Finally, the Eighth Doctor joins the Big Finish Main Range!
Buy it online using the link above, or listen for free - you’ll find links where to listen free on the story page!
Once you’ve listened, talk about it below! Even if you listened to it before and just want to discuss it - dive right in! Just please use spoiler tags where appropriate.
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This was so good that I ended up continuing the Eighth Doctors’ journey through space and time. I have now listened to 7 audios with him. Charlie is the perfect companion to him and I would like for the TV show to also dare to use nonpresent-time companions more.
This is one of my favorite audios I have listened to at this point. Besides the fact that I love the story line and of course Charley, it also has the bonus of being the second Big Finish audio I have ever listened to. (After the Chimes of Midnight)
This is one I come back to every now and again and it feels like I enjoy it more every time.
Ooh blimey - is it time for Storm Warning already!!
Absolutely loved this when it was released and still do today. Brand new Paul McGann adventures were so exciting and, aside from the rather odd opening where he’s talking to himself, it’s brilliant. And India Fisher is immediately wonderful as Charley.
I’m certain I’ll be in the minority to say this but I actually find this story to be a little bit dull… I love Eight and I like Charley enough, and she is pretty brilliant in this one but something about it just doesn’t click in my head the way it seems to for most other people
When I posted my review of this to the site, I realised I’d given in 3.5/5 which is far lower than my effusive review would suggest - so I’ve bumped it up to 4.5/5. I keep finding I’ve done this with stories where my memory says I only found something average when actually I really really enjoyed it!
This is one of those essential evergreen audios that everyone should listen to at least once. The official continuation of the 8th Doctor’s adventures and the beginning of a long and exciting era that is still going strong over 20 years later!
This is a great debut for McGann, who brings youthful energy and real heart to the role. India Fisher is great as Charley as well, and I quite like how fleshed out she already feels and how Big Finish already begins hinting at the larger arc surrounding Charley. This is in many ways a much more modern Doctor Who style in terms of tone and style, something of a mix of Classic Who and Revival Who.
The performances are great and the sound design is wonderful, so you get a good sense of the historical airship setting and its travellers.
There’s some of the typical early BF clunky writing here, especially at the beginning. This one also grows quite a lot in the second half, to a point where it gets a bit out of hand and is difficult to follow, so I feel that this is a tad overlong. But other than that, Storm Warning is a great adventure and a marvellous introduction to 8 and Charley!
This one has an okay first half, but it loses me once everyone boards the Triskele ship in part 3, and everything gets wildly high concept. I do like the part 4 climax with the R1-01 being destroyed due to events on its return journey, rather than as a direct result of what happened with the Triskele uncreators, but that’s about it. The 8th Doctor and Charley’s dynamic is established really well though, so I suppose that’s the important thing.
I listened to this a few weeks ago for the first time since late 2017 and very much enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as other people seem to, but it is a good story. Charley’s introduction and dynamic with the Doctor is great, McGann gives a lovely performance. I always love when Doctor Who teaches me a bit of history i otherwise wouldn’t know, I love the R101 setting. Story is good, though I find the constantly repeated phrases like ‘uncreator prime’ gets a little annoying but its okay. Overall it’s a really solid story and a great introduction for the Eighth Doctor to big finish.
Not perfect, but very good. I’m still not sure I could tell you what happens once they board the Triskili ship, But it sets up 8 and Charley’s dynamic brilliantly, which is the main thing
gave this one a relisten not too long ago. i think this might have been the first big finish audio i ever listened to on account of being interested in eight and being told this was a good place to start. definitely not, like, a top 20 all time story, but still managed to get me hooked in spite of most of the third act being very slow and talky. i remember being instantly charmed by both the leads, but on my recent relisten i was surprised by just how much you can tell they (mainly India Fisher) havent gotten comfortable in their roles yet… there are lots of really fun memorable bits of imagery in here like the vortesaurs scavenging a ruined timeship, the triskele in a diving suit, and the crashing R-101. this ones a little clunky and very much not into the groove yet but feels like the sort of mid-quality but still entertaining tv serial Paul McGann should’ve gotten to experience had they picked him up for a tv series.
7/10
Very enjoyable first romp with Mcgann. Still early BF but oh my just imagine what we could have got if we had a few seasons on tv with him as the doctor.
I thought this was a boring slog back when I originally listened to it years ago, and my opinion of it only got worse upon a relisten.
This story feels like it’s 3 hours and not 2. You could cut it in half and not lose a single plot point, that’s how much they talk about nothing essentially.
Both Paul and India don’t seem particularly comfortable in their roles yet and it shows, they really don’t vibe with each other. Also production quality on this thing somehow feels even worse than some of the earliest MRs.
I didn’t like this one whatsoever. Blood of the Daleks is not a particularly noteworthy story either, but it was a much better jumping on point for 8.
3/10
Storm warning! A monumental moment for the whoniverse. While I think as a story it definitely does a fantastic job of introducing Charley and bringing together what is a contender for best ever tardis team, I also think this is one of those slowburn main range stories where you can just FEEL the runtime. Its not bad per se, but every time i relisten i find myself thinking “wait, this is still part 2??” But i love it anyway:)
The first disc is phenomenal. The third episode and the first half of the fourth kinda fall apart but redeem themselves in that final stretch. Nevertheless, a phenomenal debut for Paul McGann and India Fisher as our new TARDIS team.
It’s kinda two stories. One is more ‘grounded’ and the other is wow aliens. And eh they’re both fine. The alien part is kind of rushed through and doesn’t really get a lot of development. But it says some nice things about… existence or something i think idk i’m sure it said something wise and i liked that. Then we go back to dealing with humans and that time eagle, but because we just spend half an hour on aliens it feels to me like it doesn’t really flow well.
I find the first two parts excellent though. It sets the stage really well, and the zeppelin is a great setting. Twas a bit disappointing that it was followed by a random alien that was sitting around. Sorry, this isnt about them, i forgive you aliens.
The looming threat of time itself is great and I really love Charley. And I think it deserves some extra points for being the first Eight Doctor audio. The start of McGann playing the Doctor again. Oh they had no idea how long that again would last…
I also really liked them addressing how much Paul was just talking to himself at the start. Might have laughed out loud at that one.
