Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor will lead a new series of multi-medium stories that will spread across audio dramas, novels, comics, and more next year.

Circuit Breaker is said to be a “ground-breaking mixed-media Doctor Who story”, and a partnership between BBC Studios with BBC Audio, Big Finish Productions, Doctor Who Magazine, East Side Games, Penguin Random House, and Titan Comics.

This interconnected narrative that will unfold across audio dramas, comics, mobile games, novels, and digital storytelling, inviting fans to experience the mystery from every angle. The overarching narrative is by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, the best-selling author who wrote the novelisation of the 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road.

In Circuit Breaker, strange alien artifacts begin appearing inside UNIT’s Black Archive. Each object is unmistakably linked to a different regeneration of the Doctor, but they’ve been tampered with. A corrupted energy signature of unknown origin pulses through them, and their sudden arrival has torn tiny ruptures across time and space.

UNIT is out of options. To repair the damage and restore the timeline, the objects must be returned to the exact moments they were taken from. If not, the Doctor’s adventures – and the universe itself – could unravel.

To solve the mystery, UNIT calls upon a little-known incarnation of the Time Lord: the Fugitive Doctor, played by Jo Martin, who returns in a central role. But how does UNIT know about her? And is she the Doctor they expect?

Jo Martin commented:

“I’m thrilled to tell more stories about the Fugitive Doctor and cannot wait for fans to unlock all the twists and turns across the Circuit Breaker story. This character has always meant so much to me, and it is a joy to continue building her legacy and dive back into the Whoniverse.”

Stephen Davies, SVP Global Licensing at BBC Studios, added:

“Circuit Breaker is an exciting evolution for the Whoniverse. By bringing together world-class partners across publishing, audio, comics, and gaming, we’re creating a truly immersive, multi-platform experience for fans. This is a bold step in expanding the Doctor Who brand, deepening engagement, exploring new stories, and welcoming new audiences into the universe of the Doctor.”

We wait to see whether this is any more engaging than Time Lord Victorious and Doom’s Day.

Circuit Breaker will debut in 2026.