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The Land of

the Dead

january 2000

(4 EPISODES)

In his accompanying notes, author Stephen Cole claims that he wrote “The Land of the Dead” in just a week, obviously harbouring under the illusion that this was a great achievement. Had he wrote something like “City of Death” in a week - as Douglas Adams practically did - then that would indeed be something to be boast about. This story,

however, is not...

… which is sad because there are a lot of good ideas in “The Land of the Dead”, but they have just not been sufficiently refined. The Alaskan setting? Fantastic. Dinosaur-like monsters on the loose? Classic Doctor Who, and even better on audio because in the listener’s head they look… well, good. A plodding, repetitive and dull story? Not good. Not good at all, especially on audio where if you are not wholly ensnared by the story, then your mind can wander and you quickly end up lost. The family feud between Brett and Tulong is about the only real spark of interest in the whole play.

Nevertheless, the sound design is first rate and the actors certainly make the most of what they are given. Peter Davison’s portrayal is on a par with his in both “Phantasmagoria” and “The Sirens of Time”, and Sarah Sutton does not sound a day older than she did in “Terminus” almost sixteen years ago. Lucy Campbell as Monica Lewis is the most memorable member of the supporting cast, though this is mainly because her constant whinging and sarcasm is reminiscent of Tegan. If nothing else, I suppose at least one can argue that “The Land of the Dead” feels like an authentic slice of 1980s Doctor Who, warts and all!

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006

E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This play’s blurb and production code suggest that it takes place soon after the television serial Time-Flight, with the following fifth Doctor and Nyssa Big Finish audio dramas occurring in release order. However, given the novel Empire of Death’s greater propinquity to Time-Flight, we have placed this story shortly after it.

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