Memory Lane [AUDIO/2006.10.?]

★★★☆☆

  Eddie Robson comes crashing into the Big Finish monthly range scene with an audio drama with one of the cutest first parts I have ever heard -- it evokes such lovely imagery while being incredibly unsettling, something that I found myself catching on only with subsequent relistens. Memory Lane is what I expect many would consider a comfort story; it's not world-shattering or heavy in subject, but rather a positively relaxing experience with a wonderful score and soothing performances, in particular a delightfully excited Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. 

  You know, I'm rather relieved that Memory Lane exists. It's not my favourite Eighth Doctor audio drama or anything by any means, but it's always been memorable, something lodged in the back of my mind for me to revisit over and over again. That imagery of an ice cream truck hauling the TARDIS away, its earworm tune and how eerie it's projected to be in the earlier portions of the story, the suburban hell scenery of identical houses lined up endlessly, inhabited by identical grandmothers... it's the perfect kind of imagery for Dr. Who, and Robson utilises it to perfection. For once, Charley and C'rizz can catch a break, and they get a ton of fun to do. C'rizz hits it up with an astronaut with an attitude, and Charley gets a mild visit from the past as she subconsciously cooks up a cherry-picked reality with her mother at her side. The first half is definitely the stronger of the two, with a genuinely scrumptious atmosphere that is to be savoured second by second, but I reckon the second part has a few good surprises up its sleeve (in particular why the villains trapped Tom and what they gain from him). Plus, the resolution is one of the cutest in recent memory: the Doctor introduces the shocking new technology of video recording! Day saved! I have a big soft spot for Memory Lane, such an easy-going and comfortable adventure, and I always get the craving for ice lollies.