Starring Peter Davison, Janet Fielding & Sarah Sutton.
Written by Jonathan Morris & Directed by Jamie Anderson.
Reunited with the Doctor and Nyssa, Tegan joins them on a trip to Amsterdam's Rijkmuseum to see a new exhibition of the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, featuring his drawings of “Vessels of the Stars”.
The Doctor is astonished to discover that they are designs for spaceships that would actually work, and decides to pop back to the Dutch Golden Age for a quiet word with Rembrandt – but the world-weary artist is no mood to help.
Meanwhile, strange forces are swirling in the canals, creatures from ancient myth, the watery, goblin-like Nix. What is their connection to the mysterious Countess Mach-Teldak – and to the events of Tegan’s life during her year away from the Doctor?
After a good five years with one fixed TARDIS team for the fifth Doctor, The Waters Of Amsterdam sees a nice soft-reboot for the fifth Doctor era. And, of course, when you want to try and introduce a new set of listeners into ongoing adventures, you need a strong story to hook them in, and make them want to listen to more. And Waters Of Amsterdam works exceptionally well. Jonny Morris' script may not be the most original Doctor Who story ever (but considering he's written in practically every genre, it's no surprise that this will feature elements of his previous work), but what Waters Of Amsterdam is is a great, thrilling story that manages to entertain for two hours with an engaging narrative and interesting characters.
One little minutia detail about this story that I want to pick up upon was the massive point of continuity explanation regarding the Doctor's solo travels after Arc Of Infinity. I have to admit that this part of the plot does feel a little forced, shoved in at the end of the story to fulfil a point of continuity, rather than trying to make it fit organically into the story. When I heard that this story would feature a journey into the past, I assumed that this was where Omega, The Burning Prince and future stories would be set. However, just pushing it in at the end makes the whole thing feel like it was incredibly forced and not actually designed to be included, but was forced to do so by Alan Barnes. It's a shame, because I don't mind Big Finish taking the time to explain points of they're own continuity, it's just I wish they hadn't done so in such an offhand detail. I think it might have been done not to off-put new listeners, but I couldn't be sure. It just came across as a little bit a throw away element. However, that is only one very small part of a great Doctor Who story. I loved the basic premise of the story: that the Doctor comes across a set of drawings from a famous artist that shouldn't exist, and pops back in time to find out what's going on. Morris takes this simple premise, and uses it to tell a very good, solidly enjoyable story. One thing that this story does very well is keep the plot interesting, despite this unoriginal premise. After all, Doctor Who can't always be constantly innovating, and pushing boundaries. Sometimes, you need a solidly traditional Doctor Who story to interest the audience, and reassure them that yes, they're on familiar ground. It's a technique a lot of 'reset' stories use, since you can use a more traditional tale in order to tell an interesting story, but you do need to make sure you chuck a couple of new twists in to keep the audience engaged, or make the plot well written enough to ensure that you're audience don't get easily distracted. And Waters Of Amsterdam really plays with some of these ideas, not just remaining stale. For example, the trip to an alternate 1983, one where the East India Shipping Company is the most powerful force in the world, and everything is a weird mix between futurism and traditional 17th century replicas. That is an amazing visual image, and one I would have loved to have seen visual, either on TV or in the concept art that used to be at the centre of the main range booklets. I did think we could have explored this world a little bit more, but I think that, on the whole, it really worked. I did think that 17th century Amsterdam (where a surprising large amount of this story is set) was really well drawn, with it feeling like a complete world. Mind you, most of the historical stories do end up feeling like that, because we have a point of reference for the author to help build up the world. While I have to confess that I wasn't as interested in the subplot with the Countess lying to the Doctor about having destroyed her entire world (it was a bit Hand Of Fear for my liking), I really did like the way the setting felt fully integrated into the story. While I look upon Arc Of Infinity more favourably than most, I have to say that I really wasn't so keen on the fact that it, realistically, could have been any European city that Omega chose to use as his base. This story takes Amsterdam's history and culture, as well as it's famous canals, and weaves them into a tightly packed narrative.
I thought that the character work in this story was excellent, and was really, really engaging. I particularly like the fact that Tegan has centre focus in this story, and we get to explore a little bit of her life away from the Doctor. After all, that was one element of Tegan's story that has never really been explained (that of what Tegan did during her time away from the Doctor, and how she lost her job), and manages to weave it into the main plot of the story in a very clever and interesting way. I particularly liked the idea of Tegan being used by an android to get to the Doctor, and how that would make her feel. After all, this is Tegan, and it's certainly interesting to listen to how she reacts to the developments as they unfold. The first episode in particular, where the character elements get the main focus before the plot really kicks in, is a great little episode, where Tegan explains her state of mind, and motivations behind why she dumped Kyle and how that makes her feel. That's one thing I really like about Jonny Morris' writing, particularly for the regulars: he manages to understand how these characters work on a subconscious level and how each of these characters have different focuses and motivations. I think that the real skill here isn't in the writing of the plot, although it's engaging and gripping, but in the character interactions. That's what I was more interested in, not really the plot of the story. That's why the first episode really works, and why the later moments in the story such as the Doctor and Tegan discussing Nyssa's 'death', and Nyssa talking to Rembrandt about the loss of people dear to them, are some of the story's best moments. The last scene between Tegan and Kyle is also really, really touching, and beautifully written. While the Doctor and Nyssa do seem to take more of a backseat in this story, I don't feel like they're side-lined too much, however, and do each get moments to shine. While when it was the full TARDIS compliment (the recent Tegan/Nyssa/Turlough trilogies, or even the Adric box set), some of the regulars were firmly in the backseat, here each one had moments where they could shine, and I really liked that. No one felt excluded or under written for. Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton give excellent performances in this story, but there well provided for with excellent material. The guest characters are really great in this story. I particularly loved the character of Kyle, who had some really great moments, and was given a great performance from Tim Delap. I was particularly pleased with the twist that his character was an android, because it was so left field, and just a really interesting idea that was worth exploration. The idea that he had feelings was also really great, and I really liked how it was handled sensitively, with none of the clichéd stereotypes of the 'robot with feelings' that we often get. This was very different, and all the better for it. I also liked the way that Rembrandt was written for. Most historical celebrities are more often than not made to look suitably impressive, and that their life was great and wonderful. But Morris doesn't stray away from the more harsh parts of Rembrandt's life, such as the loss of his wife, or his money troubles, and Richard James really picks up on that, giving us a world weary Rembrandt that is played for pure comedy, but is played really well. In contrast, Elizabeth Morton as Mach-Teldak is utterly cold, and while she occasionally is sent into mad ranting villain territory, Morton kept it mostly cold and collected, while pleased me. Rounding out the cast are Robbie Stevens (who plays the brilliant, water-like Nix) and Wayne Forrester, who give some amazing performances.
This story also sees the introduction of a new director to the range. Jamie Anderson (mostly well known for being the son of TV producer Gerry Anderson, and for helming Big Finish's first Terrahawks series) is a great new find, as he overseas this story perfectly, with a precision that makes him the best new director since Lisa Bowerman joined the roster. The story is as tight as a drum, and all the best takes are used. He's slick and stylish, and a world away from some of Ken Bentley's more recent, more pedestrian efforts, especially on the fifth Doctor releases. Martin Montague also deserves some credit for the sound design, which builds up the many different environments that the story is set across, as well as the movement and voice treatment of the Nix. Jamie Robertson's score is utterly spellbinding, giving the story a great, pacey sound. However, class is the first thing you'd expect from a peerless master of music composition such as Robertson. Finally, this excellent release is aided by Anthony Lamb's excellent cover design, which conveys feeling of the story well enough. While not one of the most standout covers of recent times, I certainly think that it's a decent enough design, with some lovely watery effects to represent the Nix.
Overall, The Waters Of Amsterdam is probably one of the best releases in the past year or so. Sure, there were a couple of little niggles, but this is one of the few audios that I had this much uncomplicated fun with over the past few years, and I think The Waters Of Amsterdam is a real feature in writer Jonathan Morris' cap, and a great soft-reboot for the fifth Doctors era. A highly recommended story for anyone who likes a good, solid Doctor Who story that will entertain for a couple of hours.
Rating - 8/10
Other Reviews of Big Finish Products:
Tomb Ship - COMING SOON
Masquerade - COMING SOON
Mistfall - COMING SOON
Equilibrium - COMING SOON
The Entropy Plague - COMING SOON
The Secret History - COMING SOON
Written by Jonathan Morris & Directed by Jamie Anderson.Reunited with the Doctor and Nyssa, Tegan joins them on a trip to Amsterdam's Rijkmuseum to see a new exhibition of the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, featuring his drawings of “Vessels of the Stars”.
The Doctor is astonished to discover that they are designs for spaceships that would actually work, and decides to pop back to the Dutch Golden Age for a quiet word with Rembrandt – but the world-weary artist is no mood to help.
Meanwhile, strange forces are swirling in the canals, creatures from ancient myth, the watery, goblin-like Nix. What is their connection to the mysterious Countess Mach-Teldak – and to the events of Tegan’s life during her year away from the Doctor?
After a good five years with one fixed TARDIS team for the fifth Doctor, The Waters Of Amsterdam sees a nice soft-reboot for the fifth Doctor era. And, of course, when you want to try and introduce a new set of listeners into ongoing adventures, you need a strong story to hook them in, and make them want to listen to more. And Waters Of Amsterdam works exceptionally well. Jonny Morris' script may not be the most original Doctor Who story ever (but considering he's written in practically every genre, it's no surprise that this will feature elements of his previous work), but what Waters Of Amsterdam is is a great, thrilling story that manages to entertain for two hours with an engaging narrative and interesting characters.
One little minutia detail about this story that I want to pick up upon was the massive point of continuity explanation regarding the Doctor's solo travels after Arc Of Infinity. I have to admit that this part of the plot does feel a little forced, shoved in at the end of the story to fulfil a point of continuity, rather than trying to make it fit organically into the story. When I heard that this story would feature a journey into the past, I assumed that this was where Omega, The Burning Prince and future stories would be set. However, just pushing it in at the end makes the whole thing feel like it was incredibly forced and not actually designed to be included, but was forced to do so by Alan Barnes. It's a shame, because I don't mind Big Finish taking the time to explain points of they're own continuity, it's just I wish they hadn't done so in such an offhand detail. I think it might have been done not to off-put new listeners, but I couldn't be sure. It just came across as a little bit a throw away element. However, that is only one very small part of a great Doctor Who story. I loved the basic premise of the story: that the Doctor comes across a set of drawings from a famous artist that shouldn't exist, and pops back in time to find out what's going on. Morris takes this simple premise, and uses it to tell a very good, solidly enjoyable story. One thing that this story does very well is keep the plot interesting, despite this unoriginal premise. After all, Doctor Who can't always be constantly innovating, and pushing boundaries. Sometimes, you need a solidly traditional Doctor Who story to interest the audience, and reassure them that yes, they're on familiar ground. It's a technique a lot of 'reset' stories use, since you can use a more traditional tale in order to tell an interesting story, but you do need to make sure you chuck a couple of new twists in to keep the audience engaged, or make the plot well written enough to ensure that you're audience don't get easily distracted. And Waters Of Amsterdam really plays with some of these ideas, not just remaining stale. For example, the trip to an alternate 1983, one where the East India Shipping Company is the most powerful force in the world, and everything is a weird mix between futurism and traditional 17th century replicas. That is an amazing visual image, and one I would have loved to have seen visual, either on TV or in the concept art that used to be at the centre of the main range booklets. I did think we could have explored this world a little bit more, but I think that, on the whole, it really worked. I did think that 17th century Amsterdam (where a surprising large amount of this story is set) was really well drawn, with it feeling like a complete world. Mind you, most of the historical stories do end up feeling like that, because we have a point of reference for the author to help build up the world. While I have to confess that I wasn't as interested in the subplot with the Countess lying to the Doctor about having destroyed her entire world (it was a bit Hand Of Fear for my liking), I really did like the way the setting felt fully integrated into the story. While I look upon Arc Of Infinity more favourably than most, I have to say that I really wasn't so keen on the fact that it, realistically, could have been any European city that Omega chose to use as his base. This story takes Amsterdam's history and culture, as well as it's famous canals, and weaves them into a tightly packed narrative.
I thought that the character work in this story was excellent, and was really, really engaging. I particularly like the fact that Tegan has centre focus in this story, and we get to explore a little bit of her life away from the Doctor. After all, that was one element of Tegan's story that has never really been explained (that of what Tegan did during her time away from the Doctor, and how she lost her job), and manages to weave it into the main plot of the story in a very clever and interesting way. I particularly liked the idea of Tegan being used by an android to get to the Doctor, and how that would make her feel. After all, this is Tegan, and it's certainly interesting to listen to how she reacts to the developments as they unfold. The first episode in particular, where the character elements get the main focus before the plot really kicks in, is a great little episode, where Tegan explains her state of mind, and motivations behind why she dumped Kyle and how that makes her feel. That's one thing I really like about Jonny Morris' writing, particularly for the regulars: he manages to understand how these characters work on a subconscious level and how each of these characters have different focuses and motivations. I think that the real skill here isn't in the writing of the plot, although it's engaging and gripping, but in the character interactions. That's what I was more interested in, not really the plot of the story. That's why the first episode really works, and why the later moments in the story such as the Doctor and Tegan discussing Nyssa's 'death', and Nyssa talking to Rembrandt about the loss of people dear to them, are some of the story's best moments. The last scene between Tegan and Kyle is also really, really touching, and beautifully written. While the Doctor and Nyssa do seem to take more of a backseat in this story, I don't feel like they're side-lined too much, however, and do each get moments to shine. While when it was the full TARDIS compliment (the recent Tegan/Nyssa/Turlough trilogies, or even the Adric box set), some of the regulars were firmly in the backseat, here each one had moments where they could shine, and I really liked that. No one felt excluded or under written for. Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton give excellent performances in this story, but there well provided for with excellent material. The guest characters are really great in this story. I particularly loved the character of Kyle, who had some really great moments, and was given a great performance from Tim Delap. I was particularly pleased with the twist that his character was an android, because it was so left field, and just a really interesting idea that was worth exploration. The idea that he had feelings was also really great, and I really liked how it was handled sensitively, with none of the clichéd stereotypes of the 'robot with feelings' that we often get. This was very different, and all the better for it. I also liked the way that Rembrandt was written for. Most historical celebrities are more often than not made to look suitably impressive, and that their life was great and wonderful. But Morris doesn't stray away from the more harsh parts of Rembrandt's life, such as the loss of his wife, or his money troubles, and Richard James really picks up on that, giving us a world weary Rembrandt that is played for pure comedy, but is played really well. In contrast, Elizabeth Morton as Mach-Teldak is utterly cold, and while she occasionally is sent into mad ranting villain territory, Morton kept it mostly cold and collected, while pleased me. Rounding out the cast are Robbie Stevens (who plays the brilliant, water-like Nix) and Wayne Forrester, who give some amazing performances.
This story also sees the introduction of a new director to the range. Jamie Anderson (mostly well known for being the son of TV producer Gerry Anderson, and for helming Big Finish's first Terrahawks series) is a great new find, as he overseas this story perfectly, with a precision that makes him the best new director since Lisa Bowerman joined the roster. The story is as tight as a drum, and all the best takes are used. He's slick and stylish, and a world away from some of Ken Bentley's more recent, more pedestrian efforts, especially on the fifth Doctor releases. Martin Montague also deserves some credit for the sound design, which builds up the many different environments that the story is set across, as well as the movement and voice treatment of the Nix. Jamie Robertson's score is utterly spellbinding, giving the story a great, pacey sound. However, class is the first thing you'd expect from a peerless master of music composition such as Robertson. Finally, this excellent release is aided by Anthony Lamb's excellent cover design, which conveys feeling of the story well enough. While not one of the most standout covers of recent times, I certainly think that it's a decent enough design, with some lovely watery effects to represent the Nix.
Overall, The Waters Of Amsterdam is probably one of the best releases in the past year or so. Sure, there were a couple of little niggles, but this is one of the few audios that I had this much uncomplicated fun with over the past few years, and I think The Waters Of Amsterdam is a real feature in writer Jonathan Morris' cap, and a great soft-reboot for the fifth Doctors era. A highly recommended story for anyone who likes a good, solid Doctor Who story that will entertain for a couple of hours.
Rating - 8/10
Other Reviews of Big Finish Products:
Tomb Ship - COMING SOON
Masquerade - COMING SOON
Mistfall - COMING SOON
Equilibrium - COMING SOON
The Entropy Plague - COMING SOON
The Secret History - COMING SOON
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