It’s always a pleasure to have new adventures for the wonderful Professor Bernice Summerfield, and the latest boxset pairs her up with the Doctor! But probably not the one you were expecting.
The New Adventures of Professor Bernice Summerfield: The Unbound Universe takes the archaeologist to a parallel universe – where David Warner is the Doctor! His alternative version of the Time Lord first cropped up in Big Finish’s 2003 audio, Sympathy for the Devil, and he returned for 2008’s Masters of War. That was the last release of the company’s Unbound range… until now!
It’s the first release to star Lisa Bowerman’s Summerfield since June 2015’s The Triumph of Sutekh, and we’re pleased to hear Big Finish is doing something fitting different for her third New Adventures outing.
Written by Guy Adams, James Goss, Una McCormack, and Emma Reeves, here’s the official synopsis for The Unbound Universe:
The wrong Doctor, the wrong universe, a whole heap of trouble – Bernice Summerfield is having a really bad day.
1. The Library In The Body
In a dying reality knowledge is the only thing left of value – and the Kareem have come to destroy it. Can Bernice, the Doctor save the last library?
2. Planet X
Bernice and the Doctor land on a planet so dull no one ever bothered naming it. Finally something interesting is about to happen here.
3 The Very Dark Thing
Tramatz is an idyllic world – the rivers hum to themselves, unicorns prance through the emerald forests, and, at the very corner of your eye, is a horrible secret.
4. The Emporium At The End
The Last Song has been sung, and the final days of the universe have begun. Everyone flees to the gateway – to find that The Emporium At The End is having a closing down sale.
Bowerman and Warner are joined by Mark Gatiss – or perhaps Sam Kisgart… Director, Scott Handcock says:
“Lisa and David have a brilliant chemistry – it’s a very different Doctor/Companion relationship. Benny really is the adventurer, dragging the Doctor along behind her. When we first meet him, he’s given up all hope – but Benny is determined to, quite literally, save the universe. The guest cast are marvellous – it’s a hoot. Kisgart has never been more sinister.”
The set also stars Zeb Soanes as The Librarian, Guy Adams as The Sage of Sardner, Tom Webster as Acolyte Farnsworth, Rowena Cooper as Mother Superior, Alex Jordan as Mandeville/Kareem Chief/Acolyte, Sophie Wu as Millie, Julie Graham as Prime Minister 470, Damian Lynch as Ego, Kerry Gooderson as Megatz, Deirdre Mullins as Fleet Admiral Effenish, George Blagden as Colonel Neave, Richard Earl as Gallario, Aaron Neil as Aramatz, Laura Doddington as Idratz, Lizzie Hopley as Sister Christie, Shvorne Marls as Ampz, Gus Brown as Forz, and Scott Handcock as Elevator.
You might notice a few familiar names from other audio lines including Sherlock Holmes‘ Richard Earl, Torchwood‘s Rowena Cooper, and Graceless‘ Laura Doddington.
The New Adventures of Professor Bernice Summerfield: The Unbound Universe is out now from Big Finish; it’s £20 on CD and download, but the price rises once it goes on general sale on 30th September.
