Isn’t it a rain making ceremony?
5 Likes
In the middle of Episode 3 now. I’m enjoying the story, though the seance is not my thing. This is what I’d call “comfort Who”. It’s a straightforward enjoyable story. Nothing outstanding or experimental, nothing terrible. Just standard Doctor Who. I’m not a huge fan of Steven Wickham’s voice, but he’s fine here. David Ryall is excellent as the villain, just the right mixture of menace and camp. Kinda wish he’d done more Who before he passed in 2014. I actually really like Julia Dalkin as Hannah and would love to see her do more Big Finish some day. There’s just not as much to comment on with this story.
5 Likes
Finished Episode 3 and I do like that cliffhanger. I find it rather effective. Yes, it’s been telegraphed through the story so far, but if you’re not looking for it, it can take you by surprise. I imagine it was particularly effective on original release.
2 Likes
I worked it out about 10 seconds before the reveal. I remember being thrilled by it!
3 Likes
Just finished it! Feel like I might be a bit of an outlier here, but I really found it basically fine - nothing really to love, nothing really to hate. Unfortunately, BF have this trend in the MR of putting Fivey in generic historicals and Seven in earth wars, and though there’s a handful of exceptions, I tend to find both of those categories deadly boring.
But this one at least wasn’t too boring, and as I always say, the worst thing a DW story in any medium can be is boring.
3 Likes
I think its really important to remember this was the first ever 5th Doctor audio so if it is a bit traditional then that’s fine. It can’t be judged fairly by what BF did later.
6 Likes
Agreed. And after the experimental nature of Sirens, traditional is exactly what they needed to keep interest and build a fan base. (Kinda reminds me of the Ninth Doctor Adventures where Ravagers was experimental and then Respond to All Calls was more traditional.)
3 Likes
Started it in the car on the way to my 6:00 am shift this very drizzly Florida morning and the thing that most struck me was how poor the sound mixing is (obviously it’s an early release and BF were still getting their bearings on audio production). I had my car volume extremely high and I still couldn’t hear half of what was happening. But I sure did find what was audible was a delight. It’s such a wonderfully cozy little story. I just wish I could hear it.
3 Likes
This is my third time listening to this release (the last time was a couple of years ago). Ive never been a huge fan of BF’s Fifth Doctor releases, but I remember finding this one pretty enjoyable.
I’ve listened to the first two parts so far, here are my thoughts:
Mark Gatiss writes a compelling mystery from the onset, which eases you into the setting and makes you want to hear more. I like the mystery of the “spirit” making people vanish and leaving just one playing card behind.
The 18th-century era is pretty well realised and feels apt for this Doctor. The guys playing cards and joining Turlough are used well to reinforce the feel of this era.
Peter Davison and Mark Strickson slip back into their roles effortlessly, and I find Turloguh a bit more likeable here than in his TV stories. The guest cast is fun as well, especially Steven Wickham, Mark Gatiss, and Nick Briggs.
The sound mixing is a bit uneven in places, with some sound effects drowning out the voices. This is a common problem with early BF releases.
8 Likes
I listened to the very first BF MR in the car with my dad, screaming over every Vansell line (because I’m a deca fan). But I’ll be honest- I barely remember the story itself. Not because it was bad, but because my auditory processing disorder made it very very difficult. Phantasmagoria I remember much more strongly- I listened to it maybe a week later, maybe more, while I was sick in bed and home for the day, and I thought ‘ah, this is the perfect time for more Who’.
I remember it evoking strong emotions of fear and awe (not in the “wow that’s amazing!” way, but in the more literal sense of the word; almost a terror). A brilliant story and one that is often on my mind.
5 Likes
Bearing in mind what ‘Phantasmagoria’ actually is, away from this story, your memories seem rather apt:
4 Likes
Very good point! I do so love it when the title so perfectly fits the effects (:
1 Like
I rather liked this story, it really had the feel of Peter Davison’s televised era. Very much a standard 4-parter, which I find to be a good thing.
The shapechanger reveal was great as was the hidden playing card in the almanac It had a satisfactory way of resolving the villain of the piece.
For me the highlight was in part 1 when the Doctor and Turlough discuss the intricacies of cricket, Mark Strickson really captures the essence and potential of his character - slightly snarky and exasperated Turlough is just great.
Looking forward to ol’ Sixie next time 
I found an alternate cover on DeviantArt (artist: PandPlayerHD) which I rather like:
6 Likes
Finished the story. I found the ending somewhat underwhelming considering the buildup. This is a middle-of-the-road BF release, but a strong start.
4 Likes
I like the story overall had to restart it a couple times due to having a hard time following dialog but this is early BF and my mind wondering hehe. You get the classic era vibe right off the bat and gives you the nostalgia feel. Doctor and Turlough may not have been my first choice for a solo story but they make it work.
3 Likes
So I finally finished this story. I still really like it, a solid four stars. It’s perfectly traditional Doctor Who, and that’s a good thing. Turlough does well in the story, the villain is the perfect blend of menace and camp, and Davison does decent for his first solo outing back in the role. The last part is probably my favorite, but it all fits together well. Bring on Colin for the next one!
5 Likes
Having finished it: it’s so cozy. That’s the best I can say about this and that is not a bad thing whatsoever. This is a story I can just turn on when I’m sick in bed and not wanting to think too much and just listen to good Doctor Who. Not the best of the best but good enough.
7 Likes
I’ve finished this now!
Some of the performances were great and I loved the wordplay, Gatiss is brilliant at that.
But I did find the story rather basic and the ending disappointing - maybe I have my sights set too high! I also got very confused with a character getting killed and then coming back - it was because they reused Walliums but he has such a distinct voice.
It’s 2/5 for me I’m afraid.
I’ll grant badges for everyone who has participated soon 
9 Likes
A great outing from the Fifth Doctor in his first solo release. The plot is fairly simple but with enough going on for the entire cast to get a good scene or two. It is paced fairly well, with no real lul. The voice cast is stacked, with a few familiar voices, and they all perform great. The audio work is solid with the music and effects done very well. Overall and solid release by Big Finish. 4/5
4 Likes
I listened to this a few weeks ago, but it was in a very busy place and I could only barely make out what was going on. So today I decided to relisten to it while going on a nice CALM and MORE SILENT walk. And I still could only barely make out what was going on.
Okay no everything was more clear of course but it was still a pretty vague story. The aliens feel like they come out of nowhere. Suddenly girl is an assassin from another planet who has come to kill the other alien who has been here for years i guess? Hes a demon but actually not and hes a murderer from outer space also radio signals. The climax is also too much unexplained new rule about thing that can happen now. Idk thought it was a bit silly.
But i still like it. The radio signals reveal was a nice ohh yeah alright makes sense moment. I also like the collector doctor man guy. He sounds like Colin Baker. So it’s totally a multi doctor story now i dont make the rules.
Sixie out of ten
3 Likes