Big Finish Special Release
The biggest thing that bothers me about this story is why is everyone in this location? The Daleks, Sontarans, and dinosaurs have been just dropped into this “reality” and forgotten about? What about the Doctor and his erstwhile companions? Really? What is going on? The Doctor figures out where they are but it’s never made clear to me what the point is, other than to have some fun watching the Doctor and friends defeat enemies and escape confinement. I did check the Wikipedia page and it indicates that this is a companion piece to The Five Doctors from TV, so it’s a fun romp for the fans. Like the concept but it’s not really mentioned very clearly in the story…
It was lovely to hear the old companions back and the only one whose voice has changed so much it was strange to hear it is William Russell as Ian Chesterton. He just sounded so ancient that it was a bit odd to hear. I’ve heard everyone else who is older do Companion Chronicles of some kind so it wasn’t as strange – Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, and Anneke Wills as Polly. And can Polly get a last name? Hopefully not Purebred from Underdog. ;) Nyssa not having a last name is understandable as she’s from Traken, not Earth.
The dinosaurs seemed a bit superfluous in general – just something to use as a delaying tactic against the Daleks and Sontarans. There’s a plan that naturally goes awry and the companions assist the Doctor. I like how Nyssa gets to save the day, too. She has gotten to be pretty good at that over the years, which belies her seemingly sweet and unassuming nature. A force to be reckoned with! The acting was excellent and other than the why and the dinosaurs, it was a fun romp of an adventure.
Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Peter Purves, William Russell, Jean Marsh, Anneke Wills
Writer: Eddie Robson
Release: December 2011