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The Ninth Doctor Adventures #2.2
Doctor Who: Into the Stars
Distant worlds, alien cultures, vessels of exploration – the Doctor is never more at home than when he’s out among the stars. But that’s where travellers face the greatest dangers, and where the Doctor’s help is needed most.
2.1 Salvation Nine by Timothy X Atack
The Doctor happens upon an unusual outpost – and discovers it is about to be annihilated. To save Salvation Nine, he must rally a people for whom war is an alien concept – and protect the future of the Sontaran race!
2.2 Last Of The Zetacene by James Kettle
The rich and the criminal rub shoulders on Stage Three spaceport – and play high-stakes games for valuable prizes. The Doctor is always interested in endangered species, and the Zetacene is more endangered than most.
2.3 Break The Ice by Tim Foley
On a chilly space station, the Doctor meets a group of scientists experimenting with cryogenics. But when one subject returns from extreme sub-zero temperatures, he does not return alone. A creature awakens that can freeze the soul with icy fingers - Jack Frost
2.1 Salvation Nine by Timothy X Atack
The Doctor happens upon an unusual outpost – and discovers it is about to be annihilated. To save Salvation Nine, he must rally a people for whom war is an alien concept – and protect the future of the Sontaran race!
2.2 Last Of The Zetacene by James Kettle
The rich and the criminal rub shoulders on Stage Three spaceport – and play high-stakes games for valuable prizes. The Doctor is always interested in endangered species, and the Zetacene is more endangered than most.
2.3 Break The Ice by Tim Foley
On a chilly space station, the Doctor meets a group of scientists experimenting with cryogenics. But when one subject returns from extreme sub-zero temperatures, he does not return alone. A creature awakens that can freeze the soul with icy fingers - Jack Frost
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First published August 17, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 25, 2023
TW: Anxiety attack portrayal in Break the Ice.
I managed to listen to this one in one sitting, which makes a nice change, and something I've not done in a while. Salvation Nine and Break the Ice were the highlights off the boxset for me, with the Last of the Zetascene being the weakest of the set.
2.1 Salvation Nine by Timothy X Atack
The Doctor happens upon an unusual outpost - and discovers it is about to be annihilated.
To save Salvation Nine, he must rally a people for whom war is an alien concept and protect the future of the Sontaran race!
Having Dan Starkey being a Sontaran in any audio is always a joy. He's just Sontaran character with the voice and attitude. But it was great story, and Timothy actually gave him something to do something different. The idea without giving too much away, was really clever in terms of Sontaran stories and I loved the Gaznak. I thought she was great fun.
I loved the bit with 9 having run down the long corridor of the spaceship to Navarch Al-Hanin and being out of breath and having to sit down for a few minutes. I thought that was hilarious and goes to show that even the Doctor gets tired of running down the corridors.
Also, love the little nod to the Invasion of Time reference.
You can also tell this was Christopher Eccleston favourite story of the boxset. He had so much fun acting it, it was a delight to hear.
2.2 Last of the Zetacene by James Kettle
The rich and the criminal rub shoulders on Stage Three spaceport - and play high-stakes games for valuable prizes.
The Doctor is always interested in endangered species, and the Zetacene is more endangered than most…
This felt the weakest story for me, and honestly, felt meh?
I do have to say that Nel is one of the most annoying companions I've heard in a long while in Doctor Who. I don't understand why she was there in the story, and her voice was grating. The other criminals and the spider creature dancers I felt weren't really needed.
Over all, weakest out of the boxset. Which is a shame, because the other two were a delight.
2.3 Break the Ice by Tim Foley
On a chilly space station, the Doctor meets a group of scientists experimenting with cryogenics.
But when one subject returns from extreme sub-zero temperatures, he does not return alone. A creature awakens that can freeze the soul with icy fingers - Jack Frost
A heads up, this story has a panic attack scene and anxiety references in the story.
I'm absolutely loving the theme of the Ninth Doctor meeting boogeymen like Gru and Jack Frost in this series. I loved the creepiness and how this felt like early space age in humans traveling amongst the stars, but it also felt very human nature.
Again, I have nothing bad to say about Tim Foley. He knows how to write spookiness and atmospheric characters, and I loved how this was Christmas-themed episode. Ironically, I listened to this in March.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed Salvation Nine and Break the Ice.
I managed to listen to this one in one sitting, which makes a nice change, and something I've not done in a while. Salvation Nine and Break the Ice were the highlights off the boxset for me, with the Last of the Zetascene being the weakest of the set.
2.1 Salvation Nine by Timothy X Atack
The Doctor happens upon an unusual outpost - and discovers it is about to be annihilated.
To save Salvation Nine, he must rally a people for whom war is an alien concept and protect the future of the Sontaran race!
Having Dan Starkey being a Sontaran in any audio is always a joy. He's just Sontaran character with the voice and attitude. But it was great story, and Timothy actually gave him something to do something different. The idea without giving too much away, was really clever in terms of Sontaran stories and I loved the Gaznak. I thought she was great fun.
I loved the bit with 9 having run down the long corridor of the spaceship to Navarch Al-Hanin and being out of breath and having to sit down for a few minutes. I thought that was hilarious and goes to show that even the Doctor gets tired of running down the corridors.
Also, love the little nod to the Invasion of Time reference.
You can also tell this was Christopher Eccleston favourite story of the boxset. He had so much fun acting it, it was a delight to hear.
2.2 Last of the Zetacene by James Kettle
The rich and the criminal rub shoulders on Stage Three spaceport - and play high-stakes games for valuable prizes.
The Doctor is always interested in endangered species, and the Zetacene is more endangered than most…
This felt the weakest story for me, and honestly, felt meh?
I do have to say that Nel is one of the most annoying companions I've heard in a long while in Doctor Who. I don't understand why she was there in the story, and her voice was grating. The other criminals and the spider creature dancers I felt weren't really needed.
Over all, weakest out of the boxset. Which is a shame, because the other two were a delight.
2.3 Break the Ice by Tim Foley
On a chilly space station, the Doctor meets a group of scientists experimenting with cryogenics.
But when one subject returns from extreme sub-zero temperatures, he does not return alone. A creature awakens that can freeze the soul with icy fingers - Jack Frost
A heads up, this story has a panic attack scene and anxiety references in the story.
I'm absolutely loving the theme of the Ninth Doctor meeting boogeymen like Gru and Jack Frost in this series. I loved the creepiness and how this felt like early space age in humans traveling amongst the stars, but it also felt very human nature.
Again, I have nothing bad to say about Tim Foley. He knows how to write spookiness and atmospheric characters, and I loved how this was Christmas-themed episode. Ironically, I listened to this in March.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed Salvation Nine and Break the Ice.
August 17, 2022
A decent enough box set. Unlike the previous box set, which had two really fantastic (ayy) episodes sandwiching a dire one, this collection was made of three stories that were good but not excellent. The audio drama equivalent of those episodes that are sandwiched between two really incredible, iconic episodes, so you watch because them too they're fun and have some good bits and you can't be bothered to faff about with skipping, but you wouldn't go out of your way to watch them on their own.
May 11, 2023
Big Finish is proving just how good The Ninth Doctor is on audio and you can tell Christopher Eccleston is having a fantastic time returning to the role after many years of being put out by the show, it's amazing to hear how much fun he's having! It's been a very consistent series of adventures so far with only a couple of hiccups.
Salvation Nine:
When The Doctor arrives at Salvation Nine he discovers a group of Sontarans who've outgrown their love for war and created their own society, but a war is coming and it seems The Doctor for once in their lives has to save The Sontarans from inevitable destruction.
This was a really unique and creative story using the clone warriors, with plenty of humor and action. Dan Starkey and Christopher Eccleston are having the absolute time of their lives with this one, both getting something very new to work with. A brilliant story, written by a fantastic writer! 10/10
Last of The Zetacene:
The Doctor being denied a refund for a piece of technology soon finds himself in a situation where he has to save the last of the Zetacene from three horrible gamblers who are betting on it for their own terrible machinations. But not everything is as it seems.
This was a fun runaround of a story that isn't anything special but I do like how The Doctor finds himself relating to the Zetacene with being alone in the universe, it's a very wacky story with a really fun cast of characters and a few funny scenes, but overall nothing mind-blowing. 6/10
Break The Ice:
Onboard a space station, The Doctor has arrived to try and prevent a catastrophe of an experiment going wrong and unleashing an old ice god by the name of Jack Frost. But chaos soon ensues with an ancient foe stalking the station. Time is running out.
This was a really atmospheric and creepy story that's really chilling but with a heart of gold. It's a lovely Christmas horror story set in space with romance, plenty of action, and an ending that will make you beam! Tim Foley is a genius! 10/10
Overall: 26/30.
Salvation Nine:
When The Doctor arrives at Salvation Nine he discovers a group of Sontarans who've outgrown their love for war and created their own society, but a war is coming and it seems The Doctor for once in their lives has to save The Sontarans from inevitable destruction.
This was a really unique and creative story using the clone warriors, with plenty of humor and action. Dan Starkey and Christopher Eccleston are having the absolute time of their lives with this one, both getting something very new to work with. A brilliant story, written by a fantastic writer! 10/10
Last of The Zetacene:
The Doctor being denied a refund for a piece of technology soon finds himself in a situation where he has to save the last of the Zetacene from three horrible gamblers who are betting on it for their own terrible machinations. But not everything is as it seems.
This was a fun runaround of a story that isn't anything special but I do like how The Doctor finds himself relating to the Zetacene with being alone in the universe, it's a very wacky story with a really fun cast of characters and a few funny scenes, but overall nothing mind-blowing. 6/10
Break The Ice:
Onboard a space station, The Doctor has arrived to try and prevent a catastrophe of an experiment going wrong and unleashing an old ice god by the name of Jack Frost. But chaos soon ensues with an ancient foe stalking the station. Time is running out.
This was a really atmospheric and creepy story that's really chilling but with a heart of gold. It's a lovely Christmas horror story set in space with romance, plenty of action, and an ending that will make you beam! Tim Foley is a genius! 10/10
Overall: 26/30.
September 18, 2022
We again get 3 stories in the set, this time set in space.
"Salvation Nine"
Wow.
You can really hear that this is one of Eccleston's favorite stories!
And I have to say, the story, the pacing, the characters, the humor and the fresh and original ideas are well above most of the recent BF releases. This was just amazing. It was fun, it had dark bits that made you think, and the performances were spot on.
This is exactly what I am looking for in audio stories. I have no bigger praise than this.
I think I am liking this range more and more.
"Last of the Zetazene"- I liked it. It was a bit of a run-around and the weakest story of the set. But it still had lots of energy in it. However, maybe it tried to cram too much into the one hour available and if you are not paying close attention, you might end up a bit confused.
"Break the Ice"- nice creepy story. Somehow feels a lot like "42" and "Waters of Mars" from the 10th Doctor era. Great villain, great sense of dread and urgency, great setting and most of all, fits perfectly into the tradition of the Who horror Christmas stories.
All in all very enjoyable set and worth it for the Sontaran story alone.
"Salvation Nine"
Wow.
You can really hear that this is one of Eccleston's favorite stories!
And I have to say, the story, the pacing, the characters, the humor and the fresh and original ideas are well above most of the recent BF releases. This was just amazing. It was fun, it had dark bits that made you think, and the performances were spot on.
This is exactly what I am looking for in audio stories. I have no bigger praise than this.
I think I am liking this range more and more.
"Last of the Zetazene"- I liked it. It was a bit of a run-around and the weakest story of the set. But it still had lots of energy in it. However, maybe it tried to cram too much into the one hour available and if you are not paying close attention, you might end up a bit confused.
"Break the Ice"- nice creepy story. Somehow feels a lot like "42" and "Waters of Mars" from the 10th Doctor era. Great villain, great sense of dread and urgency, great setting and most of all, fits perfectly into the tradition of the Who horror Christmas stories.
All in all very enjoyable set and worth it for the Sontaran story alone.
October 26, 2022
🙏🏼61% = 👍🏼22 👎🏼14 = Average!
-----------------------------------------
SALVATION NINE:
✅77% = 👍🏼10 👎🏼3 = Good!
----
With Salvation Nine, we are quickly thrown into a space-based Ninth Doctor adventure, much in line with the tone and style of the early RTD era. It also serves as the first meeting between Nine and the Sontarans, a mix that seems to work better than I had expected.
The biggest plot fuel comes from the difficult position the Doctor finds himself in, between the seemingly peaceful Sontarans and the humans seeking to wipe them out. Some of the later plot developments feel perhaps somewhat predictable even if they add to the tension of the story.
Chris Eccleston is on top form and brings out something of a humorous side here when paired with the Sontarans. Dan Starkey and Josie Lawrence put a lot of personality into their Sontaran characters, helping underline the fresh take Atack goes for here. It's nice to meet slightly less aggressive and warmongering Sontarans, who still maintain some funny qualities and show little understanding of human concepts. They are, in all essence, softer versions of the usual potato heads. This shows just how much you can do with them without relying on all the classic chops.
A minor gripe is the light presence of the supporting human characters, who are gradually phased out of the story and play a smaller role than I would have liked to.
This isn't the most exciting or action-packed story, but the emotional and occasionally silly dialogue keeps it going very well. Salvation Nine serves as a reminder of why we need these straightforward and fun little stories now and again, as they are so easy to sit down and listen to.
The premise in this story runs its course quickly, however, and I couldn't maintain full interest until the end.
-----------------------------------------
LAST OF THE ZETACENE:
💩17% = 👍🏼2 👎🏼10 = Terrible!
----
This story has one of those very weird introductions, which has me completely lost as to where and when we are supposed to be and what is supposed to be going on. I didn't feel invested in this story in any way, with the plot just kind of floating around without making an impact. This is a step down after the set's energetic and fun opening story.
Christopher Eccleston provides here a more familiar performance but carries the story beautifully. The characters are very generic and not that interesting, save for the Doctor. The performances are at least genuine, so it's not too much of a chore to listen to them. You know your story is in trouble when your listener fails to identify former companion Maureen O'Brien among the cast members - she doesn't stand out in any way.
Last of the Zetacene has a very flat and disenchanting structure, a slow pace and no real hooks to maintain the listener's interest. It goes in through one ear and out through the other.
-----------------------------------------
BREAK THE ICE:
❤️91% = 👍🏼10 👎🏼1 = Great!
----
Tim Foley provides here another space station adventure, very much true to the RTD-style sci-fi story, and he pulls you in early with an exciting premise and a likeable cast. I quite like how this story plays into the base-under-siege formula, yet manages to feel fresh. It also brings in the Last of the Time Lords aspect that popped up from time to time during this era. If I should be nit-picky, I could say that this story feels somewhat safe and unsurprising, as tends to be the case with stories of this type.
Pip Torrens is introduced as the big bad early on and man does he put in a delicious performance, oozing with chills and terror. Jack Frost is the sort of villain who would've ended up being a minor classic had he appeared in the TV show. Christopher Eccleston and Thalissa Teixeira are great as well, with Eccleston providing another energetic and emotionally diverse performance.
Break the Ice fires on all cylinders and creates a chillingly menacing atmosphere from the beginning, as some of the best base-under-siege-style stories do. The primary three characters carry this story admirably, supported by a simple yet effective sound design that brings Frost and his terrors alive. Luckily, this one contains plenty of strong emotions, mostly terror, heartbreak and excitement, keeping it flowing at a good pace.
-----------------------------------------
SALVATION NINE:
✅77% = 👍🏼10 👎🏼3 = Good!
----
With Salvation Nine, we are quickly thrown into a space-based Ninth Doctor adventure, much in line with the tone and style of the early RTD era. It also serves as the first meeting between Nine and the Sontarans, a mix that seems to work better than I had expected.
The biggest plot fuel comes from the difficult position the Doctor finds himself in, between the seemingly peaceful Sontarans and the humans seeking to wipe them out. Some of the later plot developments feel perhaps somewhat predictable even if they add to the tension of the story.
Chris Eccleston is on top form and brings out something of a humorous side here when paired with the Sontarans. Dan Starkey and Josie Lawrence put a lot of personality into their Sontaran characters, helping underline the fresh take Atack goes for here. It's nice to meet slightly less aggressive and warmongering Sontarans, who still maintain some funny qualities and show little understanding of human concepts. They are, in all essence, softer versions of the usual potato heads. This shows just how much you can do with them without relying on all the classic chops.
A minor gripe is the light presence of the supporting human characters, who are gradually phased out of the story and play a smaller role than I would have liked to.
This isn't the most exciting or action-packed story, but the emotional and occasionally silly dialogue keeps it going very well. Salvation Nine serves as a reminder of why we need these straightforward and fun little stories now and again, as they are so easy to sit down and listen to.
The premise in this story runs its course quickly, however, and I couldn't maintain full interest until the end.
-----------------------------------------
LAST OF THE ZETACENE:
💩17% = 👍🏼2 👎🏼10 = Terrible!
----
This story has one of those very weird introductions, which has me completely lost as to where and when we are supposed to be and what is supposed to be going on. I didn't feel invested in this story in any way, with the plot just kind of floating around without making an impact. This is a step down after the set's energetic and fun opening story.
Christopher Eccleston provides here a more familiar performance but carries the story beautifully. The characters are very generic and not that interesting, save for the Doctor. The performances are at least genuine, so it's not too much of a chore to listen to them. You know your story is in trouble when your listener fails to identify former companion Maureen O'Brien among the cast members - she doesn't stand out in any way.
Last of the Zetacene has a very flat and disenchanting structure, a slow pace and no real hooks to maintain the listener's interest. It goes in through one ear and out through the other.
-----------------------------------------
BREAK THE ICE:
❤️91% = 👍🏼10 👎🏼1 = Great!
----
Tim Foley provides here another space station adventure, very much true to the RTD-style sci-fi story, and he pulls you in early with an exciting premise and a likeable cast. I quite like how this story plays into the base-under-siege formula, yet manages to feel fresh. It also brings in the Last of the Time Lords aspect that popped up from time to time during this era. If I should be nit-picky, I could say that this story feels somewhat safe and unsurprising, as tends to be the case with stories of this type.
Pip Torrens is introduced as the big bad early on and man does he put in a delicious performance, oozing with chills and terror. Jack Frost is the sort of villain who would've ended up being a minor classic had he appeared in the TV show. Christopher Eccleston and Thalissa Teixeira are great as well, with Eccleston providing another energetic and emotionally diverse performance.
Break the Ice fires on all cylinders and creates a chillingly menacing atmosphere from the beginning, as some of the best base-under-siege-style stories do. The primary three characters carry this story admirably, supported by a simple yet effective sound design that brings Frost and his terrors alive. Luckily, this one contains plenty of strong emotions, mostly terror, heartbreak and excitement, keeping it flowing at a good pace.
July 13, 2024
Following on from the previous Back to Earth collection, here we have three unconnected stories linked solely by the fact that they’re all not set on Earth.
Salvation Nine – One of the features that sets Doctor Who apart from many other sci-fi franchises is that, at its best, it emphasises peace over combat. And that’s what we get here; a story about the Doctor trying to prevent a conflict. The conflict is a pre-emptive assault on a remote Sontaran outpost by a human naval fleet, understandably concerned about what the Sontarans will do once they clone enough warriors to launch an attack of their own.
It would be too spoilery to say what is unusual about the outpost and why the Doctor doesn’t just walk away and leave the two sides to it. But suffice it to say that it’s a different take on the Sontarans than we usually get, albeit one grounded in what we already know of the race. There are perhaps comedic elements, but these aren’t really “comedy Sontarans”, and the stakes are, if localised, played as serious. There is a slight overdoing of outlining the Doctor’s plan, rather than using a “show don’t tell” approach but, other than that, this is a delightful story about reaffirming faith in humanity – even when some of the characters aren’t literally human. 4.5 stars.
Last of the Zetacene – The weakest story in the collection is set on a sort of space Las Vegas. It features a small group of the super-rich competing against each other in a card game to see who gets to own the last surviving member of an endangered species of alien animal. Naturally, the Doctor wants to save it which leads to a chase across the city as well as some shenanigans at the game. The story is unfortunately, very slight, with the billionaires little more than caricatures and a setting that fails to come alive.
The companion surrogate is worthwhile, even if she’s the only character other than the Doctor who is. She does make some stupid mistakes that it’s easy to criticise but, in fairness, they’re all perfectly plausible mistakes that any normal person could easily make in the heat of the moment. The arachnid dancers, despite being on the cover, add nothing to the story and the creature itself is just a very large pig with an understandable chip on its shoulder, and not especially interesting. The story isn’t bad as such, and it’s relatively short, but it’s the sort that isn’t likely to memorable. 3 stars.
Break the Ice – We’re back on form with the final story, a base-under-siege set on a space station orbiting Venus some time in the mid to late 21st century. Experiments are underway to cryogenically preserve and revive people so that they can make the long journey to other stars… and, of course, they go wrong. It’s also a Christmas story - something that Eccleston didn’t have in his TV era, but that he certainly would have done had he felt able to stay on. Although, unlike many of those that RTD produced, this one is creepy despite the festive scenery.
Here, the guest characters are well done, with the main ones being well fleshed-out despite the relatively brief time we have in which to get to know them (although, at 50 minutes, it’s slightly longer than a typical TV episode). The monster is on the supernatural side of things, but nothing that feels out of place, and it uses its powers in an interesting way, keeping up the tension as the remaining crew of the station try to escape and the Doctor figures out how to deal with something that can’t easily be killed and would simply get away if you flushed it into deep space. Also I’ll give a shoutout to the flirty computer voice programmed as a naughty Christmas gift by the wife of one of the characters… that sounds very much like the sort of thing RTD would have put in a story. 4.5 stars.
Salvation Nine – One of the features that sets Doctor Who apart from many other sci-fi franchises is that, at its best, it emphasises peace over combat. And that’s what we get here; a story about the Doctor trying to prevent a conflict. The conflict is a pre-emptive assault on a remote Sontaran outpost by a human naval fleet, understandably concerned about what the Sontarans will do once they clone enough warriors to launch an attack of their own.
It would be too spoilery to say what is unusual about the outpost and why the Doctor doesn’t just walk away and leave the two sides to it. But suffice it to say that it’s a different take on the Sontarans than we usually get, albeit one grounded in what we already know of the race. There are perhaps comedic elements, but these aren’t really “comedy Sontarans”, and the stakes are, if localised, played as serious. There is a slight overdoing of outlining the Doctor’s plan, rather than using a “show don’t tell” approach but, other than that, this is a delightful story about reaffirming faith in humanity – even when some of the characters aren’t literally human. 4.5 stars.
Last of the Zetacene – The weakest story in the collection is set on a sort of space Las Vegas. It features a small group of the super-rich competing against each other in a card game to see who gets to own the last surviving member of an endangered species of alien animal. Naturally, the Doctor wants to save it which leads to a chase across the city as well as some shenanigans at the game. The story is unfortunately, very slight, with the billionaires little more than caricatures and a setting that fails to come alive.
The companion surrogate is worthwhile, even if she’s the only character other than the Doctor who is. She does make some stupid mistakes that it’s easy to criticise but, in fairness, they’re all perfectly plausible mistakes that any normal person could easily make in the heat of the moment. The arachnid dancers, despite being on the cover, add nothing to the story and the creature itself is just a very large pig with an understandable chip on its shoulder, and not especially interesting. The story isn’t bad as such, and it’s relatively short, but it’s the sort that isn’t likely to memorable. 3 stars.
Break the Ice – We’re back on form with the final story, a base-under-siege set on a space station orbiting Venus some time in the mid to late 21st century. Experiments are underway to cryogenically preserve and revive people so that they can make the long journey to other stars… and, of course, they go wrong. It’s also a Christmas story - something that Eccleston didn’t have in his TV era, but that he certainly would have done had he felt able to stay on. Although, unlike many of those that RTD produced, this one is creepy despite the festive scenery.
Here, the guest characters are well done, with the main ones being well fleshed-out despite the relatively brief time we have in which to get to know them (although, at 50 minutes, it’s slightly longer than a typical TV episode). The monster is on the supernatural side of things, but nothing that feels out of place, and it uses its powers in an interesting way, keeping up the tension as the remaining crew of the station try to escape and the Doctor figures out how to deal with something that can’t easily be killed and would simply get away if you flushed it into deep space. Also I’ll give a shoutout to the flirty computer voice programmed as a naughty Christmas gift by the wife of one of the characters… that sounds very much like the sort of thing RTD would have put in a story. 4.5 stars.
November 11, 2022
Salvation Nine:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Very adorable story with some great acting by the entire cast, love Dan Starkey in any story. Not much to say about it, but worth a listen if you want something fairly light in tone.
Last of the Zetacene:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Love a good 'eat the rich' story when it's done well. Pretty typical for the most part with this type, out of touch and cartoonishly evil antagonists and a mistreated life form out for revenge after being exploited for profit. The poetic justice part of it was pretty fun and the ending was very wholesome, except for the death I guess. Overall pretty solid listen.
Break the Ice:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Very slow first half with a decent set up but a strong feeling of the story meandering, however in the second half I think it justifies it with the revelation as to what the story is actually intending to convey. The two leads are stellar and the performances by everyone is solid. In some ways this feels like 9's Waters of Mars, so it's fitting that it has a significantly more wholesome ending. The villain is pretty generic but the acting behind it is very well done. Nothing to write home about but a very fun story that does a good job at conveying what it intends to.
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Very adorable story with some great acting by the entire cast, love Dan Starkey in any story. Not much to say about it, but worth a listen if you want something fairly light in tone.
Last of the Zetacene:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Love a good 'eat the rich' story when it's done well. Pretty typical for the most part with this type, out of touch and cartoonishly evil antagonists and a mistreated life form out for revenge after being exploited for profit. The poetic justice part of it was pretty fun and the ending was very wholesome, except for the death I guess. Overall pretty solid listen.
Break the Ice:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Very slow first half with a decent set up but a strong feeling of the story meandering, however in the second half I think it justifies it with the revelation as to what the story is actually intending to convey. The two leads are stellar and the performances by everyone is solid. In some ways this feels like 9's Waters of Mars, so it's fitting that it has a significantly more wholesome ending. The villain is pretty generic but the acting behind it is very well done. Nothing to write home about but a very fun story that does a good job at conveying what it intends to.
March 6, 2024
Salvation Nine - 4.5/5
Thought this one was a great deal of fun. I loved the portrayal of the Sontaran-descended colony and the Doctor seemed to be having a blast with it too.
Last of the Zetacene - 1.5/5
A big miss. The snorting sound effects of one of the villains was horrible to listen to, and the companion for the episode was a bit annoying too.
Break the Ice - 3.5/5
A fun little jaunt. The portrayal of a “companion” suffering from anxiety attacks was an interesting inclusion and the monster was a little bit handwavy but had a fairly memorable presence.
Thought this one was a great deal of fun. I loved the portrayal of the Sontaran-descended colony and the Doctor seemed to be having a blast with it too.
Last of the Zetacene - 1.5/5
A big miss. The snorting sound effects of one of the villains was horrible to listen to, and the companion for the episode was a bit annoying too.
Break the Ice - 3.5/5
A fun little jaunt. The portrayal of a “companion” suffering from anxiety attacks was an interesting inclusion and the monster was a little bit handwavy but had a fairly memorable presence.
August 26, 2022
Salvation Nine - a surprisingly interesting Sontaran story that was so hilarious to listen to. 8/10
Last Of The Zetacene - a pretty weak story with some great performances. 5/10
Break The Ice - Well, this was amazing. The ninth doctor fights an ice god played phenomenally by Pip Torrens. Honestly, I’m going to consider this the Ninth doctor X-mas special that we never got. The clear highlight of this season so far. 9/10
Last Of The Zetacene - a pretty weak story with some great performances. 5/10
Break The Ice - Well, this was amazing. The ninth doctor fights an ice god played phenomenally by Pip Torrens. Honestly, I’m going to consider this the Ninth doctor X-mas special that we never got. The clear highlight of this season so far. 9/10
October 7, 2022
Salvation Nine: 5/5, very funny and interesting episode about the Sontarans. Loved it a lot.
Last of the Zetacene: 2/5, found it really hard to follow, didn't have a clue what was going on but the cast seemed good.
Break the Ice: great, atmospheric, a little bit funny. Pip Torrens was AMAZING, I love his voice and I hope he works with Big Finish again. 5/5
Last of the Zetacene: 2/5, found it really hard to follow, didn't have a clue what was going on but the cast seemed good.
Break the Ice: great, atmospheric, a little bit funny. Pip Torrens was AMAZING, I love his voice and I hope he works with Big Finish again. 5/5
February 19, 2023
First story really fun and lighthearted.
Second story was just all over the place and honestly not in a good way, it was quite bad.
The third story had the biggest potentional and should work better then it did on paper, should have been much scarier. It's not bad at all just a kind of meh?
Overal the set isn't really that great sadly. I wish they did four stories again.
Second story was just all over the place and honestly not in a good way, it was quite bad.
The third story had the biggest potentional and should work better then it did on paper, should have been much scarier. It's not bad at all just a kind of meh?
Overal the set isn't really that great sadly. I wish they did four stories again.
August 11, 2024
Into the stars
Salvation Nine
Great idea, very well executed and really funny. Four stars
Last of the Zetacene
What a bloody mess of a story. There’sa a gem of a good idea in this, but the plot doesn’t make any sense, two of the female characters sounds so much the same, it’s hard to distinguish between them, and the dialogue is simple boring. Two stars.
Break the ice
Now this is a proper Doctor Who story! Closed off environment: check. Haunting villain: check. Great side character: check. Good dialogue and a lot of tension: check! Five stars
Salvation Nine
Great idea, very well executed and really funny. Four stars
Last of the Zetacene
What a bloody mess of a story. There’sa a gem of a good idea in this, but the plot doesn’t make any sense, two of the female characters sounds so much the same, it’s hard to distinguish between them, and the dialogue is simple boring. Two stars.
Break the ice
Now this is a proper Doctor Who story! Closed off environment: check. Haunting villain: check. Great side character: check. Good dialogue and a lot of tension: check! Five stars
August 23, 2022
I liked the first one the most, but this was a fairly weak offering. Nine really needs a companion.
August 26, 2022
3 really solid stories. The first one, with the Sontarans, was quite funny.
September 28, 2022
The story about good Sontarans is definitely the best of the three. The Doctor desperately wants to believes they’re different.
November 6, 2022
Would be 5 ish but the stories are too short
December 20, 2022
The nineth doctor has 3 new adventures.
March 2, 2023
A thoroughly enjoyable set and I can't pick my favourite of the three. It usually takes me longer to finish an audiobook but I smashed through this one.
March 23, 2023
Salvation Nine: unique and interesting Sontaran story! I'm missing a stable companion for the 9th in these ones though.
August 23, 2023
Кааааажется, наблюдаю улучшение у БигФиниша? Эта коробка и Purity Undreamed развлекли меня сильнее обычного
October 9, 2023
2.1 'Salvation Nine' by Timothy X Atack: 5*
2.2 'Last of the Zetacene' by James Kettle: 5*
2.3 'Break the Ice' by Tim Foley: 5*
What a wonderful boxset this is!
2.2 'Last of the Zetacene' by James Kettle: 5*
2.3 'Break the Ice' by Tim Foley: 5*
What a wonderful boxset this is!
September 21, 2022
The second release of Series 2 in Big Finish's Ninth Doctor Adventures, this set sees the Ninth Doctor return to space after spending the previous set on earth. The first story, Salvation 9, sees the Doctor save a colony of peaceful Sontarans in a really fun story. The conclusion had me grinning ear to ear with the Doctor at the solution. In the second story, Last of the Zetacene, he works to save the last of a species of space pig from a group of extremely rich friends/business partners who enjoy high-stakes games. This was probably the weakest of the set, but still fun. The last story, Break the Ice, was probably the best. It sees the Doctor arrive on a space station just in time for the release of Jack Frost in a horror-style christmas special. In all, a really fun set. I'm enjoying what they're doing with Eccleston and the Ninth Doctor, and even though I'd love to see audio stories with Rose and/or Jack and Nine, these are still worth picking up.
February 18, 2025
6.1 Salvation Nine - Okay, so the Sontarans may not be the Daleks, the Cybermen or the Ice Warriors, but they are one of the reoccurring “classic” alien races that trouble the Doctor again and again. But these Sontarans aren’t like any you’ve ever seen (or heard) before. I absolutely loved this one, just for the sheer novelty of this depiction of the Sontarans (5/5).
6.2 Last Of The Zetacene - Well, after the previous story, I had pretty high expectations going into this one. Too high of expectations as it turns out. This is played for a lot of laughs and silliness (2/5).
6.3 Break The Ice - This is definitely a Ninth Doctor story. It feels like it was written specifically for Christopher Eccleston. Solidly entertaining and enjoyable (3/5).
There is also a bonus disc of behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.
6.2 Last Of The Zetacene - Well, after the previous story, I had pretty high expectations going into this one. Too high of expectations as it turns out. This is played for a lot of laughs and silliness (2/5).
6.3 Break The Ice - This is definitely a Ninth Doctor story. It feels like it was written specifically for Christopher Eccleston. Solidly entertaining and enjoyable (3/5).
There is also a bonus disc of behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.
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