Joseph Lidster

Originally posted here at Anime Radius.

The one hundredth milestone release for long-running series such as Doctor Who (the audio version, naturally, not the original television program) can be approached in numerous ways: something dramatic and explosive and potentially audience dividing; something that furthers the plot more than the previous 99 releases; something that actually celebrates and showcases what’s kept the series running for so long. For 100, this two-disc set falls squarely into the third category, and with much aplomb. These four trips in the TARDIS with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe illustrate why listeners have been going back to Big Finish for their Who audio fixes for so many years – and will continue to do so in the far off future.

Each writer involved in 100 has seemingly brought their own views on what makes Who wonderful into their respective stories. The first story, 100 BC, written by my personal favorite of all the Big Finish authors Jacqueline Rayner, is a classic hijinks-in-history story with lots of whoopsies and madcap fun, even when Evelyn tries to change history for the “better” (and in retrospect, it so fits her character to try and turn Julius Caesar into Julia). It’s a story that manages to be terribly amusing even while teaching us a lesson (messin’ with the time line of an established figure in history is bad, mm’kay?). The second story, My Own Private Wolfgang by Robert Shearman, can be seen to celebrate the more odd stories in the series, what with its very wibbley-wobbley chain of events ending up in a veritable bevy of Mozarts (and one very confused Evelyn – and listener). It is probably the weakest story in the bunch, but it has enough wit and cleverness about it that it never drags on – and the ending is just plain brilliant. The third story, Bedtime Story by Joseph Lidster, is a great example of how Who can be both frightening and yet full of hope, something to see while crouching behind the sofa but will eventually bring you back out by tale’s end. The claustrophobic feel of the setting and the plot twist halfway through makes it truly spooky – and the ending is somewhat reminiscent of The Doctor Dances and Ninth’s cry of “This time, everybody lives!”, only with much less ‘dancing’.

The final story in the collection, The 100 Days of the Doctor by Paul Cornell, is the true gem of the set. It’s basic set-up is a mystery that only the Doctor can solve – his own murder – and it takes us back and forth through his time line (only Doctors five through eight though, of course!) to give us a look at what the Doctor has been, currently is, and soon will be. It also gives a good excuse to rehash the basics on regeneration for Evelyn’s sake, and see the other Doctors in the BF range through Six’s colorful point of view. Not to mention the time limit gives the story a sense of urgency, compounded by the horrific pain that the intelligent virus is delivering to the Doctor’s body from the inside out.

The stories themselves are superb, but stories alone do not a Big Finish production make – there is also the voice acting involved. Headlining in all four stories is the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe, played respectively by actors Colin Baker and Maggie Stables. They truly bring their A game to 100, elevating the scripts to a higher lever with their keen grasp of their characters. Six and Evelyn’s casual banter and interactions as a pair with the rest of the stories’ cast are amazing as usual and always entertaining. And then there is Mister Baker, who needs to stop being so darn good at his job; listening to The 100 Days of the Doctor - from being possessed by the virus to being in pain as he’s dying to the final showdown before assassin and target – was thrilling to the point of nerve-racking and is not for the faint of heart who hate to hear their Doctor being hurt so convincingly. But seriously, the voice acting in this is splendid and – combined with the skills of four very talented writers – once again proves that you don’t need a TV screen and props to showcase a great story.

For anyone who loves Doctor Who and is keen on getting into the Big Finish canon, or is a regular fan who has been wondering about listening to this set, you can’t go wrong with picking up a copy of 100 for keeps. There is something about settling down with a great story flowing through your speakers that can’t be duplicated through print – from the atmosphere of the soundtrack to the script tailor made for listening, not to mention the actors’ back and forth as their respective characters, creating the story and moving it forward – and this is all combined to make a unique listening experience that makes this Who audioplay so gosh darn wonderful.… (more)