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monarchgirl's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Filling in the gaps of my watching older doctor who by listening to these volumes which catalogue the missing episodes.
simsbrarian's review
4.0
Very enjoyable listen! Though I recommend saving disc 4 for the end as it compiles interviews from the readers of each episode and might contain mild spoilers if you're hoping to listen (or re-listen) fresh. These are also not for the faint of heart who have never seen older TV shows or older Who; while the episodes lend themselves more to audio-dramas with a bit of linking narration more easily than some later episodes do; there is still a lot of scenes with loads of screaming, running around, clanging noises and general cacophony which is not narrated so you'll be left imagining whatever chase scene is going on.
The episodes here are:
Marco Polo (linking narration read by William Russell; the actor who plays Ian);
The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian get picked up by Marco Polo's crew and travel all over, meeting the Kublai Khan and trying to convince Marco to give them back the Tardis. It's a bit long (3 discs worth) and a bit repetitive but the historical aspects are interesting.
The Reign of Terror (read by Carole Ann Ford; the actress who plays Susan);
Much more lively, here The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian find themselves in France at the height of the French Revolution in the 1700s. Again there's much of the "damsel in distress" screaming to power through and Susan's character is sadly stripped of pretty much all agency, even whining so much at one point to Barbara that she convinces Barbara to STOP trying to dig them out of the prison they are stuck in and just sit there being Damsels. The Doctor as a pompous regional diplomat was amusing though and there was some good historical intrigue in there.
The Crusade (read by William Russell);
Probably my least favorite of the group of episodes offered here. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Vicki materialize in the middle of a Saracen battle during the Crusades. It's a bit difficult to listen to as there are two main characters who sound very similar whose names are Saladin and Saphadin. There is a really tense scene thoughwhen Ian is knighted and goes off seeking Barbara but is knocked out by robbers and tied out in the sun with a rather sadistic thief laying honey on him to entice ants to come eat Ian!!
Galaxy 4 (read by Peter Purves; the actor who plays Steven)
A rather good one and not over long. Here, the Doctor, Steven, and Vicki are on a quiet planetwhich is about to destroy itself! which seems to have only a bunch of "ugly" robots and "beautiful" lady-esque aliens. It isn't hard to guess the "twist" plot element but it's fast-paced enough to enjoy.
The Myth Makers (read by Maureen O'Brien; the actress who plays Vicki).
Definitely the best of the bunch. This one puts the Doctor, Steven, and Vicki in the middle of the Trojan war in Troy. There's a brutish Odysseyous, some really whiny royals, and lots of running about and wooden horses and generally amusing bits. Cassandra's screeching comes off as incredibly annoying, an effect they were clearly going for, but it is grating after a while.Vicki leaves suddenly to stay with the slightly dopey but lovesick Troylus and the Tardis crew gains Cassandra's former friend/maid-servant Katarina who is completely baffled and thinks the Doctor is a God and his Tardis is a temple. A bit amusing considering the Doctor pretends to be Zeus for a bit at the very start.
Overall it is great to "watch" these episodes like this and recapture the silliness and joy that some of the old lost episodes had to offer. Shame to miss out on the likely delightful costuming for the historical pieces though! Recommended for di-hard fans of the show or anyone with a LOT of time on their hands and a fondness for old-timey screaming-women filled historical sci-fi adventures.
The episodes here are:
Marco Polo (linking narration read by William Russell; the actor who plays Ian);
The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian get picked up by Marco Polo's crew and travel all over, meeting the Kublai Khan and trying to convince Marco to give them back the Tardis. It's a bit long (3 discs worth) and a bit repetitive but the historical aspects are interesting.
The Reign of Terror (read by Carole Ann Ford; the actress who plays Susan);
Much more lively, here The Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian find themselves in France at the height of the French Revolution in the 1700s. Again there's much of the "damsel in distress" screaming to power through and Susan's character is sadly stripped of pretty much all agency
The Crusade (read by William Russell);
Probably my least favorite of the group of episodes offered here. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Vicki materialize in the middle of a Saracen battle during the Crusades. It's a bit difficult to listen to as there are two main characters who sound very similar whose names are Saladin and Saphadin. There is a really tense scene though
Galaxy 4 (read by Peter Purves; the actor who plays Steven)
A rather good one and not over long. Here, the Doctor, Steven, and Vicki are on a quiet planet
The Myth Makers (read by Maureen O'Brien; the actress who plays Vicki).
Definitely the best of the bunch. This one puts the Doctor, Steven, and Vicki in the middle of the Trojan war in Troy. There's a brutish Odysseyous, some really whiny royals, and lots of running about and wooden horses and generally amusing bits. Cassandra's screeching comes off as incredibly annoying, an effect they were clearly going for, but it is grating after a while.
Overall it is great to "watch" these episodes like this and recapture the silliness and joy that some of the old lost episodes had to offer. Shame to miss out on the likely delightful costuming for the historical pieces though! Recommended for di-hard fans of the show or anyone with a LOT of time on their hands and a fondness for old-timey screaming-women filled historical sci-fi adventures.
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