Doctor Who : The Fires of Vulcan (Dr Who Big Finish) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Steve Lyons (Author), Sylvester McCoy (Performer), Bonnie Langford (Performer), Gary Russell (Director)

Book Description

Series: Dr Who Big Finish | Publication Date: September 24, 2000

Twin CD Set

Two thousand years ago, a cataclysmic volcanic eruption wiped the Roman city of Pompeii from the face of the Earth. It also burried the Doctor's TARDIS...

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Big Finish Productions (September 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903654025
• ISBN-13: 978-1903654026
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,653,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great story for Mel, but not the Doctor, October 7, 2000

By 

"grrreg" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who : The Fires of Vulcan (Dr Who Big Finish) (Audio CD)

I was pleased to spot this Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventure on Amazon's site - I don't recall having seen the previous eleven.

Set during the first year of the seventh Doctor's stories, it features Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Bonnie Langford as companion Mel Bush. Now, Mel has never been the most popular of the Doctor's travelling companions, which I suspect is partially because of her overly exuberant personality and partially because none of the stories she appeared in really suited her.

In her first appearance in a Big finish audio play, I was happy to see that situation reversed. Mel firmly takes centre stage in this adventure set in the last days of Pompeii, with Vesuvius about to erupt. We learn that the Doctor was aware that his TARDIS had been found buried in Pompeii, and had avoided going there. But, having arrived by accident, he feels that he has no choice but to stay and let events proceed, even if it means his death.

Mel refuses to accept that there is no choice but to accept that the future is set. Her attempts to save the Doctor, herself and others from the eruption of Vesuvius shows her character's strong points at their best.

The Doctor's late conversion from a fatalist to someone willing to her try to change the future seems out of character.

Not the best of the Big Finish productions to date (but please note that the general quality is high), this one is certainly worth listening to.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great historical!, January 10, 2001

By 

Victoria Sorel (Ankeny, IA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Who : The Fires of Vulcan (Dr Who Big Finish) (Audio CD)

The Doctor in Pompeii, what's not to love? Granted some of the secondary characters are very one dimensional, but I think the overall flavor of Pompeii is captured nicely. The best part of this CD is that Mel, perhaps one of the most irritating companions on the televison, is redeemed. We see a vibrant, hopeful companion worthy of the Doctor who thankfully does not scream once! Moreover we see a multisided performance from Sylvestor McCoy ranging from morose to hopeful. It is nice to see more than the clown or the manipulator that McCoy's Doctor has become known for. One of the best Big Finish CD's to date!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Pompeii is our window on the Roman world...our window.", November 17, 2002

By 

Larry Bridges "thebachelor" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who : The Fires of Vulcan (Dr Who Big Finish) (Audio CD)

"The Fires of Vulcan" is one of the most popular Big Finish audios, but I consider it a little overrated. It is a solid, well-written and well-acted historical tale with excellent production values and an interesting time paradox for the Doctor to handle -- but there are many similar tales in the "Doctor Who" canon, especially among the original novels. Perhaps this story is so popular because it "rehabilitates" the era in which it is set -- the unloved Season 24 -- and its companion -- the controversial Melanie Bush, excellently played here by Bonnie Langford. I always liked Mel better than most "Who" fans anyway, so I don't see a vast difference in her likeability here. In any case, this is an excellent story, but so are the vast majority of Big Finish's "Who" productions; I just don't see "The Fires of Vulcan" as something very special, but maybe I'm missing something.