Which novels should become Big Finish audio dramas?

[Doctorwhovian]

Two of Gareth Robert's 90's Fourth Doctor novels are being adapted into audio form for Big Finish:

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2014/07/big-finish-fourth-doctor-170714123008.html

The novel Love & War, the original novel in which Ace leaves the Doctor (Although she comes back later) has also been adapted. The original novel is by Paul Cornell who IMO is one of the stronger Nuwho writers.


http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/love-and-war-776


Now apart from those novels which are given audios anyway (Most of the BBC line these days) which novels from the past could work as Big Finish audio dramas? I know some of the new adventures were adapted early but just with Bernice Summerfield (Just War I think).

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Well, without having read a lot of novels besides some crucial ones (including the grand Lungbarrow), I would suggest the obvious one:

Spiral Scratch, the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story. I know it might be controversial, given how its full Garry Russel-isms, but its worthy of production just for the regeneration scene alone. His last words were aptly lovely. It certainly beats the sad legacy of Time and the Rani of banging his head to the console. AND, since the Sixth never had a regeneration story...

 

[Turbo]

BF just announced that Robert's "The Well-Mannered War" and RTD's "Damaged Goods" are being adapted. Chris and Roz on audio at last!

http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-announce-production-of-doctor-who-damaged-goods

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I would really love an adaptation of The Infinity Doctors. It would be difficult to do, however, since the performance would make concrete some things that prose leaves ambiguous, like which Doctor stars in the novel. Yet, it would be interesting, especially if McGann played the unspecified Doctor, John Simm played the Magistrate, and Peter Davison played Omega.

 

[ClayinCA]

Well, without having read a lot of novels besides some crucial ones (including the grand Lungbarrow), I would suggest the obvious one:

Spiral Scratch, the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story. I know it might be controversial, given how its full Garry Russel-isms, but its worthy of production just for the regeneration scene alone. His last words were aptly lovely. It certainly beats the sad legacy of Time and the Rani of banging his head to the console. AND, since the Sixth never had a regeneration story...

That would be good (especially since Gary Russell still has a good relationship with Big Finish), but it's unlikely; Colin Baker has said several times at conventions (and in Vortex, Big Finish's magazine) that he doesn't want to do a regeneration story.

 

[StCoop]

It'll be interesting to see how they handle Damaged Goods, since BF's output is always firmly in the PG area and this... isn't.

And I wonder if The Well Mannered War will keep the FU BBC ending.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Well, without having read a lot of novels besides some crucial ones (including the grand Lungbarrow), I would suggest the obvious one:

Spiral Scratch, the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story. I know it might be controversial, given how its full Garry Russel-isms, but its worthy of production just for the regeneration scene alone. His last words were aptly lovely. It certainly beats the sad legacy of Time and the Rani of banging his head to the console. AND, since the Sixth never had a regeneration story...

That would be good (especially since Gary Russell still has a good relationship with Big Finish), but it's unlikely; Colin Baker has said several times at conventions (and in Vortex, Big Finish's magazine) that he doesn't want to do a regeneration story.

Well, not to sound rude or mean, but one day he will have to sort of stop, won't he? So why not have a final story for his Doctor anyway?

I seriously don't understand the mentality of it. Some of the best stories have been regeneration stories, so why not?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Well, without having read a lot of novels besides some crucial ones (including the grand Lungbarrow), I would suggest the obvious one:

Spiral Scratch, the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story. I know it might be controversial, given how its full Garry Russel-isms, but its worthy of production just for the regeneration scene alone. His last words were aptly lovely. It certainly beats the sad legacy of Time and the Rani of banging his head to the console. AND, since the Sixth never had a regeneration story...

That would be good (especially since Gary Russell still has a good relationship with Big Finish), but it's unlikely; Colin Baker has said several times at conventions (and in Vortex, Big Finish's magazine) that he doesn't want to do a regeneration story.

Well, not to sound rude or mean, but one day he will have to sort of stop, won't he? So why not have a final story for his Doctor anyway?

I seriously don't understand the mentality of it. Some of the best stories have been regeneration stories, so why not?

Is it so hard to believe that he simply has no interest in doing it?

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

That would be good (especially since Gary Russell still has a good relationship with Big Finish), but it's unlikely; Colin Baker has said several times at conventions (and in Vortex, Big Finish's magazine) that he doesn't want to do a regeneration story.

Well, not to sound rude or mean, but one day he will have to sort of stop, won't he? So why not have a final story for his Doctor anyway?

I seriously don't understand the mentality of it. Some of the best stories have been regeneration stories, so why not?

Is it so hard to believe that he simply has no interest in doing it?

Frankly, yes. As an actor, a death story is always enticing and a top choice. And for a Doctor whose ultimate legacy is a "bump in the console", Big Finish is exactly the platform to realize the most fitting ending for his Doctor. Seeing as how he is, for all intents and purposes, the most prolific audio Doctor in Big Finish' history.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Well I only have one Doctor Who novel, Transit by Ben Aaronovitch, but I think it could actually be adapted to a decent audio. The train and the bustling Martian city could add some cool audio atmosphere and the events are varied and defined fairly well without relying overly on visual cues. Even the subway surfers I think could be conveyed with some echoing whooshing FX.

EDIT:

It'll be interesting to see how they handle Damaged Goods, since BF's output is always firmly in the PG area and this... isn't.

That would make Transit tough though maybe if it was "adapted" for audio it could still work?

 

[Nightowl1701]

I'm a little confused. I've never read the New Adventures series myself, but I was led to believe it had been all-but-decanonized by the events of NuWho. (The Eighth Doctor BBC novels, if I remember right, had been dismissed as 'alternate universe.') But between Love & War, the recent Bernice boxset and now Damaged Goods, and no one calling them 'Unbound,' it's looking more and more like some version of it did happen.

Since Sylvester McCoy isn't getting any younger - they probably couldn't adapt all 61 'episodes' if they tried - I'm assuming any more NA adaptations would focus on the most crucial ones (like Lungbarrow, mentioned above). So...which ones are those?

 

[Nightowl1701]

As far as the Missing Adventures, likely candidates I think would include:

The Empire of Glass - 1st Doctor story. Both Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brien are still available, and the story introduces Irving Braxiatel (who - I'm reading up on all this - figures in NAs, Benny's solo series and other BF audios) as well as ties into The Three Doctors.
Twilight of the Gods/The Dark Path - 2nd Doctor stories. Frazier Hines as Jamie/Two and Deborah Watling as Victoria. The first story features the Web Planet of Vortis, the second is essentially the Secret Origin of the Master. While the novel has Delgado's Master on the cover, I see no reason the audio version couldn't be retconned into a pre-Delgado version.

Not really possible to adapt any Three MAs or the other Four MAs due to lack of original actors, so we jump ahead to Five and Cold Fusion. With Adric, Chris and Roz now added to the BF cast, this Five/Seven crossover is now possible. Ties into Lungbarrow somehow, apparently.

Pretty much any of the Five or Six/Peri MAs could be used, really.

 

[Turbo]

I'd love to hear an adaptation of The Sands of Time. Goth Opera could also be interesting, but that one might be rather difficult to adapt.

 

[Lonemagpie]

While the novel has Delgado's Master on the cover, I see no reason the audio version couldn't be retconned into a pre-Delgado version.

Except that a) numero uno suspect for a pre-Delgado Master (and thus the one it'd work best with) was Edward Brayshaw as the War Chief, and Brayshaw's also too dead to take part, and b) he's a good guy at that point, so new casting wouldn't really sell what he'll become.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I'm a little confused. I've never read the New Adventures series myself, but I was led to believe it had been all-but-decanonized by the events of NuWho. (The Eighth Doctor BBC novels, if I remember right, had been dismissed as 'alternate universe.') But between Love & War, the recent Bernice boxset and now Damaged Goods, and no one calling them 'Unbound,' it's looking more and more like some version of it did happen.

Since Sylvester McCoy isn't getting any younger - they probably couldn't adapt all 61 'episodes' if they tried - I'm assuming any more NA adaptations would focus on the most crucial ones (like Lungbarrow, mentioned above). So...which ones are those?

I think they could adapt the essential ones. First and last, and best-of between them. Certainly to formulate a cohesive audio arc each time.

And Love & War is as essential as the Lost Stories, IMO. And its such a glorious story, too.

 

[Stevil2001]

I've never read the New Adventures series myself, but I was led to believe it had been all-but-decanonized by the events of NuWho. (The Eighth Doctor BBC novels, if I remember right, had been dismissed as 'alternate universe.')

I'm curious-- what gave you this impression? I don't remember anything "decanonizing" the NAs or shunting the EDAs into an alternate universe.

And Love & War is as essential as the Lost Stories, IMO. And its such a glorious story, too.

I'd say that Love and War is better at capturing the Cartmel era than anything Cartmel has actually been involved in after 1990.

 

[Nightowl1701]

The New Adventures, I've been told, rely heavily on the 'Cartmel Masterplan' developed in the show's final years. In fact, the finale Lungbarrow was the intended culmination of the CM and intended all along to be Seven's last adventure. Large parts of it (like the genetic Looms, Time Lords being 'born' as full-grown asexual adults, the fate of Ace, and how the Doctor fled Gallifrey/met Susan) have been explicitly thrown out by NuWho and/or Big Finish.

The Short Trips novel Repercussions revealed Sam Jones (the Eighth Doctor's first BBC novel companion) had been removed from time by Eight himself to prevent the havoc her presence had wreaked through the timeline (Faction Paradox, Three regenerating early, Gallifrey exploding, Compassion, the TARDIS being destroyed/regrowing itself, Miranda etc). Hence, he literally erased the entire BBC novel line himself - he may (or may not) remember it, but it no longer plays a role in his history or anyone else's.

 

[Stevil2001]

I think you're exaggerating. Yes, there don't seem to be Looms according to the new series, but I'm sure there's a workaround. Big Finish and the NAs and DWM all contradict each other on the fate of Ace; I'm not sure why the NAs version should count as "non-canonical" because BF doesn't go with it. They're both spin-off series, and neither "outranks" the other.

Gary Russell had that weird idea that BF and the BBC Books took place in alternate realities, but I'd say there's more evidence against it than for it. You've pointed out a number of ways BF uses stuff from the novels, and there are plenty more (The Company of Friends, Dark Eyes 2, many appearances of the Selachians...).

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Spiral Scratch[/I], the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story. I know it might be controversial, given how its full Garry Russel-isms, but its worthy of production just for the regeneration scene alone.

As someone who is only lightly familiar with his work, please tell me, what are "Gary Russell-isms"?

I'm a little confused. I've never read the New Adventures series myself, but I was led to believe it had been all-but-decanonized by the events of NuWho. (The Eighth Doctor BBC novels, if I remember right, had been dismissed as 'alternate universe.') But between Love & War, the recent Bernice boxset and now Damaged Goods, and no one calling them 'Unbound,' it's looking more and more like some version of it did happen.

Beyond "Lungbarrow," are there any other New Adventures that are explicitly contradicted by the new series? I'm not aware of any, although I admittedly have only read a handful.

The 8th Doctor BBC novels are definitely not canon! In those novels Gallifrey gets destroyed in a completely different way and the Doctor ends up losing his 2nd heart. Those are some major plot points that are frequently referenced throughout the BBC novels. It's pretty much impossible to reconcile those books with the new TV series without a time travel reboot like it seems they did in "Repercussions." (That sounds pretty clever actually and might even settle an argument about "The Day of the Doctor" to boot.)

Spoiler: The Day of the Doctor

In "The Adventuress of Henrietta Street," the Doctor loses his 2nd heart because that heart was the one tied to Gallifrey. So when Gallifrey was destroyed, the heart started dying and it began to poison him.

If "Repercussions" merely erases the EVENTS of the 8th Doctor novels, presumably any EXPOSITION given about Time Lord anatomy is still valid.

So, since the Doctor on the new series never had to remove his 2nd heart, that would imply that Gallifrey was never actually destroyed in the Time War. The Doctor always saved it in a pocket universe and everyone, including the Doctor, simply assumed that it was destroyed.

While the novel has Delgado's Master on the cover, I see no reason the audio version couldn't be retconned into a pre-Delgado version.

Except that a) numero uno suspect for a pre-Delgado Master (and thus the one it'd work best with) was Edward Brayshaw as the War Chief, and Brayshaw's also too dead to take part, and b) he's a good guy at that point, so new casting wouldn't really sell what he'll become.

Much as I would have liked the War Chief to be the Master and as much as that kinda works, they're not the same person. Terrance Dicks made this explicitly clear in "Timewyrm: Exodus."

Speaking of, the Nazi Germany time travel antics of "Timewrym: Exodus" would make for an interesting audio story. You might need to excise the Timewyrm from the story but that wouldn't be too hard.

Spoiler: Timewyrm: Exodus

And the War Chief would need to be recast but that's not a problem since it's supposed to be a new regeneration anyway, albeit a botched one.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Much as I would have liked the War Chief to be the Master and as much as that kinda works, they're not the same person.

As I'm intimately aware...