Big Finish announce 60th Anniversary epic "Once and Future"

You can read the full details here but basically seven parts released from May to October next year, with an eighth part they're calling a "final coda" not releasing until November 2024*

Everyone from Tom Baker to David Tennant will be in it. Eccleston mentioned recording with David Warner for the 60th before he died so he's in too and no doubt David Bradley, Michael Troughton and Tim Trelor as well as 1-3.


*I'm calling it now, that will be Jodie's Big Finish debut. (a) Because unlike Smith and Capaldi she's been very clear about wanting to play the part again and (b) Nick Briggs said a few months ago that most of it was recorded but they couldn't finish it until after October. (Due to the way their license works they can't do anything with the current Doctor until after their last episode airs.)

 

Oh, man! That sounds bonkers amazing! Even Christopher Eccleston?!

Until it actually comes out, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for Smith and Capaldi to appear. Yes, I know what they've said (although I think Smith has said he'd do it again just not anytime soon, at the time of saying that) but I'm going to hold onto hope until the release!

I'm glad they're going to spread this thing out over multiple parts before heading into one final coda instead of trying to squeeze everyone and the TARDIS kitchen sink into one single adventure.

Here's hoping for plenty of companions, too. I loved the cross adventures in The Light of with different companions working alongside different Doctors and I hope we get some of that here as well.

 

Just looked at the limited edition page and noticed we already have the titles for all eight entries:

1. Past Lives
2. The Artist at the End of Time
3. A Genius for War
4. Two's Company
5. The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50
6. Time Lord Immemorial
7. The Union
8. Coda: The Final Act

Also, Time Lord Immemorial and The Union both come out in October 2023.

I thought the November 2024 release date was a typo but Coda: The Final Act page also says November 2024.

 

Very nice. This should be a lot of fun. My only disappointment is that it seems it won't exactly be Doctors crossing over with each other. Would have loved to have Eccleston and Tennant play off each other. Greedy, I know.

 

I imagine they'll crossover in the final story.

 

That would be pretty epic.

 

I wonder if the decision to not release the final part for a year was actually an order from the BBC?

If it really is Jodie's debut they probably wouldn't want it coming the same month as Ncuti officially takes over.

And since the main story gets wrapped up in the previous part they're holding it for the 61st anniversary.

 

Or, so that Tennant can also be 14.

 

Half prediction/half wishcasting, the announced Doctors will be the focus of the main seven parts, but the stories will be based around them each interacting with other Doctors/regenerations (including the recasts) not listed in the press release. Basically something like:

1. Past Lives (Fifth Doctor & the Second Doctor)
   
2. The Artist at the End of Time (the Eighth Doctor & the ? Doctor)
   
3. A Genius for War (Seventh Doctor & the War Doctor)
   
4. Two's Company (Fourth Doctor & the Third Doctor)
   
5. The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 (Sixth Doctor & the First Doctor)
   
6. Time Lord Immemorial (Tenth Doctor & the Valeyard)
   
7. The Union (Ninth Doctor & the Unbound Doctor)

Then have some combination of 13, Fugitive, or 14 for the Coda story and its good to go. I'd love for the Scream of the Shalka Doctor to be the one crossing over with Eight to finally get that incarnation highlighted again, but who knows?

 

It's gone now but before they removed it if you searched by actor on the BF website for Jo Martin the previously announced Fugitive Doctor boxsets came up as did the last part of this series. So I'm beyond convinced that Jodie will be in it now. (Funnily enough that how Eccleston's return as the Doctor was discovered too.)

 

Considering they're already doing stories with Jo Martin, I already figured she was going to show up in this one.

 

BF have announced/confirmed a bunch of guest cast for the series, including the recasts of the first three Doctors (Stephen Noonan rather than Bradley as the First), David Warner’s Unbound Doctor, Missy, Liv Chenka, Jenny, Lady Christina, Jackie Tyler, and the Paternoster Gang.

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/once-and-future-guest-stars-announced

 

Thought the most recent Bernice Summerfield New Adverture would have been David Warner's last appearance as the Unbound 3rd Doctor but I guess this will be his swan song instead.

Then again given the time between recording and release it's possible there will be another.

 

The Big Finish article was explicit that this will be his last work as the Doctor.

 

Christopher Eccleston mentioned on social media about recording something Doctor Who related with him so I imagine it will be this.

 

This is turning out to be a bit of a damp squib so far. Nothing wrong with the stories per se but BF have gone to the crossover well so many times in the past few years that it's robbed the event of any specialness.

 

I haven't had a chance to listen to any of them yet (can't afford them right now) but I'm still looking forward to them, especially The Fifth Doctor/Jenny adventure.

 

From the reviews I've skimmed through, though, it's... not started great, let's say.

 

Pft, whatever.

I loved The Light at the End and I remember a lot of reviews hated it, too.

 

Past Lives was dull in the way that so many of BF’s celebratory stories are dull— it offers a novel arrangement of nostalgia elements BF uses all the time and then runs them through a pedestrian script severely lacking in cleverness or charm— but I rather liked The Artist at the End of Time. The plot is standard fare, and the script is missing the crackle of the best DW anniversary stuff, but there’s a quietly interesting character study of the Doctor and the Curator running under the surface, and it resists the temptation to retread Doctor/Jenny ground from Relative Time.