Audio Adventures in Time and Space
Familiar Faces - New Adventures: The Dominie
reviewed by Kathy Sullivan
Story #21
"Punchline"
by Jeremy Leadbetter
'Punchline' opens with an unfunny situation comedy-- complete with laugh-track and applause at inappropriate moments--that goes on and on and on and on... Very very slowly there are hints that one actor isn't what he seems, that he remembers another life. But the other actors are united in keeping him on track and within the script, even to feeding him lines.
This story is very painful to listen to, since the sit-com repeats itself again and again for most of the story (it feels like 45 minutes, but it's actually only about 30 minutes). For those listeners who do last through the repeats, there's a long discussion of which fantasy world is better. But why would anyone think that an alien would enjoy being trapped in a '70s (feels more like a US '60s) sit-com?
Some might think this story interesting, but I found the first part tedious and the rest raised too many questions about the Dominie--how was he captured, why was it taking him so long to figure out what had happened, and why would a sit-com (and was it radio or television?) interest him (if it did)--that were left unanswered. There was also that broad hint about a blue box.
Sylvester McCoy is the Dominie/Dominic Perkins. The cast also includes Susan Travers as June, Barry J. Gordon as Sir, and
Neil Bull as Kevin. "Punchline" is directed by Paul Ebbs, with post production and music by Steve Johnson.
60 minutes.
Story #22
"Sontarans: Old Soldiers"
by Colin Hill and Simon Gerard
"Sontarans: Old Soldiers" opens in the midst of a battle--but it is the memory of a battle recalled by a very poetic being.
Captain Alice Wells of UNIT interviews a warrior about the mysterious deaths of UNIT soldiers during field tests. Captured in 1918, the captive Sontaran discusses human history as seen through his eyes. This is a much more articulate Sontaran than has been seen in the past, and his comparisons between his culture and that of his captors is interesting.
Captain Wells' hardest problem is getting the Sontaran to trust her--to her he is definitely involved with the deaths, or he knows the cause. But he is soon interviewing her.
John Wadmore has portrayed Sontarans in one video production and now two audios, and he has been able to make unique individuals of each member of this race of clones.
This storyline does have a few problems, such as one character talking to the mike, an overly emotional reaction on another's part (and this a soldier!), and an extremely illogical final scene that didn't seem to follow any military procedure. But the first part started off interesting, until the amount of information/history began to be overwhelming. With this and "Punchline" BBV seems to be trying something different than straightforward adventures.
The cast consists of Sally Faulkner as Wells and John Wadmore,
who also directed, as Commander Brak. "Old Soldiers"s script editing is by Paul Ebbs and post production, excellent sound effects and haunting music are by Mike Neilson.
60 minutes.
Story #23
"Infidel's Comet"
by Colin Hill and Simon Gerard
The people who wrote "Sontarans: Old Warriors" return with a story of a huge comet on a collision heading with Earth. BBC reporter Kate Spencer is on the scene as the comet instead goes into orbit. Tentacles sprout from the 'comet' and the broadcast goes dead. The story then switches from live action to a narration by Henry, a bank robber commenting from some later time on how people reacted to the comet while he and his partner Jimmy robbed a bank. Tentacles rip off the roof of the bank and snatch up both Jimmy and Henry. Then the story switches back to the live broadcast from the BBC, and reporter Kate Spencer is snatched.
The switches from live action to Henry's narration of his memory of the event are very disconcerting. Plus, Henry doesn't seem to be a stereotypical bank robber--he can identify Sontarans, Zygons and 'Slanties' and knows about traveling in space. Narration is one way of telling the listener what is happening during an audio story, but it does remove the sense of danger, since obviously the narrator survived. And then the listener learns something else about the three taken from Earth.
While BBV's attempt at original sf is interesting, too many elements just suddenly pop up--aliens, robots, religious leaders--leaving the listener muttering, "What? Huh?" far too many times. Best for the listener to think of it as a Hitchhiker's Guide-type story--anyone expecting straight science fiction will be disappointed. My opinion on this story is very low also because of the way the story is told, with live action for one character, narration of past events for another character, and back to live action ("oh no, I'm being lifted up into the air").
Jo Castleton is Kate Spencer. The cast also includes Paul Ryan as
Henry, Kieran Smith as Jimmy, Adam Stafford as John Haworth
and Gary Barber as Terin. "Infidel's Comet" is directed by Jo
Castleton, with post production and music by Mike Neilson.
60 minutes.
Disc #24
"On CD: Music by Mike Neilson"
Included in the CD case for Story #23 is an hour long CD consisting of a short interview of Mike Neilson conducted by Bill Baggs, and the music from "Absolution", "Silent Warrior", "Cybergeddon" and "Old Soldiers". The interview only lasts about twenty minutes, but the background story of how Mike Neilson composes the music is interesting.
I've remarked before in other reviews how innovative and haunting the music from those stories have been. To be able to listen to several tracks of these pieces uninterrupted is a treat. I just wish I could have gotten this CD separately.
60 minutes.
Story #25
"The Pattern"
by Mark Duncan
Mark Duncan's newest story opens with Logan explaining the Omni, the interdimensional pathways she uses to travel. Then her mission begins as Orb warns her that anomaly has been located.
In the mountains of Ecuador, Coleridge, a budgetary administrator, arrives at the Mount Chimborazo Radio Observatory with bad news for Doctors Chase and Easton. But the fate of the Observatory becomes complicated when a strange surge of energy strikes the radio antenna and something invades the computer system. Logan is found in the generator room and blamed when something invisible starts killing people.
This is an excellent story, with believable and likeable characters, good science, fast paced action and nice suspense. The isolated base under threat plot is a common horror story, and this version is very nicely done, thanks to an excellent cast. Mike Neilson's music nicely sets the place and mood.
Susan Travers is the alien Logan and her assistant Orb, Peter
Yapp as Coleridge, Catherine Barker as the perceptive Doctor Veronica Chase, Carlos Amsell as Mac and Brett James as Doctor Michael Easton. Music by Mike Neilson, Post Production by Gareth Preston, Script Editor/Director Paul Ebbs.
60 minutes
I hope that this is only the first of many stories about Logan, Orb, and their travels in the Omni.
Highly recommended.