Brief Summary
In this episode of The Sirens of Audio, Dwayne and Philip review their top ten Big Finish audio releases of 2022, discussing the impact and feelings these stories evoked. They also reflect on the podcast's personal highlights of the year, including notable guests and memorable episodes.
- Top Big Finish releases of 2022
- Reflections on personal highlights of the podcast
- Notable guests: Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Maureen O'Brien, and others
- Memorable episodes: 20th Anniversary Challenge of Midnight, tributes to David Warner and Sarah Jane Smith
Intro
Jeffrey Beavers introduces The Sirens of Audio, a show that explores the universe of Doctor Who in the audio medium, hosted by Dwayne and Philip. They are looking back at 2022 and the releases of Big Finish over that year and picked a top ten. The hosts emphasize that their lists reflect the emotional impact of the stories rather than objective quality.
Reflections on 2022
Dwayne and Philip reflect on their personal highlights of 2022 for the podcast. Standout moments included interviews with Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Nicola Bryant, Bonnie Langford, and Maureen O'Brien. They also highlight the 20th Anniversary Challenge of Midnight special and tributes to David Warner and the first series of Sarah Jane Smith. The hosts express pride in their tribute to David Warner and the in-depth conversation with Stephen Greif. They also acknowledge the contributions of Nick Briggs, Tony Lee, James Moran, Ian Meadows, John Dorney, Pat Mills, Susanna Harker, and Joe Kramer.
Philip's Number 10: Doctor Who - Doctor of War: Genesis
Philip's number 10 is Doctor Who - Doctor of War: Genesis, a return to the Unbound series. The set starts with Genesis of the Daleks featuring Tom Baker, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan. Colin Baker is in fine form. The box set includes three stories by John Dorney, Lou Morgan, and James Kettle. The cast includes Tom Baker, Jeffrey Beavers, Nicola Bryant, and Sean Carlson.
Dwayne's Number 10: The Tenth Doctor Classic Companions
Dwayne's number 10 is the Tenth Doctor Classic Companions box set, a result of lockdown scripts for David Tennant. The set includes three stories: "Splinters" by John Dorney, "The Stuntman" by Lizzie Hopley, and "Quantum of Axos" by Roy Gill. The set features Louise Jameson as Leela, Sarah Sutton as Nissa, Sophie Aldred as Ace, and John Leeson as K9.
Philip's Number 9: Sherlock Holmes - The Fiends of New York
Philip's number 9 is Sherlock Holmes - The Fiends of New York by Jonathan Barnes, who captures Sherlock Holmes perfectly. The cast includes Nicholas Briggs, Lucy Briggs-Owen, and Timothy Bentick. The language is rich and over the top, with a lovely twist at the end.
Dwayne's Number 9: Big Finish Classics - Jekyll and Hyde
Dwayne's number 9 is Big Finish Classics - Jekyll and Hyde, an adaptation of the theater play by Nick Briggs. The story stays true to Robert Louis Stevenson's text but puts a lot of focus on a character that only appears very briefly in the story. Barnaby Kay's performance is outstanding.
Philip's Number 8: Bernice Summerfield - Blood and Steel
Philip's number 8 is Bernice Summerfield - Blood and Steel, noting David Warner's passing and his excellent dynamic with Lisa Bowman. The story is set in cabaret-era Germany between the two World Wars, with Cybermen emphasizing the dire situation. James Goss is also mentioned as a contributor.
Dwayne's Number 8: Eighth Doctor - Connections
Dwayne's number 8 is the Eighth Doctor - Connections box set, which concludes the Stranded series. The set includes three stories, with a favorite being the Drax story. James Kettle's "The Love Vampires" and Roy Gill's "Alby's Angels" are also highlighted.
Philip's Number 7: Space 1999
Philip's number 7 is Space 1999, citing nostalgia for the series. Mark Platt, e medals, and Nicholas Briggs bring very different stories but very much in the style. The cast includes Mark Bonner Murray and Teresa crazy.
Dwayne's Number 7: Seventh Doctor - Silver and Ice
Dwayne's number 7 is the Seventh Doctor Adventure - Silver and Ice, which fits into season 24. The set includes "The Reboss Inheritance" by Jonathan Barnes and "Bad Day in Tinseltown" by Dan Starkey. Sylvester McCoy's voice never seems to change.
Philip's Number 6: The Avengers - Comic Strip Adaptions Volume 16
Philip's number 6 is The Avengers - Comic Strip Adaptions Volume 16. The stories include "Seven Deadly Assassins" by Roland Moore, "Mrs. Peale Twice" by on a Blackman, and "You Won't Believe Your Eyes" by John Dorney. Julian Wadham and Olivia Poulet bounce off each other all the time.
Dwayne's Number 6: Fifth Doctor - 40 Volume 2 - The Auton Infinity
Dwayne's number 6 is the Fifth Doctor adventure - 40 Volume 2 - The Auton Infinity, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Fifth Doctor. The story is written by Tim Foley and is six episodes long. The cast includes John Colshaw, Mark Strixon, and Janet Fielding.
Philip's Number 5: Torchwood - Restricted Items Archive Entries 31 to 49
Philip's number 5 is Torchwood - Restricted Items Archive Entries 31 to 49, a one-hander featuring Gareth David Lloyd as Yanto Jones. The story is set in the total basement, with Yanto recording archive entries. Stephen karuma is the director.
Dwayne's Number 5: Fourth Doctor - Solo
Dwayne's number 5 is the Fourth Doctor Adventure - Solo. The set includes two stories: "Blood of the Time Lords" by Timothy X ATAC and "The ravencliff Witch" by David Llewellyn. Annette Badland and James Dreyfus are in it.
Philip's Number 4: Out of Time 3 - Wink
Philip's number 4 is Out of Time 3 - Wink, featuring David Tennant and Colin Baker. The story is written by Lisa McMullen and involves Weeping Angels. David Tennant and Colin Baker are fantastic together.
Dwayne's Number 4: UFO - Destruct Positive
Dwayne's number 4 is UFO - Destruct Positive, starring Barnaby Kay and Jenny spark. Nick Briggs directed it and was the script editor along with Jamie Anderson. The set gives a lot of background that you don't get in the TV series.
Philip's Number 3: Ninth Doctor - Into the Stars
Philip's number 3 is the Ninth Doctor - Into the Stars box set. The set includes "Salvation Nine" by Timothy X attack, "The Last Scene" by James Kettle, and "Break the Ice" by Tim Foley. Dan Starkey and Maureen O'Brien are in this.
Dwayne's Number 3: Third Doctor - The Annihilators
Dwayne's number 3 is the Third Doctor adventure - The Annihilators. Michael trouton plays the Second Doctor. Daisy Ashford plays Liz Shaw and John colshaw plays the Brigadier.
Philip's Number 2: Blake's 7 - After the War
Philip's number 2 is Blake's 7 - After the War. The set includes "Andromeda One" by Trevor backingdale, "Travis's Fall Out" by Steve Lyons, and "The Enemy" mainly a Cali Focus story. Brian Croucher stars in it.
Dwayne's Number 2: First Doctor - The Outlaws
Dwayne's number 2 is the First Doctor Adventure - The Outlaws, introducing Stephen Noonan to the role of the First Doctor. The first story is the story of the same name written by Elizabeth miles and features glennis barber. The Second Story a two-part story is the miniaturist by Lizzie hopley and is played by Annette badlin.
Philip's Number 1: Charlotte Pollard - The Further Adventuress
Philip's number 1 is Charlotte Pollard - The Further Adventuress. The set includes four stories by Alan Barnes, Eddie Robertson, and Nicholas Briggs. Lucasburg is doing a sequel the heart of Orion to his original one.
Dwayne's Number 1: Second Doctor - Beyond War Games
Dwayne's number 1 is the Second Doctor Adventure - Beyond War Games. Michael trouton plays the Second Doctor. Nick Briggs and Mark Wright co-writing together. The Second Story on there is Roth of the ice Warriors by Andrew Smith. Katie Manning is in there too.
Outro
The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to share their own top picks and reflect on Big Finish's mission statement: "For the Love of Stories." They thank Kenny for his contributions and express gratitude to their audience.
