Bang-Bang-a-Boom! [AUDIO/2002.12.19]

★★★★☆

  There is very much a section of the fanbase that spend their every waking moment wondering why Big Finish ever commissioned this piece, and I respect the people there. Personal tastes work in many different ways, and I certainly have favourites and black sheep of my own that would raise questions from everyone else. As it stands, Bang-Bang-a-Boom! is such a slap in the face for those who usually don't stand for ridiculously wild and aloof comedy, and much like The One Doctor, Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman do their very best to cram jokes upon jokes (sometimes even dirty ones) in the script for the actors to realise. Thing is, The One Doctor was something of a miracle where everything was on top form and a sort of boundless, infectious charm was there. Is this story just as delectable, or is it the hot piece of garbage that so many Big Finish listeners hold it up to be?

  If you're asking me... this thing is fantastic. Not the instant classic that The One Doctor was, mind, but it's still a hilarious four-parter that works so well, despite what many others say. Season 24's Seventh Doctor is a bundle of laughs, and Mel is too -- and they're the perfect fit for a Deep Space Nine/Eurovision sendoff such as this. Each line is written with entertainment in mind, and they more often than not make my stomach ache with laughter. There are charming characters, each of them with their own quirks and secrets (for this is an Agatha Christie spoof as well -- got to keep the murder mystery fresh and engaging!), and imagination never runs dry with ideas. While the middle two portions suffer a tad from heaps and heaps of exposition, the instantly attention-grabbing first episode and the genuinely fabulous final one (the revelations there will certainly keep you hooked) more than make up. Plus, would you not love to hear Seven play spoons on the stage for space Eurovision? Depending on how you feel about Season 24, you'll either love it or hate its guts. I'm just here enjoying a fun, cuddly, and occasionally juvenile mystery comedy.