Doctor Who Unbound: Masters of War Review

Released in 2008, Eddie Robson's Big Finish play featured the Manchester-

born actor David Warner in his second appearance as the Doctor. His TV

work ranges from Z Cars to Ripper Street, whilst his Doctor Who debut at the

BBC was in the animated adventure, Dreamland then Cold War. In 1981,

he earned an Emmy Award for Masada. Warner's film work includes notable

roles in Tron, Time After Time, The Thirty Nine Steps, Titanic, and Mary

Poppins Returns - he even starred opposite Patrick Troughton in The

Omen (1976).

The premise of the Unbound stories basically offers a “what if?” scenario. In

this instance, what if the Doctor had never been UNIT’s scientific advisor?

In Sympathy for the Devil (2003) this alternate third Doctor was exiled

to Earth in 1997, not the 1970s of the Pertwee era. He found a world that had
endured three decades of alien encounters and incursions.
In this sequel, the Doctor and his companion Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
(Nicholas Courtney) arrive on Skaro during curfew, to find that the Thals are

ruled by the Daleks. Thal leader Gillen is played by Sarah Douglas (best known

as Ursa in the Superman films). As you’d expect, the Doctor vows to end the

Dalek occupation and sets out to capture a Dalek. Now reprogrammed to think

 that it’s their fabled creator Davros, the Dalek returns to the city and confronts

the Black Dalek. Two Dalek factions soon emerge and a civil war erupts just as

the alien Quatch land on Skaro with their Chief Technician - Davros (again

portrayed by Terry Molloy). The Daleks’ revered leader has returned to

 subjugate his creations for the Quatch empire. Naturally, the Daleks refuse to

be enslaved and are forced into an uneasy alliance with the Thals.

When the Doctor questions a Quatch prisoner using a truth-drug, it reveals

that it’s race manipulated the original Thal-Kaled conflict. Davros was crippled

in that war and this led to his drive to create the Daleks. Betrayed and seeking

revenge, Davros activates a secret device that he’s installed in the Quatch casings.

He sacrifices himself in the ensuing explosion and the Quatch are banished back

 to their pocket dimension.

As the Doctor prepares to leave Skaro, the Brigadier elects to stay and help the

Thals and Daleks in their peace process. This story could easily have been sub-titled Redemption of the Daleks.

Doctor Who Vs. Bleak House (1998)

The BBC dramatised Charles Dickens' epic novel, Bleak House for Radio 4 in 1998. This award winning five-part series last aired on Radio 7 in 2007 and 2008, and starred six Doctor Who guest actors:

• Jean Marsh (Miss Flite) first appeared in the 'classic' series as Princess Joanna in The Crusade (1965), then as short-lived companion Sara Kingdom in nine episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan later that year, and finally as Morgaine in Battlefield (1989) - the role of space agent Kingdom was reprised by Big Finish for The Companion Chronicles releases, Home Truths (2008), The Drowned World (2009), The Guardian of the Solar System (2010), The Five Companions (2011), and The Anachronauts (2012), then for the 'lost' story The Daleks: The Destroyers (2010) - Marsh also voiced Maria for The Wishing Beast (2007)
• Robert Portal (Carstone) voiced Marshal Ney for The Curse of Davros (BF, 2012) and Reggie for the recent The Auntie Matter
• Charlie Hayes (pictured with her mother, 'classic' series actress Wendy Padbury) voiced Jade for Master (2003), Jenny for The Seven Keys to Doomsday (2008), Gatlin for Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code (2010), Jen for both of The Companion Chronicles releases, Memory Cheats (2011) and The Uncertainty Principle, Death for Love and War (2012), and Veltreena for the forthcoming Lords of the Red Planet 'lost' story - all from Big Finish
• Ellie Haddington (Miss Hortense) was Professor Docherty in Last of the Time Lords
• Michael Attwell (Krook) was Isbur in The Ice Warriors, and Bates in Attack of the Cybermen
• Michael Fenton Stevens (Skimpole) voiced Mr Seyton (alias Shakespeare) for The Kingmaker (BF, 2006) and Brooks for The Raincloud Man (BF, 2008)

The Doctor Who Experience: A Review

I was lucky enough to visit the UK's latest Doctor Who exhibition recently. Situated at Olympia Two in Kensington, I had quite a trek from Earl's Court station, but did get to see a real Police Box which is stationed just outside. A more direct route is offered from Hammersmith tube station.

Visitors first walk into the 'vortex' and enter a waiting area, which holds some Series 5 props: a Smiler, a Winder, Silurians, and an Ironclad Dalek. You are then ushered into the first viewing room (basically benches facing a wall-screen). In specially shot footage, the Doctor (Matt Smith) here delivers a lengthy "mad man in a box" commentary to what is effectively an extended trailer to his first season. As the music fades, a huge crack-in-time becomes vertical, flares white, and slowly opens to form a darkened doorway, through which you are guided. You now find yourself in the National Museum aboard Starship UK, and monitors flicker on to reveal the Doctor, again trapped inside the Pandorica! Using his sonic screwdriver, he summons the TARDIS, which actually seems to materialise in front of the visiting 'shoppers'. Passing through those famous double doors into the impressive console room, the Doctor now appears on the scanner, and instructs his new companions to pilot his ship. Leaving by the 'back door' takes you into a control room where three paradigm Daleks threaten you with extermination, until the Doctor intervenes and you move on again.

From a dark and dry-iced corridor, the Weeping Angels menace your passage to the next level of the interactive Experience. Now provided with 3D glasses, 'shoppers' stand in a mock Underhenge chamber (complete with stone Dalek), and watch a brilliantly effective short film that features more monsters, like the Cybermen. The Doctor is then freed from his prison and banishes his enemies back into the swirling vortex.

The second stage of the Experience is more akin to the traditional Doctor Who exhibitions, such as Blackpool, which I last visited shortly before it closed it's doors permanently in 2009. On exiting the 3D show, visitors are now permitted to use their cameras as you start to view props, costumes, monsters, sets, and even workshops, from the 'revived' then 'classic' eras.

All eleven of the Doctor's costumes are displayed near the current TARDIS prop, and a (rather poor) Matt Smith waxwork. The outfits are complete originals, except those of the First and Second Doctors, which no longer survive (McCoy's jacket and later, Captain Jack's coat, are quite tatty). The Tenth Doctor's regeneration scene is played on a loop on a large, reconstructed and very impressive 'old' TARDIS set (last seen in The Doctor's Wife). Another console room (introduced in The Five Doctors) is presented nearby, with recent companion and TimeLord costumes, K9, the Melkur, and the Tom Baker era TARDIS prop. Another extensive hall displays a collection of Cyber-heads, and Davros here presides over the 'evolution' of his creations, from a 1963 Dalek to a paradigm Eternal.

Also present are the Abzorbaloff, a Slitheen, an Ice Warrior, a Zygon, a trio of Sontarans, Cat nuns, the Empty Child, Robot K1, the Silents, the Hath, Judoon, the Face of Boe, a Ganger, a Sycorax, an Ood, and even Idris' costume with the 'junk' TARDIS. One of the best concepts here is a documentary that examines Delia Derbyshire's legacy, and other workshops include choreography in NuWho.

The Experience has just extended it's residence in London to next February, then it moves to Cardiff as planned. For visiting times and ticket prices see here.

Great Doctor Who Quotes #10

"The circle of time is closing. You were there, on Skaro, at the very beginning of my creation... And the prophecy unfolds... The man who abhors violence. Never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this... Already, I have seen them sacrificed today, for their beloved Doctor. The Earth woman, who fell, opening the Subwave Network... How many more? Just think. How many have died? In your name? The Doctor. The man who keeps running, never looking back. Because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you.. yourself."

- Davros, Journey's End (July 5th 2008)

Written by Russell T Davies