Big Finish Main Range
This story has the atmosphere, the characters, and the story challenges worthy of a Doctor Who tale! Guy Adams should definitely stick around for more stories. The only two problems I had with it are that the 7th Doctor seemed out of his element (really? That’s unusual for him – he always has the answers, no matter what.) and that the romance angle hit pretty hard for Mel and sort of Ace even. It progressed slowly so it didn’t seem totally out of place but it just seemed odd and slightly out of place as well. The historical part of the story is very well done! Very, very well done. I don’t know anything about the Spanish Civil War but I would believe this happened in a small town. Great setting and everyone is believable, plus the ambient noises were done brilliantly.
The Doctor, Mel, and Ace wander out of the TARDIS, ready for a holiday, only to walk into a bombing run by the Republican Army. They end up with the Nationalists, running from the bombs and assisting them with their wounded. They end up in a town, where something follows them from the caves that were opened up by the bombs. And is it alien in nature? Of course it is! And that’s where the true danger begins. Even Mel is converted into the alien invading species by genetic mutation. But some lepers who are accidentally cured by the alien invaders come to town and help the Doctor save the day. It’s a fantastic story with no serious plot holes. I just can’t get over the bumbling of the 7th Doctor (it seems like this could be for the 5th Doctor instead) and the romance angle or it would definitely be a 5 jelloid story!
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Mel), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Enzo Squillino Jnr (Juan Romero), Christopher Hatherall (George Newman), Owen Aaronovitch (Antonio Ferrando/Control Unit), Tom Alexander (Luis/Phillipe). Other parts portrayed by the cast.
Writer: Guy Adams
Director: Ken Bentley
Release: August 2016