Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors Review

Doctor Who:
The Ice Warriors
By Brian Hayles

“Don't you understand? They're ruthless killers and they'll stop at nothing. Now please, listen to me. There's no time to lose.”

The TARDIS lands, more likes crashes, near Brittanicus Base.  Brittanicus Base is on an island near Great Britain and its job is to keep the glacier at bay by using the ioniser.  In the future Earth is facing a second ice age and bases using ionisers are what they have to try and keep the ice away to survive.  The Doctor Jamie and Victoria have stumbled upon the base in time to help them out with a problem with the ionizer.  By doing this The Doctor has gained the trust of Clent who is in charge of the base. 

Details on Doctor Who - The Wreck of the World

Out now from Big Finish is the continuing adventures of the Second Doctor in The Early Adventures and this time he is joined by Jamie and Zoe.  You can order this audio adventure at the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-wreck-of-the-world-1322

Undergoing repairs in deep space, the TARDIS is caught in a collision with the huge, decaying wreck of a starship. Zoe, spacewalking, is separated from her companions in the crash, and the Doctor and Jamie wake to find the TARDIS fused to the side of the ship.

Venturing inside to rescue their friend, they discover that they are on board The World, the very first colony ship to leave Earth, lost mid-voyage under unknown circumstances.

And they are not alone. A terrible suspension chamber is filled with dead, withered human bodies, and a team of gun-toting astronauts are stalking the corridors. But a far greater threat lurks deep inside. The terrifying force responsible for the scuttling of the ship is active once more - and if it can’t be stopped, it won’t just be the end of this World. It’ll be the end of all of them.

Written By: Timothy X Atack
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot/Narrator), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Judith Roddy (Commander Lorne), Adam Newington (Twenty), Don McCorkindale (Porthintus), Richenda Carey (Professor Blavatsky). Other parts played by members of the cast.

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Details for Doctor Who - The Night Witches

Out this month is the start of a new series of The Early Adventures with the Second Doctor era taking center stage.  This story focuses on the early part of his era with his original companions.  you can order this adventure from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-night-witches-1319

When the TARDIS materialises north of Stalingrad in 1942, the Doctor, Jamie, Ben and Polly are captured by the Night Witches, an all-female unit of flyers tasked with disrupting the German forces nearing Moscow.

They suspect that the travellers are spies - part of the Germans’ Operation Barbarossa. Despite their pleas they are locked up while it is decided what to do with them.

Polly, however, is receiving strange looks from the pilots and clearly unnerving them. When the TARDIS crew discover why this is, it becomes clear that they’re about to get far more involved in the war than they could possibly have imagined.

Written By: Roland Moore
Directed By: Helen Goldwyn

Cast
Anneke Wills (Polly Wright/Narrator), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Elliot Chapman (Ben Jackson), Anjella Mackintosh(Tatiana Kregki), Wanda Opalinska (Nadia Vasney), Kristina Buikaite (Lilya Grankin).

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Details for Doctor Who - The British Invasion

This months download only audio adventure takes place during the 2nd Doctor era and is narrated by Wendy Padbury who played Zoe during season 6.  You can purchase this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-british-invasion-1363

A huge metal dome sits by the side of the river Thames, within it is a device that might change the entire future of humanity. The Doctor, Zoe and Jamie embark on a small act of kindness but the TARDIS seems oddly unwilling to help. It’s as if it knows the truth. There is something waiting here, something adaptable and cunning, gathering its strength to conquer the stars.

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Ian Atkins
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Written By: Ian Potter
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Wendy Padbury (Narrator)

Doctor Who - The Wheel in Space Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Wheel in Space
By David Whitaker 
and Kit Pedler

“You know our ways. You must be destroyed.”

After saying their farewells to Victoria The Doctor makes an emergency landing, due to the mercury fluid link exploding, on what appears to be an abandon spaceship. The pair end up exploring the ship in hopes of finding some Mercury when The Doctor suspects they are not alone after all.  The ship is being controlled by the Servo Robot and he is doing what his masters have programmed to do.  Pilot the ship to the Wheel and release debris towards the Wheel.  The Servo Robot notice there are others on the ship and proceeds to handle the situation as it pilots the ship hard off course causing The Doctor to lose his balance and hit his head taking him out of commission.

Jamie is on his own to deal with the Servo Robot but not before it accomplishes its orders and starts the activation of two strange spherical objects in the ship.  Jamie and The Doctor are soon saved by the crew of the Wheel and Jamie gets himself in trouble by sabatoging the lazer as he was trying to save the TARDIS from being destroyed inside the spaceship.  Unfortunately that act by Jamie was poorly timed as the two figures in the sphere are Cybermen and they plan on taking over the Wheel as a launching point to invade Earth.  As usual it’s up to The Doctor to save the day and stop the Cybermen from taking over the Wheel.

Doctor Who - The Tomb of the Cybermen Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Tomb of the Cybermen
By Kit Pedler and
Gerry Davis

“Oh yes, I can when I want to. And that's the point, really. I have to really want to, to bring them back in front of my eyes. The rest of the time they sleep in my mind, and I forget. And so will you. Oh yes, you will. You'll find there's so much else to think about. So remember, our lives are different to anybody else's. That's the exciting thing. There's nobody in the universe can do what we're doing. You must get some sleep and let this poor old man stay awake.”

The Tomb of the Cybermen is the earliest complete story to survive featuring Patrick Troughton.  It was found in Hong Kong back in 1991 and was until The Enemy of the World was found with The Web of Fear (minus ep 3) the only complete story from Season 5 of Doctor Who.  The Tomb of the Cybermen opens up Season 5 and also brings back The Cybermen yet again last seen in The Moonbase (which is out on DVD with animated missing episodes 1 &3).  What is a pretty cool side bar for Season 5 is that it is known as The Season of Monsters.  The Cybermen start off the Season of Monsters in The Tomb of the Cybermen and also finishes it with the Cybermen returning in The Wheel in Space.   So in essence Season 5 is bookend with Cybermen stories.

I remember when this story was found back in 1991 and was really excited to see this story as I had read the Target novelization way back in the 80’s and enjoyed it.  So when the VHS copy of the story was finally released in the US in 1992 I headed for the video store right after my college course was over for the day to purchase it and watch it that day and well the studies took a  back seat to my parents dismay.  Well there wasn’t a test to study for so the homework could wait an hour or two.

Doctor Who - The Moonbase Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

DoctorWho:
The Moonbase
By Kit Peddler

“Funny. Funny. Go to all that trouble to make the men do the work. Why? Do it themselves, easy. They're using the men as tools. Why? Don't know. Yes, I do though. There must be something in here they don't like. Pressure? Electricity? Radiation? Maybe. Gravity! Now there's a thought. Gravity. Oh, yes. Gravity.”

After the events of The Underwater Menace The Doctor makes the attempt to get Ben, Polly and Jamie to Mars.  Where they ended up was not Mars but in fact the moon.  The travelers have fun experiencing the low gravity of the moon until Jamie gets hurt.  Luckily there is a base on the moon that is there to help control the weather on Earth.  But there is a problem in the base.  A mysterious plague has swept over the base only infecting a certain few.  The Doctor has no idea what is causing the crew of the moonbase to get infected but once The Cybermen have been seen sneaking around it becomes all the more obvious what is going on.

Doctor Who - The Dominators Review

We look back at the Patrick Troughton Story The Dominators which came out 48 years ago this week.

Doctor Who:
The Dominators
By Norman Ashby

“An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?”

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe fresh from their little break after taking on the Cybermen in the Wheel decided to take an even longer break.  They land on an island on the planet Dulkis.  Dulkis is a peaceful planet that has sworn off violence and has no use for weapons anymore.   Also on the island another ship also landed and inside that ship is The Dominators.  The Dominators need a slave force to help get radioactive material to fuel their spaceship.   Also on this ship are the robots that serve the Dominators which are the murderous Quarks.  So it’s up to The Doctor to save the pacifist Dulkians to rise up and resist The Dominators and save the planet.

Doctor Who - Details on the Second Doctor Box Set

Out this month is the Second Doctor Volume One.  It is a box set of four stories taking place during the Patrick Troughton era.  This is similar to the First Doctor box set that cam out last year.  You can order it from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-second-doctor-volume-01-1329

A new four-disc release featuring four tales from figures associated with the Second Doctor era, and a second actor.

10.1 The Mouthless Dead by John Pritchard
The TARDIS arrives in 1920s England, the Doctor, Jamie, Ben and Polly finding themselves in a wintry dusk beside a railway line. The station nearby appears deserted, but there are figures watching from the shadows, all of them waiting for a dead man’s train...

10.2 The Story of Extinction by Ian Atkins
Civilisations rise and fall – and few planets have seen this happen more often than Amyrndaa. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join a survey team to find out why on the planet where everything is suited to creating life, nothing lives for long...

10.3 The Integral by David Bartlett
When tempers fray in the TARDIS, the Doctor struggles to help Jamie and Zoe resolve their differences. Arriving at Aspen Base proves a welcome distraction; but the isolated facility is under siege. Can Jamie’s belief in right and wrong withstand the perspective changing power of the Integral?

10.4 The Edge by Rob Nisbet
The Edge is the galaxy’s scientific hub of experimentation, theoretical breakthroughs and invention – just the sort of place to interest the Doctor and Zoe. However, a secret lies hidden in The Edge laboratories. Jamie instinctively knows that something is wrong, and it doesn’t take long for him to be proved right....

Written By: John Pritchard, Ian Atkins, David Bartlett, Rob Nisbet
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie), Anneke Wills (Polly), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Elliot Chapman (Ben), Robert Whitelock (Curtis)

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Jacqueline Rayner
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Details For The Isos Network

This month Early Adventure release, and the last one till September, sees the Second Doctor taking on the Cybermen.  This adventure stars Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.  You can order it now from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-isos-network-1079

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are leaving Earth after having successfully defeated a Cyberman invasion… The Cyber-fleet is still exploding… But something is escaping through the mass of vaporising debris.

In hot pursuit, the Doctor and his friends find themselves drawn to a mysterious planet where strange beasts slither through the streets of a deserted city… And an old enemy lurks beneath the streets.

As a force of heavily-armed aliens arrives, a battle to save the entire galaxy from invasion begins.

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor/Narrator), Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot/Narrator), Rachel Bavidge (Seru), Richard James (Enab), Kieran Hodgson (Alam/Hilsee) and Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Synopsis For The Yes Men

The Early Adventures return this month and it also brings us the return of the Second Doctor.  This story is set in the early days of the Second Doctor as he is with Polly, Jamie and Ben who has been recast by Elliot Chapman.  You can get this release from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-yes-men-1076

The Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben arrive on New Houston, an Earth colony in the Fourth Sector, which the Doctor previously saved from an alien invasion. He wishes to pay his respects to his late friend Meg Carvossa, but something is not quite right with New Houston’s subservient robots...

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Anneke Wills (Polly Wright/Narrator), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Elliot Chapman (Ben Jackson), Lizzie McInnerny (Harriet Quilp), Stephen Critchlow (The Yes Men), Timothy Speyer (Nesca Bangate), Jane Slavin (The President)

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Return to Telos

This months 4th Doctor adventures see The Doctor, Leela and K-9 heading to the planet of Telos. seems there is something that needs to be taken care of that he didn't do when he was there in a previous incarnation.  You can order this story with the Cybermen and guest star Frazer Hines as Jamie and the Second Doctor from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/return-to-telos-944

The Doctor reveals to Leela that they’re heading for the planet Telos. And K9 has new masters...

On Telos, in the past, the Second Doctor and Jamie are exploring the ‘tomb of the Cybermen’.

Meanwhile, the Cyber-Controller and Cyber-Planner consolidate their plans. Spare parts from Krelos are being used to construct a mighty Cyber army. The Doctor must be captured.

Out of control, the TARDIS tumbles down a chasm and the Doctor and Leela find themselves caught up in full-scale planetary invasion.

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast
Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), John Leeson (K9), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Michael Cochrane (Geralk), Bernard Holley (Peter Haydon), Veronica Roberts (Relly), Nicholas Briggs (the Cybermen)

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Last of the Cybermen Review

Doctor Who:
Last of the Cybermen
By Alan Barnes
Starring Colin Baker, Frazer Hines and
Wendy Padbury

Jamie and Zoe are waiting in the TARDIS for The Doctor to return.  The scanner shows a rocky landscape and it is dark and it is hard to make out images clearly.  They see a shadow of a man running and it is the familiar shape of The Doctor.  Jamie and Zoe leave the TARDIS to help him when they noticed that he fell in a ditch.  When they get to the ditch the notice the man who fell down it is not the man they were expecting.  It is indeed The Doctor but it isn’t their Doctor as in the place of the 2nd Doctor is the 6th Doctor.

That is the least of their troubles as before the 2nd Doctor disappeared he was being chased.  What the three travelers notice was that a Cyberman was chasing them and that the planet the 6th Doctor is now on is Telos.  It is at the end of the Great Cybermen War and the trio must face the Cybermen once again.

Doctor Who - Frazer Hines Visits The TARDIS Set

Frazer Hines visited the TARDIS today and was greeted by The Doctor Peter Capaldi.

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Last of the Cybermen

The countdown to 200 continues as the 6th Doctor takes center stage in release number 199.  He is joined by Jamie and Zoe and face a mainstay villain from the 2nd Doctor era The Cybermen.  You can get this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/last-of-the-cybermen-871

It's been ten years since the final assault on Telos, the last act of the Great Cyber War. Thanks to the Glittergun, humanity prevailed – and the half-machine Cybermen were utterly obliterated. 

Out on the furthest fringes of the galaxy, however, they left their mark – in the form of a giant Cyber-head, hundreds of feet high. A monument? A memorial? A tomb? The Doctor, the Cybermen's most indefatigable adversary, sets out to investigate... but he fails to return to his TARDIS. Leaving the Ship, his two companions – brave Highlander Jamie MacCrimmon, and super-intelligent Zoe Heriot – find a stranger in the Doctor's place. A stranger in a coat of many colours, who insists that he's the Doctor – transposed in time and space with one of his former selves...

But why here? Why now? Has the universe really seen the last of the Cybermen..?

Written By: Alan Barnes
Directed By: Barnaby Edwards

Cast
Colin Baker (The Doctor), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Lucy Liemann (Zennox), Keiran Hodgson (Findel), Nicholas Farrell (Captain Frank), Nicholas Briggs (Cybermen)

Doctor Who - Cover For Return To Telos Revealed

The August release and the series four finale for The Fourth Doctor Adventures Return to Telos has had it's cover released.  This story features the Cybermen and also guest stars Frazer Hines as Jamie and takes place during The Tomb of the Cybermen.  I'm pretty curious to see how Big Finish pulls this one off.  Preorder details at the link below.
http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who--the-fourth-doctor-adventures-return-to-telos-cover-revealed

Doctor Who - Frazer Hines "Jamie" Added To LI Who 3 Guest List

Frazer Hines is returning to LI Who. This marks his third appearance at LI Who and he is definitely a crowd favorite at LI Who.  It will be good to catch up with Frazer Hines and to hear the stories of working with Patrick Troughton and the 2nd Doctor era.

Returning Guest Frazer Hines Announced for L.I. Who 3

Frazer Hines announced as first returning guest of L.I. Who. As one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, Frazer Hines portrayed Jamie McCrimmon alongside Patrick Troughton (the 2nd Doctor). The Highlander from 1746 Scotland, he joined the Doctor for three years of amazing stories such as “The War Games”, ““The Tomb of the Cybermen”. as well as the recently rediscovered episodes “The Web of Fear” and “The Enemy Of The World”.

Frazer Hines starred in “Doctor Who” for 117 episodes making him the longest running companion. Although 47 of his episodes were lost, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest companions. His amazing portrayal of Jaime led to recurring guest roles in “The Five Doctors” and “The Two Doctors”. Frazer also stars in a variety of Big Finish Audio Dramas.In addition to his acting work, Frazer Hines has published two autobiographies. The first book he released was “Films, Farms and Fillies” in 1996. He followed in 2009 with “Hines Sight”. In 2013 he released his most recent book “50 Shades Of Frazer” all of which can be purchased from his website.  Frazer will be in the forthcoming season of Outlander on Starz as Sir Fletcher Gordon, the governor of Wentworth Prison.

Frazer Hines can be found on twitter @WhoFrazer
Frazer Hines’ website is www.FrazerHines.com

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Second Chances

The last release of The Companion Chronicles, don't worry it has been rebranded as the Early Adventures in September, sees and adventure with the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe.  This story is performed by Wendy Padbury who played Zoe during the Troughton era.  You can order this release from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/second-chances-763

From time to time, everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has things from their past they'd like to undo, but nobody gets a second chance. What's done is done and we can't change that.

Zoe's mistakes have led her to imprisonment at the hands of the Company. But when news reports trigger memories of the Doctor, Jamie and an appalling threat, she begins to sense a way out. An opportunity for redemption opens up to anyone willing to take it.

Nobody can alter what's been done. Nobody gets a second chance.

Or do they?

 

Written By: John Dorney
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot), Emily Pithon (Kym)

Frazer Hines Returns As A Guest To Long Island Doctor Who Convention

Frazer Hines who played one of the more popular companions and the main companion for the Second Doctor Jamie McCrimmon will be returning to Long Island Doctor Who this fall.  He returns after being a guest last year and his panels were really funny and it gave you a really good insite into the Patrick Troughton years especially since two of his stories have been found.  Hopefully more stories will be found for Frazer Hines to talk to us about.  Frazer Hines will be at LI Who the weekend of November 7 - 9 2014. More info and the place to buy tickets at this link.
http://longislanddoctorwho.com/

Updated:
Here is the official press release.

Returning Guest Frazer Hines Announced for L.I. Who 2

Frazer Hines announced as first returning guest of L.I. Who. As one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, Frazer Hines portrayed Jamie McCrimmon alongside Patrick Troughton (the 2nd Doctor). The Highlander from 1746 Scotland, he joined the Doctor for three years of amazing stories such as “The War Games”, ““The Tomb of the Cybermen”. as well as the recently rediscovered episodes “The Web of Fear” and “The Enemy Of The World”.

Frazer Hines starred in “Doctor Who” for 117 episodes making him the longest running companion. Although 47 of his episodes were lost, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest companions. His amazing portrayal of Jaime led to recurring guest roles in “The Five Doctors” and “The Two Doctors”. Frazer also stars in a variety of Big Finish Audio Dramas.In addition to his acting work, Frazer Hines has published two autobiographies. The first book he released was “Films, Farms and Fillies” in 1996. He followed in 2009 with “Hines Sight”. In 2013 he released his most recent book “50 Shades Of Frazer” all of which can be purchased from his website www.FrazerHines.com

L. I. Who 2

November 7-9, 2014

Long Island's Doctor Who convention

This Time It’s Personal!

www.LongIslandDoctorWho.com

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Two Doctors

Doctor Who: 

The Two Doctors 

By Robert Holmes

“I think your Doctor's worse than mine.”

The Time Lords send The Second Doctor and Jamie to visit Dastari  at Space Station Chimera.   The Time Lords are concerned about the time experiments being conducted by Kartz and Reimer.   While arguing with Dastari The Doctor is alerted that Dastari assistant Chessene is in fact an Androgum.  The Doctor is alarmed at this as messing with a species is barbaric and making an Androgum intelligent is extremely dangerous.    The conversation doesn’t get too far as Dastari appears to have been drugged and there is evidence of laser fire coming from outside.  The Sontarans have attacked the base after Chessene dropped the defenses to let them in.  The Doctor is taken prisoner and taken to Seville, Spain with Chessene, Shockeye, and Dastari as they plan on using him to get the secret of time travel.

Meanwhile The Sixth Doctor and Peri are enjoying a spot of fishing.  At least The Doctor is as Peri is bored out of her mind.  When The Doctor has a bit of a brain attack and decides to seek some help.  He finds Dastari’s business card in his rolodex and proceeds to head to Space Station Chimera.  When they arrive they find nothing but death and destruction and a computer that is trying to kill them as they are intruders.  The Doctor and Peri keep on exploring to see what happened when they come across Jamie.  Jamie tells them what happened and explains that they killed his Doctor.  The Doctor not convinced of this figures out what happened as Jamie had seen a hologram and not the real Doctor being killed.  The Doctor then goes into a trance to try and find his earlier self.  With success The Doctor discovers where it is he is and promptly heads off to Seville, Spain to save himself along with Jamie and Peri in tow.