Planet of Giants (TV Story) Review

Title: Planet of Giants
Writer: Louis Marks
Original Broadcast Date: 31 October 1964 - 14 November 1964

After a mixed first season of Doctor Who, the show returned to screens later in 1964 with a fun, albeit slightly naff opener for the second season of the classic British TV series.

After a TARDIS malfunction, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive on Earth, 1964, but not in the way they left, now about the size of an inch. The whole plot revolves around this idea of the TARDIS crew being shrunk, which, to be honest, is a little silly but does make up for some fun sequences such as Susan and the Doctor almost getting washed away down a sinkplug or Ian travelling via briefcase. Barbara, yet again, is fantastic and she has some lovely moments of acting brilliance. Hartnell and Ford prove to be a great team, really selling the grandfather-granddaughter relationship in this story, which adds nicely to her exit in the next story. I'd also like to point out the hilarious cliffhangers this story has involving cats and the aforementioned sink plug.

Overall, Planet of Giants is rather silly but also a lot of fun and very entertaining, providing a light-hearted romp to kickstart Hartnell's best season.

8/10

The Diary of River Song: Series One - Review and Ranking

The Diary of River Song - Series One
Released 25th December 2015

The Diary of River Song's first series, my first proper dive into Big Finish, is a wondrous display of talent: from Alex Kingston's compelling acting to James Goss' poetic scriptwriting and beyond - The Diary of River Song is a match of actors, writers and editors made in heaven.

The Boundless Sea (Full Review Here)
This story had everything needed to make a fun, riveting adventure: River Song - check!; an archaeological dig - check!; reanimated corpses - check! But with a slow start and a questionable alien threat, who makes up for some rather ridiculous moments, The Boundless Sea never really hit its stride. Without a doubt the low point of the boxset, The Boundless Sea came out with mixed results, feeling too much of a filler, but is nonetheless entertaining.

6/10

I Went To A Marvellous Party (Full Review Here)

After a sloppy first chapter, The Diary of River Song picks up the pace with this second installment, I Went To A Marvellous Party (which is a title with River written all over it!). A wonderful cast and a well handled and nicely paced who-dunnit-style plot make I Went To A Marvellous Party, well, marvellous!

8/10

Signs (Full Review Here)

After a mediocre story and then a great one, The Diary of River Song delivers a masterpiece, which is perfect throughout, from the fantastic leading duo to the soundscape and the plot. Signs is a sign - Big Finish know what they're doing and they're doing it fantastically! A two-hander between Alex Kingston and Samuel West, Signs is filled to the brim with clever writing and genuine emotion, delivered wonderfully by the cast who have wonderful chemistry, and is a masterpiece that every Doctor Who fan has to listen to.

10/10

The Rulers of the Universe (Full Review Here)

The Diary of River Song's first series ties up with this fantastic story, featuring all the components of a great Doctor Who story: spaceships, sinister corparations, timey-wimey aspects and the Doctor himself! Whilst this story isn't as good as Signs, (I call this the Heaven Sent - Hell Bent syndrome) I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main storyline feels slightly sidelined by the appearance of the Doctor, but with the great chemistry between Kingston and McGann - who's complaining?

9/10

Overall The Diary of River Song is an amazing collection of amazing stories, essential for all fans of the show. What are you waiting for? Go and buy it!

Also listen to the amazing theme song!

Ranking

Now for the fun bit!

1. Signs (10/10)
2. The Rulers of the Universe (9/10)
3. I Went To A Marvellous Party (8/10)
4. The Boundless Sea (6/10)

Averaging these ratings out means Series One of the Diary of River Song receives an average of...                                                                                                      8.25/10

And a range of                                                                                                       4.0

And that's it! Series One of The Diary of River Song all reviewed! Join us tomorrow for the first of our Classic Who Season Two reviews, Planet of Giants!

The Rulers of the Universe (Audio) Review)

Title: The Rulers of the Universe
Writer: Matt Fitton
Original Release Date: 25 December 2015

The Diary of River Song's first series ties up with this fantastic story, featuring all the components of a great Doctor Who story: spaceships, sinister corparations, timey-wimey aspects and the Doctor himself!

On the subject matter, Paul McGann is fantastic in this story and has lovely interplay with Alex Kingston. His appearance is pulled off really well - although I do have one issue, (I'll get to that later) - and the chemistry between River and the Eighth Doctor leaves me hungry for more! The plot is well-construed and concludes the series arc nicely, solving various mysteries yet leaving some untouched, which, to my surprise, worked well, giving a god-like-complex to something I won't mention, as I don't want to spoil it for you.

Whilst this story isn't as good as Signs, (I call this the Heaven Sent - Hell Bent syndrome) I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main storyline feels slightly sidelined by the appearance of the Doctor, but with the great chemistry between Kingston and McGann - who's complaining?

9/10

Signs (Audio) Review

Title: The Diary of River Song: Signs
Writer: James Goss
Original Release Date: 25 December 2015

After a mediocre story and then a great one, The Diary of River Song delivers a masterpiece, which is perfect throughout, from the fantastic leading duo to the soundscape and the plot. Signs is a sign - Big Finish know what they're doing and they're doing it fantastically!

There is not much that can be said about Signs without spoiling it, as it a story interwoven by mystery. If there is a way I can describe it, it is a mix between Heaven Sent and Hide (to an extent), but despite this manages to find an identity of its own.

Alex Kingston and Samuel West have excellent chemistry, performing what is essentially a two-hander. The dialogue is fantastic and there are some profoundly beautiful and poetic scenes which sit comfortably alongside action sequences on various distant alien planets. Big Finish have done a marvellous job with the sound effects and music, that provide an atmospheric backdrop for the genius scriptwriting and phenomenal acting to combine in a perfect mix.

Overall, Signs is The Diary of River Song's masterpiece, a stand out story that needs to be listened to by any Doctor Who fan.

10/10