Wirrn Dawn (Doctor Who: The New Eighth Doctor Adventures) (Doctor Who: the Eighth Doctor Adventures) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

The continuing adventures of the 8th Doctor & his companion Lucie Miller are going from strength to strength. The story starts off at a cracking pace and doesn't let up. The chemistry between the two leads is fantastic and shines through all the time. There is no doubt that this Doctor and companion would have been a ratings winner if they were on TV.

The story is one of survival, and it asks some tough questions. The Wirrn are a species of space travelling insects who require hosts to reproduce, but does that mean they have any less right to live? Likewise, just because humankind can be brutal at times is any less deserving? All of this and more is considered but without becoming dark or morose. In fact the level of humour is as high in this as any other with this Dr./companion pairing.

As per usual though the star of the show is Sheridan Smith playing the mouthy Lucie, who is never shy to voice her opinions of the Doctor!

If you've never heard any other Big Finish CD this would be a perfect one to try!

As the sleeve notes point out, audio gives a fantastic way to tell a big story with sound that is hard even with the kind of CGI we have available these days. This is another example a quality Big Finish product that is as good as it can be rather than merely good enough for the fans to buy.

The story is very much Aliens2 meets Dr. Who and the soundscape really does work, the Wirrn last seen in Ark in Space are fighting for territory with humanity, yet there was a time when they compromised.

Packed with fighting, space battles, sinister insect aliens and mini-cliff hanges this failed to get five stars only as the lunkhead soldiers were slightly more stereotypical than they could have been, and the resolving plot device was somewhat obvious.

Basically though a cracking tale!

fourth in the latest series of doctor who audio plays featuring paul mcgann as the eighth doctor and sheridan smith as his companion lucie miller. the story stands entirely on it's own and you can get into it without having heard earlier ones. or without having seen Doctor Who - The Ark In Space [1974] [DVD] [1963] the fourth doctor story that was the first to feature the wirrn, the insectoid aliens who feature in this one.

It's been likened to the movie and novel starship troopers with good reason, because it features humans fighting insect aliens. the tardis crew land in the middle of this, and are quickly forced to fight to survive when the ship they arrive on comes under attack. the doctor and lucie plus two soldiers - a hard bitten warrior and a teenage recruit - plus their feamle commander are all thrown together and end up stranded on a planet with lots of wirrn for company.

the wirrn are parasitic aliens who take over the bodies of other creatures and turn them into one of their own. can the doctor and the humans survive? and will the hidden truths about the planet come out?

the story is complete in two twenty five minute long episodes, and is absolutely gripping stuff. you're thrown right into the middle of the fighting and will feel the saem terror and confusion that lucie does. And after that the small cast means every character gets some great depth and some excellent moments, all played very well by actors colin salmon [seen in the doctor who tv episodes silence in the library and forest of the dead] and daniel anthony [clyde in the sarah jane adventures]

This story acknowledges right away that the doctor can't save the day here. all he, and everyone else - including the wirrn - can do is fight to survive. and a solution is eventually found. it raises a few moral dilemmas and it's not one you'll forget in a hurry. which is a sign of good writing.

I said the third in this season was the best so far, but this one is even better.

the disc ends with eighteen minutes worth of interviews with cast and crew. these are worth a listen not least for an interesting tale from the writer as to how your opinions of the show can change over time. and a short trailer for the next release in the series. I'm looking forward to it