164: The Roots of Evil

THE ROOTS OF EVIL (2013, Fourth Doctor & Leela, Doctor Who Prose)
This is another story with a rushed conclusion. It’s a story with undeveloped ‘cardboard characters’ and slightly poor characterisation of the Fourth Doctor. However, despite the short story’s flaws, Leela is realised perfectly and the idea of an evil sentient tree which a civilisation is living in is genius. Good. 7/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130504070108/tardis/images/c/cf/The_Roots_of_Evil.jpg
TOMORROW, it's some more wonderful Who, with creepy angels, a glamorous period setting and tears before bedtime...

163: The Spirit Trap

THE SPIRIT TRAP (2010, Jago & Litefoot)
Janet Henfrey’s amazing. She brings lots of life, charm and character into Mrs Vanguard. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter are especially interesting in this play, and since it’s written by Jonathan Morris, it’s guaranteed to be amazing. Sound design and music are good in a fantastic and funny play. Great. 9/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/jago-litefoot-series-one-box-set-557
TOMORROW, it's The Roots of Evil, a title more literal than it seems at first, facing the Fourth Doctor and Leela...

162: Desperate Measures

DESPERATE MEASURES (2013, Wolfblood)

Debbie Moon’s the writer, so it should be really good. However, it’s not just as good as you’d expect. It feels a bit ‘run of the mill’, though there’s still good bits. The acting is the thing that triumphs with Louisa Connolly-Burnham giving a fab performance in the final scenes. 6/10. 50 words.

 

NEXT, The Spirit Trap faces Jago & Litefoot...

161: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

THE SPECTRE OF LANYON MOOR (2000, 6^th Doctor & Evelyn, Doctor Who Audio)
Ooh, golly gosh! This is jolly exciting, isn’t it? Good old Colin Baker and Maggie Stables, being jolly splendorous in their fantastic roles. Nick Pegg, good chap, doing a fine job as writer, making a suitably atmospheric play. And James Bolam and Nicholas Courtney – fantastic chaps. Splendid! From Mrs Moynihan. 8/10. 50 words.


BUY IT AT http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-spectre-of-lanyon-moor-633

TOMORROW someone's got Shannon's laptop, and all the Wolfblood secrets, in Desperate Measures...



Image credit: the excellent hisi79 (Simon Hodges) of deviantART

160: The Daleks - The Destroyers

THE DESTROYERS (2010, Sara Kingdom & the SSS, The Daleks)

The sound design and music is authentically 60s on this production. The cover is good, and the story itself is something typical of Terry Nation, taking bits from past Dalek adventures but adapting it, and to fit an action-adventure American market. Alan Cox and Jean Marsh are especially fantastic. Great. 8/10. 50 words.

 

BUY IT AT http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-second-doctor-box-set-430

TOMORROW, it's off to Cornwall - another highly desirable holiday destination - for the Doctor and his companion, but there are demons on the moor... 

159: The Lost Boy

THE LOST BOY (2007, Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde & Maria, Sarah Jane TV)
There’s a very intriguing storyline, which plays out well, though perhaps the Slitheen aren’t the right villains for this story. Lots of attention to detail in the script and production mean you know something’s not right before the script says it. Lis Sladen is fabulous in an enjoyable tale. Good. 6/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/sarah-jane/the-sarah-jane-adventures-series-1-5-box-set-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3604
TOMORROW, Sara Kingdom's on a mission to find her brother... whatever it takes!

158: Love & Monsters

LOVE & MONSTERS (2006, Elton Pope, Tenth Doctor & Rose, Doctor Who TV)
I thought Russell T Davies was incapable of writing a completely wholly bad episode. Until now. Love & Monsters puts Elton Pope, an absolutely awful, undeveloped and badly-acted character, against Peter Kay as the worst villain ever. This is pointless and awful, not just for Doctor Who, but for telly. 0/10. 50 words.

Normally at this point, there's a 'Buy it at:' link but instead...
BUY SOMETHING MUCH BETTER AT: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ARTPOP-CD-DVD-Lady-Gaga/dp/B00FOY5JX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390588950&sr=8-1&keywords=ARTPOP

TOMORROW, Sarah Jane has an awful revelation to comprehend, with catastrophic consequences, in another Sarah Jane serial, reviewed in 50 words...

157: The Spear of Destiny

THE SPEAR OF DESTINY (2013, Third Doctor & Jo, Doctor Who Prose)

This is an interesting story, and an improvement on the first two. The Third Doctor and Jo are written perfectly. The Viking setting is good, and the surprise villain reveal is a good one – the thing about the longship too was unexpected. Marcus Sedgwick’s written a darn good short story. 8/10. 50 words.

 

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/11-Doctors-stories-Doctor-Who/dp/0141348941/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

NEXT, it's, oh god, Love & Monsters, reviewed in 50 words...

156: The Bellova Devil

THE BELLOVA DEVIL (2010, Jago & Litefoot)
I don’t think I can praise this highly enough. It’s possibly my favourite of the entire Jago & Litefoot series. Alan Barnes has written a fantastic script encompassing varied elements – Bulgarians, scimitars and suicide clubs – which all link together perfectly, and Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter are at their best. 10/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/jago-litefoot-series-one-box-set-557
NEXT, back to the 50th anniversary Puffin e-book collection with The Spear of Destiny, reviewed in 50 words...

155: Top Dog

TOP DOG (2013, Wolfblood)
A simple and maybe overused storyline – the school election and the conflict it creates – is used to great effect in this enjoyable, if uneventful story. Leona Vaughan and Louisa Connolly-Burnham both get good things to do – and do them well – and Roger Simonsz presents his fabulous directing style once more. 7/10. 50 words.


NEXT, it's Jago & Litefoot time again, with "The Bellova Devil", reviewed in 50 words...

154: Planet of the Daleks

PLANET OF THE DALEKS (1973, Third Doctor & Jo, Doctor Who TV)
Terry Nation draws from his cupboard of Dalek ideas and once again produces a story almost identical to the first Dalek tale. The acting is unspectacular too, though the Daleks, the sets, the music, and above all, Katy Manning and Jon Pertwee, are totally perfect. And the writing’s okay really. 9/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Frontier-Planet-Daleks/dp/B002KSA3T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390236423&sr=8-1&keywords=DALEK+WAR
TOMORROW, the Wolfblood reviews continue with an election conflict in Top Dog, reviewed in 50 words...

153: The Age of Steel

THE AGE OF STEEL (2006, Tenth Doctor, Rose & Mickey, Doctor Who TV)
The slightly-less-ploddy-than-the-first-episode second part of this Cyberman two-parter has some good CGi and the plot picks up its pace and becomes quite involved and interesting eventually, though it takes a while. Roger Lloyd-Pack RIP is outstanding though the regulars are forgettable. This isn’t the best story ever by any means. 4/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Cybermen-David-Tennant/dp/B001UHNXQU/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1390140247&sr=1-4&keywords=who+the+cybermen
TOMORROW, the Third Doctor faces some of his oldest foes in a story featuring an average quantity of runny raspberry jam...

152: The Mad Woman in the Attic

THE MAD WOMAN IN THE ATTIC (2009, Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke & Rani, SJA TV)

The cheap episode works! This story begins fantastically spookily and hooks the viewer throughout all of its sixty minutes. Anjli Mohindra has never been better as Rani, and this is Joe Lidster’s finest script for the series. Eve is a convincing alien and there’s fabulous CGi coupled with excellent direction. 9/10. 50 words.

 

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Sarah-Jane-Adventures-Complete/dp/B002SZQC8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390140151&sr=8-1&keywords=sarah+jane+3

NEXT, the second of the RIP Roger Lloyd-Pack reviews, and it's The Age of Steel, reviewed in 50 words...

151: Rise of the Cybermen

RISE OF THE CYBERMEN (2006, Tenth Doctor, Rose & Mickey, Doctor Who TV)
It’s got a beginning, a middle and an end at least. I haven’t watched it in a while, but every time I have watched it, it’s always seemed like a couple of hours longer than forty-five minutes. There are nice scenes, and Roger Lloyd-Pack RIP is wonderful, but it plods. 3/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-The-Complete-Series/dp/B000FFL702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389984535&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+who+series+2
TOMORROW, there's some weird fun for Sarah Jane and the gang as things turn sinister in The Mad Woman in the Attic...

150: The Nameless City

THE NAMELESS CITY (2013, Second Doctor & Jamie, Doctor Who Prose)
First things first: this is a vast improvement on Eoin Colfer’s initial story, including elements of intrigue and mystery. The story itself is fairly loose and, like the other stories, nothing much happens and the ending is rushed. The Second Doctor and Jamie transfer to paper fantastically. A good story. 8/10. 50 words.

TOMORROW, um, erm, something Doctor Who... let's pay tribute to Roger Lloyd-Pack (RIP) with Rise of the Cybermen, reviewed in 50 words...

149: The Bloodless Soldier

THE BLOODLESS SOLDIER (2010, Jago & Litefoot)
And so the journey begins! Chris Benjamin, Trevor Baxter and Lisa Bowerman are absolutely fantastic, and Justin Richards has written a script fairly devoid of humour but abundant in the gothic horror this series set out to realise. The sound design, music and theme are all very impressive. Really great. 7/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT: http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/jago-litefoot-series-one-box-set-557
TOMORROW, a nameless city in The Nameless City, reviewed in 50 words...

148: Mottled Poppy

MOTTLED POPPY (2013, Wolfblood)
This episode of Wolfblood is the finest broadcast to date. With its interesting mix of surreal elements – ie what the hell is going on with these weird farmer people? – and the familiar, the fab script works great. Roger Simonsz has presented a visually stunning episode which is unrivalled in awesomeness. 10/10. 50 words.

NEXT, The Bloodless Soldier, the first fantastical adventure for those avuncular adventurers, Jago & Litefoot...

147: Prison in Space

PRISON IN SPACE (2010, Second Doctor, Jamie & Zoe, Doctor Who Audio Lost)

An intriguing and comic four-parter, this would have been fabulous, I think, if realised in 1968. And it’s fabulous here, an oddly comic story for the Second Doctor, realised with wonderful sound design and music from David Darlington. Susan Brown is amazing as Babs, too. This is authentic and wonderful. 9/10. 50 words.

 

 

BUY IT AT: http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-second-doctor-box-set-430

TOMORROW, get your fangs out for an eerie Doctor Who story for the Eleventh Doctor...

146: Enemy of the Bane

ENEMY OF THE BANE (2008, Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke & Rani, Sarah Jane TV)
In places this is for the kiddies – Bane goo all over the place basically. But there’s nostalgia too, with ONLY THE FLIPPIN BRIGADIER! It’s a nice mix of old and new, with Samantha Bond being a LEGEND, making a good, if overlong, story, and would work best at 45 minutes. 7/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/childrens/sarah-jane-adventures-the-complete-2nd-series-dvd/invt/bbcdvd2919
TOMORROW, oh I don't know, haven't written the review yet, um, okay, you can have your Second Doctor fill for this week, with a story turning the tables on misogyny...

145: Mission of the Viyrans

MISSION OF THE VIYRANS (2007, Peri & Fifth Doctor, Doctor Who Audio)
Does anything happen in this? It’s 24 minutes of absolutely nothing happening, followed by two minutes of explanation. It’s a weird structure that works awfully, with Nicola Bryant and Peter Davison giving bad performances. Coupled with rubbish guest acting and unimpressive music and this is definitely not worth a re-listen. 1/10. 50 words.

GET IT FOR FREE AT https://soundcloud.com/big-finish/doctor-who-mission-of-the
NEXT, it's a brand new Sarah Jane review, with spuds and goo...

144: A Big Hand for the Doctor

A BIG HAND FOR THE DOCTOR (2013, First Doctor, Doctor Who Prose)
As is mentioned countless times in reviews, Eoin Colfer has clearly no understanding of the First Doctor, who mentions Blake’s 7, Hogwarts, fake tan. The story is weird; the Doctor requires an electronic hand to replace his, which he lost… swordfighting??? Nevertheless, there’s a satisfying conclusion and nice prosaic style. 3/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/11-Doctors-stories-Doctor-Who/dp/0141348941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387997125&sr=1-1&keywords=11+doctors+11+stories
SORRY about the lack of reviews in the past two days - I've been very busy. Anyway...
NEXT, it's Sixth Doctor one-episode free story "Mission of the Viyrans", reviewed in 50 words...

143: The Mahogany Murderers

THE MAHOGANY MURDERERS (2009, Jago & Litefoot, Doctor Who Audio CC)

Oh, but David Richardson and Andy Lane are geniuses! This is a perfect reunion for the characters of Jago and Litefoot, participating in an excellent and highly-recommended tale. Christopher Benjamin, in particular, is exceptional at voicing all manner of parts, and the sound and music are spectacular. Buy it now! 10/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-mahogany-murderers-475
TOMORROW, a brand new series of Doctor Who prose reviews begins with a swashbuckling story for the First Doctor...

142: Ancient Grudge

ANCIENT GRUDGE (2013, Wolfblood)
Again, nowt much happens in this story, the fifth episode of Wolfblood 2. But what does happen is impressive – nicely lit and cinematographed sequences with fabulous direction by Roger Simonsz, who definitely needs to be brought back for Wolfblood 3. Alun Raglan and Leona Vaughan in particular must be praised. 7/10. 50 words.

TOMORROW, a brand new series of Jago & Litefoot reviews begins with "The Mahogany Murderers", reviewed in 50 words...

Sorry, this was meant to go up yesterday, didn't publish

141: Meglos

MEGLOS (1980, Fourth Doctor & Romana, Doctor Who TV)
It’s one of those stories where nothing happens (which will end up becoming a theme of this week’s reviews). It’s four episodes of running down corridors, with the worst ever guest performances in Doctor Who (bar the wonderful Jacqueline Hill). A comically bad version of what Doctor Who should be. 1/10. 50 words.


BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/doctor-who-dvds/doctor-who-meglos-dvd/invt/bbcdvd2852
TOMORROW, an ancient grudge resolved in Wolfblood's "Ancient Grudge", resolved in 50 words...

140: The Leisure Hive

THE LEISURE HIVE (1980, Fourth Doctor & Romana, Doctor Who TV)
I hated Part One so much when I was eight I stopped watching classic Doctor Who. How stupid I was. The Foamasi are rubbish monsters and the beach scenes abysmally boring, but the rest of it has fantastic sets, sparkling dialogue, an intriguing plot, fantastic costumes and exceptional performances. Great. 9/10. 50 words.


BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/science-fiction/doctor-who-the-leisure-hive-dvd/invt/bbcdvd1351

NEXT, a brand new schedule for the 50 Word Reviews! New reviews include Jago & Litefoot, Doctor Who prose, and Iris Wildthyme later on, but it all begins next, with a spiky story from Tom Baker's final season...

139: The Man Who Never Was

THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS (2011, Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke, Rani & Sky, Sarah Jane TV)
Heralded as the finest SJA story, this is certainly good, but there are other stories deserving that title. The locations and sets are wonderful, and the script is funny but still dark. The Skullions are absolutely brilliant (spin-off please!), and the acting, and particularly the ending (blub), are unequalled. Wondrous. 9/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/science-fiction/the-sarah-jane-adventures-series-5-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3580
TOMORROW, The Leisure Hive (claimed by Jac Rayner as "a place where bees rest" or something), reviewed in 50 words...

138: The Doctor's Daughter

THE DOCTOR’S DAUGHTER (2008, 10th Doctor, Donna, Martha, Doctor Who TV)
This isn’t brilliant. Having Donna, Martha and Jenny around means it’s a bit like a female-led version of Season 19 for the Doctor – however this means that Donna and Martha get side-lined. The Hath are interesting creations, and the sets are good, but the acting isn’t, and the story unspectacular. 5/10. 50 words.

BUY IT AT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Series-Volume-DVD/dp/B001A47GAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388774884&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+who+series+4+volume+2
TOMORROW, Sarah Jane tale The Man Who Never Was, reviewed in 50 words only...

137: Crime of the Century

CRIME OF THE CENTURY (1990+2011, Seventh Doctor, Ace & Raine, Doctor Who Audio: Lost Stories)
This is an enjoyable story start to finish, encompassing varied locations all realised with good sound design; the central musical theme is authentic. However, despite good performances, and an addictive Episode One, with Raine an ideal foil for the Doctor, this feels like a step down from the preceding adventure. 9/10. 50 words.



BUY IT HERE: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/crime-of-the-century-433


TOMORROW, The Doctor's Daughter (and later his wife!), reviewed in 50 words...

136: The Seeds of Doom

THE SEEDS OF DOOM (1976, Fourth Doctor & Sarah Jane, Doctor Who TV)
This is one of the best stories from the 70s. After two episodes of convincing Arctic-base sets, with some slightly unconvincing characters, we switch to a brilliant four episodes. Tony Beckley plays Chase with unearthly charm, Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen are on top form, and there’s SO MUCH ACTION! 10/10. 50 words.



BUY IT AT http://www.bbcshop.com/doctor-who/doctor-who-the-seeds-of-doom-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3044

TOMORROW, Crime of the Century, reviewed in 50 words...


OH, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!