Prison in Space [AUDIO/2010.12.?]

★★☆☆☆

  Quite insane that this even got made, really. Big Finish really is a befuddling company sometimes with the choices they make, dusting off this -- I wouldn't even call this a product of the times, it's just straight up bad-faith antifeminism, a bad look even for the sixties -- little curio and asking Simon Guerrier of all people to adapt it for a Lost Stories audio drama. Then, Guerrier actually doubles down on the sexism on display, latex bodysuits and across-the-knee buttock slapping and all. Then, the Doctor is chased around by the villain of the story, a (presumably) very sexually repressed middle-aged woman who's horny for him. I can't imagine anyone being horny over the Second Doctor, but I guess she was just really desperate for "a real man who can teach her her place". Did Steven Moffat ghostwrite this or what?

  There's a sick sense of glee and fun to be had in Prison in Space, but it's sadly not enough for me to give it a favourable score. It's pretty boring for the most part, which is its greatest downfall, and I think it would've benefitted from at least a bucketload of more ideas... maybe factoids or tidbits on this world (which doesn't even have a timeframe) and more facts on how this women-led world operates? The prison dance sequence and the whole "votes for men" thing is all entertaining on their own, but they're tiny sparks in a sea of slow, uninteresting murk that pervades at least 60% of this audio drama. The fourth and final part is the one portion of this that is what I'd call entertaining, and that's because Jamie spanks Zoe and the Doctor is chased by a horny woman. Either not offensive enough, or not ambitious enough... take your pick.