Plum Pudding Reviews

 The Fourth Doctor Adventures: New Frontiers  [Usual disclaimer: I am not an asshole. I am reviewing a product. I wish none involved in the making of this product harm in any way, nor should my opinion be taken as the entire fact and truth of the matter - I can only speak to the feelings of myself. I wish all who read this review a good day.]  New Frontiers is a special case in terms of a Big Finish boxset. Words fail it. Usually Big Finish boxsets will fall under one of a few categories - entirely good and high quality drama, consistent yet forgettable stories, variable quality, or the rare total disappointment. New Frontiers as a boxset somehow manages to be, stunningly, none of these. Usually when a new companion is brought out to the forefront, there is a creative upheaval. A massive quality increase usually occurs as a new series begins, as the writers grow excited with the new toys they have in their box. It is rare a companion introduction is disappointing, and for...

  The First Doctor Adventures: The Demon Song Perhaps this will veer on the controversial but I find The Demon Song to be much better than it has been given credit for. The reception to the volume was a lukewarm “ehhh,” at least within my circles, so I was quite surprised to find how delightful the ultimate result was. Sure, it's not flawless, but I really do find what Big Finish is doing with Stephen Noonan as the First Doctor delightful, and hope that he goes on to further his craft for many years to come.  So, what's the deal with this particular volume??  Picking up where The Outlaws left off, in at least a rough sense, we're continuing to explore the gap in The First Doctor's timeline where Steven has left him and he and Dodo are travelling together. This is such an underrated gap, more than worthy of exploration. I know I commented on that as such in the Outlaws review, but The Demon Song really continues to allow Lauren Cornelius to shine as Dodo - and I think ha...

  Gallifrey War Room 1: Allegiance Before we begin to discuss the Time Travel series, I'm going to jump ahead in time ten minutes and go on an unbelievably long tangent.  It is so unbelievably stupid how long it will take for this series of 16 audio plays to be released. 4 whole years. I understand that this has steadily become the Big Finish business model, the variety in the many spinoffs that Big Finish has at it's disposal, and while most releases do quite well under it - The First Doctor Adventures and Torchwood Soho, for example, benefits greatly from having only one set a year - it is much harder to justify when considering the idea of a complicated arc. At best, you will sucker people along for four years. At worst, people will forget that the series is happening before it's even done. There's a reason that TV shows have "seasons," and it is a fairly good reason. You have to strike when the iron is hot, keep the series in the mind of the public. This m...