To celebrate 20 years of Doctor Who on audio, BBC Studios and Big Finish Productions will be hosting a 20-hour weekend livestream marathon of Doctor Who audio dramas on YouTube!
Since 1999, Big Finish Productions has been creating Doctor Who audio adventures. Beginning with their first-ever production Doctor Who: The Sirens of Time (starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy), Big Finish has grown from strength to strength ever since. Over the past 20 years, over 850 titles from Doctor Who and its many spin-offs have been released. Plus, Big Finish have confirmed there are more Doctor Who stories to come from them until at least 2023.
In honour of this incredible achievement, Big Finish Productions and BBC Studios are teaming up to present a livestream of over 20 hours of Doctor Who audio drama. The livestream will take place over the weekend of the 20th and 21st July on the official BBC Doctor Who YouTube channel. More than 20 episodes of Big Finish audio adventures will be broadcast, starring the like of David Tennant, Billie Piper, Tom Baker, Sophie Aldred, plus many more!
As well as this, the livestream will feature video appearances from plenty of the Doctor’s friends, past and present. Fans will be treated to never-before-heard snippets, interviews, and much more! Viewers will also be able to join in the festivities via the live chat on YouTube.
If all that wasn’t enough, the event will see the premiere of the first episode of Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time, a special anniversary box set release celebrating 20 years of Doctor Who at Big Finish. This first episode stars Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, Alex Kingston as Professor River Song and Lisa Bowerman as Professor Bernice Summerfield. Does the Doctor have room for two time-travelling archaeologists in his life?
Nicholas Briggs, Creative Director and executive producer at Big Finish, has said:
“Has it been 20 years already? But we’ve only just got started! Honestly, it has been an absolute delight to have worked alongside the Doctor these past two decades. I started my life as a fan, in the days before on demand and downloads, recording the soundtracks of Doctor Who episodes on audio tape. And now it’s my job to place every incarnation of the Time Lord (give or take) in peril in so many exciting audio adventures. I have to pinch myself. I’d like to thank everyone, from the cast in front of the mic, to the writers, directors, sound designers and more behind it, for making it such an amazing journey. Here’s to the future! (Or is it the past?)”
Jason Haigh-Ellery, Chairman and executive producer at Big Finish, added:
“In July 1999 we released The Sirens of Time. In July 2019 we’re releasing The Legacy of Time. Those two decades have been so fulfilling for us at Big Finish – a chance to work with so many great and talented actors, writers, production crews and all of our friends at the BBC. This is a celebration of it all, with lots of surprise returns and references. Think of it as one massive Doctor Who party – and everyone is invited…”
