The Scorchies

Companion Chronicles #7.9

Released: 7 March 2013

Listened: 6/26/21

This one is definitely...something. It’s a somewhat famous Companion Chronicle for how silly it is. There’s no flashback in this one, just straight Jo, being held prisoner by puppets and forced to participate in their TV show. The Scorchies invade planets by mesmerizing the populace through television and then taking over. The plot, well, there isn’t really much of one. The point is the rather strange format, the silly voices (provided by Katy Manning and Melvyn Hayes), and the songs, which, wow. Big Finish has done in-story songs a few times now, and they’re often pretty good (“Fanfare for the Common Men,” “Horror of Glam Rock,” and some others). These fit the bill of sounding like they stepped right out of a kids’ show. If you find yourself with “Jo Is Making a Thing” stuck in your head for a few hours afterward, don’t be surprised. Don’t take this one too seriously; just come along for the laughs.