Counter-Measures

Counter-Measures / The New Counter-Measures
Big Finish Productions audio drama
SeriesThe Worlds of Doctor Who
Written by
  • Ken Bentley
  • John Dorney
  • Matt Fitton
  • Christopher Hatherall
  • Roland Moore
  • Ian Potter
  • Justin Richards
  • Mark Wright
Directed byKen Bentley
Produced byDavid Richardson
Executive producers
Starring
MusicNicholas Briggs
Release date
  • Counter-Measures
  • July 2012 (2012-07) – July 2015 (2015-07)
  • The New Counter-Measures
  • July 2016 (2016-07) – present

Counter-Measures and The New Counter-Measures are Big Finish Productions audio play series based on the television series Doctor Who. Continuing the story of several characters from the serial Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), the British government establishes a new organization called Counter-Measures to investigate reports of advanced technology, the supernatural and alien sightings.

Cast

  • Simon Williams as Ian Gilmore – The Counter-Measures' group captain and a Royal Air Force officer, he served as the first leader of the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group.
  • Pamela Salem as Rachel Jensen – A professor and the scientific adviser for Gilmore, who becomes the head of Counter-Measures after him.
  • Karen Gledhill as Allison Williams – Jensen's research assistant in 1963.
  • Hugh Ross as Toby Kinsella – A British civil servant who oversaw the original Intrusion Countermeasures Group.

Production

Counter-Measures was initially announced in April 2012, and set for release the following July. The series was announced to reunite the cast of Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), including Simon Williams as Captain Gilmore, Pamela Salem as Rachel Jensen and Karen Gledhill as Allison, as well as the inclusion of Hugh Ross as Toby Kinsella. Alastair Mackenzie was also included as Allison's boyfriend Julian.[1] The series was announced to be continuing by Doctor Who Magazine and writer Cavan Scott in December 2012.[2]

The New Counter-Measures was developed after the initial Counter-Measures range concluded, and was planned to be a "transitional period" for the titular group, combining the story of Remembrance of the Daleks with the creation of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. The series was initially released as two specials in July 2016, followed by a full series the following December, with the full cast of the original series returning.[3] The New Counter-Measures was initially announced as concluded in February 2019;[4][5] however, two further specials were announced in August 2019, set for release in April and May 2020.[6]

Reception

Games Radar reviewed the first series of Counter-Measures, commenting on the series' "political reality" and the original episode's "lack of rose-tinted nostalgia". The leads were praised on how they were able to reprise their roles from the television series, though the level of unevenness was commented on, on how some episodes featured over-used sound effects and plots of other episodes were "far-fetched"; however, the series overall was rated positively as a promising start.[7] Starburst Magazine awarded the second series 8 out of 10, approving the move from the technology that was focused on in the first series to the character-led development of the second series, especially Sir Toby.[8]

Steve Mollmann of Unreality SF reviewed the third season, and commented on how he was initially disappointed by the finale of the second series and its lead-in to the third series. Mollmann's best reviewed story was Unto the Breach, with compliments to the Cold War storyline and Hugh Ross's acting as Sir Toby. Overall, he reviewed the third series as "not Counter-Measures at its best", but that the ending of the series "promises Series 4 to be a return to form".[9]

Episodes

Counter-Measures

Series 1 (2012)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Threshold"Ken BentleyPaul FinchJuly 2012 (2012-07)
2"Artificial Intelligence"Ken BentleyMatt FittonJulian St Stephen, BroderickJuly 2012 (2012-07)
3"The Pelage Project"Ken BentleyIan PotterJuly 2012 (2012-07)
4"State of Emergency"Ken BentleyJustin RichardsJulian St StephenJuly 2012 (2012-07)

Series 2 (2013)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Manhunt"Ken BentleyMatt FittonEmma, Templeton, WestJuly 2013 (2013-07)
2"The Fifth Citadel"Ken BentleyJames GossTempletonJuly 2013 (2013-07)
3"Peshka"Ken BentleyCavan Scott & Mark WrightShurikJuly 2013 (2013-07)
4"Sins of the Fathers"Ken BentleyJohn DorneyEmma, TempletonJuly 2013 (2013-07)

Series 3 (2014)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Changing of the Guard"Ken BentleyMatt FittonTempleton, HeatonJuly 2014 (2014-07)
2"The Concrete Cage"Ken BentleyJustin RichardsJuly 2014 (2014-07)
3"The Forgotten Village"Ken BentleyKen BentleyJuly 2014 (2014-07)
4"Unto the Breach"Ken BentleyJohn DorneyTempletonJuly 2014 (2014-07)

Series 4 (2015)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"New Horizons"Ken BentleyMark WrightTempleton, CaptainJuly 2015 (2015-07)
2"The Keep"Ken BentleyKen BentleyTempleton, Heaton, Captain, West, Broderick, ShurikJuly 2015 (2015-07)
3"Rise and Shine"Ken BentleyJohn DorneyTempleton, HeatonJuly 2015 (2015-07)
4"Clean Sweep"Ken BentleyMatt FittonHeatonJuly 2015 (2015-07)

The New Counter-Measures

Specials (2016)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Who Killed Toby Kinsella?"Ken BentleyJohn DorneyMikhailJuly 2016 (2016-07)
2"The Dead Don't Rise"Ken BentleyKen BentleyMikhailJuly 2016 (2016-07)

Series 1 (2016)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"Nothing to See Here"Ken BentleyGuy AdamsDecember 2016 (2016-12)
2"Troubled Waters"Ken BentleyIan PotterDecember 2016 (2016-12)
3"The Phoenix Strain"Ken BentleyChristopher HatherallDecember 2016 (2016-12)
4"A Gamble with Time"Ken BentleyJohn DorneySuzanne ClareDecember 2016 (2016-12)

Series 2 (2017)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"The Splintered Man"Ken BentleyRoland MooreDecember 2017 (2017-12)
2"The Ship of the Sleepwalkers"Ken BentleyChristopher HatherallDecember 2017 (2017-12)
3"My Enemy's Enemy"Ken BentleyRobert Khan and Tom SalinskySuzanne ClareDecember 2017 (2017-12)
4"Time of the Intelligence"Ken BentleyAndy Frankham-AllenEdward Travers, Great IntelligenceDecember 2017 (2017-12)

Series 3 (2019–20)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeaturingReleased
1"The Hollow King"Ken BentleyIan PotterJanuary 2019 (2019-01)
2"The Movellan Manoeuvre"Ken BentleyJohn DorneySuzanne Clare, MovellansApril 2020 (2020-04)
3"The Dalek Gambit"Ken BentleyRoland MooreSuzanne Clare, Movellans, DaleksApril 2020 (2020-04)

References

  1. ^ "Big Finish Spin-off: Counter-Measures". The Doctor Who Site. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. ^ Scott, Cavan (12 December 2012). "Counter-Measures Series 2". Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. ^ Williams, David (16 January 2016). "Audio News from Big Finish Day 8". Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Vortex #120". Vortex. Big Finish Productions. February 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  5. ^ Shortman, Jordan (14 January 2019). "REVIEW: Counter Measures: The Hollow King – A Fun and Satisfying Conclusion to the Series". Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Exclusive: Doctor Who spin-off from Big Finish will pit the Daleks against the Movellans once more". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  7. ^ Review, sfx (August 2012). "Counter-Measures Series One REVIEW". gamesradar. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Audio Review: COUNTER-MEASURES SERIES 2". Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Counter-Measures: Series 3 review | Unreality SF". Retrieved 26 October 2019.