Skip to content

Audio Review: DOCTOR WHO – WHITE GHOSTS

Written By:

Tony Jones
white-ghosts-doctor-who-review

White Ghosts - Doctor Who Review

Review: White Ghosts (Doctor Who) / Author: Alan Barnes / Publisher: Big Finish / Starring: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Virginia Hey, Bethan Walker, Gbemisola Ikumelo, James Joyce / Release Date: Out Now

White Ghosts is the second story in the third series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish. Starring Tom Baker with Louise Jameson as Leela, this is a single disc adventure written by Alan Barnes.

Once more the Time Lords have interfered in the Doctor’s wanderings and he narrowly misses being hit by a missile which is en route for a planet that only has one single day of daylight every 1,000 years. Landing on the planet, they encounter a survey team with several secrets. More immediate is the fact that any exposure to daylight causes ferocious plants to arise almost instantly and these pale blossoms known as the White Ghost are more used to living on dead flesh than photosynthesising.

The story links to the previous King of Sontar in that the relationship between Leela and the Doctor is being redefined. This gives Louise Jameson plenty of opportunity to show just how versatile she can be even though portraying someone allegedly primitive. Remember, primitive does not equal stupid. The wider cast all do well as a team of students dabbling in genetic and botanic research. So far, so solid, but the story takes a turn for the worse as it approaches its ending and several liberties are taken with physical law just to shoehorn in an ending. Perhaps this was an attempt at variety and perhaps also not everyone is as concerned with physics as I am; after all this is a programme about time travel, regenerating aliens and hundreds of other unlikely things. Coupled with some apparently arbitrary aliens, this takes the shine off a good story that the cast clearly enjoyed performing.

Production wise there is nothing to criticise – the dark landscape and White Ghosts are well imagined in sound, direction is crisp and as mentioned all the actors play their parts admirably. If only it weren’t for the story’s mistreatment of the laws of physics, which spoil the end of an otherwise very solid offering. Apparently the BBC have decided that they need a scientific advisor for Doctor Who to move it away from being a pure fantasy – perhaps the same is also true for Big Finish.

Tony Jones

You May Also Like...

andy and barbara muschietti, aka the muschiettis, teaming with skydance for horror label nocturna

The Muschiettis Launch Horror Label NOCTURNA With Skydance

The It-team are joining forces with Skydance to launch a brand new horror division named Nocturna, THR reports. The brother-sister filmmaking duo known as the Muschiettis – Andy and Barbara
Read More
patty jenkins returns to the star wars film rogue squadron

Patty Jenkins Returns With STAR WARS’ ROGUE SQUADRON Film

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has given an encouraging update on what was presumed to be a dead project, stating that she’s back in active development on her Star Wars
Read More

Comic Book CAPITAL P Launched

Capital P Book One is the first part of a twelve-issue comic book maxi-series from writer Sam Gardner Jr and artist Jerome Canty. The official tag line is “A hero
Read More
neve campbell as sidney prescott in scream

Neve Campbell Returns To SCREAM Franchise

In an unexpected turn of events, Neve Campbell is confirmed to be returning to the Scream franchise, after several upsets to the production of Scream VII. It’s particularly surprising news
Read More

The First Trailer for THE CROW is Here

The highly anticipated remake of The Crow has its first trailer, which you can check out below. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven and FKA Twigs as Shelly
Read More

Submit Your Film to THE RAY HARRYHAUSEN AWARDS

The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation is once again holding an awards programme to recognise excellence in the field of stop-motion effects. This year’s submission fees have also been reduced!
Read More