Year: 2010

Categories
8th Doctor Doctor Who The Audio Dramas

Deimos

Doctor Who: DeimosThe Doctor and Tamsin arrive in a human-built museum on Deimos, the largest of Mars’ two moons, and the site of a frozen enclave of the now-extinct Ice Warrior species. Only the Ice Warriors aren’t extinct: they’ve reawakened and have begun killing some of the tourists visiting the museum and taking others as hostages. Naturally, the moment that the human administrators on Deimos notice that something is going horribly wrong, it’s easiest to place the blame on the time travelers. The Doctor takes more decisive action, leaving the hapless humans with no choice but to trust him. He allows himself to be captured by the Ice Warriors so he can attempt to negotiate with them directly, but Ice Lord Ssladek is in no mood to talk – and he and his platoon are in a mood to kill indiscriminately. The body count mounts as the Doctor tries to keep either humans or Ice Warriors from being killed, but it all comes down to evacuating every human from Deimos so a last-resort failsafe – a man-made self-destruct mechanism that will destroy the entire moon – can be activated. But then a message is received from Deimos from a human who didn’t evacuate – a human who the Doctor didn’t even know was there. A human named Lucie Miller.

Order this CDwritten by Jonathan Morris
directed by Barnaby Edwards
music by Howard Carter

Cast: Paul McGann (The Doctor), Niky Wardley (Tamsin Drew), David Warner (Professor Boston Schooner), Nicky Henson (Gregson Grenville), Susan Brown (Margaret), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Temperance Finch), Nick Wilton (Harold), Nicholas Briggs (The Ice Warriors), Jack Brown (Pilot)

Notes: Phobos is mentioned as a “hippie retreat,” so it would seem that Deimos is set broadly in the same period as the eighth Doctor’s earlier visit to the other moon of Mars, though the two stories don’t necessarily happen in the same year or decade. The Doctor mentions having been present when the Ice Warriors had to abandon Mars; this is a reference to The Judgement Of Isskar, the first story in Big Finish’s Key 2 Time trilogy. There are also references to the Ice Warriors attack on Earth’s moon and takeover of T-Mat (The Seeds Of Death) as being somewhat ancient history.

Logbook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

The Empty Planet – Part 1

The Sarah Jane AdventuresClyde and Rani wake up one morning to find that they’re apparently the only human beings left anywhere in the world. Even Sarah has vanished without a trace – even leaving her sonic lipstick – and Mr. Smith is completely inert. The power is still on, but mobile phone networks are down. Clyde wonders why cars and planes haven’t crashed everywhere they go. After nearly a day of searching, they find one other human teenager, a boy named Gavin, and more trouble than they can handle, in the form of two huge robots roaming the streets.

Get the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Gareth Roberts
directed by Ashley Way
music by Sam Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra), Jocelyn Jee Esien (Carla Langer), Joe Mason (Gavin), Paul Kasey (Red Robot), Ruari Mears (Yellow Robot)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

The Empty Planet – Part 2

The Sarah Jane AdventuresGavin helps Rani out of a tight spot, cornered by a huge robot, but he balks when he hears Rani and Clyde planning to follow the robots back to their base instead of running for their lives. Clyde and Rani can only come up with one reason that they’ve been left alone on Earth – their “grounding” by the Judoon after their first run-in with Androvax – but that doesn’t apply to Gavin. The robots pursuing them turn out not to be deadly – and, as it happens, not even remotely interested in Clyde or Rani. Gavin is their target, and he’s the key to restoring life to Earth… and Rani and Clyde have sent him running for his own safety.

Get the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Gareth Roberts
directed by Ashley Way
music by Sam Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra), Jocelyn Jee Esien (Carla Langer), Joe Mason (Gavin), Paul Kasey (Red Robot), Ruari Mears (Yellow Robot), Jon Glover (voice of the Robots)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Caprica

Blowback

CapricaLacy Rand is shipped off to train with the STO on Gemenon, but the STO recruits’ ship is snagged by a larger craft in the upper atmosphere and boarded by armed men who seem to be using the STO’s terroristic approach against the new recruits. One by one, hostages are chosen for execution, and nothing – from total capitulation to their captors to professions of faith in their monotheistic belief system – seems to appease the armed thugs. Lacy sees little choice but to fight back.

Daniel Graystone discovers that the Guatrau has been smuggling Cylons off-world – a clear violation of Graystone’s contract to develop them as robotic soldiers for the government of Caprica – to the highest bidder. Sam Adama is incensed when he learns that the highest bidder in question is the STO, and Graystone summons the Guatrau to a meeting on Caprica in an effort to stall for time, offering a discovery big enough to stop the Cylon shipments: resurrection from death itself.

written by Kevin Murphy
directed by Omar Madha
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Peter Wingfield (Director Gara Singh), Jorge Montesi (The Guatrau), Ryan Robbins (Diego), Ryan Kennedy (Odin Sinclair), Chris Heyerdahl (Kevin Reikle), Anita Torrance (Mar-Beth), Panou (Olaf), Jim Thomson (voice of Serge), Eva Allan (Devanna), Tom McBeath (Agent Alpert), Calum Worthy (Cass), James Kirk (Sagitarron Recruit), Luc Roderique (Dex), Matthew Smalley (Cadet Recruit #1)

Notes: The airdate of this episode reflects its original premiere date in Canada. Blowback was the next episode slated to air when Syfy abruptly cancelled Caprica and pulled the show from the U.S. schedule; the final five (appropriately enough for a Galactica spinoff) episodes didn’t air in the U.S. until early 2011, when they were aired together as a “marathon” the marked the series’ exit from Syfy’s lineup.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
4th Doctor Doctor Who The Audio Dramas

Demon Quest Part 3: A Shard Of Ice

Doctor WhoThe Doctor and Mike Yates land the TARDIS on an icy, snowy, dead-man’s-curve pass, blocking the way of Albert Tiermann, hand-picked storyteller of the King. But Tiermann is troubled – he’s running short on inspiration and the punishment for failing to amuse the royalty with a new story is death. The Doctor tries to bolster Tiermann’s confidence, brandishing a volume of stories that he has yet to write to prove the storyteller’s future success. Tiermann becomes obsessed with this relic of the future: it could be a shortcut to his survival and prosperity. When a demonic presence arrives to stalk the Doctor yet again, Tiermann’s obsession with the Doctor’s book of his stories leaves him dangerously vulnerable to persuasion: if he does the demon’s bidding, he may be able to claim his prize.

Order this CDwritten by Paul Magrs
directed by Kate Thomas
music by Simon Power

Cast: Tom Baker (The Doctor), Richard Franklin (Mike Yates), Samuel West (Albert Tiermann), Carole Boyd (Frau Herz), Jan Francis (Ice Queen), Tom Lawrence (Hans), Susan Jameson (Mrs. Wibbsey)

Timeline: after The Demon Of Paris and before Starfall, and probably still before The Ribos Operation

Notes: The Doctor asks Mike if he was present for UNIT’s battles with the Yeti (The Web Of Fear); Mike responds that he hasn’t met them yet, “at least… not yeti…”

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Season 1 Walking Dead, The

Guts

The Walking DeadRescued from the dead by Glenn, Rick joins a small band of other survivors in Atlanta. With angry, violent racist Merle handcuffed on a rooftop, the group chops up a walker and covers Rick and Glenn with the blood and gore, hoping the terrible stench will allow them to wade through a crowd of walkers to reach some vehicles and escape Atlanta.

teleplay by Frank Darabont
based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore
and Charlie Adlard
directed by Michelle MacLaren
The Walking Deadmusic by Bear McCreary

Cast: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Emma Bell (Amy), Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Michael Rooker (Merle), Andrew Rothenberg (Jim), Juan Pareja (Morales), Irone Singleton (T-Dog)

LogBook entry by Robert Parson

Categories
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

Lost In Time – Part 1

The Sarah Jane AdventuresSummoned to a mysterious shop of curiosities, Sarah, Rani and Clyde are alarmed to discover that they’re been drafted into helping solve a mystery involving three artifacts made of an alien metal, scattered through Earth’s history. Without even being given a chance to refuse this assignment, the three are sent to different time periods – Clyde to war-torn England in 1941, Rani to the Tower of London in the last hours of the reign of the nine-day Queen, and Sarah to a house whose sole occupant is certain that the place is haunted. Each only has a limited amount of time to find the missing pieces, and each is in much more peril than they’re prepared for.

Get the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Rupert Laight
directed by Joss Agnew
music by Sam Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Cyril Nri (The Shopkeeper), Amber Beattie (Queen Jane), Elizabeth Rider (Mistress Ellen), Fiona Hampton (Lady Matilda), Richard Wisker (George), Tom Wlaschiha (Koenig), Gwyneth Keyworth (Emily), Lucie Jones (Gemma), Morgan-Faith Hughes (Katy), Llewcus Oaten (Ben)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

Lost In Time – Part 2

The Sarah Jane AdventuresThings aren’t go well in any of the points in Earth’s past where Sarah and her friends are looking for pieces of the alien relic. Even once she finds the dagger that is part of the relic, Rani becomes more involved in the fall of the Nine Day Queen, opting to stay in the past to protect her. In World War II, Clyde finds himself dealing with treachery on the home front as Germans attempt to gain a foothold on British soil. Their piece of the relic is in plain view, and under heavy guard. And the relic that Sarah is sent to find in the late 19th century is the key to a tragedy that binds past and future – and it’s a relic that she won’t succeed in bringing back to present-day Earth.

Get the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Rupert Laight
directed by Joss Agnew
music by Sam Watts & Dan Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Cyril Nri (The Shopkeeper), Amber Beattie (Queen Jane), Elizabeth Rider (Mistress Ellen), Fiona Hampton (Lady Matilda), Richard Wisker (George), Tom Wlaschiha (Koenig), Catherine Bailey (Miss Wyckham), Gwyneth Keyworth (Emily), Rowena Cooper (Angela), Lucie Jones (Gemma), Morgan-Faith Hughes (Katy), Llewcus Oaten (Ben)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Caprica

The Dirt Eaters

CapricaA young Sam Adama watches with envy as his older brother Joseph undergoes the first rite of Tauron manhood. The boys witness a brutal crime and, determined to prove his worthiness to their father, Sam slips into the scene of the crime and comes back with a gun. When the boys’ parents are questioned about the crime, and the gun is unexpectedly found under Sam’s bed, the Adama family is immediately suspected. Sam’s quest to prove he is a man has tragic consequences for both brothers.

Thirty years later, Joseph finds himself growing disgusted with the Guatrau’s business deal to secretly ship Cylons to the STO radicals, while Sam is disgusted that the Guartrau can’t see the value of deploying Cylons to help in the Tauron battle for independence. Joseph takes the risky move of dropping some thinly veiled suggestions to Daniel Graystone, and the Adama brothers once again form a pact: they’re joining forces to go up against the Tauron crime boss.

Meanwhile, in the virtual world of New Cap City, Zoe Graystone and Tamara Adama are also joining forces and remaking the landscape of the computer-generated world in their own image…

written by Matthew B. Roberts
directed by John Dahl
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Scott Porter (Nestor), Peter Wingfield (Director Gara Singh), Jorge Montesi (The Guatrau), Aleks Paunovic (William Adama Sr.), Elisabeth Rosen (Kolibri), Sina Najafi (William Adama), Genevieve Buchner (Tamara Adama), Panou (Olaf), Teryl Rothery (Evelyn), Jim Thomson (voice of Serge), Christian Tessier (Francis), Alison Araya (Isabelle Adama), Daleal Monjazeb (young Joseph), Alexander Kambolis (young Sam), Diego Diablo Del Mar (Bartender), William C. Vaughn (Fanboy), Nicola Anderson (GDD Receptionist), Colin Decker (Herac Soldier)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 1 Walking Dead, The

Tell It To The Frogs

The Walking DeadReunited with his family at a camp outside Atlanta, Rick is unaware his former police partner, Shane, has developed a romantic relationship with Lori, his wife, and a father figure to his son, Carl, thinking Rick had died weeks before. The group discovers a walker near the camp, and Daryl is told his brother Merle was left behind in Atlanta and may still be alive.

teleplay by Charles H. Eglee & Jack LoGiudice and Frank Darabont
story by Charles H. Eglee & Jack LoGiudice
based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore
and Charlie Adlard
directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton
The Walking Deadmusic by Bear McCreary

Cast: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Emma Bell (Amy), Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Michael Rooker (Merle), Andrew Rothenberg (Jim), Juan Pareja (Morales), IronE Singleton (T-Dog), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Adam Minarovich (Ed), Melissa McBride (Carol), Madison Lintz (Sophia), Jeryl Prescott Sales (Jacqui)

LogBook entry by Robert Parson

Categories
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith – Part 1

The Sarah Jane AdventuresSarah, Rani and Clyde rush to the landing site of a meteorist landing, intent on making sure that the space rock doesn’t spread any extraterrestrial germs into Earth’s ecosphere, only to find that someone else has beaten them to the punch. They’re surprised to see the same vehicle on Bannerman Road – the woman who neutralized the meteorite threat, Ruby White, has moved in a few doors down from Sarah Jane. Though she’s not terribly friendly at first, Ruby eventually reveals herself to be another defender of the Earth, with her own alien technology that alerts her to impending invasions of Earth. But Ruby seems to be more in top of things than Sarah is – in fact, Sarah seems to be losing her grip. She eventually concludes that the only responsible course of action is to step down, and hand off the job of protecting Earth to Ruby.

Get the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Clayton Hickman & Gareth Roberts
directed by Joss Agnew
music by Sam Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra), Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra), Julie Graham (Ruby White), Eddie Marsan (Mr. White)

Notes: Sarah says that she was 23 years old at the time of the Doctor Who story The Time Warrior.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4

Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith – Part 2

The Sarah Jane AdventuresWith Ruby’s true identity revealed, Sarah is trapped. Clyde and Rani aren’t convinced by the “message” Sarah leaves for them by way of Mr. Smith, however, and Ruby immediately sets about trying to turn the two against each other. But Ruby hasn’t counted on one thing – Luke returns from Cambridge, trying to find out why he can’t contact Sarah.

written by Clayton Hickman & Gareth Roberts
directed by Joss Agnew
music by Sam Watts / title music by Murray Gold

Get the DVDDownload this episodeGuest Cast: Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra), Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra), Julie Graham (Ruby White), Eddie Marsan (Mr. White), John Leeson (voice of K-9)

Notes: Luke makes his first appearance in person since part 2 of The Nightmare Man here, as does K-9.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 1 Walking Dead, The

Vatos

The Walking DeadFinding only a severed hand on the rooftop, the rescue team surmises Merle is still alive and has managed to elude the walking dead. Unable to find Merle, they move to retrieve a bag of weapons dropped by Rick when he was attacked by a large group of walkers, but are challenged by another band of survivors who claim the guns as their own. A horde of walkers attack the base camp.

The Walking Deadteleplay by Robert Kirkman
based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore
and Charlie Adlard
directed by Johan Renck
music by Bear McCreary

Cast: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Emma Bell (Amy), Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Andrew Rothenberg (Jim), Neil Brown, Jr. (Guillermo), Juan Pareja (Morales), IronE Singleton (T-Dog), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Anthony Gujardo (Miguel), Gina Morelli (Abuela), Noel Gugliemi (Felipe), Adam Minarovich (Ed), Melissa McBride (Carol), Madison Lintz (Sophia), Jeryl Prescott Sales (Jacqui)

LogBook entry by Robert Parson

Categories
1st Doctor Doctor Who Lost Stories The Audio Dramas

The Fragile Yellow Arc Of Fragrance

Doctor WhoThe Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara prepare to leave the planet Fragrance, where they’ve enjoyed a pleasant, uneventful stay. One of the locals, however, has fallen in love with Barbara, and he tries to work up the nerve to ask her to remain on Fragrance instead of leaving with the TARDIS. Susan learns of the two phases or love on Fragrance – the thin purple line, and the fragile yellow arc – and also learns that the people of Fragrance ritually end their lives if they are turned down by the objects of their affection. Susan is sure that this is merely a metaphor, but when Barbara turns down the advances of her suitor and the time travelers leave aboard the TARDIS, it’s discovered to be tragically literal.

written by Moris Farhi
adapted for audio by Nigel Robinson
directed by Lisa Bowerman
music by Toby Hrycek-Robinson

Cast: William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman), John Dorney (Rhythm)

Notes: The Fragile Yellow Arc Of Fragrance is an “audition” script written Moris Farhi for Doctor Who script editor David Whitaker as proof that he was capable of delivering a filmable script, though it really seems to be either a stand-alone that begins in mid story, or the last episode of a multi-episode story. Along with Farewell, Great Macedon, Arc is a lost script unearthed by Moris Farhi at the request of the editors of the semi-pro-zine Nothing At The End Of The Lane in the 21st century, as they were following up on reports that Farhi had written scripts for both Doctor Who and The Prisoner (all of which were ultimately turned down). Big Finish adapted the stories for audio and produced them with surviving cast members Carole Ann Ford and William Russell – the first time the actors had reprised the roles of Susan and Ian in the same audio production.

LogBook entry and review by Earl Green

Categories
Season 1 Walking Dead, The

Wildfire

The Walking DeadWith several dead from an attack by walkers, they realize the campsite is no longer safe. The group struggles over what to do about Jim, who was bitten by a walker and continues to sicken. Tension increases between Rick and Shane as Rick begins taking command, and Shane’s jealousy over the loss of Lori’s affections. Rick suggests the Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta would be a good move, since the CDC would be working toward a cure… but some choose not to go. Meanwhile, a scientist continues to work in isolation at the CDC lab…

The Walking Deadteleplay by Glen Mazzara
based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore
and Charlie Adlard
directed by Ernest Dickerson
music by Bear McCreary

Cast: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Emma Bell (Amy), Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Andrew Rothenberg (Jim), Juan Pareja (Morales), Noah Emmerich (Dr. Edwin Jenner), Jeryl Prescott Sales (Jacqui), IronE Singleton (T-Dog), Melissa McBride (Carol)

LogBook entry by Robert Parson