Big Finish Productions is taking a cue from comic book publishers, relaunching and perhaps renumbering its regular series of Doctor Who full-cast audio adventures in 2022.
The “Monthly Adventures” that have gone on since 1999 with the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors (Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy) will effectively end with No. 275. Starting in January the year after next, there will be a dedicated series of ranges for each of the Doctor’s first 12 incarnations, featuring a regular rotation of releases starring each Doctor in their own “boxed set” of adventures throughout the year.
“One comment we hear more often from new listeners is that they find it hard to know where to begin with our back catalog of Doctor Who adventures,” said Big Finish chairman and executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. “This change to our release schedule will make it easier for people to start. With a range for each Doctor, there will be a natural ‘stepping on point’ for fans.”
Creative director and executive producer Nicholas Briggs, added: “As well as making our ranges much less confusing for Big Finish beginners, these changes will allow us more exciting new possibilities and creative freedom. By freeing the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors from the constrictions of the Monthly Adventures schedule, and giving them their own distinct ranges, we will be able to introduce more surprising cast combinations, different story lengths, and more story arcs.”
If it sounds like an ending, it’s not. Senior producer David Richardson said: “There are so many exciting new directions ahead. Where did the First Doctor and Dodo go next after leaving the planet of The Savages? What happened to the Second Doctor after The War Games? What new adventures await the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith? What happened on the Seventh Doctor’s Last Day? The adventures are only just beginning…”
Big Finish says it will offer options to bridge the gap for completists who want to extend their subscriptions through the end of the numbered Monthly Adventures.
