Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors Review

Doctor Who:
The Ice Warriors
By Brian Hayles

“Don't you understand? They're ruthless killers and they'll stop at nothing. Now please, listen to me. There's no time to lose.”

The TARDIS lands, more likes crashes, near Brittanicus Base.  Brittanicus Base is on an island near Great Britain and its job is to keep the glacier at bay by using the ioniser.  In the future Earth is facing a second ice age and bases using ionisers are what they have to try and keep the ice away to survive.  The Doctor Jamie and Victoria have stumbled upon the base in time to help them out with a problem with the ionizer.  By doing this The Doctor has gained the trust of Clent who is in charge of the base. 

Doctor Who - The Invasion Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Invasion
By Derrick Sherwin

“Oh I'm not joking, Jamie. Underneath all that charm there was something odd. Sinister. Almost inhuman.”

Following the events that happened in The Mind Robber and the quick escape of a missile shot at them while in space near the dark side of the moon the TARDIS seems to have landed in a field filled with quite a bit of cows.  With the TARDIS visual stabilizer not working the 3 travelers head off to present day London to find Professor Travers and see if he can help them fix it.   With no luck there The Doctor ends up meeting Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart who is investigating Tobias Vaughn and his company International Electomatics.  What The Doctor and Brigadier will find out is that Tobias Vaughn and his company is in fact in league with an invasion force.  An invasion force made up of Cybermen who are based on Earth and also hidden on the dark side of the moon.

Doctor Who - The Wheel in Space Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Wheel in Space
By David Whitaker 
and Kit Pedler

“You know our ways. You must be destroyed.”

After saying their farewells to Victoria The Doctor makes an emergency landing, due to the mercury fluid link exploding, on what appears to be an abandon spaceship. The pair end up exploring the ship in hopes of finding some Mercury when The Doctor suspects they are not alone after all.  The ship is being controlled by the Servo Robot and he is doing what his masters have programmed to do.  Pilot the ship to the Wheel and release debris towards the Wheel.  The Servo Robot notice there are others on the ship and proceeds to handle the situation as it pilots the ship hard off course causing The Doctor to lose his balance and hit his head taking him out of commission.

Jamie is on his own to deal with the Servo Robot but not before it accomplishes its orders and starts the activation of two strange spherical objects in the ship.  Jamie and The Doctor are soon saved by the crew of the Wheel and Jamie gets himself in trouble by sabatoging the lazer as he was trying to save the TARDIS from being destroyed inside the spaceship.  Unfortunately that act by Jamie was poorly timed as the two figures in the sphere are Cybermen and they plan on taking over the Wheel as a launching point to invade Earth.  As usual it’s up to The Doctor to save the day and stop the Cybermen from taking over the Wheel.

Doctor Who - The Tomb of the Cybermen Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:
The Tomb of the Cybermen
By Kit Pedler and
Gerry Davis

“Oh yes, I can when I want to. And that's the point, really. I have to really want to, to bring them back in front of my eyes. The rest of the time they sleep in my mind, and I forget. And so will you. Oh yes, you will. You'll find there's so much else to think about. So remember, our lives are different to anybody else's. That's the exciting thing. There's nobody in the universe can do what we're doing. You must get some sleep and let this poor old man stay awake.”

The Tomb of the Cybermen is the earliest complete story to survive featuring Patrick Troughton.  It was found in Hong Kong back in 1991 and was until The Enemy of the World was found with The Web of Fear (minus ep 3) the only complete story from Season 5 of Doctor Who.  The Tomb of the Cybermen opens up Season 5 and also brings back The Cybermen yet again last seen in The Moonbase (which is out on DVD with animated missing episodes 1 &3).  What is a pretty cool side bar for Season 5 is that it is known as The Season of Monsters.  The Cybermen start off the Season of Monsters in The Tomb of the Cybermen and also finishes it with the Cybermen returning in The Wheel in Space.   So in essence Season 5 is bookend with Cybermen stories.

I remember when this story was found back in 1991 and was really excited to see this story as I had read the Target novelization way back in the 80’s and enjoyed it.  So when the VHS copy of the story was finally released in the US in 1992 I headed for the video store right after my college course was over for the day to purchase it and watch it that day and well the studies took a  back seat to my parents dismay.  Well there wasn’t a test to study for so the homework could wait an hour or two.

Doctor Who - The Moonbase Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

DoctorWho:
The Moonbase
By Kit Peddler

“Funny. Funny. Go to all that trouble to make the men do the work. Why? Do it themselves, easy. They're using the men as tools. Why? Don't know. Yes, I do though. There must be something in here they don't like. Pressure? Electricity? Radiation? Maybe. Gravity! Now there's a thought. Gravity. Oh, yes. Gravity.”

After the events of The Underwater Menace The Doctor makes the attempt to get Ben, Polly and Jamie to Mars.  Where they ended up was not Mars but in fact the moon.  The travelers have fun experiencing the low gravity of the moon until Jamie gets hurt.  Luckily there is a base on the moon that is there to help control the weather on Earth.  But there is a problem in the base.  A mysterious plague has swept over the base only infecting a certain few.  The Doctor has no idea what is causing the crew of the moonbase to get infected but once The Cybermen have been seen sneaking around it becomes all the more obvious what is going on.

Doctor Who - The Dominators Review

We look back at the Patrick Troughton Story The Dominators which came out 48 years ago this week.

Doctor Who:
The Dominators
By Norman Ashby

“An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?”

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe fresh from their little break after taking on the Cybermen in the Wheel decided to take an even longer break.  They land on an island on the planet Dulkis.  Dulkis is a peaceful planet that has sworn off violence and has no use for weapons anymore.   Also on the island another ship also landed and inside that ship is The Dominators.  The Dominators need a slave force to help get radioactive material to fuel their spaceship.   Also on this ship are the robots that serve the Dominators which are the murderous Quarks.  So it’s up to The Doctor to save the pacifist Dulkians to rise up and resist The Dominators and save the planet.

Doctor Who - Details on the Second Doctor Box Set

Out this month is the Second Doctor Volume One.  It is a box set of four stories taking place during the Patrick Troughton era.  This is similar to the First Doctor box set that cam out last year.  You can order it from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-second-doctor-volume-01-1329

A new four-disc release featuring four tales from figures associated with the Second Doctor era, and a second actor.

10.1 The Mouthless Dead by John Pritchard
The TARDIS arrives in 1920s England, the Doctor, Jamie, Ben and Polly finding themselves in a wintry dusk beside a railway line. The station nearby appears deserted, but there are figures watching from the shadows, all of them waiting for a dead man’s train...

10.2 The Story of Extinction by Ian Atkins
Civilisations rise and fall – and few planets have seen this happen more often than Amyrndaa. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join a survey team to find out why on the planet where everything is suited to creating life, nothing lives for long...

10.3 The Integral by David Bartlett
When tempers fray in the TARDIS, the Doctor struggles to help Jamie and Zoe resolve their differences. Arriving at Aspen Base proves a welcome distraction; but the isolated facility is under siege. Can Jamie’s belief in right and wrong withstand the perspective changing power of the Integral?

10.4 The Edge by Rob Nisbet
The Edge is the galaxy’s scientific hub of experimentation, theoretical breakthroughs and invention – just the sort of place to interest the Doctor and Zoe. However, a secret lies hidden in The Edge laboratories. Jamie instinctively knows that something is wrong, and it doesn’t take long for him to be proved right....

Written By: John Pritchard, Ian Atkins, David Bartlett, Rob Nisbet
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie), Anneke Wills (Polly), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Elliot Chapman (Ben), Robert Whitelock (Curtis)

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Jacqueline Rayner
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Details For The Isos Network

This month Early Adventure release, and the last one till September, sees the Second Doctor taking on the Cybermen.  This adventure stars Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.  You can order it now from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-isos-network-1079

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are leaving Earth after having successfully defeated a Cyberman invasion… The Cyber-fleet is still exploding… But something is escaping through the mass of vaporising debris.

In hot pursuit, the Doctor and his friends find themselves drawn to a mysterious planet where strange beasts slither through the streets of a deserted city… And an old enemy lurks beneath the streets.

As a force of heavily-armed aliens arrives, a battle to save the entire galaxy from invasion begins.

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor/Narrator), Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot/Narrator), Rachel Bavidge (Seru), Richard James (Enab), Kieran Hodgson (Alam/Hilsee) and Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Into The Time Vortex Interview with Doctor Who's Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines

Interview conducted on November 13, 2015

Doctor Who - Synopsis For The Black Hole

This month's Early Adventures sees The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria on a research station near a black hole. You can order this release, which also stars Rufus Hound who was in The Woman Who Lived, from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-black-hole-1078

On a research station near a black hole, time keeps standing still. Investigating the phenomenon, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria discover a power far greater than any of the monsters that have challenged them on their travels... The Doctor's own people.

With the safety of thousands balancing out the need to flee, and a policeman from his home planet working at his side, the Doctor reluctantly finds himself involved in a race against time.

But nothing is ever as simple as it appears. And if you can use the Doctor's compassion against him, you have the makings of a perfect trap…

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Rufus Hound (Constable Pavo), Janet Dibley (Commander Flail), Anthony Keetch (The Seeth). Narrated by David Warner.

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - The Underwater Menace DVD Review

Doctor Who:

The Underwater Menace

By Geoffrey Orme

“Nothing in the world can stop me now!”

The Doctor, Polly, Ben and new companion Jamie McCrimmon find themselves on a beach near a cave that looks somewhat mysterious and begs to be explored.  Upon investigation they group ends up getting captured and finds themselves far underground in what is the missing city of Atlantis. There The Doctor finds himself in the crazy graces of Professor Zaroff.  Zaroff’s dream is to destroy the world and plans on doing it with the Atlantian technology and their unwitting help.  The Doctor is horrified that a man of science would want to blow the world up just for the sake of doing it and has devised a plan to try and stop him.  But first he must get Ben and Jamie freed from the mine and prevents Polly from being turned into a fish person.  It will be tough as Zaroff is just that type of crazy that will not be stopped from his destiny.

Doctor Who - The Yes Men Review (Some Spoilers)

Doctor Who:
The Yes Men
By Simon Gurrier
Starring Frazer Hines, Anneke Wills and
Elliot Chapman

The Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben have arrived in New Houston which is an Earth colony in the 4th sector. The Doctor has been there before in a previous incarnation as he tells his fellow travelers that he save this colony from an alien invasion.  The Doctor has a friend at this colony named Meg Carvossa who he finds out has passed away.  Upon learning this The Doctor wants to ay his last respects but finds out that he is not able to.  This gets The Doctor thinking and he begins to investigate what is going on.  Polly also notices that there is hardly any people walking around but there is quite a large number of robots instead.  Things do not appear to be what they seem and The Doctor is worried that New Houston is in a lot of trouble.

Doctor Who - The Underwater Menace DVD Details

BBCWW have released the details for The Underwater Menace which is to be the last classic Doctor Who story on DVD to be released.  It also looks like the missing episode one and four will be telesnaps as the animation was cancelled last year.  Fans will be able to see the recovered episode two which was returned back in 2011.  Finally this DVD and the extras will finally be seen and hopefully someday we will get the missing parts found.

The Underwater Menace
Release date: 26 Oct 2015 UK 

Starring Patrick Troughton as Doctor Who, with Michael Craze as Ben Jackson, Anneke Wills as Polly, and Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon
Written by Geoffrey Orme
Directed by Julia Smith

Broadcast: 14 Jan - 4 Feb 1967

The TARDIS lands in the lost city of Atlantis, where the crazed Professor Zaroff has convinced the Atlanteans that he can raise their city from beneath the sea. But the Doctor discovers the terrible truth behind Zaroff’s plan – he intends to destroy the entire planet. With the doomsday clock ticking, the Doctor and his companions must battle to prevent the apocalypse...

The Underwater Menace is the fifth serial of the fourth season, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 January 1967 to 4 February 1967. The story introduces Jamie McCrimmon's (Frazer Hines) on his first journey with the Doctor as a travelling companion. This special release will contain the two re-mastered existing episodes, with the two missing episodes represented with restored audio and surviving stills, as well as over an hour of extras.

Special Features:
Commentary - For episode 1, Interview with actor Michael Troughton Part 2 (from The Ice Warriors). For episodes 2 and 3, a commentary with actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, special sounds supervisor Brian Hodgson and floor assistant Quentin Mann. For episode 4, archive material featuring Patrick Troughton, directors Julia Smith and Hugh David, and producer Innes Lloyd. Moderated and linked by Toby Hadoke.

A Fishy Tale (Feature, dur. 28’ 30”) – cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, AFM Gareth Gwenlan, production assistant Berry Butler and new series writer Robert Shearman. Narrated by Peter Davison.

The Television Centre of the Universe – Part Two (dur. 32’ 10” ) – Yvette Fielding continues her tour of BBC Television Centre in the company of actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson, with contributions from former colleagues along the way. With senior camera supervisor Alec Wheal, AFM Sue Hedden, former BBC producer and writer Richard Marson, exhibitions assistant Bob Richardson, production assistant Jane Ashford and videotape engineer Simon Anthony.

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Return to Telos

This months 4th Doctor adventures see The Doctor, Leela and K-9 heading to the planet of Telos. seems there is something that needs to be taken care of that he didn't do when he was there in a previous incarnation.  You can order this story with the Cybermen and guest star Frazer Hines as Jamie and the Second Doctor from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/return-to-telos-944

The Doctor reveals to Leela that they’re heading for the planet Telos. And K9 has new masters...

On Telos, in the past, the Second Doctor and Jamie are exploring the ‘tomb of the Cybermen’.

Meanwhile, the Cyber-Controller and Cyber-Planner consolidate their plans. Spare parts from Krelos are being used to construct a mighty Cyber army. The Doctor must be captured.

Out of control, the TARDIS tumbles down a chasm and the Doctor and Leela find themselves caught up in full-scale planetary invasion.

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast
Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), John Leeson (K9), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Michael Cochrane (Geralk), Bernard Holley (Peter Haydon), Veronica Roberts (Relly), Nicholas Briggs (the Cybermen)

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Last of the Cybermen Review

Doctor Who:
Last of the Cybermen
By Alan Barnes
Starring Colin Baker, Frazer Hines and
Wendy Padbury

Jamie and Zoe are waiting in the TARDIS for The Doctor to return.  The scanner shows a rocky landscape and it is dark and it is hard to make out images clearly.  They see a shadow of a man running and it is the familiar shape of The Doctor.  Jamie and Zoe leave the TARDIS to help him when they noticed that he fell in a ditch.  When they get to the ditch the notice the man who fell down it is not the man they were expecting.  It is indeed The Doctor but it isn’t their Doctor as in the place of the 2nd Doctor is the 6th Doctor.

That is the least of their troubles as before the 2nd Doctor disappeared he was being chased.  What the three travelers notice was that a Cyberman was chasing them and that the planet the 6th Doctor is now on is Telos.  It is at the end of the Great Cybermen War and the trio must face the Cybermen once again.

Doctor Who - Frazer Hines Visits The TARDIS Set

Frazer Hines visited the TARDIS today and was greeted by The Doctor Peter Capaldi.

Doctor Who - Big Finish Announces Early Adventures Series 2 and Beyond

The second series of The Early Adventures will feature all the companions from the second Doctor era including a new actor to play Ben who was originally played by the late Michael Craze.  Frazer Hines will be in all four stories of series two as he will be playing both Jamie and the Second Doctor. Reprising their roles will be Anneke Wills as Polly, Deborah Watling as Victoria and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.  Elliot Chapman will be joining the TARDIS crew as the new voice of Ben.

Big Finish has announced that Series Three,Four and Five have gone on sale for pre order along with Series Two. The First Doctor Companions will be back in 2016 in Series 3.  That is good news for fans of the 60's era of Doctor Who as we will be getting 16 Adventures from the black and white era.
Below is a synopsis for the upcoming Series 2 which comes out in September.

The Yes Men 
By Simon Guerrier

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Last of the Cybermen

The countdown to 200 continues as the 6th Doctor takes center stage in release number 199.  He is joined by Jamie and Zoe and face a mainstay villain from the 2nd Doctor era The Cybermen.  You can get this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/last-of-the-cybermen-871

It's been ten years since the final assault on Telos, the last act of the Great Cyber War. Thanks to the Glittergun, humanity prevailed – and the half-machine Cybermen were utterly obliterated. 

Out on the furthest fringes of the galaxy, however, they left their mark – in the form of a giant Cyber-head, hundreds of feet high. A monument? A memorial? A tomb? The Doctor, the Cybermen's most indefatigable adversary, sets out to investigate... but he fails to return to his TARDIS. Leaving the Ship, his two companions – brave Highlander Jamie MacCrimmon, and super-intelligent Zoe Heriot – find a stranger in the Doctor's place. A stranger in a coat of many colours, who insists that he's the Doctor – transposed in time and space with one of his former selves...

But why here? Why now? Has the universe really seen the last of the Cybermen..?

Written By: Alan Barnes
Directed By: Barnaby Edwards

Cast
Colin Baker (The Doctor), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Lucy Liemann (Zennox), Keiran Hodgson (Findel), Nicholas Farrell (Captain Frank), Nicholas Briggs (Cybermen)

Doctor Who - Cover For Return To Telos Revealed

The August release and the series four finale for The Fourth Doctor Adventures Return to Telos has had it's cover released.  This story features the Cybermen and also guest stars Frazer Hines as Jamie and takes place during The Tomb of the Cybermen.  I'm pretty curious to see how Big Finish pulls this one off.  Preorder details at the link below.
http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who--the-fourth-doctor-adventures-return-to-telos-cover-revealed

Doctor Who - Frazer Hines "Jamie" Added To LI Who 3 Guest List

Frazer Hines is returning to LI Who. This marks his third appearance at LI Who and he is definitely a crowd favorite at LI Who.  It will be good to catch up with Frazer Hines and to hear the stories of working with Patrick Troughton and the 2nd Doctor era.

Returning Guest Frazer Hines Announced for L.I. Who 3

Frazer Hines announced as first returning guest of L.I. Who. As one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, Frazer Hines portrayed Jamie McCrimmon alongside Patrick Troughton (the 2nd Doctor). The Highlander from 1746 Scotland, he joined the Doctor for three years of amazing stories such as “The War Games”, ““The Tomb of the Cybermen”. as well as the recently rediscovered episodes “The Web of Fear” and “The Enemy Of The World”.

Frazer Hines starred in “Doctor Who” for 117 episodes making him the longest running companion. Although 47 of his episodes were lost, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest companions. His amazing portrayal of Jaime led to recurring guest roles in “The Five Doctors” and “The Two Doctors”. Frazer also stars in a variety of Big Finish Audio Dramas.In addition to his acting work, Frazer Hines has published two autobiographies. The first book he released was “Films, Farms and Fillies” in 1996. He followed in 2009 with “Hines Sight”. In 2013 he released his most recent book “50 Shades Of Frazer” all of which can be purchased from his website.  Frazer will be in the forthcoming season of Outlander on Starz as Sir Fletcher Gordon, the governor of Wentworth Prison.

Frazer Hines can be found on twitter @WhoFrazer
Frazer Hines’ website is www.FrazerHines.com