Doctor Who review: Shadow of the Sun is an impressive production
By James Aggas
Recorded and released entirely during lockdown, new Doctor Who audio Shadow of the Sun is an extremely impressive production.
Shadow of the Sun is a pretty amazing release from Big Finish. Recorded and released entirely during lockdown, it’s a production that really shows off exactly what the audio company can do. Even with pretty extreme restrictions – to the extent that everyone had to record at separate locations rather than in-studio – it sounds exactly as polished and professional as any other Big Finish release.
But is the story itself any good? While Big Finish was keen to release this and really show off exactly what they could do, that doesn’t necessarily mean that this new Fourth Doctor audio is an enjoyable listen.
Thankfully, Shadow of the Sun more than stands well on its own terms. Robert Valentine has written a great story that takes some surprising twists and turns, while also exploring some interesting themes. Yes, this is definitely a story with a “message” – specifically, that blind faith can be dangerous when it ignores actual facts. But it’s also a thrilling adventure for the Fourth Doctor, Leela and K9.
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
Familiar yet surprising
Shadow of the Sun begins with the TARDIS team arriving on a luxury spaceship. Everyone onboard is celebrating, but why? Where is the ship heading to? And why have the guests started to go missing…?
The plot kicks off at a fast pace and continues as such for the rest of the story. Valentine knows not to include too much with this one, giving us a clear mix of both mystery and disaster story. But at the same time, he doesn’t make things too predictable, either. There were one or two twists that I was pleasantly surprised by, something that honestly doesn’t happen often. So it’s nice when a Doctor Who story that feels comfortably familiar can surprise you like that.
At the centre of the story is an idea. A particularly dangerous one that has somehow convinced almost all of the ship’s passengers. An idea so incredibly and utterly stupid, that in this day and age, you can believe that people would believe it. Robert Valentine has used something as modern as dumb conspiracy theories and used it to create a strong Fourth Doctor story that still feels true of its era.
Overall, Shadow of the Sun is quite an impressive release. It’s amazing to think not just how the story was recorded, but how quickly it was completed, too. On top of that, it’s a rather strong and enjoyable Doctor Who story, too. You can listen to it yourself right now by purchasing and downloading it directly from Big Finish’s website. Oh, and make sure to listen to the extras afterwards, which provide a fascinating glimpse into how it was made.
Next. News: Write a short story for Big Finish!. dark
Have you listened to Shadow of the Sun yet? Did you enjoy it? Do you think it explored particularly interesting themes? Let us know in the comments below.