The Maltese Penguin [AUDIO/2002.7.12]

 

★★★★☆

  We all have our comfort Doctor Who adventures. Stories we can revisit at any time of the year, perfect for occasions from a rainy day to a breezy summer evening. For me, these are more often than not imaginative joyrides that scratch a distinctly Doctor Who itch: Mad Dogs and Englishmen, The Five Doctors... and of course, The Maltese Penguin. For someone who loves both Who and films, there's nothing quite like this loving spoof of The Maltese Falcon. From David Darlington's evocative music (even that film noir twist on the Doctor Who theme at the end is a whopper) to each and every performance, it's such a joy to listen to.

  The Maltese Penguin also happens to be one of those audio dramas you don't expect to have striking imagery, but ends up being incredibly vivid. The crime-infested city with trash bags littering street corners, Frobisher's grimy office with bourbon stains on the table, Dogbolter's sleek office with expensive paintings turned to face the wall, and even Alicia Mulholland's thigh flask — I have so much appreciation for how this was written, as well as the sound design and direction. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  Robert Shearman is one of the best writers to grace Doctor Who, and The Maltese Penguin goes to show that he can break away from his signature style of surreal magic realism/fantasy drama and tackle film spoof comedy with flying colours (but then again, all of Shearman's works have a sense of devilish comedy to them). Trust me when I say that the Taxi Driver joke is only the tip of the iceberg. Colin Baker and Robert Jezek nail their roles to a T, and this wonderful adventure can be recommended purely based on the notion of Baker impersonating Jezek (accent and all) for almost the entire runtime.

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