The Game

Review: Classy six-parter about... sport?!?

Doctor Who fans and sport really don't mix. It was the *other* people who played football and hit things with bats while we got on with the serious business of memorising the dialogue from Pip and Jane Baker episodes for Future Use.

So the idea of a Doctor Who story about a deadly sport is bound to be treated with suspicion. Especially when it's a six parter. It may sound as much fun as cross-country running, but Darin Henry's The Game is everything Doctor Who should be.

It's clever witty, and has interesting characters with complicated motivations. It even obeys the Doctor Who rule that all six-parters should completely change tack two-thirds of the way through.

So, what starts out as Doctor Who Plays Deadly Lacrosse suddenly pivots into a complicated political drama of scheming politicians and sex-crazed diplomats. There are even space wolves.

It's as marvellous as it sounds - Henry has a neat line in character, and gives Nyssa something interesting to do without making an obvious effort.

Star of the whole production is William Russell as the enigmatic diplomat Lord Darzil Carlisle. Russell is great, helped out enormously by his character's constantly shifting motivations and his relationship with the adoring Doctor.

Basically, its all about hero-worship and the nature of fandom, and it's fun hearing Peter Davison playing both a drooling fanboy and a embarrassed sporting superhero with aplomb.

It's not perfect (episode six peters out a bit), but it's a very rewarding piece of fun and games.

Hayden Ellis
I m a huge Dr Who fan, and i like sport! (Cue cliffhanger sting!, holy water...'the power of Christ compels you!'This story is great, Davison is excellent! i just love the 9 docotr

Charlie Keeble
The Game is a game about Doctor Who. I'm not really a fan of sports in any way but this audio drama sets an example of sports gone bad. I mean blood sports between humans rather than animals. It's like football holiganism after a proper match. Perhaps the Doctor's cricket skills are a better use here?

Ian Beale
In this 'story' we are whisked away to an alien world where gladatorial combatants hail each other with such greetings as "Cheers mate!" and taunt with "S-h-u-t i-t!" in thick East End accents. I couldn't Adam & Eve it! This is simply 'The Bill' vs. 'Match of the Day' and could have been done in two episodes. For Big Finish, it was unoriginal & predictable. Definately an own goal - I hated it!

Rob Allen
I agree with the comments re the villian. Not strong enough, or of enough interest, to bring back for a future audio. The best parts, in my opinion, involved Peter Davison's Doctor taking part in the Game on the first cd (great drama) and the commentator (whose fate is pure Doctor Who).

Paul Carrington
What! a six part story, on two discs? "never fit it on em" i said! but they have and what you get is six very pacy,very enjoyable episodes.a decent villian,and good story in my opinion! a sequel to come by anychance big finish? recommended!

Trevor Lambert
This story could never have worked without Jonathan Pearce's excellent contribution. I would have liked William Russell's character to have been stronger - but there's no doubting the quality of the performance.

Stuart Wishart
Very good story, with Davison in fine form, recapturing his youthful energy and enthusiasm. Last few episodes utterly ruined by Chris Ellison's disastrously hammy villain/king rat pantomime impersonation. Very disappointed he was not brutally killed off at the end...

Adam
not all doctor who fans dont like sport!

Jon Witchell
Being only 16 I wasn't around when the series was originally broadcast, but I think these Big Finish stories are brilliant. Nice to see a story with just the fifth Doctor and Nyssa alone - more than one companion takes away the close friendship very often. I can't wait till it comes out, and look forward to more. Keep up the good work!

James Rodehaver
I enjoyed The Game enormouslz, particularly Disc One. It has sharp dialogue (a constant of the Davison-Sutton line of 5th Doctor audios), interesting plot devices and fun new ways of working in "Androzani" moments of Davison sililoqueys (short on breath, long on drama and moral outrage). Coupled with the William Russell's fabulous performance, this is one of the better stories that Big Finish has released since it handed over the writing shop to a host of new audio playwrites in December 2003. That said, the story is front-loaded, with most of the gripping storyline and character dialogue occurring on the first cd. The play struggles mightily at the end, but just falls short of making us care for the fate for the plagued Naxee players and their home world. It also introduces a possible new recurring villian. Regrettably, I found myself caring little about whether we ever meet him again.

Andrew Ford
I enjoyed this very much, especially William Russell's performance. It's a terrific idea and one that I'm surprised Doctor Who hasn't touched on before - this is a plot that could easily have been put together by Robert Holmes. The performances are a mixed bag. Davison and Sutton perform as well as ever, but the established, more seasoned actors such as the said Mr Russell and Christopher Ellison (excellent here as the criminal Morian) stand out from the rest of the supporting cast, which, occasionally jars a little. But this is not severe enough to spoil a great story. Also, let's be honest, six episodes is too long - this could easily have been done in four or five installments. But apart from that, it has everything else that you could wish for, action, adventure, political intrigue and even a little romance, though I won't spoil it by telling you who for.

Matt Trinder
I m a huge Dr Who fan, and i like sport! (Cue cliffhanger sting!, holy water...'the power of Christ compels you!'This story is great, Davison is excellent!