In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Eternal Battle

Synopsis: The TARDIS has landed in a war zone. The Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves traipsing through an inhospitable battlefield. Strange lights flicker in the sky, and stranger creatures lurk in the darkness.

When rescued from an attack by a Sontaran tank, the time-travellers discover they’re facing a far more dangerous foe than the battle-hungry clones. This terrifying fight has been going on longer than anyone can remember… and shows no signs of stopping.

With the TARDIS missing and their luck running thin, the Doctor and his friends’ only hope of survival is to uncover the truth about what is happening on this planet. If they can discover the secret of the eternal battle they might just survive… but it might just mean the end of them all.

Review: I groaned when I realized this was another zombie story, as they’ve been done to undeath, However, Cavan Scott and Mark Wright found a worthwhile variation. That variation hinges on a single theme — the futility of war. With all characters serving that theme, the zombie monotony was not only bearable, but integral.

Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and John Leeson were pitch perfect as usual. I enjoyed listening to all three of them hold forth on the Sontarans in the behind-the-scenes interviews. Ward and Leeson were particularly enthusiastic about Romana II and K9 encountering them for the first time.

Dan Starkey gave tour-de-force performances in two Sontaran roles. Indeed, he spent most of the story talking to himself. In the process, Starkey added two new colors to the Sontaran palette — war weariness and curiosity. That feat alone was worth the price.

You can purchase Doctor Who: The Eternal Battle here.

Written By: Cavan Scott and Mark Wright

Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), John Leeson (K9), Dan Starkey (Field Major Lenk/Sergeant Major Stom), Jane Slavin (Captain Nina Albiston/Sycon Computer), John Banks (Brennan/Trooper Varn)

Producer David Richardson

Script Editor John Dorney

Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs