THE YEAR OF BIG FINISH
Day 10: Winter For The Adept
Midway through the year 2000 and Big Finish seems to have gotten the hang of how they can construct their stories. They've dealt with multiple Doctors, old friends, classic enemies and more twists and turns than a 60s dance floor. So now, it's time to take on another experiment to see how well it can be done. All the previous writers, whilst being dedicated fans, and one having even worked on the show in a capacity, never wrote for the original series itself. With this release, that was all set to change. Enter masterplan architect, Andrew Cartmel, and a story that's seemingly outside of his usual repertoire...
When she finds him, Nyssa is going to kill the Doctor. She swears it. Not because of revenge, or allegiance, or hypnotism, but because he's done one experiment too much and now she's on a freezing mountaintop. Thankfully, she soon finds civilisation at a local boarding school for young girls. The only thing is it's just as freezing, the headmistress is off her rocker, and there's a possible haunting happening. And when the Doctor turns up, it soon turns into a race to discover what, or who, is causing the haunting... and if there is something worse than a ghost lurking within the school...
I'll admit I did a double take when I discovered that Andrew Cartmel (the man responsible for making the Seventh Doctor's era AMAZING, for the most part) had written this story, seemingly out of his comfort area. But then, as the story progressed, I kept on finding myself engaged with what he had created, the mystery that was set up, and the numerous but never abused plot twists that kept you double guessing! Cartmel has a pure and proper knack with writing for this series that doesn't seem to have left him in the thirteen years between his forst script editing job and this.
Helping to elevate Cartmel's script is another noteworthy cast and crew! With the legendary Gary Russell once more in the directing seat, and Davison and Sutton returning as the regulars, a cast of seemingly lesser known actors helps prop up the story with some good performances to accentuate the twists and turns. Peter Jurasik, Liz Sutherland, Sally Faulkner, Hannah Dickinson, Chris Webber, Andy Coleman, and Nicky Goldie are all excellent in the way the perform. Some sincere, some manipulative, some side-splitting, but all authentic. A major bit of praise however must go to India Fisher, playing one of the schoolgirls caught up in the twists and turns of Andrew's story. I wonder whatever happened to her? Russell Stone and Andy Hardwick take on music and sound design respectively, and just like with releases before, gives it a soundtrack and an atmosphere that properly fits its setting and tone, and a great air of professionalism.
Ten releases in and Big Finish have proven their worth on a number of levels. In fact, they had proven themselves so much that two months before this was released (and two months after it was recorded), the crew were given their greatest challenge! One that a certain member of the cast would be playing a pivotal role in...
Doctor Who: Winter For The Adept, is available on Download for £/$/€2.99 on the Big Finish Website, and on limited CD, Cassette and Download from other stockists.
TOMORROW: Steve Cole continues the adventures of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe, and helps gestate the seeds for some notable spin-offs...
When she finds him, Nyssa is going to kill the Doctor. She swears it. Not because of revenge, or allegiance, or hypnotism, but because he's done one experiment too much and now she's on a freezing mountaintop. Thankfully, she soon finds civilisation at a local boarding school for young girls. The only thing is it's just as freezing, the headmistress is off her rocker, and there's a possible haunting happening. And when the Doctor turns up, it soon turns into a race to discover what, or who, is causing the haunting... and if there is something worse than a ghost lurking within the school...
I'll admit I did a double take when I discovered that Andrew Cartmel (the man responsible for making the Seventh Doctor's era AMAZING, for the most part) had written this story, seemingly out of his comfort area. But then, as the story progressed, I kept on finding myself engaged with what he had created, the mystery that was set up, and the numerous but never abused plot twists that kept you double guessing! Cartmel has a pure and proper knack with writing for this series that doesn't seem to have left him in the thirteen years between his forst script editing job and this.
Helping to elevate Cartmel's script is another noteworthy cast and crew! With the legendary Gary Russell once more in the directing seat, and Davison and Sutton returning as the regulars, a cast of seemingly lesser known actors helps prop up the story with some good performances to accentuate the twists and turns. Peter Jurasik, Liz Sutherland, Sally Faulkner, Hannah Dickinson, Chris Webber, Andy Coleman, and Nicky Goldie are all excellent in the way the perform. Some sincere, some manipulative, some side-splitting, but all authentic. A major bit of praise however must go to India Fisher, playing one of the schoolgirls caught up in the twists and turns of Andrew's story. I wonder whatever happened to her? Russell Stone and Andy Hardwick take on music and sound design respectively, and just like with releases before, gives it a soundtrack and an atmosphere that properly fits its setting and tone, and a great air of professionalism.
Ten releases in and Big Finish have proven their worth on a number of levels. In fact, they had proven themselves so much that two months before this was released (and two months after it was recorded), the crew were given their greatest challenge! One that a certain member of the cast would be playing a pivotal role in...
Doctor Who: Winter For The Adept, is available on Download for £/$/€2.99 on the Big Finish Website, and on limited CD, Cassette and Download from other stockists.
TOMORROW: Steve Cole continues the adventures of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe, and helps gestate the seeds for some notable spin-offs...
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