Who you gonna call when you need a Dalek, a Cyberman or a Monster voice? Nick Briggs of course. And today is this actor, writer, director, producer and voice-over artist extraordinary’s birthday.
Nick, who turns 56 today, has loved all things Doctor Who since childhood. He’s one of those lucky people to has managed to transform a passion into a career. Anywhere there’s a Doctor Who programme, event, magazine or story, you’ll likely to find him. He’s covered it all. Including The Weakness Link: Doctor Who Special – but he was exterminated early on by all the other actors. Revenge, perhaps?
We love stories!
Nick started out in the world of Doctor Who, like all of us, in Fandom. During the 1980s & 1990s, he was the host of The Myth Makers (Reeltime Pictures) The programme interviewed many former actors, writers, directors and other associated members of the original series. Together with Gary Russell and Billy Baggs, he created and starred in several fan-based unofficial audio stories about the Doctor for Audio Visuals. These fan dramas became the cornerstone for Big Finish Productions.
Briggs was part of the team along with Jason Heigh-Ellery and Gary Russell formed Big Finish in late 1990’s. Big Finish was able to obtain an official licence from the BBC to create and produce unique Doctor Who audio dramas. And create and produce they did. There are thousands of stories and tales on Doctor Who at their website that star most of the original cast along sides several talent new ones. But Big Finish is much more than Doctor Who. The production house has created series on everything from The Prisoner, Stargate, Blake 7, The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare and many, many more. So if you haven’t does so before, make sure you drop over to their website to check them out at http://www.BigFinish.com
Blos so folt do no cro blo cos so ro
Most fans know Briggs being the voice of the Daleks. When Doctor Who returned to the television in 2005, showrunner Russell T. Davies made sure to cast Briggs as the voice of Davros’ creature. But that wasn’t all that Davies wanted. Have heard Briggs portray numerous monsters, characters and aliens in his audio dramas, Davies made the talented actor his go-to alien voice guy for Doctor Who and the job has stuck. He has been on Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures, Mark Gatiss’ An Adventure in Space and Time and more. If you go back, you’ll hear Briggs’ voice in everything from the Nestene Conscious in 2005’s premiere episode Rose to the Cybermen in the Series 10’s finale. And don’t forget one of our favourites, the Judoon.
Going Forward
It’s hard to figure out what next for Briggs. Most of the future work is hidden behind a PR embargo. But we do know he is back as an Ice Warrior in Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 2 another Big Finish production that he’s produced and directed. There is The Prisoner Volume 2 where once again he has written and directed all episodes.
And don’t miss the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas special – Once Upon a Time where we are sure there will be a Cyberman, Dalek or some such voiced by Nick Briggs.
Happy Birthday, Nick!!
P.S Don’t miss our three-part interview with Nick Briggs from earlier this year.
