Big Finish Main Range Trilogy Guide: 2012

Big Finish Main Range Trilogy Guide: 2012

Sixth Doctor and Flip I

Starring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Lisa Greenwood as Philippa “Flip” Jackson

#156 The Curse Of Davros, written by Jonathan Morris and directed by Nicholas Briggs, released January 2012

#157 The Fourth Wall, written by John Dorney and directed by Nicholas Briggs, released February 2012

#158 Wirrn Isle, written by William Gallagher and directed by Nicholas Briggs, released March 2012

This trilogy brings Flip, who appeared in 2011’s Crimes Of Thomas Brewster, into companion role.

Time frames: The Curse Of Davros begins during a period where the Doctor is travelling alone. Release dates indicate this could be after his travels with Charley or his encounter with “Jamie”, but certainly after his time with Evelyn. The Fourth Wall is stated to be the day after Curse Of 
Davros, while a few days could be the time between Fourth Wall and Wirrn Isle

Highlight: Davros has always been a great villain, and with Jonathan Morris writing for him, he’s as brilliant and creepy as ever. Flip sounds like a real person and like someone I’d spend time with, and the idea of what’s happened to the Doctor, I’ll let you find out…

Season 20 United, Take III

Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, Janet Fielding as Tegan and Mark Strickson as Turlough

#159 The Emerald Tiger, written by Barnaby Edwards and directed by Barnaby Edwards, released April 2012

#160 The Jupiter Conjunction, written by Eddie Robson and directed by Ken Bentley, released May 2012

#161 The Butcher Of Brisbane, written by Marc Platt and directed by Ken Bentley, released June 2012

This trilogy again features the season 20 team. At the end of the Emerald Tiger, (it’s not much of a spoiler, later covers show it), Nyssa is rejuvenated back to the age she was when she left the Doctor, which is mentioned in Jupiter Conjunction and an important element of Butcher Of Brisbane

Time Frames: An unknown period of time takes place between Rat Trap and The Emerald Tiger. A single night (relative) has passed between The Emerald Tiger and The Jupiter Conjunction, while again, unknown time between Jupiter Conjunction and Butcher Of Brisbane

Highlight: The Emerald Tiger is a very Indiana Jones-eque adventure, set in 1926 Calcutta. Locations are passed through and not seen again, all four regulars get good treatment (in terms of writing, not what happens to them). Even if you feel hit over the head by the contemporary literary references, you’ll still enjoy it.

Elder Gods trilogy (WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW)

Starring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Sophie Aldred as Ace, Philip Olivier as Hex, Maggie O’Neill as Lysandra Aristedes and Amy Pemberton as Sally Morgan

#162 Protect And Survive, written by Jonathan Morris and directed by Ken Bentley, released July 2012

#163 Black And White, written by Matt Fitton and directed by Ken Bentley, released August 2011

#164 Gods And Monsters, written by Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes and directed by Ken Bentley, released September 2011

Companion Chronicles #7.03 Project: Nirvana, written by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright and directed by Ken Bentley, starring Maggie O’Neill, Amy Pemberton and Sylvester McCoy, released September 2012

This trilogy was wraps up an arc over ten years in the making. Tying together elements like Hex’s mother, the Forge and chess, this is not an audio for beginners. What you need to have heard or known of (spoilers may follow)

Project: Twilight – begins the Forge, and introduces Hex’s mother

Project: Lazarus – death of Hex’s mother, Forge continued

The Harvest – introduction of Hex

The Magic Mousetrap – beginning of a chess motif

The Angel Of Scutari – Hex is wounded

Project: Destiny – conclusion of the Forge arc, Hex learns about his mother’s death and the Doctor’s role in it, first appearance of Aristedes

A Death In The Family – the fallout from the revelation

Lurkers At Sunlight’s Edge – appearance of an Elder God

Black TARDIS Trilogy

Time Frames: After recruiting Sally Morgan at the end of House Of Blue Fire, the two of them, spent at least one mission fighting Elder Gods. The Doctor then added Aristedes, last seen in #139 Project: Destiny to the team to continue this, one of the missions can be heard in the Companion Chronicle Project: Nirvana. Another of these missions was to set up the conditions for Protect And Survive (not knowing Ace and Hex would get involved).

For Ace and Hex, they went from Lurkers At Sunlight’s Edge to Protect And Survive in the White TARDIS (which then vanished), the conclusion of that summoning the Black TARDIS at the point where the Doctor had just left it to investigate Beowulf, Ace and Hex learning about the God hunting when meeting Sally and Aristedes. The Doctor get kidnapped, and sent to where he is at Gods and Monsters, while the two TARDIS teams work together to find out how to get to him. Here they synch up.

Highlight: Protect And Survive. A final respite from the continuity fest that follows, one that puts Ace and Hex through a harrowing ordeal. Grim and gritty, not one to listen to in the dark, and not one you’re likely to forget either.

SPOILERS OVER

Drashani trilogy

Starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor

#165 The Burning Prince, written by John Dorney and directed by Ken Bentley, released September 2012

#166 The Acheron Pulse, written by Rick Briggs and directed by Ken Bentley, released October 2012

#167 The Shadow Heart, written by Jonathan Morris and directed by Ken Bentley, released November 2012

A stand-alone trilogy linked by location (the Drashani Empire), with each story featuring one Doctor.

The Shadow Heart also introduces Vienna Salvatori, who has her own spin-off range called Vienna.

Time Frames: The Burning Prince takes place between the TV stories Arc Of Infinity and Snakedance, and after the audio Omega. The Acheron Pulse could take place between any of the Sixth Doctor companion gaps, similar to the Seventh Doctor and The Shadow Heart.

Highlight: The Burning Prince is a disaster movie with the Fifth Doctor (who else?). The stakes are high, and so is the body count, even when the Doctor tries his hardest to keep everyone alive. The characters are strong and it’s a strong story.