Blog Finish - End of Year Awards.

As 2015 draws to a close, lots of sites take a retrospective look at the year - so to do something completely different, I will do EXACTLY THE SAME THING - My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, the red carpet is here (actually its my kitchen floor) the champagne glasses are full (actually its my mug of tea) and the awards are about to be issued.

1. Doctor Who - Best Main Range Release

The nominations are: 

201 - We Are The Daleks by Jonathan Morris

204 - Criss-Cross by Matt Fitton

206 - Shield of the Jotunn by Ian Edgington

And the winner is......

204 Criss Cross

Almost a reboot for the Sixth Doctor, a cracking Adventure introducing the sublime Miranda Raison as Mrs Constance Clarke, this really does feel like the beginning of something special.

2. Doctor Who - Best Non Main Range Release

The nominations are:

The Romance of Crime by Gareth Roberts adapted by John Dorney

The Fate of Krelos by Nicholas Briggs

The Sixth Doctor - The Last Adventure by Nicholas Briggs, Alan Barnes, Matt Fitton, Simon Barnard & Paul Morris

and the winner is.....

The Sixth Doctor - The Last Adventure

a true epic that really does have it all, four great stories and a wonderfully understated, heroic exit for Old Sixie.

3. Best Doctor Who "Spin Off" release

The nominations are:

Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting by Justin Richards

Torchwood - Fall to Earth by James Goss

The Diary of River Song Series 01 by Jenny T Colgan, Justin Richards, James Goss & Matt Fitton

and the winner is.....

Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting

Pure gold from beginning to end, a laugh out loud, stand out release - Henry & George play so well against Strax it really is a match made in heaven.

4. Best Drama Box Set

The nominations are:

Survivors Series 2 by Ken Bentley, Louise Jameson & Matt Fitton

The Omega Factor Series 1 by Matt Fitton, Phil Mulryne, Cavan Scott & Ken Bentley

The Confessions of Dorian Gray Series 4 by Roy Gill, Sam Stone, James Goss, George Mann, Eve Chown, David Llewelyn, Mark B. Oliver & Matt Fitton

and the winner is....

Survivors Series 2

A truly difficult and challenging listen, a cracked mirror held up to modern society and a stark look at how close we really are to barbarism. A truly stunning release.

5. Outstanding Release of the Year

The nominations are:

Damaged Goods by Russell T Davies adapted by Jonathan Morris

The Worlds of Big Finish by David Llewelyn

Doom Coalition 1 by Matt Fitton, John Dorney, Marc Platt & Edward Collier

and the winner is....

Damaged Goods

Quite possible THE best Doctor Who story in any format, this really is something special - it is RTD's mission statement for modern Doctor Who - all run down council estates, desperation and despair. The story is tinged with the sadness & melancholy that would come to fruition in post 2005 Doctor Who (heck it even has a character with the surname Tyler) Not an easy listen but a rewarding one, its almost as if Doctor Who had been made as a late night Channel 4 drama in the late 1990's - groundbreaking stuff and without a doubt my release of the year.

So there you have it, 2015 in review and it has been a cracker - I would like to offer my thanks to the owner of Planet Mondas, Mike Nuttall for giving me a platform for my reviews, to all at Big Finish - especially Ian & Nick Briggs for their support and to my lovely wife Hayley for all her proof reading.

The bar has been set VERY high in 2015 - 2016 should be a great year for Big Finish.