Daniel Mansfield reviews this set of festive stories for the Eighth Doctor
With festive classics like The Chimes of Midnight and Fairytale of Salzburg as part of his era, it has often been said that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Eighth Doctor. Well, fret not- Big Finish have just released In the Bleak Midwinter, a collection of three new Christmas themed stories for Doctor number eight and his companions.
Yes, you read that right, companions plural! After inviting Lady Audacity Montague (Jaye Griffiths) aboard the TARDIS in the last boxset (review here), the Doctor has picked up old friend Charlotte ‘Charley’ Pollard (India Fisher) for more adventures. So, before going on to discuss the stories in this set, what’s this new TARDIS team like?
Honestly, I love them. If Liv and Helen bring out more modern sensibilities in the Eighth Doctor, then Charley and Audacity bring out his most romantic, Byronesque qualities, giving us a more excitable, passionate Doctor than we’ve seen in recent years. Not only do India Fisher and Jaye Griffiths have excellent chemistry with Paul McGann, but also with each other, their characters forming an almost sisterly relationship who care deeply for one another but who don’t hesitate to call one another out when necessary. With three such strong actors front and centre, the principal joy of this set is without a doubt just spending time with these three characters.
That’s not to say the stories themselves aren’t any good- far from it. The set opens with Twenty Four Doors in December by John Dorney, a 2000s set story that sees the TARDIS team celebrate Christmas in Baker Street. It’s definitely reminiscent of the Stranded series, eschewing hard sci-fi (in fact, pretty much any sci-fi at all!) in favour of spending time with its characters, and this is its greatest strength, giving us a refreshing change of pace for the range.
There’s also a great structural conceit at the heart of Dorney’s script that really brings this story to life: there are twenty four scenes set over twenty four days and each begins with a door opening, as if this episode is an advent calendar. I really loved this idea, as it gives the story a dynamic feel and forward momentum by ensuring every scene is set somewhere new and on a different day.
Jason Watkins stars here as a deadbeat department store Santa called Al, who has been experiencing strange visions. He’s well-written and performed, though his character arc doesn’t feel fully developed, which somewhat dampens the emotional climax of the story. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable listen and kicks In the Bleak Midwinter off to a great start.
Next up is Tim Foley‘s The Empty Man, which takes us to Christmas in the 1940s. The travellers fall in with horror story writer Eldridge Brinkwood (Nickolas Grace), who finds himself under attack from a terrifying figure with his own face! This is, in essence, a chase story, with the Doctor and friends being pursued through London by this creature, though there are some lovely character moments too, and even a little tease at something bigger going on behind the scenes which was also mentioned in Foley’s The Great Cyber War in the last set. A solid adventure with some standout moments.
Finally, and the best in the set, is Roy Gill‘s Winter of the Demon, an Edinburgh-set tale which sees the TARDIS team investigate a spate of grisly deaths. Central to these deaths seems to be industrialist Donald Shaw (David Robb), a sinister figure whose plans to illuminate Edinburgh with electric light have devastating implications. As usual with Gill’s stories, there’s a nice mix of folklore and sci-fi here, as well as a touching romantic subplot for Charley as she encounters the charming Captain Archie McLellan (John Scougall). An excellent finale to the set.
This boxset perfectly encapsulates all sides of the festive season, giving us both Christmassy warmth and wintry cold all at once. While there aren’t any all-time classics here, this is essential yuletide listening for Doctor Who fans. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Eighth Doctor indeed!
In the Bleak Midwinter is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com
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