In Review: Big Finish: Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon

Synopsis: Rose Tyler’s world is ending.

As she begins a desperate mission to find the one person who can make a difference, Rose discovers that it’s not only her universe at stake. Across alternate dimensions, parallel timelines – where divergences may be tiny or cataclysmic – every Earth is under threat.

Time is running out, but Rose won’t stop searching until she finds the Doctor…

Review: According to the Extra Interviews, Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon started out as Rose Tyler: Earth Defense with Russell T. Davies’ involvement. Eventually, Davies and the Big Finish team realized that the Earth Defense idea wasn’t evolving properly, so they abandoned it for what became this box set. I’m glad. These four stories proved that revision can be a boon companion to writers and actors alike.

I won’t be discussing individual episode plots here, because they’re all the same. Worlds are ending, and characters react to that. The characters are what matter.  Writers Jonathan Morris, Lisa McMullin, AK Benedict, and Matt Fitton crafted prequels to Rose’s arc in the fourth season of Doctor Who that justify Rose’s return in the fourth season more effectively than the show itself did. Moreover, these stories provided the depth that Rose’s initial departure in “Doomsday” lacked in the first place.

Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall, and Mark Benton reprised their roles wonderfully. They and the superb supporting cast really sold that worlds were ending but that living was an integral part of dying. Other writers contemplating multiverse stories should take note and follow this Big Finish template.

•  You can purchase Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon here. 

Cast

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler)

Mark Benton (Clive Finch), Joe Jameson (Rob), Waleed Akhtar (Mook Jayasundera)

Amerjit Deu (Roni Bandara), Elli Garnett (Caroline), Julia Hills (Margot Kinnear)

Syrus Lowe (Patrice Okereke), Gemma Page (Agent), Alistair Petrie (Wallace Richards)

Dan Starkey (Mr Finch / Machines), Elizabeth Uter (Odessa Smith), Robert Whitelock (Machines), Claire Wyatt (Cee-Cee / Jean Regan)

Production Credits

Script Editor John Dorney, Matt Fitton

Sound Design Josh Arakelian, Joe Kraemer

Theme Music by Joe Kraemer

Director Helen Goldwyn

Executive Producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, Nicholas Briggs

Music Joe Kraemer

Producer David Richardson

Written by Jonathan Morris, Lisa McMullin, AK Benedict, Matt Fitton