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Post by The Doctor on Dec 9, 2017 21:45:19 GMT
Story 3 is original, well suited to audio and very good. Episode 4 was another remake. A very puzzling set. It is enjoyable and well made but I just can't fathom who it is aimed at. At full price it is quite pricey and The Prisoner TV show is a bit obscure these days so I would imagine most of the buyers for this would be fans of the original but how sellable is it when 3/4 of it is recycled TV scripts, especially when the original was only 17 episodes long? A real head scratcher. As well made as it is (and there isn't a duff performance in it) I really can't recommend it as anything more than a curio and at sale price. BE SEEING YOU! -Ralph So I got The Prisoner volume 2 when it was in a 24-hour promo (or 'flash sale' as the kids say) and have listened to it over the last 4 nights. I 'get it' now and need to go back to volume 1 again. It's a lot more clever and interesting than I had given it credit for. I must revise my opinion that it is just a strange unneeded remake. Elstob is bloody good as this incarnation of Number Six. Volume 2 does a thing halfway through that I had presumed would happen at the end of the series and did make me sit up a bit and go "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I see." -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 11, 2017 10:44:01 GMT
Dalek Empire II is still amazing. Almost flawless. Dalek Empire III was better than I remembered (at the time it was a crushing let-down). It's two episodes too long and has many superfluous characters and events (William Gaunt is wasted and most of eps 1 and 2 could go) and the Big Twist is guessable about 4 hours before the revelation. I approve of the doom laden ending though.
One episode into series IV (which I haven't heard) and we're really into the law of diminishing returns now.
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 24, 2017 20:08:40 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 24, 2017 22:28:12 GMT
I grabbed it. Not heard any of their Avengers stuff yet. I can barely keep up with the ranges that I already follow!
One episode of Jago & Litefoot s12 left in my current digital 'to listen to' pile.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 30, 2017 19:13:00 GMT
Luthor Arkwright and Earthsearch in current sale. Snapped up!
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 30, 2017 20:31:19 GMT
Earthsearch is good. I still have the original 3CD release of that.
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 31, 2017 10:25:39 GMT
BF has had so many good sales since October that my digital 'to listen to' pile has got silly again.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 31, 2017 21:41:13 GMT
Listened to the first box. Pretty good. Enjoyable enough to spring for volume 2 come next pay day. Amusingly, Miracle Day is completely ignored. -Ralph |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 1, 2018 10:55:30 GMT
For the best really.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 1, 2018 11:58:45 GMT
True, but it is amazing how (at least in the first four eps) there isn't even a sly reference to it (unless I missed it).
'Children of Earth' is acknowledged only in that the Hub has been rebuilt though due to budget cuts it's a really shit underground base now.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jan 1, 2018 16:47:26 GMT
In fairness, the Torchwood Hub was of variable utility to begin with - and clearly far larger than the Cardiff Branch had any real need for... At least this way they are at least starting with it reasonably organised so they might be able to find stuff when they need it. Of course, knowing Torchwood Cardiff it won't stay neat very long...
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 1, 2018 17:04:44 GMT
The sound effects make it sound like a proper shit hole, which is great. Pleasingly, the entrance is still via an invisible lift under the fountain at Cardiff Bay.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jan 1, 2018 17:30:43 GMT
Heh! Sounds great, and somehow rather Torchwood-esque...
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 3, 2018 22:00:57 GMT
Finally got round to Counter-Measures series 4. Hmmm. Like series 3 I wasn't as keen. I preferred series 1 and 2 when the team investigated a different mystery every episode/week. It seemed to then go down the X-Files route of the stories being linked tales of shadowy forces conspiring against our heroes and so much less interesting. Not bad as such just not quite what I got into the series for. I was on the fence as to whether to call it quits at this point until that bloody cliffhanger! Damn you, Big Finish!  -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 15, 2018 18:05:57 GMT
A big push being made on establishing their own IP's: www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-originalsNot their first attempt as Bf enjoyed some success with their Graceless and Dorian Gray series but feels like a '**** it, let's have a go' balls-to-walls approach. Interesting. Other than BBC Radio scripted content, I can't think of any other audio publisher in the UK which has really succeeded in completely original audio dramas. -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 19, 2018 16:52:35 GMT
Though not mentioned on their website there is another original BF drama airing on BBC Radio and on the Iplayer afterwards next week: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09pv7l1-Ralph |
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Post by legios on Jan 19, 2018 17:49:33 GMT
Finally got round to Counter-Measures series 4. Hmmm. Like series 3 I wasn't as keen. I preferred series 1 and 2 when the team investigated a different mystery every episode/week. It seemed to then go down the X-Files route of the stories being linked tales of shadowy forces conspiring against our heroes and so much less interesting. Not bad as such just not quite what I got into the series for. I was on the fence as to whether to call it quits at this point until that bloody cliffhanger! Damn you, Big Finish! -Ralph Ah yes... I did consider warning you about that. But then the Civil Servant voice in my head did observe that there would be certain security implications in doing so... I'd agree that the third and fourth seasons weren't quite as strong as the first two. I rather liked the mix of done in one main plots and simmering subplots in the first couple of seasons, and I didn't think that the longer form style of 3 and 4 was quite as enjoyable. That said, I did like the reveal of the overall villains - it was not where I expected it to be going in fairness and I did appreciate the audacity of it. At some point I must spring for the New Countermeasures first season and see how the 70s retool stands up to the original. (I do appreciate the very 70's retitling as well - like the monochrome of the first season boxed-set it is the kind of metahumor I rather enjoy. Karl |
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Post by legios on Jan 19, 2018 17:58:15 GMT
A big push being made on establishing their own IP's: www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-originalsNot their first attempt as Bf enjoyed some success with their Graceless and Dorian Gray series but feels like a '**** it, let's have a go' balls-to-walls approach. Interesting. Other than BBC Radio scripted content, I can't think of any other audio publisher in the UK which has really succeeded in completely original audio dramas. -Ralph I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone who has actually tried it! Most of the players in the market are primarily doing Audiobooks, original content is indeed very thin on the ground. I actually am tempted to give some of those a go. The one about the ATA falls into my general area of interest - and it is nice to see something trying to raise the profile of the female aviators of Britain during the period. (There is a tendency for history to have rather painted over the fact that they existed at all). The Roman one sounds rather intriquing too. The idea of Cicero as a sort of Roman detective inspector is a rather fun concept in a lot of ways. Might give some of these a go. Karl |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 22, 2018 9:34:38 GMT
I did get the Cicero pilot last year and I really wasn't keen on it. ATA Girl looks interesting though: I had no idea such female pilots existed at that time so I have bunged in a pre-order for that one and the Eve Myles horror one because...Eve Myles.
The one with David Warner and Celia Imrie sounds interesting but I'd want to hear some trailers for that to see if it isn't Sapphire and Steel with the trademarks filed off.
Not sure about Jeramiah Bourne in Time. That is a 'wait and see'. The other two series are 2019 so will pay attention nearer the time.
-Ralph
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Post by blueshift on Jan 26, 2018 18:52:35 GMT
Big Finish are having a warehouse sale, lots of old stuff at £1 each. www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-warehouse-clearancePicked up a load of the Dalek Empire CDs (I have them all on download but the completest in me wants them physically too, and £1 each seems rude not to) and the soundtrack releases (as eeeh, but hey, again, £1) |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 26, 2018 20:12:07 GMT
Grabbed the Benny book and the Drama Showcases.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 28, 2018 20:11:19 GMT
And then I cracked and got the Sarah Jane audios except for the first one which is not available as a download and out of print as a CD. I'll find a synopsis though in case it's important storywise. EDIT: found a synopsis: www.drwhoguide.com/sj_01.htm-Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 2, 2018 8:21:18 GMT
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Post by Pinwig on Mar 2, 2018 14:25:03 GMT
I had a listen to this while working. I think it's great that BF are doing original drama, but I can't see me paying for this when Radio 4 output a ton of varied and interesting drama every week - more than I can listen to - included in the licence fee I'm already paying for. I also still think that despite their professionalism, BF plays don't quite have the technical production standards of the BBC.
Love BF for giving me new episodes of deceased TV shows, but it's a stretch to pay for other stuff when there's so much available.
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 2, 2018 18:28:50 GMT
That's a bit like saying: 'I won't pay for any other films or telly because I already play the licence fee for BBC stuff'. Which is fair enough. At the end of the day, just buy what interests you.
Personally, I find BF productions far outclass Radio 4's output in terms of how they are made, which still feel very dated in terms of how they are produced. I listen to R4 stuff less and less because they often still feel like they're made the way radio was 50 years ago.
I pay for visual productions that aren't included in BBC licence fee stuff so no problem buying audio drama elsewhere. I've supported BF since their first release and I'd like to see the company survive beyond the inevitable decline of only existing on making versions of dead TV shows. Not all their stuff hits the mark (I tried the first series of Dorian Gray and didn't like it and I thought their recent comedy pilot that was on BBC Radio was absolutely awful) but I'm inclined to give them a try.
I personally watch and listen to very few visual BBC dramas as most of it I find poor or doesn't interest me. I pay the licence fee to avoid a criminal record and so I can watch new Doctor Who and use the BBC News app. Sometimes I watch The Sky At Night. That's about it for me so I don't feel I get much value out of it but perhaps that's a topic for another conversation.
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Mar 2, 2018 18:52:30 GMT
That's a bit like saying: 'I won't pay for any other films or telly because I already play the licence fee for BBC stuff'. Which is fair enough. At the end of the day, just buy what interests you. Not at all, what I'm saying is that I pay for services that provide content I want, just like I pay Sky and Netflix a subscription to access their services. I buy plays from Big Finish and have done since Sirens of Time came out because they offer something I can't get elsewhere. I don't need to pay them for additional drama because I'm getting sufficient quality plays elsewhere. I understand the point you're making that Big Finish offer an alternative, which as I said is great, I'm just saying I don't need it. |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 8, 2018 16:20:01 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 4, 2018 15:12:04 GMT
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Post by Pinwig on Jun 4, 2018 18:57:00 GMT
Right then. No more waiting for sales on new releases. Must budget to buy as they become available. The big finish race must be kept pure!
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 15, 2018 16:04:13 GMT
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