‘SURVIVORS IN SPACE’
Please feel free to comment on the review.
Saving Hexford from the Skishtari and the Second Doctor(?)
And thus, here we are at the end of ‘Serpent Crest’ and ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’! 🙂
‘Survivors In Space’ is the fifth and final ‘Serpent Crest’ story in ‘Doctor Who’, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. I’m amazed I’ve been able to get through these BBC audio adventures of ‘Doctor Who’, since I didn’t like them initially when I started checking out the ‘Hornets’ Nest’ saga in 2009. 🙂
Overall, ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ have been a mixed bag for me. The stories themselves have been fascinating to check out, especially in terms of how the writer Paul Magrs has crafted each set of Fourth Doctor audios with five certain instalments to make up a single story. It’s an achievement.
With that said, I’m not keen on the audio narration aspects in each story, particularly when they’re meant to be full-cast audio dramas. Admittedly, the audio narration aspects got better, particularly when it came to listening to ‘Serpent Crest’. ‘Tsar Wars’ is the only audio story without any narration.
But quite often, the audio narration aspects tended to slow the stories down, making them less interesting than they should. I appreciate BBC Audio works differently compared to how Big Finish does things, but it does make me want to check out the Big Finish audios more than the BBC audios.
Despite these issues, I’m glad I’ve been able to check out ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ from beginning to end at last, and there are some good stories to take away from this BBC audio series. ‘Survivors In Space’ is one of them, as it does finish the ‘Serpent Crest’ saga in a satisfying manner. 🙂
In fact, I’d go as far to say that ‘Survivors In Space’ is a better finale than ‘Sepulchre’ in the ‘Demon Quest’ saga. I’m not sure if I can claim ‘Serpent Crest’ to be a better set of stories than ‘Demon Quest’, but I definitely find the last two sets of ‘Nest Cottage Chronicles’ better than ‘Hornets’ Nest’.
In ‘Survivors In Space’, we follow up from the end of ‘The Hexford Invasion’. Something I didn’t mention in my ‘Hexford Invasion’ review is that it didn’t include a recap of previous stories in the ‘Serpent Crest’ saga. Here, in ‘Survivors In Space’, there is a ‘the story so far’ recap at the beginning.
This is quite unusual, as usually a ‘story so far’ recap wouldn’t be included in the fifth and final story of a Fourth Doctor BBC audio series, as is the case with ‘Hornets’ Nest’ and ‘Demon Quest’. It’s astonishing ‘the story so far’ recap is in the fifth and final story and not the fourth in ‘Serpent Crest’.
After the recap, we have narration given to us by Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, who is still in Hexford, which has been plucked out from Earth and sent off into space. I’m fine with Mike Yates being the narrator, and it’s interesting how the story starts off from his perspective in Hexford itself.
It’s also rather fitting, since ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ began with Mike as the narrator in ‘The Stuff of Nightmares’. Mind you, I probably would have preferred Tom Baker as the narrator of the final story of ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’, since this BBC audio series has all been about his Doctor.
In the story, Mike recounts how he tries to be a good leader to all the villagers in Hexford, who have to cope with the lack of daylight in the openness of outer space. Morale is rather low, and supplies are running out. It’s getting difficult to keep his and everyone’s hopes up. The future appears bleak.
Mike still seems to have faith in the Second Doctor, as played by David Troughton, who claims to be doing everything he can to keep everyone safe and finding a way out of their mess. Little does Mike know that the Second Doctor happens to be in secret communication with the snake-like Skishtari. 😐
Eventually, the Fourth Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey arrive via the TARDIS, as the space-time ship materialises on the village green. It’s interesting that both ‘The Hexford Invasion’ and ‘Survivors In Space’ have the Fourth Doctor arriving quite late in the stories. Not at the beginning as we’d expect.
Tom Baker has been excellent throughout these ‘Nest Cottage’ audios of ‘Doctor Who’. I’ve enjoyed his interactions with Susan Jameson as Mrs. Wibbsey and Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, and especially in this story, it was fun to hear him sparring off and being angry with the Second Doctor. 🙂
For a while, Tom Baker refused to reprise the Fourth Doctor in audio form. It’s astounding Tom softened and agreed to do these BBC audios first before he settled into the role again in the Big Finish audios. Tom Baker has kept his Fourth Doctor person over the years and it’s pretty amazing. 🙂
Susan Jameson is equally good as Mrs. Wibbsey in this story as well as for the entire ‘Nest Cottage Chronicles’ series. I’ve grown to like Mrs. Wibbsey as a character, and it’s clear Paul Magrs enjoyed writing her character in these audios, in much of the same manner he enjoys writing Iris Wildthyme.
It’s evident that Wibbsey enjoys being in the Fourth Doctor’s company and it’s intriguing that she’s still suspicious of people like the Second Doctor and Tish when reuniting with them in Hexford. I would have thought Wibbsey would have shared a few tender scenes with the Second Doctor in this.
Then again, the Second Doctor isn’t who he seems, which I’ll get back to shortly. Richard Franklin has equally been a joy to listen to in these audio stories. Even though he hasn’t been in the entire ‘Serpent Crest’ saga, I’ve enjoyed Richard Franklin’s commitment and enthusiasm to playing Mike. 🙂
It’s intriguing how Mike continues to put his faith in the Second Doctor before he realises that the Second Doctor isn’t who he claims to be, as exposed by the Fourth Doctor. I liked Mike’s scenes with the Fourth Doctor, and the Fourth Doctor continues to have his faith in Mike’s abilities as a leader. 🙂
Going back to the Second Doctor, it turns out he isn’t the Second Doctor at all. He happens to be a clone, built by the Skishtari. I like how it’s explained why the Doctor clone created by the Skishtari wasn’t Tom Baker’s Doctor instead of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor, involving DNA and memories.
It gradually becomes clear the Second Doctor isn’t very heroic, as the story unfolds. As well as being in communication with the Skishtari, he tries to get the Skishtari gene egg from the TARDIS when he steals the TARDIS key from Mrs. Wibbsey. Still, the Second Doctor is convinced that he is the Doctor.
The story features the return of Cornelius Garett as Rev. Tonge, who isn’t happy with the supplies running low and the lack of morale when Hexford village is in outer space. Unfortunately for the vicar, he gets killed off by one of the Robotov servo robots visiting Hexford village. Poor dear vicar. 😦
There’s also the return of Nery Hughes as Deirdre and Joanna Tope as Tish. I can’t claim these two contribute much to the final story, despite them getting worried about Hexford’s predicament with being in space. They do help the Fourth Doctor, Wibbsey and Mike Yates out during the story’s climax.
Apparently, the bees/insects that were in Tish’s garden died out once Hexford village was plucked out into space. For a finale in ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’, you’d think that the alien hornets from ‘Hornets’ Nest’ and the Demon from ‘Demon Quest’ would make a return to give the Doctor trouble.
After all, the hornets came back in ‘Sepulchre’ in ‘Demon Quest’. Why not both the hornets and the Demon in ‘Survivors In Space’, as they could have been helping the snake-like Skishtari this whole time. Maybe Paul Magrs realised that writing for three sets of villains in ‘Doctor Who’ was too much.
The Skishtari themselves aren’t really to get that excited about, especially since they didn’t appear in every story of ‘Serpent Crest’. How come they didn’t appear in every ‘Serpent Crest’ story like the alien hornets and the Demon did for their sagas? You’d think that would be the case for this saga. 😐
Sam Hoare as Lucius from ‘Tsar Wars’ is among the Skishtari visiting Hexford village in space. I was surprised to hear Lucius in this. In ‘Tsar Wars’, he was Father Gregory’s go-between with the Skishtari. Here, he seems to be the Skishtari leader and has the Second Doctor acquire the gene egg.
The story also features Jack Sandle and Jay Villiers as the villagers of Hexford. Again, I hope these actors got paid well. 😀 And there’s Paddy Wallace who plays Alex, the Tsar of the Robotov Empire. It was nice to hear Alex again, after hearing him in ‘The Broken Crown’ and ‘Aladdin Time’ in the series.
‘Survivors In Space’, the ‘Serpent Crest’ saga and ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ comes to an end with the Hexford village put back on Earth. Alex and the Robotov Empire help out. The Second Doctor clone also helps too, as it turns out he has months left to live. The Second Doctor clone isn’t that evil. 🙂
He happens to be misguided, according to the Fourth Doctor. Mike Yates is back on Earth too with Deirdre and Tish, and the Fourth Doctor brings Wibbsey back to Earth, saying goodbye to her. The Fourth Doctor seems to be needed elsewhere, and Wibbsey is so surprised about the Doctor leaving.
Probably the thing that needs Tom Baker’s Doctor’s attention are the Big Finish audios. 😀 Anyway, ‘Survivors In Space’ has been an satisfying conclusion to the ‘Serpent Crest’ saga and ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’. I enjoyed listening to it and mostly, I found it compelling to listen to throughout.
If you purchase ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ as a complete box set on CD or as a download via Audible, there is a bonus disc that contains additional material. There are two tracks of ‘In Studio’ recordings of the ‘Hornets’ Nest’ saga, two tracks of ‘In Studio’ recordings of the ‘Demon Quest’ saga, and two tracks of ‘In Studio’ recordings of the ‘Serpent Crest’ saga. There’s ‘The Doctor Sings’ track, and audio trailers for ‘Hornets’ Nest’, ‘Demon Quest’ and ‘Serpent Crest’. There are four promotional shorts for ‘Hornets’ Nest’, Tom Baker in conversation with script editor/executive producer Michael Stevens, Tom Baker in his owns for ‘Demon Quest’, and 3 PDFs containing the original cover art for ‘Hornets’ Nest’, ‘Demon Quest’ and ‘Serpent Crest’ (which I’ve been able to access and download from Audible).
Despite this being the official end of ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’, it’s not the actual end of Mrs. Wibbsey and Nest Cottage. Paul Magrs has serialised a short story on his blog called ‘Mrs. Wibbsey’s Festive Diary’. This is renamed as ‘Mrs. Frimbly’s Festive Diary’ in the ‘Christmassy Tales’ anthology.
There’s also a Bafflegab Productions audio series called ‘Baker’s End’, which features Tom Baker as the Master of Baker’s End and Susan Jameson as Mrs. Wibbsey (renamed ‘Mrs. Frimbly’). Katy Manning also appears in the series too and Colin Baker is in the fourth story instead of Tom Baker. 🙂
And BBC Audio has returned to Nest Cottage with stories that have Mrs. Wibbsey reunited with the Fourth Doctor, including ‘The Thing From The Sea’ and ‘The Winged Coven’. Mrs. Wibbsey also returned in the ‘Beyond the Doctor’ story ‘The Penumbra Affair’. I’ve yet to check out these stories.
‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ has been a fascinating collection of ‘Doctor Who’ audio adventures to listen to, featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. I can’t claim to be an instant fan of them, but I’m glad I’ve been able to listen to them from beginning to end. I can see why they have their appeal.
Tom Baker is excellent throughout these stories, and it’s been nice to hear Richard Franklin as Mike Yates and Susan Jameson as Mrs. Wibbsey as the companion characters for the Fourth Doctor. I’m sure I’ll be checking out the other Mrs. Wibbsey stories set after ‘The Nest Cottage Chronicles’ soon enough.
‘Survivors In Space’ rating – 8/10
‘Serpent Crest’ series rating – 7.5/10
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