The Eighth Doctor has had numerous adventures outside of TV and an impressive number of companions accompanying him along the way. In the summer of 2009, Big Finish Productions released The Company of Friends (ISBN 978-1844354115), a collection of four self-contained stories featuring companions who have not previously appeared with the Eighth Doctor on his audio adventures.
Benny's Story
Doctor Who novelist Lance Parkin starts the proceedings with a tale starring long-time New Adventures companion, Bernice Summerfield. Brilliantly portrayed by Lisa Bowerman, Bernice (aka Benny), the adventuring archaeologist who prefers to crack wise rather than whips, finds herself on an alien planet digging for a mysterious artifact. When said artifact summons the Doctor (Paul McGann), Benny quickly regrets her decision to join the dig.
The two leads really shine in Benny's Story by displaying excellent chemistry. While Bowerman has not previously worked with McGann in any Big Finish plays, the two are utterly convincing as old friends picking up from where they left off years earlier. Their great performances will undoubtedly inspire fans to request more stories featuring this terrific team.
Fitz's Story
The second story features Fitz Kreiner, the companion with whom the Eighth Doctor shared more adventures in the BBC Books range than any other. In this story, Fitz (played with gusto and charisma by Matt di Angelo) and the Doctor investigate Alien Defense Inc., a company that is using the Doctor's likeness to promote its services. When ADI takes the Doctor prisoner, the cockney twentysomething finds himself in over his head when he attempts to bring down the anti-alien security company.
Like the previous tale, Fitz's Story (written by Stephen Cole) is a great deal of fun without being an outright comedy. Matt di Angelo's reading makes Fitz very charming and completely likeable. This inaugural audio adventure featuring Fitz is very solid and worth listening to, even for fans unfamiliar with the character.
Izzy's Story
Third in the anthology is a tale featuring Izzy Sinclair, the 17-year-old sci-fi and comics geek who, appropriately enough, appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip. Izzy convinces the Doctor to return to the late '80s to track down the impossible-to-find final issue of Aggrotron, a comic book that has drawn the attention of some mysterious men in black.
The script by Alan Barnes is truly the work of a die-hard fan of comics and, in particular, the Doctor Who comic strips. The plot and premise are utterly irreverent but immensely entertaining.
Jemima Rooper, meanwhile, is nothing short of spectacular as Izzy and manages to outshine everyone in the cast with her unrivalled energy and enthusiasm. If Big Finish fails to bring back Ms. Rooper, they will have done a great disservice to fans.
Mary's Story
Last is Jonathan Morris's script, which features Mary Shelley before she writes Frankenstein. The story, concerning a badly injured Doctor's visit, incorporates many images and elements from Shelley's novel and possesses a much darker tone than the previous Company stories.
Unlike the other companions, Julie Cox's Mary is not a colourful extrovert but an intelligent and highly literate young woman who craves adventure but is stifled by her marriage. Her story, while creative and engaging in its own right, would have worked better had it not followed the high-energy mania of Izzy's Story.
The Other Features
Aside from the four stories, The Company of Friends also features behind-the-scenes interviews with cast members and the third chapter of The Three Companions, the Companion Chronicles story that was serialized through most of Big Finish's 2009 releases.
All in all, this anthology is worth the while of all true Doctor Who fans, even those who have never read the novels or comic strips.
Anthony Sin - Anthony Sin has been writing a while now, since The Beatles abandoned the clean-cut look in fact. Much to his surprise, he made it out of ...
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