"I may talk like a fool, but I always know what I'm talking like a fool about"

[usuallyhats]

Slightly belated December posting meme! ghost2 asked for "Big Finish. Anything would be great, but maybe your thoughts about a story you would like BF to make? Or a character you think should return. Or an underrated audio more people should listen to."

♥ Big Finish ♥ I love them a lot; I love that they've turned their fannishness into a full on respected professional company. The whole reason we have Big Finish is because some people really loved Doctor Who and wanted to tell more stories about it and this makes me so happy. They currently have main range audios #51-#75 on special offer, so let's start with some recs from there, since I have listened to all except one of them.

1) The Council of Nicaea (Five, Peri, Erimem) Thoughtful yet intense, with beautiful characterisation for the three leads.

2) Caerdroia (Eight, Charley, C'rizz) Absolutely hilarious, with lots of great character stuff for Eight. One of my favourites!

3) The Harvest (Seven, Ace, Hex) I like this story a lot, mostly because it's a great introduction for Hex (HEEEEEXXXXXX).

(The Natural History of Fear is also great, but I can't explain why without spoiling it, and also it's probably better if you listen to it in order.)

A story I would like Big Finish to make: more historicals! They've produced some wonderful ones and I would love to hear more, especially from corners of history that I don't know much about. Or a story set in the TARDIS, since they don't have to worry about building sets. In general I'd also like them to do more stories with queer characters, because they are a bit terrible at that. :(

A character I think should return: ALL OF THE COMPANIONS. ...actually, yes, that's basically it, I love all of BF's new companions a lot and I'm sad that a lot of them aren't appearing much any more. Erimem, Evelyn, Hex... I'm looking forward to more Molly in the new Dark Eyes boxsets, as she's easily my favourite Eighth Doctor audio companion. And speaking of Eight, I would love to see more adventures with him and Mary Shelley, and with Benny, and with his book and comics companions, especially Anji. For the non-companion characters, I'll go with Emily Chaudhry, from the UNIT audios (which are my pick for underrated stories more people should listen to, incidentally). She had a lot of potential and it would be wonderful to see her again, either during the time when she traveled with Six, or later, as the new leader of UNIT. (...now I think of it, why hasn't there been a Bambera and Ancelyn spin off yet? GET ON IT, BIG FINISH. (Rights and actors permitting, of course.))

Comments

[muccamukk]

One of the reasons I love seasons of fear as much as I do is because it's an obscure historical with a gay character. They are pretty terrible at queer characters otherwise. I wish Caroline Symcox had written more. The two that she did were lovely.

That Christmas one with Eight, Lucie, Susan and Alex was set in the TARDIS, wasn't it? Haven't listened to it in a while.

[usuallyhats]

Yes! I would love to hear more like Seasons of Fear. And more from Caroline Symcox too, yes! Also more female writers in general would be excellent.

I think it was! I listened to it in a hurry, because it was about to expire from the iplayer, so I don't remember it very clearly, alas.

[glinda]

Big Finish posts! :D I'm really enjoying that about this meme, there's been lots of flailing happily about Big Finish.

A Bambera and Ancelyn spin off! I didn't know I needed that and now I want Big Finish to make that desperately.

More queer characters would be lovely, yes. I haven't heard the audio they did with Izzy yet, but that would be a really easy way for them to do it. She's already canonically lesbian, and they've got rights for her!

[usuallyhats]

That spin off had never occurred to me before but now it has suddenly become ALL I WANT. :D

It was pretty good! Not the best story on that release, but I enjoyed it, and more Izzy stories would be awesome. (My only worry would be that since she's not out til the end of her run, she would be less great as a visibly queer character. Clearly the answer is more Izzy stories AND more queer characters everywhere else too! Wait, they could do stories with FEY. PLEASE, BIG FINISH?)

[paranoidangel]

I miss the old Big Finish companions too, especially Evelyn, she should have been in it more.

[usuallyhats]

They were all great characters, it's a shame they aren't using them any more. :(

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Apparently the actor who played Emily Chaudhry was a bit of a nightmare to work with - I forget where I read that, but she didn't make a good impression on her colleagues.

Which is a shame because I do love the first UNIT series.

[usuallyhats]

Oh no! That would explain why there haven't been more stories with her. What a shame.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Yeah...

[thisbluespirit]

Yes! (To much of this really, but mainly) they should definitely bring back their companions. It was very sad when they all disappeared, because they were so good at them. I loved Evelyn and Charley in particular and also Lucie, but I liked the little I listened to of Hex and Erimem, too.

(Also Big Finish Love = ♥ of course.)

[usuallyhats]

I don't love Charley as much as a lot of people do, but I do like her a lot, and her best moments were awesome. ♥ It feels like such a waste not to use her and the rest of them any more! :(

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to Big Finish's new Charley series. I really ought to check out when it's being released.

I have not listened to Caerdroia yet. In trying to catch up with years and years of audios, my listening has been very hit and miss. I just ordered a new mp3 player to replace one that was lost, so I'll add Caerdroia once the player arrives in the mail.

More historicals! Yes! I want lots of historicals both in Big Finish and on TV, but I figure Big Finish is more likely to provide them. Hmm, I ought to talk up the idea to the Big Finish people at Chicago TARDIS this November. Something like this: "You need to do more historicals, no arguing, get to work NOW."

[usuallyhats]

Ooh, is that definitely happening now? Awesome!

Hope you enjoy it! :)

Ahaha, yes, that sounds like an excellent plan. :D I think Big Finish are really good at them on the whole, I feel like the audio format makes them feel more immediate, and more intimate. ♥

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

The Big Finish people confirmed at Chicago TARDIS that a Charley spinoff is coming. They even talked a little about the production of it. I'm not sure if it has a title yet, but I believe it's being released this spring. As for my new mp3 player, it should be delivered to me tomorrow, then I can load Caerdroia onto it!

[usuallyhats]

Hurray! The last I'd heard, it was still a thing they definitely wanted to do eventually. Glad it's more concrete now!