Doctor Who - Cryptobiosis

STORY PLACEMENT

THIS EPISODE TAKES

PLACE BETWEEN THE

NOVEL "BLUE BOX"

AND THE TV STORY

"TIMELASH."

PRODUCTION CODE

6W/B

WRITTEN BY

ELLIOT THORPE

DIRECTED BY

GARY RUSSELL

RECOMMENDED

PURCHASE

BIG FINISH SPECIAL#IV

(ISBN 1-84435-164-5)

RELEASED IN DECEMBER

2005.

BLURB

There's a ship out

there, on the ocean.

She's called

Lankester and, every

year, she sails from

Madagascar to New

Orleans and back

again, Regular as

clockwork. Her

schedule is never

behind. Her cargo is

always fresh.

This trip, she has

passengers. The

passengers have

baggage.

And the baggage

might just be enough

to sink her...

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Cryptobiosis

DECEMBER 2005

(60-MINUTE EPISODE)

“Cryptobiosis” reunites the Doctor and Peri for only their fourth outing together on audio (technically the fifth I suppose, counting their rather odd little radio drama “Slipback”). As Big Finish tend to normally use Peri alongside the fifth Doctor and Erimem, and the sixth Doctor opposite Evelyn or Mel, this more ‘traditional’ pairing of the sixth Doctor and Peri actually manages to feel quite fresh here, remarkably.

On top of that, both Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant are on fine form, Thorpe’s script giving both regulars plenty to do. Peri has a relatively heavy emotional story as she uncovers the truth about the imprisoned Mermaid ‘Amy’ and is left quite literally holding the baby, and the Doctor is once again forced to have to choose between siding with humanity or another of Earth's indigenous species, with neither race your typical black and white ‘goodies’ or ‘baddies’. In this respect, “Cryptobiosis” reminded me very much of the television story “Doctor Who and the Silurians” and its various sequels.

All four members of the small guest cast put in memorable performances, Naomi Paxton as the Mermaid ‘Amy’ clearly the standout in my opinion. Paxton brings a lot of human emotion to a creature that has become something of a caricature down the years, helping this feature-length special do what Doctor Who does best and take a done-to-death concept like Vampirism or Lycanthropy and make it seem that much more credible.

And so whilst “Cryptobiosis” may not be as spectacular as "The Christmas Invasion" on television, there is still much to like about this sixty-minute episode; a ghostly ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean; a villainous first mate; a secret colony of non-human terrestrial life forms… and best of all, the price - free!

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

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