Review by Daniel Mansfield

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The Sixth Doctor and Peri are back for two three-part audio adventures in Bad Terms, the latest Sixth Doctor Adventures boxset from Big Finish.

Nina Millns‘ opener Saoirse of the Seven Seas pits the Doctor and Peri against pirates, as they join Saoirse O’Grady (Rebeccca O’Mara), Queen of the Irish Sea, in her fight against the tyrannical Sir Kenneth Rushworth (an unrecognisable Gareth David-Lloyd) and his alien allies.

It’s a pacy, action-packed tale with a riotous premise and some good twists, but the main threat feels very generic, and there’s little in the way of big, exciting ideas here. While this means isn’t the most memorable story, it’s at least a fun way to while away a summer’s day.

Despite its relative lack of swashbuckling, Nev Fountain‘s Red for Danger! is a far more adventurous story than its predecessor, taking the Doctor and Peri to an English public school where they meet a young boy with a closer connection to the Time Lord than he could possibly imagine. Just who the mysterious Malcolm (Charlie Hamblett) is won’t be spoiled here, but he’s a character who brings to light a very different side of the Sixth Doctor, which it’s a joy to have explored for the first time.

There are lots of cheeky nods to the past here too, one or two of which are utterly audacious (you’ll know what I mean when you listen!), as well as an unexpected cliffhanger that promises to propel the Sixth Doctor and Peri’s adventures in a whole new direction. Overall, this is a charming little story with plenty of hidden depths and surprises.

Bad Terms is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com