Doctor Who: The Time of the Daleks by Justin Richards

Doctor Who: The Time of the Daleks Reviews

• 
  Polly Batchelor

  "Think of your worst nightmare, think of the most repellent disgusting nauseating thing you can possibly imagine, think of pure evil made malignant flesh."
  "Is that what it's like?"
  "No, it's a thousand times worse."
• 
  David

  I'd recommend giving this one a miss. Perhaps it's just me. As a poor listener on this one. I usually like Justin Richards. Heard this in bits and pieces. Not in one or two or three sitting but many. It's my first Dalek audio. Only-hearing the Dalek's, instead of seeing them on TV, super-grated on my ears. And they talk a lot in this one. Nix talk. They screech. And screech and screech.... Not the greatest story either, tho. Maybe me and Daleks audios don't mix?
• 
  Mel

  Daleks quoting Shakespeare! This was awesome. There was a plot of daleks trying to obtain time travel technology and have a working time corridor but the most important thing about this audio was them quoting Shakespeare! Which just sounded brilliant. A reasonable adventure with a fun twist.
• 
  F. William Davis

  I kind of liked this one for trying to do something different with the Daleks, even if it's not an entirely "believable" scenario.
  
  This isn't the first time the Daleks have formed an uneasy partnership with the Doctor, ostensibly to achieve some common goal, but it might be the first time they've behaved so... 🤔 I'm not sure how to put it exactly, but maybe: so quietly.
  
  They're always so loud and all shouty; "exterminate" this and "obey" that... of course they end up this way by the end of the story but there's quite an effort to "act normal" in the earlier sections. For the time that it lasted, I enjoyed not having to regularly adjust the volume when they were in the scene.
  
  I enjoyed the timey-wimey stuff too but I was mostly interested in these cunning Daleks.
• 
  Paul

  Dalek empire part 4
  
  This isn't a bad story at all, the only unsettling thing was the daleks quoting Shakespeare.
  And the doctors companion Charley has really grown on me.
  So to summarise Daleks, the 8th doctor, and Shakespeare = a very good story that I would highly recommend
• 
  Stephen

  Imagine suddenly finding out that an insanely famous person, one that everyone should know about, is suddenly forgotten by almost everyone around you. William Shakespeare, for example, perhaps the most well-known playwright in history and a HUGE bit of British cultural heritage. What if he suddenly disappeared? It would be frustrating, confusing and even bring on ideas that one had entered a Mandela Effect timeline. That is the seed planted here for this serial, The Time of the Daleks, but rather than grow that seed into something interesting and beautiful, I’m afraid to report that this is probably the first “stinker” in the Eighth Doctor series of Big Finish audio dramas. So then, the question is: what happened?
  
  “The Doctor has always admired the work of William Shakespeare. So he is a little surprised that Charley doesn’t hold the galaxy’s greatest playwright in the same esteem. In fact, she’s never heard of him. Which the Doctor thinks is quite improbable.
  
  General Mariah Learman, ruling Britain after the Eurowars, is one of Shakespeare’s greatest admirers, and is convinced her time machine will enable her to see the plays’ original performances. Which the Doctor believes is extremely unlikely.
  
  The Daleks just want to help. They want Learman to get her time machine working. They want Charley to appreciate the first-ever performance of Julius Caesar. They believe that Shakespeare is the greatest playwright ever to have existed and venerate his memory. Which the Doctor knows is utterly impossible.”
  
  
  Where do I start? This episode barely makes sense in any way whatsoever. The plot is strange, but not in a good way. I’m not sure I could explain what exactly the Dalek plan was, other than declaring themselves “The Masters of Time!” and forcing The Doctor to help them even though he never actually does. It’s full of technobabble and almost magical nonsense with overly complicated and somewhat logicless “wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff” to pad everything out.
  
  There is a forced story thread of Shakespeare being missing from time, first brought up as Charley has no idea who The Doctor is talking about during a random discussion. This immediately somehow coincides conveniently with an entire cast of characters that endlessly talk about the importance of Shakespeare and fear his erasure from time – that’s just sloppy writing. The Daleks go from being pretty sinister (as they always are whenever they pretend to be good) to utter buffoons that actively allow The Doctor to defeat them. There’s no reason for the Doctor to outsmart them, he just sort of sits back and lets them unravel their own plans. The whole thing seems like it should be epic and grandiose, but it’s somehow anemic and hollow.
  
  There isn’t much more to say here other than – what a missed opportunity! What a shame that The Eighth Doctor’s first Dalek face-off was so weak and muddled. I’m sure there was a good idea here at some point, but Justin Richards seems to be a writer that I keep running afoul of. One of my first reviews on this entire site was for Red Dawn, which I disliked as well. I plan to listen to all of these in order, so I’m sure I’ll come across him again, but boy does he need to pull out all of the stops to win me over. I honestly can’t say I’d recommend this, even though it is the fourth of series within this monthly range called Dalek Empire (including a few other dramas I’ve already heard). Honestly, I’d skip this one.
• 
  Taksya

  Ci sono i Dalek, l'ottavo Dottore e Shakespeare... dovrebbe essere la ricetta perfetta per una storia avvincente. Invece la trama è contorta, molte cose fine a loro stesse, con una gestione del paradosso che sembra quasi raffazzonata.
  Si lascia ascoltare, ma la distrazione è sempre dietro l'angolo.
  La sottotrama di Charley, come paradosso temporale simil bomba ad orologeria, si evolve poco a poco... presto o tardi arriveremo all'epilogo.
• 
  K

  あらすじ
  
  Part1
  
  タイムヴォルテックスに突然生じたタイムウェーブの影響で航行していた針路からターディスが弾き飛ばされる。原因を突き止めようと色々調べながらチャーリーと言葉を交わしていると、ドクターはチャーリーがシェイクスピアを全く知らないときき衝撃を受ける。
  
  
  
  しかもベンジョンソンなどの同時代の劇作家の名前は知っているにもかかわらず、シェイクスピアについてはまったく聞いたこともないというチャーリーにドクターは以前、オーソン・ウエルズもシェイクスピアを知らないと言ってたことを思い出し不審に思う。タイムウェーブが生じる原因となった時間の裂け目が21世紀から1572年にかけて生じていることを知ったドクターは21世紀にターディスを向かわせ、チャーリーの記憶にシェイクスピアが存在しないわけを探ることにする。ターディスが到着したのはヨーロッパ戦争を生き抜いたニュー・ブリテン。外にでた途端にドクターは来訪予定のヘイスティングという人物に勘違いされ、レーマン大佐の元に通される。驚いたことにここでもシェイクスピアが人々の記憶から急速に消えていくという現象が起こっていた。レーマン大佐も人々の記憶からシェイクスピアの存在が消えていく事態を深刻に受け止め選挙を延期し、タイムマシンの研究をオスリック教授に行なわせていた。オスリックは鏡に映る世界は反射によって見えている過去の世界というセオリーから鏡に過去の世界を映し出し、さらには鏡に映った過去の世界に通じる入り口を開くことができるのではないかと考えていた。まずは過去を映す実験として今夜ジュリアス・シーザーの初演を鏡に映す実験をする予定だった。セオリー通りに動かすには課題が多すぎ不可能と反論するドクターに、オスリックとレーマンは鏡の中から現れた存在が技術提供とシェイクスピアを取り戻す手伝いをしてくれるというが、協力者として現れたのがダーレクだった。ドクターはタイムマシンの実験を止めようとするが強行されてしまう。マシンが起動すると時間の裂け目が出現し、その中からダーレクの一団が現れる。
  
  Part2
  
  ダーレクとレーマンは宇宙船を修理するための場所と道具を借りる代わりに、人々の記憶からシェイクスピアの存在が薄れていく現象を食い止める手伝をするという取り決めを交わしていた。宇宙船の修理が終わればそのまままっすぐスカロ星に戻るというダーレク。宇宙船の修理に必要な安定装置をつくるよう命じられたドクターはとりあえずそのまま手伝うふりをする。ドクターは安定装置を作るために必要とチャーリーとヴィオラを連れて図書館にこもる。ダーレク軍が施設の警備の全てを取り仕切ることになりフェドナンド少佐はダーレクとレーマンの協力関係に疑念を抱きはじめる。ヴィオラはレーマンの姪でダーレクは信用できないと進言したがとりあってもらえなかったとドクターに打ち明ける。ドクターはダーレクがいかに恐ろしい種属かヴィオラとチャーリーに説明。しかしダーレクがこの時代とシェイクスピアにこだわる理由がわからないとドクター。シェイクスピアが人々の記憶から消えつつある原因がレーマンとダーレクのタイムマシン実験にあると睨んでクーデターを起こし、シェイクスピアを取り戻そうとしていた反乱分子プリストイとホートと協力関係にあったヴィオラはダーレクの危険さを警告しようとするが、通信中にダーレクに見つかってしまう。処刑されそうなところをヴィオラはマスター・クロックを作動させ鏡を通じてチャーリーと共に1572年に逃げる。マスター・クロックか安定装置がなければタイムマシンは作動しない。マスター・クロックをヴィオラが持って行ってしまったため、ダーレクはドクターに安定装置の作成を急かす。ドクターは協力すると見せかけて、フェドナンドと別室の鏡からチャーリー達の後を追う。1572年でもダーレクを目撃したヴィオラとチャーリー。2人はダーレクが歴史を変えつつあると気がつく。
  
  Part3
  
  反乱分子とダーレクが衝突。チャーリーが負傷してしまう。1572年に逃れた反乱分子をダーレクの攻撃隊が追おうとするが鏡のタイムマシンが作動しない。銃撃戦の最中マスター・クロックにも被弾したためだ。ダーレクは修理するようチャーリーの命を盾にドクターに強要する。ドクターは従うふりをするが、そもそもマスター・クロックがなぜ作動するのかドクターはまだ解明できていなかった。一方、過去に逃れた反乱分子のメンバーもシェイクスピアを忘れ始める。歴史が本格的に変わり始めていることに反乱分子は焦り始める。ドクターはキッチンから持ってこさせたサンドウィッチを包んでいたホイルの反射を利用して過去に逃れた反乱分子のメンバーと合流しようとするが、ヴィオラとフェドナンドが移動したところでダーレクに気づかれ、ドクターとチャーリーは捕まってしまう。ダーレクの船に連行され、マスター・クロックの修理を急かされるドクター。移動ポートで鏡の間にチャーリーと共に戻されるが、2人はひそかにダーレクの船に戻り、監視カメラのログをみる。シェイクスピアを殺すことが世界を支配する鍵とダーレクに入れ知恵したのはレーマンだった。シェイクスピアの作品はレーマンのアーカイブの中にのみ残り存在を抹消するとダーレクはレーマンに約束する。しかし、シェイクスピアの抹消がダーレクの真の目的とは思えない。ドクターは船のブラックボックスをチェックする。すると時間の裂け目の中で動けなくなったのは一機だけではなく、艦隊ごと動けなくなっていた。問題を解決するために4体のダーレクが対処していたが、裂け目が閉じ、3体は逃れたものの、1体は巻き込まれ命を落としていた。2体のダーレクとはドクターとチャーリーもあっているが、3体目の行方がわからない。
  
  Part4
  
  ダーレクはギャリフレイを侵略した時にアイズ・ハーモニーの仕組みを解読し、自らつくって手に���れた。タイムトラベルができるようになったダーレクは時間を書き換えようとしたが、時間の裂け目に閉じ込められ失敗。脱出した3体のダーレクがレーマンとオズリック教授が実験していた鏡をすり抜けてきて、やってくる。レーマンが握手をしようとしていて、一体のダーレクに触れたとたん消滅する。実はそのダーレクはレーマンがダーレク化されたものだった。ダーレクが歴史を変えようとし、事故で失敗。偶然時間の裂け目を見つけ、任務をやり直そうとしたところまでは判明したがシェイクスピアの存在が謎だった。しかし、ドクターはヴィオラがダーレクとレーマンの隠謀を知り、シェイクスピアを守ろうとして8才のシェイクスピアを自分と共に連れ帰ったため、タイムパラドックスが生まれ、人々の記憶から消えかかっていたのだ。チャーリーをダーレク船に連れていかれ、ドクターとヴィオラとフェドナンドは鏡の間に監禁される。決着をつけるため、3人は見張りについた2体のダーレクの裏をかき、鏡を使ってダーレク船に乗り込もうとするが...。
  
  
  
  感想
  
  面白いのだけど、複数のタイムラインを行き来するので把握するのにだいぶ時間がかかってしまった。ダーレクがギャリフレイを侵略し、アイズ・オブ・ハーモニーの技術を盗んだというのも時間軸が狂ったため起こったことのような気がするが、その狂いが起こった原因はダーレクではなくチャーリーにあるのではないかというのもなにやら不穏だし、今回の話が把握しづらかった要因の一つだ。シェイクスピアの存在は少年のシェイクスピアが未来で自分作品を読んじゃうのは、これまた歴史の変わる要因になるのではないかと心配になるが、レーマンとダーレクの関係などタイムパラドックスが絡みすぎて、いまひとつついていけなかったのが残念だが、ダーレクがシェイクスピアを暗唱したり、8thドクターにからかわれるところとか小ネタは楽しかったのでよしとする。
• 
  Natalie

  And we continue the story arc of Charley's existence ripping holes in the fabric of space and time. This installment features the Daleks, and a master plan of removing Shakespeare from history. The Daleks are attempting to be masters of time (of course) by time traveling through mirrors, and have selected a human to help with their ultimate purpose. As usual, the Doctor gets captured, is forced to help them, escapes, and thwarts their plans. It's always interesting to me to see how each incarnation deals with the Daleks, and seeing McGann face them down was a real treat. The only downside here is that some scenes, especially the one at the very beginning and the one at the end, were loud with overlapping voices and chaos that went on for far too long. Besides this, the voice actors were on point as usual, and the story kept my interest. Can't wait to see what's in store next for Charley and the Doctor!
• 
  Reggie A

  This one unfortunately doesn’t live up to its extremely interesting premise. That said, it’s not awful. It’s just not great.
  
  General opinion on this one seems to be split between This Rules and This Sucks. I fall on the side of this sucks, mostly because it’s clunky and not as engaging as other episodes. The Daleks do, however, quote Shakespeare. Which is very good stuff.
  
  I wish I had more to say, but this episode’s biggest crime was being just… fine. It’s fine. I’ve marked it as relevant to the greater arc of this season, but non essential.
• 
  Kelly McCubbin

  The real problem here is sorting out what anyone in the entire story is TRYING to do.
  Oddly enough, Daleks quoting Shakespeare is far less cloying than you'd imagine, but by the end, clocks and mirrors is both literally and metaphorically all it's about.
  
  I'm beginning to wonder if there were only ever two great Dalek stories, "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" and "Genesis of the Daleks." I can't think of another.
• 
  Kathryn Houghton

  This had a reaaallly slow start. And listening to Daleks for this long kind of gets to you, I’m not gonna lie. But it had a lot of crucial moments that makes it unskippable. And I just have to hand it to the actors for really making their characters come alive through sheer power with their voices. It’s incredible. Just get past the beginning and don’t focus on the annoying voice of the Daleks and you have a good story your way.
• 
  April Mccaffrey

  "Think of your worst nightmare, think of the most repellent disgusting nauseating thing you can possibly imagine, think of pure evil made malignant flesh."
  "Is that what it's like?"
  "No, it's a thousand times worse."
  
  Justin Richards including William Shakespeare in every single Doctor Who story he’s ever done just to prove what a Shakespeare nerd he is, is something I aspire to be.
• 
  Mia

  I'm difficult to please when it comes to daleks; particular with their nuwho appearances I feel like they're very hit or miss. However, this was a middling story. It was enjoyable to listen too, but I didn't understand why Shakespeare needed to be the focus of the story.
• 
  Anne

  This was a good story. Since it was mostly a time travel story with paradoxes it does get a bit convoluted. There were times I am not sure they pulled off all of the twists but any day with Doctor Who is a good day, so I still had fun.
• 
  Luke

  This had everything to be great, daleks, time travel, big twists, daleks quoting Shakespeare but you know what it just didn't work it fell flat for me and i just kepted loosing interested sadly, I tried but it wasn't for me
• 
  Richard Brooks

  Not the strongest. Daleks quoting Shakespeare might put off some but done well it could be a fun idea. Sadly the story felt weak in character motivation, believability and pacing.
• 
  Steven Shinder

  It’s kinda funny that Charley says she hasn’t heard of Shakespeare, but it actually becomes a huge crux of this story.
• 
  Kyle Berk

  Very enjoyable Dalek story with a twist of an uneasy alliance between the Doctor and his worst enemy.
  
  Well done and continues the arc in the Doctor and Charleys story.
• 
  Shawn Deal

  I really enjoyed this one, like all the others this always is a fantastic listen.
• 
  Allen

  Oh my my my, everything was just so disjointed especially the second half.
• 
  Gabriel Mero

  I love a good Dalek story, especially when they mess with time.
• 
  Alice Lamora

  The Daleks quoting Shakespeare is absolutely wonderful to hear, unfortunately, the rest of this story is a complete mess.
• 
  Alyce Caswell

  Hmm. Not bad, but not great. The novelty of Daleks quoting Shakespeare wore off pretty quickly.
• 
  A.K.

  eight and charley is such a good combination i love these two
• 
  Finn Chamberlain-Page

  I just don't think daleks are all that interesting in audio sorry. :/
• 
  Tabitha

  This got an extra star just because Daleks were quoting Shakespeare. I generally like McGann, but this one was a miss for me.