Doctor Who and the Star Beast (audio story)
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Doctor Who and the Star Beast was the second story in The Comic Strip Adaptations: Volume One. It was adapted by Alan Barnes from the original story by Pat Mills and John Wagner.
Publisher's summary
1980 AD! In Yorkshire, the authorities have dismissed reports that an Unidentified Flying Object was seen plummeting towards the ground... moments before the explosion that destroyed the Blackcastle Steel Mills. After all, Blackcastle is the last place on Earth aliens would ever want to visit...
Local teenagers Sharon and Fudge know better. 'Cos they've found an actual space alien hiding in the allotments. He's their alien. Their secret. And his name is... The Meep.
He's not the only alien in Blackcastle, though. His pursuers, the terrible Wrarth Warriors, are on his trail, along with their unwitting accomplice: The Doctor!
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Tom Baker
- Sharon - Rhianne Starbuck
- Fudge/UNIT Corporal - Ben Hunter
- The Meep/Wrarth Surgeon - Bethan Dixon Bate
- Newsreader - Angela Rippon
- Inspector Zogroth/Bus Driver - David Schaal
- Sergeant Zreeg/Councillor/UNIT Lieutenant - Chris Walker-Thomson
- Mrs Higgins - Sian Reeves
Deviations from the comic story
- While K9 Mark II is present through the comic story, in the adaptation he is only alluded to; the Doctor's asides suggest that K9 and Romana II are currently attending to business elsewhere.
- Zreeg has the title of sergeant in the adaptation, whereas in the original version he held the rank of constable.
- The Doctor searches for and carries maracas, whereas originally he wore a sombrero, both of which were displaced or destroyed.
- The Wrarth Warriors capture the the Doctor's TARDIS with a beam, whereas in the original story the Doctor happened to materialize on board due to the Randomiser.
- Mrs. Higgins keeps a cat named Starsky, whereas there was none in the original story (reference is made to another cat named 'Hutch' who died in a road accident).
- The Doctor deliberately seeks for a television signal pertaining to a U.F.O. rather than happening to pick it up.
- Fudge accidentally activates the self disintegration sequence of Beep's interceptor, whereas in the original story this does not occur.
- The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to detect the bomb planted by the Wrarth surgeon rather than deducing it was present.
- Beep blows a hole in the steel mill fence rather than using a pre-existing hole.
- Beep claims to have accidentally forgot to alter the setting of his blaster rather than claiming to have used a stun beam. Thus, in the adaptation Sharon warns U.N.I.T, who attempt to stop the supreme Meep, but still fall victim to the influence of Black Sun radiation.
- The Doctor uses his scroll library card from the Library of Alexandria he used as identification to make a paper Gallifreyan interceptor, in the original story the origins of the paper is unknown.
- Fudge becomes an active player in the climax whereas he remained with his mother in the original story.
- The Doctor is chained to crossbeams when the Black Sun drive activates rather than being tied to them with rope, noting that he studied under Houdini, but never mastered Sheffield steel.
- In the original story the steel mills collapse due to the Black Sun radiation, resulting in the Doctor ushering the newly freed slaves of Beep into his TARDIS.
- Sharon is aged by Black Sun radiation, this being one of the reasons she joins the Doctor on his travels.
Worldbuilding
- As a distraction, Fudge tells younger schoolchildren that John Craven is present at the steel mills where U.N.I.T soldiers stand guard.
- Fudge Higgins compares the interior of Beep's interceptor to that of an X-Wing.
- Mrs. Higgins mistakes the Doctor for a veterinarian.
- Mrs. Higgins refers to the two Wrarth Warriors guarding her and Fudge as Mike and Bernie Winters.
Notes
- Beep's inner thoughts are represented within the story within their own secluded sections to serve as the audible equivalent of thought bubbles. Other characters' voices are distorted in these occurrences.
- Part 1 of this story was made available as a free download for Big Finish's Weekly Freebies, also known as lockdownloads, from 8 to 14 June 2020,[1] Its page is still online, though it has no purchase widget.[2]
Continuity
- Fudge is a fan of the comic book Aggrotron!. (AUDIO: Izzy's Story)
- The newsreader mentions events in Stockbridge the previous October. (AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Iron Legion)
External links
- Official Doctor Who and the Star Beast page at bigfinish.com
Footnotes
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