Hello, True Believers, and welcome to the 50th installment of Big Finishing Move here on the one and only One Of Us! Way back towards the tail end of 2013, the first entry in this little review series of mine dropped. I didn’t know if anyone would like it and I figured I could be ordered to stop and do something else at any moment, so I ran with it while I had the chance. Fast forward all the way to 2016 and I’m happy to report that they never tried to stop me from doing this (or anything else for that matter, because the people who run this site rock). Big Finishing Move is a labor of love, and an excuse I cooked up to justify all the money I blow on Big Finish audio dramas, but mostly the love thing. It doesn’t matter if this is the first time or if you’ve been here from the start, I’m so glad I get to share and talk about something I love, and hopefully help separate the wheat from the chaff for you in the world of Big Finish.
As serendipity would have it, we have something super special awesome to review today. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are back as Doctor Numero Ten and his companion, the super temp from Chiswick, Donna Noble for the first batch of Big Finish’s new range, The Tenth Doctor Adventures. Can this new series recapture the magic, or has this paring become a pale imitation of themselves? Let’s roll on down the line here and find out!
TARDIS Team: The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble
We got three, count ’em three grand adventures for the Doctor and Donna! First, we have the Doctor facing an world slowly slipping into technophobia in… erm, Technophobia. Next, our pair is hot on the trail of some nasty time weapons in Time Reaver. Finally, we have a little classic romance in the air with a side order of undead invasion with Death and the Queen. Can the Doctor and Ms. Noble make out the other side of these harrowing tales, or have they finally bitten off more than they can chew?
My biggest concern was whether or not Big Finish would be able to hit the tone of the new Stephen Moffat series, which was both faster paced and more banter driven, especially in both the Tennant and Smith years. I shouldn’t have doubted them as Tennant and Tate shred through these scripts as if no time has passed between the TV years and now, and you can tell they are having the time of their lives doing it. As great as the writing is, which offers plenty of memorable quips and a fair amount of dramatic moments, it is the performances of our two leads that truly bring this episode to life. There has always been a natural chemistry and affection between Tennant and Tate in and out of character, and it comes through in spades in this series, which in turn makes it a real treat to listen to.
Unless you are somebody who doesn’t care for the Tenth Doctor and/or theDonna pairing (and I know you’re out there) then you owe it to yourself to pick this up. I love Tennant as the Doctor, and Tate’s Donna Noble is my favorite of all his companions, so this set is as perfect for me as it gets. The second the violins hit as the theme song played, I felt a little bundle of joy unwrap itself inside my heart. My nostalgia aside, these are three brilliantly done stories full of all the imagination, wit, and charm Doctor Who is known for. They easily could have pumped out some half-assed nonsense and the fanboy/girl/person would have lapped it up without a second thought. Everyone involved took the time and effort to deliver something fun, and that’s what this is: pure fun. I cannot recommend this higher.
Purchase Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures: Volume 01 Here:
Technophobia
Time Reaver
Death and the Queen
Hey, since you made all the way down here, I implore you to check out the rest of One Of Us for all the other great content we have to offer. I promise I won’t tell all the people who didn’t bother to read this far what a great time you are having all the articles, review, podcasts, and audio dramas to be found here. It’ll be our little secret!
Next time:
Check out my previous reviews:
Phantasmagoria, The Fearmonger, The Light At The End, The Spectre of Lanyon Moor, Storm Warning, Blood of the Daleks, The Chimes of Midnight, Seasons of Fear, The King of Sontar, White Ghosts, Dark Eyes II, The Crooked Man, Project: Twilight, The Evil One, The Harvest, The Last Of The Colophon, The Council Of Nicaea, Destroy The Infinite, Afterlife, The Abandoned, Zygon Hunt, Revenge Of The Swarm, Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set, Dark Eyes 3, Mask of Tragedy, The Fourth Doctor By Gareth Roberts, The Exxilions, The Darkness of Glass, Dark Eyes IV, Requiem for the Rocket Men, Signs And Wonders, Death Match, Suburban Hell, The Burning Prince, The Cloisters of Terror, The Acheron Pulse, The Fate of Krelos, The Shadow Heart, Return to Telos, The Sixth Doctor – The Last Adventure, Doom Collation I, The Yes Men, The War Doctor: Only The Monstrous, Wave of Destruction, The Labyrinth of Buda Castle, The War Doctor Volume 02: Infernal Devices, Doom Coalition 2, The Paradox Planet, Legacy of Death
