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Voice of Doctor Who’s Sutekh Gabriel Woolf on bringing the character back to Doctor Who

Voice of Doctor Who’s Sutekh Gabriel Woolf on bringing the character back to Doctor Who

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Doctor Who’s The Legend of Ruby Sunday saw the Doctor and UNIT investigate Ruby’s past. But as the Time Window revealed horrifying secrets from Christmas Eve, the mysterious Triad Technology unleashed the greatest evil of all… Sutekh.

Originally airing in 1975, four part story Pyramids of Mars saw the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) battle the almighty Sutekh – voiced by Gabriel Woolf.

As the Doctor and Ruby travel to the Pyramids of Mars in a brand new Tales of the TARDIS and face Sutekh in Doctor Who season one finale Empire of Death, we caught up Gabriel Woolf to find out all about returning to Doctor Who, introducing Sutekh to a new generation, and his favourite Doctor Who villains.

Interview with Gabriel Woolf (Sutekh)

How does it feel reviving Sutekh after nearly 50 years?

It felt sort of inevitable in a way. I’d never lost Sutekh because of the fans. They’ve kept him alive, organised conventions all over the place, so it feels kind of natural.

How does it feel knowing a whole new audience will discover the classic story of Pyramids of Mars when it is revisited in Tales of the TARDIS this week?

It’s excellent; they will have the complete backstory of Sutekh so they will know how it all began. Tom [Baker] and I play off each other and it was dramatic, it was a bit like a play. I hope it gives a tremendous added dimension to the excitement for the finale – the fact it’s spread out over cinemas and across the world is wonderful.

What was your reaction when you were asked to come back to Doctor Who?

I was over the moon, delighted and thrilled. It was wonderful. The fans have always said ‘Oh you must come back!’, and I always said back ‘It’s not up to me!’ – and now it’s happened. Extraordinary.

Did you ever think you would return to Doctor Who?

No. it’s been 48 years since we did it so I thought it was pretty unlikely. It was a big surprise but a good one!

Do you think anything is different about this version of Sutekh to the one we met in 1975?

Well, visually certainly, and I thought there has been some development of the character – but we do have the same classic lines here and there so he is recognisable, and he is destroying the same universe.

You’ve played another role in Doctor Who, can you explain this more?

Yes, the Beast. That was in The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit with David Tennant – I never met him or many of the people, I do things in a little box on my own!

What is the process when recording voiceovers? Do you imagine the finished result when recording?

You are always working in a vacuum with the character in your head and using your voice. It was only when I had a special viewing a couple of weeks ago that I could see what my voice was matching to – it was a big relief for me to see how well it worked together.

How do you hope fans will react when they see the big reveal of Sutekh’s return?

I would hope they’d be very excited and pleased, and that they’ll give themselves a pat on the back as it’s all down to them that this has happened.

Do you have a favourite Doctor Who villain, other than the ones you’ve played?

I enjoy the Daleks more than anything else, but then The Master is good… they’re all classic ones!

If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where or when would you go to?

I don’t think I’d want to go to the origins of the universe and see how it began or anything like that, I’m not a scientist (laughs). I love the Victorian age for literature, most of my life has been spent in Victorian literature and poetry – but I’m mostly remembered for Doctor Who which is funny, it was two weekends in 1975!

Blind fan brings Doctor Who to life for thousands of visually impaired fans

Blind fan brings Doctor Who to life for thousands of visually impaired fans

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Lifelong Doctor Who fan, Louis Moorhouse, raised almost £25,000 to bring his favourite show to life in a series of tactile-audio resources that help for blind and visually impaired fans experience iconic Doctor Who characters, props and sets through touch and sound.

For 60 years the immersive, visual universe of Doctor Who has been captivating the imaginations of audiences around the world. Now, for the first time, blind and visually impaired people can fully experience the spectacle too — thanks to an innovative new project.

The charity Living Paintings, which creates tactile-audio experiences for blind and visually impaired children and young people, have now released the first in a series of Doctor Who resources that fans of all ages can enjoy for free from the comfort of their own home. Within each pack, audio descriptions guide fingers over hand-made raised images of the show’s iconic characters, props and sets – helping blind and visually impaired fans to create a picture in their mind and ‘see’ through touch.

This project was all made possible by lifelong Whovian, Louis Moorhouse (22), who has been using the charity’s service since he was just 18 months old after losing his sight due to complications with childhood cancer. After approaching the charity with the idea in 2021, Louis raised almost £25,000 to make his dream a reality. Now, thanks to his monumental efforts, thousands of other blind people across the UK will also be able to access the Whoniverse at their fingertips.

“I can’t believe that an idea two years ago while walking my guide dog, Kizzy, has evolved into something so incredible,” Moorhouse explained. I’ve been a Doctor Who fan for as long as I remember, but I hadn’t fully met the weird and wonderful characters, aliens, monsters and devices used in the show until now. In my own way, I’m able to see the TARDIS, the Daleks, Cybermen and so much more. Knowing that this will benefit so many other fans, and maybe inspire new ones, is amazing.”

With 60 years of history to cover, the first release focuses on the TARDIS and the first four incarnations of The Doctor alongside a slew of legendary adversaries, and features audio descriptions from a host of fan-favourites including Tom Baker, Sir Derek Jacobi, Katy Manning and ‘voice of the Daleks’ Nichols Briggs. More releases in the New Year will take blind and visually impaired people on a further journey through space and time, meeting successive Doctors, friends and foes.

“Few shows have such rich, visual history as Doctor Who,” Publishing Manager Liz Davies said. “It’s been an honour to work with Louis in producing these fabulous new resources, helping blind and visually impaired people experience it – from the first doctor to the fourteenth. Beyond his incredible work raising the funds to make the project happen, he’s also been involved in the production process every step of the way. His wealth of knowledge and infectious passion has been invaluable to us. What we’ve created together has been a labour of love and we’re so incredibly proud to release it into the world during the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations.”

Living Paintings is a national charity on a mission to ensure every blind child in the UK has equal access to the visual world of pictures, books and learning. From adapting bestselling picture books into accessible, tactile-audio formats for blind children to developing resources designed to inspire, educate and entertain. Their free postal library gives thousands of blind children and young people the world at their fingertips. For more information and to join their free library, visit their website and check out their Instagram.

Tom Baker Revives Two Lost Fourth Doctor Stories!

Tom Baker Revives Two Lost Fourth Doctor Stories!

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Cover artwork and full story details are today revealed for two exciting box sets bringing first drafts of classic Doctor Who TV stories to life on audio, due for release in May and June 2023 by Big Finish Productions.

Tom Baker Revives Two Lost Fourth Doctor Stories!

In these audio adaptations, revisiting beloved 1975 Fourth Doctor stories, Tom Baker stars alongside Sadie Miller (as Sarah Jane Smith) and Christopher Naylor (as Harry Sullivan).

Doctor Who and The Ark unveils the original script for The Ark in Space — before it was extensively rewritten by the series’ then-script editor, Robert Holmes.

In Daleks! Genesis of Terror, listeners can hear Terry Nation’s first draft for episode one of the iconic TV story, Genesis of the Daleks, with Nicholas Briggs reading the original stage directions.

Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Doctor Who and The Ark is available to pre-order for just £14.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £12.99 (download only) here. Daleks! Genesis of Terror can also be pre-ordered from £10.99.

Doctor Who and The Ark written by John Lucarotti & adapted by Jonathan Morris

A space station orbiting Earth has lain dormant for 8,476 years. Its systems are clogged with dust, so the human crew kept frozen in cryogenic storage have never woken up.

When the Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive to resuscitate the sleepers, they discover something else on board. A small, golf-ball like object gives Harry an electric shock, and has a more sinister impact on the awakening crew. Soon, the Doctor and his friends are battling to save the space station — and Earth — from a ravenous puffball!

Now you can hear the original version of the story that became TV classic The Ark in Space, adapted by Jonathan Morris from the scripts by John Lucarotti.

Daleks! Genesis of Terror written by Terry Nation

In a paved garden outside time, the Doctor is presented with an awful prophecy: the conquest of all time by the Daleks. To prevent this terrible fate, the Time Lords have decided on a radical course — to weaponise time themselves, and destroy the Daleks before they were ever created. And they want the Doctor to carry out this extraordinary task!

Soon, he and his companions Sarah and Harry are on the battle-ravaged planet Skaro, where a war has been raging for centuries. The war is now waged by teenagers using the last surviving weapons. Everything is desperate. But the Kaled’s chief scientist has a new weapon that he thinks might just change everything…

A full cast bring to exhilarating life Terry Nation’s original draft for what became the first episode of Genesis of the Daleks — voted by readers of Doctor Who Magazine to be the greatest Doctor Who story of all time!

Producer Simon Guerrier said: “The Daleks! Genesis of Terror script is largely the same basic story [as seen on TV] but with some key differences that are really striking – which I won’t spoil here! This has been thrilling to work on and quite unusual.

“Normally, we’d adapt the original scripts to make them work on audio. But here the actors worked from the pages Terry Nation typed himself, which we’ll include with the story so you can read them yourself!

“For Doctor Who and The Ark, we’ve worked from the original scripts written by John Lucarotti, which are very different from what ended up on TV. The script editor at the time, Robert Holmes, effectively rewrote it from scratch. But there’s a ghost of the original in what made it to TV. Plus, Doctor Who and The Ark includes one of the best cliff-hangers ever!”

Adapter Jonathan Morris added: “This is the chance to hear a Doctor Who story from the writer of [the TV stories] Marco Polo, The Aztecs, and The Massacre. It’s a story that was presumed to be completely lost and it paved the way for one of the all-time classics, The Ark in Space.

“It has the same basic setting, and a couple of similar set-pieces, but it’s otherwise a very, very different story. Even if you think you know what it’s about from summaries given in behind-the-scenes guides you don’t know it at all. It is a strange and wild ride along a road not taken.”

Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering both box sets together in a bundle for just £25 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £23 (download only).

Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.

Sadie Miller voices Sarah Jane Smith

Sadie Miller voices Sarah Jane Smith

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Doctor Who

As revealed in Doctor Who Magazine #550, Elisabeth Sladen’s daughter Sadie Miller has been cast in Doctor Who: Return of the Cybermen as Sarah Jane Smith.

Doctor Who: Return of the Cybermen is an unmade 1974 script from the pen of Gerry Davis, which eventually became the story Revenge of the Cybermen. The original script has been taken by Big Finish Productions, and realized in its original form as an audio drama.

Tom Baker reprises his role as the Fourth Doctor, joined by his companions from the televised Doctor Who season 12, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan, originally played on screen by Elisabeth Sladen and Ian Marter, now portrayed on audio by Sadie Miller and Christopher Naylor respectively.

Actor Sadie Miller said:

“When Big Finish asked me to play Sarah Jane for this story, I was very nervous. I didn’t want to create a performance from someone else’s.

“So I tried to approach it as I would with any other role. I’ve tried to find my own piece of Sarah – the part of my mum that’s in me. But I have had a quick look on YouTube for Sarah Jane Smith screams, because I wasn’t quite sure how she would want me to do those. Other than that I just tried to keep it as separate in my mind as possible from the original.

“The fans of Doctor Who have always been so kind and generous to me and to my family. It was always a part of my life growing up, I was never not aware of it. People have always been very kind in letting us come along for the ride really, through conventions and now things like Big Finish and, after mum passed away, the outpouring of love for her has been lovely.”

Senior Producer, David Richardson added:

“How do you recast Sarah Jane Smith? Would you even want to? Those were the questions that bothered us – we love the character. We loved Lis Sladen. We worried it might be too soon and too difficult to go there. But then we realised that part of Lis lives on in Sadie, and Sadie has beautifully brought that to the role of Sarah – we all approached this carefully, and respectfully, and with love and I couldn’t be happier with Sadie’s performance. She’s done her mum proud.”

You can pre-order Doctor Who: Return of the Cybermen here from Big Finish. Plus, you can read more of Sadie Miller talking a bit more about her mother, and the reaction of the Doctor Who fandom to her return here.

Tom Baker returns as the Curator in a new audio drama!

Tom Baker returns as the Curator in a new audio drama!

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Doctor Who - Stranded 1

For the first time since his surprising appearance at the climax of the 50th anniversary Doctor Who story The Day of the Doctor, Tom Baker will reprise the role of the mysterious Curator.

The Curator will take a pivotal role in the forthcoming Eighth Doctor full-cast audio adventure series, Doctor Who: Stranded, due for release in July 2020.

Doctor Who - Stranded 1

The TARDIS is gone. Stranded in one time and place, the Doctor, Liv and Helen seek refuge in Baker Street. But the house has changed: they now have neighbours – not all of them welcoming. And someone has a dire warning for the future.

The Doctor and friends face their greatest challenge yet: living one day after another, in 2020 London.

Doctor Who - Stranded 1

On coming back to the Curator, actor Tom Baker said:

“Who would have thought that doing that little scene written for me all those years ago would have such repercussions years and years later? A lot of fans were intrigued by it, and here we are at last doing something else with him.

“We had to have a little discussion about how to do it. The lines as they are written are very evocative but they don’t mean exactly what they say. Am I being deliberately evasive, or am I playing a part? Whichever way I look at it, the language remains compelling.”

Producer David Richardson added:

“Stranded is Doctor Who, but it’s also a contemporary drama… and present-day Earth is precisely where the Curator resides, so it was an irresistible idea to have him step into this series. We approached Steven Moffat with the idea and he was very enthusiastic – giving us some insights to the character which were incredibly useful! The Curator joins River Song, new UNIT, The Paternoster Gang and Missy at Big Finish – fantastic Steven Moffat creations that have gained an extended life on audio.”

Doctor Who: Stranded 1 contains four intriguing stories:

  • Lost Property by Matt Fitton
  • Wild Animals by John Dorney
  • Must-See TV by Lisa McMullin
  • Divine Intervention by David K Barnes

Paul McGann stars as the Doctor, alongside Hattie Morahan (Helen Sinclair), Nicola Walker (Liv Chenka), Rebecca Root (Tania Bell), Tom Price (Sergeant Andy Davidson) and Clive Wood (Mr Bird).

Doctor Who: Stranded 1 is available to pre-order from Big Finish here