Written By: Robert Shearman
Directed By: Barnaby Edwards
Featuring: Eighth Doctor & Charley
Release Date: February 2002
The Chimes of Midnight is available to listen to on Spotify or Audible. It can also be purchased on the Big Finish website:
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-chimes-of-midnight-653
Big Finish Summary
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring…
But something must be stirring. Something hidden in the shadows. Something which kills the servants of an old Edwardian mansion in the most brutal and macabre manner possible. Exactly on the chiming of the hour, every hour, as the grandfather clock ticks on towards midnight.
Trapped and afraid, the Doctor and Charley are forced to play detective to murders with no motive, where even the victims don’t stay dead. Time is running out.
And time itself might well be the killer…
* Warning: This review contains spoilers*
Introduction
The Doctor and Charley find themselves caught in a time trap in this brilliantly crafted mystery. It has atmospheric sound design, memorable characters, and a great twist that pushes forward Charley’s arc. This story is one I would recommend experiencing, especially on a cold winter’s night.
Plot
Charley: “You’re frightened…
The Doctor: “Yes…too late. I think that whatever was keeping us out, has decided to let us in.
[Chilling Scream]
The Chimes of Midnight has one of the best plot structures from any Doctor Who audio adventure. Each of the four parts are distinct and plunge listeners deeper into the story’s central mystery. The first part is my personal favourite. The Doctor (Paul McGann) and Charley (India Fisher) find themselves in one small, pitch black room. They then spend a few minutes interacting with the surroundings without being able to see anything. I like it when The Doctor and the companion arrive at a place and explore for a while. Here, their exploration feels genuine but also starts off the mystery strongly. These elements, like a burning hot fire with non-moving flames, or jam jars that repair themselves, are very effective. I have recently been watching the earliest TV Doctor Who stories. The Doctor and Charley’s revelation feels like an homage to one of these adventures, The Space Museum. If that was intentional, then I think that was a brilliant decision.
However, where these stories differ is in the quality of the remaining three parts. The Chimes of Midnight, unlike the TV adventure, continues to build on its excellent opening. Part of its success is in its central mystery, and how it will keep listeners guessing to the end. I have looked back at my notes written during the story; it contained many guesses, but none got really close. Maybe this particular listener wasn’t very attentive on my first listen. Going through a story for the second time for my notes, there were almost too many clues. Definitely listen to this more than once, to appreciate the references that full story knowledge is required for. The reveal itself is done very well, and I think the connection to The Doctor and Charley is inspired. This final part does have a lot of exposition, which did lead to information being repeated. But, overall, this is an effective mystery with a hopeful ending that marries perfectly with its Christmas Eve setting. It also left me excited for future stories, to see where The Doctor and Charley would go from here.
Character
The Doctor: “It’s quite clear that Frederick brought the car into the house, ran himself over with it, and put it back outside before he finally expired.
Charley: “Doctor!”
Another huge strength of The Chimes of Midnight is how involved Charley is in the story. There have been past Big Finish produced stories about the companion, like The Marian Conspiracy. However, I would argue that this is the best representation of Charley Pollard to date, including her introductory story. Without providing spoilers, Charley is at the centre of this story, and India Fisher gives an excellent performance. She has such an effective range and, with this material, brings the character to life. She made me laugh at Charley’s chastising of The Doctor, and made me tense during her terror in the climax. The latter is so impactful, as Charley starts to unravel The Doctor’s past actions, and the impact on her life. Despite the hopeful ending, I have no doubt that the pair’s relationship changed over this story. I hope that the next couple of Eighth Doctor audio adventures will continue to explore both this, and Charley’s fate.
As with India Fisher, Paul McGann’s performance as the Eighth Doctor has an excellent range. Initially, he takes on the role of the detective, which gave me war flashbacks to the previous story. He shares the audience’s bafflement at the actions and words of those who inhabit the house. His Doctor also has a dry yet sharp wit, something which definitely caused chuckles at several points here. As the mystery deepens and the game stops being fun, his Doctor shows his more vulnerable side. This culminates in him expressing fear at this unknown situation, and for Charley’s welfare. When an unflappable lead like The Doctor is scared, this listener felt just a little bit less safe. This version of the character feels more human than many of his predecessors (though, thankfully, not half-human). In such an existential and psychologically-driven story, this humanity makes him a great fit.
The Doctor and Charley are supported by a smaller secondary cast than usual. For this immersive and claustrophobic adventure, this was a perfect decision. Tonally, these characters were also a great fit. Each of them went from darkly comic to genuinely menacing in an instant. The standout was Sue Wallace’s cook, Mrs Baddeley, who seems a bit too fond of Charley. She also has one of the best running jokes in the story (“It wouldn’t be Christmas without your plum puddings”). Louise Rolfe’s Edith Thompson was also very effective. The creepiness of the moment when she flatly states “I’m going to die” marks a great first cliffhanger. The villain of the story, without spoiling their identity, was just okay. As a concept, they were brilliant, but in reality took energy out of the story. The Doctor seemingly breaks the fourth wall when he asks what the point of their existence is. Aside from the villain, the characters feel like the beating heart to this chilly story.
Listening Experience
Mary: “Oh yes, well Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without one of your (Mrs Baddeley’s) plum puddings.”
Christmas is a time for merriment, but also a time to tell some really good ghost stories. This story delivers on the second requirement perfectly. The sound design provides a haunting backdrop that is both beautifully eerie and menacing. I knew from the first minute that this would be wonderfully atmospheric. A clock starts chiming, like a twisted version of The Nutcracker. Oppressive choral vocals kick in, as though summoning a demonic entity, which is then followed by an unearthly moaning. From this first minute, I knew that it would be a quieter story, with both beautiful and unsettling imagery. I love an audio book that informs listeners on its tone before a single line is delivered. The Chimes of Midnight achieves this magnificently. This opening minute is one of the best in the series to date.
The story also creates some very unsettling imagery. In the absence of visuals, the mind fills in the blanks. There are almost too many scenes which contain effective images that will stick with the listeners. They will be unsettled by the time anomalies, like the hands of a watch moving unnaturally quickly. They will be clambering around in the completely dark pantry for a clue, just like Charley is. The setting of a dark Christmas Eve night, where only candlelight and fireplaces illuminates the characters, marries the story’s eeriness. The sound design and imagery evoke a festive ghost story, and add flavour to an already rich listening experience.
Final Thoughts
The Chimes of Midnight is not just the best Eighth Doctor audio adventure in this series to date. After a couple of mediocre Eighth Doctor stories, this was a surprise in the best possible way. The plot is interesting, with a central mystery that will keep listeners guessing. I love how integrated both The Doctor and Charley are in proceedings, as they investigate the strange happenings. Both characters are at their strongest here, and are complemented by an eclectic secondary cast. From the chilling yet beautiful opening seconds, to the hopeful ending, this was truly excellent. Eerie, tense, funny and mysterious, this feels like Doctor Who‘s answer to a festive ghost story. Simply put, it is one of the best audio adventures I have heard to date.
Ratings
Plot: 4.5/5
Character: 4.5/5
Listening Experience: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Next Review: Doctor Who: Seasons of Fear
On New Year’s Eve, 1930, the Doctor lets Charley keep her appointment at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. But his unease at what he’s done to time by saving her life soon turns into fear. Sebastian Grayle: immortal, obsessed, ruthless, has come to the city to meet the Time Lord. To the Doctor, he’s a complete stranger, but to Grayle, the Doctor is an old enemy.
An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.
The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle’s power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor and the time vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.
Thank you for reading my review of Doctor Who: The Chimes of Midnight.
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