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Storm Warning Review Storm Warning is the debut story for Paul McGann in the Big Finish series, and is generally very early on in the overall Big Finish schedule. I have to admit to being slightly surprised that Paul McGann agreed to be a part of the Big Finish audio series, as was possibly the actor to have played the Doctor with the biggest career prior to their Doctor Who involvement, and potentially one of the biggest futures outside of the Doctor Who arena. This mantle has only really been challenged by Christopher Eccleston, who again certainly raises eyebrows over quite why he became involved so heavily in the series. Storm Warning sees the Doctor arrive on the maiden flight of a British airship, the R101, travelling to Karachi. The Doctor quickly gets involved, and having had a Vortisaur trail him from an earlier rescue of a ship in distress, start to discover what is really going on. The flight is a ruse for the crew to appropriate alien technology under the guise of returning a lost alien to its race. Things aren't quite what they seem though, and the aliens also want more than they are letting on. The aliens are eventually placated as they take Lord Tamworth with them to act as lawgiver, and the Humans also think they have won as they have procured an alien weapon. The Doctor cannot allow them to have it though and tosses it overboard. The Doctor and stowaway Charley then escape on the Vortisaur and go back to the TARDIS. The story in itself is strong, and the intricasies of the alien Triskelian society are very interesting. I must admit that the decision to go with a story like this as the first of a series of Eighth Doctor adventures is bold, as much like pretty much every other Doctor, they are generally given a massively popular adversary such as the Daleks, Cybermen or the Master very early on in their tenure. The characterisation of the Doctor is also interesting, as this story would appear to follow on relatively soon after the TV Movie. There is therefore numerous different ways in which both Paul McGann and Big Finish can take the Eighth Doctor. What they appear to do is preserve the image of the character from that portrayed in the 1996 TV Movie. The cast in Storm Warning is fairly small, but quite distinguished. Paul McGann does a very good job with the script he is given, and likewise new companion Charley Pollard played by India Fisher performs admirably. The delights are in the guest cast though, and the two that really stand out are Gareth Thomas as Lord Tamworth and Barnaby Edwards as Rathbone. Thomas gives and excellent performance, full of the bluster you would expect os an early twentieth century Lord. Barnaby Edwards gives a very sinister performance as Rathbone, and the rest of the guest cast pitch in well. The sound effects and incidental music are both excellent here, but I do have one complaint, the theme tune. I dislike it, but it seems that Big Finish have decided on an odd remix for their Eighth Doctor series and I quite frankly don't like it. It's not all good news though for Storm Warning. There is quite a major flaw I think in the production of this story, and that is the abnormally high level of self narration in the dialogue. There often has to be some of this present in purely audio adventures, but expecially at the beginning you just get characters talking to themselves so the action can be described. This trait doesn't wholly stop when the Doctor encounters other characters, or it could have been largely excusable, but instead it carries on, to a lesser degre than before though naturally. Apart from this though, the story is strong and should hold the listeners attention throughout. Overall, Storm Warning is a good introduction for Paul McGann into the expanded world of Doctor Who. Quite why he agreed to reprise his character I don't know, but I am glad he did as it gives a whole new avenue to explore between the 1996 TV Movie and the return of the TV adventures in 2005. It also gives McGann a good chance to flesh out the character he started in 1996 and never really go the chance to develop. The story itself is generally very good, but there are serious issues with self narration that could have been better avoided. That aside though, Storm Warning is a good adventure to snuggle up and listen to. Rating:  |