When the show went off the air in the wilderness years, fans tried to pick up the pieces, famously The Audio Visuals are where a lot of current Big Finish writers got their start, but in terms of bringing Doctor Who back to the screen, there was BBV’s The Stranger.
Staring Colin Baker as ‘The Stranger’, and Nicola Bryant as ‘Miss Brown’, the series of movie was a way of making more Doctor Who stories while technically not being Doctor Who stories, in fact the second and third films were based on two of the previously mentioned Audio Visuals.
Come The Terror Game, the fourth film in the series, a few major changes were made. Due to the BBC catching wind of what was going on, this film deviated from the intention to just be more Doctor Who, giving The Stranger a name, and explaining his backstory as a once-terrorist, now fighting against his people. It also removed the character of Miss Brown… as Nicola Bryant left, having not been paid for the previous stories.
There are also a few The Stranger audio dramas, and a novel, and the series itself includes other doctor who alumni such as Sophie Aldred and David Troughton.
I definitely need to finish this series off, or at least the films
I watched the first two a few months ago and found them to be pretty interesting but more strange than anything else
In regards to your spoiled comment, that is correct.
I guess I’m the only person here who likes these films. While there was a lot of behind the scenes drama between the cast and crew (one only has to look as far as the documentaries BBV made where Colin speaks on Bill. They say behind every joke is a grain of truth.) the timing of Miss Brown’s character being removed really added to the storyline. The Stranger literally being on his own made the series more enjoyable to me because the angst was enhanced. There is a subtle but dramatic shift in his emotional state from his time with Miss Brown to when he’s not, similar to Six with Peri and Six in the EU stories immediately following Mindwarp.
The only appearance of The Stranger in licensed media is two PROBE Case Files
Because they weren’t licensed, The Stranger (the series) isn’t legally part of the DW universe
That said, I mean, it doesn’t contradict anything, the first three work nicely as just more 6th doctor, and the last three make it something different, but still feel like doctor who stories, just not featuring The Doctor
I have these rated with fours for the first three, fives for the last three. Originally, my least favorite was the first story, but now I think it’s either the second or third. I’ve rewatched Summoned by Shadows (SBS) recently and even though the plot is lacking, I really admire the on-screen romance between the deaf boy and the girl and the closeness between the Stranger and Miss Brown. The ending of this movie is beautiful.
There’s something about the third one that’s never gelled with me, and I’ve also rewatched it recently. I love how it’s a single-set film with the only characters being the Stranger and Miss Brown (…and Nick Briggs), but I don’t understand what’s going on and that ruins it a bit for me. I know, ultimately, that it’s because Soloman is being ripped out of the Estrangement Program, but the way it’s written leaves me confused. Gosh, is it shippy though. It gets four stars just for that.
More Than a Messiah…The plot is also lacking here, but it’s shippy so 4/5.
I think The Stranger is the type of series that only a NiColin fan could love. These films are gold to us for the obvious reason that it has them in it and they are depicted in very shippy ways (like AirZone), but also because we don’t have much selection in the filmography department. Once Six’s TV era was done, their TV roles dried up overnight unless you include a slew of cameos, one-off characters, and a handful of starring roles in lost media. I respect Bill Baggs purely because he is virtually the only person who put their names front and center on the posters, committed to giving them starring roles (instead of false advertising), and ensured his media remained watchable for years to come.[1] This turned out to be an essay, but basically that’s why I love the Stranger, and why I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone who isn’t a NiColin superfan (or Six/Peri) walks away from this series not really caring for it.
one of two, I suppose, as this changed when Colin was made a main character in a lovely Christmas movie two years ago. ↩︎
I don’t think I knew this - but it makes you wonder why Colin continued if he knew that had been happening.
(I did hear that Elisabeth Sladen wasn’t paid for her role in one of the two Stranger audios and would refuse to autograph the cover at signings as a result).
I have wondered that myself considering Colin wasn’t paid/paid well either according to rumor. But that’s interesting what you say about ES, because until your post I’ve haven’t heard stories about how the other DW actors were treated by BBV. I don’t know if certain people got paid and others didn’t, or if everyone was in misery but kept their concerns to themselves.
