So, multi part stories. This whole thing has come up a few times on here, and on the discord as well. For TV it’s been decided quite simply. Classic has the episodes together, Modern has them separate.
Though for audio there are currently multiple inconsistencies on the site. The one I have kept nagging poor @shauny about is The Power of River Song and Day of the Master.
Both audio multi-parters that are made up from two episodes from the same boxset. And then there’s stuff like the Dark Gallifrey trilogies. Morbius has explicitly been called a single story by its writer, but something like The War Master can easily be argued to be three different stories. Though there are also Classic Who serials that have episodes that are quite separate from each other.
I could bring up a bunch of more instances, but the point is; Every situation is different, but we’d still like some consistency and simultaneously also make sense with TARDIS.wiki (who classifies the DG trilogies as single stories, for example). Maybe have entries for both the separate episodes and the full stories? But that would give us a lot of extra episodes of classic… Basically, we can’t figure it out. Please do what you’re good at forum people and figure it all out lol.
Personally speaking, I think this would be the ideal Way to handle it:
Are those Stories released in the same Boxset? Then it’s one Entity. (See: Day of the Master or that River Song Story you mentioned).
Are those Stories released separately? Then keep them separate (that would include the Dark Gallifrey Trilogies and the huge 12 Parter, which are technically the same Story, for example).
It’s not a perfect Approach, but the best I can come up with, considering you will own both Parts if it’s part of the same Boxset, then I don’t see why those can’t be combined. Unlike with Stories released on their own, I think having them as separate entities is the best way to go, but that’s just me.
The Quintessence for example is a 6 part story, where each part is named part 1-6, is listed on both TARDIS Wiki and TARDIS Guide as a single story
Torchwood Soho: Ashenden (well, each Soho story), is a 6 part story where each part is given it’s own name. It’s listed on the wiki as a single story, but on the Guide as separate stories
It’s also interesting to note the Big Finish Synopsis’ of these stories
I think the best way to deal with multi-part big finish stories is to follow what the descriptions say, so Quintessence and Day of the Master would be one story each, and Ascension and Power of River Song would be split into parts.
Quick question, because I’m adding it to the site now - is this a single story or multiple ones?
On the backwater planet of Falk, the mayor of the small town of Oakview has been murdered. Two investigators are sent in to catch the killer.
But unbeknownst to everyone on Falk, they’ve just been caught up in a war beyond their imagination. A war that will change Falk forever.
Chapter One: The Dead Sea
Galactic Investigations Bureau Agents Smith and Tickson have been dispatched to the remote coastal town of Oakview to investigate a bizarre murder.
Who killed the mayor? And why did they draw a clock around his body?
Chapter Two: Unit 26
As Wyatt and Louisa examine the links between the Clock Face Killer and a cold case, they realise their entire investigation could hinge on a single question. Who is the Doctor?
Chapter Three: Yesterday is Tomorrow and Tomorrow is Today
Warrior No More.
It’s hard to judge of course when stories haven’t yet released, but my guess would be a single story, seeing as the War Doctor Rises range has only done single large story single writer releases so far. Even with the named episodes it seems more akin to Unknown Soldiers.
I started writing out a long and erudite answer to this that would have solved all our problems but then I realised I was talking utter bollocks because as usual BF have themselves decided to be wildly inconsistent I guess I would personally be most likely to list say both Day episodes up there as two different story entries, as well as the War Doctor set, but something like The Quintessence as one story entry because it’s like the difference between say Empty Child/Doctor Dances and Dalek Invasion of Earth to me - technically both with individual parts but like EC/DD are percieved as two episodes while DIoE is percieved as one thing
The description is split into multiple Chapters, so that’s why I’d say multiple parts. I’d say the site has been pretty bang on for which stories are and aren’t a big part!
I guess I would personally be most likely to list say both Day episodes up there as two different story entries, as well as the War Doctor set, but something like The Quintessence as one story entry because it’s like the difference between say Empty Child/Doctor Dances and Dalek Invasion of Earth to me - technically both with individual parts but like EC/DD are percieved as two episodes while DIoE is percieved as one thing