Doctor Who - Big Finish September Mega-Review

Destiny of the Doctor 09 €“ "Night of the Whisper"

rating: 5

New Vegas, 23rd Century €“ a sprawling city huddling beneath an artificial atmospheric bubble on a distant moon. Pleasure seekers flock there from every corner of the galaxy, to take in the shows and play the tables in the huge casinos. But beneath the glitz and the glitter, organised crime rules the streets. Whilst Rose Tyler works as a waitress in the Full Moon nightclub, Jack Harkness poses as a reporter for the Daily Galaxy. Meanwhile, the Doctor is helping the police department with their investigation into The Whisper, a strange vigilante that has been terrorising the city's underworld. But the Doctor is also on a mission of his own €“ to save Police Chief McNeil's life at all costs.

This is easily my favorite audio this month. Not because of the story, though it's ok and feels very authentic to the Ninth Doctor's era, but because of Nicholas Briggs. Now I'm not sure why they had Briggs, along with a fellow called John Schwab, in this audio instead of, say, Billie Piper, Noel Clarke, Camile Coduri, Penelope Wilton or John Barrowman. Any of them would have been an excellent choice, as all of them played characters who had a fairly large level of interaction with the Ninth Doctor. I can understand that Wilton is busy with Downton Abbey, but surely John Barrowman could have taken an afternoon off? Especially as this story features Captain Jack. But I must say, Briggs is truly excellent. He does an astoundingly good job of sounding like the Ninth Doctor. From the moment he says, "Hello!" right up until the end, you might think it actually was Eccelston turning up for the role. While it must be said that Briggs' American accent when doing the voice of Captain Jack needs a little work, the rest of his performance really makes this audio something special to behold. I cannot recommend this audio highly enough, especially if you liked the Ninth Doctor and really, who doesn't?