Books & Literature

Audiobook Review: Doctor Who: Out of Time 1, by Big Finish

SCI-FI: At the Cathedral of Contemplation, the Tenth Doctor meets his fourth incarnation and together they must face off against the Daleks.

A dream pairing that will excite both long-time and casual fans of Doctor Who
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At the Cathedral of Contemplation, travellers from across time and space come to seek solace. Some come to hide themselves away from danger and some come to help. There is also a strange man in a pinstripe suit and plimsoles calling himself The Doctor who seems to be visiting the cathedral as part of a bucket list. There is also another man called The Doctor (this one in a long scarf) who feels compelled to help a poor lost soul. Then there are the Daleks who want to use the cathedral to get access to all of space and time. It is going to take a couple of great minds to defeat the Dalek menace this time…

When it comes to dream pairings, nothing would excite long-time fans more than the most popular “classic” Doctor meeting the most popular “modern” Doctor. While it is hard to be grateful to the current pandemic for anything, we can at least take solace in that it freed up the time of David Tennant somewhat so he could take part in this wonderful collaboration. If nothing else, it shows the ability of the Big Finish team to keep working without the need to visit a studio (with all the actors and crew performing their duties remotely). The result is a wonderfully funny, action-packed hour that brings together the Doctor in his fourth and tenth incarnations.

Both Tom Baker and David Tennant, despite their physical distance, bounce off each other well and, while there is a little of the bickering that often goes on between Doctors, it is very much in the background to a genuine affection for each other. This is a credit to Matt Fitton’s tight script which allows the story to unfold at a cracking pace while still allowing for moments of reflection and some character scenes.

The Doctors are well supported by the remaining cast of Nicholas Asbury (Captain Zenna/Kivall), Kathryn Drysdale (Jora) and Claire Rushbrook (The Abbess/Marna), who are also joined by Nicholas Briggs who provides his usual excellent performance skills as the Daleks as well as directing the episode.

Howard Carter’s music and sound design are of the usual high quality we come to expect for these releases and there is also a bonus interview to round out the release.

This is the first of three meetings between the Tenth Doctor and his past selves (with further volumes coming out in 2021 and 2022) and if the quality of this release is maintained then this promises to be a jewel in the crown of Big Finish.

This is a great release, and not just because it features two outstanding Doctors having a blast. It is a wonderful story, well told and performed, and it showcases the amazing work of Big Finish. If you are even a casual fan of Doctor Who then this is one release that should fly to the top of your wishlist. As it is only a single CD, the price is also very affordable.

Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @Wagnerfan74

Distributed by: Big Finish Productions
Released: August 2020
Approx RRP: $20 CD, $9 Digital Download

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