Today Big Finish Production is releasing its latest box set of the series, The War Doctor Begins.
The War Doctor (portrayed by the late great Sir John Hurt) debuted in The Name of the Doctor almost 10 years ago today. Broadcast on 18 May 2013, The Name of the Doctor introduced us to a more cynical Doctor from a darker time, the Time War. The War Doctor’s story culminated in the 50th Anniversary cinematic episode, The Day of the Doctor, as he regenerated into the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston). Since then Big Finish has featured numerous audio adventures featuring the War Doctor originally starring Sir John Hurt and followed by Jonathon Carley after Hurt’s death and today’s release celebrated the character’s 10th anniversary.
In this latest instalment, the War Doctor (Jonathon Carley) meets up with an old friend Case (Ajjaz Awad), who he first met in Warbringer from the second volume of The War Doctor Begins series.
Producer David Richardson says: “Sometimes you can’t plan for the best ideas, they just pop into stories when you’re not really looking, and make such an impression that they deserve to stick around. This was the situation with the character of Case who blew us away when we listened back to the finished production. Not only was Ajjaz absolutely majestic in the role but there seemed so much potential for exploring her further.”
Writer Noga Flaishon who wrote the first story, A Mother’s Love said: “I had a blast writing for Veklin, and for Case especially. They are the sort of characters teenage me would have been obsessed with back when I first got introduced to Doctor Who, and I know a lot of fans love them. Veklin is also, frankly, a terrifying person, so having Case stand up to her was a ton of fun.”
Writer Timothy X Atack said: “My highlight was to massively ratchet up the tension between this mismatched pair of heroes, and there are some properly incandescent, ground-shifting moments for both of them. The whole episode is written in the style of a ‘single-shot’ film, following the platoon in real-time as they break into the bunker and chaos erupts.”
Writer Phil Mulryne who created the third story, Memnos about a secret Time Lord project said: “We’re right in the thick of the Time War and its struggles. As the fight between Case’s Dalek and humanoid sides reaches a climax, the War Doctor has to help Case continue to fight, even when that means fighting against half of her very self.”
Doctor Who – The War Doctor Begins: Comrades-in-Arms is available for digital download and as a collector’s edition CD box set + download for just £19.99 or digital download only for just £16.99 on www.bigfinish.com
DOCTOR WHO – THE WAR DOCTOR BEGINS: COMRADES-IN-ARMS
Duration: 214 minutes approx.
Released: 16 May 2023, exclusively from the Big Finish website.
Director: Barnaby Kay
Script Editor: Matt Fitton
Writers: Noga Flaishon, Timothy X Atack, Phil Mulryne
Producer: David Richardson
Senior Producer: John Ainsworth
Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery, Nicholas Briggs
The Doctor is no more. A warrior has joined the Time War between the Daleks and Gallifrey. But how far will he go? What lines will he cross? How much of himself will he sacrifice? And can a chance of redemption lie in changing the fate of a fellow soldier?
A Mother’s Love by Noga Flaishon
Responding to a distress call, the War Doctor arrives on Haven: a state-of-the-art Time Lord field hospital, operated by the highly advanced ‘Medbay Operation Mainframe’ – or M.O.M. But the station has been compromised. M.O.M.’s secrets run deep, time is running out, and the War Doctor must renew some old alliances if everyone is to get out alive…
Berserker by Timothy X Atack
Sunspire was devastated by the Daleks centuries ago. The last of its people are returning to seek out their heritage in an underground bunker and save their species from extinction. Case and the War Doctor join the mission, posing as a Dalek-Killer and her squire. But the bunker has an occupant: a single Berserker Dalek, driven insane by four hundred years of solitude.
Memnos by Phil Mulryne
Memnos: a secret Time Lord project, recording everything lost to the Time War. A place where the War Doctor can admit his part in the conflict and seek solace – and perhaps where he can find salvation for Case. But the Dalek Time Strategist will not let slip her potential. She could be the Daleks’ greatest weapon. The battle for Case’s soul will be won or lost in Memnos.
PRICING
- Pre-order: £19.99 (collector’s edition 3-disc CD box set + download) £16.99 (download only)
- General release: £24.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) £19.99 (download only)
BUNDLE
- Pre-order: £38 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) £33 (download only)
- General release: £44 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) £38 (download only)
