“Set in ‘30s England, The Scarifyers combines X-Files weirdness with The Goodies’ broad comedy…. The story is the kind it would be a shame to spoil, but it involves giggling skeletons, the English Civil War, a warped milkman cameo straight out of The Mary Whitehouse Experience, and a villain voiced by Gabriel Woolf, Sutekh from classic Who’s Pyramids of Mars.

Doctor Who-related audio dramas often go for extreme silliness. Forget TV stories like Love and Monsters – this feels nearer to Dead Ringers or Comic Relief skit The Curse of Fatal Death. The result could have been excruciating, and early scenes make the newcomer wonder how it can possibly gel, but thankfully the cast, crew and writers (Simon Barnard and Paul Morris) make it fun and funny. The climax – a cinematic bit of swashbuckling in Westminster Abbey – is especially good. An amusement for Who fans and outsiders alike.”

June 2008 issue

4/5 Review by Andrew Osmond

“The Scarifyers: For King and Country is… another rip-roaring slice of entertaining nonsense. For those of you unfamiliar with the series it is very much a tongue-in-cheek affair - a loving homage to the lost days of innocent boys own stories. The heroes have stiff upper lips and the villains are evil through and through.

The story is engaging, with our two protagonists spending time poo-pooing so called mediums and charlatans, until they meet the real thing in the form of Sir Harry Price, played by David Benson. He, it turns out, is the real thing, having built a machine which can resurrect ghosts. Not a bad idea, you may think, until he resurrects that great anti-royalist Matthew Hopkins on the eve of King George's coronation. Whilst I’m sure that most will be able to fill in most of the narrative from this point, what you don’t get from a review like this is just how funny the play is.

Whilst it is true that most of the characters are bonkers, there is nothing wrong with that, this is that hidden English kingdom of the thirties where great living caricatures such as Margaret Rutherford stood proud as colossi of English eccentricity. The jokes come quick and the pace of the story is suitably cracking.

If you have a sense of humour, enjoy a jolly good adventure, or just know quality when you hear it, then do yourself a favour and get this latest instalment of a most excellent series.”

10/10 Review by Charles Packer

Read the whole review here:

www.sci-fi-online.co.uk

“The third installment of Cosmic Hobo's audio drama The Scarifyers is set in 1937 just before the coronation of George VI. Charlatan, Sir Harry Price, re-awakens ghosts from the English Civil War with terrifying consequences. This cleverly-plotted story features amongst others Oliver Cromwell, Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins, the Archbishop of Canterbury and pioneering BBC reporter Leslie Mitchell. The drama is well-paced and very accessible, especially for fans of Doctor Who, drawn in by the prospect of the talents behind the Brigadier, Davros and Sutekh working together.

Nicholas Courtney plays Detective Lionheart with a grumpy detachment, imagine the Brigadier on a bad day. Terry Molloy's Professor Dunning is as likeable as Davros was contemptible, though at times the character borders on the twee side. Guest star Gabriel "Sutekh" Woolf brings his scary tones to notorious Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins and the wonderfully named Inspector Natterjack. Woolf's delicate diction gives Hopkins an impressive malevolence.

David Benson who plays Sir Harry Price and a number of supporting roles, rose to fame as arguably, this country's foremost Kenneth Williams' sound-alike... Benson's Oliver Cromwell is perhaps the stand-out performance, by turns funny and refreshingly foul-mouthed.

It's a tribute to Cosmic Hobo that they've put together such an entertaining product with such high production values. The "making of" bonus material at the end of the second disc emphasizes that many of the characters were based on real people. Whilst disconcerting this only adds to the power of the drama.”

4/5 Review by Alex Westthorp

Read the full review here

http://www.denofgeek.com

“Last time, our heroes were battling Shub-Niggurath and being imprisoned in a wicker fish; this year Inspector Lionheart (Nick Courtney) and Professor Dunning (Terry Molloy) have revived Roundheards to deal with. It's 1936, and George VI has inherited the throne, and the spectre of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, isn't happy. For King and Country is a little long and meandering, but it's totally likable, in a post-Sunday dinner way, and the production values are superb. There's one other reason this is worth your attention, though: Gabriel Woolf as Hopkins. He has the duskiest, smokiest, 'evil' voice in the kingdom, always a pleasure to listen to.”

April 2008 issue

Review by Thom Hutchinson

“When I was laughing out loud within the first four minutes I knew I was in for a treat with For King and Country.

The best audio productions create images in the mind of the listener that are far better than anything we would see on television. For King and Country encourages our imagination to go wild, with the revived shrivelled head of Cromwell (brilliantly played to its full comic potential) and drunken walking skeletons catching a bus!

Cosmic Hobo have managed the considerable coup of getting Gabriel Woolf for this play. He uses his best Sutekh voice for the ghostly Matthew Hopkins, but also proves what an incredibly versatile voice actor he is by taking on the role of Inspector Natterjack as well.

There is just so much to enjoy here: the larger-than-life characters, the delightful archaic language of Cromwell (‘the legs are bandy and the bladder is weak’), the one-liners (‘shut your mouth you sausage-sucking swine!’), and finally the magnificent double act that is Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy.”

Review by Roger Pocock.

Read the whole review here:

http://www.doctorwho.ukhq.co.uk

“The first story in the Scarifyers series, The Nazad Conspiracy... is, in many ways, the bastard child of Douglas Adams and a sort of period Avengers, with all the quintessentially deadpan wit that implies.

The performances of Nicholas Courtney, as septuagenerian policeman Lionheart and Terry Molloy as his ally, hack academic Professor Dunning, are both beautifully paired and uniformly superb, but it is the bite and flavour of Simon Barnard's scripting that makes this drama of reincarnated Russian aristocracy and art deco sorcery by far the most enjoyable thing to yet premiere on BBC7.

It tries hard not to be laugh-out-loud and for that very reason, is exactly that - peppered with the sort of unflappably dry and English wit that has been sadly lacking in recent British light drama.

For its three-week-run, it was quite simply the smartest and most enjoyable thing on British radio. It isn't an entirely flawless masterpiece, but never tries to be and ends up being something better - fun.”

December 2007 issue

Review by Charles Norton

“This drama has never been broadcast on British radio before despite featuring a line-up that stirs fond memories in any Doctor Who fans who can cast their minds back to the 70s. Terry Molloy (aka Davros) plays a professor and writer of supernatural stories who gets drawn into a part-criminal, part-spooky nightmare with a policeman played by Nicholas Courtney (who used to assist the Doctor as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart). It's got a ludicrous plot involving demons, the Romanov family and an attempt to bring Rasputin back from the dead, but it's rollicking good fun as well.”

25-31 August 2007 issue

Review by Jane Anderson

“This second audio adventure of the Scarifyers is a pleasingly old-fashioned romp… The first instalment, The Nazad Conspiracy, introduced the odd couple twosome of Inspector Lionheart and Professor Dunning, played by Doctor Who alumni Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy, both of whom work for MI-I3, the branch of the government that investigates the weird and the fantastic… They both return for the sequel, and their interplay is quite charming, their distinctive voices – Courtney’s in particular, his purring timbre immediately recognisable and a temporal short-cut to many fondly-remembered childhood teatimes in the company of vintage Who – adding much in the way of character and atmosphere.

And perhaps ‘charming’ is the best way to describe this… It’s a gentle comedy, as old-fashioned as the setting, full of peculiarly British eccentrics and grotesques (including an entertaining Aleister Crowley, who returns from The Nazad Conspiracy), but is no worse for that.

The story, concerning Lovecraftian goings-on, RAF experiments with acoustic mirrors, and melting ministers, is a rum old concoction, full of pulp fun and spirited (no pun intended) characters… The Scarifyers’ gentle, wry and occasionally creepy adventures deserve to continue, and we look forward to future exploits.”

June 2007 issue

Review by Jes Bickham

“I had the good fortune to review the first disc and all I can say is that the series has gone from strength to strength. There is little doubt that, given the choices of vocal actors, that Cosmic Hobo were trying to interest the Doctor Who crowd. Now this is not a bad marketing ploy, but in truth this adventure is so good that is should engage any fan of imaginative fiction.

There are puns aplenty to make you smile... Cosmic Hobo should send me compensation as I broke out into fits of laughing in the high street, much to the consternation of passers by. Word of warning, if you're going to listen to this in public you may spend an inordinate time with a silly grin on your face.

Having settled into their new characters Nicholas Courtney (Lionheart) and Terry Molloy (Dunning) put in even better performances the second time around.

So here we have a professionally produced, well acted, funny yarn, which should entertain anyone from eight to eighty. If Cosmic Hobo can keep up this level of quality I definitely look forward to the next adventure. This release is a little slice of audio perfection.”

10/10 Review by Charles Packer

Read the full review here:

http://www.sci-fi-online.com

“In this entertaining British audio play, a professor who writes ghost stories and a skeptical police inspector investigate a supernatural plot to summon Rasputin's ghost for revenge upon his executioners. The opening gambit in a planned adventure series set in the mid-1930s, this listenable endeavor boasts tongue-in-cheek humor and jaunty performances by attractive voices… The engaging leads, Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy, are perhaps better known to Brits than Yanks from their featured roles in TV's Doctor Who, which says something about the intended audience. This and future adventures should have a much wider appeal. ”

April/May 2007

Read the full review here:

http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

“The cover to audio The Scarifyers shows its stars, Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy, drawn like Tintin characters, a look that accurately conveys the style and tone of Simon Barnard's adventurous script.”

“Set in London 1936, Molloy plays ghost story writer Professor Dunning and Courtney the Metropolitan police's oldest serving officer, Inspector Lionheart who, following the bizarre deaths of a number of Russian emigres, are brought together to investigate the mysterious Nazad Club, exotic haunt of the rich and well-connected.”

“If you don't mind swapping science-fiction for more old-fashioned thrills, there is a lot to enjoy about this well-made production – the large, exaggerated characters, from a 'tally-ho' trigger-happy General to Bobo the Magnificent, a sinister clown; excellent music that's full of derring-do; good gags and funny one-liners; and Courtney and Molloy, the former all charm and dignified, the latter excitable and blustering. The plot could be tighter and the pace a little quicker but these are minor quibbles when placed alongside the overall sense of fun and period colour. Tintin isn't The Scarifyers' only likeness, either – had Robert Holmes ever got his The Talons of Weng-Chiang spin-off, Jago and Litefoot, off the ground, I imagine it wouldn't have been too dissimilar. ”

January 2007 issue

Review by Vanessa Bishop.

“Although it doesn’t feature any characters from the Doctor Who universe, this new series... stars Who stalwarts Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy and even drops in the odd gratuitous reference (“Five rounds rapid!”). However, it also draws from other telly classics like The Avengers and Hammer’s lurid period tales of the supernatural. You can probably guess from the title that it isn’t to be taken entirely seriously.”

“This first case, set in 1936, brings together Inspector Lionheart (Courtney), an ageing policeman, and Professor Dunning (Molloy), an MR James-style academic whom we meet regaling his colleagues and students with a seasonal ghost story. What at first appears to be a run-of-the-mill investigation of impossible deaths steadily becomes more and more interesting as it comes to encompass an anti-Communist society and a heart preserved for two decades after the death of it’s owner.”

“Molloy and Courtney do a very good job of carrying the above-average script… the play features deft execution of archetypal characters and some very funny scenes. The scene with Satanist Aleister Crowley is wonderful – if he’s a regular character, this alone makes the series worth buying.”

3.5 out of 5

October 2006 issue

Review by Eddie Robson.

“It will appeal to anyone who enjoyed stories such as ‘The Talons of Weng-Chiang’ (this could almost be the never made Jago and Litefoot spin-off) or ‘The Unquiet Dead”

“The performances of the cast are all very sound, and Terry Molloy particularly stands out… The production and music are very well done and the story itself is well plotted.”

“If you fancy something a little different try this – it is as good as any play you’ll catch on Radio 4 at the moment.”

August 2006 issue

Review by Paul Winter.

“The two actors have a wonderful chemistry that was a pleasure to listen to, almost leaving one feel cheated that they were never in a TV episode of Doctor Who together.”

“As well as some genuinely frightening scenes, there are some wonderfully comedic moments too…. A great supporting cast help to add depth and scale to a story where the pace never drops.”

“The acting, the music and the storyline all work together harmoniously in this hit from Cosmic Hobo. Get the fire going, draw up a chair so you can sit back and prepare to be drawn into the world of The Scarifyers...”

10/10 Review by Sebastian J. Brook.

Read the full review here:

http://www.drwho-online.co.uk

"Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy... both do justice to their respective roles, though for Courtney it must have been a walk in the park as his natural voice conjures up images of authority figures..."

"The tale itself is a nicely paced historical/horror romp which thankfully never takes itself too seriously... Production on the discs is very professional with a good use of incidental music and sound effects."

"It's a brave company that produces original work and on the strength of their first disc I for one hope that this is a commercial success."

8/10 Review by Charles Packer.

Read the full review here:

http://www.sci-fi-online.co.uk

"Those who enjoy the UNIT era will get an extra buzz from this: imagine a UNIT spinoff series (but in the spirit of the original, not like the gritty Big Finish series) and imagine it set in 1936, and you will be somewhere close to the premise of The Scarifyers. But there is a lot more going on than that."

"Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy are an inspired pairing.... The latter plays Professor Dunning, a perfect character for his measured, distinctive voice. Everyone here sounds like they are having great fun, and David Benson pulls off the remarkable feat of performing both of the two most memorable guest characters..."

"Here’s hoping this first instalment is a commercial success, because The Scarifyers deserves to run and run. I for one can’t wait until the next adventure."

5/5 Review by Roger Pocock.

Read the whole review here:

http://www.doctorwho.ukhq.co.uk