Prisoner of the Sun (Doctor Who: the Eighth Doctor Adventures) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

This is an unusual episode as the Doctor finds himself trapped in the middle of the sun for 6 years. Why hasn't he escaped? we end up finding the answer later on.

The story starts with what appears to be Lucie trying to kill the Doctor, but after the title theme, we learn otherwise and did anyone else notice that the recent "assistant" was called Daphne? an excellent episode on the Doctor's morality and for a whovian who got into the 8th purely through Big Finish, this doesn't disappoint. Still interesting to listen to a robot eating a crepe 8)

All in all a good psychological insight into the 8th doctor's morality and half screaming at the generic mp3 player / computer in the first scene. With a cliff hanger at the end when we hear Lucie '

This story is fairly unusual in that the Doctor is not travelling about with a companion, but instead has been at a facility for six years monitoring sunflare activity. And while he could escape anytime he wanted to (and has taken some time in the last six years to hack into the computer systems and change a few things to his own liking), there are reasons within reasons within reasons why he is still there.

And why his android companion seems to have a familiar voice. But why is she trying to kill him?

And who are the Consensus, and the rebels, and the Mercurials, and what do they all really want?

The first part of the story moves relatively slowly and to an unsuspecting listener somewhat predictably. But it is in the second part of the story that the reasons (within reasons ...) come to the forefront. Everybody has their own motives and they're not always simple.

The end is perhaps a little flat; but the cd as a whole ends on a high with a mysterious message coming to the Doctor from someone in his past. Obviously things are afoot! So we look for big things from the next story.

Very good, not great Doctor Who. Recommended.

Latest audio in the latest series of Doctor Who audios featuring Paul McGann as the eighth doctor.

The series does have ongoing plot threads, but this particular story stands completely on it's own and casual listeners could get into it without having heard the rest of the season.

It runs for two episodes of twenty three and twenty five minutes length respectively, and is complete on a single cd.

The story starts with the Doctor in prison. Something that has happened to him before. And you'd think he'd be able to escape. But he's been here for six years, and he has no plans to leave.

Because the prison is at the heart of a hi-tech complex in the middle of an unstable sun. And it's the only thing that's keeping the sun from exploding. Planets with billions on them will be destroyed if the Doctor can't stabilise it.

His only companion is the latest in a series of androids. All of whom have the voice of another recent companion of his.

And he's guarded by Mercurials, liquid guards. Who are very much in it for the money.

When rebels attack the prison, choices have to be made. And secrets might just come to light...

With a small cast and a very small setting this would have been a good budget saving episode on television. But audio suits it's fine. Although the mercurial voices could perhaps sound a little more alien. The first episode moves along nicely and gives one member of the cast the chance to do something different from their usual role in these audios, but a certain suspension of disbelief is required to make all the jeopardy convincing. The moral questions of the story do give the listener food for thought - the Doctor can't try and break out when there are so many lives at stake.

However the second episode is stronger because there are so many twists and turns and it moves at such a fast pace you can't let your attention stray for an instant. But these twists and turns are very clever and reveal the Doctor not to be the only character who had tough decisions to make here.

It's ultimately a somewhat slight little story but it doesn't need to be anything more than that, and it's fine for what it is.

And it ends on a huge cliffhanger which leads into Lucie Miller (Doctor Who: The New Eighth Doctor Adventures).

A trailer for which follows the end of episode two.

Roughly fifteen minutes of interviews with cast and crew are right after that.