Doctor Who IV - Everything Whovian - Would you like a jelly baby?

[jbmasta]

Yeah, the Big Finish team like to have everything done and dusted before announcing anything. Usually because of ongoing negotiations and contractual arrangements with actors and the BBC (who have to approve the story etc.) Stuff being leaked before hand can really put a snag in their plans. Plus they don't want to be premature with news and have it fall through last minute.

I believe it is in the pipeline. Just have to be patient.

We know Jenny is in the pipeline. Nick was assuring India Fisher for years about the Charlotte Pollard spin-off, so it's possible Nick approached Georgia about the Jenny spin-off (Goorgia's been a few stories over the past five years), she mentioned it to her father Peter Davison, who brought it up at the convention. All that's left is for Big Finish to formally announce it, which will happen when recording is done and when the BBC give the announcement the green light. Like Tales of New Earth it'll need all the help it can get.

At the time of the Radio Times articles it had yet to be recorded, but it was revealed the companion figure would be played by Sean Biggerstaff. I'd like to think that the writer was trying to get some free publicity, but I seriously doubt Big Finish will work with them again.

[Somecrazyaussie]

We know Jenny is in the pipeline. Nick was assuring India Fisher for years about the Charlotte Pollard spin-off, so it's possible Nick approached Georgia about the Jenny spin-off (Goorgia's been a few stories over the past five years), she mentioned it to her father Peter Davison, who brought it up at the convention. All that's left is for Big Finish to formally announce it, which will happen when recording is done and when the BBC give the announcement the green light. Like Tales of New Earth it'll need all the help it can get.

At the time of the Radio Times articles it had yet to be recorded, but it was revealed the companion figure would be played by Sean Biggerstaff. I'd like to think that the writer was trying to get some free publicity, but I seriously doubt Big Finish will work with them again.

Interesting. Some people I've come across online are wondering why Big Finish is bothering with the spin-off stuff. Most just want them to get down and do stuff with the new series Doctors. I love it, though. For starters, It opens up a number of different ranges. It also allows writers to flesh out characters and concepts that, in all likelihood, won't be touched upon again in future televised Who.

A friend of mine saw the news of the New Earth boxset and complained about it. Reasoning that it would be boring. However, we have yet to learn the point where the Sisters of Plenitude were corrupted. We also have the story about the mood drug that became a virus and resulted in the population being quarantined in the under city for a 100 years. Hopefully the boxset touches on those two points.

[jbmasta]

Interesting. Some people I've come across online are wondering why Big Finish is bothering with the spin-off stuff. Most just want them to get down and do stuff with the new series Doctors. I love it, though. For starters, It opens up a number of different ranges. It also allows writers to flesh out characters and concepts that, in all likelihood, won't be touched upon again in future televised Who.

A friend of mine saw the news of the New Earth boxset and complained about it. Reasoning that it would be boring. However, we have yet to learn the point where the Sisters of Plenitude were corrupted. We also have the story about the mood drug that became a virus and resulted in the population being quarantined in the under city for a 100 years. Hopefully the boxset touches on those two points.

At least it's not people complaining about it being on audio. When the new Torchwood box set was promoted on social media there were lots of people griping that they were disappointed it wasn't on TV. Never mind that the only alternative for new Torchwood stories is the awful Titan Comics stuff (which was sadly referenced in Aliens Among Us).

[Derek Metaltron]

With the passing of Trevor Baxter, a series with the Patenoster Gang seems like the ideal choice to take over from Jago and Litefoot. It will definitely fill the void. I also think we might get something with The Shadow Proclamation. They are basically a police force. Although with broader powers.

Agreed! Someone said to me recently that BF have an issue with possibly doing a Pasternoster Gang set because of some option the BBC made for a possible spin-off series back when they were being utilized more (Vastra and company haven't been on TV since 2014 with Capaldi's opening story Deep Breath). So they couldn't have all of them in the same story but could have them individually. Hence why we had the special Jago and Litefoot and Strax story back in late 2015 and also how they're having Madame Vastra by herself with a young Winston Churchill in the second 'Churchill Years' boxset next year.

[jbmasta]

Agreed! Someone said to me recently that BF have an issue with possibly doing a Pasternoster Gang set because of some option the BBC made for a possible spin-off series back when they were being utilized more (Vastra and company haven't been on TV since 2014 with Capaldi's opening story Deep Breath). So they couldn't have all of them in the same story but could have them individually. Hence why we had the special Jago and Litefoot and Strax story back in late 2015 and also how they're having Madame Vastra by herself with a young Winston Churchill in the second 'Churchill Years' boxset next year.

Jago & Litefoot & Strax is brilliant, not overdoing the literal gender confused Strax thing while also giving him moments where he's competent. At one point he's at Jago's theatre, and the magician calls upon him to help with a trick. As Jago, Litefoot and Ellie anticipate with dread, hilarity ensues.

Litefoot: Well, this should be entertaining.
Ellie: That's one word for it.

Neve McIntosh was a New Series Silurian in the UNIT: Assembled box set.

bfpuns02_unit_assembled_slipcase_sq_cover_medium.jpg

[Derek Metaltron]

Interesting. Some people I've come across online are wondering why Big Finish is bothering with the spin-off stuff. Most just want them to get down and do stuff with the new series Doctors. I love it, though. For starters, It opens up a number of different ranges. It also allows writers to flesh out characters and concepts that, in all likelihood, won't be touched upon again in future televised Who.

A friend of mine saw the news of the New Earth boxset and complained about it. Reasoning that it would be boring. However, we have yet to learn the point where the Sisters of Plenitude were corrupted. We also have the story about the mood drug that became a virus and resulted in the population being quarantined in the under city for a 100 years. Hopefully the boxset touches on those two points.

The UNIT series with Kate Stewart and Osgood has been especially great, both with some interesting original characters and the opportunity to see them take on New Series monsters like the new Autons and Silurians and the Silence among others.

Going by description on the website the New Earth boxset is going to be a sequel to those events rather than a prequel, though they could still answer some of those questions. I do kind of wish we could have had a Cassandra story in there, mind.

[Derek Metaltron]

Jago & Litefoot & Strax is brilliant, not overdoing the literal gender confused Strax thing while also giving him moments where he's competent. At one point he's at Jago's theatre, and the magician calls upon him to help with a trick. As Jago, Litefoot and Ellie anticipate with dread, hilarity ensues.

Litefoot: Well, this should be entertaining.
Ellie: That's one word for it.

Oh yes, that story has loads of great Strax moments. The whole 'Strax thinks Jago and Litefoot are Jenny and Vastra' thing could have been silly yet Dan Starky does a fantastic job of making it all wonderfully awesome. Glad they get him to play other Sontarans in other BF stories as well.

[jbmasta]

Oh yes, that story has loads of great Strax moments. The whole 'Strax thinks Jago and Litefoot are Jenny and Vastra' thing could have been silly yet Dan Starky does a fantastic job of making it all wonderfully awesome. Glad they get him to play other Sontarans in other BF stories as well.

The key was to tone down the Strax buffoonery that got a bit too much on TV, and Justin Richard achieved that admirably.

Dan's also written a few stories for Big Finish, including a Seventh Doctor story as well as an upcoming Short Trip (a short story, this one to be read by Nicola Bryant) and a Fourth Doctor story.

[Kyer]

Have the done any stories for Two? I know there is at least one man who does a fantastic Troughton voice.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Have the done any stories for Two? I know there is at least one man who does a fantastic Troughton voice.

Audio stories with the Second Doctor? Yes, they have. There were a few in both the Companion Chronicles ranges and The Lost Stories one. However the best is the Early Adventures range. They are full cast audios with narration to mimic the BBC recordings of the missing episodes. Frazer Hines does Troughton and you'll swear it was Patrick himself.

Stories I can recommend are The Yes Men, The Forsaken, The Prison in Space and The Second Doctor vol 1

Another series of Early Adventures is coming in September with four new Second Doctor stories. The first is called The Night Witches.

Here is a link https://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/v/d...ly-adventures1

[jbmasta]

Have the done any stories for Two? I know there is at least one man who does a fantastic Troughton voice.

They've done stories for all the Doctors. From Third Doctor they're currently full cast (Tim Treloar does an amazing Third Doctor). Go to the Big Finish website and have a look. The Divergent Universe forum is a good place to ask questions.

[jbmasta]

A bit of background on Big Finish. They started in 1998, adapting six novels featuring novel-original companion Bernice Summerfield (novels with the Doctor and other companions had their roles filled by Benny's on-again off-again love interest Jason). In 1999 they got the licence to produce original audio dramas based on Doctor Who. At first they only had Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, working with companions like Nyssa, Turlough, Peri, Mel and Ace as well as original companions like Evelyn Smythe and Erimem. These stories started with the multi-Doctor story The Sirens of TIme, from that point being released in rotation at one a month. In 2001 Big Finish started releasing stories with Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor, alongside new companion Charley (Grace from the TV Movie is still legally off-limits). These stories were released in season blocks, featuring a season arc. In 2009 it changed to a trilogy format along with an individual release (usually an anthology release), with the Eighth Doctor getting his own range. That range has since concluded, along with two four-box set arcs (Dark Eyes and Doom Coalition).

In 2007 the Companion Chronicles range started. These were designed to cover Doctors 1 through 4, where the actors were unavailable, and presented as first person accounts from the perspective of a companion (hence why they aren't recasts, they're the Doctor and other companions as the companion percieves them). The Companion Chronicles started out with framing sequences, the companion and a guest actor they tell the story to. These were monthly until 2014, and from 2015 became annual box set releases of four stories.

In 2011 it was announced Tom Baker was signing on to work with Big Finish, reprising the role of the Fourth Doctor (he'd reprised the role on audio for a series of stories with BBC Audio). As of next month, six seasons of stories will have been released, along with other specials like adapatations of unmade Philip Hinchcliffe storylines.

There have also been stories with John Hurt's War Doctor, often forced to work with Cardinal Ollistra, as played by Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan from Blake's 7).

At this point in time the only companion who hasn't returned to their role is Jackie Lane as Dodo. The most recent companion to come on board is Matthew Waterhouse as Adric. Several characters have been recast, but it's been handled with sensitivity by Big Finish with great consideration taken as to how the other actors feel about it. Tim Treloar has been playing the Third Doctor for several years now. Elliot Chapman now plays Ben Jackson, while Barbara Wright is now played by Jemma Powell (who played Jacqueline Hill in An Adventure in Space and Time). Tim Treloar and Elliot Chapman do a fantastic job of channeling their characters, doing the research on how the characters sound. In the interviews on the CDs Tim has said how he's his greatest critic. I haven't made up my mind yet on Jemma, as she's only been in two stories thus far.

Big Finish have branched into other properties, like Dark Shadows, Blake's 7, various Gerry Anderson shows (Terrahawks, Captain Scarlet), The Avengers (the UK show, not the Marvel team) and The Prisoner.

[Somecrazyaussie]

There have also been stories with John Hurt's War Doctor, often forced to work with Cardinal Ollistra, as played by Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan from Blake's 7).

Nah, she will always be Chessene from The Two Doctors lol

As an added note, some of those Companion Chronicles are really worth checking out. The Sara Kingdom Trilogy, Steven Taylor Trilogy and Oliver Harper Trilogy for the First Doctor. The Great Space Elevator is an awesome Second Doctor story. The Glorious Revolution is another. Solitaire is an Eighth Doctor entry that is highly recommended.

Needless to say, Big Finish pretty much caters for every era of classic Who.

[jbmasta]

Nah, she will always be Chessene from The Two Doctors lol

As an added note, some of those Companion Chronicles are really worth checking out. The Sara Kingdom Trilogy, Steven Taylor Trilogy and Oliver Harper Trilogy for the First Doctor. The Great Space Elevator is an awesome Second Doctor story. The Glorious Revolution is another. Solitaire is an Eighth Doctor entry that is highly recommended.

Needless to say, Big Finish pretty much caters for every era of classic Who.

Peri and the Piscon Paradox is a perfect one for me. That's the story that started the annual two-disc releases, Nev Fountain didn't realise they were usually one disc. Mahogany Murderers, which is effectively a pilot for the Jago & Litefoot range, is a popular one.

They also cover all sorts of genres. The Scorchies is basically evil Muppets, with original catchy songs. The Scorchies would also tangle with Jago and Litefoot in music hall style and Iris Wildthyme (a female time traveler played by Katy Manning who traverses the multiverse in a double decker bus, almost always under the influence) with 80's pop.

The Locum Doctors trilogy took a typical First/Second/Third Doctor story, but swapped the Doctor for the Fifth, Sixth or Seventh incarnation respectively. So you had the Seventh Doctor and Jo Grant investigating a mysterious island, the Sixth Doctor, Jamie and Zoe fighting the Last of the Cybermen and the Fifth Doctor, Vicki and Steven looking into The Secret History.

If you're after a story that reflects that era, The Lost Stories and Early Adventures should do. The Lost Stories are storylines that were pitched but never made for various reasons (budget, other stories, Michael Grade being an idiot etc). The Early Adventures are designed to be like the old audio recordings, with linking narration. Some of them are very faithful to the era, including the Doctor vanishing for an episode! To add to the authenticity, First Doctor stories have individual titles for the episodes.

[Miles To Go]

Zoe Ball's radio show confirmed last night that Bradley Walsh is the companion

https://twitter.com/GirlyLetters/sta...23847773982720