Big Finish Main Range
This would be better except for the darn music. Usually they put the music in strategic places but for some reason, they decided to put it in this one more heavily. And it’s so very loud over the dialogue. This is one of those rare audios where the background music and sound effects overwhelm the story to the point of being distracting big time. Otherwise this would be a 5 out of 5. It’s spellbinding, the threat is definitely more “real” that with a lot of audios. I know there’s a future beyond this adventure with Ace but at the same time, she could die! And since she keeps on pushing Kurtz, he just might shoot her. It was tense and one of the very good historicals. Sometimes the historicals are just tedious, like Catch – 1782 or Pier Pressure. But then there are some real classics like The Church and the Crown and Seasons of Fear.
I’m anticipating a good few audios to listen to in a row now, too. Primeval, The One Doctor (sweet!), Invaders from Mars, Chimes of Midnight, all the way up to Time of the Daleks. Skip that Neverland thing as it’s okay but not that great. Trying to do too much in one audio. But then there’s Spare Parts, one of the very best! Should be a fun few audios to come.
Anyway, Colditz is a good story through a board game, apparently. Ace mentions “I’ve played the board game” and I loved that, though I’ve never heard of the board game. A bit like Clue? Hehehe. Don’t know, personally. If there was no Kline in this story, it wouldn’t work nearly so well. She’s part of the Doctor’s master plan and fixing up everything. Some of the classic 7th Doctor stories include that master plan theme in the background going on. Though Bang-Bang-a-Boom is an excellent humorous version of his master plan theme and Shadow of the Scourge is the master plan gone wrong.
But any story with Nazis seems to always involve more danger and unpredictable consequences. Though the Nazis are a strictly evil, they aren’t as straightforward as that. The Hauptmann Julius Schafer character is tired of the fighting. Kurtz is just all about doing his duty. The personalities aren’t just the standard Nazi! So good writing there. Now if they could just chill on the darn music!!!
Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred
Writer: Steve Lyons
Director: G-Russell
Release: October 2001