The Tertiary Console Room: Review - Doctor Who

"Remember, it's answers we want. Not heroics or relentless chases up and down hospital corridors."

This review contains spoilers, from the beginning.

Big Finish have sometimes used the subtlest of misdirection to conceal the return of old monsters and villains from the original Doctor Who television series and the introduction of a new companion in Dan Abnett's The Harvest should have also provided a sufficient degree of sleight-of-hand to have the same startling effect. But unfortunately the trailer for this gave away enough clues for the astute listener to realise that The Harvest will not only see the TARDIS gain a new inhabitant, but that it will also see the Doctor come face to face with the Cybermen once more...

The introduction of the Seventh Doctor's first original to audio companion was first hinted at in director Gary Russell's contribution to the Doctor Who Unbound series He Jests At Scars... where the name "Hex" was mysteriously included in a list of the Doctor's future companions. Given that Hex's arrival was also announced months in advance in the pages of the Doctor Who Magazine, Abnett's script allows for the listener's knowledge that he'll be leaving with the Doctor and Ace at the story's conclusion and takes the time to present Hex properly by telling much of the early part of the drama from his viewpoint as he discovers some unnatural and unearthly experiments occurring amongst the wards of St. Gart's hospital...

Big Finish's track record at bringing in new blood to the companion characters has been extremely impressive with Evelyn, Charley and Erimem all showing immediate potential and adding something different to their respective TARDIS teams. The only exception so far has been the bland C'rizz, who failed to make any kind of impact upon the third season of Eighth Doctor plays, but there seems to have been more thought put into Hex's induction into the world of Doctor Who as by the end of The Harvest the listener will have a clear picture of who he is and what he stands for.

In many ways Hex is perhaps the most ordinary person to feature as a companion for Big Finish. As a longstanding member of the now defunct soap opera Brookside, Philip Olivier is certainly the most high profile actor cast in this function but it proves an inspired move as he brings with him a level headedness which makes this down-to-earth and decent guy extremely convincing. Unlike some of his audio predecessors, Hex doesn't feel as if he was created to fill a vacuum of characteristics overlooked by the television series. He isn't an older character, he doesn't have a significant historical background, nor is he a true alien with strange special skills - although his background in medicine may be useful given the type of danger the Doctor and Ace routinely find themselves in. And while The Harvest is set in the near future of 2021, it's clear that its people have not changed much which ensures that Hex feels like a contemporary character and it is this combination of factors which make it very easy to like him.

In the production notes The Harvest is described as a "five-minutes-into-the-future-style-thriller," which neatly sums up Abnett's approach to establishing the London setting which is very recognisable yet filled with the trappings of advanced technology and plausible changes to the political landscape. Although some of his attempts to emphasise the familiarity of the setting backfire badly - there's no excuse at all for the sheer indulgence of having the TARDIS based in a parking garage in Totter's Lane. The political development with a centralised bureaucracy of a European government with European citizenship for all is an influence on the motivations of some of the characters and explains how the foundations of the main narrative came about but because Abnett deals with these issues in a very incidental manner, this venture into real life politics concerning the unification of the continent seems ill-advised given the lack of depth in exploring the ideas. The absence of any representatives from the European powers seems a little conspicuous at first but this proves to be an unexpected benefit of the limited cast size as they are not only faceless bureaucrats - but voiceless ones too. But this is all part of the story's background and doesn't detract from the intrigue at the heart of The Harvest which revolves around the mysterious patients within St. Gart's, who are undergoing treatment to allow them to restore their organic identities and experience the subtle nuances of life for themselves.

The problem with resurrecting old monsters from the television series is that it's difficult to find something genuinely new to say about them without resorting to radical reinvention. For one of the rubbish monsters with nothing but a solitary appearance behind them, this task is easier as there is a greater freedom as to what can be done but with a race like the Cybermen, who repeatedly fought the Doctor in most of his incarnations, it becomes a much harder feat to successfully achieve. Their previous Big Finish appearances in Sword Of Orion and Real Time were tinged with nostalgia because they drew heavily upon the general perception of the Cybermen and ended up feeling as if they were a retread of old ground. Only Marc Platt's superlative Spare Parts dared to do something exceptionally different, despite being heavily rooted in the Cybermen's own mythology by virtue of returning to their creation, as by focusing on the tragedy of the Mondasians whose circumstances dictated their fate in choosing to loose their flesh and emotions to the coldness of metal and logic he produced one of the most striking and poignant Doctor Who audio dramas of them all.

Abnett appreciates that the Cybermen at their best when examining the differences between their impassive existence and the humanity they have left behind. He devises an exceptionally clever and intriguing idea in which to explore this divide by questioning what would drive a Cyberman to want to restore his ability to feel through his organic identity? As a surgical process destroyed their emotions can a similar one restore it? This is all told through the experiences of the enigmatic Subject One, whom the doctors of St. Gart's Nanosurgical ward are operating upon in a bid to make him feel both emotionally and physically again. In many ways, this aspect of The Harvest seems to have been inspired by the idea of a Cybermen embracing the Doctor's suggestion from Earthshock that "small beautiful events are what life is all about" as Subject One appears to take pleasure in simple things such as being able to see London without optical implants or to simply feel the warmth of sunlight on his hand.

But as fascinating an idea as this is, it is a flawed one as once the listener works out the identity of the Cybermen - which isn't difficult given there are plenty of generous clues sprinkled throughout the first two episodes - the question remains as to why a Cyberman would want to do this? The Cybermen's rejection of emotion in favour of logic is emphasised repeatedly and you have to ask how would they come to have the desire to be human again? Abnett's solution to this question, that they recognise the advantage of individuality and freedom of thought, never really convinces enough for the audience to believe that Subject One has changed his nature so drastically. So despite William Boyde's fine performance, it all seems rather inevitable that the Cybermen possess an ulterior motive and that they have taken advantage of the base emotion of greed that the European Government has in abundance to do what they do best and launch another invasion attempt. This is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of The Harvest as such an inventive and unusual idea for examining the Cybermen gives way to conventionality as they revert to type and start killing everybody in sight.

The introduction of the Cybermen at the conclusion of the second episode marks a shift in the balance of the play, as their presence eliminates the pretence of suspense as to the mystery villains, which sees the measured development of the opening half change into something altogether more frantic and it's here that Abnett begins to loose control of the momentum he's built. Out of this chaos comes an appealing moral quandary for the Doctor as he is faced with the possibility of Cybermen who crave redemption and restoration but this aspect is underdeveloped due to the twist towards conformity with the revelation of the Cyber Leader's true agenda. The surest sign though that the play has run out of steam comes with the manner in which the converted Cybermen are defeated which is terribly convenient and doesn't compare favourably against the darkness of the Doctor's final scene with Subject One.

Typically Big Finish's Seventh Doctor and Ace stories have tended to disappoint due to the fact that few of the writers seem to know which direction to take them in. Whether it's the arrival of Hex or a more cultured approach by Abnett, this is arguably the best they've been together since their first Doctor Who audio adventure The Fearmonger (2000) - a story which The Harvest shares a similar feel, even if their storylines are poles apart. Abnett, perhaps unintentionally, evokes the spirit of Virgin's New Adventures novels with the way the Doctor's presence is kept to a minimum during episode one with his shadowy cameo as a janitor emphasising the impression that something dark and disturbing is happening and he's here to sort it out. Sylvester McCoy is in good form with a restrained performance reminiscent of his best during his final television season with the only time he seems to struggle slightly being when the script calls for his Doctor to rattle off large speeches, such as when denouncing the Cybermen to Hex, and his performance becomes somewhat garbled. But he clearly relishes the chance to work with someone different in Olivier and they form a good repartee which bodes well for future adventures.

With the Doctor lurking in the shadows, it falls to Ace, who has infiltrated the hospital as a member of Human Resources, to be the overt investigator and Sophie Aldred responds well with her most impressive performance for some time. While Big Finish irritatingly continue to insist that she's "Just McShane" (overlooking the irony of where that surname came from given their current stance regarding novel continuity) the Ace of this story is more rounded than usual being confident but refreshingly lacking in the teenage angst that so many of her previous audio plays have drowned in. It's clear that Abnett has grasped the difference between writing Ace as if she's trying to be grown-up rather than actually writing her as a mature adult. It's a subtle distinction but it makes the world of difference to Aldred's performance which borders on the melancholic but is infused by a strong sense of determination to get the job done.

The Harvest may be Hex's introduction but it's not as focused upon him as it could be which lessens his impact to the extent that he doesn't influence the story but rather simply gets caught up in the events and struggles to see his way through. The script does a very good job of establishing Hex's personality and his principles during the initial episode and goes on to show how an ordinary person could cope with a multitude of seemingly impossible events such as alien beings harvesting human organs for their own gain. Philip Oliver seems a little uneasy at first which is totally appropriate for Hex as he's very capable in his job as a staff nurse but soon finds himself out of his depth when being chased by eight foot giants and Olivier's wide-eyed portrayal, typified by his constant refrain of "oh my god," is extremely persuasive at showing how Hex is both intrigued and repulsed by his discoveries and will lead to his choice to step into the TARDIS and join the Doctor and Ace at the end. What's particularly impressive about the performance is how by the end of the play it's clear that Hex fits right in to the team and that he's a worthy addition.

The Harvest is well cast, with William Boyde's Subject One the standout although Mark Donovan and Janie Booth provide sterling support as Polk and the System respectively. Some of the other roles suffer a little from being derived from clich�d characterisation with Doctor Farrer being the egotistical and driven surgeon, obsessed with the status of becoming a medical pioneer in uncharted surgical ground, who crumbles when the reality of The Harvest process is revealed in all its bloody glory while Executive Security Officer Garnier is a typical villain whose own arrogance and lust for power are ultimately his downfall.

David Darlington returns to the Doctor Who line to provide the musical score and the sound design work for The Harvest and delivers a very distinctive soundtrack that creates a modern atmosphere perfectly apt for the play which also contributes significantly to the fast paced feel of the production. Especially impressive is the work on Hex and Ace's daring scooter escape from Polk near the end of the first episode which works really well as a tense getaway because of the excellent effects combined with Abnett's restraint in the level of the dialogue.

The Harvest will be best remembered for its successful introduction of Hex, who brings a completely different dynamic to this particular TARDIS team and offers the hope that the new line up will have massive potential for the future. The fact that Hex is established so well makes it all the bigger shame that the rescheduling of the Eighth Doctor's next season means that Olivier, Aldred and McCoy won't be back together until early 2005. This is not a bad story, but simply a disappointing one as the inventiveness of its central idea is excellent but the script lacks the bite and the courage to maintain its individuality, as the promise of the first disc is wasted as the drama descends into an average and forgettable run-around.