Big Finish announce The War Doctor Begins

[Brendan Moody]

Which is exactly what you’d think: an “early days” spin-off, with the young War Doctor portrayed by impressionist Jonathon Carley.

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/john-hurt-s-doctor-who-legacy-continues

I’d feel more charitable about this, and more inclined to buy it, if the previous War Doctor audios had a better overall reputation. But most people who don’t automatically rate Big Finish output 8/10 or higher seemed to think Hurt’s performance was the only selling point of stories that didn’t do the character or the setting justice, which makes this new series a hard sell for me.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

While this is the approach I hoped they'd take with the War Doctor -- a young War Doctor, in his early days, not yet as embittered -- the news that they've hired someone who does a John Hurt impression has me feeling disappointed. I have always felt, since Hurt's passing, when talking about this, that there's an opportunity for an actor to develop a performance of his own as the War Doctor rather than imitate Hurt's.

Also, that Briggs quote about his relationship with John Hurt is so saccharine that it, pardon the pun, hurts.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Hm, I have mixed feelings as well. I also wanted the early days and I agree that would've been better to have someone who did their own thing, while respectful of Hurt, but separate.

The Hurt box sets were mostly enjoyable...but that's about it. There were a couple of very good ones, particularly the Leela story. Otherwise, and I hate to say it, it felt like a missed opportunity. Definitely worth listening to for Hurt, but aside from the Leela story, I don't think there's much relistenability (to coin a term) to them.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Absolutely unimpressed, but definitely intrigued. The War Doctor audios were... there. Nothing groundbreaking, not a single must-listen story, at least beyond a Time War Doctor meeting Leela, which was in itself a tad underwhelming.

For me, the War Doctor's story is The Day of the Doctor. Its his climax, and redemption for the cancellation of the show (which is clearly what the Time War is meant to stand by as) by the new iteration. More of that doesn't excite me, especially if its more of "He was the Doctor all along" nonsense that basically reduces the interesting nature of this "secret Doctor" to someone with less bite than the Seventh Doctor, by far the most dangerous and morally ambiguous of all the Doctors.

But, anyway. We'll see.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Big Finish really needs to rename themselves The Big Impression by this point.

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

At the very least we might finally get a story with the War Doctor and War Master, even if the novelty of Hurt vs. Jacobi is no longer there.

I do suspect getting Carley will also be for use for some kind of a multi-Doctor story coming relatively soon.

 

[thribs]

I hope this time it’s actually the war Doctor; with him using weapons and having a squad. Showing no mercy to the Daleks.
The previous one was disappointing as it was just him just moaning and acting like the Doctor we all know.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I just want him to be more like the Seventh Doctor, manipulative and a bastard, basically, willing to fight the fight and do what is necessary for the universe's sake.

 

[thribs]

He needs to be like Rambo. I don’t think he needs to be manipulative like the 7th Doctor.
He also needs a new name. The General or something along that line.
I wonder if Dalton will reprise his role as Rassalon. It would be fun fun to see him chummy with the Doctor

 

[Nightowl1701]

He's already got a name, one he gave himself - The Warrior.

 

[thribs]

He's already got a name, one he gave himself - The Warrior.

That’ll work. I just hope we get to see his dark side this time

 

[Brendan Moody]

Big Finish have posted a teaser for the series, including audio of Carley in character:

https://www.facebook.com/215891121773411/posts/3877298242299329/?vh=e&extid=0

It feels to me like he’s trying to layer a middle-aged growl on top of his own voice and not really succeeding, but of course it’s a very small sample to draw an impression from.

 

[thribs]

He could put any voice on. It’s not like we know what a young war doctor sounds like

 

[Allyn Gibson]

He could put any voice on. It’s not like we know what a young war doctor sounds like

There's 2013 John Hurt saying "Doctor no more" at the end of "Night of the Doctor" when he sees his reflection (from a BBC production of Crime and Punishment in the 1970s, IIRC). Is that enough to establish how the character sounds? Not really, in my view, but I acknowledge that others will disagree.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

To each their own, I thought he sounded fairly good in that snippet.

We'll see. I'm sooo far behind on Big Finish. I only just listened to the last entry in Gallifrey: Time War volume 3...although I'm kind of glad it took me this long considering the cliffhanger...

 

[Saul]

Didn't feel we need this but if it's good I will listen to it. Won't be a high priority. We already have the 8th Doctor Time War series which I'm really enjoying, I didn't think we needed another line of the Doctor in Time War since the 8th Doctor's stories are still ongoing during that period. Probably there will be a crossover somewhere down the line with 8th or even 9th, 10th etc.

 

[20fridge]

I'm tentatively excited about this. As much as I love the 8th Doctor's Time War series, it's limited by his inability to really involve himself in the war. I feel like the original War Doctor Time War series left much to be desired, but between the War Master, Susan's War, Gallifrey, and the 8th Doctor stuff, Big Finish has really leveled up in their Time War storytelling. I'm hoping that this series will be up to the standards of their more recent productions.

Also, I wonder if it's too much to hope that someday Big Finish might do an adaptation of Engines of War.

 

[Nightowl1701]

He could put any voice on. It’s not like we know what a young war doctor sounds like

It's John Hurt circa the 1970's. Same voice, slightly faster and less gravelly, and royally pissed off at everything. What's in that trailer, IMHO, is as close to that voice as you're going to get.

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-war-doctor-is-forged-in-fire

War Doctor Begins has finally been released, listened to a lot of the first story and Carley is pretty dead on as Hurt, to the point where I forgot it wasn't the latter at several points.

 

[thribs]

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-war-doctor-is-forged-in-fire

War Doctor Begins has finally been released, listened to a lot of the first story and Carley is pretty dead on as Hurt, to the point where I forgot it wasn't the latter at several points.

Does he actually feel different to the other doctors? The issue I had with him was that he is supposed to be the odd one out but he felt just like the others.