Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #399117 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01
• Format: Audiobook
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

The Martians are coming...to save us!
One of modern Doctor Who's finest writers also directs this audio drama for Big Finish featuring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. This one is based on a War of the Worlds idea of aliens crash-landing in Brooklyn and attempting to conquer the Earth. A decent if unspectacular entry in the Big Finish range.

Cheeky
The more I listen to this audio, the better it gets. From the, frankly, hilarious cod-American accents of the UK's finest (Spaced's Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson) to the simple audacity of the plot, this is top notch entertainment.

It does need several hearings, like a good court case, to really appreciate the fun of the whole enterprise and the sheer love of the form that Gatiss possesses.

I think this is his best script for Doctor Who in any format. The TV episode seemed somehow too hidebound (and the Doctor in that one was so GULLIBLE...) and constricted. "Invaders From Mars" would make a great David Tennant story though!

Four stars because it does take a certain amount of commitment to really get the idea.

"The chances of anything coming from Mars......."
When i read the title of this drama, i thought "The chances of anything good in the drama is a million to one, I said." After all, the Ice Warriors are from Mars and there is no mention of them in the blurb...i was worried. Incorrectly, however. I just finished reading the HG Wells classic War of the Worlds and the title made sense. Set in 1938 when Orson Welles released a news broadcast of the War of the Worlds (and panicked half the USA - they thought the aliens were taking over England), the Doc arrives and assumes the identity of gumshoe Halliday after finding his body in an alley. He offers to help miss Glory Bee to find her uncle. Boring, so far. But then add into the mix that Halliday was fried by alien radiation technology. Heh. I LOVE DOCTOR WHO. It just so happens that while Welles made his broadcast we were being invaded...
Mark Gatiss' involvement is immistakable. The script is peppered with comedic moments and the whole approach (turning the story into a cheesy homage to 1940s alien invasion movies) reeks of comedy genius. I am not complaining - McGann is excellent and India Fisher fantastic. Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shawn of the Dead)is brilliant as head henchman of 'the phantom'. The aliens that are invading are ingeniusly new and interesting. The sound effects are absolutely spot on. This is top class entertainment.
This is most definitely a one off. This sort of story wouldn't sit well except as a once in a while exploration of innovation. Not recommended as a starting point for non-fans but for fans with a sense of humour...highly recommended. The end of part two is a great laugh...!

Oh and as for the Ice Warriors. They do not feature in this story but when they are mentioned (very, very subtly - a fan only throwaway remark) its quite scary, actually.