At its core, Doctor Who is a show about how intellect and romance triumph over brute force and cynicism. The Seventh Doctor, however, is perhaps both the most intellectual and cynical of the lot, a heady mix of charming genius, clown and Machiavellian mastermind. Much of the clown aspect of 7 was seen when he was with his first companion, Mel. Whereas when Ace joined the TARDIS, the character got darker. Big Finish’s latest offering, The Silurian Candidate, brings together both companions and The Doctor in one place. The results are interesting, to say the least.
For a start, this story is a sequel (of sorts) to “Warriors of the Deep”, a fifth Doctor adventure set in a future where the Silurians and Sea Devils are waking up (and looking to recolonise Earth.) It’s 2085 and the world is in the middle of another Cold War. This time humanity has divided into blocks, which are on the verge of peace. Of course, there are factions that threaten to shatter this fragile arrangement, including the ancient beings that roamed the Earth back when dinosaurs where a thing.
These are the classic style reptilian monsters and yes; a small amount of time is spent correcting the name (which is an entirely inaccurate description of the time Earth’s other sentient species is from). As such they have the old school crackly voices and the slightly shoddy powers. The plot itself feels very ‘80s, with larger than life characters, paranoia plotting and fairly flimsy science. McCoy spends much of his time chewing (imaginary) scenery as The Doctor, while Aldred and Langford are clearly having a lot of fun as companions. Mel Bush is a degree of magnitude less annoying in this audio than she was in the show. Both companions show off different aspects of The Doctor and a sterling effort is made to add depth to The Doctor’s schemes. It’s Langford who shines throughout the story, both as the peaceful hero and as a spunky companion. Actor Nicholas Asbury also wins this year’s award for most over the top Australian accent as Chairman Bart Falco, channelling both the spirit of Rupert Murdoch and Skippy The Bush Kangaroo to create something beyond parody.
Overall, it’s a fun romp that adds little to the world of Doctor Who, but is fun none the less.
THE SILURIAN CANDIDATE / DIRECTOR: KEN BENTLEY / WRITER: MATTHEW J. ELLIOTT / STARRING: SYLVESTER MCCOY, SOPHIE ALDRED, BONNIE LANGFORD, FIONA SHEEHAN, NICHOLAS ASBURY, NICHOLAS BRIGGS / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
