Proof beyond proof that Doctor Who thrives on experimentation and thinking outside the box. LIVE 34 is an instant classic, using the audio medium to create a news broadcast format, showing us for once how the Doctor and friends' actions influence the world they intend to save.
Gary Russell's direction is flawless here; from the chatter of press waiting to hear their Premier's speech accompanied by the whirrs and coughs on microphones, the sound of rain hitting concrete and ambulance wipers, the buzzes of flies ganging up on decaying bodies in derelict streets... even when this is intended to be a radio news broadcast, you can see everything vividly inside your mind's eye. Even the corporate-type stinger accompaying each broadcast of LIVE 34 adds a layer of immersion, as a piece of soulless music that fits with a world with a dying underbelly. It's fascinating just how a typical 'tyrant with a secret intends to uphold power by eliminating rivals and swatting dissent' narrative can be presented in such a fresh, engaging way. Not only are we informed of the suppression of truth, we hear it live as investigative journalist pieces are cut abruptly and the main broadcaster (courtesy of Andrew Collins' brilliant performance) nervously reading from a note he's just been handed from the government. Be warned, though: LIVE 34 is much grittier and graphic in content than your normal Doctor Who fare.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
What else is there to say? LIVE 34 has always been a favourite of mine, and continues to be so to this day. Big Finish is known for their tendency to go outside the normal realm of Doctor Who, but this is taking that extra step and making a bold statement that they're not afraid of anything. Political assassinations, mass murders and burials commandeered by the government, manipulation of the press and forgery of election results, torture in the most mentally scarring sense (poor Ace), and the unquenchable thirst for truth in the midst of all this oppression. If there's one story that's practically geared for a specific Doctor, it's LIVE 34 for the Seventh. Sylvester McCoy seems to be having the time of his life at his most mysterious, playing chess with an evil, cunning and xenophobic leader. If you're not afraid of some horrific details, this is practically a must-listen.
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