Why You Need to be Listening to the Fourth Doctor Adventures
Big Finish are currently offering a number of stories free from their back catalogue to enjoy. So, over the next few weeks, I'll give you a review of the individual episode in question, as well as some reasons why you should be listening to the range or series the story hails from in full. We continue the series with - the Fourth Doctor Adventures...
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| The CD cover for "Destination Nerva", designed by Amazing15. |
Back in 2012, Tom Baker finally joined the ranks of Big Finish after many years of resisting. As a huge fan of the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who (it's, without any doubt, my favourite era of Doctor Who), this news was huge, and the first series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures was hotly anticipated as a result. And, while not being to everyone's tastes, this series has quickly become one of my favourites at Big Finish, probably down to the fact that it features Tom Baker as the Doctor. However, I think there is slightly more to it than that, as the stories are, for the most part, pretty fun. They feel very like the stories of the classic series, and are a shot of nostalgia for those of us who grew up with stories like this.
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| The CD cover for "The Renaissance Man", designed by Amazing15. |
The first release in the range, "Destination Nerva", is a perfect example of this. Set in the immediate aftermath of "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", the Doctor and Leela find themselves answering a distress signal coming from Victorian England. Something terrible has happened there, and the TARDIS travellers will only find the answers far in the future, on the newly-built Space Dock Nerva... "Destination Nerva" is as close as you can get to nuts-and-bolts Doctor Who. It's traditional plot and functional characterisation might indicate a lack of imagination, but its workmanlike qualities are intentional. Writer Nicholas Briggs has deliberately crafted a traditional Doctor Who story for Tom Baker's first foray into Big Finish in order to set the tone and style of this series. This is all about the atmosphere, the feeling of nostalgia at hearing Tom Baker and Louise Jameson back together in a story that sounds like it could have been made in 1977. That's what this story is aiming towards, and that's what it's best at. That's not to say the story of "Destination Nerva" isn't good, but if you've ever experienced anything related to Doctor Who before, chances are you're going to know what's coming. So its not like there's any real surprises here, but, for fans of the classic series, this is a good chance to immerse yourself back in the ethos of that spirit of Doctor Who. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson slot back into their roles like 40 years hadn't elapsed, and their chemistry is now so warm and friendly that the Fourth Doctor/Leela team will quickly become one of your favourites. The guest cast are great (including Archers stalwart Timothy Bentinck and a pre-Third Doctor recast role for Tim Treloar), and the music from Jamie Robertson perfectly evokes the era and Dudley Simpson's evocative and memorable scores. While not the most exciting Fourth Doctor story that Big Finish have produced. "Destination Nerva" is a proper 'meat-and-potatoes' Doctor Who story, that will be a fun listen for an hour or so. It's not trying to be anything more than that, and, if you go into it with that mindset, you'll be rewarded with a piece of fun. And, honestly, there's nothing wrong with that.
And, if you enjoyed "Destination Nerva", then here is a list of 3 reasons why you need to be listening to the rest of the Fourth Doctor Adventures:
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| The CD cover for "The Wrath of the Iceni", designed by Amazing15. |
1. Proper Classic Doctor Who:
If, like me, you love the general format and tone of classic Doctor Who, then the Fourth Doctor Adventures are perfect for you. Stories like "The Renaissance Man", "The Darkness of Glass", "Zygon Hunt" and "The Beast of Kravenos" all feel like they belonged on Doctor Who in the mid-to-late 70's and early 80's, and they all have the ethos and spirit of those halcyon days of Doctor Who. The presentation of the stories might be a little different (whereas, in the classic series, a story might last for 4 episodes, these Fourth Doctor Adventures are, for the most part, 2 parters). but they still have the same exciting heart. The shorter pace actually gives them a lot of punch, as the shorter form forces the writers to be more creative and tell their stories much faster. There are longer stories, as and when they are needed, but even these feel like they are condensing a huge amount of story down into four short episodes. And yet, the stories still feel like Doctor Who used to in the Tom Baker era, thanks to a pitch-perfect atmosphere from the writers, directors, actors and sound designers, who all work in harmony to make these stories sound utterly 'of the era'. There are some exceptions to this approach, for example - you could argue a lot of the continuity heavy stories like "The Perfect Prisoners" and "Return to Telos" are slightly out-of-kilter with the Baker-era vibe, due to their heavy use of continuity. And I would also say that a lot of the work of writer John Dorney - stories like "The Wrath of the Iceni", "The Crooked Man" and "Requiem for the Rocket Men" - don't really fit the aesthetic either, but that's most because you would never have got those stories in the 1970's. The series doesn't just rigidly stick to what would have been done in the 1970's - but expands on it too. But they always feel like classic Doctor Who - no matter what.
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| The CD cover for "Energy of the Daleks", designed by Alex Mallinson. |
2. The Fourth Doctor/Tom Baker:
More so than anything else, these Fourth Doctor Adventures are a chance for the Fourth Doctor (and, by extension, the legend that is Tom Baker) to shine. And, oh boy, he does! Tom is loving these audios, and that shines through in every performance and every line. It's lovely just to get a chance to see a Doctor absolutely owning the part, and taking joy in playing a children's hero who defeats the villains every single week, even nearly 50 years later (yes, it is that long ago!). Big Finish give us the opportunity to revisit this style of Doctor in new stories, and, at the same time, bring out some different shades of the Fourth Doctor, especially in stories like "The Fate of Krelos". Big Finish are very careful to make sure the Fourth Doctor sounds just like the Fourth Doctor in these adventures: gone are the days of the BBC Paul Magrs stories where Tom Baker was playing the Doctor, and the writing was good, but this didn't feel like the Fourth Doctor from the TV series. These stories are spot on with their portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, and Tom is directed, especially by Nicholas Briggs, to play it as he would back in the 1970's and 1980's. It's amazing that Tom can recapture everything about his performance from those days using simply his voice, and it is wonderful that he is given the freedom to develop that as necessary for the stories, but always in line with the character of his Doctor and the spirit of his era.
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| The CD cover for "Trail of the White Worm", designed by Amazing15. |
3. More Stories with Classic Companions:
Of course, the Fourth Doctor Adventures don't just feature the Fourth Doctor, but also his erstwhile companions. Currently, Louise Jameson (as the savage Leela), John Leeson (as the voice of robot dog K9) and Lalla Ward (as the second incarnation of the Time Lady Romana) are the mainstays of the classic companions, with all of them regularly appearing in new adventures with Tom. The character of Leela, especially, has had the chance to develop alongside the Fourth Doctor, to the point where they have an incredibly strong relationship, helped, no doubt, by a much warmer chemistry between Tom and Louise than in the 1970's. The second series of Fourth Doctor Adventures also featured the late Mary Tamm returning to the role of the First Romana (with John Leeson also along for the ride as K9), in what sadly turned out to be her final performances in the role. These were released shortly after her death in 2013, and stand as a lovely tribute to her and the character. And, this year, Matthew Waterhouse returned as Adric alongside Tom, Lalla Ward and John Leeson in some new stories set during Season 18. AND Big Finish have recently taken the difficult step of recasting both Harry and Sarah, with Christopher Naylor and Sadie Miller (Elisabeth Sladen's daughter!) stepping into the shoes of the characters. And that's before we get to new companions like Jane Slavin's Ann Kelso, or Nerys Hughes' Margret Hopwood (who will be appearing in the upcoming Series 11 and 12), or Eleanor Crooks' Naomi Cross (who will be appearing in the upcoming Series 13)... There's so many companion choices that there will be something for everyone in these releases, I promise you. From savage warriors, to sarcastic police officers, from inquisitive journalists to sassy and smart Time Ladies and capable and commanding UNIT officers, and even robot dogs, there will be something tailored to you.
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| The CD cover for "The Oseidon Adventure", designed by Amazing15. |
I love the Fourth Doctor Adventures: mostly because I love the Fourth Doctor, it has to be said. But I will say that the Fourth Doctor Adventures are well worth looking at, because they are just a great deal of fun, let's be fair. They aren't the most novel or original Doctor Who stories, but they will take you back to the 1970's, and give a warm, loving glow of nostalgia for an era that is, quite rightly, regarded as Doctor Who's best. And you can't ask for more than that.
Until the 14th of September 2020, you can get part 1 of "Destination Nerva", the first Fourth Doctor Adventure, from Big Finish completely free. You can find it here:
You can also save up to 33% on The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 1&2 until the 14th of September 2020 too. You can find a full list of the titles here:
Happy listening!
All pictures copyright to the BBC/Big Finish Productions. Thank you very much for reading.
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