Doctor Who - The Legacy Of Time (2019) - Audio Review
Starring: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy & Paul McGann
Written By: James Goss, John Dorney, Guy Adams, Matt Fitton & Jonathan Morris
Directed By: Ken Bentley & Helen Goldwyn
And they said 'Infinity War' was the most ambitious crossover event of all time. By now I'm sure you've heard that joke a thousand times so I can only apologize. At least it's out of my system. This much-hyped new release from Big Finish is possibly their star attraction for this year, celebrating twenty years of 'Doctor Who' on audio. I haven't been with Big Finish myself for all of these years, but they are still only a couple of months older than myself, and I'm glad I eventually caught up with the world of audio plays. To celebrate, past Doctors, companions and some of their most successful spin-off series are being plundered and brought together in six connected stories. As if you can't see from the cover art, there's a lot of characters being juggled in this release, so does it all hold together well?
Time is collapsing. Incidents of chaos and devastation are appearing throughout the lives of one Time Lord and his many friends - all fallout from one terrible disaster. From Earth's past and present to timeless alien worlds, from the cloisters of Gallifrey and into the Vortex itself … the Doctor must save universal history - and he needs all the help he can get.
From now on, the rest of this review will contain spoilers for each story, so proceed with caution...
LIES IN RUINS
On a strange ruined world, a renowned archaeologist opens an ancient tomb. Only to find another archaeologist got there first. Professors Summerfield and Song unite to solve a mystery. Then the 8th Doctor arrives, and things really become dangerous. Because their best friend isn't quite the man River and Benny remember...
Bernice Summerfield is an interesting character. Depending on who you ask, some fans will tell you she's a legend and be able to recite everything about her. Others will look at you blankly and go "Who?". I'm personally more of the latter and although I know Benny is practically a pillar of Big Finish, appearing in her own audios before 'Doctor Who' joined the ranks, I've spent very little time with her. When I learned that Benny would feature in this set, I went back and listened to 'The Triumph Of Sutekh' to familiarize myself a little more. But while the aforementioned box set was modestly enjoyable, it still couldn't fill me in totally on a character that's put in regular appearances since the days of the Virgin New Adventures. River Song however is a name I'm much more familiar with, and yet despite that I'm about as ambivalent towards River as I am to Benny. Exactly how much I enjoy River really varies from story to story. Sometimes she's incredibly enjoyable while other times she's little more than a bunch of catchphrases. Honestly, it's even a mixed bag with Big Finish's own River Song spin-off, which has only highlighted the fact that River can't go five minutes before the Doctor becomes the focus of a conversation.
Although neither are two of my favourite characters, I can see why a meeting between Benny and River Song would be so anticipated by better fans than me. Even without my personal investment, I can't deny that it's a fun match-up, and especially together with the epic, joyous rendition of the theme tune, I was smiling with a couple of minutes. Beyond the match-up, the actual story of 'Lies In Ruins' is a little hazy to say the least. It provides plenty of neat twists and turns, but sometimes you're left confused until certain answers arrive right near the end. At least this will age well with repeat listens. Together with River and Benny is the 8th Doctor, who in this story is transitioning from his romantic adventurer days to his war-weary, darker ones. One of the most interesting ideas I found in 'Lies In Ruins' concerned the Doctor's companion, Ria. Neither River, Benny, nor the audience know her, and for good reason. It's revealed that Ria is an android built by the Doctor to remind him of before the Time War, hence why she is so excitable, looking for adventure and danger. It's a twist I wasn't expecting but it makes a surprising amount of sense, explaining why Ria is such an archetypal companion figure (she even ends up twisting her ankle). With a surprisingly emotional final scene too, this was easily the highlight of the story for me. 'Lies In Ruins' gets 'The Legacy Of Time' off to a decent start, and while I probably would've got more from it if I were more acquainted with Benny, it's still enjoyable. 6/10
THE SPLIT INFINITIVE
A criminal gang appears to have recruited a member with time-bending powers. It's a case for the Counter-Measures team - in the 1960s and the 1970s! The 7th Doctor and Ace have their work cut out to save the day twice over, and make sure Gilmore, Rachel and Allison don't collide with their past, or their future.
Like Benny, the Counter-Measures team have enjoyed success in their own spin-off at Big Finish. Unfortunately, it's again another spin-off that I haven't listened to. But even without having experienced them in their own series, it's nice to hear from Rachel, Allison and Gilmore again, and seeing where they ended up after 'Remembrance Of The Daleks' (still one of my absolute favourite 'Doctor Who' stories). They're three very memorable characters who make a nice little team, and I rather like the idea of them acting as an early predecessor to U.N.I.T. 'The Split Infinitive' is very deliberately reminiscent of 60s British spy and espionage thrillers such as 'The Avengers'. It's a clear style choice reflected in the music and the presence of cockney gangsters. Continuing the celebrations, it's not just the Counter-Measures team that are back either - the Rocket Men have returned. I'll confess that I haven't listened to any of their previous stories; but to more dedicated listeners than me, their reappearance will make sense given that John Dorney has penned nearly all of said stories. The Rocket Men are a fun, campy villain however and it's nice to see Big Finish celebrating some of their more successful recurring villains.
'The Split Infinitive' is also a very timey-wimey story, but the timey-wimey elements are put to smart use. The split time premise allows Dorney to incorporate both the grounded, more gritty version of the early 60s Counter-Measures team, while also allowing for the more recent glossy and fun Counter-Measures of the 70s. The frequent jumps between different times and the various connection between them can become tricky to follow without paying full attention. But attempts are made at making the various jumps less confusing, with often clearly established shifts and its complexity being offset by plenty of moments of humour. The fractured time aspect also presents the opportunity to address the U.N.I.T dating controversey. Personally it's never bothered me much whether U.N.I.T's early days were set in the 70s or the 80s, but given the nature of the story, it would make less sense not to mention it. 'The Split Infinitve' is really just a lot of fun. Starting off as a neat little 60s spy thriller and devolving into a big struggle against gangsters with jet packs. If that doesn't sound like ridiculous, pulpy fun then I don't know what does. 7/10
THE SACRIFICE OF JO GRANT
When pockets of temporal instability appear in a Dorset village, U.N.I.T are called in. Soon, Kate Stewart and Jo Jones find themselves working alongside the 3rd Doctor, while Osgood battles to get them home. But this isn't the first time U.N.I.T has faced this threat. Only before, it seems that Jo Grant didn't survive...
This was easily my most anticipated of the stories from this set. After all, it brings together one of my favourite eras of the show (the 3rd Doctor and the U.N.I.T family) with the modern-day U.N.I.T headed by Kate and Osgood. Boy was I right to be hyped for this as it delivers on every fan thrill you'd expect. I'll happily confess that my heart did a little leap when the 3rd Doctor showed up and met the older, modern-day Jo Grant. There's something irresistible about hearing Kate Stewart and the 3rd Doctor interact with each other, and hearing how excited Osgood gets to talk to him. It's worth mentioning that Tim Treloar's impression of Jon Pertwee is still remarkably good. I've heard him in a couple of audios before this, and not only was I impressed but he's clearly not lost any of his talent. The 3rd Doctor and Jo is one of my favourite pairings, and hearing them sit down and catch up with each other left me grinning like a big kid. I hadn't expected this story to be so good at generating some serious tension either. For some time you're left wondering if they're actually going to go through with killing Jo off.
Elsewhere, the holes left in time leave Kate with the prospect of meeting her dad, and this brought out a side to the character I'd been missing for a while now. Kate has gradually become much more hardened, and while that makes sense considering she's the head of U.N.I.T, part of me misses the enthusiastic scientist we first met in 'The Power Of Three'. Kate's dilemma about whether she should contact her dad brought back that side to her I'd been missing, and I was really glad of it. And the surprise appearance of Jon Culshaw as the Brigadier (a relatively late addition to the cast) turned out to be a ridiculously emotional moment. Back in the present, it's the modern-day U.N.I.T cleaning up all the mess, as the holes in time allow a Pliosaur into the 21st Century and allow the dead to return to life. U.N.I.T dealing with prehistoric creatures coming through holes in time is about the closest 'Doctor Who' has come to going full 'Primeval'. As the story draws to a close, it gently weaves in the box set's overarching mystery, reminding listeners that an unknown presence is still out there pulling the strings. I went into 'The Sacrifice Of Jo Grant' expecting good things and I was definitely not left disappointed. It's a beautiful character piece that celebrates some of my favourite aspects of the show and has the emotions running high. 9/10
RELATIVE TIME
Disaster strikes inside the Time Vortex, and the 5th Doctor is thrown together with someone from his future ... someone claiming to be his daughter! Kleptomaniac Time Lord, the Nine, believes it's his chance to steal something huge. But Jenny just wants her dad to believe in her.
Jenny is another interesting character. While she seems to be pretty popular among the majority of 'Doctor Who' fans, the one and only episode of the TV show where she appears (at least at the time of writing) is much less favourable. It's almost unanimous that 'The Doctor's Daughter' is far from being Series 4's strong point, and yet Jenny herself has prevailed in the minds of fans. Pairing father-daughter duo Peter Davison and Georgia Tennant together on audio is a cute idea, and it's surprising to think how long it took Big Finish to put the two together. 'Relative Time' relies heavily on this pairing, as without it the rest of the story itself is pretty flat. The plot is thin and forgettable at best. Don't get me wrong, it's functional but there's not a whole lot in here that's going to stand out in memory beyond the 5th Doctor and Jenny's meeting.
In a similar vein to 'The Split Infinitive', 'Relative Time' features the return of another audio villain - the Nine. The Nine, along with his future incarnations such as the Eleven, is another rogue Time Lord that I'd had no previous exposure to. While I haven't invested time in ranges such as 'Doom Coalition' or 'Ravenous', I was aware of the basic premise of the Nine, and I love the idea of a schizophrenic Time Lord tormented by all the voices of their previous incarnations. Sadly though I found the Nine in practice to be a real let-down. He came across as more of a nuisance, barely qualifying as a proper baddie. If anything, the reappearance of the Vortisaurs (a lovely throwback to the early Big Finish story, 'Storm Warning') did more to inject a sense of urgency or threat to the plot. There's honestly not a great deal more I have to say about 'Relative Time'. Were it not for the father-daughter pairing of its leads, I wouldn't remember all that much from it in about a week's time. It's functional, enjoyable in the moment but easily the least consequential of the set so far. 6/10
'The Avenues Of Possibility' is another very timey-wimey story. If you find 'The Split Infinitive' confusing, then you best brace yourself before listening to this one. It may be best not listening to it and trying to keep track of everything, but instead just going along with it, enjoying it for what it is. After all, it leaps back and forth between 1751, 2009, an alternate version of 1951 under a global fascist rule etc. There are even new characters in here that mention they first encountered the Doctor back when he was still travelling with Dodo. In the hands of a less skilled writer, 'The Avenues Of Possibility' would be an even more over-complicated story than it already is. But with Jonathan Morris (one of my favourite 'Doctor Who' writers) at the helm, the story remains constantly entertaining. Morris creates some brilliant pairings with the characters he's got to work with. DI Menzies and Harry Fielding are a fun unlikely duo, later being joined by Charley. There's also the Doctor and John Fielding, who despite their brief time together when captured, share a friendly dynamic.
The reunion of the 6th Doctor and Charley is also cause for celebration. Few would disagree that Colin Baker's Doctor is the one who's benefited most from his new lease of life on audio, while Charley is another character who dates back to Big Finish's early days. Charley is probably one of my favourite companions they've written, and both Baker and India Fisher sizzle with chemistry here. It was a smart move to have Charley's timey-wimey history play such an integral role too. She's a walking paradox after she should've died in the R101 crash from 'Storm Warning' and travelled with the 8th Doctor before meeting the 6th. Charley's moment of confession to the Doctor, telling him of all their travels together (travels he is yet to have) is the standout scene here. Towards its end the story also ties in closer still with the overall arc, following the reappearance of the Sirens of Time. The Sirens first appeared in Big Finish's very first 'Doctor Who' audio, and they're back for the celebrations. I'd not listened to their original story so this was my first encounter with the Sirens. The Doctor's description of them as hunting for temporal distortion "like sharks scenting blood" makes me think the Sirens might have gone on to inspire baddies such as the Trickster or the Reapers in the TV show. There's something quite creepy about them too, especially with the ghostly, piercing screams they emit. And being the penultimate story, we end on an ominous note that something bigger and more devastating will soon be on its way. All in all, this is another enjoyable story. This one does have a tinge of sadness to it however, with Victorian sleuths Jago and Litefoot being unable to appear as was originally planned, following the death of actor Trevor Baxter. The Fielding brothers act as a decent enough stand-in, and despite these unfortunate circumstances, it continues to reunite familiar faces and does an admirable job of bringing us closer to the big finale. 8/10
Coming last up but definitely not least, we have the 4th Doctor alongside Leela and Romana once again. The start of this story plays out almost like something from the 'Gallifrey' spin-off as we join Leela and the now President Romana in the citadel. If there's one thing this set has done, it's made me realize how many spin-offs I haven't listened to, 'cause the 'Gallifrey' series is another one that's evaded me. Still, it does seem in character for Romana to have risen to the role of President, and for her to have struck an unlikely friendship with Leela. I forgot just how good Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are together on audio, the realization only hitting me during one climactic scene where it seems like the Doctor is fading from existence. Leela's distressed, horrified reaction is flooring. Her shout of "Bring him back! How dare you!" and "Whatever part of the underworld you roam, I shall haunt you!" are both stunningly delivered.
'Collision Course' is the culmination of this set's gigantic cast, so it's not hard to imagine that most listeners will go into it expecting a few surprises lying in waiting. Rest assured, it doesn't disappoint. There's a whole load of fan-w*nk to relish in, such as the insanely pleasing sound of the TARDIS arriving mid-way through. And out steps the 6th Doctor and Benny! It's incredibly fitting for it to be Benny that brings all the Doctors together - she is after all almost a mother figure in the worlds of Big Finish, the one who started it all. And one by one out step more Doctors, and the dialogue between them is exactly what you'd expect - catty, witty and hilarious. I felt like a kid playing with their toys and it had me smiling and laughing along. Just when you think that 'Collision Course' couldn't be any more of a fan-pleaser, the 1st, 2nd and 10th Doctors arrive! It was a wonderful surprise to hear David Bradley, Frazer Hines and David Tennant show up. There's a hilarious tension between Doctors 1 and 10, and I love that the 2nd Doctor remained oblivious just enjoying the ride and being happy getting to use the hammer in 10's TARDIS.
'Collision Course' knows it can power through and work well enough on fan-pleasing moments alone. For the most part it does well, but it's not without its problems. The Sirens in particular I didn't feel worked as well as in the last story. While I felt they worked as ghostly wraiths sniffing out distortion, the idea of them planning something this complex and on this big a scale - I don't fully buy it. I admire the ambition in this story's idea, going back to the test-flight of the first TARDIS, and dealing with the consequences of hijacking that first flight. But something doesn't feel right about the Sirens being the ones to enact a plan this grand. But a few problems like this aside, and 'Collision Course' stills works as a satisfying conclusion. Kudos for holding out on the Daleks, the Cybermen or the Master too. The temptation must've been there, but even though it didn't fully work, it was refreshing for the big baddie to be something else for a change. 8/10
Overall score for The Legacy Of Time
8/10
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