The news that Christopher Eccleston was returning to Doctor Who for a series of audio dramas was a nice little surprise for fans, and there’ve already been several teases from the actor of his upcoming adventures. Now, production company Big Finish have shared some more details on what the first release, Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Ravagers, will involve when it arrives in May.
The initial entry in a multi-year project with Eccleston includes three stories written by Nicholas Briggs, and will introduce several unique companions and other characters alongside his incarnation of the Time Lord. The summaries for these instalments are as follows:
Sphere of Freedom: On the Sphere of Freedom, the Doctor is about to shut down an evil Immersive Games business empire. He’s assisted by a valiant galley chef called Nova. But his plan spectacularly fails… And who exactly is Audrey?
Cataclysm: Nova is dislocated in time while the Time Eddies are out of control. Meanwhile, the Doctor is about to face the end of the universe. Or is that just the Battle of Waterloo?
Food Fight: The TARDIS is starting to get a little crowded! Audrey finds herself haunted by a ghostly Doctor.
At present, it’s planned for there to be four collections set in this era of the Doctor, which will presumably develop the new figures of Audrey and Nova, as well as giving us some different perspectives on Eccleston’s occasionally abrasive, enthusiastic, and quite alien take on the Gallifreyan. While other voice talents have filled the role for official spinoffs, this will be the first time that he’ll be played by the original star.
One of the advantages of the Big Finish audio productions has been their ability to explore more fantastical worlds than the budget-sensitive television seasons, while the medium has also successfully extended the life of Paul McGann’s briefly seen Eighth Doctor. Previous actors from the show have also been brought back for new plots, allowing the likes of Tom Baker and Peter Davison to continue in the franchise.
However, Eccleston is still very unlikely to appear as the Doctor on screen again, something that he’s jokingly touched on since accepting this limited comeback. For now, though, getting to hear the actor’s distinctive performance in the Doctor Who Big Finish range is an exciting prospect, especially given that Ravagers will be followed by three further releases.
