Big Finish reached the landmark of 100 main range releases in September 2007 . To mark the occasion they eschewed a multi-doctor bonanza and gave us four short stories for the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn. Two of these had a them including the idea of 100 though actually there were other themes such as birth and death playing through them all. How was it?
The stories
Jacqueline Rayner started the set off with 100 BC a tale of ancient Rome and changing history for the better. This all adds flavour to a tasty tale of misunderstanding with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments.
Robert Shearman was next up with My Own Private Mozart another tongue-in-cheek romp involving more Mozarts than you can wave a Requiem at. This is very twisted in time and even if the ending is inevitable that doesn’t stop it being enjoyable. John Sessions adds to the mix as the composer (all of them).
[pullquote]Just good, honest story-telling[/pullquote]
Joe Lidster came to the fore with the third episode, Bedtime Story. This is a very dark tale of a family with a dark secret; one that leads to death every time a grandson is born. Not only is this very well told but has a nice twist. It is also a great example of a tale of a family and a small situation - no galaxies were saved, no timelines were tampered with. Just good, honest story-telling.
Paul Cornell provided the final story, 100 Days of the Doctor which is a great concept - the Doctor has been assassinated and has 100 days to find his killer! Although an interesting tale during which the Doctor sneaks into various past and future regenerations it is ultimately very introspective and narrative led rather than action. It does teach us things about the Doctor’s relationship with Evelyn (and other companions).
Final thoughts
A great collection and worth listening to the extras in which Nick Briggs explains why this wasn’t a multi-Doctor epic. Had I heard this before my Interview with Nick Briggs would have been better informed.
What do you think? Was this the right way to mark the 100th release? Let me know!
