っていれば苦労せずに聴き取れたのだろうが、そこを把握するまでに苦労した。特にCardinalが枢機卿とわかるまでは人間関係というか陰謀の構図がよく飲み込めず手こずったが、そこがクリアできたあとは、聴きやすく比較的わかりやすいお話だったと思う。
Part1
酒屋で飲んでいた近衛銃士隊のデルマとルフェルはマラーンド隊長率いる枢機卿護衛隊がアンヌ女王とバッキンガム公爵が付き合っていると吹聴しているのが許せず、叩きのめす。
ドクターはエリメムとペリを連れて惑星KS-159の博物館にいくつもりが、なぜか17世紀のパリに到着してしまう。せっかくなので散策することにした3人。ドクターとエリメムが食事をしている間、ペリは別行動でパリを堪能することに。
その頃、宮廷にアンヌ女王を訪ねてきたシュヴルーズ公爵夫人に女王に何を届けにきたのか問い詰めるルイ13世。アンヌ女王の浮気を疑っているのだ。
ペリは庭園である男に話かけられる。人違いと説明しようとすると、武装した男たちに襲われ連れ去られてしまう。ペリの悲鳴をきいたドクターとエリメムは助けに走るが運悪く銃士隊のデルマにぶつかってしまい決闘を申し込まれてしまう。
Part2
ペリを連れ去ったの枢機卿の護衛隊の制服をきていたことで、ペリがアン女王と間違えて誘拐されたと推測するドクター。デルマに女王に危険が迫っていると説得して王に会いに行く。
エリメムが機転をきかせ、自分の侍女が誘拐されたので助けて欲しいと王に訴える。しかし、護衛隊のマーランド隊長が銃士隊がアン女王と思われる女性を誘拐したと王に進言にくる。
ドクターはデルマと共に街の情報屋モリスを訪ね、誘拐事件について尋ねる。ペリが連れ去られた場所がわかり、ドクターはアン女王の安全を守るようエリメムを宮廷に戻し、デルマとルフェルと共にペリを助けに向かう。
その頃、ペリはどさくさにまぎれて独力で逃げ出していた。ところがドクターが誘拐犯の手の者に捕まってしまう。デルマとルフェルはドクターとペリを救出するため計画をねるが、そこにペリが合流する。
その頃、宮廷では枢機卿がエリメムにスパイ容疑をかけてエリメムを処刑しようと迫ってき��。しかし爆発がおこり、マーランド隊長が死んでしまい、枢機卿は銃士隊の仕業と怒り狂う。
Part3
ドクターはバッキンガム公爵に捕まり、厳しい取り調べを受けていた。
ドクターを助けに行くと引き返すペリにデルマとルフェルは渋々付き合う。
枢機卿とエリメムは爆発物について王を糾弾にいく。しかし王は耳を貸さず、枢機卿は法王に破門を進言すると宣言するが王は枢機卿を逮捕する。
Part4
バッキンガムが王と枢機卿を歪み合わせ、そのどさくさに紛れてフランスを侵略しようと進軍を始めていた。
ペリに助けられたドクターはバッキンガムの企みを王に知らせるためパリに急ぐ。途中でエリメムが合流し、ドクターに王が枢機卿を投獄したことを伝える。
ドクターはエリメムをデルマとルフェルに銃士隊と護衛隊の誤解を解いて結束させ、バッキンガムの進軍を止めるようにいい、ペリを連れて王の暴走を止めるため宮廷に急ぐ。地下水路から宮廷に入り、ドクターとペリはまず枢機卿を救出する。
その間、エリメムの演説で銃士隊と護衛隊は結束。バッキンガム軍に反撃を開始する。
感想
とにかくエリメムがかっこよかった。さすが元エジプトの女王といった活躍ぶり。ドクターも三銃士のユニフォームをプレゼントされてオタク的に満足。ついでに”All for one, One for all.“のフレーズを推しまくるドクター。デルマ達は全然ピンときていないみたいだったのがせつなく。エリメムがまだまだターディスで一緒に旅をしてくれるみたいなので嬉しい。
Part1
酒屋で飲んでいた近衛銃士隊のデルマとルフェルはマラーンド隊長率いる枢機卿護衛隊がアンヌ女王とバッキンガム公爵が付き合っていると吹聴しているのが許せず、叩きのめす。
ドクターはエリメムとペリを連れて惑星KS-159の博物館にいくつもりが、なぜか17世紀のパリに到着してしまう。せっかくなので散策することにした3人。ドクターとエリメムが食事をしている間、ペリは別行動でパリを堪能することに。
その頃、宮廷にアンヌ女王を訪ねてきたシュヴルーズ公爵夫人に女王に何を届けにきたのか問い詰めるルイ13世。アンヌ女王の浮気を疑っているのだ。
ペリは庭園である男に話かけられる。人違いと説明しようとすると、武装した男たちに襲われ連れ去られてしまう。ペリの悲鳴をきいたドクターとエリメムは助けに走るが運悪く銃士隊のデルマにぶつかってしまい決闘を申し込まれてしまう。
Part2
ペリを連れ去ったの枢機卿の護衛隊の制服をきていたことで、ペリがアン女王と間違えて誘拐されたと推測するドクター。デルマに女王に危険が迫っていると説得して王に会いに行く。
エリメムが機転をきかせ、自分の侍女が誘拐されたので助けて欲しいと王に訴える。しかし、護衛隊のマーランド隊長が銃士隊がアン女王と思われる女性を誘拐したと王に進言にくる。
ドクターはデルマと共に街の情報屋モリスを訪ね、誘拐事件について尋ねる。ペリが連れ去られた場所がわかり、ドクターはアン女王の安全を守るようエリメムを宮廷に戻し、デルマとルフェルと共にペリを助けに向かう。
その頃、ペリはどさくさにまぎれて独力で逃げ出していた。ところがドクターが誘拐犯の手の者に捕まってしまう。デルマとルフェルはドクターとペリを救出するため計画をねるが、そこにペリが合流する。
その頃、宮廷では枢機卿がエリメムにスパイ容疑をかけてエリメムを処刑しようと迫ってき��。しかし爆発がおこり、マーランド隊長が死んでしまい、枢機卿は銃士隊の仕業と怒り狂う。
Part3
ドクターはバッキンガム公爵に捕まり、厳しい取り調べを受けていた。
ドクターを助けに行くと引き返すペリにデルマとルフェルは渋々付き合う。
枢機卿とエリメムは爆発物について王を糾弾にいく。しかし王は耳を貸さず、枢機卿は法王に破門を進言すると宣言するが王は枢機卿を逮捕する。
Part4
バッキンガムが王と枢機卿を歪み合わせ、そのどさくさに紛れてフランスを侵略しようと進軍を始めていた。
ペリに助けられたドクターはバッキンガムの企みを王に知らせるためパリに急ぐ。途中でエリメムが合流し、ドクターに王が枢機卿を投獄したことを伝える。
ドクターはエリメムをデルマとルフェルに銃士隊と護衛隊の誤解を解いて結束させ、バッキンガムの進軍を止めるようにいい、ペリを連れて王の暴走を止めるため宮廷に急ぐ。地下水路から宮廷に入り、ドクターとペリはまず枢機卿を救出する。
その間、エリメムの演説で銃士隊と護衛隊は結束。バッキンガム軍に反撃を開始する。
感想
とにかくエリメムがかっこよかった。さすが元エジプトの女王といった活躍ぶり。ドクターも三銃士のユニフォームをプレゼントされてオタク的に満足。ついでに”All for one, One for all.“のフレーズを推しまくるドクター。デルマ達は全然ピンときていないみたいだったのがせつなく。エリメムがまだまだターディスで一緒に旅をしてくれるみたいなので嬉しい。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2023
This was a good short novella featuring the 5th Doctor and Peri. On the show, they didn't get much time together before the Doctor regenerated so I am always thrilled when I get to read a new adventure with the two of them. I really enjoyed this one. Also, I really like it when the Doctor goes historical so the setting of France in the 1600's was perfect for me. The story was well told, and I liked how in such a short book we get a full adventure. Sometimes in these stories, they try to cram too much information into them, and they just become confusing, but this was just right. I am glad that I gave this one a listen and hopefully, I can find more 5 and Peri stories.
March 25, 2022
The Church and the Crown. A story set in the era of the Three Musketeers for the fifth Doctor, Peri (who turns out to be a double for the queen) and a new companion, Erimem. Cardinal Richelieu does his best to keep France together despite the silliness of the king and queen, while Buckingham plots to destroy them all. There are no fantasy elements (other than the Doctor and his time-travelling, of course), and it's all the better for it.
April 4, 2024
Gonna be honest this was really just fine but I feel like it was a bit too fine, really the most standard Doctor Who adventure you could ask for, and there is nothing really wrong with that but I feel like the story just does nothing for me.
Perhaps it's because I don't care much for the time period it's set in but it all just feels so meaningless to me. I just didn't care.
But there is nothign really wrong, everyone is doing their best I just it's alright I guess.
Perhaps it's because I don't care much for the time period it's set in but it all just feels so meaningless to me. I just didn't care.
But there is nothign really wrong, everyone is doing their best I just it's alright I guess.
September 7, 2017
When the "Peri looks EXACTLY like Queen Anne" conceit was introduced, I groaned, but this ended up rising above and really being a lot more fun than it had any right to be. It's a little clunky. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the voice actors apart, but all in all an enjoyable historical.
And Erimem is a delightful addition. That she and Peri served as self-rescuing royalty was refreshing.
And Erimem is a delightful addition. That she and Peri served as self-rescuing royalty was refreshing.
September 17, 2020
The 5th Doctor, Peri, and new companion Erimem, arrive in Paris during the time of Cardinal Richelieu, Louis XIII, and Queen Anne.
Peri, who apparently is a dead ringer for the queen, is immediately captured.
Court intrigue, musketeer sword fights, and an international threats are just a few of the obstacles the Tardis crew face in this fun new adventure.
Peri, who apparently is a dead ringer for the queen, is immediately captured.
Court intrigue, musketeer sword fights, and an international threats are just a few of the obstacles the Tardis crew face in this fun new adventure.
November 2, 2017
A pure historical story featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem. I enjoy these types of stories in particular as they can often inform as well as entertain. In this case the political intrigue of France and a plot to kidnap the Queen.
The story is sprinkled with some light hearted and humorous moments and is well paced with some good ol swashing of buckles. The 'all for one' reference was a nice if all too obvious reference to add in. Wouldn't be Muskateers without it!
Not groundbreaking but definitely a good listen, especially if you like pure historicals.
The story is sprinkled with some light hearted and humorous moments and is well paced with some good ol swashing of buckles. The 'all for one' reference was a nice if all too obvious reference to add in. Wouldn't be Muskateers without it!
Not groundbreaking but definitely a good listen, especially if you like pure historicals.
October 19, 2017
Another great one!
February 16, 2020
Crítica | Big Finish Mensal #34 a 39: O Arrebatamento e Outras Histórias: https://www.planocritico.com/critica-...
July 26, 2021
A good listen. I enjoyed it.
July 12, 2022
Prisoner of Zenda sort of deal where Peri looks identical to Queen Anne. No bug eyed monsters. Straight up historical adventure.
December 30, 2022
While I enjoyed this one, inwas annoyed that it felt more like Historcal fiction rather than Science Fiction
May 15, 2023
Not quite as strong as the preceding story Eye of the Scorpion.
April 25, 2024
I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get into it. I have no complaints about the production quality on this one, it just wasn't for me.
January 6, 2026
3.5 Stars -'Watered down "Enemy of the World" with solid layer of story elements and pacing
August 12, 2022
Not to much to this. It's not the best and it's not the worst.
March 13, 2023
Dropping the 5th Doctor and Peri into an Alexandre DumasAlexandre Dumas inspired story with Musketeers, French court intrigue, and look-alikes seems like a solid idea, but somehow is lacking.
July 4, 2017
Big Finish does an excellent job with their audio plays. Make no mistake... they are NOT audio-books, with a well-known actor READING the material - the Big Finish audio plays are full-fledged plays complete with music, sound effects, and honest-to-goodness acting. The quality of the individual stories varies, but it's usually in the three to five out of five range.
The Church and the Crown was a surprise -- because I loved it! I got it as part of my subscription package (back when I could afford a monthly subscription package) but when I listened I was floored. Big Finish have created a farce, a complete farce, and I mean that in the best possible way. This story was laugh out loud funny. Peri, it seems, is a dead ringer for Queen Anne of 17th Century France. So, yes, the story involves all the escapades of a French farce -- doubles, secret identities, horse-drawn carriage chases (which work surprisingly well in the audio format). Nicola Bryant and Peter Davison are brilliantly deft at the comedy, and it makes you wonder what might have been if Peter had done one more season of Doctor Who at the BBC. This audio also features Caroline Morris as (ancient) Egyptian Princess, Erimem. A companion created specifically for the audios, I always quite liked Erimem.
I highly, highly recommend this audio. If you haven't listened to any of the Big Finish Audios, and you like Doctor Who it's an excellent place to start. If you're a fan of audio books and plays and you haven't tried the Big Finish lines (they have several) I highly recommend their work.
The Church and the Crown was a surprise -- because I loved it! I got it as part of my subscription package (back when I could afford a monthly subscription package) but when I listened I was floored. Big Finish have created a farce, a complete farce, and I mean that in the best possible way. This story was laugh out loud funny. Peri, it seems, is a dead ringer for Queen Anne of 17th Century France. So, yes, the story involves all the escapades of a French farce -- doubles, secret identities, horse-drawn carriage chases (which work surprisingly well in the audio format). Nicola Bryant and Peter Davison are brilliantly deft at the comedy, and it makes you wonder what might have been if Peter had done one more season of Doctor Who at the BBC. This audio also features Caroline Morris as (ancient) Egyptian Princess, Erimem. A companion created specifically for the audios, I always quite liked Erimem.
I highly, highly recommend this audio. If you haven't listened to any of the Big Finish Audios, and you like Doctor Who it's an excellent place to start. If you're a fan of audio books and plays and you haven't tried the Big Finish lines (they have several) I highly recommend their work.
September 27, 2009
While not as inventive as some of Big Finish's more outlandish stories (ex: "The One Doctor"), "The Church and the Crown" is an engaging story, with enough twists, turns, and political backstabbing to keep the plot moving at an impressive clip.
The team of Peri, Erimem and the Fifth Doctor continues to delight, with Erimem's practicality balancing out Peri's high-strung tendencies. That being said, Erimem is no wilting flower, showing both her charisma as a leader (when rallying an army of French soldiers), and ruthlessness (advocating the immediate execution of the villain). Only time will tell if these traits will be examined further.
Big Finish turns out extremely well-written historicals, due in part to the fact that they are not hampered by special effects budgets. However, there was nothing particularly innovative about "The Church and the Crown," nothing to make it stand out among the other well-written stories of this type.
Ultimately, "The Church and the Crown" is a fun diversion on a Sunday afternoon, though it doesn't encourage repeat listening.
The team of Peri, Erimem and the Fifth Doctor continues to delight, with Erimem's practicality balancing out Peri's high-strung tendencies. That being said, Erimem is no wilting flower, showing both her charisma as a leader (when rallying an army of French soldiers), and ruthlessness (advocating the immediate execution of the villain). Only time will tell if these traits will be examined further.
Big Finish turns out extremely well-written historicals, due in part to the fact that they are not hampered by special effects budgets. However, there was nothing particularly innovative about "The Church and the Crown," nothing to make it stand out among the other well-written stories of this type.
Ultimately, "The Church and the Crown" is a fun diversion on a Sunday afternoon, though it doesn't encourage repeat listening.
Read
April 8, 2009A straight historical story, with absolutely no sfnal content apart from the presence of the Tardis crew, and the fact that Peri is the exact double of the Queen of France (a previous Fifth Doctor companion found she had a local double in the last televised purely historical story, and of course this happened to the Doctor himself in France a few decades earlier).[return][return]It's all done rather well, and Caroline Morris as ancient Egyptian companion Erimem is fab (though I thought Andrew Mackay's King Louis was too demotic and too exaggerated). But there is a basic problem with the plot: the Doctor takes it upon himself to thwart an English invasion of France, purely because he knows it didn't happen in 1626. In this story, the alien force intervening to alter history is the Doctor himself, which (if this is the same Doctor who would not intervene to save Anne Chaplette in 1572) raises all kinds of issues that are not properly addressed, never mind resolved.
December 15, 2010
It's Doctor Who meets The Three Musketeers! If that very idea fills you with delight, you'll probably enjoy this as much as I did. Even if you're not especially fond of Dumas, there's a lot to like about this story. Erimem really gets to shine, presenting herself as "Princess Erimem of Karnak" at Louis XIII's court and getting to rally an army to defend Paris. Peri gets to show the kind of grit that she didn't always get to show on TV. There are lots of nice touches of humor. Admittedly, as is often the case with pure historicals, the ending is a bit anti-climactic, since it amounts to "and then history as we know it continued to happen." But the story is generally enough fun that that feels like a minor quibble.
February 7, 2014
This one gets off to a slow start because, eh, 15 minutes of musketeers drinking and duelling and 17th century love escapades and intrigue...bring on the time travellers already! Once the Doc, along with Peri and Erimem, appear things get more interesting. The plot is thrilling, but most of all the character writing is gorgeous with fantastic byplay between the regulars, lots of nice little bits of business between the rest of the cast - this is a story where people interact with each other and not just with plot exigencies! All the little touches and incidental characters add up to a rich, flavourful repast. Good stuff.
April 11, 2017
And I thought "The Rapture" sucked. This one sets a new low for the series. I will now list all the SciFi elements that were in the story, trying hard not to insert any outside knowledge about DW: "The Doctor" travels through time using a machine he calls the TARDIS and has arrived in the 17th century. He has apparently changed his form in his past, and his traveling companions are from the past and the future (of the story's setting). THAT'S IT! No aliens, no paranormal mysteries, no cosmic threats, not even a sonic screwdriver. What.Was.The.Point?
Oh, and the not-at-all-sci-fi story itself was boring.
Oh, and the not-at-all-sci-fi story itself was boring.
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