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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Eighth Doctor's first encounter with Cybermen, January 9, 2007
I must say that Paul McGann is one of my favorite incarnations of the Doctor, despite his sole onscreen performance. I had the pleasure of listening to the first "Season" of Mr. McGann's audio adventures as the Doctor. Of the ones I've heard so far, Sword of Orion was one of the best.
McGann is brillaint as the Doctor, translating his charm and dash easily into audio form. His new companion, Charley, while not another Sarah Jane, is a very strong foil for the Doctor. She has the added bonus of being from 1930s Britian, it allows her more room to be amazed by the technology and sophistication of the future and of aliens in general.
The story itself is not too hard to predict, though the way it goes about it is quite fun. It offers up nice character development for everyone involved, which gives the audience some personal feelings towards otherwise two dimenisonal Cybermen fodder.
It's a big shame that the packaging for this story gives away the main plot point, especially as it's played up as a surprise in the story. However, Doctor Who has a history of revealing secrets too soon.
While not the best Audio Drama I've heard, I found it quite fun and enjoyable. Definately worth the price, however it is hard to obtain these cds Stateside. (For a great McGann piece try Big Finish's "Shada." Douglas Addam's script orginally intended for Tom Baker is reworked for McGann and it works exceptionally well.)
I would urge all Who fans to seek out the Big Finish CDs. They are a great addition to the Who verse and the authors are all trying very hard to make them fit into continuity, as well as trying to give some of the shorter lived doctors (Particuarly Colin Baker and McGann) some more adventures!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Almost perfect, August 8, 2008
The Doctor and Charley's 2nd adventure is one of the episodes that simply sings.
The acting as usual is first rate not only from Paul and India but the supporting cast comes through very strong. The plotting is really strong and really comes through on this adventure. I've never cared for the Cybermen too much but I'm really in the minorty on that one and the story was so good that really doesn't matter.
The only real weakness is the lack of the shock as Miss Pollard finds herself on different worlds, in space and in the Tardis. Granted her first adventure exposed her to both but I would have expected to see a little more of it.
Anyways this is a great 2nd episode of the 8th doctor era (not counting the movie). It rightly forshadowed great things to come.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"They turned the burning light of their technology on something they felt was holding them back.", April 19, 2008
The Eighth Doctor, as played by Paul McGann: most prolific, or least? Well, it rather depends. In terms of television, this incarnation has but merely one appearance, the ill-fated 1996 TV movie meant to kickstart the program's revival to no avail. One almost feels McGann was cheated, given a chance at this iconic role only to have it snatched away. And to the degree that "Doctor Who" is after all primarily a TV show, that's indeed about the long and short of it. And yet the Eighth Doctor would go on for years to star in other media, especially radio dramas such as "Sword of Orion" here, thus in a way extending McGann's tenure and gradually generating an impressively massive multitude of adventures.
All of which is mostly Terra Incognito for me. As a fan, I tend to cleave pretty closely to the television series and for the most part leave it at that. Idle curiosity, though, and the sight of one of my particularly favorite villains, the Cybermen, led me to "Sword of Orion" kind of on a lark.
All in all, it's a thoroughly enjoyable tale, one that feels familiarly "Doctor Who" in spirit. Maybe just a tad too familiar. The plot comes across somewhat as little more than a clever recapitulation of "Tomb of the Cybermen"--only with a derelict spaceship instead of an underground installation and a team of salvage collectors instead of archaeologists. This effect seems the result less of intentional mimicry than unconscious influence, however. Paul McGann's fine vocal portrayal of the Doctor gives the story its own particularly unique feel, just as intriguing twists, interesting characters, and startlingly horrific motifs all manage to keep the listener thoroughly engaged in what's going on. The well-crafted dialogue carries the unfolding plot along in a compelling way that never seems artificial--you know, in that stilted way radio dramas can be prone to. Most of all, though, "Sword of Orion" succeeds wonderfully in asking that fundamental question any Cyberman tale should ask: just what is it that makes us human?
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