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Month: April 2016

DOCTOR WHO SHORT TRIPS: ZOE RETURNS!

DOCTOR WHO SHORT TRIPS: ZOE RETURNS!

Wendy Padbury is back in action as the Second Doctor’s genius companion – coming soon to our Monthly Short Trips range!

Zoe will return in Ian Potter’s Doctor Who: The British Invasion, available as part of Big Finish’s download-exclusive Doctor Who Short Trips range!

A huge metal dome sits by the side of the river Thames, within it is a device that might change the entire future of humanity. The Doctor, Zoe and Jamie embark on a small act of kindness but the TARDIS seems oddly unwilling to help. It’s as if it knows the truth. There is something waiting here, something adaptable and cunning, gathering its strength to conquer the stars…

Range producer Ian Atkins explains: ‘I’ve been looking to make the Short Trips range nicely varied across its three years in writers, eras and readers, and so having had the wonderfulFrazer Hines read the last couple of Second Doctor Short Trips, it felt only fair to welcome another of Patrick Troughton’s colleagues in. Wendy had happily agreed to read a story for us, and I’d asked writer Ian Potter for some ideas. He came back with an astonishing amount of research, both in the setting and the nature of the story’s villain, and things fell into place very quickly. As ever, it’s been a delight sitting in the booth listening to a Doctor Who actor bringing their era back to such affectionate and accurate life, and Ian’s given the piece a very authentic historical feel.’

Big Finish can also confirm that Wendy Padbury is the final name to be added to the forthcoming Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Second Doctor Volume 1, acting and narrating as Zoe in David Bartlett’s The Integral, alongside Frazer Hines.

‘I’d hoped with this release, in celebration of 50 years of Patrick Troughton as the Doctor on screen, to gather together all of the Second Doctor’s companion actors together,’ says Ian. ‘Wendy, Frazer, Deborah Watling and Anneke Wills couldn’t have been more accommodating. They deservedly have a lot of pride for this era, and as much affection for it as we do.’

‘David’s script takes some established Second Doctor aspects, and invites you to look at them in a different way, as well as presenting a modern day argument through the prism of a 1960s tone of story. Wendy and Frazer got what we were doing, and it benefits massively from that. And the script’s description of the horrific Integral was exhaustive enough that artistSimon Holub was able to realise them beautifully for the cover of the set.’

Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Second Doctor Volume 1 is released in June and can be pre-ordered today at a special pre-order price.

TORCHWOOD’S ADVENTURES WILL CONTINUE IN A NEW COMIC BOOK SERIES BY JOHN BARROWMAN

TORCHWOOD’S ADVENTURES WILL CONTINUE IN A NEW COMIC BOOK SERIES BY JOHN BARROWMAN

Torchwood's adventures will continue in a new comic book series by John Barrowman

Just a few months ago John Barrowman was musing about how there should have been a LOT more Torchwood on our TV screens and we’re sure at least 10,000 people will be delighted to hear that he’s continuing the team’s adventures in a series of new comic books.

Barrowman and his sister Carol will pen the tales for Titan comics, while Antonio Fuso and Pasquale Qualano will take care of the artwork.

Set in the same universe/timeline as the recent Torchwood audio adventures, Torchwood #1 will catch up with Captain Jack as he returns to Cardiff and meets up with old pal Gwen Cooper. He’s hunting for some rather nasty technology that has, of course, been nabbed by less than savoury organisation, and he needs Gwen’s help to find it.
Barrowman is very excited about the new venture – even if the announcement did catch him off guard.

The actor has been sharing some of the official art work for Torchwood #1 on his Twitter account and we have to say, we’re impressed.

GARETH THOMAS, BLAKE’S 7 ACTOR, DIES AGED 71

GARETH THOMAS, BLAKE’S 7 ACTOR, DIES AGED 71

Gareth Thomas in Blake's 7

Gareth Thomas, star of ’70s BBC sci-fi series Blake’s 7, has died aged 71.

As Roj Blake in the cult series, the Welsh actor led a group of rebels on their Liberator space ship against an evil federation that ruled the galaxy.
Thomas was also an accomplished stage actor who appeared in several Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) productions.

His later television appearances include playing Nathaniel Clegghorn in ITV’s Heartbeat and David Baddiel’s father in Sky’s Baddiel’s Syndrome.
Born in 1945, Thomas attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the 1960s and later became a Rada associate.

His roles at the RSC included Orsino in Twelfth Night, Cassio in Othello and Mat Burke in Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie.

Yet he remains best known for Blake’s 7, which ran on BBC One from 1978 to 1981.
At its peak, the series was watched by 10 million viewers and was sold to 40 countries.

Thomas claimed never to have watched a single episode of the show, which was derided by some for its shaky sets and basic special effects.
The show also had a distinctly pessimistic tone – typified by the final episode, in which all the main characters were apparently killed off.

Reports of the actor’s death began to circulate after a Blake’s 7 fan site announced he had died on Wednesday from heart failure.
“Our thoughts are with his wife Linda, and his family and friends,” the message continued.

His death was confirmed by a friend who worked on a Blake’s 7 remake, according to the Press Association.
Fans, friends and former colleagues have been paying their respects on Twitter, among them an actress who said she had appeared with him on stage in Salisbury.
“Our characters hated each other but he was a lovely actor and a lovely man,” tweeted Ruth Mitchell.

Broadcaster Muriel Gray, meanwhile, said she had “adored” Thomas and called the news “miserable”.
Thomas’s agent, Michael Hallett, said he was “a wonderful and very powerful actor” whose “fantastic career” had seen him play “a huge range of brilliant and diverse roles.”

DAVID TENNANT’S FATHER AND EX-KIRK MODERATOR SANDY MCDONALD DIES

DAVID TENNANT’S FATHER AND EX-KIRK MODERATOR SANDY MCDONALD DIES

A former Church of Scotland moderator who was the father of actor David Tennant has died aged 78.

The Very Rev Dr Sandy McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1997-98, had been fighting the degenerative lung disease pulmonary fibrosis.
He died at the Erskine Care Home in Bishopton, Renfrewshire on Thursday.

Current Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr Angus Morrison, said: “Dr Sandy McDonald was a wonderful man and minister.”
He added: “Genuine love for people was a defining mark of his ministry.

“He had a special concern for the well-being, at every level, of his fellow ministers. Sandy’s memory will be cherished by many.”
He is survived by three children, including Doctor Who and Broadchurch star Tennant, who was born in Bathgate, West Lothian.

Tennant is understood to have taken his stage name from the Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant after reading a copy of Smash Hits magazine.
Dr McDonald was described by colleagues as a “beloved figure, widely admired for his fearlessness, generosity and irrepressible high spirits”.

In the 1980s he co-presented religious programme That’s The Spirit on STV, and once appeared with Tennant as a guest on cookery show Ready Steady Cook.
He also took on a cameo role alongside his son in an episode of Doctor Who in 2008.

Following his diagnosis, he spoke out in favour of the right to die of terminally ill people, contrary to the Kirk’s official position on the issue.
Former Kirk moderator the Very Rev John Chalmers said: “Working with Sandy McDonald was one of the great pleasures of my career in ministry.

“It was no surprise to me when Sandy called for a serious dialogue on the right to die – he was a man who tempered his views in the light of reality, he was a man who sat lightly to dogma and who preferred faith in action.
“The Church of Scotland needs a new breed of Sandy McDonalds who catch a passion for the good news of Jesus Christ, but whose understanding of the faith is not frozen in time, but develops and matures with new revelation and understanding.”

Dr McDonald was born in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, in 1937 and trained for the ministry after national service with the Royal Air Force.
He served at St David’s Parish Church in Bathgate, and St Mark’s Parish Church in Ralston, Renfrewshire, and then as general secretary of the Church of Scotland’s board of ministry until he retired in 2002.

Helen, his wife of more than 40 years, died in 2007.
Friend the Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood said: “Sandy didn’t just preach. He put his whole self into it – his arms, his voice, his whole body went into his sermons.

“People loved it when he preached. He was a great pastor and he held parish ministry at the heart of the Church.”

REG WHITEHEAD RIP: THE FIRST CYBERMAN DIES AGED 83

REG WHITEHEAD RIP: THE FIRST CYBERMAN DIES AGED 83

REG WHITEHEAD RIP – The First Cyberman dies, but his legacy encompasses more than his Doctor Who milestone…

Reg Whitehead, the actor who played Krail, the Cyberman who explains their origins during episode two of The Tenth Planet (1966), has died at the age of 83. He played another Cyberman – Jarl – later in the story, as well as featuring in the famous close-up which was our first view of the silver giants at the end of the opening instalment. He played Cybermen again in The Moonbase (1967) and Tomb of the Cybermen (1967) and also took centre stage for another popular monster’s debut by being the man inside the suit of the first Yeti to appear at the climax of the first part of The Abominable Snowmen (1967).

“The first ones were terrible – they chafed you, they were totally impractical. You couldn’t bend down. They were the most uncomfortable, smelly, disgusting costumes that ever the Beeb managed to make,” he told me a few years ago with a chuckle. And he should know – he was the “Ground Zero” Cyberman, working with designer Sandra Reid as she tried the costume out on him before the suits were finalised and filming began.

Discomfort aside he enjoyed working with both of his Doctors. William Hartnell, on his swan song, had a little fun with the young thespian. “He wasn’t a well man but he did have a lovely thing that he did with me. He said to me ‘Call yourself an actor? ‘I said ‘I try to become one Bill’. He said ‘Alright, if you can do this I’ll call you an actor.’” Reg laughed as he recalled Hartnell tap-dancing across the studio and back again, landing back in his starting position. “‘Can you do that?‘ [asked Hartnell]. I said ‘Not a chance,’ and he said ‘Well that’s the trouble with you youngsters today.’” He enjoyed working with his successor Patrick Troughton whom he described as “a lovely guy and – even up till now – one of the very best Doctor Whos there was.”

Despite his input into their original creation he was happier with the more streamlined and less cumbersome costumes that were created for the Cybermen in their second and third stories. “There was no question that they would have to redesign them, [for The Moonbase] but it [the discomfort] was still dire, it really was.” Having been a monster in Doctor Who he felt it difficult to be taken seriously by the production team as an actor outside of the costume but he did make a friend on The Moonbase. He and Frazer Hines shared a love for horses and the two of them would monitor the racing and betting in between rehearsals. On Tomb of the Cybermen he got friendly with Deborah Watling and took her out on a date.

The Yeti was costume was equally uncomfortable but “for five days we sat in a bus and watched the rain pour down” because there was location filming in Wales. “The day the bus pulled up and we were finally going to do the shoot. It was about 6 o’clock in the morning and there – lo and behold – was a tent which had been pitched during the night. I was told, to go and shake the guy ropes and see what happened. Two German students hurtled out of the thing and ran off as fast as their legs could carry them!”

He didn’t return to Doctor Who after The Abominable Snowmen. “I was doing other things. In the theatre mainly – the theatre was my greatest love anyway so I would always look there for my living” – but even that came to a stop.

“Pure luck,” is how he describes his move into the marketing of executive toys which led to his move away from acting . “A guy parked his van outside my flat and I said “Do me a favour, you couldn’t move your van could you?”. He said “I know you” and it turned out that he was an actor – Simon Prebble – and he came down and said to me, “I’d love to get you involved in this product here [in the van]. Within days I had been to the liquidator who had been involved with the company, Scientific Demonstrations, and I bought the bits and pieces for £500.” The “bits and pieces” included Newton’s Cradle, the famous swinging sphere construction used to illustrate the conservation of momentum and energy and which went on to decorate many a corporate desktop. “Five years later we sold it to the Americans. It’s responsible for pretty much everything you can see around you,” he said, indicating his handsome Newbury home, filled with charming, well-chosen paintings emphasising his enjoyment of the countryside and equine pursuits.

With a newfound financial freedom he managed to combine his love for racing with his business acumen and became a celebrated and successful racehorse owner. He still missed acting, though: “You never lose it – to walk away from it, it’s horrid.”

Born in Warwickshire in December 1932, he had got into the business when, having been in Canada for four years he entered a talent competition. The prize was a year’s drama training in London which he saw as a free ticket home. Having done that training he worked in rep and eventually broke into television, where his other credits included two consecutive episodes of Z-Cars as Detective-Constable Cropper (1963) and roles in the Power Game (1966 ), The Avengers (They Keep Killing Steed, 1968), The Saint (1969) and the Nigel Kneale play Wine of India (1970).

Reg died peacefully at home on March 11th at the age of 83. Stable owner Barbara Coakley paid tribute: “Reg was a lovely, kind man and great character. He was a very loyal owner and a great supporter of the yard, popping in regularly and meeting up in the local on Friday evenings for the racing crack.” There was a thanksgiving service for him a few weeks ago – trainer Richard Phillips was there to bid farewell to his friend, known in their circles as ‘Uncle Waggy’ : “A great character, the church was packed to say goodbye to one of life’s good guys. There were many smiles and laughs, just as Waggy would have loved there to be.”

As for his place in Doctor Who history: “It’s something I don’t bring up too often but it’s incredible how many people come up to me. Kids who were amazed – the look of awe on some people’s faces is amazing. It’s good fun to remind people sometimes – yeah, I was a Cyberman once.”

“I think that it was good television and it stands up well even today”

He is survived by his wife Linkie (who, on a personal note, is a very classy lady who couldn’t have been more charming when I visited them back in 2012) and by Deighton, a son.

REGINALD DEIGHTON WHITEHEAD – 1932-2016

With thanks to Toby Hadoke

 

DOCTOR WHO PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE PRESENTS: THE GENESIS CHAMBER

DOCTOR WHO PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE PRESENTS: THE GENESIS CHAMBER

Coming September 2016 – the first of two new Fourth Doctor stories, devised by former Doctor Who television series producer Philip Hinchcliffe!

Hot on the heels of the reveal of the Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 6, Big Finish is pleased to announce a new pair of releases from Philip Hinchcliffe, producer of Doctor Who from 1975-1977. The two new titles will both star Tom Baker and Louise Jameson, reuniting the fan-favourite team behind the classic episodes The Face of Evil, The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chaing.

‘We loved working on the first Philip Hinchcliffe Presents box set,’ says producer David Richardson, ‘and both stories were very well received. So I was delighted when Philip came back with more ideas, and that he was keen to reunite with Marc Platt who wrote the script. Louise Jameson told me that The Genesis Chamber is one of the best scripts she’s read at Big Finish. I agree with her – it’s a huge Doctor Who story, and yet with so many lovely, delicate scenes too. I loved listening to it during recording, and I’ve no doubt the final edits will be astonishing.’

Doctor Who: The Genesis Chamber, a six-part adventure adapted by Marc Platt, is released in September. This dark tale takes place on a human colony world, where city dwellers rely on advanced technology to create their children, while shunning the primitives who live outside of their city. But neither group realise that a third force threatens their very existence…

Co-starring against Tom and Louise is impressionist Jon Culshaw (Deadringers, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, Doctor Who: The Kingmaker/You Are the Doctor and Other Stories) as DeRosa Janz, a scheming crime lord whose family has taken over the colony. Also appearing are Hannah Genesius, Jemma Churchill, Dan Li, Vernon Dobtcheff, Arthur Hughes, Elliot Chapman and Gyuri Sarossy.

The release will be followed by a new four-part adventure in 2017.

Doctor Who – Philip Presents: The Genesis Chamber can be pre-ordered for just £25 on CD or £20 to download, with the second release available for just £20 on CD or £15 to download; with pre-orders granting a £5 saving on the price of each release.

Both titles are available to pre-order together as part of a the Doctor Who – Philip Hinchcliie Presents 2 & 3 Bundle for just £40 on CD and £30 to download, with both bundle prices increasing by £10 after release. As with the majority of Big Finish releases, complimentary digital downloads of the releases are included with all CD orders; allowing you to enjoy the stories as soon as they are released.

The first box-set of Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents is still available to order from the Big Finish website, featuring two full-cast stories The Ghosts of Gralstead and The Devil’s Armada.

For further adventures of the Fourth Doctor, visit our Fourth Doctor Collected page.

DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES SERIES 6

DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES SERIES 6

The Doctor, Romana and K9 will return in 2017 to face the Sontarans, the Silex, the Movellans and more!

Tom Baker, Lalla Ward and John Leeson will reunite for nine new Fourth Doctor Adventures in 2017, marking Series 6 as the longest run yet for the bohemian Time Lord.

The season kicks off in January with Doctor Who: The Beast of Kravenos by Justin Richards, in which the trio return to Victorian London for a reunion with their old friends Henry Gordon Jago (Christopher Benjamin) and Professor George Litefoot (Trevor Baxter). While K9 becomes the latest star attraction at the New Regency Theatre, the travellers are embroiled in robberies committed by a mysterious thief known only as ‘The Knave’. Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs, The Frankenstein Chronicles) guest stars as Sir Nicholas Asquin, and Conrad Asquith returns as Inspector Quick.

In February’s Doctor Who: The Eternal Battle by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott, the TARDIS lands in a battleground on an alien world where Sontarans and humans are at war. But what are the vicious feral creatures that are hunting in this wasteland? Dan Starkeyplays the Sontarans, ably supported by Big Finish regular John Banks.

In Doctor Who: The Silent Scream by James Goss, the travellers are enjoying Hollywood in the 1920s, only to discover that a deadly force is taking the voices of movie stars – and monstrous silhouettes are on the prowl… Alec Newman (Dune, Waterloo Road) plays Dr Julius, while Pamela Salem (Doctor Who: The Robots of Death and Remembrance of the Daleks, Counter-Measures) is faded silent film star Loretta Waldorf.

Writer Adrian Poynton (who has written for the television series White Van Man and Trollied) joins the Big Finish fold with April’s Doctor Who: Dethras, in which the TARDIS arrives on a sunken World War 2 submarine. But there is more to this crippled ship than meets the eye, and a mystery to solve before the outside pressures rip it apart… Alistair Petrie (Utopia, The Night Manager) plays John, Sheila Ruskin (Doctor Who: The Keeper of Traken) is Flague,Josh Bolt (Last Tango in Halifax, Benidorm) is Philip and Brian Vernel (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Casual Vacancy) plays Robert.

In May’s story the Doctor and Romana meet the spiritualist Talbot, who has been called to investigate ghostly apparitions. Doctor Who: The Haunting of Malkin Place is by Phil Mulryne and guest stars Simon Jones (The Hitch-Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy) as Talbot, while Denise Black (Queer as Folk, Coronation Street) plays Mrs Mountford.

The travellers head deep underground on an alien world in Doctor Who: Subterranea by Jonathan Morris, only to be swallowed up by a massive drill ship. The steampunk-inspired tale introduces a new race of monsters called the Silex.

The Doctor and Romana face an old foe in Doctor Who: The Movellan Grave by Andrew Smith, when an archaeological expedition in 1980 uncovers alien technology – notably a Movellan power pack… Before long, a reactivated alien ship is rising – and that ship contains a deadly secret weapon in the war against the Daleks.

‘With Tom, Lalla and John back working together, the opportunity to revisit the Dalek/Movellan war from Destiny of the Daleks was irresistible,’ says producer David Richardson. ‘And we’ve done it in a very different way – Andrew Smith’s brilliant script brings the conflict right down to Earth. While the Daleks don’t appear in this tale, we do get a chance to discover just how deadly the Movellans can be…’

The guest cast includes Polly Walker (Caprica, Mr Selfridge) who plays Narina, while Chris Jarman (Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot) is Chenek.

The season ends with an two linked adventures by Marc Platt. In Doctor Who: The Skin of the Sleek and Doctor Who: The Thief Who Stole Time the travellers arrive on the amazing world of Funderell, which is covered by a giant gelatinous ocean that people can walk on… but stand still, and you sink. There are other visitors to this world too – celebrity explorer Eamonn Orensky (Alan Cox), his assistant Sartia (Joannah Tincey) and their pilot Klick Chervain (Kieran Hodgson). But there are secrets on Funderell – not least the fact that Sartia is a Time Lady, who was once Romana’s best friend at the Academy.

All nine titles in The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 6 can be pre-ordered today either individually, or as part of a money-saving subscription. As with the majority of Big Finish releases, a digital copy is also included with CD orders – meaning you can enjoy the Fourth Doctor’s latest battle as soon as they are released, with each title available from the Big Finish website a month before other retailers.

The Doctor, Romana and K9 can also be heard in The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series Five, which continue in April with the release of Doctor Who: Legacy of Death. Four previous series are still available to order now, with special bundles also available. See here for the full range.

DOCTOR WHO: WASHINGTON BURNS

DOCTOR WHO: WASHINGTON BURNS

A deadly virus threatens America’s future and the Doctor and Ace are our only hope! Sophie Aldred performs our latest download exclusive adventure…

Written by Julian Richards, Doctor Who – Short Trips: Washington Burns is available to download today for just £2.99!

You can subscribe to all twelve stories in the 2016 run of Doctor Who – Monthly Short Trips at a considerable saving, with a new story appearing in your account every month as soon as they are released. Future stories include the return of Peter Purves in Doctor Who: This Sporting Life and Anneke Wills in Doctor Who: Lost and Found. The 2017 run is also available to pre-order and subscribe to now.

You can also buy the entire 2015 run of Short Trips as part of a bundle, with four volumes of earlier tales still available to order on CD or download.

And for extra adventures, you can subscribe to the Doctor Who Main Range, where every three months an exclusive Short Trip is added to your account – including Doctor Who: The Horror at Bletchington Station by Chris Wing, a new story for the First Doctor and Dodo, available with subscriptions containing Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre.

DOCTOR WHO: THE PARADOX PLANET

DOCTOR WHO: THE PARADOX PLANET

The TARDIS lands on a planet at war with itself! It’s the past versus the future in our latest Fourth Doctor Adventure!

The spirit of Season 17 continues in a brand new adventure for the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward) and K9 (John Leeson); who find themselves on board a time-travelling war machine…

Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine – a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself.

Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet – gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own – leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born.

Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?

Written by Jonathan Morris and starring Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, John Leeson, Simon Rouse, Tom Chadbon, Paul Panting, Emma Campbell-Jones, Laura Rees, Bryan Pilkington, Jane Slavin and John Banks, Doctor Who – The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Paradox Planet is available to buy and download today from the Big Finish website. And remember, when you choose to buy this release on CD directly from Big Finish, you will also unlock instant access to a digital copy for download.

The adventure continues in April with Doctor Who: Legacy of Death. Can the Doctor save the same planet twice in the same day?

DOCTOR WHO: THE PETERLOO MASSACRE

DOCTOR WHO: THE PETERLOO MASSACRE

The TARDIS arrives on one of the darkest days in Manchester’s history in our latest Main Range release…

The Doctor Who Main Range brings you a new full-cast adventure every month, starring one of the original actors to play the Doctor on television! Featuring fantastic new creations or the best-loved monsters from the past of the series, these stories are perfect for Doctor Who fans young and old.

Our 210th Main Range release, Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre is a dark historical adventure for the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), and Tegan (Janet Fielding)

“They say there’ll be thousands pouring into Manchester tomorrow. From all over the county, north and south. It’ll be a piece of history. People will remember this!”

Lost in the smog of the Industrial Revolution, the TARDIS crashes four miles south of Manchester, in the grounds of Hurley Hall – a grand mansion belonging to a local factory owner, a proudly self-made man. But while Hurley dreams of growing richer still on the wealth of secret knowledge locked up in the Doctor’s time and space machine, his servants hope only for a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. His young maid Cathy, for instance, whom Nyssa learns is looking forward to joining the working people’s march to St Peter’s Field, in the heart of the city. There’ll be speeches and banners and music. It’ll be like one big jamboree…

Or so she thinks. For the city’s establishment have called in their own private militia, to control the crowd. One of the darkest days in Manchester’s history is about to unfold – and the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are right in the thick of it.

Written by Paul Magrs and starring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, Hayley Jayne Standing, Robbie Stevens, Gerard Kearns, Philip Labey, Wayne Forester and Liz Morgan, Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre is available to buy on CD or Download today. And remember, when you choose to buy this release on CD directly from Big Finish, you will also unlock instant access to a digital copy for download.

The Fifth Doctor returns next month for a battle with his arch-enemy in Doctor Who: And You Will Obey Me, the first instalment of the Two Masters trilogy!