‘PSYCHODROME’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
The Psychodrome with the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric
It’s Season 19 of ‘Doctor Who’ all over again! 🙂
I love ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ from Big Finish! 🙂 This audio box set contains two stories featuring the original Season 19 TARDIS team of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric. I remember the announcement of Adric’s return to ‘Doctor Who’ back in August 2013. I was pleased with the news. 🙂
I couldn’t wait for ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ to come out in August 2014, featuring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Matthew Waterhouse. In many ways, they embraced my fandom of ‘Doctor Who’ and I was looking to hearing new audio adventures featuring this certain TARDIS team.
I’d like to think I persuaded Matthew to return as Adric when I first met him at ‘Regenerations 2011’. I’ve met all four actors of the Season 19 TARDIS team in Slough in 2013 and I’ve had group photos with the companions. I enjoyed the two audio stories on a family holiday to Scotland in August 2014.
The two stories are ‘Psychodrome’ and ‘Iterations of I’. ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ is a 5-disc box set with ‘Pyschodrome’ on Discs 1 and 2, ‘Iterations of I’ on Discs 3 and 4 and ‘The Making of the Fifth Doctor Box Set’ documentary on Disc 5. This is a Fifth Doctor era treat you don’t want to miss out on.
It was fantastic to revisit Season 19 again. In 2014, I enjoyed listening to the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa trilogy, which has ‘Moonflesh’, ‘Tomb Ship’ and ‘Masquerade’. I also enjoyed the ‘Dark Shadows’ audio story ‘The Devil Cat’ with Sarah Sutton. It was nice to finish it with ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’. 🙂
I’ve had ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ CD cover signed by Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Matthew Waterhouse. I’ve also had it signed by writer John Dorney and director Ken Bentley. Sarah Sutton recalls making these audio stories featuring Adric and I shared how much I enjoyed them with her.
Matthew Waterhouse and Peter Davison in ‘Psychodrome’.
The first story of ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ is of course ‘Psychodrome’, a four-part story by Jonathan Morris. Jonny Morris is one of my absolute favourite ‘Doctor Who’ writers via the world of Big Finish.
I enjoyed listening to this story on the first part of me and my parents’ journey to Scotland in August 2014 for our family holiday. It was an amazing experience to hear it, since it was very late at night. 😀
‘Psychodrome’ takes place after ‘Logopolis’ and ‘Castrovalva’. The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric are adjusting to life aboard the TARDIS. They don’t know each other well, following their latest adventures. 😐
When the TARDIS arrives aboard a vast space station, the new TARDIS team face their fears and their fantasies brought to life. They need to work together to avoid the dangers of the Psychodrome.
I liked this story’s first scene where Adric shows Tegan to her room and Nyssa joins them. It sets the story up well with the tension between Tegan and Adric, before Nyssa and Tegan share losing their loved ones.
I like what Jonny Morris does with the Fifth Doctor era characters we know and love. He develops them well by making continuity references to ‘The E-Space Trilogy’ and the ‘New Beginnings’ trilogy.
The Psychodrome is a rather unsettling place, homing in on your thoughts and fears as well as bringing them to life. The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric create people, which are aspects of them, into being.
They also face their fears that come from their childhoods as well as foreshadowing their futures, with Adric for ‘Earthshock’ and Tegan for ‘Kinda’. Nyssa says to Adric, “You can have more than one fear”.
Peter Davison is brilliant as the Fifth Doctor. This is, of course, the Fifth Doctor who has recently regenerated. He isn’t the Fourth Doctor anymore, as he’s just getting started, following ‘Castrovalva’.
It was very interesting to hear Peter Davison play the Fifth Doctor on where he’s getting started. ‘Cold Fusion’ also sort-of did this, but this is more in-depth with exploring the Fifth Doctor’s character.
Janet Fielding is also great as Tegan. Tegan isn’t that keen about staying aboard the TARDIS, as she’s lost her Aunt Vanessa. She wants to return to Heathrow Airport, so that she can keep the grief away.
I like how Tegan’s childhood gets touched upon in this story. It’s also interesting how Tegan’s interactions and impressions of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Adric are explored throughout this story.
Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding in ‘Psychodrome’.
Sarah Sutton is lovely as Nyssa. Nyssa’s quiet nature gets touched upon and she’s currently getting over the loss of Traken and her father. She doesn’t have anywhere to go, except to travel in the TARDIS. 😦
Nyssa is quite a contrast to Adric and Tegan, as she’s more controlled in her emotions compared to them. It’s also interesting how Nyssa’s fear of failing to save someone gets touched upon in the story.
Matthew Waterhouse is great as Adric. Adric is uncomfortable with how things have changed, since Tom Baker regenerated into Peter Davison and now that Nyssa and Tegan have joined the TARDIS. 😐
Adric was hoping to travel forever with Tom Baker’s Doctor in the TARDIS. It’s very interesting how his anxieties about that rub off on Peter’s Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan when he’s interacting with them.
The guest cast includes Robert Whitelock as Professor Rickett, King Magus and Denyx, who are three aspects of the Doctor. Phil Mulryne plays Magpie, Calcula and Prince Erdos, who are aspects of Adric.
Camilla Power plays Perditia, Jenessa and Zaria, who are aspects of Nyssa. And Bethan Walker plays Javon, Pyrrha and Queen Antigone, who are aspects of Tegan. Interesting to hear these characters. 🙂
The story ends with the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric escaping the Psychodrome. Tegan insists the Doctor takes her home. Respecting her wishes, the Doctor sets the TARDIS off for Heathrow Airport.
I immensely enjoyed ‘Psychodrome’ when I heard it. It’s a great character-driven story, featuring lots of love for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric, and it’s well-written by Jonathan Morris himself.
I loved hearing Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse in ‘Psychodrome’, and I really enjoyed how this story gave my favourite TARDIS team a new beginning.
At the end of Disc 2 of ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’, there are two tracks of incidental music to enjoy.
‘Psychodrome’ rating – 10/10
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| Return to Tegan’s Timeline | |
| Return to Nyssa’s Timeline | |
| Return to Adric’s Timeline | |
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Bradley's Basement 
Loved this story Tim, the box set contains two excellent storys & your reviews gives a clear description of the story, the characters & performances by the cast.
I love that you got your box set signed Tim & had your photo taken with Peter, Sarah, Janet & Matthew.
What i wouldn’t give to meet Tom Baker.
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Thanks Simon.
Glad you enjoyed this story and very pleased you enjoyed reading my review. I enjoyed ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ so much, and I can’t wait to hear more news of upcoming audio adventures with the Doctor; Nyssa; Tegan and Adric by Big Finish. I’m pleased you find my reviews give clear descriptions of the story; the characters and the performances of the cast.
I’m pleased you like my box cover of ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ by Peter; Sarah; Janet and Mathhew. I’m also pleased you like the photos with me and them.
Yes I’m very lucky to have met Peter; Sarah; Janet and Matthew at conventions and have the box set signed by all four of them. The Season 19 era is one of my favourite eras of ‘Doctor Who’ and I’m so pleased and honoured to have met all four regulars from that season.
Check out this photo of me and Tom Baker here – https://bradleybasement.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/tim-bradley-and-tom-baker.jpg
Please don’t be jealous of me. 😀
Thanks for your comments, Simon. I enjoyed reading them.
Tim. 🙂
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Awesome picture Tim, you met the legendary Tom Baker nice one.
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Thanks Timelord Simon. Glad you like my pic with Tom Baker. Tim. 🙂
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Hi!
Getting back to commenting on these again, after a bit of an absence.
Anyway, I absolutely loved this story as it focused on and explored the characters in an interesting way.
Granted, the fears of Nyssa and Adric weren’t really that surprising, but I still like that they got explored further in this. Tegan’s fear was a new piece of information and I also found it really interesting how the guest characters were based of the main character’s initial impressions of each other.
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Hi Elinor!
It’s nice to hear from you again! Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘Psychodrome’.
I was very impressed with this story by Jonny Morris and it’s good that it links nicely after the events of the ‘New Beginnings’ trilogy with the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric. I really like how the character develop in this story and how each of the four regulars get initial impressions of each other formed into being and their fears get explored.
I certainly enjoyed the interesting angles on the fears of Nyssa; Adric and Tegan. It was nice that ‘Doctor Who’ companions from the 80s who never got the chance to properly explore their characters manage to do so here in these Big Finish audios. I found it interesting how the guest characters were reflections of each of the four regulars and those actors who played them are very good doing different versions of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric.
Thanks for your comments, Elinor. Look forward to your comments on my next review.
Tim. 🙂
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I wonder if the new trilogy is set before or after this box set?
Definitely one of my favourite Fifth Doctor sets, both excellent stories.
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I’d like to think the new 2017 trilogy with the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric is set after ‘Psychodrome’.
Hopefully should ‘Cold Fusion’ be the mysterious novel adaptation by Big Finish, I’d like to think the 2017 trilogy is set after that story. So the 2017 trilogy would be set between ‘Cold Fusion’ and ‘Four To Doomsday’. At least that’s my theory. I hope so anyway.
Very pleased you love the Fifth Doctor box set, Simon. It’s one of my happiest memories of 2014. Even though I wasn’t there in 1982, I did feel like re-living Season 19 all over again. And hopefully it’ll be the same with the new upcoming 2017 trilogy with the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric.
Thanks! Tim. 🙂
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This was a great story; the actors all managed to convey their uncertainty with one another really well. Although this TARDIS Team has always been my favourite of the Classic era, I felt a lot of the original TV show did the characters a disservice with very little development, and making them another problem for the Doctor to overcome, rather than true companions. Big Finish seems to be doing a lot to reverse that and revealing the uncertainties and insecurities of all four made them far more sympathetic.
The pictures and signatures you got are fantastic 🙂
I like that Erdos is also the name of a famous mathematician, as Adric is an anagram of Dirac, while his other two alter-egos reflected other aspects of his character, and that the other names used held meanings appropriate to the personalities of the others. The writer obviously did his research and put a great deal of thought into this.
I also found it fascinating that Nyssa seemed to view the Doctor and Master as flip sides of the same coin… or that the Doctor could easily be very like the Master if he wanted to. It was nice to see her show such a shrewdness, and yet be gracious when her alter-egos were not so flattering.
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Hi Helen.
Glad you enjoyed ‘Psychodrome’. I must revisit the story again sometime as I’ve been meaning to do updated versions of my reviews on ‘Pyschodrome’ and ‘Iterations of I’ sometime in the future. I agree, the Big Finish audios present the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric in a much better light compared to how the TV series presented them.
I’m glad you like the signatures I got from the stars as well as the pictures. Many thanks for your insight into Adric and Nyssa’s characters and how their counterparts reflect their development throughout the story. ‘Psychodrome’ is definitely one of my favourite ‘Doctor Who’ stories and I would love to revisit again and again.
Many thanks,
Tim. 🙂
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Great review Tim.
I found ‘Psychodrome’ to be a really good story for the gap between ‘Castrovalva’ and ‘Four to Doomsday’. The Tardis crew worked well together to fight against the Psychodrome especially at the end. The music sounded a lot like the music heard in ‘Castrovalva’. Jonathan Morris wrote a great script and the cast brought it to life. I’m glad to have seen Peter, Sarah and Janet at a convention even if I only got autographs from the first two. I would very much like to meet Matthew Waterhouse at a convention someday. It’s good that the Season 19 Tardis team got back together at Big Finish.
I’m looking forward to ‘Iterations of I’, ‘Earthshock’ and ‘Time-Flight’. I also hope to enjoy ‘Secrets of Telos’ and ‘God of War’ as part of ‘Forty’. I’m not sure whether to get that on release or if I would be better off listening to ‘The Star Men’, ‘The Contingency Club’, ‘Zaltys’, ‘Kingdome of Lies’, ‘Ghost Walk’, and ‘Serpent in the Silver Mask’ beforehand.
Take care, WF92.
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Hi WF92,
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘Psychdrome’. This is definitely one of my favourite ‘Doctor Who’ stories featuring the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric. I like how the story explores the characters’ journeys in-between ‘Castrovalva’ and ‘Four to Doomsday’. Jonny Morris writes well for each of the TARDIS regulars. I hope to revisit ‘The Fifth Doctor Box Set’ with ‘Psychodrome’ and ‘Iterations of I’ and hope to update the reviews on the two stories for a future ‘Nyssa Challenge’ mini-review season. I’m pleased to have met Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Matthew Waterhouse at conventions. I would like to meet all four of them at a convention and have a photo with all four of them someday.
I don’t think you need to worry about listening from ‘The Star Men’ to ‘Serpent in the Silver Mask’ before hearing the ‘Forty’ stories. It won’t be like the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Marc stories since from ‘Tartarus’ to ‘Nightmare of the Daleks’, they seem to be a self-contained story arc whereas Adric is an already established TARDIS character with the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan in Season 19. Plus, the stories in ‘Forty’ seem to have the Fifth Doctor out of order in his TARDIS travels with his companions, jumping back and forth from Season 20 to Season 19, I believe.
Thanks for your comments.
Tim 🙂
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