Doctor Who and Big Finish: Third Doctor recommendations

The Third Doctor has had many adventures, both on and off the screen. This week, some of his audio stories are on sale from Big Finish. But which ones are worth checking out?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Once again, Big Finish have another sale on for a selection of their Doctor Who stories. This week, the Third Doctor is featured. Out of the stories included, what’s worth listening to?

Following on from last week’s Second Doctor sale, Big Finish are now moving onto audios based on the next Doctor’s era, Jon Pertwee.

The Third Doctor’s era was overall very different to his predecessor’s. Gone were the Doctor’s travels in time and space, at least initially. For a long time, the Third Doctor was exiled on (more or less) contemporary Earth, unable to use his TARDIS except on missions for the Time Lords.

But his time stuck there was far from boring. During his years of living on Earth, the planet was attacked by multiple alien invasions. Fortunately, he had help fighting these off, both from his companions Liz Shaw and later on Jo Grant, and from UNIT, the military organization originally lead by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

In his last two seasons, the Third Doctor was eventually granted his freedom by the Time Lords, and he was finally allowed to travel anywhere in time and space again. These adventures off-world would usually be very colorful, full of strange worlds and numerous alien races.

Like so much of Doctor Who, the Third Doctor’s era was a perfect fit for its time. A great deal of it was focused on action and adventure, while also allowing the Third Doctor to show off his fashion sense and martial arts, as well as his intellect. So his era will always be distinctive, and a perfect fit for the early Seventies.

So what stories can we expect from his travels on audio? Well, there are alien invasions, travels to other worlds, evil puppets and of course: Daleks! But which stories do we recommend? Well, let’s take a look at each of these very different releases…

The Lost Stories: The Mega

Last week, I complained about the Second Doctor audio Prison in Space. Specifically, how it was so dated and sexist that it was actually completely understandable why the production team decided not to make it on TV, even in the late Sixties.

Thankfully, The Mega, another story that had originally been planned for TV but wasn’t produced at the time, doesn’t have such problems. Instead, it’s a rather intriguing story that would’ve been a good serial for the era it was made in.

There are also some really great layers of political tension within this story. You’re not sure entirely what’s going on, and there’s an intriguing mystery to it all. In some ways, it’s very reminiscent of stories from Pertwee’s first season. Stories like The Silurians and The Ambassadors of Death felt very political. This is certainly true of The Mega, at times.

A small cast

If there’s one thing that holds this story back from being truly reminiscent of its era, it’s the cast. Specifically, just how small it is. This is a story that features the Third Doctor, Jo Grant, Mike Yates and the Brigadier. However, because the only surviving actors of the original cast are the middle two, the story doesn’t quite capture the feel of that distinctive team.

It feels like the Companion Chronicles: a mixture of both narrated story and partial drama. That works for a range that tells its story directly from the companion’s perspective and in the first person. Not to mention that these stories are considerably shorter, being only one hour long each. But it doesn’t work so well for an audio release that’s over three hours long.

Big Finish would eventually find a solution to this casting problem just a couple of years later. At this point though, the adapted format of the story holds it back, somewhat. The Mega is a good story, and there’s plenty to enjoy if you can accept the format. But this won’t quite immerse as many listeners in the Third Doctor’s era as other releases on sale right now.

The Third Doctor meets Mike Yates for the first time in Vengeance of the Stones.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Destiny of the Doctor: Vengeance of the Stones

Every week, Big Finish are having a different story in the Destiny of the Doctor series on sale. This series has a similar format to the Companion Chronicles series in that stories are partially narrated and partially dramatized. However, unlike The Mega, this story is kept to just over an hour long, leaving the focus of the story much tighter.

And what Vengeance of the Stones focuses on is very interesting indeed. Because it introduces a brand new character. At least, from the Doctor’s and the Brigadier’s point of view: Lieutenant Mike Yates.

Mike Yates is an absolutely brilliant character from the Third Doctor’s era. During his time as a companion, he was loyal and a huge part of the UNIT team.

Endings and beginnings

During his final season, however, everything changed. He became part of a conspiracy to reset the Earth to a “golden age”, one long before the age of man. However, the scheme was stopped, Yates was forced to take a leave of absence and quietly resign. He eventually redeemed himself in Planet of the Spiders (sporting a gloriously Seventies haircut at the time, too).

Mike’s had an interesting journey, one more developed than many others of the Doctor’s friends. But oddly enough, we never saw or heard the story of how the Doctor first met him. At least, not on screen.

That’s where Vengeance of the Stones comes in. Essentially, it’s something of an “origin” story for the character, and explores just how he joined UNIT. It’s a fascinating story by Andrew Smith, and feels like a natural part of Mike’s journey.

It’s also a really interesting story in its own right, and because it is only focused on a few characters, the small cast doesn’t take anything away from it. Overall, it’s a really great “introduction story” for a much-loved character, and a decent one for fans of the Third Doctor.

The Companion Chronicles: The Scorchies

What if the Muppets were in fact a bunch of absolutely psychotic aliens who wanted to take over the world? If you’ve never asked this question before, don’t worry, and in fact, it’s more reassuring if you haven’t. But James Goss has, which would be worrying if it didn’t give us this absolutely bonkers gem of a story.

The Scorchies features Jo taking part in a cute little TV series called The Scorchies Show. Taking the form of children’s entertainment, it features all the key elements you’d expect: songs! Making things! Puppets! Hypnotism! Wait, what?

Katy Manning does a terrific job performing this story. Considering she’s voicing for the Scorchies as much as she’s voicing for Jo, she has to include a lot of versatility across numerous roles. Fortunately, she more than rises up to the challenge, and clearly has fun with the story, too.

Some very dangerous puppets

The Scorchies are also a brilliant monster. Through James Goss’s writing and Katy Manning’s performance, they capture the fun and the energy of the Muppets and other classic puppet shows. But there’s also a strong element of both dark comedy and horror mixed in with them, too. They’re a very interesting and very different kind of monster.

They also have a sequel, or perhaps in this case, prequel episode that’s well worth checking out. In the opening episode of Jago & Litefoot: Series Eight, the Scorchies become a huge attraction for Jago’s New Regency Theatre in Encore of the Scorchies. An absolutely extravagant and brilliantly bold musical, this is a wonderful story that’s well worth checking out.

In fact, the same is true of their original story. The Scorchies is a really fun listen, and captures the fun spirit of the Pertwee era while providing a very different take on it at the same time.

The Third Doctor Adventures

For those looking for stories that come the closest to recapturing the Third Doctor’s era, then The Third Doctor Adventures ranges is definitely for you. Because these stories are full-cast, featuring stories that seamlessly fit the era and, most important of all, features a brand new actor for the Third Doctor.

It has to be said, recasting such an iconic role was a bold move on Big Finish’s part. Oh, the character of the Doctor has been recast many times, and in fact is one of the best aspects of the show’s longevity.

But what’s bold about this particular instance is that a brand new actor has been used to portray a previously established interpretation of the Time Lord. Jon Pertwee’s gloriously dandy incarnation is incredibly memorable, and no one really forgets the particular way he speaks. When it came to recasting the role, Big Finish needed to do it exactly right.

With Tim Treloar, they did just that. Treloar’s absolutely fantastic as the Third Doctor, and captures so many of his speech patterns and mannerisms. He also has excellent chemistry with Katy Manning, and she’s clearly very supportive of both him and his interpretation, which is fantastic to hear.

Volume one

We’ve been given a number of great stories from this series already, which all kicked off with volume one in Prisoners of the Lake.

This story has echoes of TV classics such as The Daemons, where something mysterious and ancient would be uncovered that very soon threatens to bring about the end of the world. And of course, aliens would be involved.

Prisoners of the Lake is an intriguing story that makes sure to reveal more as time goes on. Being mostly set underwater, it also provides a rather different location for the Third Doctor and his friends. Overall, it’s a really strong start to the series.

The Havoc of Empires just might be my favorite of the first volume. It does an absolutely brilliant job of being the kind of story that we got with The Curse of Peladon. To balance out so many stories of fighting invasions on modern-day Earth, we get a story that’s not only off-planet, but also absolutely filled with numerous alien races.

We also have an intriguing mystery going on in The Havoc of Empires. Just like The Curse of Peladon, the story feels very political, which is another way of fitting perfectly into the original era. Overall, this one’s a very strong story, and an essential listen for fans of the Third Doctor.

Volume two

Volume two features The Transcendence of Ephros by Guy Adams. This is another intriguing story, which has echoes of stories such as Colony in Space or The Mutants. Particularly with exploring themes of exploitation and greed.

Cults and religion are also carefully focused on and explored. People should be entitled to their beliefs, but if those beliefs will get them killed, is the Doctor right to convince them otherwise? So there’s an interesting moral dilemma presented with this story.

And if all of that wasn’t intriguing enough, The Transcendence of Ephros also introduces a very interesting new villain…

More from Winter is Coming

The Hidden Realm is another story set on Earth, although once again, it’s a little bit different to your typical invasion story. In some ways, it’s more low-key, and focuses on a very strange mystery happening in Bramfield New Town.

This story has some interesting and very spooky moments early on, before the real threat is revealed. And it’s a very different kind of threat indeed. One that has higher priorities than simply invading, this time.

Overall The Hidden Realm feels more quaint than your usual Pertwee story, in a good way. Together with The Transcendance of Ephros, it’s another enjoyable story that makes the second volume of The Third Doctor Adventures another easy release to recommend.

Volume three

Volume three is definitely recommended if you like Daleks, as The Conquest of Far features the Doctor and Jo going up against them once more, in a story taking place directly after Planet of the Daleks, which in turn had directly followed Frontier in Space. Surprisingly, other than the Daleks themselves, it doesn’t connect much to either of those serials. But it’s still an enjoyable story that captures Dalek stories well from that era.

However, while The Conquest of Far is enjoyable, it’s not my personal highlight of the set. That would go to Andrew Smith’s Storm of the Horofax. I absolutely love this story. It takes a look at not just a very different kind of threat, but also a horrifying use of time, too. Add in an incredibly strong and emotional ending, and you’ve got a really fantastic audio adventure, and probably one of the best of the range so far.

Torchwood: God Among Us begins on Tuesday 23rd October!. dark. Next

So those are all my recommendations and thoughts on the ones currently on sale. What are yours? Have you listened to any of these stories? If so, which ones leapt out to you? Which ones would you recommend? Let us know in the comments below.

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Doctor Who and Big Finish: Third Doctor on sale – what’s worth checking out?

By James Aggas | Oct 21, 2018