| Author | Message | ||
     Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Just a heads up for any of your chaps and chapesses who need more Dr Who in your lives. My new audio drama, LEVIATHAN, starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant, is released by Big Finish this weekend as part of the 'Lost Stories' season. If anyone fancies being plunged back to the Middle Ages, and engaging with a monster that must register as a nightmare of nightmares, do yourself a favour (and me, of course) - and check it the hell out. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
You know, I'm a HUGE Who fan (classic series, of course) but I've never got around to trying the audio dramas. I guess I really ought to give them a go ... (Well, I did try Ghosts of N Space once - I think that's probably what put me off! I'm sure yours is far, far better, Paul. And Mark Morris has just done one too, hasn't he? I was being tempted by that, I must confess) | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.47.10.77 |
Great to hear about that - Paul! | ||
| Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Thanks Ally. Caroline, there's a rather good trailer on the Big Finish website (under the 'January releases' section), which might whet your appetite. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.106 |
Finch writing Who. Sounds unmissable to me, mate.  | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.171.129.72 |
I've heard a couple of Who radio shows on BBC7. Dunno if they're Big Finish jobbies. Congrats on the gig, Mr Finch! I noticed that Hartnell Who novelisations are available in a ltd ed audio books CD box set. I remember reading them as a kid. Great stuff. The Crusaders, The Daleks and The Zarbi. Though alas the Doctor was repeatedly called Doctor Who in them... Otherwise my favourite Who novelisations. Box set's £13 in a remainder store in Huddersfield (or was when I was last there), which is cheaper than full whack. Still too much of an indulgence for me, though... Especially as I got a bunch of audio books for Xmas: couple of James Lee Burke, a John Le Carre, Jake Arnott, Richard Dawkins and a Charles Chiltern 'Space Force' radio play... | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 78.144.205.110 |
Well done, Mr Finch! | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 78.152.195.214 |
I've just started to get into these and I'm very impressed with what I've heard from Big Finish so far. The Paul McGann stories on Radio 7 were Big Finish originally, Mark. I just finished Spare Parts, about the origins of the Cybermen and it's alternatively awesome and heartbreaking. DALEK EMPIRE I is a great spin-off series that shows that Terry Nation was right - the Daleks could have had their own series. In places it's bleak as hell -- no Doctor to save people, you see. Well done, Paul. I know someone who thinks COlin Baker was the best Doctor - a very underrated actor who was unlucky to come aboard when the show was in bad shape. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.157.23.22 |
But isn't it great putting on a Dalek's skin, being nice and warm in their power? | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.106.149 |
When he made EXCALIBUR, John Boorman said that he tried on a suit of armour and it was the first time in his adult life he felt completely safe; though in that film one had to shed it to find the grail. | ||
| Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
"When he made EXCALIBUR, John Boorman said that he tried on a suit of armour and it was the first time in his adult life he felt completely safe; though in that film one had to shed it to find the grail." One also had to shed it to get the girl - or rather, one had to shed the cast-iron codpiece. I remember watching it with my parents when it first came out, and the protracted rape of Arthur's mother - with said codpiece appropriately discarded - made for very uncomfortable viewing. | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 86.29.180.133 |
Congratulations, Paul. On the Dr Who audio, not on admitting how disturbing you found the rape sene in Excalibur. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 147.252.233.48 |
I don't remember the codpiece bit. Wonderful film. Speaking of fantasy, I've been rewatching ROBIN OF SHERWOOD and they're utterly magical. Time has been kind to them. Ridley Scott's version will have difficulty being as good. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 147.252.233.48 |
Very odd coincidence, Paul: I've just opened a free mag I got from Big Finish to see your picture and interview in it! Then I read that your father worked on THE BROTHERS, a series I hadn't heard of until this week when a friend told me she has fond memories of it. Did you learn any bits of trivia from your father about THE BROTHERS? | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.200.223 |
Looks good, Paul! I've been listening to and enjoying some of the old audio recordings of early Who adventures, and they are great fun. I haven't tried any of the newer ones yet, so Leviathan may be a good place for me to start. I've also been enjoying The Scarifyers (one of the characters is acted by Nicholas Cortney, the Brig himself). | ||
| Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Proto ... My main memory of THE BROTHERS was my dad working on it while we were on holiday in Cornwall in 1971. He took his typewriter, and sat at the breakfast table all day while we went to the beach and enjoyed two weeks of glorious weather. An experience I had myself while working on THE BILL in the late 1990s - again it was Cornwall, but this time I was the one who stayed in all day, with a laptop, while my own wife and kids went out. My dad first met Colin Baker on THE BROTHERS, and they remained friends ever after. When Colin was cast as Dr Who, my dad was determined to try and write something for him. The result was LEVIATHAN, but of course that was in the now legendary 'missing season', which got axed. My dad died in 2007, so when I managed to resurrect LEVIATHAN last year, my rewriting it for audio means that I've at last got to share a credit with him. Going down to the recording session at Ladbroke Grove was a unique experience. Colin was superb, reminiscing about his time with my dad - both during the session and later when we hit the pub together. Probably the best day at work I've ever spent. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
"An experience I had myself while working on THE BILL in the late 1990s" Paul - you're THAT Paul Finch! I didn't realise! I've been watching The Bill since it first started (hour long episodes with that ginger-haired DI - Galloway, wasn't it?). I'm a HUGE Bill fan, never miss an episode. Small world, eh? Huw - re "I've also been enjoying The Scarifyers (one of the characters is acted by Nicholas Cortney, the Brig himself)" A couple of months ago, I bought the first two Scarifyers from Terry Molloy (the other main actor - Davros himself) at a Doc Who con. They sounded like fun! Haven't got around to listening to them yet. Would you recommend them then? Yes, I reckon I'm going to have to start to get into the Big Finish audios too. I'll check out that trailer, Paul. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.204.111.196 |
I've heard the Big Finish version of 'The Chimes of Midnight' and I thought it was superb. They produce some excellent stuff. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 89.19.82.41 |
Thanks for that, Paul. My friend who remembers THE BROTHERS really liked THE BILL too! It must be great to be a part of the DOCTOR WHO mythos. Caroline, I urge you to try Big Finish - I think in many ways they're _better_ than the TV series, which has to try to satisfy everyone in a huge audience. The audio play tradition is closer to classic Who - it exercises the imagination. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.50.170 |
Caroline, I'd certainly recommend the first three Scarifyers CDs (haven't been able to find the most recent one/s yet). They are great fun, and very well acted by Courtney (whose name I misspelled above - sorry, Brig) and Malloy. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.50.170 |
And now it seems I managed to spell Terry Molloy's name wrong too - sorry, Prof. Dunning! | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.19.128 |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00l9pvx | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.51.133 |
There are some nice references to Lovecraft and The Wicker Man in that particular episode (the second in the series, I believe). I've enjoyed them so far - good, pulpy fun. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
Huw says re The Scarifyers: >>There are some nice references to Lovecraft and The Wicker Man in that particular episode (the second in the series, I believe). I've enjoyed them so far - good, pulpy fun.<< I know, Huw, that's what Terry Molloy was telling me about it. Oh no, look at me! I'm going all "fan-girl" again.  At the very same Doc Who con, Andrew Cartmel was saying that they're hoping to do some Seventh Doctor audios in the Lost Stories season - those that might have been had it not been scrapped at that point too. If I haven't tried any classic Who audios before then, I certainly shall at that point - I'm sure I've mentioned before that the Seventh Doc is the best IMHO.  | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.157.23.22 |
I was saying just last night to Mark that The Scarifiers SOUNDED like fun till you listened closely, then you realised it had no atmosphere and rushed along as quick as a trailer. But then everything moves that quick now - it's like watching telly through the window of a passing train, these days. (That makes no sense at all Tony - ed) The music doesn't help - music really should be used more sparely. | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 78.144.205.110 |
Can I drop in a quick, utterly shameless plug for fans of scary audio dramas? 'Cos I'm about to... In The Gloaming is an anthology audio horror-comedy series. One Ramsey Campbell said of our first episode: “I thought that was really pretty horribly funny… Tasteful the tale isn’t, but enjoyable for sure.” That episode can be found here: http://inthegloamingpodcasts.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/episode-1-dead-skinny-agai n/ My favourite, our Christmas episode, is here: http://inthegloamingpodcasts.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/episode-3-the-night-whispe rer/ The other episodes are in the Podcast Archive at the website: http://inthegloamingpodcasts.wordpress.com I'd be very grateful for any feedback you might have on them (as I'm writing this month's now. Well, I'm not. I'm wasting time here, instead...). Hope you enjoy. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.50.167 |
I didn't find that it lacked atmosphere, or that it was rushed, or used too much music, Tony (the music really only comes into it at the beginning and end). I felt quite the opposite, in fact - I think they got it just right. It's good, pulpy, escapist fun: a nice blend of suspense and humour with a supernatural element to it and references sprinkled throughout for genre fans. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.50.167 |
I agree that music should be used with care, as too much can easily detract from a film (or TV series). The Pang brothers' films are a good example of this - their bombastic, over-the-top soundtracks often take me out of the story when I'm watching one of their films (only a couple of which are really worth watching, in my opinion). It's also a problem with much of the new Doctor Who, I think - far too much hysterical rushing around accompanied by an overly loud and intrusive soundtrack. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
Huw (any anyone else who wants to get hold of The Scarifyers) - if you want to find later episodes, try looking at the Cosmic Hobo site - I think you can buy copies direct from there. Also, Terry Molloy is selling them direct from his site. Give me a shout if you want links and I'll look them up and post them here. Re music: "It's also a problem with much of the new Doctor Who, I think - far too much hysterical rushing around accompanied by an overly loud and intrusive soundtrack." I totally agree with you there too. Give me the old Radiophonic Workshop music/sound effects any day! And now I'm feeling guilty as we've threadjacked Paul's thread. So before anyone goes out and buys The Scarifyers they must buy Leviathan first. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 147.252.230.141 |
"It's also a problem with much of the new Doctor Who, I think - far too much hysterical rushing around accompanied by an overly loud and intrusive soundtrack." It's the Danny Boyle-ing of art. Turn the noise up to disguise the absence of signal. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.157.23.22 |
God, I miss quiet. The fact noise stays in your head ages after it's heard is the problem. |