• Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet

  • 4th Doctor Novelisation
  • By: Douglas Adams
  • Narrated by: Jon Culshaw
  • Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (214 ratings)

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Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet  By  cover art

Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet

By: Douglas Adams
Narrated by: Jon Culshaw
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Publisher's summary

Jon Culshaw reads the brand-new novelisation of a classic Doctor Who adventure by Douglas Adams.

The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces.

With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet - Zanak.

Ruled by the mysterious 'Captain', Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age, and they fill up again. It's an economic miracle - so obviously something's very wrong.

Duration: 10 hours approx.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet

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great story with unexpected twists

I usually stay away from classic Who novels, because I can't relate to these Doctors. Thanks to Adams' novel I am now in love with 4th doctor.

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  • NM
  • 04-02-17

Available on Audible MONTHS before Amazon.com

Where does Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very good adaption of a classic 4th Doctor story. Great follow-up to "City of Death" and "Shada". The previous 2CD release of TPP was the original TV release with additional narration, while the 2017 release is unabridged allowing greater development of characters and expanding upon the original story/screenplay.

Which character – as performed by Jon Culshaw – was your favorite?

All the voice acting was excellent.

Any additional comments?

Actually, I just wished to let fellow fans know that one doesn't have to wait the extra months for this product as it appears to have been available on Audible.com since it was first released in the UK (January 2017). Amazon.com lists it as Jun 2017, so a six month delay for those fans in the US unless you want to spend extra $$ for overseas shipping.... or just get it right away via Audible. :)

Tried leaving a review to that effect on Amazon.com, but as I bought it via "Audible - An Amazon Company" it doesn't actually count as a "verified/valid" Amazon purchase, and such "unverified" reviews are hidden by default. So just deleted that one and tried again here.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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More of this, please!

Now THIS is how to make a Classic Who novelization! Everything you expect is there, and then some!
(SPOILERS)
I LOVE the additions to the worldbuilding, Douglas Adamsy-ness, background information on the characters that there definitely *wouldn’t* be time for in a teleplay, and other improvements like renaming the Mentiads to the more plot-relevant “Mourners,” and the details surrounding them. The whole concept of how their sadness and mental abilities come from the psychic trauma that occurs when millions of people die under them is something I didn’t get at all from the original version, but totally makes sense in hindsight! I watched Pralix shout “LIFE FORCE DYING” in the original and was kind of weirded out, but this gives the proper context! That’s the first thing that comes to mind, but there are so many other amazing details that are fleshed out here.
One part that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat was the climactic finish in the TARDIS. There’s no way they could’ve pulled that off with a BBC budget back in the day, and it was an absolute delight to read through.
As for the performance, Jon Culshaw does a fantastic job with the voices, and it’s always awesome to hear John Leeson reprise his role as K9.
In conclusion, I certainly hope that more Classic Who stories get this kind of attention to detail and loving care - even if they won’t have a Douglas Adams namedrop on the cover. So much potential!

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Wonderful in Every Way

I can hear why some have called this the greatest Dr Who storyline ever.
I loved hearing so many of the lines Douglas Adams peppered through of his Hitchhiker stories. They stand in memory of his humor and his concerns.
The Pirate Planet is skillfully narrated by Jon Culshaw who renders a delightful reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent listening to this book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This Audiobook is a TARDIS

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet the most enjoyable?

Goss and Culshaw know the Dr. Who universe like their own back gardens. They are cheek to cheek with Adams and Baker in this production. The fourth doctor was my favorite regeneration in the old television show and they brought it back to life so vividly, I had to occasionally remind myself I wasn't watching it on a tiny black and white screen in the kitchen after school. Jon Culshaw goes past mimicry which honestly would get tedious after an hour, but I'm on my third listen from the top. Nothing in the writing is labored. It all flows like an impossibly long scarf down a linear induction corridor.As always, the framework Douglas laid down goes beyond science fiction. It is storytelling at its finest and a complete joy.

What other book might you compare Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet to and why?

City of Death. Mined from the same vein of 70s sci-fi gold, and lovingly narrated by Lalla Ward.

Which character – as performed by Jon Culshaw – was your favorite?

The Fourth Doctor (aka Tom Baker.)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment where the Doctor confronts the Captain in the gallery is just as moving (if not more) as the original.

Any additional comments?

Keep these coming.

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Excellent!

I loved every moment of this production. Truly excellent. John Culshaw does an amazing job with the voices, the Doctor in particular. Highly recommend.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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More enjoyable than the original TV script.

I must admit that the original broadcast story of "The Pirate Planet" was never my favorite. When it first aired in the 1970s that dratted metal parrot creeped (very young) me out. when I saw it again in reruns on PBS in the 1980s, I dismissed it as just so much pantomime silliness, even if it was written by Douglas Adams.

But age brings wisdom and a better appreciation for the sillier things in life. Also, I had read James Goss's adaptation of "City of Death" - the other acclaimed DW story by Douglas Adams - and enjoyed it immensely. So I decided to take a chance on this, largely on the strength of Jon Culshaw's reading in the preview.

Apparently this is old news to Brits still in residence in the olde countrie, but I had no idea of Culshaw's astonishingly good impersonation skills,. and his portrayal of the fourth Doctor is practically spooky.

This story is indeed quite camp and Culshaw does not bother holding back. He's an absolute hoot to listen to. Goss' expansion of the original script was great fun - especially the expansion of Romana's role, as I remember she didn't have too much to do in this one, originally.

So, all in all, this audio version has greatly improved my opinion of its original source, and that wasn't easy! Well worth the expenditure of my monthly credit!

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love

loved it!!!
fun n witty. a need to read. great surprises as well id say

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The Best Dr. Who Audio Book

The story is first rate Douglas Adams. Tom Baker is a joy as always. The overall production is without equal. Sound design, music, narration and cast were all perfect!

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42

Anything douglas adams wrote was a absolute masterpiece. May he receive the 5 stars wherever he may be...😔😔😔

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