From Newsgroup: rec.arts.drwho.moderated   
   From Address: jphalt@aol.com   
   Subject: Re: jphalt's Doctor Who reviews   
      
   YEAR OF THE PIG (BF AUDIO)   
      
   2 episodes. Approx. 143 minutes. Written by: Matthew Sweet. Directed   
   by: Gary Russell. Produced by: Gary Russell.   
      
      
   THE PLOT   
      
   The year is 1913. The brink of a world war - but no one knows that   
   yet. It is still a time of leisure in Europe, as vacationers from   
   various countries enjoy a pleasant seaside resort in Belgium. The   
   Doctor and Peri are there for the same reason - a relaxing vacation,   
   one that will allow the Doctor to finally catch up on his Proust.   
      
   Until Inspector Chardalot (Michael Keating) almost drowns in the   
   water. The Doctor rescues him, pulling him to safety... and embroiling   
   himself and Peri in mystery. It's clear very quickly that Chardalot is   
   not all he seems. The inspector is hunting somebody. Perhaps the   
   mysterious occupant of Suite 139? The energetic Miss Bultitude   
   (Maureen O'Brien) is certainly stalking that suite, eager to meet its   
   occupant: A distinguished gentleman of the stage, one with a rather   
   porcine character.   
      
   His name is Toby. Toby the Sapient Pig (Paul Brooke). For his part,   
   Toby is hiding, on the run from a man he is convinced wants him dead.   
   A man he refers to as... "the Doctor!"   
      
      
   CHARACTERS   
      
   The Doctor: Colin Baker is wonderful here, his relaxed performance a   
   prime example of why he so quickly became so very acclaimed as an   
   audio Doctor. The script emphasizes the Doctor's compassionate side,   
   from his patient and gentle interactions with Toby in Part One to the   
   almost regretful way that he reveals the truth to the guest cast at   
   the end of Part Two. Though I do think that much of what happened to   
   Colin's television era was the fault of external forces, I also think   
   that he would likely be better remembered had his television scripts   
   focused more on this side of his Doctor.   
      
   Peri: Going from Timelash straight to this might give you whiplash!   
   The Peri of this story is no damsel in distress, existing only to be   
   menaced and leered at by the villains until the Doctor can rescue her.   
   She is very much a partner to the Doctor, actively investigating the   
   deceptions of Inspector Chardalot while maintaining a wary skepticism   
   of all the guest characters. One imagines that this was more the   
   characterization Nicola Bryant would have liked to have had in the   
   mid-1980's, as opposed to being dragged around hallways wearing   
   bondage collars.   
      
   The Pig: Paul Brooke is also very good, maintaining Toby's gentlemanly   
   status at all times, even when standing over the unconscious bodies of   
   the Doctor and Peri wondering if he should "eat the evidence."   
   Brooke's proper English tones are perfect as Toby reminisces about his   
   life on the stage while ordering incredible quantities of gourmet   
   food. I also enjoyed his moments of moodiness, such as when he   
   descends into a fit of pique after Miss Bultitude confesses to having   
   bought a taxidermist's knockoff of him (offended as much at the low   
   price of the knockoff as the taxidermy itself).   
      
      
   THOUGHTS   
      
   The Year of the Pig is a story that could be safely described as "not   
   for all tastes." It wasn't even entirely suited to my tastes, on first   
   listen in 2006. Though I initially enjoyed the quirkiness and the   
   atmosphere, on that first listen my interest drifted as it went along.   
   In the end, I felt it was too long, too slow, too silly.   
      
   Revisiting it six years later, I find my initial dismissal of it   
   insupportable. This is no interesting effort that didn't quite come   
   off. On the contrary, I think outgoing producer Gary Russell's   
   valedictory serial is one of the jewels of his long era, full of wit   
   and atmosphere and an oddball charm that makes it something to be   
   savored.   
      
   Year of the Pig is a long story. It is not an exciting one. Incident   
   is minimal, with the characters put in immediate danger exactly three   
   times during the entire 140+ minutes of it. The vast bulk of the   
   serial consists of people sitting in rooms, talking. Mostly talking   
   around subjects, often talking about things half-remembered or   
   remembered falsely. That is, when the characters aren't simply flat-   
   out lying.   
      
   The unreliability of the characters is one of the story's cleverest   
   conceits. Early in the story, Toby described memories of his childhood   
   and his parents. At first, he seems to be describing particularly   
   vivid memories. But when pressed for more details, he simply repeats   
   the exact phrases he's said, only more emphatically - a clear signal   
   that his memories are not real memories at all. When another character   
   does something similar later in the story, it's a major clue to the   
   audience as to the real situation behind the characters' beliefs about   
   their situation.   
      
   Matthew Sweet's script makes wonderful use of language. There are many   
   points in this story in which mental pictures are conjured - not of   
   the direct characters and actions (which are, again, usually people   
   sitting in rooms), but of the things they are discussing and   
   describing. The dialogue is vivid, detailed, and wonderfully   
   descriptive. A simple conversation will occasionally turn to a   
   startlingly effective moment, whether it be Toby's chillingly accurate   
   description of the hells of the Great War still on Europe's horizon or   
   a detailed description of an illustration that ties together so many   
   of the story's threads at the end.   
      
   Overall, on this listen I found Year of the Pig to be a lovely piece.   
   It may appear light and fluffy at a glance, but there are layers of   
   flavor beneath the surface. It's a meal that I think it best not to   
   bolt in one go (probably my mistake on first listen). This is a dish   
   best savored. Allow yourself pauses to absorb the atmosphere and   
   reflect on the various tastes and textures. By spacing out the story   
   over four sessions this time, I was able to appreciate each course as   
   it came - and in the end, I found it an absolute delight.   
      
   While anything but a fast-paced adventure, and very far from a   
   traditional Doctor Who romp, Year of the Pig is a story that audio Who   
   is the richer for possessing. Far from the disappointment I first   
   dismissed it as, I now think it's a fine curtain for the Gary Russell   
   era of Big Finish Productions.   
      
      
   Rating: 9/10.   
      
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