The sixth and final volume of Big Finish’s The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles concludes the run of Series 7V, bringing the epic 14-part story arc to an explosive climax with peak storytelling and Daleks galore! Yes, we finally have the long-awaited showdown between the Eleventh Doctor (voiced by Jacob Dudman) and the multicoloured New Dalek Paradigm. Victory of the Doctor, as a boxset, couldn’t be a better way to give Valarie Lockwood (Safiyya Ingar) an emotional, tearjerking farewell.

When Series 5’s Victory of the Daleks first aired, back in 2010, I wasn’t completely sold on the New Paradigm Daleks — not just the multicoloured designs, but also the direction the episode took by having them unnecessarily exterminate the ones they deemed “inferior.” As I’ve been saying for years, even before returning in the Series 7 opener Asylum of the Daleks, they could’ve just used them as backup. And Big Finish has finally answered my prayers.

(This review contains spoilers for the previous boxsets – Geronimo!, All of Time and Space, and Everywhere and Anywhere – and Broken Hearts. And don’t tell River Song that I’ve been peeking through her diary!)

The boxset opens with Didn’t You Kill My Mother?, by John Dorney, which involves Valarie in a legal battle with Arabella Hendricks (Lara Lemon), while the Doctor acts as an arbiter alongside his colleague, Tim (Homer Todiwala). An experimental four-hander, almost like a stage play, dealing with the events of The Inheritance (from Geronimo!) that culminated in the death of Valarie’s mother Patricia, the script keeps you thrilled with suspense as everything unravels. And with a few references to the Ellery Quest novels from All of Time and Space (i.e. the episode), the performances and worldbuilding brilliantly set up what’s soon to come.

We then return to Medrüth in Daleks Victorious, with the planet being invaded by the titular pepperpots. It has vibes of the Series 4 finale, The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, bringing back various characters including Roanna (Mia Tomlinson), Hayden Lockwood (Christopher Ragland), Hoster (David Dobson), and the panther-like Yearn creatures (Samuel Clemens, who also voices Darthan in this episode). But more importantly, the New Dalek Paradigm make their Big Finish debut with Nicholas Briggs marvellously modulating their distinctive voices, to differentiate between the individual ranks and colour codes.

After writing The Galois Group (Short Trips Volume 12), which takes place between All of Time and Space and The Yearn, Felicia Barker has received an opportunity to “ELEVATE!” Series 7V to a whole new level. Her script does the New Paradigm Daleks proper justice by making them increasingly threatening and unpredictable, with the Doctor cleverly identifying their colours in the most hilarious way possible; orange-flavoured Smarties and Colonel White spring to mind (lovely childhood references!). And the Time Lord himself getting interrogated by his iconic enemies… pretty grim.

The emotional character-driven subplots and performances, plus Valarie and Roanna’s romantic relationship, also deserve a shoutout, as they make further progression on the overarching narrative with plenty of callbacks to previous episodes. But everything takes a drastic turn during one of the most dramatic cliffhangers ever done by Big Finish, as well as the darkest in the entirety of Series 7V. It was so terrifying, I shivered with goosebumps as I heard it for the first time. You will be completely shocked to the core.

And here we are with the de facto two-part finale, The Last Stand of Miss Valarie Lockwood and Victory of the Doctor (which aptly shares the same title as the boxset), both written by producer Alfie Shaw – who also has a cameo as the Robo-Priest. That’s how I personally perceive it, in contrast to Alfie describing them with Daleks Victorious as a three-parter of sorts in Who Review’s preview.

“They’re three quite distinct episodes, but they do all flow into one another.”

I love that it’s left open to interpretation, just like with Series 9’s Face the Raven preceding Heaven Sent/Hell Bent; a prelude leading directly into a two-parter, or three connected episodes forming a loose trilogy.

Although I won’t spoil anything about the plots for both halves, they really resolve various lingering questions throughout the overarching narrative in a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey fashion — thoroughly developed from start to finish, with emotional beats and underlying themes that bring Valarie’s journey to an end, as well as Dudman’s final appearance as the Eleventh Doctor. And it was definitely the right decision to expand the boxset to four episodes, by allowing everything to be wrapped up in two whole hours; otherwise, it would’ve been too rushed with just three episodes – like how The Wedding of River Song and The Name of the Doctor unfortunately weren’t split into two parts, in contrast to the Series 5 finale, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang.

Everything about the multicoloured New Paradigm Daleks, in this boxset, couldn’t satisfy me enough. Far superior than their original TV appearances in Victory and Asylum, allowing the Strategist (blue), Scientist (orange), and Eternal (yellow), in particular, to have more prominence. Same goes for the return of the Dalek mutant Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Daleks, after having their memories of the Doctor erased by Oswin Oswald, with the red Drone Daleks being promoted to Commander; that rank now passed on to the RTD bronze variant. And despite their notable absence in The Time of the Doctor, the boxset gives the multicoloured pepperpots a proper sense of closure.

But there’s more… the Special Weapons Daleks are back! This time given the RTD style bronze design treatment by James Johnson (@ThePrydonian), who also worked on the “Reborn” New Paradigm variants. It’s really great to see these CGI designs featured on Caroline Tankersley’s outstanding cover artwork. I’ve always had such fondness for the Special Weapons Dalek, ever since its debut in Remembrance of the Daleks, followed by cameos in Asylum and the Series 9 opener, The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar. Here’s hoping for more appearances, either on audio or TV!

As a fan of Valarie Lockwood, it’s heartbreaking to see her go. Safiyya Ingar has delivered a stellar performance with energy and emotion, throughout the entire boxset. Well, the whole of Series 7V is to their credit for Valarie’s character development. Tragically losing her mother in The Inheritance, with Hendricks being responsible; falling in love with Roanna in The Yearn; having her cybernetic enhancements taken apart in Curiosity Shop, and later blaming the Doctor in Broken Hearts; seemingly killed off for real in All’s Fair, whilst meeting her husband Hayden; overpowering the Cybermen in Sins of the Flesh; and standing with the Doctor against the Daleks. A strong, original companion.

And what can I say about Jacob Dudman? Ever since watching him in The Great Curator, which also featured Jon Culshaw, I knew from the start he would end up doing Big Finish audios. His uncanny Matt Smith impression never disappoints. The way how Dudman captures the vocals, mannerisms, and emotions of this incarnation perfectly illustrates Smith’s onscreen portrayal in every single Eleventh Doctor boxset and individual release he has appeared in. And having him do a full 14-part story arc, across four volumes, is the best approach to giving him a big finish (no pun intended) and a fond farewell. But don’t worry, we’ll be hearing him again for one last time in the forthcoming third Twelfth Doctor Chronicles volume, You Only Die Twice.

Victory of the Doctor, overall, is a perfect conclusion to Series 7V. The best volume in The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles range, which majestically brings justice for the New Dalek Paradigm and gives Valarie Lockwood proper closure. Would it be wrong for me to say that it is, by far, the best Big Finish release of 2024? And furthermore, Series 7V has already become one of my favourite serialised arcs ever produced, right up there with the Dalek Universe saga. A perfect bridge between The Snowmen and The Bells of Saint John, coinciding with the Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald across time and space. It builds upon what I wish Steven Moffat had done for the entirety of Series 7, as showrunner, during the lead up to the 50th anniversary: serialisation and dramatic cliffhangers, with an epic two-part finale. The perfect approach for Series 7V, which supersedes the standalone storytelling format of the first two volumes.

I’d also like to say a big thank you to Jacob Dudman and Safiyya Ingar, plus all the cast members, for bringing these characters to life. Same to Helen Goldwyn and Nicholas Briggs for your outstanding directing, Borna Matosic and Jamie Robertson for the scores, Caroline Tankersley for the cover artworks, Lee Adams for the sound design (who’s also known for The Dalek That Time Forgot fan animated serial), and Alfie Shaw for shaping up the series and bringing together all the writers. None of this would’ve been possible without the amazing cast and crew at Big Finish.

Victory of the Doctor is available now from Big Finish.

After two anthologies with a mixture of two- and four-parters, we are finally treated to a single six-part story with the First Doctor (Stephen Noonan) going up against the iconic, titular pepperpots (voiced by director and script editor Nicholas Briggs). Full of twists, nostalgic references, and funny moments, Fugitive of the Daleks is an outstanding masterpiece that revitalises an unconventional Classic era format in the best way possible.

(I’ll do my best to avoid revealing any major spoilers, before the Daleks can pinpoint my location!)

In Carthage, decades after her departure in The Myth Makers, an older Vicki (Maureen O’Brien) says goodbye to her grandson Antiphus and enters the TARDIS, only to find the Doctor apparently feeling unwell. They make their first trip to Perpetuity Station, where the Doctor receives medical attention until things don’t turn out to be what they seem involving the crew on board, before the Daleks arrive to capture him in their time machine. As the Doctor and Vicki resume journeying across time and space, with the Daleks in pursuit, they end up in various locations and unravel the mystery of the Doctor’s amnesiac behaviour as they go along.

The plot brilliantly acts as spiritual successor to The Chase, and The Daleks’ Master Plan to a lesser degree, by utilising the experimental storytelling structure without being derivative. There were a number of intriguing historical events that I learned for the first time in the story, such as General Custer in 1876, before the Battle of the Little Bighorn; and also the first Solvay Conference at the Hotel Métropole in Brussels, 1911. A fascinating way to incorporate some educational elements, paying homage to the early historical serials of First Doctor era. Ironically enough, on the same day as Fugitive of the Daleks was released, I decided to try out The Chase on BBC iPlayer; followed by The Keys of Marinus shortly afterwards (good thing I wiped my memory before watching the former serial).

Jonathan Morris has nailed the gravitas (or should I be saying “mavitas”?) and pacing in his script, after writing some of my personal favourite Dalek audios, The Curse of Davros, We Are The Daleks, and Emancipation of the Daleks — all underrated gems! He is a real expert in devising unique, compelling Dalek concepts that attempt to manipulate or rewrite Earth’s history; the Terry Nation of Big Finish.

What can I say about Stephen Noonan, hmm? Ever since our first taste of him as the First Doctor, his uncanny William Hartnell impression continues to shine with the mannerisms and vocal tics. Not just in the previous two boxsets, The Outlaws and The Demon Song, but also his cameos in the Once and Future 60th anniversary event; with an expanded appearance in the fifth chapter, The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50. It’s a real honour that Noonan has already joined the line of Doctor recasts at Big Finish, alongside Michael Troughton, Tim Treloar, and Jonathon Carley. I’ll say no more, hmm!

Honestly, I didn’t expect Vicki Pallister (later known as Cressida) to return as a companion… and it works splendidly. I love how Maureen O’Brien adds layers of maturity in her portrayal, whilst maintaining Vicki’s youthfulness. Although Dodo Chaplet (Lauren Cornelius) doesn’t appear until during the latter half of the story, I’m very pleased that she gets an opportunity to meet Vicki, as they both played significant roles in the Doctor’s life. It also helps having The Incherton Incident briefly recapped with flashbacks, plus referencing former companion Steven Taylor who Vicki and Dodo knew all too well.

I have such a soft spot for six-part audios, which is why I consider Fugitive of the Daleks to be the best First Doctor Adventures release so far. Right up there with Kaleidoscope, The Auton Infinity (Forty 2), and Cold Fusion, the format gives enough room for the main characters and plot to develop whilst avoiding unnecessary padding. Not to mention the supporting cast — Mark Elstob, Ashley Cousins, and Gary Turner — who have mastered voicing multiple guest characters and changing accents; plus Genevieve Gaunt superbly stepping in as Hedra. And I also want to give Christopher Naylor, best known for voicing Fourth Doctor companion Harry Sullivan, a shoutout for applying his painting skills to the outstanding cover artwork (which belongs in the Louvre)!

For anyone who has yet to try out a Big Finish First Doctor audio, go for this one. It’s a perfect starting point. We have no idea what’s next for the range, but I hope they’ll do a boxset at some point featuring the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, (Carole Ann Ford), sometime before travelling with Ian and Barbara is what I have in mind.

Fugitive of the Daleks is available now from Big Finish.

It may have been a little while ago when the three Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials aired, but according to Rachel Talalay, who directed The Star Beast, she had no involvement with filming the pre-titles which featured the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) recapping the events of Series 4. This was confirmed on Twitter (now called X, but everyone still calls it Twitter, right?) when she replied to a fan about the fact that the shots with Donna breaking the fourth wall in the kitchen were “outtakes”.

“Well, at the Chicago TARDIS convention event last week, the director of The Star Beast, Rachel Talalay, said that she hadn’t anything to do with the prologue. Doug Zetlin, in the audience for the Q&A, told me that Talalay says she only found out about the prologue when her child called to ask about it, who had been watching the BBC broadcast live. And that was how Talalay found out that such a prologue had been added. At the time of the convention, she hadn’t seen it. What she directed begins with the credits. She wasn’t upset about it, but it did seem a strange way of doing things. It smacks a little of those Marvel post-credit scenes that the director of the movie discovers exist when the movie is screened…”

Furthermore, writer Russell T Davies specifically touched on the opening scene of London in his Letter from the Showrunner feature in DWM 595:

“OPENING SHOT oh my God, that’s London, too much London?, I liked Sheffield, SHEFFIELD SNUB is this stock footage? How much does stock footage cost, are you telling me the very first shot of new Doctor Who is from stock, is that WISE?”

At the time it was published, I had the impression that The Star Beast was originally intended to open with the title sequence. Seems to me that they were aiming to appeal to casual viewers who needed to catch up on the DoctorDonna arc, as well as providing a “recap” for fans. But it, so far, remains a mystery as to who directed the pre-titles, and what was the main reason behind the last minute addition. As much as I enjoyed the pre-titles, in hindsight, I think it would’ve been better suited as a separate prequel, therefore making it optional for fans and casual viewers alike. Something more in line with He Said, She Said — one of the prequels to the Series 7 finale, The Name of the Doctor.

And recently, I did my own fan edits of the title sequence, and a few other variants (with a separate edit that ‘fixes’ the pre-titles), which include an extended opening shot that begins with a colourful nebula effect inside the TARDIS lamp. Since it syncs perfectly well with the theme sting, I believe this would’ve been the case had The Star Beast followed the exact same manner as the Series 1 opener, Rose, which did the right thing to kick off a new era by omitting the pre-titles. (For more information, please read the description in my YouTube video.)

Bringing Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary year to a close, the 2023 winning entry of the annual Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity is a Sixth Doctor adventure written by Paul Davis, and read by none other than Old Sixie himself, Colin Baker.

Without giving away too many plot details, the Short Trip explores the life of George White, who apparently has no memory of meeting the Doctor and, more importantly, a mysterious woman when he gives a presentation of his travels at the Hoxteth* Village Hall. Later on, he searches through his titular time capsule and discovers more photographs of himself with the same woman.

(* At first, I thought Hoxteth was the name of a planet, until listening to the Short Trip which describes it as a fictional English village. Very much reminds me of the Scottish fishing town, Lichyrwick, from the 2021 winning entry.)

Paul Davis brilliantly nails the narrative and characters in his script, giving enough room for the mystery of George’s life and memories to be unraveled, with plenty of cultural references providing an adventurous atmosphere. The story is also set during the Doctor’s travels with Evelyn Smythe, but at some point after their falling out, with a tasty reference to chocolate cake (her specialty). It’s a heartfelt tribute to Maggie Stables, who sadly passed away nearly a decade ago, in 2014.

When Big Finish announced Colin Baker as the narrator for The Hoxteth Time Capsule, I was surprised and ecstatic. I couldn’t be impressed enough with his eloquence in his narrating, after doing all the Sixth Doctor stories in the first four Short Trip audio anthologies; including his very own The Wings of a Butterfly (in Volume 1). Definitely a perfect opportunity for Old Sixie to do the honours!

As for Tom Newsom’s magnificent artwork, it gives vibes of The Two Doctors being filmed on location in Spain, with the Sixth Doctor observing himself with his iconic multicoloured coat removed in the photograph, during his visit to India; almost reminiscent of a telesnap from a TV episode. Not to mention that it also reminds me of the Series 10 opener, The Pilot, which saw the Twelfth Doctor going back in time to take photos of Bill’s late mother, as a Christmas present.

Eight winning Short Trips, thus far, in honour of Paul Spragg’s memory. I honestly can’t express how brilliant they all are in different ways, giving new writers a chance to showcase their ideas with experimental storytelling. Despite having entered several times, but never won, I always look forward to supporting whoever wins the competition.

The Hoxteth Time Capsule is available to download for free from Big Finish.

(And once you unlock the Short Trips story, you’ll also be able to download both the studio script and the original submission in PDF.)

The penultimate volume of “Series 7V” takes the Eleventh Doctor (voiced by Jacob Dudman) and Valarie Lockwood (Safiyya Ingar) to darker territories in three outstanding, emotional episodes — all which make further progression on the epic 14-part story arc, with strong character development and themes. A perfect Christmas gift from Big Finish!

(This review contains spoilers for Geronimo! and All of Time and Space. Be warned, or beg mercy from River Song!)

We begin with Series 7V’s Christmas special – Spirit of the Season, by Georgia Cook. A fascinating festive-themed ghost story with the Doctor and Valarie encountering Clara (Becky Wright) inside a 19th Century style mansion, along with Harpreet (Natasha Patel) and Edmund (Edward Harrison) – both taken from two different time periods. Definitely not the Clara you were expecting, but more of a twisted, psychopathic version that bears no relation to Jenna Coleman’s portrayals of the Clara “Oswin” Oswald splinters; toying with memories and fears.

At the same time, Valarie has a heartfelt, poignant reunion with her mum Patricia (Mandi Symonds), after the latter’s tragic death in The Inheritance. There are plenty of emotional moments that’ll leave you sobbing or hyperventilating, in Georgia’s magical script, alongside a cheeky reference to the flying sharks from A Christmas Carol (which features the late Sir Michael Gambon, who sadly passed away back in September). And while ghost stories are right out of my comfort zone, I thought the concepts were brilliantly executed. Clever double entendre in the title!

The second episode, All’s Fair, by Max Kashevsky, has Valarie going on a date with Roanna (Mia Tomlinson), last seen in The Yearn, at Chicago’s World Fair in 1893. And Hayden Lockwood (Christopher Ragland) as Valarie’s… husband?! Not what I was expecting, but amazingly played out. And don’t we love a few American cultural references from time to time, especially a brief foreshadowing of Series 12’s Nikola Tesla episode?

Previously credited as Max Curtis, after writing two fantastic Short Trips — Still Life (Subscriber range) and Salvage (Short Trips Volume 12) — this is Kashevsky’s first full-cast audio for Big Finish; apparently a real dream come true for him to be given the opportunity to script-edit and receive a thank you credit on the CD releases. His outstanding script is a romantic, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey love story like no other; and comes at a devastating cost. You’ll have to listen until the very end to understand how the pivotal plot twists neatly weave into in the overarching narrative, something along the lines of the dramatic cliffhanger in A Good Man Goes to War. It doesn’t disappoint.

The third and final episode, Sins of the Flesh, by producer Alfie Shaw, sees the long-awaited Big Finish debut of the RTD era Cybus Cybermen, a design which I grew up watching, since 2006 — easily noticeable on Caroline Tankersley’s spectacular artwork, with a deliberate nod to Handles from The Time of the Doctor (which premiered a whole decade ago)!

Since the Cybermen were specifically referenced in The Inheritance and the trailer for All of Time and Space, I knew that the Doctor and Valarie would end up encountering them… and the results are extraordinary. Not just Nicholas Briggs lending his voice to these Cybermen and their villainous Cyberleader, but also Shaw’s script giving them prominence in the Eleventh Doctor era; vastly superior to some of their TV appearances as the main antagonists (particularly Closing Time and Nightmare in Silver). And let’s not forget the use of the wrist blasters — they brought back memories of the Series 2 finale and The Pandorica Opens. I personally prefer them to the “electro attack”.

This isn’t your typical Cybermen story. It’s a justified, nuanced depiction which explores the dangers of conversion therapy, in a literal sense… with the Rebirth Organisation forcing children into “redemption suits”, including poor Carmen (Maddison Bulleyment). That is how you do proper LGBTQ+ representation. As a Christian, I personally loved how the themes lampoon the distorted aspects of my religion, with cultists being deceived into “worshipping” the Cybermen. Very Trumpian indeed, but with a clear, powerful message to raise awareness. If Big Finish were to do more audios with the Cybus design, make them as epic as this one.

Everywhere and Anywhere is the strongest boxset in the Series 7V arc, thus far — up there with Broken Hearts; retroactively the fourth story in All of Time and Space. Such imaginative concepts, character-driven storytelling, and powerful, emotional performances from the entire cast, this is already one of my favourite audio releases of 2023. A hallmark of Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary! Since we have to wait until February for the final volume, Victory of the Doctor, which features the return of the multicoloured New Paradigm Daleks, check out Jacob Dudman and Safiyya Ingar answering listeners’ questions (including one from yours truly), alongside Who Review’s preview from earlier this month.

Everywhere and Anywhere is available now from Big Finish.

Released in time for the 60th anniversary celebrations, Broken Hearts, featuring the Eleventh Doctor (voiced by Jacob Dudman), continues the events of Curiosity Shop, the third episode in All of Time and Space. The midpoint in the serialised “Series 7V” arc (thank you, Max Kashevsky!) which sort of acts as the second half of a two-parter, bringing 14 episodes in total; just like with Series 7 (both parts combined), if you count The Snowmen.

Valarie Lockwood (Safiyya Ingar) decides to leave the Doctor, as a result of blaming him for what he did which literally cost her cybernetic body enhancements. It’s an emotional, two-hander character study that neatly weaves into the overarching narrative. As someone who has been through depression and grief within the past few months, I can easily relate to Valarie. She has every right to resent, and so do the listeners, including Lisa McMullin who wrote this outstandingly heartbreaking, hour-long bonus episode.

The Doctor takes Valarie to Iptheus, a planet previously featured in The Famished Lands (from The Eighth Doctor: Time War 3), similarly written by McMullin. At the same time, two sentient rescue bots, Augustus and Lionel, also voiced by Dudman and Ingar, are on a mission to locate survivors on the devastated planet affected by the Time Lords’ empathetic weather – a weapon which identifies emotions and controls aggressive weather patterns, previously used against the Daleks.

With the Doctor and Valarie having to endure swimming in a thunderstorm, it’s as if they’re on the brink of drowning in sorrows (quite literally). Even later on, when the two are increasingly filled with rage, you can’t help but feel sorry for them both. The Doctor’s actions in the Time War had cost lives when he had a different face, which indeed explains the statue of the Eighth Doctor (as portrayed by Paul McGann, who doesn’t make a vocal appearance) being featured on Caroline Tankersley’s lavishing cover artwork. If you want to hear her go into detail about the statue, check out the bonus interviews.

As for the references to the Time War, the story perfectly pays tribute to The Day of the Doctor, and how it traumatically affects the Eleventh (and “final”) incarnation. (Feels like yesterday when the 50th anniversary special first aired, over a decade ago.) The atmosphere, the affliction, the anguish. Unimaginable concepts packed into a full hour, and spread out quite fluidly. I was so close to breaking down in tears at times, especially when the Doctor suddenly yells at Valarie. Dudman perfectly captures Matt Smith channeling his fury, which you can easily imagine the latter doing so onscreen. And Ingar couldn’t be magnificent enough with their layered performance as Valarie, who has already become one of my favourite Big Finish companions.

As Lisa McMullin is a devoted fan of Series 7V, we should thank producer Alfie Shaw for giving her the opportunity to bring some closure for Valarie, without leaving key aspects of her character arc unresolved. Despite her script being the very last story to be recorded in the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles range, it’s a real dream come true with fascinating results; “a story of healing”, which she describes in Who Review’s preview. And let’s give a warm welcome to Borna Matosic, who brilliantly composed the melodramatic score for Broken Hearts (with the music suite available as a bonus download). You’ll be hearing his music again in the final two volumes, Everywhere and Anywhere and Victory of the Doctor (yes, the multicoloured New Paradigm Daleks are back!), as well as the Eleventh Doctor’s new theme, Basically, Run.

Overall, Broken Hearts is one of the strongest entries in Series 7V, if not the best thus far – equally magnificent as Curiosity Shop. It’s more or less standalone, according to McMullin, hence why you don’t necessarily have to listen to this bonus episode to understand how it connects with the overarching narrative. Essentially optional.

“You don’t need to listen to this release to make sense of the series arc; I don’t want people to feel they must have it for the series to make sense.”

And my rating for Broken Hearts, by quoting the Eleventh Doctor in Asylum of the Daleks: “Out of ten? Eleven.”

Broken Hearts is available now from Big Finish, as a digital download only.

The final – or perhaps penultimate – chapter of Big Finish’s Doctor Who 60th anniversary event brings Once and Future to an epic climax, with the Eighth (Paul McGann) and Fourth (Tom Baker) Doctors reuniting with their granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) and future wife Professor River Song (Alex Kingston) against the Union (the titular character voiced by Maureen O’Brien). One Classic era companion, one New Series era companion: a magnificent combination!

(Before I resume, by disobeying River Song, I would like to warn you that there will be a number of spoilers ahead in this review.)

Directly continuing from Time Lord Immemorial, the Doctor listens to Susan’s distress call in the midst of his degeneration crisis, switching between the First (Stephen Noonan), Second (Michael Troughton), and Third (Tim Treloar) incarnations, before settling into his Eighth. He arrives at the Diamond Array, a multidimensional space station, and encounters a cybernetic Operator Zero (Michael Maloney) whom he somehow recognises behind the mask.

Meanwhile, River attempts to break Susan out of a prison cell, only to find the Union standing in her way. This allows her to escape and reunite with her grandfather, and both head into a portal, ending up in familiar prehistoric setting. Yes, we have a deliberate callback to the very first serial, An Unearthly Child (aka 100,000 BC), with Susan being one of the earliest companions alongside her teachers from Coal Hill School, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. As River comes to the rescue, it becomes a family reunion of sorts before they head back to the Diamond Array.

What I love about Maureen’s brilliant portrayal of the titular villain is that it’s a sharp contrast to the First Doctor’s companion, Vicki Pallister. Although I won’t spoil the Union’s true identity or motives behind the degeneration weapon, the outcomes don’t disappoint.

Having the Fourth Doctor finally interact with his granddaughter is a dream come true, since he was the only incarnation up to that point that Susan didn’t encounter in The Five Doctors. I’m sure Tom and Carole had fun recording these lines, despite never meeting on-screen. Considering that this is his second appearance in the overarching narrative (with him in his Season 18 outfit), it very much bookends with Past Lives which could be a reference to Baker’s seven-year tenure; hence being the seventh chapter. And if you’re wondering how Susan and River already know each other, it’s worth checking out An Unearthly Woman (from The Diary of River Song Series 6); also written by Matt Fitton.

In addition to the Fifth (Peter Davison), Sixth (Colin Baker), and Seventh (Sylvester McCoy) Doctors, we are treated to some nostalgic cameos from not only the Tenth (David Tennant), but also the Eleventh and Twelfth (both voiced by Jacob Dudman) Doctors! To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if the latter two incarnations would appear beforehand, but I wish they had been kept a surprise from the credits page. Nonetheless, it brings a lot of warmth to my heart, including their interactions with Susan and River.

Despite having a lead role in the previous chapter, it’s a shame that the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) wasn’t featured at all with the remaining incarnations. Considering that Once and Future was originally conceived as a six-part story arc, long before Time Lord Immemorial was written and recorded, I can only assume it was down to availability and scheduling. But in hindsight, an appearance from Eccleston would’ve been a fantastic addition, completing the set of Doctor cameos in one story; like with The Day of the Doctor.

Overall, The Union is a satisfying conclusion to the diamond arc. Matt Fitton brings together the best elements in the script, delivering 73 minutes of nostalgia and continuity to tie up various loose ends and unanswered questions — almost as strong as The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50, with both entries having more time to flesh out the storytelling and character development. The longer the finale, the better.

With only one instalment left in the eight-part story arc, we’ll have to wait until November 2024 for Coda – The Final Act. Whatever Big Finish has planned for the epilogue, I’ve no doubt it’ll feature a certain incarnation from a very recent era. Guess it has something to do with the rights? But still, we should be grateful that The Union has been released exactly a month before The Star Beast, which will begin the run of the 60th anniversary specials. Exciting times ahead!

Once and Future: The Union is now available on CD and digital download. If you want extended extras and music suites for the entire series, you can purchase the Once and Future Special Edition bundle as a download only.

Part Six of Big Finish’s Doctor Who 60th anniversary event, Once and Future, sees the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) teaming up with the Unbound Doctor (voiced by the late David Warner), the Lumiat (Gina McKee), and Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker). Isn’t that fantastic!

The Doctor tries to track down the Union, who are supposedly behind the weapon that caused the Time Lord’s degeneration crisis, only for his parallel counterpart to suddenly appear in his TARDIS. Well, it does get very confusing for the two Doctors; obviously having no memory of each other, but in a similar vein to a certain plot twist in Fugitive of the Judoon. As the multiverses converge, their TARDIS console rooms shift from one interior to another.

Meanwhile, as Liv has a fairly lighthearted encounter with the Lumiat, at a beach on Solaris Hexis, they are soon faced with peril as the sand invigorates into sentient beings. (Nope, they’re not the Sandmen from Series 9’s Sleep No More, despite having slightly similar appearances and abilities.) And yes, they get swallowed by the sand creatures without being disintegrated.

In a race against time, like sand in an timer — which makes sense in context — the two Doctors convene with Liv and the Lumiat inside the Hall of the Time Lord Immemorial (the titular character voiced by Robert Powell). So, to clear things up… the Ninth Doctor recognises Liv but she doesn’t reciprocate (more on that later). The Lumiat, however, easily deduces that the Unbound Doctor is from another universe (see Masterful), with both Doctors not recognising her. Then again, the four become temporarily separated into pairs at different points…

As the Ninth Doctor and the Lumiat get to know each other, we are treated to a reunion between the two Our Friends in the North co-stars, a show which also featured future James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the First Doctor (David Bradley). It’s a sharp contrast to the friendship between Nicky Hutchinson and Mary Cox. Well, I watched the entire serial on BBC iPlayer a few months ago, and it was superb. If that’s not enough, there’s also the Ninth Doctor mentioning Missy and Gallifrey by name (Christopher Eccleston finally said “Gallifrey”!), with him encountering the Master for the first time. Like in her titular debut from Missy Series 2, also written by Lisa McMullin, I love that the Lumiat has displayed more redeeming qualities as a future incarnation.

And as script editor Matt Fitton brilliantly puts it:

“The Lumiat is Lisa’s creation who is, in a way, the Master’s version of the Valeyard in that she’s the opposite of everything the Master stands for. The Lumiat is an insufferably good version of the Master or Missy!”

Lisa McMullin’s script brilliantly integrates some of Big Finish’s best creations whilst capturing the four main characters. It makes further progression to the overarching narrative by digging deeper into Time Lord mythology. Personally, I very much prefer this to the fourth chapter, Two’s Company, but it’s definitely as good as my favourite Ninth Doctor audio Girl, Deconstructed (from Respond to All Calls) — one of her best scripts.

As an avid fan of Liv Chenka, I’m glad she was featured in the story. A strong companion playing a key part in the Doctor’s degeneration crisis, despite the confusion surrounding the Doctors and the Lumiat. We should note that, while it’s the second time that the Ninth Doctor meets her, production wise, the story chronologically takes place before Flatpack (from Hidden Depths); presumably during Doom Coalition or Ravenous.

(I once met Nicola Walker after a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the National Theatre, back in 2012, which happened to be on the same night Series 7’s The Angels Take Manhattan first aired. We had a very friendly conversation, but I knew nothing about Liv Chenka at the time, sadly. Nonetheless, she remains a dear companion to the Doctor, regardless of whichever incarnation she encounters.)

Like having the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) appear last month, I was ecstatic when they announced Christopher Eccleston for Time Lord Immemorial. He’s the first incarnation who I grew up watching, back in 2005, shortly after his departure. That’s two RTD era Doctors in a row! After reprising his iconic role for Big Finish, since 2021, I feel very happy for Chris that he’s enjoying the experience of doing audio drama. Truly a fantastic addition to the Whoniverse.

And what would it be without David Warner? It’s so nostalgic, yet heartbreaking, that his face has been featured on the Time Lord Immemorial Special Edition cover artwork, alongside Christopher Eccleston, mirroring his Big Finish debut in my favourite Unbound audio Sympathy for the Devil, which also starred the late Nicholas Courtney with David Tennant and Mark Gatiss (credited as “Sam Kisgart”) as the Unbound Master. I’ve always loved his unique incarnation; not just in Sympathy and Masters of War, but also the brilliant series of boxsets with Bernice “Benny” Summerfield (Lisa Bowerman). Not to mention his onscreen guest appearance as Professor Grisenko in Series 7’s Cold War by Mark Gatiss, featuring the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). We should also be thankful for Christopher Eccleston, who announced his involvement with the 60th anniversary celebrations and paid tribute to Warner; shortly before his untimely passing, alongside Bernard Cribbins — another legend.

Overall, I consider Time Lord Immemorial to be a top entry in Once and Future, up there with its predecessor, The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50. Two Doctors from different universes; one “good” Master; one fan favourite companion; an unseen Time Lord with a deep, booming voice; and a strong, tight plot that goes straight to the point… absolutely fantastic. And despite it being the shortest in the run so far, the story works very well at 52 minutes.

We may be getting closer to the conclusion of the eight-part story arc but, later this month, the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann), Susan (Carole Ann Ford), River Song (Alex Kingston), and, once again, the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) will get to the bottom of the degeneration crisis in The Union…

Once and Future: Time Lord Immemorial is now available on CD and digital download. If you want extended extras and music suites for the entire series, you can purchase the Once and Future Special Edition bundle as a download only.

We might already be halfway through the arc, but the Eleventh Doctor (played here by Jacob Dudman) and Valarie Lockwood (Safiyya Ingar) will be back in November for a surprise bonus full-cast Chronicles episode, Broken Hearts.

And despite there being a statue of Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, on the lavishing cover artwork, he doesn’t make a guest appearance in the story.

Here’s the synopsis:

He took her apart, and she told him she was fine. She lied.

He saved their world, and told them they’d be safe. He was wrong.

Writer Lisa McMullin explains:

“I think this is one of the best series Big Finish has produced – it’s like discovering a superb missing television series of the Eleventh Doctor. Producer Alfie Shaw has created and developed something really special in the relationship between the Eleventh Doctor and Valarie Lockwood. She is one of my all-time favourite companions in ANY media. Jacob and Safiyya have such great chemistry.

“I listened to Geronimo! and All of Time and Space and was INSANELY envious of everyone who worked on them – the writing, the performances and the production are exquisite. Brilliant, BRILLIANT stories. I was gutted that Alfie had allocated writers for the entire series and DEVASTATED to discover Jacob wasn’t doing any more. BUT – I was floored by how sad I was at the end of James Goss’s superb story, Curiosity Shop. Sad and FURIOUS at the Doctor. No way Valarie would let him do what he did to her and get away with it! I needed closure! Valarie needed closure.

“So Alfie, Safiyya and Jacob kindly agreed to let me give them closure. It doesn’t interfere with the overall series’ arc, but it’s there if – like me – you were left furious at the Doctor at the end of All of Time and Space… and need a bit of help getting over it…”

I couldn’t agree more with Lisa. As a fan of her contributions for Big Finish, such as the fantastic Ninth Doctor audio Girl, Deconstructed (from Respond to All Calls) and Out of Time 3: Wink, I’m very pleased that she’s been given the opportunity to write for the Eleventh Doctor and Valarie. And yes, Curiosity Shop is also my favourite episode in the arc, thus far.

What’s more, you don’t necessarily have to listen to Broken Hearts in order to understand the overarching narrative. It’s more or less standalone, but also “an accidental two-parter”, according to Max Kashevsky (who has written All’s Fair in the forthcoming boxset Everywhere and Anywhere, due to be released in December). And since the story will be out in November, it perfectly coincides with the 10th anniversary of The Day of the Doctor. Could it be they’ll release it on the 23rd? We’ll have to see about that…

Directed by Helen Goldwyn, The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Breaking Hearts is now available to pre-order on digital download only. In the meantime, you can also catch up with the previous two volumes (plus checking out my reviews), and read these brilliant Twitter threads by Lisa McMullin and Alfie Shaw on the story’s background.

Entering the latter half of Big Finish’s Doctor Who 60th anniversary event, the fifth chapter of Once and Future sees the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) encounter some fan favourites, Missy (Michelle Gomez) and the Paternoster Gang – Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey). Oh yes!

Before I resume, I would like to share a personal anecdote. On 28th July, the day when the story’s synopsis and cover artworks were revealed, I was at a funeral for an old school friend who sadly passed away in June. I didn’t find out about the announcement until I got home quite late, but it really cheered me up at the end of that very emotional day.

The first 15 minutes features a degenerated First Doctor (Stephen Noonan) meeting journalist Jessamy Moore (Hannah Genesius) at Kew Gardens, in the midst of an invaded Victorian London. When he first encounters the Martian tripods, we get to experience him regenerating into his tenth incarnation. It’s a brilliant way to expand upon Noonan’s appearance in the overarching narrative, instead of just multiple cameos.

Meanwhile, the mischievous Missy keeps Vastra and Jenny as her prisoners inside Southwark Cathedral (yes, that’s also where the climax of The Lazarus Experiment takes place), treating them like slaves in a similar manner to the events of Last of the Time Lords. Their interactions and witty dialogue kept making me laugh, as these Steven Moffat era characters cross paths on audio for the first time; not to mention that Jenny is forced to obey her “Mistress”, a deliberate nod to the cliffhanger of Dark Water. And let’s say that Vastra doesn’t have her feral, reptilian instincts like Alaya from the Silurian two-parter by future showrunner Chris Chibnall.

Going back to the Tenth Doctor’s debut, it’s refreshingly nostalgic for him to ponder the fact that he’s become a future incarnation for the first time in his degeneration crisis, hence why the eight-part story arc is titled Once and Future — revisiting old faces, whilst glimpsing new ones that have yet to come in the Doctor’s timeline. What’s more, him highlighting the change of clothes during regeneration appears to act as a call forward to the Fourteenth Doctor’s debut in The Power of the Doctor (more on that later!). And Howard Carter’s triumphant choral variant of the Tenth Doctor’s Big Finish theme… top notch.

I love that the Doctor also touches upon the adaptations of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds, such as noting “several versions on the telly.” And Jessamy narrating in her journal is a nice little tribute to the unnamed Narrator from the book. I’ve only watched the three-part BBC miniseries (adapted by Peter Harness, best known for writing the Zygon two-parter in Series 9), and the contemporary British-French series with David and Georgia Tennant’s son, Ty. After watching the latter TV adaptation on Disney+, last year, I did actually wonder if Doctor Who would ever do a take on the HG Wells classic. Turns out, I guessed correctly! Well, it certainly wasn’t the first time that Big Finish adapted it. Remember The Martian Invasion of Earth, starring Richard Armitage (who currently voices Rassilon in the Gallifrey audios)? It’s worth the listen.

As the Doctor and Jessamy encounter Strax, we are treated to some comical and nostalgic exchanges between the three, including a mention of the battle of Demons Run — cleverly justified there. Not surprised that the Doctor initially shows disbelief at the only good Sontaran, considering their histories and past conflicts. Later on, when he meets Vastra and Jenny, they appear to recognise one another, with the latter somewhat remembering that he attended their wedding. Now that would be a Tenth Doctor/Paternoster Gang audio worth the listen! And while there are plenty of other continuity references that I wish to touch upon, I would prefer not spoil them here…

The last time the Paternoster Gang appeared onscreen was in the Series 8 opener Deep Breath, which saw the full debut of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. Always a nice touch for familiar faces to overlap with multiple incarnations, after appearing with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in A Good Man Goes to War, The Snowmen (with its prequels), The Crimson Horror, and The Name of the Doctor. Think of this audio as The Day of the Doctor, but set in the Victorian era. They really do make such a brilliant team!

And here’s what we’ve all been waiting for: the Tenth Doctor coming face to face with Missy. Tennant and Gomez’s chemistry brilliantly demonstrated their relationship being more antagonistic on this occasion, as opposed to her redeeming qualities in Series 10. Speaking of which, it’s very much like an audio equivalent to the Twelfth Doctor meeting the Harold Saxon Master (John Simm) in the epic Series 10 finale World Enough and Time/ The Doctor Falls. Two of my favourite Doctors meeting two different Masters from their respective eras: that’s what I love about the franchise! If their interactions weren’t satisfying enough, we are also treated to some further progress on the overarching narrative, plus a few twists surrounding Missy’s motives and Planetoid 50 itself.

Jonathan Barnes combines key elements of the RTD and Moffat eras with The War of the Worlds as the central basis. Definitely the right decision to bring in my favourite 21st Century Who incarnation, who I grew up watching during childhood. I wasn’t sure if the Tenth Doctor encountering these Moffat era characters were possible, but I’m very pleased that Big Finish has found a way to bring them together for the 60th.

According to Barnes and producer David Richardson, the story was conceived in 2019 before the COVID pandemic, with a “completely different” incarnation in mind. It’s amazingly serendipitous that Tennant was able to record it remotely during lockdown in 2020, alongside The Tenth Doctor and River Song boxset and the entire Dalek Universe miniseries (another favourite of mine). And considering that this was done way before The Power of the Doctor and the forthcoming 60th anniversary specials were filmed, I say it was perfect timing.

Overall, The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 is, by far, the best entry in Once and Future. Not only because it’s the first to feature a 21st Century Who incarnation, but it’s also a love letter to fans of the Tenth Doctor, Missy, and the Paternoster Gang — all in 70 minutes. And I’ve no doubt that next month’s Time Lord Immemorial, featuring the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Unbound (the late David Warner) Doctors, will be equally fantastic.

Once and Future: The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 is now available on CD and digital download. If you want extended extras and music suites for the entire series, you can purchase the Once and Future Special Edition bundle as a download only.