Doctor Who and Big Finish: Eighth Doctor recommendations

The Eighth Doctor has enjoyed many adventures with Big Finish over the years. In their current sale this week, which do we recommend the most?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

This week, Big Finish are focusing on the Eighth Doctor in their weekly sales of Doctor Who audios! Which stories are particularly worth checking out?

Now, by this point, you may have noticed that I’m a huge fan of Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor. Despite only getting the Doctor Who TV movie and the minisode The Night of the Doctor on-screen, he’s this particular writer’s all-time favorite. A key reason for that? Big Finish.

Beginning with Storm Warning in 2001, Big Finish Productions have given us a huge number of audios featuring McGann’s all-too-brief Doctor. Interestingly, many of these were released before the show came back in 2005, which made him the “current” Doctor at the time. As such, there was the was the exciting feeling that his stories could go anywhere.

Not that the audios since 2005 have been bad. In fact, we’ve had so many truly amazing stories, even when we vaguely knew where the Eighth Doctor’s story would end. Particularly with Dark Eyes, where his Doctor was shown to be heading in a darker direction.

After the Night of the Doctor

2013 only added to the storytelling potential when we finally got Eight’s long overdue regeneration story, finally fleshing out his role in the Time War. Since then, we’ve had many stories already of Eight doing his best to avoid the Time War directly, while still trying to help innocent lives who’ve been caught up in it.

From 2016 to 2018, I reviewed most of Eight’s stories in order, to really see how much his character developed. (Although I must admit, it wasn’t my first time listening to any of them. Like I said, I’m a massive fan of Eight.)

More than any other Doctor, Big Finish have helped to flesh out his character and development so much. To the point where they were actually acknowledged in Eight’s on-screen regeneration story when he mentioned his companions!

As such, his audios are perhaps even more crucial to his story than with any other Doctor’s. However, there are so many out there that it’s difficult to know where to begin! Fortunately, much of the selection that Big Finish have on sale this week are perfect jumping-on points. Let’s have a look at each of them.

The Eighth Doctor and his companion Charley encounter aliens of a different kind in Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens

The eighth story in the Destiny of the Doctor series, Enemy Aliens is a perfect story for fans to be introduced to the magnificent Charlotte Pollard: Edwardian Adventuress!

Charley had quite the journey with Eight. From 2001 to 2007, the two shared many adventures together. Some of them were light and fun. Some were dark and horrific. And some were deeply emotional for both of them.

However, Enemy Aliens, Big Finish’s only story on sale featuring the two (other than fiftieth anniversary multi-Doctor story The Light at the End), is certainly one of the lighter adventures that they’ve shared together. Since it was made years after the pair’s original run, it’s also free from major arcs or continuity of their era, and just gives us a straightforward adventure story.

A classic spy thriller

Enemy Aliens captures the feel of a great spy or conspiracy thriller, with the Doctor and Charley caught up in something big in 1935. However, they’re not entirely sure what it is. It’s a story filled with a lot of twists and turns, and is definitely an exciting listen.

Along with a strong performance and narration from India Fisher as Charley, we’ve also got Michael Maloney as Hillary. Maloney’s always a fantastic actor, and that’s certainly no different here. It’s great hearing the friendship he forms with Charley over the course of a very unusual adventure.

Enemy Aliens may not feature McGann himself, but it does give you a good idea of his earlier adventures, and it lets you know exactly what all the fuss about Charley is all about. Certainly worth a listen.

Blood of the Daleks (Parts 1 and 2)

Now this is the kind of story that I’m sure more of you will be interested in. Particularly as it’s the first story featuring Lucie Miller, and as a result, represents a clear jumping-on point for the Eighth Doctor and his many adventures.

The Eighth Doctor Adventures was particularly exciting back in 2007, as it aimed to tell stories for Eight in a style much closer to the New Series than the Classic.

As a result, it aimed to be a completely fresh starting point for all Doctor Who fans, free from a lot of continuity while still developing a great Doctor/companion relationship. It also aimed for something close to the style of storytelling that had been achieved by Russell T Davies.

Lucie Miller

Blood of the Daleks was a great opening for this particular range. Particulary for how it introduces Lucie Miller, as played by much-loved British actress Sheridan Smith. From the very start, Smith and McGann share excellent banter with each other, and Lucie really stands out as a companion.

Particularly since it’s not made initially clear just how she ended up in the TARDIS, or why she’s there. Which is, of course, something the Doctor isn’t too happy about. But then, neither is Lucie.

We’ve also got a great, low-key Dalek story, too. Less about destroying the universe this time, this focuses on the Daleks “helping” the people of the planet Red Rocket Rising, which has recently suffered a terrible disaster. But what are the Daleks really up to?

With an intriguing story and some great performances, (including Hayley Attwell, a little while before she became huge,) Blood of the Daleks is a very strong opening story, and is perfect for fans of the Russell T Davies era to check out.

Dark Eyes

Back in 2012, Dark Eyes was huge. Fans were so eager to hear it, that Big Finish servers actually crashed on release day due to so many trying to download it at the same time. That should give you an indication of just how anticipated this box set was.

There were a few reasons for this. The most obvious was how The Eighth Doctor Adventures ended. To The Death was a dark and brutal finale, and left the Eighth Doctor in a really bad place, by the end. He was a man on the edge, and we had no idea where he would go from here.

So knowing Dark Eyes would continue directly from where To The Death left off was already exciting. Especially after an eighteen-month gap between the two.

There was also Eight’s new look. Yes, it’s audio, but the new look revealed on the cover promised a darker Eighth Doctor than what we’d had before.

A darker Doctor

Dark Eyes didn’t disappoint. While it did tell a story of another dark and evil plan by the Daleks, the story was much more focused on the Eighth Doctor and his new companion Molly O’Sullivan. Particularly how he’s been given something to hope for by protecting her.

McGann gives one of his very best performances as Eight here, and we’re given a very different side to his Doctor in this story. It’s a really enjoyable four-hour character drama, and a major story for the Eighth Doctor.

Despite continuing directly from To The Death, it’s also a great jumping-on point, too. Particularly as we see the Eighth Doctor through new companion Molly’s eyes.

The story is also self-contained in this box set, too. Despite there being three sequel box sets – all of which are enjoyable to listen to – you won’t feel like there’s anything left unresolved at the end. Of course, if you were looking for something more ongoing…

Doom Coalition 1

I’ve got to admit, I’m a big fan of Doom Coalition. It’s an incredibly ambitious series, and it admittedly does take a while to pay off. If you’re looking for something that has everything resolved in a single four-hour box set, Doom Coalition 1 won’t be for you.

Not that I’m saying it’s bad, far from it. It’s at least as great a starting point as Dark Eyes, possibly more so. While the series carries Liv over as a companion from the later Dark Eyes box sets, that’s really all the continuity the first box set includes. And the major continuity in later box sets – such as the Weeping Angels and River Song – are mainly from the New Series, anyway.

While Dark Eyes itself is mostly standalone, despite continuing so directly from the previous era, the later box sets are considerably heavier, continuity wise. There’s Alex Macqueen’s Master, who new listeners may wonder where he first came from; major Big Finish villain the Eminence is a key part of the overall series, and even Liv was in Robophobia before she showed up in Dark Eyes and became a companion.

By contrast, Doom Coalition 1 is, on the whole, mainly focused on brand new villains. Which is definitely refreshing. Especially when you’re introduced to one of the greatest villains in Doctor Who ever: the Eleven.

A strong start

A psychopathic Time Lord with all ten of his previous personalities stuck inside his head, the Eleven is a brilliantly written character, and Mark Bonnar’s amazing performance is a marvel to listen to. It’s no wonder that the character has continued to crop up throughout the Eighth Doctor’s era since, and his first episode (which of course is simply titled The Eleven) gets Doom Coalition off to a brilliant start.

On top of all of that, we also got The Red Lady. Basically, this is the audio equivalent of Blink. Not just because both have a very scary idea that’s focused on perception, but both are absolute masterpieces, too. This episode alone is worth buying the first box set for.

I will admit that the other episodes in this set aren’t quite as strong, however. The Galileo Trap is an interesting diversion, but it definitely isn’t as enjoyable as the first two episodes. And The Satanic Mill isn’t the strongest of finales, even when taking into account that it isn’t quite a finale, in this case.

Still, if you’re curious whether Doom Coalition as a whole is worth it, check out this overview for the whole series and see if that helps your decision. Personally, I’d definitely say the series was worth checking out. But what of the next chronological series?

Ravenous 1

Ravenous 1 is a bit of a strange box set. Because, unlike every other entry on this list, and despite being the first box set of the series, this isn’t the best of jumping-on points for new listeners.

The final Doom Coalition box set did admittedly resolve all the major plot threads. But it also left one major cliffhanger open involving a companion, something that the whole of Ravenous 1 is essentially built around resolving. No new companions are introduced, and there’s a lot of emotional fallout from the ending of the previous series to resolve. So it’s a very natural continuation of Doom Coalition.

But the lack of easy access for new listeners isn’t the only reason why I’m less likely to recommend this particular box set. As much as I liked the two-part story, World of Damnation/Sweet Salvation, I have to be honest: Ravenous 1 is one of my least favorite Eighth Doctor box sets.

It’s not just the fact that the mixture of starting things fresh while continuing a lot of major elements feels like a clash in tone. It’s also the fact that it delays the main story – finding a lost companion.

Or rather, how it delays it. Because if it had been done in a satisfying way, I might have enjoyed it more. As it is, the main story is delayed for reasons that are honestly rather weak.

For example, while his friend is still missing, the Doctor goes on a completely unrelated adventure with Winston Churchill. Their Finest Hour isn’t a bad story, but it does feel misplaced, especially when Doom Coalition‘s cliffhanger felt so urgent.

Arc and standalone – a difficult balance?

The writers and producers have mentioned that they wanted more standalone stories in this series compared to the last two. Which is actually a really good goal to have. Both Dark Eyes and Doom Coalition were incredibly arc heavy, after all. So going for more standalone stories for the Eighth Doctor is a refreshing idea.

But honestly, they don’t quite achieve that with the first box set. Honestly, if they had the two-parter that resolved the major cliffhanger properly at the start of the series, and then giving us more standalone episodes in the second half, that could have got the series off to a stronger start.

Especially since Ravenous 2 is so incredibly enjoyable, with extremely strong standalone stories. (The two-parter Better Watch Out/Fairytale of Salzburg is an essential story to listen to this Christmas, and possibly every Christmas after.)

I’d recommend that more to new listeners than the first one, if I’m honest. Ravenous 1 isn’t terrible, far from it. It’s just the weakest opening we’ve had for an Eighth Doctor series yet.

The next box set, on the other hand…

The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 1

I absolutely love this box set. It honestly gets the Eighth Doctor’s own Time War series off to a very strong start.

Released just over a year ago, The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 1 was far from Big Finish’s first exploration of the war. After all, John Hurt starred in a four volume series that focused heavily on the War Doctor’s role in the conflict, and overall, that was a very enjoyable series.

More from Winter is Coming

The Time War 1 wasn’t even the first the time that Big Finish had featured the Eighth Doctor in a Time War story. Both of the Classic Doctors, New Monsters box sets featured Eighth Doctor stories firmly set in the conflict.

But The Time War 1 was able to feature the conflict in a more full-on way with McGann’s Doctor. While his previous stories set during the war were more on the sidelines – facing the Sontarans in one episode and escaping the Vashta Nerada in another – this box set had him much more involved.

The big question was, of course, how could you make the Eighth Doctor heavily involved in Time War battles, when you’ve also got this key line in The Night of the Doctor?

"I’m not part of the war. I swear to you, I never was."

Big Finish actually gives a satisfying answer to this question. He may find himself in the middle of battles, but never through choice. Certainly, he’d never act like a soldier in them himself.

The conscientious objector

One episode in particular, The Conscript, is actually entirely focused around this. The Doctor finds himself forcibly recruited as a soldier to fight in the war. But instead, the Doctor does nothing but rebel the whole time, trying hard to continually fight the system and brighten up everyone’s lives. It’s an excellent character episode, and a nice break away from the front lines while fully exploring exactly how Eight feels about the Time War.

I’d definitely recommend new listeners jump on board with this one, especially if they’ve only been exposed to the New Series so far and want to learn more about the Time War.

It also features so much of what makes Eight such a brilliant Doctor. He’s continually trying hard to fight for what’s right, and even when he acknowledges that it’s almost impossible during a time of such widespread conflict, he’s still going to try. It’s another perfect example of why he’s my favorite Doctor.

Next. Daleks – why the Sixties was their best decade. dark

Is Eight one of your favorite Doctors? Have you listened to any of these stories before? Which stories grab your interest? Let us know in the comments below.

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

By James Aggas | Nov 28, 2018