#28 Dalek Empire: Invasion of the Daleks

My spooky Halloween listening with the witch and the detective concluded, I ask the Randomoid Selectortron for another case...

Dalek Empire: Dalek War - Chapter 4

I have not previously heard more than a little of Dalek Empire, and my understanding is that it may be fairest to it to treat the entire series as a single continuous story. For that reason, I am activating a manual override of the Selectortron and instead selecting:

Dalek Empire: Invasion of the Daleks

Starring: Sarah Mowat as Susan Mendes, Mark McDonnell as Alby Brook, and Gareth Thomas as Kalendorf
Format: one full-cast CD (or download) with no episode breaks
Silly? No.
Standalone? No. Invasion of the Daleks can be understood without having heard any prior Big Finish audios, but has no ending whatsoever and is obviously just the first episode of a larger story.
Recommended? Not in itself, and I haven't heard the entire story yet.


My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it and for other releases under the Dalek Empire banner.

#27 Dark Shadows: The Devil Cat

My Randomoid Selectortron had brought me to the beginning of Jago & Litefoot's long career together as audio investigators of the infernal. With that tale told, it now takes me to...

Dark Shadows: The Devil Cat

Starring: Jerry Lacy as Tony Peterson and Lara Parker as Cassandra
Format: one mostly full-cast CD (or download) with no episode breaks
Silly? Only in the ways paranormal soap operas typically are, or to set up swerves.
Standalone? No. This is chronologically the last story of the Tony & Cassandra arc and is better saved until after having heard at least The Death Mask and The Phantom Bride.
Recommended? No by itself, but yes in its place after the aforementioned releases.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it, previous Tony & Cassandra audios, and the Dark Shadows TV series.

#26 Doctor Who Companion Chronicles: The Mahogany Murderers

With the mystery of the white worm resolved, the Doctor and Leela are on the brink of another threat, but my Randomoid Selectortron won't be following them right away. Instead, I turn to...

Doctor Who Companion Chronicles: The Mahogany Murderers

Starring: Christopher Benjamin as Henry Gordon Jago and Trevor Baxter as Professor Litefoot
Format: 1 CD (or download) of two half-CD episodes, mostly told by one actor at a time
Silly? There is a degree of metafictive silliness, using Victorian science instead of modern science and playing with the different narration styles of the two leads, but the main thrust of the story is not silly.
Standalone? This was standalone when released, but it is also the de facto pilot episode of the subsequent Jago & Litefoot audio series.
Recommended? Yes.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it, and possibly mild spoilers for the Jago & Litefoot series following it.

#25 Fourth Doctor Adventures: Trail of the White Worm

Bernice and company have been through the looking glass, and now I part ways from them and return to my Randomoid Selectortron...

Fourth Doctor Adventures: Trail of the White Worm


Starring: Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor and Louise Jameson as Leela
Format: one full-cast CD (or download) containing two half-CD episodes
Silly? Somewhat, but within the range of TV Doctor Who silliness.
Standalone? This is the first half of a story released as two separate titles, concluding in The Oseidon Adventure.
Recommended? Yes, but probably not at full price.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it.

#24 Bernice Summerfield: The Mirror Effect

My Randomoid Selectortron has landed on two heavy, morally complex (for Doctor Who) two-disc stories in a row. If another one like that comes up, I might have to manually select something light before going back into the darkness...

Bernice Summerfield: The Mirror Effect

Starring: Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, Miles Richardson as Irving Braxiatel, Stephen Fewell as Jason Kane, and Harry Myers as Adrian Wall
Format: one full-cast CD with no episode breaks

Silly? Not deliberately, but some surrealistic moments go over the top.
Standalone? No. This story is a turning point in ongoing interpersonal relationships among the main characters, depending on earlier Bernice Summerfield installments and setting up later ones.
Recommended? If you are interested in the larger Bernice Summerfield arc, yes.

My reactions to The Mirror Effect contain spoilers for it and for Braxiatel's character arc in subsequent Bernice Summerfield audio releases.

#23 Eighth Doctor Adventures: Deimos/The Resurrection of Mars

Bernice has returned to her future and I return to the Randomoid Selectortron... Just War was as excellent as I remembered it, but I am hoping for lighter entertainment next.

Eighth Doctor Adventures: The Resurrection of Mars

The Resurrection of Mars is sold separately, but it is the second half of a two-disc story. For that reason, I am activating a manual override on the Selectortron and selecting the entire story:

Eighth Doctor Adventures: Deimos/The Resurrection of Mars

Starring: Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor and Niky Wardley as Tamsin Drew
Format: two full-cast CDs (or downloads) of four half-CD episodes
Silly? No.
Standalone? This is part of the arc of the fourth series of Eighth Doctor Adventures and includes moments that are important to that arc and depend on previous events in it. Also, it expects you to be aware of the events of the fifth Doctor audio story Red Dawn and to recognize references to the second Doctor TV story The Seeds of Death. Phobos is mentioned but not in an important way.
Recommended? Yes, as part of the Eighth Doctor Adventures season four arc.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it, Full Fathom Five, and the general arc of the fourth series of Eighth Doctor Adventures.

#22 Bernice Summerfield: Just War

Having just heard the opening moves of UNIT's dangerous game, I am looking forward to the next time the Randomoid Selectortron brings me to that particular series. Now, though, it brings me to...

Bernice Summerfield: Just War

Starring: Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, Stephen Fewell as Jason Kane
Format: one continuous full-cast drama with no episode breaks, on 2 CD
Silly? No.
Standalone? This is the last part of the "Time Ring Trilogy" and does not quite fully recap some relevant previous events. This leaves some character motivations slightly unclear, but the main action of the story still works without those details.
Recommended? Yes. Because of the way Big Finish's shipping pricing works, it's best to get the entire Bernice Summerfield Series 01 bundle, unless some other better discount applies.

My reaction to this story includes spoilers for it and slight spoilers for preceding and subsequent Bernice Summerfield audio stories.

#21 UNIT: The Coup

Night of the Whisper was a rare miss from writers I'd expect better from, and it is with disappointment that I pilot the Randomoid Selectortron away from New Vegas and into...

UNIT: Snake Head

While episodes of Big Finish's first UNIT series are sold separately and have narrative time gaps between them, I nonetheless feel that they are best treated as a tightly linked serial, based on my previous listening. I am overriding the Selectortron in order to enter the UNIT series from its beginning:

UNIT: The Coup

Starring: Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart, Siri O'Neal as Emily Chaudhry, Michael Hobbs as Francis Currie

Format: one half-CD-length episode, originally on a Doctor Who Magazine bonus disc but now a free download
Silly? No.
Standalone? The groundwork is laid for a new UNIT status quo, and a trailer at the end promotes subsequent stories, but there is a satisfying ending with no direct cliffhanger.
Recommended? Highly.

My reaction to this story includes spoilers for it and slight spoilers for the rest of the first UNIT series and for other Big Finish audios featuring Lethbridge-Stewart.

#20 Destiny of the Doctor: Night of the Whisper

Bernice Summerfield has cracked yet another xenoarcheological mystery, and so I reactivate the Randomoid Selectortron...

Destiny of the Doctor: Night of the Whisper

Starring: the ninth Doctor (narrated), Rose Tyler (narrated), Jack Harkness (narrated), Nicholas Briggs as narrator
Format: one narrated two-actor CD (or download) with no episode breaks
Silly? The story is not narratively silly, but many of Nicholas Briggs's voice characterization choices are silly in performance.
Standalone? Yes; connectivity to other Destiny of the Doctor episodes is virtually nonexistent.
Recommended? No.

My reactions to this story include spoilers for itself and for the overall arc of Destiny of the Doctor.

#19 Doctor Who Companion Chronicles: Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code

I exit 1900 Paris via Randomoid Selectortron and arrive in...

Doctor Who Companion Chronicles: Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code

Starring: the seventh Doctor (narrated), Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield and as narrator
Format: one narrated two-actor CD (or download) as two half-CD episodes
Silly? No. The main science-fiction plot device of the story could have easily gotten silly but doesn't.
Standalone? Yes.

Recommended? To Lisa Bowerman fans.

My reactions to this story include spoilers for it and brief mention of a metaplot detail of the Virgin New Adventures novels.

#18 The Confessions of Dorian Gray: This World Our Hell

Beyond The Dalek Contract and The Final Phase is another visit to the Randomoid Selectortron...

The Confessions of Dorian Gray: This World Our Hell

Starring: Alexander Vlahos as Dorian Gray
Format: one downloadable episode of half-CD length
Silly? Not overtly, but the entire premise is arguably an extended shaggy dog story to set up a punchline which, while never stated directly, may be obvious to listeners familiar with the real-world events.
Standalone? Yes. Some version of the events of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray happened in the past of this audio, but those events are substantially different from what the novel describes as it exists in the real world. Reading the actual novel does not enhance This World Our Hell.
Recommended? Yes, regardless of whether you have any interest in the novel.

My reactions to this story include spoilers for it and for the 1890 Oscar Wilde novel.

#17 Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Dalek Contract/The Final Phase

With the Doctor's situation filled, I move on to another Randomoid Selection...

Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Final Phase

The Final Phase is sold separately, but it is the second half of a two-disc story. For that reason, I am activating a manual override on the Selectortron and selecting the entire story:

Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Dalek Contract/The Final Phase

Starring: Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as Romana, and John Leeson as K9.
Format: two full-cast CDs (or downloads) containing four half-CD episodes
Silly? K9 and the villain get some deliberate silliness. Other silliness seems unintentional.

Standalone? Not entirely, as the returning villain's plan directly follows from an earlier adventure. The most relevant details get explained early on, but hearing the actual story they happened in would be better. A mystery is left unresolved at the end to set up further plans of that villain.
Recommended? No, unless the fact that it is the last piece of Doctor Who media ever to star Mary Tamm is important to you.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it and for The Sands of Life and War Against the Laan.

#16 Eighth Doctor Adventures: Situation Vacant

Babblesphere was a bit disappointing, but so far overall, my time with a personal Randomoid Selectortron has been satisfying. It now brings me to:

Eighth Doctor Adventures: Situation Vacant

Starring: Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor
Format: one full-cast CD (or download) in two half-CD episodes
Silly? Slightly. A pair of tonally typical short Doctor Who adventures make up the bulk of the story, but they are framed in a sillier than usual context.
Standalone? This story advances the arc of the fourth season of Eighth Doctor Adventures, but can be listened to on its own if you don't mind a dangling thread at the end. The details of earlier events aren't important within this story.
Recommended? Yes, but particularly in the context of the Eighth Doctor Adventures as an ordered arc.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for itself and for Death in Blackpool.

#15 Destiny of the Doctor: Babblesphere

After Full Fathom Five, one burning question is on my mind: will my next Big Finish listen be on dry land? Let's ask the Randomoid Selectortron...

Destiny of the Doctor: Babblesphere

Starring: The fourth Doctor (narrated) and Lalla Ward as Romana
Format: one two-actor narrated CD (or download) with no episode breaks
Silly? Yes
Standalone? Yes. Linkage to the rest of Destiny of the Doctor is brief and not important to the plot.
Recommended? No

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it.

#14 Doctor Who Unbound: Full Fathom Five

Iris Wildthyme has regained her courage and battled a devil, and as her bus speeds away into the multiverse my Randomoid Selectortron speeds me to...

Doctor Who Unbound: Full Fathom Five

Starring: David Collings as the Doctor
Format: one full-cast CD (or download) with no episode breaks
Silly? Generally no. At points, some characterization is broad enough to border on silly, but this does not seem intentional and does not persist through the end of the story.
Standalone? Yes. This Doctor and timeline are not revisited in any other works.
Recommended? Yes. If you haven't already been spoiled about it, consider going into it cold.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it, including some reference to the ending.

#13 Iris Wildthyme: The Devil in Ms Wildthyme

The Extinction Event was my first time hitting a CD-only audio in the course of this blog. I return to the Randomoid Selectortron and randomly encounter...

Iris Wildthyme: The Devil in Ms Wildthyme

Starring: Katy Manning as Iris Wildthyme, Ortis Deley as Tom, and David Benson as Panda
Format: one full-cast CD with no episode breaks
Silly? Yes, as with all Iris Wildthyme audios, but there are also an above-average number of reflective character-driven moments within the silliness.
Standalone? The ending of the previous episode establishes Iris's situation going into this one, but conversations in this episode state everything relevant about it and hearing the previous episode isn't essential.
Recommended? Not at full price.

My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it, and possibly to other early Iris Wildthyme stories.

#12 Bernice Summerfield: The Extinction Event

The Kingmaker was a long, long ride, and while I enjoyed it I'm glad to now be moving on to something else. Another spin of the Randomoid Selectortron yields...

Bernice Summerfield: The Extinction Event

Starring: Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield and Miles Richardson as Irving Braxiatel
Format: one full-cast CD with no episode breaks
Silly? Not generally, but a climactic moment is undermined by silly choices for an alien character's vocal treatment and language use.
Standalone? Yes. Braxiatel is an established character in Bernice's continuity but this is his first on-mic appearance and there is solid establishing dialogue very early on for the relevant aspects of his role.
Recommended? Not on its own, but yes as part of a larger Bernice Summerfield listen. If buying from the Big Finish website outside the UK, be sure to click the red "BUNDLES" button and buy season 2 as a single item, rather than as separate CDs, as shipping calculations work completely differently depending on how you buy it.


My reactions to this story contain spoilers for it and for the status quo of early Bernice Summerfield audios.