Reviews

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 by Matt Fitton

thetasigma906's review

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funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

petulantdetective's review

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adventurous dark lighthearted fast-paced

3.75

cocoathebooknerd's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Tom Baker and David Tennant together is pure magic. Loved from beginning to end. A must for Doctor Fans.

thoroughlymodernreviewer's review

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4.0

The Fourth Doctor is probably the most popular Doctor from the classic era of Doctor Who. Similarly, the Tenth Doctor is probably the most popular of the modern era. So, it only makes sense that Big Finish, who has the license to make audios with all Doctors but the 13th, would finally make an audio drama where these two beloved incarnations meet. The result? Out of Time, the first in a series of audios pairing classic Doctors with the Tenth Doctor. Written by Matt Fitton, Out of Time is a fun romp with two fan-favorite Doctors. Featuring great performances from Tom Baker and David Tennant and a fun and intriguing plot, it's a great listen for all Doctor Who fans.

Out of Time finds a post-Waters of Mars Tenth Doctor visiting the Cathedral of Contemplation, a sort of sanctuary that exists outside of space and time, reflecting on his recent actions in Waters of Mars and avoiding his future. There, he accidentally encounters the Fourth Doctor, fresh after the departure of one of his companions, who has sought the tranquility of the cathedral to meditate and paint. Soon after, soldiers from a future war arrive in search of a missing soldier, upending the Doctors' search for peace and bringing the Daleks behind them.

Honestly, I'm at a phase where I'm kind of tired of Dalek stories. They're a lot of fun in moderation, but it seems like various Doctor Who spinoff material has been relying on them more and more lately. They're a great villain, but there's only so much you can do with them. For the first third of the story, or so, Out of Time was surprisingly introspective. It was nice hearing these two Doctors reflect on their recent experiences. One of the joys of multi-Doctor stories is getting that kind of reflection as the multiple incarnations of the Doctor see through each other's walls and emotional barriers. I was enjoying this aspect so much that I was a bit disappointed when the Daleks turned up.

Now, to be fair, there's nothing wrong with how the Daleks are used in the story, nor do they worsen the narrative in any real way. However, nothing particularly new was done with them either, so it's just kind of another old Dalek story. I can't help wishing they weren't in this story. Once they arrive, the whole thing devolves into a pretty standard Dalek story. The Daleks want to take over the Cathedral and use its ability to appear anywhere and anywhen in time and space to conquer the universe. And, naturally, the Doctors must stop them. There are the requisite twists and turns throughout, keeping listeners on their toes as to exactly what is going on. And it's a fun listen with a well-executed adventure. But I can't help but wish for a story between these two Doctors that could have been as introspective throughout its whole runtime as this one was for its first third. And having the Daleks appear in the story just sort of ruins that introspection.

Still, there is a lot of fun to be had in listening to David Tennant and Tom Baker interact. These are two fan-favorite actors playing fan-favorite Doctors, and their chemistry is palpable. The pair bounce off one another as if they've been performing together for years. There's something interesting about the pairing of these two Doctors at this time in their respective lives. Both are in melancholy states of mind, with Ten fresh from his whole Time Lord Victorious thing in Waters of Mars and Four fresh from an adventure on Gallifrey after the departure of one of his companions. Hearing these two Doctors compare and contrast their respective experiences and traumas is my favorite element of the story, and I wish there was more of it.

All in all, Doctor Who: Out of Time is a fun adventure with two fan-favorite Doctors. With a solid script from Matt Fitton, great direction from Nicholas Briggs, and excellent sound design from Howard Carter, Out of Time is a delightful listen from start to finish. David Tennant and Tom Baker shine the brightest with their fantastic chemistry, but the rest of the cast holds their own. The story is fun enough, even if I'm kind of tired of Daleks stories and wish the whole narrative could have been as introspective as its first third. Still, it's a satisfying and enjoyable listen for all Doctor Who fans and it's even gotten me more excited to see and hear more of this post-Waters of Mars Tenth Doctor l in the upcoming Time Lord Victorious crossover. So, I definitely recommend this.

noonanjohnc's review

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.0

feathersmcgraw's review

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adventurous funny medium-paced

4.0

The two most iconic doctors of their respective eras have a fun if inconsequential romp together - exactly what it says on the tin.

tenthplanet1's review

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3.5

Second listen - 3.5

Big Finish has fallen into the trap that modern Who often does. It presents us with show altering peril and danger that obviously could never happen because we know the continuity of the show, and so none of it feels very threatening or exciting. It’s fast paced and energetic without ever being that entertaining. This time around though I did really enjoy hearing Tom and David together, and some of the callbacks and comparisons between their Doctors made this a more enjoyable experience, particularly towards the end. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with David Tennant in future stories. 

First listen - 3.5

There’s almost nothing in here for Classic Who fans to enjoy outside of the novelty, but it’s certainly easy to listen to and inoffensive. I feel like Big Finish put the focus too much on the generic adventure instead of having the two Doctors bounce off eachother, and there’s some missed character opportunities here due to the upcoming Timelord Victorious event which is disappointing. As a standard story it’s fine, but I expected more from such a monumental cross-over.

tabman678's review

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5.0

This is an absolute delight of an adventure.

It is clear where both Doctor's are in their respective timelines.

The characterization for both Doctor's is off the charts. Of course this is helped that both Doctor's are played by their original performer. Both Tom Baker and David Tennant are in full form here, totally wonderful.

The story is both Doctor's are at a point in their life where they're at this interdimensional cathedral of contemplation with another group of people until the Daleks show up and the Doctor's are forced to interact.

The fourth Doctor's nature contrasts with the tenths view and especially where he is at his timeline as it takes place after Journey's End but before End of Time, so an interesting external and internal conflict for the story to address.

Now on top of the performance this audiobook is engineered so well. The environment is vibrant and brought to life in the soundscape. The cathedral echoes with voices, footsteps, Dalek shots. It is just delightful to listen to.

Matt Fitton wrote on of my favorite audios on the Big Finish site with this. Nicholas Briggs not only directed it very well but almost steals the show with his Dalek voices.

And as I mentioned Howard Carter's sound design is excellent.

If you have any affection for either of these Doctors or both then this is a really great treat.

5 stars.

jjhynes's review

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5.0

As brilliant a team up as you would expect this to be. Whilst neither are my 'favourite' Doctor, they are without doubt the 'definitive' Doctors of each era. Hearing them team-up is an absolute treat.

unevendays's review

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adventurous funny
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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