[DanaC]

I fully intend to spend several hours this weekend listening to some of the Big Finish audio productions (Dr Who range, natch.)

i love Big Finish audioplays. They're really well produced. OK, some of them are a tad cheesy in parts but some of them are simply marvellous. There are a handful that I rate as the best audio plays I have heard. Much better than the stuff that makes it onto radio4 (on the whole.)

They do several regular ranges, usually old, no longer running sci fi shows (Classic Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel, Blake's Seven), and spinoffs (Companion Chronicles) they're starting to branch out into what they call their Classics range. Starting with Phantom of the Opera.

It's a brilliant way of continuing old stories. So, for instance, Paul McGann is known (amongst other things) for having been the Doctor the longest (or joint longest) time, but only appeared as him once (in the TV movie, mid 90s) But actually he's probably racked up many many hours as the doctor through the BF audio plays. All that character development that didnt get followed into TV was picked up and taken in all sorts of directions. Same with the 6th doctor (Colin Baker). Had a short run and never got to take the charactre anywhere beyond his initial, rather abrasive, arrogant Doctor.

Sci-fi works on the radio. Get the sound effects right (most of the time) and the human brain can come up with somethng that wipes the floor with CGI and it's a damn sight cheaper. Some stuff...you really can't do on tv. Just can't possibly come across. If you are trying to portray something like an environment utterly alien in every way...how do you depict that? If you're playing with dimensions and mauling about in each other's minds... how do you show it and not make it smaller? Also, the audio plays are not made for children. They're mostly accessible to children and woldn't worry the censor over much; but they aren't the core market. So...some of the stories are rather more grown up. Some are silly, or whimsical. Some are very dark.


So...

I've got three (brand new!) Doctor Who plays that have been sitting on my hard drive waiting for my final exam to be over. Har!