You are the Doctor: 207 (Doctor Who Main Range)

Very good

This is one of those occasional releases from Big Finish which features four short half an hour stories rather than being one story with several episodes. The four stories in this set are linked by Ace’s attempts to learn to fly the Tardis which results in them materialising in the four situations of this collection. They are also linked through a loose theme of games.‘You Are the Doctor’ is the stand out story of the four, if just for its original approach. Readers of Fighting Fantasy will recognise the paraphrasing of that series’ tagline. As it suggests this story taps into the adventure gamebooks popular primarily in the 1980s. Thus the listener is required to select what track to listen to next. Various choices are narrated to the listener through Chimbly, the Porcian leader. This is great fun and the Porcians (appearing previously alongside the Sixth Doctor in ‘The Fourth Wall’), as the universe’s least successful alien invaders, are utilised well for comic effect. It all proves quite entertaining and still manages to deliver a more legitimate Doctor Who story within the game. John Dorney has previously referenced the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks in Fourth Doctor audio ‘The Crooked Man’ and Jonathan Green (author of gamebook guide ‘You Are the Hero’ and several Fighting Fantasy books) releases a Doctor Who gamebook, ‘Night of the Kraken’, this year.Despite the title, ‘Come Die With Me’ does not see the Doctor end up as a contestant on a cooking programme. Instead it involves the Doctor and Ace receiving in an invitation they can’t refuse to attend a murder mystery weekend. It taps into the stereotypical trappings of a scary old house with a strange and slightly disturbing host where the guests being killed off one at a time. There are some nice twists to the standardised plot that incorporates a science fiction element. Despite its short length the story manages to still provide a surprise for the reader in true Maupassant style.‘The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel’ sees the Doctor and Ace arrive in the eponymous hotel. All is not well in the hotel however and they immediately become entangled in a heist. Events are portrayed through a series of flashbacks during a trial of Ace for the supposed crimes she is recounting. It makes for an interesting way of relating the story and allows Ace to take centre stage.The final of the four offerings takes its setting from the growing idea of tourist trips in space. Ace’s latest attempt at flying the Tardis results in them materialising within a vessel designated for such voyages. There are some quite amusing characters, all of which seem to be acting in a somewhat eccentric manner considering the circumstances they have found themselves in. It negates the horror of the deaths that happen with a touch of black humour. It gives the story a surreal touch.

A new Doctor Who audio story. Featuring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor. With Sophie Aldred as Ace.This release adopts a format Big Finish have used on occasion. Which is, rather than be a four part story, it consists of four stand alone part stories. They are spread over two discs. All run just under thirty minutes [approx] and this has no tie ins to any previous releases, so casual listeners can pick it up and get into it easily enough. One brief continuity reference to someone from other audios might confuse such listeners briefly, but it has no bearing on the stories so won't be a problem.The guest cast in this release do double, or triple up, some of them playing a different role in two or three of the stories. Amongst the guests is Jon Culshaw, the talented Tom Baker [and many others] impressionist.There is a loose theme to this, in that each story starts with Ace having tried flying the TARDIS, only to find it hasn't taken them where she expected it to.First story 'You are the Doctor' sees the Doctor and Ace fall foul of the Porcians. The most inept alien conquerors ever. This has a very unique storytelling device. In that it follows the style of the 'choose your own adventure' books so popular back in the 1980's. A narrator gives the listener the chance to choose one of two different choices for the Doctor's next action. And tells you which cd track to go to in order to find what happens next as a result.Seems easy enough. Do you do as they tell you to, or do you just listen to the whole thing straight through? Wouldn't that be cheating?This is a hard one to review without spoilers, so let's just say:It's brilliant.It's a wholly original idea, superbly well executed.The aliens are played for laughs. And it succeeds in doing that. The comedy is superb.And this is so very clever indeed. The way that the plot works out is truly inspired.A really really great episode.Second story 'Come Die with me', is the Doctor Who writing debut of Jamie Anderson [son of Gerry] and sees the TARDIS visit a spooky old house. There's a dead body. The sinister owner of the house sets the Doctor a challenge. Find whodunnit. 1868 of the greatest minds in the galaxy have tried and failed to do so. Can the Doctor succeed where they didn't?Another story with a superbly inventive plot [I thought I'd sussed it after seven minutes, but...] and although it's not really a story where you will solve the mystery yourself via clues and deduction, it's got a really strong narrative that twists and turns to the end. Plus two very good supporting characters who are very well acted. It's a really memorable listen.'The Grand Betelguese Hotel', story three, sees Ace on trial. In flashback, we find out how the TARDIS brought her and the Doctor to a famous interstellar hotel, where a robbery is in progress...This may sound like it turns out to be a caper movie in style, but it doesn't go that way, as most of the action is confined to one small part of the place. But it does have two very well drawn characters, who are, as with story two, really well acted. The resolution to the story isn't one of exceptional twists and turns, more character based. It's not quite as memorable as the first two, but it's still very good for what it is.Story four 'Dead to the World' brings the TARDIS to a spaceliner. Where all but three of the people on board have met a horrible fate. If the Doctor saves the survivors, though, he will doom the entire human race...You won't see where this is going for a while. The exact nature of the threat is very inventive and original, and it proceeds at just the right pace, with reveals at the right moments. The character drama among the three has a tricky balance of comedy and drama which doesn't perhaps come across as well as it could do. But the way it's all resolved is pretty decent. Another that isn't quite as good as the episodes on disc one, but still a good listen.The end of this one, though...sometimes Big Finish manage to surprise you. This is one such occasion.One great episode. One really good one. And two very good ones. Means it's just not quite a five star release, but it's still a very good listen and well worth getting.There's just under eight minutes of music from the stories on the last two tracks of disc one.A trailer for the next release in this range [Start of a new run of Fifth Doctor stories] on the cd track on disc two after the end of story four.And just under fifteen minutes of interviews with cast and crew on the three tracks after that.