I got an email for a War Doctor audio adventure from Big Finish. Does anyone know how many of them there are and if the War Doctor audios are any good?
shareI got the first box set. They're a bit expensive for what they are, but enjoyable. It's nice to see the War Doctor being established - and nice of John Hurt to lend his talents.
So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.
There are 3 boxsets so far each comprised of Three 1-hour long stories plus a behind the scenes disc (a 4th Volume will be released next year, BF have indicated they would like to do more, but haven't confirmed anything yet), I've got the first two sets and really enjoyed them, solid stories with Hurt on fine form, they don't necessarily advance the War Doctor much as a character but are a nice glimpse at aspects of the time war.
https://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/all_reverse/doctor-who---the-collected-war-doctor
http://thetimescales.com/Ratings/?doctor=War%20Doctor
They are quite expensive, but audio drama isn't a cheap medium and Big Finish is entirely self funded, you can also buy the audios on Amazon etc, but if you buy a CD copy from Big Finish directly you get a free download of it uploaded to you account.
There's also a BBC War Doctor novel Engines Of War which is set directly before The Day Of The Doctor (and was a excellent read) and the War Doctor appears in several short stories and comis strips, as well as the unofficial Charity Anthology 'Seasons Of War':
http://notthebigfinishforum.freeforums.net/thread/116/9-war-doctors-timeline
I read a sample from Engines of War, but didn't buy it because the writing was atrocious.
So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.
Yeah some of the prose/dialogue was kinda weak, but I enjoyed the characters and story quite alot, it was the first Who book I'd read and only the second War Doctor story so I was perhaps a bit more forgiving than I'd normally be.
I've certainly read better Who novels since...
And it's not the BBC with BBC money behind it. Big Finish in spite of it's name isn't that big, Hurt must have cost a pretty penny even though it's only a few hours in a studio unlike an official episode that takes a month.
shareTo be honest I quite enjoyed Engines of War my only real annoyance with it being that they kept on calling him The Doctor even though this version isn't meant to be The Doctor I mean it's kind of hard to buy it when even the Narrator doesn't believe that. i.e. they'd be sentences like
"Don't call me that I'm not The Doctor anymore" said The DoctorPersonally I think it would have had had more impact if they'd saved that for when Cinder dies as in he the name "The Doctor" isn't spoken till Cinder asks what it is before he dies.
So they don't flesh out his character much? Ah. That's pretty much what I was hoping for, since we didn't really get to see what he did to deserve not to be called The Doctor. Unless the reason was only because he pushed the button that killed the Timelords. Either way, that's disappointing but since everyone is saying they're good I think I'll buy them.
Thanks for the detailed explanation!
We know from Night of the Doctor that he chose to put aside the name The Doctor.
So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.
Anyone else find full cast audio dramas harder to focus on than a traditional audio book with one person reading/performing the work?
shareIt depends. If the full cast audio drama was written as one, and the characters have distinct voices, and there is adequate narration (or the dialogue makes it clear what is going on) then they can be very easy to enjoy.
I think honest narration is far preferable to descriptive dialogue. "Why are you pointing your gun at that green ape?" Big Finish have been responsible for some abominations in the descriptive-dialogue stakes - having the 8th Doctor describe the scenery at length, and then "apologise" for it by having him say, "First sign of madness, talking to yourself," is just embarrassing.
Straight readings are usually easier, but it can get confusing if the reader is using the same voice for two voices being quoted in someone's diary being read out loud by a third person also with the same voice - see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.
I never realize the over descriptive dialogue but after you pointed it out I realize it does constantly happpen with the 8th Doctor. This is going to bother me all the time now haha.
shareNever. Narration/reading is tedious and horrendous for me. Takes too much to differentiate dialogue from prose.
Full done dramas are immersive, and with the right mixing, are on par with watching a television episode.
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It's me....Bara...it's always bloody Bara!
Never. Narration/reading is tedious and horrendous for me. Takes too much to differentiate dialogue from prose.