As I’ve been going through more and more EU content recently, there have been many instances of the EU trying to add more background details to pre-existing stories from the TV show or retconning previous story beats that were vague/unexplained.
But my topic is: has there been any EU story that has significantly added to your enjoyment of a particular story/episode, story or character arc or just a lore detail?
My own personal example is of the Fifth Doctor’s second costume. In Warriors of the Deep, the Doctor is pushed into a pool of water at the end of Part One and changes into a sea base uniform, which he wears for the rest of the story. One might assume that the old outfit just got too wet, so he decided to change it.
However, in the Past Doctor Adventure novel Deep Blue, which takes place directly after Warriors of the Deep, the Doctor gets stabbed by a Xaranti right in the shoulder and is hospitalised. He fights the Xaranti virus taking over his mind and flees the hospital back to the Tardis, and it is described that he removed his jacket and jumper due to them being covered in blood.
Before he arrives at the Xaranti ship, he gets a new jacket and jumper out of the Tardis wardrobe before leaving, which (according to my headcanon at least) is the outfit that debuted in The Awakening.
Little details that given some more context or info about a particular element in the show goes a long way for me to adding more enjoyment when revisiting TV Episodes.
I’d say there are a lot of cases for me where Doctors, Companions and even monsters I’ve not enjoyed on TV I’ve greatly came to appreciate through their appearances on audio. I think for me, the 5th, 6th and 8th Doctors are three which I’ve grown to enjoy a lot more through these additional stories.
I think for me, more is always great and I’m hard pushed to find a character I want to hear more from not having any audios. I think for me, the EU (specifically BF) is MY main source of Doctor Who, and it just enhances and enriches the Whoniverse so much. Characters that I’ve not liked, I’ve grown to like, Doctors I already like I’ve ended up liking more! Heck, I didn’t even know I wanted more stories from Bambera but when ar @sircarolyn convinced me to try it, I’ve become SUCH a stan of hers.
The first that pops into my mind is Trial of a Time Lord - Gallifrey the audios giving Inquisitor Darkel a name and a whole story really enhances that for me because I can watch it and go ‘there she is! my horrid woman!’
And though Remembrance was already a top favourite story for me forever, I can’t say that Counter-Measures hasn’t made it all the better for me.
Bambera forever!!! The EU doesn’t do much with her but seeing her in extra stuff is always fun, and I’ve lately been coming across her father here and there which adds another interesting layer to everything because it adds some connective tissue between the ICMG and UNIT
Yes! I do think the EU has greatly enhanced my Enjoyment of plenty of TV Who, I mean it’s great that we have such a vast one, isn’t it? Even if some Parts of it (TV Comics, Incredible Hulk present, Death’s Head) are a bit silly, I feel like the vastness of it on its own greatly helps to make this Universe feel more breathing and alive.
Not to mention that with the EU there have been plenty of Instances where it greatly made an Era feel richer, be it a TARDIS Team (good Example is 1, Steven & Vicki who had in total only 3 TV Stories together as a proper Team) or the entire Era(s) of 8. If it wasn’t for the Comics, EDAs & Audios, while I still would really like McGann’s Incarnation, I don’t think I would love him as much. There are of course other Examples like having the Chance for a longer Era for Sixie or how like @sircarolyn said a Character played by a superb Actress from Trial really got a lot to chew on (and I am pretty sure got her Name in said Audio Series, if I am not mistaken!)
Like, I genuinely was so burnt out by the end of doing Classic Who, and while I enjoyed Battlefield a great deal it wasn’t a character I was dying to hear more of. Plus, I’m not a big fan of the covers of BNW.. that said, its genuinely one of my favourite spin-offs now, and I’ve done LOTS of them.
There’s still lots of corners of the EU I’m yet to explore, in BF and otherwise. I stick to BF most of the time, as its my preferred medium, but I do wanna venture out more. This year tbf I’ve done loads of ranges I didn’t think I’d ever touch like Jenny, and Unit Brave New World and a 1DA!
I find it so funny that people even look at the covers for BF - to me they are soooo irrelevant because if audio has character I like, I will be listening BNW just really is that good though <3 it surprises me so much that Bambera hasn’t showed up like everywhere, I’d always assumed she was mega popular but then I’ve loved her since the moment I saw Battlefield haha
Darkel I love youuuuuu she’s so awful and you’d not really get any of that from the TV story <33
I am indifferent about a lot, a lot of them look good but rarely often do they wowe me or make me think much (although some of the early ones are hilarious to look at). That said, I am glad we have a very consistent Quality Control with those, not to mention that it creates a lot of paid Position for plenty of good Artists!
Your average Gallifrey Fan about Darkel:
(but no I agree!!)
As anyone on this forum knows, I am very very normal and not at all obsessed with Gallifrey[1] and I would recommend it very heartily. There are some ups and downs in the first seasons, but if you love Leela and Romana then I’d say go for it!! The style of it can take a moment to get used to but once it clicks for you then it’s very easy to fall right down the wormhole for them !
We did the first three series in Audio Club Extra if you want to see some of what people said, and if you were to listen you’d be welcome to post there, or in any club thread at all - they never close and it’s never too late!
this is a lie. i have forced many people here to listen <3 ↩︎
Yeah I’ve kinda stopped caring these days like I’ll moan if its naff like the next River one but it won’t deter me anymore. Plus its just as I say, not something I thought I needed until I heard it!
I suppose the entirety of the EU has enhanced my enjoyment of the Sixth Doctor era purely by providing a wealth of additional stories, but I don’t know if I can say the EU has provided any real revelations about him as a character. The EU just has more of a chance to explore the different aspects of him that were already shown in the 80s.
Conversely, I do appreciate how the EU fleshes out Peri, although you really have to separate the wheat from the chaff with a good portion of it. The audios in particular really add to their relationship in terms of establishing the number of interests they have in common. Had the lost stories been aired on TV, I think some of them would have helped to ease people’s minds about how they feel towards each other (without having to read between the lines as you do now).
I can’t really point to a story in particular, though, that has enhanced my enjoyment of any given TV serial.
but seeing her in extra stuff is always fun, and I’ve lately been coming across her father here and there which adds another interesting layer to everything because it adds some connective tissue between the ICMG and UNIT
that said, its genuinely one of my favourite spin-offs now, and I’ve done LOTS of them.
BNW just really is that good though <3 it surprises me so much that Bambera hasn’t showed up like everywhere, I’d always assumed she was mega popular but then I’ve loved her since the moment I saw Battlefield haha