The Eighth Doctor: The Time War Volume 1 review

I think it is hard to find a Big Finish release that has been more anticipated than this one, when it was first announced back two years ago.... And I don't think anyone could have anticipated how much it would explode into something wondrous... as we're getting fifty percent more Paul McGann a year now!

DOCTOR WHO NEW SERIES REVIEW

THE EIGHTH DOCTOR: THE TIME WAR: VOLUME 1

By Jack Ryan

BEWARE: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

SYNOPSIS:

Furthering his travels, The Eighth Doctor and his new companion Sheena happen across the luxury cruise starship Theseus, and decide a holiday is long overdue. But soon they discover that something danger++__+---==-_=-==-that something necessary is happening in the bowels of the ship, and The Doctor and Emma are in++__+---==-_=-==-the Doctor is in a race against time to save the refugees of the Theseus from the greatest threat to life.... The Time War has finally crashed into the Doctor's life... and it's only the beginning, as the Doctor, Bliss, Rupa and Quarren, find themselves on a blighted planet haunted by ghosts of the war, a Time Lord training ground with a strict commander, and stuck right in the middle of it, when Cardinal Ollistra searches for a weapon of immense power... the only problem is that someone else has it.... and they don't want to fight....

WRITING:

Following on from the immensely successful (and totally deserving of your time) Doom Coalition saga, showrunners and writers John Dorney and Matt Fitton return to script two episodes apiece of this highly anticipated set. Fitton's Echoes Of War and The Conscript succeed in taking the Time War and blending it with realistic aspects and results of battle, such as service conscripts, boot camps, and shell-shock, the latter in a truly unique way... Dorney, meanwhile, tackles the beginning and the finale, showcasing a time-twisting opening in The Starship of Theseus that highlights how war can change many things, including ethics and the lengths people will go to in order to survive. And his finale, One Rule, tackles the role and standing of those who refuse to fight, and those who refuse to be used for fighting. The writing here truly showcases that, whilst RTD may have created the Time War as a Macguffin plot device, there are those who can use it to create some truly engaging tales...

CAST:

With this being set a long way off from Doom Coalition, we have a whole new cast of characters to sink our teeth into with this set, as well as a returning name or two... Alongside the new brilliant companions, in the form of Rakhee Thakrar's Bliss, Nimmy March's Rupa and David Ganly's Quarren, we have the likes of Olivia Vinall, Sean Murray, Hywel Morgan, Laurrence Kennedy, Karina Fernandez, Nick Brimble, Katy Sobey and Okezie Morro, all giving their utmost in their performance. But, the highlight has to be the three returning members, the glorious Jacqueline Pearce as the calculating Cardinal Ollistra, the formidable Nicholas Ruddy Briggs as those dastardly Daleks, and, of course, Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, showing once more why, not only is his Doctor one of the best, but how Steven Moffat's ideology about him not wanting to fight in the war works. Over the course of over fifteen years with Big Finish, the Eighth Doctor has shown that he is an adventurer, not a warrior. And this set not only shows that, but how much McGann understands it as well, all under the watchful eyes of master director Ken Bentley.

SOUND WORK:

I'm seriously running out of ways to praise this guy. Jamie Robertson's music infallibly continues to astound and amaze listeners, with a score that is currently rivalling The Prisoner for the best score he's ever done. That being said, I haven't run out of ways to praise sound designer, podcast co-host and king of the kazoos Benji Clifford, whose efforts here are, along with Robertson's, the best I think he's done in his career with Big Finish. Every shot, every battle, every jump through the vortex fills my eardrums with unbridled realism and glee. Plus, the opportunity to hear Howard Carter's epic War Doctor working of the theme tune is not only brilliant, but a touching reminder of the legacy of the late and legendary Sir John Freaking Hurt.

CONCLUSION:

When this was first announced, all those years ago, we were worried. Not because this was going to be bad, far from it. But worried that this meant the end for the Eighth Doctor at Big Finish. Thankfully, not only have we been graced with a truly amazing boxset, but we're getting three more over the next three years. PLUS another four as the sequel to Doom Coalition. I think it's safe to say that thanks to this boxset, with it's brilliant scripts, perfect casting, pinpoint directing and stellar soundwork, not only are we all excited to see the lead in to Night Of The Doctor, but to be reassured that as long as Big Finish is around, the Eighth Doctor will be going nowhere...

VERDICT: 10/10  War... What's it good for, eh? Well, a perfect boxset for one... ;D

Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor: The Time War: Volume 1 is available to purchase on CD and Download from the Big Finish Website here, or from all good stockists.

Covers (C) Big Finish and Tom Webster