Big Finish revealed more information about the cast and the story for the first volume of its new Doctor Who series, Dalek Universe, which is set to be released in April 2021.
David Tennant is back as The Tenth Doctor and is joined by Jane Slavin (Anya Kingdom), Joe Sims (Mark Seven), Mark Gatiss (George Sheldrake), Chris Jarman (Pastor Vesht), and Gemma Whelan (The Newcomer). Nicholas Briggs is also back as The Daleks. One familiar face will join the cast in a future volume, but we don’t want to give spoilers away!
In the first volume of the Dalek Universe series, The Doctor will be sent back to a time before the last great Time War:
“Time has gone awry. The Doctor is lost, without his TARDIS. But he’s not alone. The Space Security Service agents Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven haven’t always been on his side in the past, but now they are here to help him. And he’s going to need them – because the oldest foes of all are waiting to strike. Ready to take down their greatest enemy…”
The box set is directed by Nicholas Briggs and produced by David Richardson. Big Finish has shared the synopsis for the three stories, which you can see below.
“Buying Time” by John Dorney
“The far future – Anya Kingdom of the Space Security Service is on a mission investigating an SSS ship that crashed on a distant jungle planet. Unknown to her superiors, she’s searching for something particular but what she finds is entirely unexpected. Her old friend, the Doctor. With a completely different face and no idea what he’s doing there. The Time Lord soon finds himself drawn into a conspiracy involving voracious predators, time travel, and a malevolent businessman. History itself is breaking down. If he makes a mistake, it could mean the end of everything.”
“The Wrong Woman” by John Dorney
“The team’s investigations have taken an unexpected turn – but the signs all still point to Sheldrake. With the clock ticking down to the launch of the time tunnels, the Doctor, Anya, and Mark split up. But soon discover how hard it is to fight a foe who can always keep one step ahead of you. But stopping him is only half the battle. The Doctor says that time can be rewritten – and Anya is searching for redemption. Can she put history back on track? Or is the Doctor’s future never going to be the same again?”
“The House of Kingdom” by Andrew Smith
“The Doctor and his friends are trying to locate a scientist to help them out on their quest … but an attack on a space-station alters their plans. Rescued by Anya’s grandfather, Merrick, and taken to Neptune, the Doctor and Mark discover her family history. A story of betrayal and loss. Will the Kingdom’s be reconciled? Or are they destined to continue the mistakes of the past?”
When talking about his two stories, writer John Dorney said:
“Buying Time and The Wrong Woman kick the season off with an epic two-parter that brings the Doctor into the world of the Space Security Service with a bang. He’s swiftly reunited with Mark and Anya in the middle of their own investigations into a sinister businessman called Sheldrake … but without his TARDIS and the lingering question of who has brought him here hanging over everything. I wanted to start the series off with the sort of story you’d usually end one with, filled with big, bold moments. At one point, I think it literally has it all!”
Writer Andrew Smith added about writing a story for Dalek Universe:
“The first of many highlights about being asked to write for Dalek Universe was that it would be my first time writing for David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor. It was a treat to come up with scenes and dialogue for such a fun, high energy Doctor, and one of the most talented actors ever to take on the part. Add to that: the mouth-watering prospect of having the Doctor in surroundings familiar from the earliest seasons of Doctor Who, the era of the Dalek Masterplan; one of his companions is Space Security Service agent Anya Kingdom, whom I had introduced as a former companion of the Fourth Doctor; and Mechonoids! What a storytelling sandpit that was.”
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Dalek Universe Volume One is available to pre-order as a collector’s edition CD, a digital download, or a limited edition gatefold triple LP vinyl available exclusively from the Big Finish website. Listeners can also save money by ordering a bundle composed of the three volumes of Dalek Universe.
