Brief Summary
In this episode of The Sirens of Audio, Dwayne and Philip explore the universe of Doctor Who in the audio medium through "randomoids," where they review randomly selected stories. They discuss "Death and the Queen" featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, and "Cobwebs" featuring the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and Nyssa. The episode includes insights from Jonathan Morris, the author of "Cobwebs," providing background on the story's creation and characters. They also announce their next stories for review: "The Relics of Jigsaw" from The Adventures of Bernice Summerfield and the first series of The Omega Factor.
- "Death and the Queen" is praised for the magical chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
- "Cobwebs" is noted as a landmark story, marking Janet Fielding's return as Tegan.
- Jonathan Morris shares the creative process behind "Cobwebs," including the decision to bring back Tegan and the challenges of writing for the characters.
Intro
The episode starts with a humorous skit featuring Jeffrey Beavers, setting the stage for "The Sirens of Audio."
Greetings and Updates
Dwayne and Philip greet their audience, sharing personal updates. Dwayne mentions enjoying the warm winter and his upcoming trip to the mainland with his caravan. Philip expresses excitement about plans materializing after delays. They introduce the episode as another installment of "randomoids," where they discuss stories selected from the Tardis cookie jar.
Death and the Queen - Blurb and Overview
Philip reads the blurb for "Death and the Queen," a Tenth Doctor story. The story involves Donna Noble's wedding being interrupted by a skeleton army led by Death itself. The hosts then play a clip from the audio drama.
Death and the Queen - Discussion and Trivia
The hosts discuss "Death and the Queen" by James Goss, highlighting the trivia and cast. David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprise their roles, with Alice Krieg as the Queen Mum and Alan Cox as Death. The story is episode 1.3 in the Tenth Doctor Adventures, recorded in 2015 and released in 2016. Philip expresses his satisfaction with the choice, praising the chemistry between Tennant and Tate. Dwayne agrees, noting the story's humor and cleverness. They both express excitement for the upcoming specials featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna. Dwayne mentions owning the limited edition box set, which includes exclusive artwork and documentaries.
Cobwebs - Blurb and Overview
Dwayne reads the blurb for "Cobwebs," a Fifth Doctor story featuring Tegan, Turlough, and Nyssa. The story involves Nyssa searching for a cure on a toxic planet and reuniting with the Doctor and her former companions. The hosts then play a clip from the audio drama.
Cobwebs - Discussion and Trivia
The hosts discuss "Cobwebs" by Jonathan Morris, noting it as a landmark story that marked Janet Fielding's return as Tegan. The story is directed by Barnaby Edwards, with sound design and music by Steve Buxton. Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, John McFeeley, and Mark Strickson star. Philip notes that the story is very timey-wimey and complex. Dwayne emphasizes the excitement surrounding Janet Fielding's return and the story's focus on the main characters.
Cobwebs - Interview with Jonathan Morris
Jonathan Morris joins the hosts to discuss "Cobwebs." He explains that the brief was to create a good Tegan story, ensuring she had a lot to do and that her motivations were logical. He mentions that the script was revised to start immediately after "Enlightenment" and to emphasize Tegan's character. Morris also discusses the importance of making the story about the regulars and exploring the abstract problem of time paradoxes. He reveals that "Cobwebs" was inspired by his earlier, unproduced story, "The Fear," and that the time paradox element was influenced by "The Space Museum."
Cobwebs - Jonathan Morris on Character Development and Production
Morris discusses the robot character in "Cobwebs," revealing his initial idea to name it Adric and have it voiced by Wil Wheaton as a tribute to the deceased companion. However, this idea was rejected. He also shares anecdotes from the recording sessions, particularly Janet Fielding's initial struggles with the science fiction elements of the script.
Cobwebs - Jonathan Morris on Story Origins and Recording
Morris continues discussing the recording of "Cobwebs," noting that it was Janet Fielding's first day back in the role after many years. He shares that there were discussions and rewrites to ensure the script made sense to her. He also talks about his frustrated plan to have a robot called Adric, voiced by Wil Wheaton.
Future Episodes and Closing
The hosts decide on the next stories for their "randomoids" segment: "The Relics of Jigsaw" from The Adventures of Bernice Summerfield and the first series of The Omega Factor. They thank Jonathan Morris for his insights and close the episode, providing contact information and credits.
