Doctor Who - Audio Adventures

[Malcy]

Great, let's have them fuck off to a pocket universe where they can sling single entendres at each other in a ludicrous sassy manner for ever more, leaving the rest of us in peace.

Have you heard River on audio? Written so much better when Moffat's not holding the pen.

[jamiefairlie]

Have you heard River on audio? Written so much better when Moffat's not holding the pen.

Yeah she is, still a bit annoyingly single note for my liking though but definitely better.

[notjosh]

Can anyone recommend any of the Tenth Doctor stories? I'm no completist so only want to list to them if they're any good.

I'm working my way through David Warner's Doctor stories at the moment (from the Unbound and Bernice Summerfield series) and enjoying them very much.

[Malcy]

Michael Palin is appearing in a new Torchwood audio.

You are listening to a self-help tape. You are hearing a soothing voice. You have always wanted to do something with your life, haven't you? Oh, how you've ached to be a better person. 

Well now. This is your chance. Go on. Sit back. Close your eyes. Relax. You're going to learn all about Captain Jack Harkness. You're going to learn all about Torchwood. 

You're going to change the world.

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/torchwood-tropical-beach-sounds-and-other-relaxing-seascapes-4-2139

[mjwilson]

Michael Palin is appearing in a new Torchwood audio.

I think we were all expecting that.

[purlieu]

Tom Baker is The Curator in Doctor Who: Stranded

For the first time since his surprising appearance at the climax of the 50th anniversary Doctor Who story, The Day of the Doctor, Tom Baker will reprise the role of the mysterious Curator. Considered by many – but never confirmed on screen – to be a future incarnation of the Doctor, the Curator will take a pivotal role in the forthcoming Eighth Doctor full-cast audio adventure series, Doctor Who: Stranded, making his first introduction in the box set due for release in July 2020.


The TARDIS is gone. Stranded in one time and place, the Doctor, Liv and Helen seek refuge in Baker Street. But the house has changed: they now have neighbours – not all of them welcoming. And someone has a dire warning for the future. The Doctor and friends face their greatest challenge yet: living one day after another, in 2020 London.On coming back to the Curator, actor Tom Baker said: "Who would have thought that doing that little scene written for me all those years ago would have such repercussions years and years later? A lot of fans were intrigued by it, and here we are at last doing something else with him. "We had to have a little discussion about how to do it. The lines as they are written are very evocative but they don't mean exactly what they say. Am I being deliberately evasive, or am I playing a part? Whichever way I look at it, the language remains compelling."

Producer David Richardson added: "Stranded is Doctor Who, but it's also a contemporary drama... and present-day Earth is precisely where the Curator resides, so it was an irresistible idea to have him step into this series. We approached Steven Moffat with the idea and he was very enthusiastic -giving us some insights to the character which were incredibly useful! The Curator joins River Song, new UNIT, The Paternoster Gang and Missy at Big Finish -fantastic Steven Moffat creations that have gained an extended life on audio."

[VelourSpirit]

couldn't just leave the curator as a special little curiosity at the end of the 50th special?

[Malcy]

Apparently something big was accidentally revealed early. Think whatever it is will be revealed tomorrow.

https://mobile.twitter.com/bigfinish/status/1240408191776759808

[Old Gold Tooth]

It's a weird one as it's something that Big Finish had inadvertently revealed themselves last year, when they posted an official video of their lead actor who was holding the script for it with the title page showing to camera. It's

Spoiler alert

a Lost Story based on the original script for Revenge of the Cybermen

[close]

so it all feels a bit blown out of proportion, even if it could in theory involve a

Spoiler alert

significant recast

[close]

.

[mjwilson]

That seems even less dramatic than their recent Twitter countdown to a sale on Thunderbirds stories.

[Malcy]

It's a weird one as it's something that Big Finish had inadvertently revealed themselves last year, when they posted an official video of their lead actor who was holding the script for it with the title page showing to camera. It's

Spoiler alert

a Lost Story based on the original script for Revenge of the Cybermen

[close]

so it all feels a bit blown out of proportion, even if it could in theory involve a

Spoiler alert

significant recast

[close]

.

Ah Ok. Yeah BF are probably making something of it to get a bit of publicity.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Yeah I thought this "leak" could well be an overzealous social media team. It certainly doesn't warrant the build-up.

[Malcy]

Yeah it's Return Of The Cybermen.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iqo1_vCc5bc&t=0s

[mjwilson]

Is this famous for having a good original script then?

[Bad Ambassador]

If the script had been good, do you think it would have been rewritten from the ground up, but use the same sets, locations and number of characters?

[daf]

Tom's actually getting two lost stories in 2021 - also The Doomsday Contact - originally written by John Lloyd (while Douglas Adams was script editing), and adapted by Nev Fountain - so it should be in safe hands there.

The Doomsday Contract, also known as Shylock, was an unproduced serial due to be part of season 17. John Lloyd wrote the story using elements from his unproduced novel GiGax. It would feature the Doctor saving Earth from a corporation that wished to buy it to receive a matter-transmutation device. Lloyd was asked to rewrite the script a few times. He eventually gave up to work on Not the Nine O'Clock News. Douglas Adams, with Lloyd's permission, allowed Allan Prior to rewrite it, but his script was rejected. Adams gave the project to another author to be part of season 18, but Adams soon left the series and the serial was ultimately cancelled.

The image of Colin Baker on the Big Finish page - which seems to have been confusing people - is just a general 'Lost Stories' placeholder - it is actually the 4th Doctor in this.

Here's the original synopsis :

While vacationing on Cimmerian II, the Doctor is summoned before the Altribunal of Coelare Coelum, an intergalactic court. He has been called as a witness in a millennia-old case in which the Plenum Trust Corporation (whose Executive Vice President, Smilax, is an old friend) is opposing the purchase of the Earth by Cosmegalon and its unscrupulous owner, Jugend Bruisa."

Plenum had been testing the Spondilas Chamber -- an incredibly powerful device capable of polymorphing matter -- when Cosmegalon bought the Earth via dubious means. Now Smilax fears that Chamber falling into Bruisa's hands. In court, the Doctor gives evidence that the Earth is home to intelligent life, which by law would nullify Cosmegalon's ownership.

He is sent to Earth to retrieve a human as proof. Arriving in mediaeval Yorkshire, the Doctor is prevented from completing his task by the monstrous Children of Pyxis, who have been despatched by Cosmegalon. Fortunately, he is saved from death by the timely intervention of Smilax, and does manage to spirit away the Spondilas Chamber. Nonetheless, with the Doctor having seemingly failed, the court rules in Cosmegalon's favour. However, the Doctor tricks Bruisa and the Children of Pyxis into travelling to modern-day Earth near a missile base, where their ship is annihilated. "

and the rewrites required :

"[John Lloyd] was asked to rein in complex effects sequences and delete the Spondilas Chamber on the grounds that it was irrelevant to the plot. He also had to replace the Children of Pyxis, due to fears that child labour laws would make production difficult. Instead, he came up with a race of desert nomads-cum-mercenaries called the Wadifalayeen, although producer Graham Williams was worried that these new monsters would offend Muslims. Lloyd also recast the Plenum Trust as an altruistic conservation organisation, while the chairman of Cosmegalon was renamed Skorpios."

[daf]

Celebrate the impending collapse of civilization with a free story from Big Finish!

Thought this one was grimly appropriate : Survivors - 'Revelation' by Matt Fitton

It begins with just a few people falling ill. Another flu virus that spreads around the globe. And then the reports begin that people are dying...

When most of the world's population is wiped out, a handful of survivors are left to pick up the pieces.

Cities become graveyards. Technology becomes largely obsolete. Mankind must start again...

When people begin to die of a new strain of a flu virus, newspaper journalists Helen Wiseman and Daniel Connor investigate. They uncover a terrifying story - but will anyone ever get to read it?

[Malcy]

Free Frobisher story, The Maltese Penguin

Use code DOGBOLTER

https://www.bigfinish.com/offers/v/frobisher?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=free_maltese_penguin_april_2020

[crankshaft]

Celebrate the impending collapse of civilization with a free story from Big Finish!

Thought this one was grimly appropriate : Survivors - 'Revelation' by Matt Fitton

This is the only Survivors audio I've listened to as yet, and I found it a very effective piece of drama. This was pre C-19, of course, so I don't know if I'd find it so enjoyable right now...I keep meaning to check out more on Spotify but, er, not right now.

[daf]

Free Frobisher story, The Maltese Penguin

Great character - The Holy Terror also featuring Frobisher and the 6th Doctor is well worth a listen (free on spotify)

- - - - - - - - - -

In other news, Lis Sladen's daughter Sadie Miller has been cast as Sarah (probably for Return of the Cybermen) - hopefully this will be a springboard for a future full series with Tom!

[purlieu]

I'm midway through downloading the entire Big Finish lot from Soulseek - I'll be purchasing my favourites as keepers in the future - and I just realised that, wanting to listen to them in order (I've used a few listening guides and Wikipedia to find an ideal listening order), I'll have to be at least finished with the Virgin New Adventures and the Bernice Summerfield New Adventures to make a proper start. What a bummer, I'm only halfway through the Seventh Doctor ones.
I have all the BBC Audios to get through first I suppose.

[Malcy]

More free stories on the way beginning with a War Doctor one.

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/radio/2020-04-06/doctor-who-big-finish-free/

[daf]

I just realised that, wanting to listen to them in order (I've used a few listening guides and Wikipedia to find an ideal listening order), I'll have to be at least finished with the Virgin New Adventures and the Bernice Summerfield New Adventures to make a proper start.

Not getting this - surely those (VNA / BSNA books) only fit in the timeline during the 7th and 8th Doctors audios. You're safe to crack on with everything 1-6 before that.*

I've got my 650+ CDs ordered based on Tim Bradley's Timelines (which also include the TV stories and Books as well as the audios) : First Doctor  /  Second Doctor  /  Third Doctor  /  Fourth Doctor  /  Fifth Doctor  /  Sixth Doctor  /  Seventh Doctor  /  Eighth Doctor

I have all the Bennys between the 7th and 8th Doctors - with 'Love and War' (with 7th) leading into them, and 'Company of Friends' (with 8th) as the last one, and the bridge into McGann's first stories with Charley Pollard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Ace's Timeline  /  Benny's Timeline 

[purlieu]

I'm still a long way from finishing the books, though, which means I could easily get up to something like, say, the Excelis saga before I'm ready to start on 7th and 8th Doctor audios, not to mention things like the whole Irving Braxiatel plot (who I've only met in one MA so far), and possibly some new recurring enemies? I dunno, I'd just rather remove any possibility of getting things out of order by listening to them in (roughly) release order.

[daf]

Ah I see.  Going by release date has a certain logic.

However, I wouldn't let the idea of getting stuff spoiled put you off dipping your ear in -

There's only two Virgin New Adventures-era Seventh Doctor & Benny audios in the Main Range - (13) The Shadow of the Scourge and (42) Dark Flame. The rest should be OK for possible spoilers.

[purlieu]

As another example, I know Braxiatel plays a part in the Gallifrey stories, which means I need to leave those off until I've listened to the Benny audios.
I know from reading the MAs and PDAs in internal chronological order that sometimes things just get a bit confusing and that publication order is sometimes much more preferable - Goth Opera really should follow Blood Harvest; there's a Fifth Doctor story with Chris and Roz; the Selachians and Chelonians would definitely have made more sense had I read the NAs introducing them; etc.
I'm also not really a dipper, I like to go all-in or not at all, so when I do this I'll no doubt be dedicating a significant amount of time to it and will want to do it 'properly'.

Meantime, I do have a lot of BBC audios to listen to: The Pescatons, Slipback, The Paradise of Death, The Ghosts of N-Space, Exploration Earth, Death Comes to Time, Hornet's Nest, Demon Quest, Serpent Crest, a bunch of exclusive 10th, 11th and 12th Doctor audiobooks, some WWI themed stories, some other stuff - Winged Coven, Flight of the Sun God, The Scent of Blood - that I don't quite understand the origin of. Plus a load of Torchwood plays and SJA audiobooks. So those should keep me occupied for a few weeks if nothing else.

[Malcy]

I don't know how you do it Purlieu. It must be really difficult to try sort everything into a chronological order. And do you think conflicting canon will be  an issue?

[daf]

Piece of piss really - Bradley's Basement has handily done all the heavy lifting - everything's covered there!

As another example, I know Braxiatel plays a part in the Gallifrey stories, which means I need to leave those off until I've listened to the Benny audios.

According to Bradley's Braxiatel's Timeline, the first few series of Gallifrey audios should come before his appearance in the Bennys :

1. The Empire of Glass (Book) – Virgin Missing Adventures
2. Zagreus (Main Range #50) (Audio) – Big Finish Audio Drama
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3. Weapon of Choice (Gallifrey 1.1) – BFAD
4. Square One (Gallifrey 1.2) – BFAD
5. The Inquiry (Gallifrey 1.3)  – BFAD
6. Lies (Gallifrey 2.1)  – BFAD
7. Spirit (Gallifrey 2.2)  – BFAD
8. Pandora (Gallifrey 2.3) – BFAD
9. Mindbomb (Gallifrey 3.4)  – BFAD
10. Panacea (Gallifrey 3.5) – BFAD
11. Reborn (Gallifrey)  – BFAD
12. Disassmbled (Gallifrey) – BFAD
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13. Dragon's Wrath (Bernice Summerfield) (Book / Audio) – VNA + BFAD
etc.

[purlieu]

I don't know how you do it Purlieu. It must be really difficult to try sort everything into a chronological order. And do you think conflicting canon will be  an issue?

I've used a couple of guides that others put together - both on Reddit, thought I'd bookmarked them but apparently not - so it wasn't actually that difficult. A couple of hours work for me, but I've always found making lists fun.

Piece of piss really - Bradley's Basement has handily done all the heavy lifting - everything's covered there!

e.g. - here's Braxiatel's Timeline

Hmmm, that's a bit complex and still leaves a gap in the Big Finishes which I'd need to catch up with at some point.

[Malcy]

I don't ever see a time when I'll get round to ALL the audios. I have a hard enough time trying to keep up with the ranges I decided to listen to!

A few series behind on UNIT & River Song and the more I look at how far behind on Torchwood the more it puts me off!

There's isn't a better time than now to remedy that though. I just have to figure out where I am exactly and just dive in.

I find it hard not to tune out when listening though. Best method I found was to play them through my iPad and play Solitaire on it at the same time. It's just enough to keep me focused on both.