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Big Finish: Monthly Range #28
Doctor Who: Invaders from Mars
Hallowe'en 1938.
A year after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York state, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did. But what if some of the panicked listeners to the legendary War of the Worlds broadcast weren't just imagining things?
Attempting to deliver Charley to her rendezvous in Singapore 1930, the Doctor overshoots a little, arriving in Manhattan just in time to find a dead private detective. Indulging his gumshoe fantasies, the Doctor is soon embroiled in the hunt for a missing Russian scientist whilst Charley finds herself at the mercy of a very dubious Fifth Columnist.
With some genuinely out of this world 'merchandise' at stake, the TARDIS crew are forced into an alliance with a sultry dame called Glory Bee, Orson Welles himself and a mobster with half a nose known as 'The Phantom'.
And slowly but surely, something is drawing plans against them. Just not very good ones...
Chronological Placement: This story takes place after the 1996 TV Movie.
A year after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York state, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did. But what if some of the panicked listeners to the legendary War of the Worlds broadcast weren't just imagining things?
Attempting to deliver Charley to her rendezvous in Singapore 1930, the Doctor overshoots a little, arriving in Manhattan just in time to find a dead private detective. Indulging his gumshoe fantasies, the Doctor is soon embroiled in the hunt for a missing Russian scientist whilst Charley finds herself at the mercy of a very dubious Fifth Columnist.
With some genuinely out of this world 'merchandise' at stake, the TARDIS crew are forced into an alliance with a sultry dame called Glory Bee, Orson Welles himself and a mobster with half a nose known as 'The Phantom'.
And slowly but surely, something is drawing plans against them. Just not very good ones...
Chronological Placement: This story takes place after the 1996 TV Movie.
2 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2002
6 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gatiss
144 books782 followersMark Gatiss (born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
May 26, 2021
A fun opener to the second series of Eighth Doctor audios sees the Time Lord and Charley arrive in 1938 New York.
Just as Orson Welles is about to broadcast his infamous 'War of the Worlds' radio play, an actual real life alien invasion is happening in Brooklyn.
This is such a great pastiche of the goldern age of radio drama, even down to the musical stings.
I remember having the cassette of Welles drama as a kid, so was familiar with the apparent hysteria the play
caused.
I also recall hearing old repeats of Dragnet too (Dragnet: The Big Make), so these types of detective stories has always appealed.
McGann has great fun assuming the disguise of a recently deceased private detective, whilst the supporting cast (dodgy accents aside) also helps set the scene - most noticeably an early role for Simon Pegg.
It's just a shame that Charley is practically sidelined.
I can see why this story has received mixed reviews though I have a great appreciation for the authentic feel of that era.
Just as Orson Welles is about to broadcast his infamous 'War of the Worlds' radio play, an actual real life alien invasion is happening in Brooklyn.
This is such a great pastiche of the goldern age of radio drama, even down to the musical stings.
I remember having the cassette of Welles drama as a kid, so was familiar with the apparent hysteria the play
caused.
I also recall hearing old repeats of Dragnet too (Dragnet: The Big Make), so these types of detective stories has always appealed.
McGann has great fun assuming the disguise of a recently deceased private detective, whilst the supporting cast (dodgy accents aside) also helps set the scene - most noticeably an early role for Simon Pegg.
It's just a shame that Charley is practically sidelined.
I can see why this story has received mixed reviews though I have a great appreciation for the authentic feel of that era.
June 8, 2020
(3.25 stars)
September 5, 2024
Hallowe’en 1938. A year after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York State, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did…
Invaders From Mars is a well-written, Doctor Who adventure, by one of my favourite writers - Mark Gatiss. It was one of the monthly Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas that they would put out. It’s great to have any extra stories with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, as his run playing the Doctor was criminally short.
This story feels like a love letter to the golden age of radio, and to Orson Welles and his War of the Worlds. An alien invasion happening alongside the original broadcast, which terrified many, is a clever idea for a Doctor Who story.
The American accents are a little cheesy and jarring to listen to lol. I wish I had heard more from the Doctor’s companion, Charley, played by India Fisher. I may listen to more Big Finish in the future, as I’m slowly getting more into listening to audiobooks in the background whilst I play video games.
3.5 Stars
Invaders From Mars is a well-written, Doctor Who adventure, by one of my favourite writers - Mark Gatiss. It was one of the monthly Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas that they would put out. It’s great to have any extra stories with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, as his run playing the Doctor was criminally short.
This story feels like a love letter to the golden age of radio, and to Orson Welles and his War of the Worlds. An alien invasion happening alongside the original broadcast, which terrified many, is a clever idea for a Doctor Who story.
The American accents are a little cheesy and jarring to listen to lol. I wish I had heard more from the Doctor’s companion, Charley, played by India Fisher. I may listen to more Big Finish in the future, as I’m slowly getting more into listening to audiobooks in the background whilst I play video games.
3.5 Stars
September 18, 2009
Invaders From Mars is one of those rare 'backwards' Big Finish dramas. In a 'normal' BF, parts 1 and 2 are well-crafted and expertly draw the listener in. The trick with these dramas is that if part 3 doesn't deliver, the whole thing falls apart. 'Invaders' is different because parts 1 and 2 border on tedious and incomprehensible, but if you stick through to parts 3 and 4, your patience will be rewarded.
Why was this a near-disaster? The first problem was too many threads to the story, too many characters and no distinction between the scene-changes. I couldn't tell where I was or who I was with. Add to that the string of bad American accents, and it's impossible to figure out who's where saying what. Things didn't improve until characters started dying and the survivors ended up in the same scene.
The other problem is a common one -- separating Charlie from the Doctor early on, and not getting them back together until the story was almost resolved. For shame! Everyone knows that Who fans will enjoy the most ridiculous plots if there's good dialogue and camaraderie between the Doctor and the companion. Splitting them up is only asking for trouble.
What worked here? First of all, Paul McGann overcame the considerable limitations of the script. Eight is great fun, and I adored the Doctor doing his best to impersonate a hard-boiled detective. It didn't work, of course -- the Doctor is certainly not a hard-boiled anything, but it was fun hearing him try.
Once I slogged through to part 3, things started cooking. The cast had been pared down considerably and the story was much easier to follow. The aliens, when they came, were amusing; and of all the ways I thought they could incorporate HG Wells' War of the Worlds, the ultimate resolution was a clever surprise.
This one is worth a listen, just be aware of its limitations.
Why was this a near-disaster? The first problem was too many threads to the story, too many characters and no distinction between the scene-changes. I couldn't tell where I was or who I was with. Add to that the string of bad American accents, and it's impossible to figure out who's where saying what. Things didn't improve until characters started dying and the survivors ended up in the same scene.
The other problem is a common one -- separating Charlie from the Doctor early on, and not getting them back together until the story was almost resolved. For shame! Everyone knows that Who fans will enjoy the most ridiculous plots if there's good dialogue and camaraderie between the Doctor and the companion. Splitting them up is only asking for trouble.
What worked here? First of all, Paul McGann overcame the considerable limitations of the script. Eight is great fun, and I adored the Doctor doing his best to impersonate a hard-boiled detective. It didn't work, of course -- the Doctor is certainly not a hard-boiled anything, but it was fun hearing him try.
Once I slogged through to part 3, things started cooking. The cast had been pared down considerably and the story was much easier to follow. The aliens, when they came, were amusing; and of all the ways I thought they could incorporate HG Wells' War of the Worlds, the ultimate resolution was a clever surprise.
This one is worth a listen, just be aware of its limitations.
January 13, 2014
I started groaning when I heard all the American accents in this one - all past Big Finish dramas set in America have been plagued with an array of preposterous accents, and this one is no exception.
But the story drew me in. It's the sort of high concept thing you'd expect from Gatiss - what if real aliens were at large in October 1938, just as Orson Welles was terrorising hordes with his radio adaptation of 'The War of the Worlds'. It's also a nice way to nod at the power of a purely audio presentation. There's a nice moment when two gangsters are listening to a ventriloquist act on radio and one of them asks how they can be sure the voice-thrower's lips aren't working, spoiling the show for his friend.
Anyway, the second world war two is also brewing, there's a gangster with alien tech from a crashed spacecraft and all sorts of double-crossers, fifth columnists and spies crawling out of the woodwork. Oh and there's still another alien in town - the Eighth Doctor.
What follows is a well paces, exciting adventure, lots of catchy dialogue and suspenseful cliffhangers. A massive bodycount for this series with lots of on-air deaths. Just generally a great job all around but I'm disappointed that the alien threat isn't resoled by anything clever the Doctor does.
But the story drew me in. It's the sort of high concept thing you'd expect from Gatiss - what if real aliens were at large in October 1938, just as Orson Welles was terrorising hordes with his radio adaptation of 'The War of the Worlds'. It's also a nice way to nod at the power of a purely audio presentation. There's a nice moment when two gangsters are listening to a ventriloquist act on radio and one of them asks how they can be sure the voice-thrower's lips aren't working, spoiling the show for his friend.
Anyway, the second world war two is also brewing, there's a gangster with alien tech from a crashed spacecraft and all sorts of double-crossers, fifth columnists and spies crawling out of the woodwork. Oh and there's still another alien in town - the Eighth Doctor.
What follows is a well paces, exciting adventure, lots of catchy dialogue and suspenseful cliffhangers. A massive bodycount for this series with lots of on-air deaths. Just generally a great job all around but I'm disappointed that the alien threat isn't resoled by anything clever the Doctor does.
February 6, 2022
‘Martians! From the planet Mars! The red one you passed on the way in…’
January 28, 2024
This story is occasionally quite comical. Orson Wells' broadcast of 'War of the Worlds' is paralleled by the actual threat of impending war as well as by a possible actual alien invasion.👽
The mobsters are pretty boring, the period and style are just not my cuppa, but the aliens were a pleasant diversion from all of that.
Eight and Charly get to act all serious about saving the world while we the reader (listener) relax a little with a few light-hearted gags and watch it all unfold.
A good, fun one.
The mobsters are pretty boring, the period and style are just not my cuppa, but the aliens were a pleasant diversion from all of that.
Eight and Charly get to act all serious about saving the world while we the reader (listener) relax a little with a few light-hearted gags and watch it all unfold.
A good, fun one.
December 19, 2017
Ottavo Dottore e Charlie, a New York, la notte in cui Orson Welles permise ai marziani di invadere la Terra.
Prime due parti caotiche. Troppi personaggi, molti dalla parlata simile e con pochi stacchi da una scena all'altra.
Quando, dalla terza parte, le cose si fanno più chiare la storia decolla... ma ormai troppo tardi.
Prime due parti caotiche. Troppi personaggi, molti dalla parlata simile e con pochi stacchi da una scena all'altra.
Quando, dalla terza parte, le cose si fanno più chiare la storia decolla... ma ormai troppo tardi.
August 29, 2015
Another "What if Orson Wells' War of the Worlds was about real alien invaders" story. Eighth Doctor and Charley wind up in 1930's New York to experience the mass hysteria firsthand. Does not actually involve the Ice Warriors. Pity.
November 15, 2013
I quite like War of the Worlds, so combining it into this story was fun.
February 19, 2025
2022 52 Book Challenge - December Mini Challenge - 1) Three C's On The Cover
This was a pretty decent opener for the second series of the 8th Doctor and Charley. It was pretty cool because it was combined with the War of the Worlds hysteria, which I really enjoyed.
However, I listened to this book yesterday, and I'm already forgetting parts, so as much as I enjoyed the topic of the book, it's not memorable among other better 8th Doctor audiobooks.
This was a pretty decent opener for the second series of the 8th Doctor and Charley. It was pretty cool because it was combined with the War of the Worlds hysteria, which I really enjoyed.
However, I listened to this book yesterday, and I'm already forgetting parts, so as much as I enjoyed the topic of the book, it's not memorable among other better 8th Doctor audiobooks.
March 3, 2023
I did not enjoy this one as much as those previous. I found it very difficult to keep track of the characters and yet again Charley and the doctor were split up for the adventure. I did however love the aliens and their scheme as well as enjoying the main human villain
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2017
Big Finish's audio CD, Invaders from Mars is one of my favorites of the Eighth Doctor range CDs that I've listened to. It features Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor and India Fisher as Charley, with guest appearances by Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson. This is a full-cast audio play; with music, sound effects, and the actors performing their roles - it is not a audio book read by a celebrity.
Although Charley has an appointment to make in Singapore 1930, the TARDIS lands her and the Doctor in New York in 1938. They almost immediately stumble upon a dead body of a private detective, and are caught-up in a plot involving mobsters. The Doctor quickly takes on the role of the dead detective, only to discover the woman who hires him to find her uncle isn't his niece after all, but rather, a Russian assassin out to kill or return to Russia a defecting scientist and expert in atomic power.
Meanwhile, Orson Welles and his Mercury Players are preparing to present HG Wells "War of the Worlds" as a radio play. Yes, that infamous broadcast. And just to keep things interesting, a couple of aliens have invaded Brooklyn, but only to threaten Earth with an intergalactic protection racket that isn't that far off from how the local mobsters work.
The guest characters in this play speak with harsh New York/New Jersey accents and use slang straight out of pulp novels and really bad films from the 30s. It would be annoying if it wasn't for the fact that the entire play is just so much fun. Somehow, when the entire thing is a parody anyway - little errors can be noticed but it's not as upsetting. The major error is "the CIA" plays a major factor in this story, which is set in the US in 1938. However, and I checked this to make sure, the CIA wasn't founded until 1947 (I knew it grew out of the World War II spies). Second, the CIA is the foreign intelligence service, not the domestic one, that's the FBI. The CIA isn't supposed to even operate on US soil. The FBI did exist in the 1930s (think of the Untouchables) and was mostly involved in tracking down bootleggers and chasing mobsters. If the story had simply substituted FBI for CIA, the plot would have made a lot more sense. Also, at one point a female character tells a male character, "Why don't you stand for Congress?" You don't "stand for" Congress, you run for Congress. (You stand for MP, apparently, but the US doesn't have MPs.) It caught my ear as a basic mistake. So, yeah, there are some grammatical and usage terms that just aren't correct - and it makes no sense for an agency that didn't even exist until nearly ten years after the story is set to play such a big part in the story.
However, that can be forgiven considering just how much fun this audio is. I will go with it and say, yeah, OK, so this is like one of those bad historical Hollywood films that gets everything wrong - because its fun. So still highly recommended.
Although Charley has an appointment to make in Singapore 1930, the TARDIS lands her and the Doctor in New York in 1938. They almost immediately stumble upon a dead body of a private detective, and are caught-up in a plot involving mobsters. The Doctor quickly takes on the role of the dead detective, only to discover the woman who hires him to find her uncle isn't his niece after all, but rather, a Russian assassin out to kill or return to Russia a defecting scientist and expert in atomic power.
Meanwhile, Orson Welles and his Mercury Players are preparing to present HG Wells "War of the Worlds" as a radio play. Yes, that infamous broadcast. And just to keep things interesting, a couple of aliens have invaded Brooklyn, but only to threaten Earth with an intergalactic protection racket that isn't that far off from how the local mobsters work.
The guest characters in this play speak with harsh New York/New Jersey accents and use slang straight out of pulp novels and really bad films from the 30s. It would be annoying if it wasn't for the fact that the entire play is just so much fun. Somehow, when the entire thing is a parody anyway - little errors can be noticed but it's not as upsetting. The major error is "the CIA" plays a major factor in this story, which is set in the US in 1938. However, and I checked this to make sure, the CIA wasn't founded until 1947 (I knew it grew out of the World War II spies). Second, the CIA is the foreign intelligence service, not the domestic one, that's the FBI. The CIA isn't supposed to even operate on US soil. The FBI did exist in the 1930s (think of the Untouchables) and was mostly involved in tracking down bootleggers and chasing mobsters. If the story had simply substituted FBI for CIA, the plot would have made a lot more sense. Also, at one point a female character tells a male character, "Why don't you stand for Congress?" You don't "stand for" Congress, you run for Congress. (You stand for MP, apparently, but the US doesn't have MPs.) It caught my ear as a basic mistake. So, yeah, there are some grammatical and usage terms that just aren't correct - and it makes no sense for an agency that didn't even exist until nearly ten years after the story is set to play such a big part in the story.
However, that can be forgiven considering just how much fun this audio is. I will go with it and say, yeah, OK, so this is like one of those bad historical Hollywood films that gets everything wrong - because its fun. So still highly recommended.
July 3, 2012
Now, I'm not a fan of Charley Pollard, one of the 8th Doctor's companions so I've been reluctant to listen to audios featuring the Edwardian adventuress (I much prefer later companions Lucie Miller and Mary Shelley).
But having said that, I did like Invaders from Mars. Though the idea wasn't entirely original - "hey, you know that event that happened and people thought it was real but it wasn't? Well...." - it was an enjoyable romp and I liked that the actual aliens were quite comical.
Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, as she was then known as, play a couple of Noo Yawk characters, complete with heavy accents, but they were still instantly recognisable.
Charley wasn't as irritating as she can quite often be (in my opinion) and the 8th Doctor - well, I have a bit of a soft spot for McGann's Doctor - was perfectly played and bless him for trying, and failing, to be a hard-boiled detective.
This was penned by Mark Gatiss and I must admit I'd rather have seen this story adapted for the television series as opposed to his stories that made it on the show.
But having said that, I did like Invaders from Mars. Though the idea wasn't entirely original - "hey, you know that event that happened and people thought it was real but it wasn't? Well...." - it was an enjoyable romp and I liked that the actual aliens were quite comical.
Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, as she was then known as, play a couple of Noo Yawk characters, complete with heavy accents, but they were still instantly recognisable.
Charley wasn't as irritating as she can quite often be (in my opinion) and the 8th Doctor - well, I have a bit of a soft spot for McGann's Doctor - was perfectly played and bless him for trying, and failing, to be a hard-boiled detective.
This was penned by Mark Gatiss and I must admit I'd rather have seen this story adapted for the television series as opposed to his stories that made it on the show.
January 24, 2011
I wanted to like this, I truly did. There was quite a bit of fun dialogue. Orson Welles' reading of The War of the Worlds could have made for an excellent Who story, full of atmosphere and just a dash of horror.
This is not that story. Instead, Gatiss throws everything but the kitchen sink into the plot. It's as if he pulled out an encyclopedia and made a list. America in the 30's:
Gangsters? Check.
Nazis? Check.
Russians? Check.
Bad accents? Check.
Throw in some Martians-who-are-not Martians, a completely stereotypical villain, and mix.
McGann and Fisher do what they can, as always, with what they've got, but it just isn't enough to save the dismal plot.
This is not that story. Instead, Gatiss throws everything but the kitchen sink into the plot. It's as if he pulled out an encyclopedia and made a list. America in the 30's:
Gangsters? Check.
Nazis? Check.
Russians? Check.
Bad accents? Check.
Throw in some Martians-who-are-not Martians, a completely stereotypical villain, and mix.
McGann and Fisher do what they can, as always, with what they've got, but it just isn't enough to save the dismal plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2016
An amusing conceit that's rendered much less than it could have been thanks to some truly dire American accents and an anachronism that jarred me -- there are multiple references to the CIA, which didn't exist at the time of this story (1938), coming into being in 1947 out of the remains of the OSS. If anything, the agency would have been the US Army Signals Intelligence Service -- however, in the context of this story the go-to agency would have been the FBI.
September 21, 2013
This was a bit of jolly good retro fun - the central conceit being that at the same time as the infamous Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast which really did terrify America, a real invasion was going on. Loved Glory Bee the femme fatale who engages the Doctor as a private investigator... and Bix Biro... dearie, dearie me. Plus Dick Barton-esque music. A bit hard to follow at times.
March 14, 2014
Sheer brilliance! It is so rare for Paul's doctor to get a funny episode. This was proper pulp spoof. Normally bad American accents bother the hell out of me but in this it was perfect. Clearly a bit of an inspiration for Gattiss' later Lucius Box novels this got just about everything, aliens, russians, nazis, detectives and Orson Welles! There was some wonderful witty dialogue.
July 18, 2014
The Doctor and Charlie land during a real alien invasion. At the same time, the infamous War of the Worlds is being broadcast on the radio. Fiction and fact collide. This is a clever piece, and has a few nice twists. Being a fan of War of the Worlds I really liked the connection it made with the radio series. A really good listen.
June 14, 2017
A nice idea really hampered by a confused sense of American culture. It's all over the place and thus loses what ought to have been the charm of 1930s radio drama.
There's an interesting bit of foresight in the plot here, though, that shows that Big Finish is planning something bigger.
Almost tossed off, note that Orson Wells doesn't recognize the name Shakespeare! It comes up later...
There's an interesting bit of foresight in the plot here, though, that shows that Big Finish is planning something bigger.
Almost tossed off, note that Orson Wells doesn't recognize the name Shakespeare! It comes up later...
March 21, 2018
This audio is brilliant fun and probably the best 8th Doc audio in the range so far. We get Russians, Nazis, aliens, homosexuals, Orson Wells and private dicks. This is really the perfect backdrop for an audio. I mean, what could be better than the most famous radio broadcast of all time?
Read
April 8, 2009Brings Eight and Charley to New York in time for Orson Welles' famous 1938 broadcast, but, invitably, getting caught up in a real alien invasion threat. Some gloriously funny roles, including the bickering between the aliens, but all done with great conviction.
July 21, 2015
In Manhattan 1938, the Eighth Doctor and Charley meet a crooked gangster, a Russian spy, a sinister fifth columnist and Orson Welles. Welles's broadcast of War of the Worlds is just a story, but maybe there really are aliens at loose.
March 16, 2017
This episode is set during Orson Well's infamous radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. The only catch is a real alien invasion is going on during the show. It was an amusing story. The American accents were terrible. But enjoyable overall.
January 12, 2013
On my second listen, my rating went up from 1 to 3 stars. Don't know why. First time, I really disliked it. Second time, I was giggling all the way through. A very silly (in a good way) adventure.
March 16, 2023
I loved this. It was hysterical and incredible to listen to. An actual alien encounter happening at the same time Orson Welles is doing War of the Worlds and causing a stir in the nation. Fantastic.
October 22, 2013
Clever ending but overall a weak effort.
December 22, 2013
"I do it for Mother Russia!" LOL
December 14, 2016
Clever. Enjoyable drama.
May 8, 2017
It started out a little silly but it redeemed itself in the end.
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