Brief Summary
This video provides a comprehensive guide to the Big Finish audio adventures of the Sixth Doctor and his companion, Perry. It covers a range of stories from early releases to later, more complex narratives, highlighting key plot points, character developments, and behind-the-scenes trivia. The guide also touches on the various versions of Perry due to time-related shenanigans and the unique aspects of the audio medium that enhance these stories.
- The video covers stories from early releases to later, more complex narratives.
- It highlights key plot points, character developments, and behind-the-scenes trivia.
- The guide also touches on the various versions of Perry due to time-related shenanigans.
Intro
The video introduces a quick guide to Big Finish's classic Doctor Who audio adventures featuring the Sixth Doctor and his companion, Perry. It explains that the stories are organized by companion due to the lack of a definitive timeline. Perry is closely associated with the Sixth Doctor but also traveled with the Fifth Doctor. The relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Perry is described as a sibling-like dynamic filled with banter.
Perry's Multiple Versions and Lost Stories
The video discusses the complexity of Perry's timeline in Big Finish, noting that there are about seven different versions of Perry due to Time Lord shenanigans. These include versions who died, were possessed, or had different lives on Earth. The video also mentions the Lost Stories, which were originally intended for TV and are set early in Six and Perry's timeline, during a more volatile stage of their relationship.
Slip Back
The video reviews "Slip Back," a BBC Radio audio adventure from the mid-80s featuring the Sixth Doctor. It describes the story as poorly executed, with a nonsensical plot involving a computer with a split personality and a disease with 100% mortality. One memorable aspect is a deus ex machina where Time Lords prevent the Doctor from stopping the Big Bang, which the story inadvertently causes. The video notes similarities between "Slip Back" and the TV story "Terminus," both written by Eric Seward.
Whispers of Terror
The video begins its review of the Big Finish adventures with "Whispers of Terror," an early release that captures the essence of the Sixth Doctor's TV persona. The story is praised for its quality, especially compared to the TV scripts of that era. It makes effective use of the audio medium, featuring a blind character and a detective story involving altered audio files. The plot involves a murderous soundwave, inspired by the voice of conscience in Macbeth.
Ish
The video discusses "Ish," an experimental Sixth Doctor story centered on language. The plot involves a mimetic plague that reduces people's comprehension to the word "ish." The story is lauded for its creative use of audio and its exploration of the Sixth Doctor's love of language, with references to his verbose nature and Colin Baker's efforts to expand the vocabulary of the audience. The story also features the first instance of the Doctor swearing in the series.
Her Final Flight
The video reviews "Her Final Flight," a special half-length bonus release featuring an older Perry, 20 years after her travels with the Doctor. In this story, the Doctor crashes on a planet and encounters Perry, who has survived the Trial of a Time Lord, married Brian Blessed, and escaped to this backwater planet. The TARDIS is damaged and leaking Cronin radiation, causing temporal anomalies and evolving a virus. The Doctor may have to destroy the TARDIS to save the planet.
Cryptobiosis
The video discusses "Cryptobiosis," another bonus release where the Doctor, Perry, and the TARDIS are on a ship to New Orleans. A murder occurs, and the Doctor is framed, leading him to investigate. The story involves mermaids, one of whom is trapped aboard the ship. The video praises the taut script, atmosphere, and dark ending, despite finding the presence of mermaids in Doctor Who somewhat odd.
The Reaping
The video reviews "The Reaping," the first story where Big Finish decided that Five and Six could share Perry. The story opens in the far future at the goggle box. Perry returns to Baltimore for a funeral, dealing with family fallout from her travels with the Doctor. The story is described as "Aliens of London" meets a zombie movie, with cybermen from the future using earring-like devices to convert the dead. The villain is a genre-savvy Cyber Leader whose ultimate fate is particularly cruel.
Year of the Pig
The video reviews "Year of the Pig," which the presenter admits is one of their least favorite Big Finish stories. Set in a small Belgian holiday town, the story features insufferable characters, including Toby, a sentient pig. The reviewer criticizes the story's focus on upper-class English historical minutiae and finds it reminiscent of "The Behemoth" without the redeeming qualities. Despite the negative review, the video provides examples of the story's content for viewers to judge for themselves.
Recorded Time
The video discusses "Recorded Time," a release consisting of four one-part stories. The first story involves the Doctor and Perry in the court of Henry VII, where Perry is mistaken for a bride. The second story involves a message from a destroyed planet with a powerful armory. The third story places Perry in Pride and Prejudice. The fourth story involves the Doctor and others on a derelict ship with no memory of who they are.
1963: The Space Race
The video reviews "1963: The Space Race," which the presenter considers one of their favorite Big Finish stories. The plot involves the Soviets having trouble with manned space flight, and the Doctor and Perry are mistaken for scientists/KGB agents. The capsule returns to Earth with Leica, the space dog, now speaking perfect Russian and seeking revenge on mankind. Leica aims to harvest human body parts to elevate all animals to human-level intelligence and speech.
Outro
The video concludes by noting that it has covered about a third of Perry's Sixth Doctor adventures and promises two more videos with her. It recommends "Ish" and "Whispers of Terror" as good, cheaper stories, while "Year of the Pig" is considered the worst. The video also mentions the upcoming coverage of "Light at the End," a multi-Doctor crossover event.
