What Are You Reading The Subject Line For - CLICK THE FREAKING VIDEO!

"The Night of the Doctor" - (SPOILERS!)



IT'S PAUL MCGANN!! AS THE DOCTOR! IN THE TIME WAR! TRYING TO SAVE SOMEONE! WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE SAVED! REFERENCING BIG FINISH COMPANIONS! AND... REGENERATING???

WHO CARES? IT'S THE EIGHTH DOCTOR ON MY SCREEN! LIKE - THERE ARE PICTURES WITH THE SOUND! THIS IS BETTER THAN RECOVERED MISSING EPISODES - THIS IS A RECOVERED MISSING DOCTOR YOU GUYS!!!! (for all intents and purposes, at least)

EVERYONE LIES! AND I LOVE THEM FOR IT!

(i will be an incoherent mess for the rest of the day).

The Not-So-Dark Mystery of Time and Space

Librarian in the TARDIS, Review 8.02

Title: Invaders From Mars
Written By: Mark Gatiss
Team TARDIS: Eighth Doctor, Charley Pollard
Adversary: The Laiderplacker, Cosmo Devine
Originally Released: January 2002
Range and Number: Big Finish Main Range, #28

Synopsis (from TARDIS Wikia) -

Hallowe'en 1938. A month after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York State, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did. But what if some of the panicked listeners to the legendary The War of the Worlds broadcast weren't just imagining things?

Attempting to deliver Charley to her rendezvous in Singapore 1930, the Eighth Doctor overshoots a little, arriving in Manhattan just in time to find a dead private detective. Indulging his gumshoe fantasies, the Doctor is soon embroiled in the hunt for a missing Russian scientist whilst Charley finds herself at the mercy of a very dubious Fifth Columnist.

With some genuinely out of this world 'merchandise' at stake, the TARDIS crew are forced into an alliance with a sultry dame called Glory Bee, Orson Welles himself and a mobster with half a nose known as 'The Phantom'.

And slowly and surely, something is drawing plans against them. Just not very good ones...

My Review:

Oh Big Finish. I’ve already sung your praises for giving the Sixth Doctor a new lease on life. And now, I get to gush about your extensive line of Eighth Doctor audios. It’s like Christmas and my birthday have come all at once! (except I don’t have to listen to my dad whinge about how I’m not married or listen to the airheaded goofballs my brother brings home. So, really, it’s nothing like my birthday or Christmas).

So, the TV Movie didn’t quite work out as a pilot for a rebooted Doctor Who series (I’m certain that there’s an entire blog post about the whys and wherefores of that). But the Eighth Doctor Adventure novels continued under BBC Books’ licensing and the Eighth Doctor features in the comics as well. Which is all well and good - but a huge part of the persona of the Doctor comes from the actor playing him. Even when I read a Doctor Who novel, I still would like to be able to picture that particular actor’s performance as I read (that was partially my problem with “Ten Little Aliens” - the Doctor, Ben and Polly were not at all how they would be played on TV). We have the TV Movie, yes, but Whovians are insatiable (well, most of us are. Some still can’t get over the fact that Tom Baker is no longer playing the Doctor on TV) and we want MOAR, dammit!

And there, Big Finish enters the stage.

The geniuses behind the behind-the-scenes documentaries on the Classic Who DVD range recently produced a series called "Doctor Forever" in which different aspects of the Doctor Who franchise outside of television are discussed. "The Apocalypse Element" is the the installment on Big Finish and Doctor Who audios in general (it's available on the Special Edition of "The Visitation") and is very much worth your time and money (hell, the entire DVD is worth your time and money).  This documentary goes over the genesis of Big Finish, in that there were a group of dedicated fans who thought Doctor Who could have a home on audio. At first, Paul McGann’s agency said he wouldn’t be interested, but when McGann himself actually heard about it, he was excited and gung-ho for the idea (according to people like Gary Russell and Nicholas Briggs - and I assume that those guys ought to know about things like this, so I’m taking it as gospel truth).

And thus, Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor got a new lease on life. It’s not the TV series that some of us want for Eight, but it’s pretty damn close.

I haven’t listened to the separate Eighth Doctor Adventures series with Lucie Miller, nor have I had the pleasure of listening to “Dark Eyes,” but I often hear fans whose judgment I trust expound upon the virtues of those stories and I can’t wait to listen to them when I finally get the chance.  But I can talk about the start of Eight’s Big Finish run, which is pretty solid. “Storm Warning” is consistently considered a pretty good first outing and “Sword of Orion” is quite notable as well. “The Chimes of Midnight” is touted as a masterpiece and I can’t say I disagree. But one that I always, always, always enjoy - for vastly different reasons - is “Invaders From Mars.”

(And I didn’t realize that Mark Gatiss had written it until I looked it up on TARDIS Wikia. So, there is that).

“Invaders From Mars” is Eight’s “The Kingmaker” - it’s fun and quirky and rompy. And it’s got a crapton of American Nostalgia, which is a little odd for a British institution like Doctor Who to tackle. But I figure if it’s done right and not too much, it can be quite fun (and it’s appropriate for an audio adventure to celebrate the Golden Age of Radio).  I don't even mind the goofy American accents because, well, to someone from the American West, people back East (particularly in New York and points northward) sound pretentious and funny anyway.

The time period this is set in is the famous Halloween broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" that sent everyone into a panic, thinking Martians were invading Earth. Most historical events Doctor Who has tackled have been super-serious things, like World War II or the French Revolution or the eruption of Mount Vesuvius over Pompeii. But this historical event has an element of lightheartedness and humor at the center of it, which lends itself to the lightheartedness and humor in this story.  Even the actual aliens that are threatening to invade are kind of clownish and silly, but that's perfectly okay because the rest of the story is a bit silly too.  Even down to the classic, old-timey "Ba-da-dum-dum-DUMMMM!" audio cue that plays throughout the story during scene changes and at cliffhangers (which is even blended into the traditional Doctor Who end credit sting that Big Finish continues to utilize in their stories).  This story succeeds because it doesn't take itself seriously, so even the over-the-top exaggerated caricatures (which might annoy some fans) aren't that bothersome.  Best of all, it allows Paul McGann and India Fisher to indulge more in the fun side of the Doctor and Charley's personalities - which they both do beautifully.

Recently, I've been going over the Eighth Doctor's Divergent Universe arc which gets downright dark and gritty.  Some aspects of that I like, but most of the time it gets very heavy and I want to find something more light.  Even in the early Eighth Doctor Big Finish, there is a sense of weight that foreshadows how dark and heavy the writers are willing to go with this.  But I like that they allowed themselves a break from that heaviness and were able to step back for a breath before diving into the head-spinny-and-very-serious "The Chimes of Midnight" (which is one I very much enjoy, don't get me wrong).  It's good to take things seriously, but don't discount the fluffy stories just because they're fluffy.  Certainly, fans cannot live on fluff alone, but neither can we subsist on a diet of nitty-gritty, grim-and-dark, soulsucking horror.

This story is a neat little tribute to classic 1930s radio and "The War of the Worlds."  It's fun and enjoyable and definitely worth a stop before heading into the next story in the Eighth Doctor's timeline - "The Chimes of Midnight."

***
It's interesting that this particular promotion came up while I was writing this review.  Paul McGann chose his favorite Eighth Doctor Big Finish plays and people can vote on their favorites from that list and whichever ones gets the most votes, Big Finish will offer them at a discount.  Most of them are from the Lucie Miller range (plus the "Dark Eyes" boxed set), so I haven't heard them myself, but it's still a neat little list.  Give it a look and a vote if you feel so inclined.

Also - seeing as this is the last Big Finish review this project with undertake *sad tear* I'd like to plug "The Minister of Chance" audio drama that both Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy are in.  Taking the plunge into Big Finish Doctor Who has given me an appreciation for audio stories and I wanted to branch out into other audios and see how I liked it.  And after listening to the first episode, I quite like it!  So, check them out too.

***
Next Time, on Librarian in the TARDIS -
Review 8.03 - Big Finish helped keep Eight alive - but the novels got there first.

Previously -
Review 8.01 - Mostly Dead is Slightly Alive

Mostly Dead is Slightly Alive

Librarian in the TARDIS, Review 8.01

Title: Doctor Who the Movie
Written By: Matthew Jacobs
Team TARDIS: Eighth Doctor, Grace Holloway
Adversary: The Master
Originally Aired: May 14, 1996
Number of Episodes: 1

Synopsis (from TARDIS Wikia) -
The Seventh Doctor is charged with transporting the remains of his fellow Time Lord, the Master, back to their home planet. But he is surprised to discover that his old enemy is not quite dead. The arrival of the Master not only costs the Doctor a life, but it spells near disaster for the Earth. Only the new Doctor can stop the Master and save the planet.

Side Note: 
Apologies for the lateness of this review. Real life last week was pretty awful for me and my fun geeky life had to take a backseat. But a certain little convention recharged my battery and I'm back and ready to rock and roll!

My Review:
Miracle Max: It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
Inigo Montoya: What's that?
Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.
  - from The Princess Bride (clip)

Well... if I want to find anything new to talk about with this one... I am so screwed. I don’t know how much discussion I can add to the myriad of reviews and analyses already out there. After all, if you want an Eighth Doctor TV story - this is pretty much it. But it doesn't mean that it’s generally well-liked, even though it has come up higher in fan esteem in recent years.

For a New Series baby like me, the TV Movie is more of a “bridge” between Classic Who and New Who. I suppose it’s considered part of Classic Who, so I can say that this was the second Classic Who story I ever saw (the first one was a version of “The Five Doctors” on YouTube that a fan had inserted New Series music cues into, as well as snippets of “The End of Time.” Not sure if that really counts, now that I think about it, but it was responsible for piquing my interest in Classic Who. Whatever gets you there, I guess). Most of the scuttlebutt I’d heard about the TV Movie prior to watching it was that it was utter and total crap, but Paul McGann was brilliant regardless, so I was a bit nervous going into it. Like my previous reviews of “Timelash” and “Silver Nemesis” - I came away from the TV Movie thinking “What were those fans smoking?”

Perhaps it’s nostalgia talking (all three years of nostalgia, in my case), but I think fondly of the TV Movie. I adore Grace Holloway - she’s a companion in the tradition of Liz Shaw and Barbara Wright and Sarah Jane Smith (on Tumblr, I actually said she's joined the "Dr. Liz Shaw Chapter of Awesome Female Scientist Companions"). Grace is an intelligent, accomplished woman with a career and a reputation within her field - and it’s clear how she got there. She has a determination and a tenacity that sets her apart from the other characters and it is her scientific curiosity that propels her into the events of this story, even though reason constantly tells her to run the other way. And she can do heart surgery in a beautifully flouncy opera gown - tell me that doesn't smack of badass.

I wish, I wish, I SO wish that Big Finish could get the rights to the character because it would be so fun to see Grace travel with the Eighth Doctor in a full-time capacity (even though she initially declined his offer to travel - well, so did Donna at first. Grace could TOTALLY come back and be a full-time companion! Big Finish could totally retcon this!) And Daphne Ashbrook is such an amazing actress and has such an enthusiasm for Doctor Who.  Daphne has been in Big Finish audios as other characters (there’s one where she flirts endlessly with the Eighth Doctor and another couple of Companion Chronicles where she plays a UNIT archivist along with Yee Jee Tso - also of the TV Movie. I've only listened to one of those Companion Chronicles - and there may-or-may-not be a review of that one forthcoming, so I’ll save that for later *tease*). I had the great pleasure of meeting Daphne at Gallifrey One and she has this immensely infectious personality that you just can't help but love.  I cannot say enough good things about her (other than go follow her Tumblr because it's a riot - you want to talk about "One Of Us"...  Unrelatedly - you should also follow Web Dalek as well)

Also - it almost goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway - Paul McGann is so damn amazing! He plays the Doctor with such a spark and a twinkle.  Much has been said of the "These Shoes!" scene and I get giggly and joyful over that - but even before that when he's trying to remember who he is and wandering around the hospital with the morgue tag still stuck on his toe and invading Grace's personal space is really neat.  The Doctor's wanderings in the hospital (and I'm talking about the part after the whole "Who Am I?" thing) puts me in mind of the Fifth Doctor's regeneration in "Castrovalva" when he's wandering aimlessly around the TARDIS and leaving his companions to figure out how to fly out of a Event One.  He not quite the Doctor you know, but the principle is the same.  He's "restarting" - as it were.  He's a blank slate and his personality is arranging itself.  Of course, this being Doctor Who, there has to be some kind of crisis going on where the Doctor is needed, but he isn't quite up for the task.

No, the TV Movie is not perfect. But looking back, it was the perfect TV story for the so-called "Wilderness Years" and even paved the way for the 2005 revival. At the end of the 1980s, the people who wanted to keep Doctor Who alive really didn't know how to do it anymore. They did the best they could with what they had (and with tons of opposition coming at them, I might add). Ultimately, it got canceled and the show became a bit of a joke, but it was out of the public consciousness, except for the dedicated cohort of fans going to conventions and putting out fanzines and writers producing novels and comics and (later) audios. So, when the opportunity to make the TV Movie came along, everyone wanted everything in this sucker - and they kind of got it.  I can't fault them, really.  This was probably seen as the last opportunity to bring Doctor Who back to TV, so they figured that they had to throw everything upon everything into the story, which rarely ends well. And it turned out a bit wobbly, though Paul McGann was a very good Doctor - so much so that BBC Books continued the novels range, but with a new Doctor. And, Big Finish eventually got the license to produce audio stories with the Classic Doctors, including Paul McGann (which are pretty good).

My point in bringing this up is the the TV Movie served as a pre-reboot, restart button. Now that the Powers That Be know what not to do, they could learn from those mistakes and when the time was ripe for a revival, they were able to get the right people in the right jobs. It was a way to wash away all the jokes and bad feelings and preconceived notions that had been clinging to the franchise and preventing it from coming back properly.  But once they got all the fanboy wank out of their system (or something), things could calm down and set the stage for Doctor Who to return in 2005 - not only return, but to be a success (do you all realize that people like Neil Gaiman are already talking Series 9?? (scroll down a bit) 24 didn't get that many seasons!)  So, to all those nay-sayers who thought Doctor Who was dead, we say this.

And I read over those paragraphs and realize how negative that sounds. And I don’t want to be negative about this at all! There is plenty to love about the TV movie and it deserves plenty of praise for the behind-the-scenes things it contributed to the Doctor Who franchise as a whole.  And Paul McGann is flipping gorgeous and I love him to bits and if he gets even a short cameo in the 50th Anniversary Special, I will be ever-so pleased.

(Barring that, I can't figure out why Steven Moffat or Mark Gatiss or somebody can't work in a "The Two Doctors: Redux" special of some sort.  Even a short mini-series spin-off, just to give the Eighth Doctor a few more televised episodes or something).

***
Back in June, Daphne Ashbrook put together RegenerEIGHT - an epic (excuse me, EPIC) global rewatch of the TV Movie (of which your humble correspondent was a participant).  I thought it would be fitting to include the commentary from that event with this review, which also included Yee Jee Tso (Chang Lee), Gary Russell (author of several Doctor Who novels - one of which is my absolute favorite and I will be reviewing later) and Ken Deep (Head Chief in Charge of the Long Island Who convention in November). You can listen to the commentary with your DVD copy of the TV Movie, or just listen to it on its own.  Enjoy!



***
Next Time, on Librarian in the TARDIS -
Review 8.02 - All the universe of Big Finish... where do you want to start?

Previously -
Review 7.03 - Respecting the Past, Moving on into the Future