It's not often I would consider reviewing an old Big Finish release even if I have just purchased it because there's more than enough new stuff to review including one I have just finished with two more on the way! And of course there will be many fans who have already heard this but given there was a long gap in my collection of Big Finish audios I do like to pick up the odd adventure that catches my attention when I come across it and it's still available in CD format.
One of my favourite classic episodes of Doctor Who was The Web Planet starring William Hartnell as the Doctor with Barbara, Ian and Vicki as his companions. This was part of the second season and one of the most ambitious serials attempted on a low budget by the BBC.
The sets had to recreate an entirely alien planet along with costumes for several species of giant insects and to this young viewer they were scary! Maybe it was something about the black & white format and the fact such things were new especially to us young'uns that these primitive special effects had such an impact.
One of my favourite classic episodes of Doctor Who was The Web Planet starring William Hartnell as the Doctor with Barbara, Ian and Vicki as his companions. This was part of the second season and one of the most ambitious serials attempted on a low budget by the BBC.
The sets had to recreate an entirely alien planet along with costumes for several species of giant insects and to this young viewer they were scary! Maybe it was something about the black & white format and the fact such things were new especially to us young'uns that these primitive special effects had such an impact.
Photo: Screenshot
Certainly the giant Zarbi stuck in my memory. Giant ants and other creepy crawlies chasing down giant moth like creatures called the Menoptra. This adventure took six episodes to tell and for the Doctor to defeat this giant spider thingy at the centre of all the malevolence.
Sadly that was the only visit to the Planet Vortis in the Doctor Who canon until Big Finish decided to divert Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton as the Doctor & Nyssa in Return To The Web Planet in an hour long special release back in 2007.
Sadly that was the only visit to the Planet Vortis in the Doctor Who canon until Big Finish decided to divert Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton as the Doctor & Nyssa in Return To The Web Planet in an hour long special release back in 2007.
Photo: By Source
Landing as the result of something effecting the Tardis the Doctor is surprised to see how Vortis has become a planet of forests once again and the duo set off to explore. Not before long they are chased by wild Zarbi and get separated.
The Doctor meets up with an exiled dissident Menoptra called Acheron who is studying the Zarbi along with his wingless daughter Hedyla. There are other humans here and something is very wrong. The Doctor sets out to solve the mystery and help but has he made a serious mistake?
And why have all these spaceships crashed in the same place? Just who is the The Speaker for Life?
Overall an excellent adventure that with modern special effects would have made great TV but then Big Finish give us lots of great adventures that we might not otherwise have adding to the fictional canon that is the Doctor Who universe.
Rating: 5 Stars. Highly recommended and still available as both a CD and download.
And why have all these spaceships crashed in the same place? Just who is the The Speaker for Life?
Overall an excellent adventure that with modern special effects would have made great TV but then Big Finish give us lots of great adventures that we might not otherwise have adding to the fictional canon that is the Doctor Who universe.
Rating: 5 Stars. Highly recommended and still available as both a CD and download.
Go to: bigfinish.com
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