Happy Birthday, Dark Shadows

It was 45 years ago today when my second favorite show, the Gothic cult soap Dark Shadows, aired its first episode on ABC TV.

Enemy of the Daleks

I usually approach any Dalek audio dramas with some trepidation as they're usually far too loud, with the screeching Dalek voices, death rays and explosions ramped up to ten+. Thankfully, this wasn't the case with Enemy of the Daleks, and I was actually able to enjoy the story.

The tale’s main hook is certainly an interesting idea to explore; even more so when the Doctor is to play a key role in the titular enemy of the Daleks’ fate. The Kesabia (Japanese for “parasite savior”) - creations of an unhinged scientist desperate to win an unremitting war - are the Daleks’ opposite numbers in every respect, save for, of course, their overriding advantage – they eat metal. And, as if that weren’t enough, once they’ve eaten their way through a Dalek’s casing, they lay the eggs of their young within the Dalek mutant.

The Kesabia are a dangerous breed; so dangerous, in fact, that the Doctor knows it’s only a matter of time before they will wipe out not only the Daleks but humanity too, to say nothing of any other races that they might encounter. One of this story’s central themes is the examination of how far one has to go to beat a monster. And so the scheming, controlling, and utterly ruthless Seventh Doctor reappears in order to wipe out the Kesabia.

Meanwhile, the natural warrior in Ace really shines through in this play, blending into the Valkyrie unit effortlessly. Encountering the Daleks for the first time, Hex is well and truly out of his league here. His witnessing the death and destruction the creatures cause evokes Tegan's similar feelings in Resurrection of the Daleks.

Overall, this was one of Big Finish Productions' better Dalek stories. Thought provoking and deliciously relentless, it maintains the high quality of the latest run of Seventh Doctor/Ace/Hex adventures.

The Magic Mousetrap

Another excellent audio play featuring the team of the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex, The Magic Mousetrap is a wonderfully dark story by Matthew Sweet, which features several twists and surprises along the way. Notably, the Doctor is kept guessing as to his predicament thanks to a bout of amnesia while, behind the scenes, Ace and Hex are pulling the strings on orders the Time Lord can't remember. It's a nice twist for this most manipulative of Doctors.

Probably the best moment is the return of a villain (which I won't spoil in case anyone who reads this hasn't listened to this adventure yet) who hasn't been seen since the Hartnell era, and it's pulled off beautifully.

The climax is a little rushed, but that's a minor quibble. Especially when there's so much to enjoy in this surreal and macabre tale.

Dark Shadows Title Sequence (Revival Series Style)

Because I love me some Dark Shadows!

Spoilers, Sweetie!

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Forty-Five

One of the best things to happen to the already brilliant pairing of the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) was bringing in a new companion, Hex (Philip Olivier) for them both to spark off of. It created a wonderful dynamic between the three characters, as well as offering a much-needed fresh perspective on Ace and this particular incarnation of the Doctor.

Big Finish has explored a few full-cast anthology releases before this, but I have to say that Forty-Five might well be my favorite. The only weak story of the vignettes was the second, Order of Simplicity, however it still had much to offer.

I particular enjoyed The Word Lord, which not only introduced the fascinating titular new villain - brilliantly played by Paul Reynolds - but also wove the overall story strands together effortlessly. Another release I heartily recommend.

Doctor Who'ing

Beth, Wes and I had another wonderful day continuing our marathon viewing of Doctor Who from the beginning. This time we watched "The Crusade", "The Space Museum" and "The Chase".

During "The Crusade", it was again lamented that the series doesn't take the chance of making historical stories anymore. Wes appreciated how the four time travelers were handled, and Beth and I commented on the rich depth of David Whitaker's Shakespearean script. Wes found it hard to believe anyone would mistake Vicki for a boy. Just wait till we reach "The Smugglers"! How any of those pirates could mistake Polly of all the female companions for a lad beggars belief.

"The Space Museum" was appreciated for its doing something different with time, and for the dilemma the Doctor and his companions faced. Vicki was again praised for being far more pro-active than Susan could ever hope to be. Beth and Wes were pleasantly surprised by a young Jeremy Bulloch (the future Boba Fett) appearing. The Moroks' badger-style hair produced a laugh, as did the fact that the planet Xeros seemed to be populated by twinks!

Of the three stories, I think "The Chase" was enjoyed the most. The opening sequence with the time/space visualizer was singled out as being particularly good. We couldn't help but draw comparisons to the different locations used throughout the story with those in Star Wars: Aridius (Tatooine), Mechanus (Dagobah), and the Mechanoid City (Cloud City)! Beth really liked the vignettes set in those myriad times and places, and she grew fond of Steven Taylor despite his brief appearance. She was happy when I hinted he just might have been able to slip inside the TARDIS.

Beth was also glad that Ian and Barbara had a nice send off. It always brings a lump to my throat watching the two schoolteachers part company with the Doctor who, after 16 stories, grew fond of these interlopers to the point where he didn't want them to go.

After "The Time Meddler" next time, we'll be heading into reconstruction madness. With so many episodes missing from Season 3, I hope it won't be too tough on my awesome friends.