Doctor Who: Short Trips: The Muses

[Theta Sigma]

The Muses was the fourth collection of stories from Big Finish's Short Trips short story book anthology. Published in September 2003.

Terpsichore: Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing:
Terpsichore is the Muse of Dance.
First story.
This one featured only the Sixth Doctor who meets a woman Rebecca who teaches him dancing.
This is quite a heartwarming tale from Robert Shearman (later to write the TV episode Dalek) as the Doctor looks through Rebecca's life and it has a very emotional ending.

 

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Thalia: The Brain of Socrates:
Thalia is the Muse of Comedy.
Second story.
This one featured the Fourth Doctor and Leela. Written by Gareth Roberts this one has the Fourth Doctor and Leela meeting Socrates just like the Tenth Doctor and Martha met Shakespeare in Roberts' TV episode The Shakespeare Code.
Like Shakespeare in the TV episode, it involves an alien wanting the use of the genius that is the famous historical figure Socrates.
Very good and very funny when the Doctor introduced Leela as his wife!

 

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Melpomene: Mordieu:
Melpomene is the Muse of Tragedy.
Third story.
Written by Tara Samms and featured the Eighth Doctor. According to the Doctor Who Reference Guide this takes place when this Doctor had amnesia during the Eighth Doctor BBC book series.
The setting for this is 1950s television.
This definitely is a story of tragedy but it is pretty depressing.

 

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Euterpe: An Overture Too Early:
Euterpe is the Muse of Music.
Fourth story.
Written by Simon Guerrier and features the Third Doctor, Sarah and the Brigadier.
I am a fan of the Fourth Doctor/Sarah team but I don't like it when Sarah was with the Third Doctor.
However this story on its own merits is very mysterious with a stranger call Isaac who claims to be one of the Doctor's future companions. Frustratingly the mystery to this story is not solve here and I read from the Doctor Who Reference Guide that loose ends are tied up in a much later Short Trips book Time Signature.

 

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Polyhymnia: Hymn of the City
Polyhymnia is the Muse of Sacred Poetry.
Fifth story.
Featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace, this takes place in Sydney 1942 during World War II and written by Australian Sarah Groenewegen.
Overall not a bad story involving a fortune teller.

 

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Erato: Confabula:
Erato is the Muse of Love Poetry and Mimicry.
Sixth story.
Featuring the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa and written by Ian Potter.
This story has the Doctor and Nyssa being part of an illusion.
The story left it ambiguous of who has been tricked here the Doctor or the adversary Maya. If it was the latter then certainly posed interesting questions about the Doctor's subsequent adventures.