Regular readers might be aware that my favourite Doctor is Sylvester McCoy, he was my Doctor, he is the ultimate games player and also is Scottish as all great Doctor’s of Who are 😉
This means that I always enjoy it when Big Finish release a new seventh Doctor Adventure. This set is the latest one and features Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross as companions.
Harry and Naomi are back in the TARDIS, travelling with a very different Doctor to the one they first met – and he has promised to get them home…
The TARDIS takes them to Earth, but a dangerous era decades before their own. And when they visit the aftermath of a distant supernova, Harry is keener than ever to return to home comforts. But Naomi isn’t so certain…
Harry and Naomi are two UNIT agents who are out of their own time, and having been dropped by the fourth Doctor accidentally in to 2010’s have rejoined the UNIT of Kate Stewart. This lead to them being picked up by the seventh Doctor who promises to get them home.
There are two stories in this set, the first one was Operation Dusk by Alfie .
London during the Blitz, a city covered in darkness. It keeps everyone safe – until the darkness gets hungry. As the questions and victims mount up, the Doctor, Harry and Naomi are called in to investigate.
Why have the Vashta Nerada on Earth started eating people? And, perhaps more importantly, why didn’t they eat the cat?
It’s an interesting story which utilises the Vashta Nerada well, and the setting in the blitz also works well. Without going into spoiler territories I also love the fact it brought back an organisation we haven’t heard from for a while, but I felt it was hinted at in a previous episode. The seventh Doctor is his usual self and plays off well with Harry and Naomi. The story also has both companions thinking about their place with the Doctor and working out whether they now feel that they belong in the modern day or in the 70s.
Author Alfie Shaw is a Big Finish stalwart and having started on a number or Short Trips has written for some of the best ranges including the War Master and UNIT: Brave New World, and shows his understanding of the medium and the Doctor in this.
The second story in the set is Naomi’s Ark by Alison Winter.
Caught up in a galactic evacuation triggered by a supernova, Naomi is separated from her friends, in the company of some very unusual aliens.
The Doctor and Harry are stranded too – and any attempt to reach Naomi is at the expense of a precious, endangered civilisation – one that rivals the Time Lords for longevity and wisdom…
This story had a different feeling from the first and gave us some intriguing prospects, including some looks at the seventh Doctors own way of doing things. This story was set in the future. And for some reason I always prefer the seventh Doctor in past setting so this one didn’t connect with me as well, but it did give a lovely look at the consequences of the way that the seventh Doctor does things.
Conclusion
I did enjoy this set, the first story connected more with me but that’s because of the connection to past stories and the past setting. Naomi and Harry make for good companions to the seventh Doctor but seem to be taking some time to get used to him as he’s very different to the Tom Baker incarnation they’re used to. I was always likely to enjoy this as it is my favourite Doctor but the use of the Vashta Nerada was interesting. If you’re a fan of the seventh Doctor it’s definitely worth a look, although I preferred the first one as mentioned I think Alison Winter’s take on the seventh Doctor is am interesting one and shows a great understanding of that character and that era.