From Newsgroup: rec.arts.drwho.moderated
From Address: jphalt{at}aol.com
Subject: Earth & Beyond - Dead Time: my review

EARTH & BEYOND: DEAD TIME

BBC Audio. Available on audiotape as part of the Earth & Beyond set,
or on MP3 CD/download as part of the Tales of the TARDIS. 1 episode,
approx. 35 minutes. Written by: Andrew Miller. Directed by: John
Taylor.


THE PLOT

Trapped within a dead, forgotten derelict, totally paralyzed and
helpless, the Doctor finds himself besieged by ghostly voices invading
his mind. He will have to use all his mental powers to defend himself,
before these beings known only as "The Forgotten" not only kill him,
but wipe his very existence out of history!


CHARACTERS

The Doctor: The story confirms that this is still comparatively soon
after the regeneration into his 8th persona. We also are told that a
tiny part of the Doctor's brain dies every time he regenerates,
healing over but remaining essentially dead tissue. Once he figures
out the true nature of "The Forgotten," his fear of them is replaced
by scorn, as he regards them as incompetent bunglers and murderers.

Sam Jones: Has a strong sarcastic streak in this story - maybe too
strong, as she has a sarcastic response to almost everything the
Doctor says to her, though at least her sarcasm is played off as a
reaction to their spooky surroundings. Her crush on the Doctor is
still strong, as evidenced by her blushing when he ties his cravat
around her to keep them together in the darkness, and she is nervous
about showing her fears within this darkened derelict, lest she come
across as a frightened child.


THOUGHTS

This is a well-crafted short story that is given an extra boost by an
excellent audio production. The production is approached very much
like a ghost story, with the voices of "The Forgotten" rendered in
ghoulish whispers that shift from one side of the audio frame to the
other, echoing to chilly effect. Sound effects and music are used to
enhance the atmosphere, while Paul McGann's voice lends itself quite
well to the gothic mood. McGann seems to particularly relish voicing
"The Forgotten," who whisper lines about how they "are going to kill
you, Doctor... so slowly."

The story itself is a good one, with writer Andrew Miller using a
flashback structure to good effect. The story begins with the Doctor
already trapped, fighting against the mad voices who seem not to
threaten his death so much as promise it. From that point, the story
moves back and forth between the Doctor's struggle against "The
Forgotten," and the events that led to him becoming trapped. When the
flashback has fully caught up with the story's opening, then the
narrative moves on to allow a solution - one which could seem as a
continuity overload, but which manages to also work within the context
of the story.

As with other short stories, there really isn't that much to add. It's
a tidy little piece, very well-produced and well-read by McGann. If
you can get hold of it at a good price, this one is recommended.


Rating: 7/10.

--- Synchronet 3.15a-Linux NewsLink 1.92-mlp
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Linux