Big Finish Podcast Notes and Misc News Roundup Thread

News
542

Podcast

No podcast until 31 July. There are several interesting notes and tidbits from extras released on YouTube and social media this week below.

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. 26 June’s selection stands until the podcast comes back: The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: The Second Death is released on 15 July (Limited Time Single-Release DTO: £5.99 | Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set comes out next month, and Big Finish are releasing each story weekly leading up to its release. To get these each week, purchase the bundle. To get them all at once, wait for the box set to be released. For a limited time, the first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £5.99]
    • Synopsis: During the last days of history, a lone wanderer crosses the wastes of Kersarin. Everywhere he goes, he delights those he finds with stories and songs. He provides a little hope in the dark. His name is Ash Wilton, and there’s one thing that Ash knows for certain. You don’t get time travellers at the end of the universe.
  • Rutans vs Sontarans: Peace at Last is released on 16 July (DTO: £8.99 | DTO + CD: £13.99)
    • Synopsis: On the precipice of peace it stands… After the destruction of a major stronghold, the Sontarans propose something extraordinary. More extraordinary still, the Rutans say yes. The Doctor, Charley and C’rizz are on hand to watch history being made. Yet history has other ideas. A plan that has taken centuries is about to come to fruition. The Melmoth is returning.

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • We are aware of a current instability issue on the iOS app. Our developers have isolated the issue and are working on a fix. We appreciate your patience during this transition period.
      • The Android app update has now been released. Our developers are reviewing and reported issues and creating fixes as required.
      • You’ve got this ‘stage 1’ has been released on the website. If you own a release you will now see a green tick on the top right corner of the cover art. Once we have completed further testing this will be made visible throughout the other areas of the website.
      • Gift Cards purchased in currencies other than GBP can now be redeemed against the appropriate currency.
      • We are aware that a test product ‘Fifteen Test Product’ remained on our site post launch and has caused some issues with the product it was duplicated from - Alixion. Our developers are preparing the fix for this.
      • Additional sort functionality is being added to the accounts area, bringing back the ability to sort by release date as well as purchase date. We are also working on refining the filter options.
      • A glitch on mobile devices where the range selection appears and vanishes quickly has been confirmed and a fix is being prepared.
      • A calendar anomaly preventing viewing releases earlier than 2000 has been confirmed and is being addressed.
      • The new ‘You’ve got this’ icon, a green tick in the top right corner of the cover art, is visible across all areas of the website. The icon is shown when the download is present in your account. This icon will not prevent you from re-ordering a release, it is there for your information only.
  • Videos
    • Behind the scenes at Doctor Who: Run Fast, Be Kind
      • Jon Culshaw is just a marvel, he really is. He puts so much effort and work into this impression, saying he’ll listen to clips of Capaldi during tea breaks just to sharpen his ability. And through everything, through all the praise from others on his work throughout the video, all he can talk about is how wonderful Peter Capaldi is.
      • LISA BOWERMAN: “…there could be a worry that when somebody is good at impersonation, they’re not going to be able to carry it into performance. And that is…there’s a very subtle difference and a muddy line between impersonation and acting and performance and the emotional context of it. I think, even from the first scene, I went 'Oh…this is going to be good. This is going to be VERY good. Jon hasn’t just got the voice, he’s got the emotional context. We’ve had six different casts over the last few days, and every one of them kind of went ‘Oh my God, that was just…I have him, I have the Twelfth in my ears.’”
      • My suspicions have been confirmed by this video. From Lisa Bowerman’s call sheet, it looks like the Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind was originally two volumes of three releases each. The weekly format obviously arose from interest following Sherlock Holmes: Untold and the proven popularity of the single release 9DAs and 13DAs. We know there’s another set of 6 stories on the way. We know the first six were recorded one per day in two recording blocks from 27-29 October and 3-5 November. I’m wondering if they recorded all 12 by the end of November, and we could get an announcement of the next set at the conclusion of the first and have it set for a winter release.
  • Social Media
    • “Basically, Keep Running” by Borna Matosic, the Twelfth Doctor’s theme at Big Finish, is released on social media. There are fun facts/notes that play in this video, which I will transcribe below:
      • This new theme for the Twelfth Doctor, entitled “Basically, Keep Running”, was composed by Borna Matosic. At Big Finish Matosic has previously composed music for UNIT: Brave New World, UNIT Eras, and The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles.
      • If you remember the Doctor Who Lockdown fan choir singalongs, Matosic was responsible for those too, with the help of the brilliant Emily Cook.
      • The main melody of this new Twelfth Doctor Theme is built around two major chords that don’t belong in the same key, creating what Matosic calls “a heroic theme with a supernatural twist”.
      • The score features live violin, piano and vocals performed by Mesdames Musicales. These live recordings are layered on top of the virtual orchestral score to create a much more expressive sound.
      • Music plays an important part of Run Fast, Be Kind, not just as the underscore. We also hear the Doctor’s companion, Ash, and other characters perform music throughout the series.
      • Matosic was brought on board early to compose the songs that Ash would sing, so he created demos of those songs before the recording sessions for the series took place.
      • Ash’s guitar is described as missing a string in the first episode, so Matosic cut the G-string off his oldest and rustiest guitar and used that instrument to record all of Ash’s guitar parts for an authentic “end of the universe” sound.

Out of Print This Week

  • The War Doctor Rises: Fear of the Light

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. July’s selection: Dark Shadows: Blood and Fire (50th Anniversary Special) for just £3.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. July’s selection is The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: The Second Death (excerpt). Just click on the link and use this month’s code BARD.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: Callan: File on a Deadly Deadshot. Use discount code LONELY at checkout to save 25% off the full release of Callan Volume 01 and Volume 02 (Ends 19 July).

Big Finish Release Schedule (No newsletter yet in July, so dates are unknown)

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
4.6 The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Thirteen O’Clock 3.60/5 119 votes
9 The Seventh Doctor Adventures: Fixers
The Executor 3.94/5 39 votes
Oil and Water 3.30/5 32 votes
Much Ado About Racing 3.78/5 30 votes
6.1 Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 1 3.66/5 32 votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.96/5 71 votes
1.4 Rutans vs Sontarans: Peace at Last 3.91/5 23 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: The Seventh Doctor Adventures: Fixers (big love across the board), Rutans vs Sontarans: Grave Moon (an unfortunate dud if I’m completely honest – sorry Lizzie), and Rutans vs Sontarans: Peace at Last (a fantastic closer).

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

The Rumor Mill

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

Big Finish App - Playback Alternatives

First off, I know Big Finish have given guidance on how to download releases but I figured I’d repeat here so this is a one-stop-shop.

  1. On the Big Finish website, click on your account in the top right corner (should say your name).
  2. On the lefthand pane, go to Downloads.
  3. Search for or filter releases to your preference.
    1. To view only releases that are currently available to download, set the Release State to General.
  4. Click MP3 (as music tracks) or M4B (as audiobook) to start your download. Both download will be as zip files containing tracks, main and alternate cover art, and that month’s issue of Vortex.
    1. Supplementary downloads (extras and music suites) are available directly below the release as MP3s. This is partially why I personally recommend using MP3s.
  5. Unzip the folder to your desired location.
  6. Move any supplementary downloads into the same folder.

iTunes/Apple Music (recommended by me for iOS users)

I download all my Big Finish releases as MP3s from the Big Finish website on release day, save them to my external hard drive, and upload them to iTunes. This allows me to have a hard backup but stream the releases from my Apple Music app without having to download each release. This does require that you use a Mac or PC.

  1. Drag and drop the folder containing your download into iTunes/Apple Music.
  2. Allow the release to sync in iCloud.
  3. Right click and select Album Info to set your preferred release title/“artist”. Other metadata should be correct.
    1. I always make sure that under Sorting, the “sort as” title has the release number in it – be sure to use 1, 01, or 001 depending on how many releases are in the range. For example, the Ninth Doctor Adventures are formatted as 4.01, 4.02, 4.03, etc. under “sort as”, but the album title says 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc. Otherwise once we get to it, it’ll sort them as 4.1, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.2, 4.3, etc.
    2. It defaults to the main actors as the artist, so I change the album artist to Big Finish Productions to lump everything together.
  4. If you have imported supplementary downloads, make sure you set them to either being on their own disc or at the end of the appropriate disc. They default to track 1, so they will interrupt the flow of the story.

Alternatives (recommended by users on TARDIS Guide)

8 Likes
543

I notice they didn’t credit MrHotTrickle…

or was it MrSteamyTrickle?

1 Like
544

Podcast

No podcast until 31 July.

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. 26 June’s selection stands until the podcast comes back: The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: The Broken Man is released on 22 July (Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set comes out next month, and Big Finish are releasing each story weekly leading up to its release. To get these each week, purchase the bundle. To get them all at once, wait for the box set to be released. The first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £8.99]
    • Synopsis: The Doctor has a new friend. All of time and space awaits. Where to begin? Scotland, obviously! The Doctor has unfinished business there. An archaeological mystery which he needs to solve, so he can start laying the past to rest.
  • The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident is released on 23 July (DTO: £9.99 | DTO + CD: £13.99)
    • Synopsis: A huge UFO has crashed in Hallamshire Forest. Are there survivors? Is the site safe? There are a lot of questions to answer. With UNIT and Torchwood gone, the police must step up, while keeping the incident under wraps… Fortunately, they have officers with extensive experience of otherworldly threats… Patricia Menzies is on her way. Yasmin Khan is being recalled. But Yaz’s sister, Sonya, believes the world has the right to know the truth about aliens…

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • The Fourth Doctor meets Genghis Khan! The Doctor and Sarah Jane head back into history for two new stories featuring Nazis, Genghis Khan, and…Harry Sullivan?! This box set is due for release in September.
      • Daughter of Destruction by Katharine Armitage (two parts) The TARDIS lands in the city of Ongud during a rebellion. The world is suffering the wrath of Genghis Khan and the Doctor and Sarah are right in the middle of it. It’s a dangerous time but one woman is about to stand up to the despot for the first time. His anger is about to be halted. Unless someone has made a very small mistake…
      • A New Occupation by Helen Goldwyn (four parts) Temporal disruption on Jersey leads to a new kind of time travel for the Doctor, Sarah and Harry and they soon find themselves on the island during its occupation by the Nazis.
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • A glitch on mobile devices where the range selection appears and vanishes quickly has been fixed.
      • We are still awaiting the review of the lastest update for the Android app (currently 2.2.2), which will address a lot of the instability/performance issues seen currently. This will be released automatically when it passes the review, but this part is out of our control.
      • Sorting by purchase date in your account will be available shortly. This has been successfully tested and will be released in the upcoming days.

Out of Print This Week

  • None

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. July’s selection: Dark Shadows: Blood and Fire (50th Anniversary Special) for just £3.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. July’s selection is The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: The Second Death (excerpt). Just click on the link and use this month’s code BARD.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: The Voord in London (Excerpt). Use discount code ANYA at checkout to save 25% off the full release of Space Security Service: The Voord in London (Ends 26 July).

Big Finish Release Schedule (No newsletter yet in July, so dates are unknown)

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.89/5 118 votes
The Broken Man 3.96/5 50 votes
9 The Seventh Doctor Adventures: Fixers
The Executor 3.86/5 48 votes
Oil and Water 3.22/5 44 votes
Much Ado About Racing 3.65/5 40 votes
6.1 Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 1 3.61/5 40 votes
1.4 Rutans vs Sontarans: Peace at Last 3.99/5 68 votes
1.7 The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident 4.35/5 59 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: The Broken Man and The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident. Both fantastic but The Hallamshire Incident was just glorious. Also listened to Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 1.

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

  • The TARDIS Is On A Royal Mission To The Commonwealth Games. Destination: Glasgow 2026! Can Sir Chris Hoy and comedian Greg McHugh get Their Majesties The King and Queen to the Commonwealth Games in time (and space)? Watch how the TARDIS helped to kick off the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 23rd July 2026!

The Rumor Mill

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

6 Likes
545

Woo Nic answered my question on the poddy!

(Saying he thought displaying the alt covers on the app was a good idea, but “since we’re struggling to make the app work as is, it’s not a priority” but he’d run it by people)

Alt covers :clap: alt covers :clap: alt covers :clap:

14 Likes
546

Podcast

Podcast Notes

  • Nick isn’t sure if there are currently any plans for more of Siobhan Redmond’s Rani, but says they’d be fools not to do more with her.
  • Nick wishes all covers used the era-appropriate logos, but the BBC insists on having a unified brand identity across all their products. Nick says they actually used to fight to use the current logo, but now wishes it were the other way around.
  • A listener asks if the app could get availability to switch in alt covers for releases to get the era-appropriate logos. Nick says while this is a good idea that he’ll ask around about, this is the least of their concerns with the app right now.
  • A listener asks about old minisodes that used to accompany the early Monthly Adventures for the Eighth Doctor on BBC Radio 7. Nick isn’t sure who made them but suspects it was Martin Montague. He will look into it.

Random Tangents: Bank tellers should mind their own business.

Production Interviews: The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill by Alan Barnes and The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: Wings of Steel by Alfie Shaw.

Fifteen Minute Drama Tease: The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill by Alan Barnes

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. There are currently technical issues with the Randomoid Selectotron, so it will be stuck on the last release from the 26 June podcast for the forseeable future. This release is The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child.

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: The Beautiful and the Damned is released on 29 July (Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set comes out next month, and Big Finish are releasing each story weekly leading up to its release. To get these each week, purchase the bundle. To get them all at once, wait for the box set to be released. The first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £8.99]
    • Synopsis: Are you looking to build your audience? Create content that’ll be the envy of all your followers? Have people anticipating your next post? Then we know where you need to be this Summer. Best Life Inc. is proud to announce Mentior City, a paradise for content creators where everything is beautiful, including the visitors. Don’t think that’s you? Don’t worry, with our proprietary Refiner system, everyone can look their very best. Arrive ugly, live your Best Life, and leave beautiful. That’s a Best Life guarantee.
  • Space Security Service: Bret Vyon Lives! is released on 28 July (DTO: £19.99)
    • Synopsis: They’re the guardians of the Solar System and Earth’s first line of defence. Now Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven encounter some familiar faces…
      • 2.1 The Man Inside by Simon Guerrier Anya Kingdom is a prisoner of the Daleks on a very peculiar space station orbiting a very peculiar star. The Daleks don’t want to kill Anya; they want to break her down psychologically. One way to do that is to lock her in a cell with someone Anya knows is a fake. Whoever, whatever, this man really is, he cannot be her beloved uncle. Bret Vyon is dead, end of story. But if Anya is to survive, she will need his help…
      • 2.2 The Wages of Death by David Llewellyn Furiosa 237 is a remote world in the hinterlands of the galaxy. Anya and Mark teleport in and quickly take jobs on a cargo shop. They’re undercover – on an urgent, secret mission. Their task is to locate a device called a Progenitor, then drop it into the nearest black hole - and quickly, before it can hatch. But at least one person on board is determined to save the Progenitor and unleash its deadly contents: a whole army of Daleks.
      • 2.3 The Sky is for Sale by James Kettle A huge satellite mines the atmosphere of Saturn. Following a number of threats, agent Sola Akinyemi of the Space Security Service is on board, tasked with keeping the workers and their families safe. Meanwhile, Anya Kingdom is at Triple-S headquarters, working to expose and eradicate corruption in the service. But just as she’s making progress, HQ is attacked. And then the mining satellite is invaded - by a different hostile force! In the desperate battle that follows, Anya and Sola will have to make impossible choices. Who can they really trust? And what horrors are they willing to sanction if it means defeating the Daleks?

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • The Fifth Doctor’s smart tech. The Doctor and Nyssa return later this year in two stories set between Seasons 19 and 20. The Fifth Doctor Adventures: Shock and Awe (DTO: £19.99 | DTO + CD: £24.99) is due for release in September.
      • Lair of the Voltaxa by Roland Moore (4 parts) The time travellers’ plans for a break in Devon are disrupted by a report of a car ‘coming to life’ and attacking someone. The Doctor suspects a link to the ‘Miri Cube’ - a sentient gadget soon to be launched nationwide. Technology that is decades ahead of its time. But the cubes contain a disturbing secret - an alien intellect is preparing its plans for conquest.
      • March of the Colossus by Alan Ronald (2 parts) On a beautiful, unspoiled world, the Doctor and Nyssa meet the Dianasa, a primitive tribe who await Arrival Day, when the giant deity that protects them will descend from the sky. An intriguing myth. Except the Colossus is real, as a ruthless off-worlder has discovered. And he will stop at nothing to exploit this discovery for his own ends.
    • The Circuit will be complete. Circuit Breaker comes to an epic conclusion this September in Full Circuit (DTO: £13.99 | DTO + CD: £21.99), the full-cast climax of the multi-media event. It will be followed by the anthology Short Circuits (DTO: £11.99), also due out in September.
      • Full Circuit Synopsis: Strange alien artifacts begin appearing inside UNIT’s Black Archive. Each object is unmistakably linked to a different regeneration of the Doctor, but they’ve been tampered with. A corrupted energy signature of unknown origin pulses through them, and their sudden arrival has torn tiny ruptures across time and space. To solve the mystery, UNIT calls upon a little-known incarnation of the Time Lord: the Fugitive Doctor. But how does UNIT know about her? And is she the Doctor they expect? The Doctor, Osgood and Andrew are joined by Kate Lethbridge Stewart. A final mysterious object is manifesting, this one at the pinnacle of UNIT Tower itself. A Time Bomb! Which threatens a dark future for all of the Doctor’s incarnations. Only this Doctor can save herself - and her other selves - from this intricately woven scheme.
      • Short Circuits Synopsis: Wherever the Doctor has gone, and whatever challenges have lain ahead of her, she has always made new friends and enemies along the way. And as the final pieces of a complex scheme fall into place, this has never been truer. But all of those friends and enemies have stories have their own…
      • 1. Battleships by Alex Hewitt – Meet the Conductor. This cadaverous specimen is a peerless tactical genius. But life is hard for a man who stands out from his fellows, and this formidable mastermind must outwit certain rivals before setting his sights on his true enemy.
      • 2. Get Rich or Die Trying by Alex Hewitt, from a story by Natasha Siegel Meet Andrew – A young man with a good job and a mysterious benefactor. Following a coded message to the Jurassic Coast, where a team of palaeontologists are digging up a dinosaur skeleton, Andrew encounters a stranger who gives him a so-called time-travel device. Before he knows what’s happened, Andrew is plunged back through history, all the way to the Jurassic Period itself. Why has he been sent here? Who is his anonymous benefactor? And is he the victim of a sinister experiment? Only time will tell…
    • Your chance to quiz royalty! Ask your questions to Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson and Sean Carlsen and Big Finish will choose their favorites to put them in a video Q/A. Reply to the post linked or use the hashtag #GallifreyQueens for your question.
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • Android app version 2.2.4 has now been released from review and is available to update through the Play store. This update addresses a number of instability issues and also missing content from a number of releases.
      • iOS instability issues reported on the 9th July have been fixed. Please ensure that you are running the most up to date iOS version available for your device to minimise any potential compatibility bugs.
      • Missing supplementary media has now been restored, including subscriber exclusive content where applicable.
      • You can now once again sort your library by date purchased.
      • The Range filter in your customer library now only shows ranges present in your collection.

Out of Print This Week

  • Rutans vs Sontarans: Rendition

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. July’s selection: Dark Shadows: Blood and Fire (50th Anniversary Special) for just £3.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. July’s selection is The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: The Second Death (excerpt). Just click on the link and use this month’s code BARD.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: The Audio Novels: The Dead Star Part 1 (excerpt). Use discount code LONDON68 at checkout to save 25% off the full release of The Audio Novels: The Dead Star (Ends 2 August).

Big Finish Release Schedule (TBD for most releases, but 12DAs are on a schedule and the podcast had some info on 2DAs and 9DAs)

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.89/5 131 votes
The Broken Man 3.90/5 91 votes
The Beautiful and the Damned 3.49/5 36 votes
6.1 Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 1 3.64/5 45 votes
1.4 Rutans vs Sontarans: Peace at Last 3.97/5 79 votes
1.7 The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident 4.23/5 127 votes
2 Space Security Service: Bret Vyon Lives!
The Man Inside 3.83/5 6 votes
The Wages of Death - Not Enough Votes
The Sky is for Sale - Not Enough Votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: Torchwood: The Conspiracy, Gallifrey: War Room: Loyalties - Propaganda and The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: The Beautiful and the Damned.

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

The Rumor Mill

  • None

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

8 Likes
547

Podcast

Podcast Notes

  • Nick makes the ultimate decision on which era’s theme tune is used when there’s a multi-Doctor story.
  • There was real debate about how to name a Beevers Master set before they landed on the Decayed Master (which I think fans have been calling him for quite a while).
  • A listener has been enjoying Dark Gallifrey and asks where the spinoffs are for the Monks and the Beevers Master, to which Nick replies “These are the spinoffs you’re asking for. Maybe we will do more.”
  • There’s a trailer for the new Eleventh Doctor Adventures in here around the 46:35 mark.

Random Tangents: Lots of discussion around podcasts and and Nick making fun of Americans this week.

Production Interviews: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides by Tim Foley and The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: Duty of Care by Christian Markham.

Fifteen Minute Drama Tease: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides by Tim Foley

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. There are currently technical issues with the Randomoid Selectotron, so it will be stuck on the last release from the 26 June podcast for the forseeable future. This release is The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child.

Vortex #210

  • Circuit Breaker: Full Circuit by Robert Valentine
    • Barnaby Edwards, who directed this release, was the one who cast Omari Douglas as Andrew for the Circuit Breaker event. He found it an interesting challenge as, since this was a multi-media event, he actually had to consider casting from both an audio and a visual standpoint.
    • There were several last-minute changes and approvals with this release since it’s part of a bigger event, and casting only occurred less than a week before recording.
    • Jemma Redgrave would often deliver a “devastating comment (in character) at the end of scenes” to make people laugh.
  • Circuit Breaker: Short Circuits by Alex Hewitt
    • The two stories in this set give sort of “origins” for Andrew and the villain of Circuit Breaker, the Conductor (played by Dan Starkey)
  • The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 15: A New Occupation
    • Daughter of Destruction by Katharine Armitage
      • Part of the brief of this story was that it had to be a pure historical, with no alien forces at play.
      • John Dorney notes that there’s "a particular thing in this one which is very interesting and we’ve ended up half-referring back to it in other stories.”
      • Helen Goldwyn directed this set, and notes that it was a challenge finding actors of Asian origins to play the parts, but was lucky enough to find the right people.
      • A theme in this story is about the power of words - “specifically women’s” - and how a persuasive argument can have more influence than violence.
    • A New Occupation by Helen Goldwyn
      • Producer David Richardson says that some of the tone of Timeslip (which he worked on with Helen before this came about) may have slipped into this story.
      • Similar to the last story, Dorney says there are connections to another story here: "I can’t remember if it’s going back to another story – or forward to one – off the top of my head. It’s a very strong release as you would expect from Helen.” (Keep in mind, this set was commissioned pre-COVID).
      • This story is set on the island of Jersey. Helen found it difficult to find two actors with native Jersey accents, and was surprised when she heard it as there is “so little media online with examples of it.”
  • The Death and Life of River Song Series 04: War Widow
    • River enters the Time War and encounters the Eighth Doctor in his final days in this set. David Richardson says "their interplay is tinged with sadness, but this set is not all about the Doctor. This is River’s story, and our writers do a deep dive into her life – and her reality…”
    • This set is described as more of an anthology of River in the Time War, rather than an overarching story.
    • The Shape of Fear by James Kettle
      • This story is described as Doctor-lite, as there were some specific asks in terms of Paul’s involvement. It sounds like there will be a cameo to instigate the story, but his “presence” in the remainder of the runtime will be down to River’s feelings about him.
      • The Doctor saves River from an attack on Stormcage and takes her to a tech-averse planet. River finds herself conflicted about meeting the Doctor in this part of his life, and finds that reflected in the world they find themselves on – quite literally, as emotions influence the planet’s topography.
    • Bad Timing by Matt Fitton
      • Very little is said of this one, but Matt says “I’ve written the next episode and dispose of the Doctor!”
      • Matt says that this is a Time War idea he’s had in his notebook for a long time, and centers around the same battlefield being replayed over and over. He says that all River can do is be there for the Doctor – “up to a point”.
    • Unchained Melodies by Lisa McMullin
      • This story will explore alternate incarnations of River Song that could have existed had she not given all her lives to save the Doctor in Let’s Kill Hitler, and includes a team-up with Melody Pond (as played by Alex Kingston immediately upon regeneration from Mels).
    • The Reality Director by John Dorney
      • Details are on lockdown with this one, but from Vortex and the press release, this will be a very meta story as it delves behind the scenes of the latest River Song release.
      • The idea for this story actually predates the commissioning of this set, and had been talked about for quite a while.
  • The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Greatest Train Robbery by Karissa Hamilton-Bannis
    • This story will introduce the Tourist back into the fold, as they contact the Doctor and Yaz once again.
    • There are a few mentions of this release having some deeper philosophical conversations and exploring the Doctor and Yaz’s story beyond what’s in the show (though those may not necessarily be related).
  • The Fifth Doctor Adventures: Shock and Awe
    • Lair of the Voltaxa by Roland Moore
      • Roland Moore discusses the intricacies to the Fifth Doctor, noting his vulnerability and how he often feels out of his depth and can be an underdog – but notes that some of this could be a technique used to make his enemies underestimate him, which is a fun thing to play with.
      • The Voltaxa, for those who do not remember (like me), originated in The Death and Life of River Song: Ace and Tegan.
      • Roland was keen to write a story where the TARDIS doesn’t land with plenty of time to uncover the plot and start fighting against it – by the time the Doctor arrives, the threat is imminent and there are only hours to sort everything out.
    • March of the Colossus by Alan Ronald
      • This story stems from a quick moment of inspiration in which Alan saw an image of two Colossi marching towards each other over a green landscape ready for battle. He assumed it would not be picked up in the few ideas he pitched.
      • The villain of the story is inspired by American professional wrestling commentators.
  • Vortex Mail
    • Nick seems coyly supportive of Culshaw’s Brigadier meeting the Sixth Doctor
    • Noonan’s First Doctor may be popping up in some ranges next year, but the First Doctor Adventures will not return until 2028.

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill is released on 4 August (DTO: £19.99 | DTO + CD: £24.99)
    • Synopsis: To escape the Time Lords’ justice - or lack of it - the Doctor, Jamie, Zoe and Raven take a desperate gamble: a jump to planet Earth, in 1963… But this is not the Earth as the Doctor knew it. This is the world as it would have been if he’d never, ever landed there at all. An Earth free of his influence, in which old friends are strangely changed. If he tries to save this Earth, or escape it, the Time Lords will find him. Hidden away in a haunted windmill, on the edge of a marsh, all he can do is observe. But the monsters are coming…
      • 1. The Haunted Windmill An Emergency Beacon Alert from Gallifrey means trouble for the Doctor, Raven, Jamie and Zoe. Their only possible escape is a desperate plan that seems to change everything. The TARDIS arrives in a strange land. Strange, but uncannily familiar too.
      • 2. The Crystal Ship A failed rocket-plane mission crashes to Earth. But where are the crew? The Doctor and Raven encounter Professor Quigley and his trusty, undervalued assistant, Liz Shaw. Will scientific hubris lead to the end of the human race? A certain Miss Heriot has other plans in mind.
      • 3. The Hungry Glass A mysterious mirror, a glimpsed figure and powerful static electric discharges form a web of intrigue that draws in friends and foes from history.
  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: Wings of Steel is released on 5 August (Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set comes out next month, and Big Finish are releasing each story weekly leading up to its release. To get these each week, purchase the bundle. To get them all at once, wait for the box set to be released. The first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £8.99]
    • Synopsis: High above the ruined world of Doorahla, the Ultima have convened. The enemy’s devastation of their forces is finally over. The key to their victory is finally at hand. And on top of all that, they’ve captured a Time Lord. All hail the Ultima.

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • Star Cops on the edge of war. Star Cops returns next month with the fourth installment of Conflict, and details are out now for the next three episodes.
    • That’s All I’m Sayin’. The acclaimed actor Michael Brandon reads his tell-all autobiography, in an audiobook from Big Finish Productions, due for release August 2026.
    • The Return of Zorro! Martin Marquez plays the iconic vigilante in a brand new audio drama, continuing the story of the hit films The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro.
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • We have been informed by a number of customers about a login issue resulting in the login screen flickering and looping, blocking access to accounts. This has been reported to our developers and this page will be updated when a fix has been put in place. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Out of Print This Week

  • Torchwood: 39. Dinner and a Show
  • Torchwood: 55. The Great Sontaran War

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. August’s selection: The Monthly Adventures: 111. The Doomwood Curse for just £1.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. August’s selection is The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill Part 1. Just click on the link and use this month’s code LUCIUS.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Sphere of Freedom (Excerpt). Use discount code NOVA at checkout to save 25% off the full release of The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Ravagers (Ends 9 August).

Big Finish Release Schedule

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.86/5 153 votes
The Broken Man 3.85/5 118 votes
The Beautiful and the Damned 3.53/5 98 votes
Wings of Steel 4.24/5 51 votes
1.7 The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident 4.24/5 152 votes
2 Space Security Service: Bret Vyon Lives!
The Man Inside 4.08/5 12 votes
The Wages of Death 3.59/5 11 votes
The Sky is for Sale 4.00/5 9 votes
5 The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill
The Haunted Windmill 4.10/5 30 votes
The Crystal Ship 3.96/5 24 votes
The Hungry Glass 4.16/5 19 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind: Wings of Steel. This was incredibly strong and I’m excited to see where the next two stories go. After this and The Hallamshire Incident, I’m hoping that Dark Tides can stick the landing and we get a consistent strong run of New Who releases.

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

  • None

The Rumor Mill

  • None

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

6 Likes
548

His name is CRISPY, Briggs! Get it right!!

Recall all the CDs and fix the title!

It’s THE CRISPY MASTER!

11 Likes
549

I’m super excited about this River Song boxset :heart_eyes:

9 Likes
550

Oh he 100% is lovingly 'Ol Chrispy.

But if you think about it for like half a second that’s pretty messed up and abelist. So Im sure the debate was something like:

Marketing: “We can’t call a horrably burned man ‘Crispy’, we’ll get cancled”

Briggs: “BUT HE’S 'OL CRISPY DAMN IT!!!”

(Also Crispy kinda undermines the threat)

7 Likes
551

I’m pretty sure Missy called him the Crispy Master in Masterful :sweat_smile:

7 Likes
552

pretends-shocked

8 Likes
553

I’ll have to keep this in mind for my Blu Ray collection.

3 Likes
General Merchandise Thread
554

The Complete Peter Capaldi Years will be the only Series 10 set that has the full Series 10 in it. Only took almost 10 years.

2 Likes
555

Podcast

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. There are currently technical issues with the Randomoid Selectotron, so it will be stuck on the last release from the 26 June podcast for the forseeable future. This release is The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child.

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides is released on 11 August (DTO: £9.99 | DTO + CD: £11.99)
    • Synopsis: A long-lost ship, the Vesterbold, has returned to normal space. And the Knights of Atlas seek her treasure. But two strangers have joined their expedition - the Doctor and Rose, who warn of danger. For the Vesterbold has drifted free of the Dark Tides at the edge of the universe. And she may have brought something back with her. Not even the bravest knights are ready for the evil which lies inside…
  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: Duty of Care is released on 12 August (Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set comes out on 19 August, and Big Finish are releasing each story weekly leading up to its release. To get these each week, purchase the bundle. To get them all at once, wait for the box set to be released. The first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £8.99]
    • Synopsis: The Doctor doesn’t kill. Not intentionally. Even his worst enemies are offered mercy. Go up against the Doctor, and while your plan will be ruined, there’s a chance you’ll live. Someone doesn’t agree with that. Someone’s travelling across all of time and space putting that right. Someone’s killing all the villains who survived the Doctor.

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • An Uncanny Planet. The Doctor and Rose receive a distress call which leads to a distant planet. But when they arrive, the Doctor and Rose find the world bears a startling similarity to Earth… The Ninth Doctor Adventures: False Friends (DTO: £9.99 | DTO + CD: £11.99) is due for release October 2026.
      • Synopsis: Minnie and Gary are trapped on a planet of robots, a fake Earth, and they’re the only humans - hoping no-one spots their humanity. They summon the one person they know will answer their call for help. But can the Doctor and Rose save Gary and Minnie from this false Earth - and who has built this very bad copy of human civilisation in the first place?
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • Update 13/8 - We’re aware that bonus content may be showing an error when trying to open after downloading from website accounts. This is due to an incorrect filetype being assigned on our database. We will release a fix as quickly as possible to address this.

Out of Print This Week

  • The Lost Stories: 4.2 The Dark Planet
  • Torchwood: 9. Ghost Mission
  • Planet Krynoid: Nightfall

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. August’s selection: The Monthly Adventures: 111. The Doomwood Curse for just £1.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. August’s selection is The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill Part 1. Just click on the link and use this month’s code LUCIUS.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: Blake’s 7: Liberation (Excerpt). Use discount code DAYNA at checkout to save 25% off the full release of Blake’s 7: The Spoils of War (Ends 16 August).

Big Finish Release Schedule

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.83/5 169 votes
The Broken Man 3.85/5 132votes
The Beautiful and the Damned 3.56/5 117 votes
Wings of Steel 4.17/5 95 votes
Duty of Care 4.21/5 59 votes
2 Space Security Service: Bret Vyon Lives!
The Man Inside 4.00/5 17 votes
The Wages of Death 3.47/5 15 votes
The Sky is for Sale 3.82/5 14 votes
5 The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill
The Haunted Windmill 3.99/5 53 votes
The Crystal Ship 3.80/5 46 votes
The Hungry Glass 4.01/5 43 votes
4.7 The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides 3.78/5 65 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides and The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: Duty of Care

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

The Rumor Mill

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

5 Likes
556

Podcast

Podcast Notes

  • Nick takes some time to discuss Justin Richards, and retells the story of how Tom Baker requested a story feature a dog calling him on the phone but when he read the script asked why on Earth they’d write that. But I had no idea this actually made it into The Renaissance Man. I listened to that one too long ago to remember that, I may have to revisit it.
  • Next week’s podcast will feature The Death and Life of River Song: War Widow, so that will presumably come out the first week of September.

Random Tangents: Dog wee flavored pick-and-mix.

Production Interviews: The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Reunion - Save the Date by Matthew Sweet and The Eleventh Doctor Adventures: Hidden in Plain Sight - Tyrrany of the Judoon by Ben Tedds

Fifteen Minute Drama Tease: The Eleventh Doctor Adventures: Hidden in Plain Sight - Tyrrany of the Judoon by Ben Tedds

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. There are currently technical issues with the Randomoid Selectotron, so it will be stuck on the last release from the 26 June podcast for the forseeable future. This release is The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child.

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 2 is released on 18 August (DTO: £8.99 | DTO + CD: £10.99)
    • Synopsis: Across the canals and through the swirling balls of 18th century Venice, stories of Lupo’s genius fill the air. The greatest mask-maker in the Republic’s history, the delicate brushwork of Lupo is legendary. But Lupo has a dark past, on a burned-sienna planet galaxies away. He made a pact, and an exceedingly powerful enemy. And now that enemy is coming, through the ancient, legendary ‘skiproads’, to tear apart everything Lupo has built and unleash his nightmarish powers on the majestic floating city.
  • The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: The Second Death of the Daleks is released on 19 August (Run Fast, Be Kind Bundle: £43.99) [NOTE: The box set has been released, giving fans the option to purchase the stories this way or as a bundle. The first story is available to purchase separately as a “sampler” for £8.99]
    • Synopsis: During the last days of history, a lone wanderer crosses the wastes of Kersarin. Everywhere he goes, he delights those he finds with stories and songs. He provides a little hope in the dark. His name is Ash Wilton, and I swear we’ve done this episode before. We definitely killed that Dalek.

Trailers

Cover Reveals

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

  • Official News
    • The Master releases his memoirs. The Time War era incarnation of the Master, voiced by the devilish Sir Derek Jacobi, returns later this year for four brand-new audio adventures. Following the events of 2025’s box set His Greatest Trick, the Master is still a fugitive from the war, with Time Lords and Daleks alike out to kill him. But when has that ever stopped him from seeking out more trouble? In Deeds Without Name, the Master menaces the minds of wealthy retirees, before he dies and is – as always – resurrected. Then, he takes on the energy companies on a distant planet and returns to Earth to publish his tell-all memoir. All in a day’s work.
      • The Unstately Home by Alison Winter - The super-rich elite residents of Aurora Mansions, a high-tech luxury retirement village and nursing home, have every imaginable comfort and amenity in their golden years. But the Master, posing as a cognitive hypnotherapist, is keen to demonstrate that no amount of money can provide sanctuary from the troubled mind… especially when he’s inside it.
      • Dead Man’s Pulse by Mark Bowsher - The Master is dead. For now, at least. But even a dead Time Lord is valuable during a Time War and when a gang of scavengers steal the Master’s body, their ship is targeted by a psychological energy weapon. They are forced to revive the Master to gain his help, but his cooperation comes at a high price…
      • The Devil in the Detail by David K Barnes On a colony world in perpetual night, young scientist Lyle Godwin is determined to give power back to the people. He’s beating the energy companies at their own game – but why does the Master want to help him do it? The devil… is in the detail.
      • In His Anecdotage by Matthew Sweet - The Master is publishing his memoirs – You Don’t Know Jackanapes – in which he offers himself as a reformed character and spills secrets from the UNIT years. Talking to veteran investigative journalist Jeannie Keen, she questions him about government cover-ups, and he tells her, out of the blue, that he has seen a UNIT file showing she has a twin sister living in a nursing home in Wexcliffe-on-Sea. Only it’s not a nursing home, it’s a UNIT safe house. The Master offers to team up with Jeannie, apparently interested in helping her with the story. But what is the secret of Ashburton Lodge? And what’s behind the Master’s most unreliable of memoirs?
    • The Tenth Doctor and Rani. David Tennant is set to return as the Tenth Doctor in twelve new full-cast audio adventures, released bimonthly from August 2027. The first three of these adventures form a trilogy in which the Time Lord is teamed up with a friend of a friend – Rani Chandra (Anjli Mohindra)! Says producer Matt Fitton: “[Rani] runs into the Doctor in Cumbria as she investigates sightings of strange creatures for a potential podcast – I wonder what happens with that? – and is soon whisked away to amazing adventures. Like Sarah, the Doctor sees Rani’s potential immediately – the pair soon run into his wife-to-be Princess Elizabeth, and a very familiar 1970s TV sci fi show…”
      • The Hidden by Roy Gill - “Investigate cryptids in modern-day Cumbria.”
      • Empress of the Universe by Lizzie Hopley - “Discover a crisis at the coronation of Elizabeth I.”
      • In Effects by John Dorney - “Crash the set of a 1970s sci-fi show.” (Dorney posts on X that he’s had this idea for at least six years now! At that time, he described the story in three words: “Television eats itself”)
    • Radio Times Doctor Who anniversary editions re-issued. Big Finish is releasing re-issues of the Radio Times 10th and 20th anniversary special magazines in hardback volumes, with painstaking work taken to restore photographs and completely recreate the original publications.
    • New Website FAQ - Big Finish are constantly updating this page with information to help people navigate the new website as well as the updated apps. Key updates this week include:
      • Update 13/8 - We’re aware that bonus content may be showing an error when trying to open after downloading from website accounts. This is due to an incorrect filetype being assigned on our database. We will release a fix as quickly as possible to address this.
  • Unofficial News
    • The next release in the Twelfth Doctor Adventures will be titled From the Ashes
    • A few notes from the Long Island Doctor Who Convention, courtesy of sircarolyn on the TARDIS Guide Forum who was kind enough to ask Jason Haigh-Ellery a ton of questions:
      • War Room 4 should release on-time
      • They’ve been considering doing limited CD runs for ranges that are DTO-only, such as the Twelfth Doctor Adventures
      • Chances of Omega Factor and Vam PD returning are low, and no current plans for Blake’s 7. Time Tunnel was given more of a “maybe” response
      • No Bernice Summerfield releases this year, but should be some next year or the year after (he seemed a bit confused on his response)
      • Regarding getting some New Who actors: Capaldi = “not yet”, Gatwa = “give it time”

Out of Print This Week

  • There was recently some confusion caused by some stories that were out of print being marked back in stock. Haven’t heard any reports as to whether anyone was able to snatch a copy, but the following releases should be permanently out of print:
    • The Early Adventures: 3.1 The Age of Endurance
    • The Monthly Adventures: 240. Hour of the Cybermen
    • The Legacy of Time (Standard Edition)
    • The War Doctor Begins: Battlegrounds
    • Out of Time 2: The Gates of Hell
    • Out of Time 3: Wink

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. August’s selection: The Monthly Adventures: 111. The Doomwood Curse for just £1.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. August’s selection is The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill Part 1. Just click on the link and use this month’s code LUCIUS.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: The Sixth Doctor Adventures: The Cosmos and Mrs Clarke - The Key to Many Worlds (Excerpt). Use discount code CONSTANCE at checkout to save 25% off the full release of The Sixth Doctor Adventures: The Cosmos and Mrs Clarke (Ends 23 August).

Big Finish Release Schedule

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.85/5 179 votes
The Broken Man 3.84/5 144 votes
The Beautiful and the Damned 3.55/5 128 votes
Wings of Steel 4.15/5 108 votes
Duty of Care 4.22/5 86 votes
The Second Death of the Daleks 3.97/5 58 votes
5 The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill
The Haunted Windmill 3.94/5 63 votes
The Crystal Ship 3.84/5 55 votes
The Hungry Glass 3.97/5 51 votes
4.7 The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides 3.83/5 96 votes
6.2 Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 2 3.42/5 18 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast Be Kind: The Second Death of the Daleks. What a wonderful series this has been.

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

The Rumor Mill

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

1 Like
557

Podcast

Podcast Notes

  • Nick chooses to use the highly anticipated story The Reality Director from the upcoming River Song box set for the BTS and drama tease on the podcast this week. He believes that John Dorney (writer) and Ken Bentley (director) would be unhappy with him using it as they’ve been trying to keep a tight lid on that story, but Nick is really in love with it and believes teasing it is the best way to advertise the release. He recommends you not listen to the 15 minute drama tease if you’ve already bought the set or are certain you will, but if you’re on the fence go ahead and try it out.
  • Torchwood was running on fumes at the end of its run, not reaching a big enough audience to fund the next release. James Goss was also looking to move on, and with it reaching its 100th release everyone decided it was the perfect time to lay it to rest.
  • They wanted to do a bit more Torchwood to cap some things off though, but the only way they could justify the production of Legacy was to make it download only. Nick states, as he has before, that going download only has been the difference between taking a loss and breaking even on many of their less popular ranges, so rather than no Torchwood: Legacy they made the tough decision to go download only.
    • Nick is very sympathetic towards this issue, and agrees that he too would be very disappointed if he’d collected every physical release and the range transitioned to download only for the last two releases. He’s been asking around about whether this will hold, but can’t promise anything will change.
  • Nick states that he’s grateful he gets any input on bigger business matters like whether releases get a physical format or not, but at the end of the day it’s not his decision.
  • Nick apologizes for the sudden change in postal charge policy. He says that prices have gone up over time and that by not charging postage to date, they’ve taken a loss that’s grown too substantial to not make a change. Some ranges were not making enough money to continue production due to the losses in postal charges.
  • Nick says there are too many releases coming out each month. He says they average about 8 releases a month right now, and he thinks that makes people have to pick and choose what they can afford rather than getting everything they want. He wants to spread them out more so that people can go back to collecting everything they’d like without being overwhelmed. Putting the First Doctor Adventures on hold was an unfortunate byproduct of their desire to slow down on releases.
  • A listener asks if they can change the metadata on the extras tracks so they appear on a different disc to the stories, or at least renumber them so they don’t slot in with the story tracks (Story Track 1, Extras Track 1, Story Track 2, Extras Track 2, etc.). Nick has asked about this, but has learned it’s not a simple fix. There is light at the end of the tunnel, he says.
  • Nick doesn’t know how many Paul Spragg entries there were this year. He only gets involved when it’s down to the top 10 releases. He does know they received less entries this year since they had to be about the First Doctor, and he’s not as popular of a Doctor for people to want to write for.

Random Tangents: A good discussion about the nature of streaming shows and cancellations.

Production Interviews and Fifteen Minute Drama Tease: The Death and Life of River Song Series 04: War Widow - The Reality Director

Randomoid Selectotron: 25% off a random Big Finish release every week! Just click on this link and enter the code BUCKUP. There are currently technical issues with the Randomoid Selectotron, so it will be stuck on the last release from the 26 June podcast for the forseeable future. This release is The Companion Chronicles: 7.6 The Child.

Big Finish News

New Releases

  • The Eleventh Doctor Adventures: Hidden in Plain Sight is released on 25 August (DTO: £19.99)
    • Synopsis: The Doctor has a new companion, Eleanor Fong, and he’s ready to show her the universe. But on her first trip to an alien planet, Eleanor encounters an old foe of the Doctor’s…
      • Tyranny of the Judoon by Ben Tedds An ominous threat has left the people of Hefestis living under the shadow of the Judoon. But award-winning journalist Octavia Cain is here to sniff out the truth. She’s even found two Shadow Proclamation detectives who’ll help her unmask it. If only the Doctor and Eleanor were actually from the Shadow Proclamation…
      • Gambit of the Judoon by Ben Tedds From: INVIGILATOR KOLLO To: ALL STAFF Subject: OPERATION PERSEUS The two persons of interest remain at large. There is a strong possibility they may attempt to infiltrate the Shadow Proclamation. Inform me or Captain Sydon of any and all developments, no matter how small. Additional reminder: I am not to be disturbed during my lunch hour.
      • Wanted Dead and Alive by Beth Axford The Doctor dies on the shores of Lake Silencio; it’s a fact known across the universe. Only someone has arrived early, an old friend of the Doctor, ready to do whatever it takes to save him…
  • The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Reunion is released on 27 August (DTO: £19.99 | DTO + CD: £24.99)
    • Synopsis: The Doctor and Peri’s travels with the mercurial Turlough continue, but nothing lasts forever… and Turlough seems to know it. Trials of love, sacrifice and war lie ahead, and beyond them all lurks something else: the ever-approaching spectre of death.
      • 1. Save the Date by Matthew Sweet London, 1969, and the Eternal Joy dating agency has a new secretary: Miss Perpugilliam Brown. Peri’s undercover. Her mission: to find the source of the sonic boom that rang out across London, discover the secrets of Eternal Joy’s big pink computer… and set the Doctor and Turlough up on a double date with two young ladies.
      • 2. Poison’s Reach by Paul Sutton The civilisation of Freefall is powered by a natural radiation stream rising from its moon. That’s the official story. Engineer Sandra Silva knows the truth. She’s determined to expose the Stelta Corporation’s crimes, and she has a trio of time-travelling sightseers on her side. Turlough is about to learn that, to achieve a worthy goal, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice has to be made…
      • 3. Broken Home by AK Benedict and Guy Adams Once a traitor, always a traitor? Vislor Turlough returns to Trion at last - and promptly hands the Doctor and Peri over to the occupying forces. Has Turlough learned any lessons from the Time Lord he was once tasked with killing? And in order to liberate his broken home, who is he willing to sacrifice?

Trailers

Cover Reveals

  • None

News, Announcements, Videos, and Blog Posts

Out of Print This Week

  • The Death and Life of River Song Series 02: Ace and Tegan

Sales and Recommendations (As a reminder, bulleted stories are recommended by me, and those in bold are my favorites)

Big Finish Book Club: Discounts on a specially selected Big Finish audio drama every month. August’s selection: The Monthly Adventures: 111. The Doomwood Curse for just £1.99 on DTO.

Free Excerpt: Every month a 15 minute excerpt is chosen from an upcoming release to download for free. August’s selection is The Second Doctor Adventures: The Haunted Windmill Part 1. Just click on the link and use this month’s code LUCIUS.

Free Day Friday: Every week, Big Finish highlights an excerpt from their Big Finish For Free! collection, and offer 25% off the full release using a unique sale code. This week’s selection: UNIT: Incursions: The Power of River Song Part 1 (Excerpt). Use discount code OSGOOD at checkout to save 25% off the full release of UNIT: Incursions (Ends 31 August).

Big Finish Release Schedule

* This release will come out the week of 7 September, but the exact dates are guesses.

Community Reviews via TARDIS Guide:

Release No. Title Score Votes
1 The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Run Fast, Be Kind
The Second Death 3.83/5 186 votes
The Broken Man 3.83/5 152 votes
The Beautiful and the Damned 3.56/5 139 votes
Wings of Steel 4.13/5 119 votes
Duty of Care 4.19/5 103 votes
The Second Death of the Daleks 3.90/5 89 votes
4.7 The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Dark Tides 3.81/5 111 votes
6.2 Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master Part 2 3.43/5 36 votes
2 The Eleventh Doctor Adventures: Hidden in Plain Sight
Tyranny of the Judoon 3.78/5 41 votes
Gambit of the Judoon 3.31/5 36 votes
Wanted Dead and Alive 3.83/5 27 votes
10 The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Reunion
Save the Date 3.76/5 17 votes
Poison’s Reach 2.54/5 14 votes
Broken Home 4.61/5 9 votes

What Big Finish I Was Listening To This Week: Nothing. Quite a stormy week for me personally.

General Doctor Who / Non-Big Finish News

News

The Rumor Mill

Media/Merchandise

Circuit Breaker Event Guide

6 Likes
558

Im sure somebody out there is going to disagree (other than Briggs), but there is no world where 15 minutes of an hour long story is a “tease”. Imagine if an actual episode did that, its insane! I get making a trailer or something as a marketing necessity, but totally agree with the writers here. At least with BF “just dont listen to it” is a choice as it wont make the news everywhere

6 Likes
559

lmao more like annoying enough :zany_face:

7 Likes
560

Ah thats disappointing about VAMPD, I was really enjoying it. Hope they continue to still use Landau tho

4 Likes
561

He said that sales were poor for it :(((

5 Likes