L.E.G.E.N.D. [AUDIO/2019.4.9]

★★★☆☆

  The Brothers Grimm, a sentient AI voiced by two actors (one of whom I was so sure initially was Ingrid Oliver before being proven wrong), and the Eleven being the slimy bastard that he is, working with the TARDIS crew? Honestly, you can't make that not entertaining. I don't even think Paul Leonard would be capable of doing it (though I wouldn't put it past him).

  Yes, this is pretty much your average meat-and-potatoes Dr. Who doing historical figures, and it's not the Dr. Who adventure most overtly inspired by the works of the historical figures they depict. Weird to read this sentence for those who actually listened to L.E.G.E.N.D., but for me, apart from the fantastical monsters and gingerbread houses that are cooked up by the eponymous AI here and there, it lacks the delicious atmosphere and directorial flair that I believe a really good Brothers Grimm tale could've been. Ken Bentley's not a bad director at all, but his chokehold over the entire Eighth Doctor releases during this time means that all the audio dramas, regardless of how varied they are on paper, have a uniform feeling to them that rarely allows for audio mixing and sound work more fitting with individual stories. Maybe this is a plus for some, but this is a minus for me; Bentley's sole directorial grasp, and Matt Fitton and John Dorney's double helming of the Eighth Doctor boxsets are two big reasons I'm not overly fond of this era of Eight. I prefer diversity, variety -- quality be damned. Anyway, this is yet another one of those audio dramas I have precious little to talk about other than the things I already ranted on and on about. This is a fun little adventure with a TARDIS team that's slowly starting to sound less and less invested with each release... which is a pity! I've heard some wonderful things about Stranded, though.