The Ratings War [AUDIO/2002.1.10]

★★★★☆

  Thirty-eight minutes of pure fun, that's what The Ratings War is. From the Doctor breaking the fourth wall about how the television medium no longer suits him and he wishes to find a more suitable way to be heard to Beep the Meep threatening to kill cute pets in horrifying ways, this is the kind of comic-strip madness you'd find inside a magazine eagerly read by a group of enthusiats but disregarded by many. That was Doctor Who in 2002, after all.

  The Ratings War is the kind of adventure that knows how to have a laugh; a parody of contemporary sitcoms and live TV programs with wooden stars and even more wooden imaginations, a playful poke at Doctor Who's discontinuation, and the inclusion of fan-favourite Beep the Meep and all the cutesy facade and exaggerated bloodlust that entail! I'd say that this short adventure is worth it for gorgeously hideous Beep theme tune alone, but it has so much more than that. Plus, it's free! There's no reason not to have fun!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  By the way, between this installment and The Maltese Penguin, does this mean Toby Longworth has portrayed two of my all-time favorite Doctor Who villains in their respective first appearances in Big Finish? Apparently so. Longworth is so extremely talented; his Dogbolter and Meep sound completely different, even without the latter's voice modulation! What I'm saying is... I hope, judging from some rumors, that Russell T Davies and the BBC bring Longworth to do some voice acting for their live-action puppet Meep!

(Artwork by sparrowlucero on Tumblr)