Circuit Breaker is an epic new series of Fugitive Doctor adventures, weaving its way through audio, comics, books, and games
BBC Studios is teaming up once more with BBC Audio, Big Finish Productions, Doctor Who Magazine, East Side Games, Penguin Random House and Titan Comics for an exciting new multimedia crossover event. Circuit Breaker will bring all the strands together as part of one narrative arc in 2026. Like previous events Time Lord Victorious and Doom’s Day it unfolds across audios, comics, books and online games. This time the focus is on the Fugitive Doctor. The most mysterious, and at times most ruthless, Doctor joins forces with UNIT to solve a new mystery. And the Doctor’s own personal future, and the universe, hangs in the balance. Jo Martin returns to the role she first played in 2020’s Fugitive of the Judoon. She most recently reprised this year for The Story & the Engine, and currently stars in her own Big Finish audio series.
Best selling author of The Principle of Moments Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson has crafted the overall Circuit Breaker narrative. Jikiemi-Pearson previously wrote the Target Books novelisation of The Church and Ruby Road. Meanwhile, her Doctor Who novel The Moon Cruise is out this November.
“It’s a joy to dive back into the Whoniverse”
Jo Martin commented: “I’m thrilled to tell more stories about the Fugitive Doctor and cannot wait for fans to unlock all the twists and turns across the Circuit Breaker story. This character has always meant so much to me, and it is a joy to continue building her legacy and dive back into the Whoniverse”
Stephen Davies, SVP Global Licensing, BBC Studios added “Circuit Breaker is an exciting evolution for the Whoniverse. By bringing together world-class partners across publishing, audio, comics, and gaming, we’re creating a truly immersive, multi-platform experience for fans. This is a bold step in expanding the Doctor Who brand, deepening engagement, exploring new stories, and welcoming new audiences into the universe of the Doctor.”
Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker
Strange alien artifacts begin appearing inside UNIT’s Black Archive. Each object is unmistakably linked to a different incarnation of the Doctor, but they’ve been tampered with. A corrupted energy signature of unknown origin pulses through them, and their sudden arrival has torn tiny ruptures across time and space.
UNIT is out of options. To repair the damage and restore the timeline, the objects must be returned to the exact moments they were taken from. If not, the Doctor’s adventures – and the universe itself – could unravel.
To solve the mystery, UNIT calls upon a little-known incarnation of the Time Lord: the Fugitive Doctor, played by Jo Martin, who returns in a central role. But how does UNIT know about her? And is she the Doctor they expect?
