A collection of four short stories featuring the Sixth Doctor and Peri.
Recorded Time
Synopsis
The TARDIS travellers find themselves at the court of Henry VIII, where the tragic Anne Boleyn will soon be discarded by her King in favour of the lovely Perpugilliam Brown. Or so it is written…
Cast
Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
Henry VIII - Paul Shearer
Anne Boleyn - Laura Molyneux
Scrivener - Philip Bretherton
Marjorie - Rosanna Miles
Review
The Doctor and Peri meet King Henry VIII and Ann Bolynn. Obviously getting mistaken for entertainment, they provide an amusing start to the story, possibly too long a start though because what is meant to be the main point of the story is not really introduced till near the end and is wrapped up very quickly in one scene. An interesting concept that could have been explored a bit more but a decent fun episode nonetheless.
Score: 4/7
Written by: Catherine Harvey
Directed by: Ken Bentley
Paradoxicide
Synopsis
On the legendary lost planet of Sendos, the Doctor and Peri find themselves caught up in the hunt for the cache of galaxy-busting super-weapons stored inside its fabled Armoury.
Cast
Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
Inquisa - Raquel Cassidy
Centuria/Ship - Joan Walker
Barond - James George
Volsci - Laura Molyneux/Rosanna Miles
Review
Discovering a voice message from Peri herself, they go to the planet Sendos to discover its origins. What follows is a very entertaining and wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey adventure that's crammed full of stuff it's almost hard to believe this was a single episode. The enemies appear quite formiddable and cunning at first but soon prove to be amongst the most inept and stupid encountered today and totally deserve whatever fate befalls them, so while the explanation and eventual conclusion of the story is good, the enemies never feel like a threat. A very entertaining and good episode.
Score: 5/7
Written by: Richard Dinnick
Directed by: Ken Bentley
A Most Excellent Match
Synopsis
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a mind of her own must be in want of a husband. But which of Miss Peri Brown's rival suitors will be the one to win her hand: handsome Mr Darcy, or the mysterious Doctor?
Cast
Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
Tilly - Rosanna Miles
Darcy/D'Urberville/Heathcliff - Philip Bretherton
Cranton - Paul Shearer
Review
You know all those really good holonovel stories from Star Trek? No? Neither do I, but for some reason they thought it a good idea to have one in Doctor Who. Essentially, this story can be boiled down to 'A computer gets a virus and The Doctor tries to fix it' and it's about as interesting. Peri gets trapped in a holonovel, a virus entity traps her there, The Doctor has to go into the holonovel and defeat the virus in the story with logic and legal reasoning. Sometimes, The Doctor is good at talking his way out of situations, this time isn't one. One of the worst things I've heard from Doctor Who in a while. Ridiculous concept with only the barest hint of danger, set in a totally uninteresting Jane Eyre backround... just terrible..... Oh, you want something positive? The Doctor did have a few good lines.
Score: 2/7
Written by: Matt Fitton
Directed by: Ken Bentley
Question Marks
Synopsis
Five survivors of an unknown catastrophe wake to find themselves caught in an inescapable trap. But can the oddly-dressed man in the question-marked collar work out what's really going on before time runs out – for good?
Cast
Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
Destiny Gray - Raquel Cassidy
Greg Stone - James George
Arnie McAllister - Joe Jameson
Review
Maybe one or two technical gripes, but none that detract from what was a fantastic story. The Doctor, Peri, and crew aboard a ship of some kind awaken with no memory of how they got there or who they are. A fast paced story follows as they try to discover what happened as dangers creeps up them every second. The story, playing more with the situation they are in rather than their memories, or lack thereoff, kept it flowing with tension building all the way till the rather clever, and possibly somewhat emotional, reveal and conclusion. W--ks very well on audio with some fantastic atmospheric directing and sound design.
Score: 6/7
Written by: Philip Lawrence
Directed by: Ken Bentley
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