Big Finish’s Doctor Who 60th anniversary celebrations begin in May 2023 with Past Lives, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, part of the eight-part Once and Future.
Expect faces old and new in episode one, written by Robert Valentine, and also starring Rufus Hound (as the time-meddling Monk), Jemma Redgrave (as UNIT chief Kate Stewart), Ingrid Oliver (as scientific advisor Osgood), and Sadie Miller (as Sarah Jane Smith)!
Here’s the synopsis:
The Time War. The Doctor has been injured and brought to a Time Lord field hospital. His body glows with energy, but this is no regeneration into a future form – instead, the Doctor’s past faces begin to appear as he flits haphazardly between incarnations…
Staggering to his TARDIS, the Doctor sets out to solve the mystery of his ‘degeneration’. Who has done this to him? How? And why? From the Earth to the stars, across an array of familiar times and places, he follows clues to retrace his steps, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Tumbling through his lives, the Doctor must stop his degeneration before he loses himself completely…
Settling as his Fourth incarnation, the Doctor goes in search of the Monk, with a vague memory that he had something to do with his ‘degeneration’.
On Earth, the Monk is meddling, bringing Sarah Jane Smith to the future UNIT HQ to steal a device for an alien race. The Doctor must help Kate Stewart and Osgood foil an invasion before he can confront the Monk about what he knows…
Producer David Richardson said:
“One of the joys of this anniversary release is being able to savour things that could otherwise never happen – like the Fourth Doctor meeting Kate Stewart and Osgood, or his being reunited with Sarah Jane Smith who is living through the day she was left behind on Earth in The Hand of Fear… It sparkles with magical moments that fit beautifully within Doctor Who’s 60th year.”
Once and Future: Past Lives is now available to pre-order as a standard CD (and download) for £10.99 or digital download only (for £8.99). Or you can pre-order the special edition bundle of all eight audio adventures for just £75 (CD box set and download) or £62 (digital download only).
The special edition bundle sets also come with exclusive covers, including this very cool Past Lives ones…
The special edition CD bundle is strictly limited to just 3,000 pressings and includes numbered CDs, special bonus artworks, and additional audio content, including music suites and extended behind-the-scenes interviews. A standard bundle is also available to pre-order for £72 (collector’s edition CD box set and download) or £60 (download only). The standard edition does not include the extras contained in the special edition but does include behind-the-scenes features.
