Heroes of Sontar

The first in a second trilogy of adventures for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and an older Nyssa, Heroes of Sontar sees the debut of the Sontarans on audio. As with the most recent TV adventure, A Good Man Goes to War, this story makes novel use of the Sontarans by presenting the most inept platoon ever cloned. Although I'm not a fan of characters taking the piss out of baddies--particularly Tegan's constant putdowns here--it makes for some surprisingly humorous situations.

What I liked best about the play was the interactions of the time travelers with the Sontarans, especially Turlough, as well as the combined threat of Rutans and the terrifying-sounding Witch Guards. The only real downside was Nyssa's problem, which never felt as if anything terrible might happen to her.

Overall, it was a good story and a promising start to a new series of adventures for this reuinted team.

Cobwebs

It's been quite some time since I last heard one of the full cast Fifth Doctor audio dramas. But, I really wanted to hear this latest trilogy as it featured Janet Fielding reprising her role as Tegan after years of being reticent about performing again. It really is a joy to hear her interacting with Peter Davison's Doctor again, and she slips back into the part as if she's never been away.

The atmosphere of Cobwebs was dark and haunting, and the sense of exploring a new planet was tangible. Part One's cliffhanger is brilliant, being reminiscent of The Space Museum. Where this play really works is the chemistry and interactions of the four leads. The twist of meeting up with an older Nyssa is very well done, and it's nice to hear her paired up with Turlough. Speaking of whom, the opening TARDIS scene in which Tegan rails at the Doctor over Turlough's treachery feels so right, and could almost be a deleted scene from the Classic Series!

A definite winner. 5/5 stars