1.
Big Finish Productions
–
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. Many of those involved in Big Finish had worked on the Audio Visuals fan series of unlicensed Doctor Who audio plays. In 1999, Big Finish obtained a licence to produce official Doctor Who plays. Doctor Who and spin-offs have remained the part of the companys output ever since. The companys first foray into books also came through Benny and a series of paperbacks and this range was later abandoned, but the company then obtained a non-exclusive licence to produce hardback Doctor Who short story collections. Eventually, this ended, and the collections went out of print. The company subsequently returned to Benny books and other Doctor Who spin-offs, until July 2006, Gary Russell served as producer of the Doctor Who audios. When Russell left the company, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs took joint responsibility as Executive Producers, Briggs now bears creative responsibility for Big Finishs Doctor Who range, along with script editor Alan Barnes. The Managing Director of the company is Jason Haigh-Ellery, on 11 June 2011, Tenth Planet Events hosted the first Big Finish Day in Barking, with such guests as Sophie Aldred, Colin Baker, and Sarah Sutton. On 11 February 2012, a one was held with such guests as Tom Baker, Paul Darrow, Louise Jameson, Terry Molloy, Katy Manning. As of September 2015, there have been seven Big Finish Days, in February 2008, Big Finish launched a new download service through their website, which would provide audio plays in MP3 format, free of any DRM. They currently provide the majority of their catalogue in MP3 and M4B format. In June 2008, Big Finish announced a subscription service that mirrors its physical CD service. In addition, those who purchase Big Finish productions on CD through the companys website receive access to a download of the story. In September 2008, they released their first free downloadable play, UNIT, The Coup had previously been given away with an issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Since then, the company has made a couple of single-episode plays from its Companion Chronicles line available for exclusive download through Doctor Who Magazine. More recently, selected complete stories and single-episode samplers from longer stories have made available through SoundCloud. The late Jon Pertwees voice is featured in the 40th-anniversary story Zagreus and his part in the story was pieced together from snippets of Pertwees dialogue from the fan-produced Doctor Who video Devious
2.
Audio drama
–
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio. Radio drama achieved widespread popularity within a decade of its development in the 1920s. By the 1940s, it was an international popular entertainment. With the advent of television in the 1950s, however, radio drama lost some of its popularity, however, recordings of OTR survive today in the audio archives of collectors and museums, as well as several online sites such as Internet Archive. As of 2011, radio drama has a presence on terrestrial radio in the United States. Much of American radio drama is restricted to rebroadcasts or podcasts of programs from previous decades, however, other nations still have thriving traditions of radio drama. In the United Kingdom, for example, the BBC produces and broadcasts hundreds of new plays each year on Radio 3, Radio 4. Like the USA, Australia ABC has abandoned broadcasting drama but New Zealand RNZ continues to promote, podcasting has also offered the means of creating new radio dramas, in addition to the distribution of vintage programs. Thanks to advances in recording and Internet distribution, radio drama was experiencing a revival in 2010. The terms audio drama or audio theatre are used synonymously with radio drama, however. Audio drama can also be found on CDs, cassette tapes, Radio drama traces its roots back to the 1880s, In 1881 French engineer Clement Ader had filed a patent for ‘improvements of Telephone Equipment in Theatres’. English-language radio drama seems to have started in the United States, a Rural Line on Education, a brief sketch specifically written for radio, aired on Pittsburghs KDKA in 1921, according to historian Bill Jaker. Newspaper accounts of the era report on a number of other experiments by Americas commercial radio stations. In February 1922, entire Broadway musical comedies with the original aired from WJZs Newark studios. Actors Grace George and Herbert Hayes performed a play from a San Francisco station in the summer of 1922. Aware of this series, the director of Cincinnatis WLW began regularly broadcasting one-acts in November, the success of these projects led to imitators at other stations. By the spring of 1923, original pieces written specially for radio were airing on stations in Cincinnati, Philadelphia. That same year, WLW and WGY sponsored scripting contests, inviting listeners to create original plays to be performed by those stations dramatic troupes
3.
Doctor Who
–
Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called The Doctor and he explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by a number of companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes, while working to save civilisations, the show is a significant part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series, the programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot. The programme was relaunched in 2005, and since then has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff, twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The conceit is that this is a Time Lord trait through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body, each actors portrayal differs, but all represent stages in the life of the same character and form a single narrative. The time-travelling feature of the means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The current lead, Peter Capaldi, took on the role after Matt Smiths exit in the 2013 Christmas special The Time of the Doctor, in 2017, Capaldi confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the tenth series. Doctor Who follows the adventures of the character, a rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He fled from Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS – Time and Relative Dimension in Space – a machine which allows him to travel across time, the TARDIS has a chameleon circuit which normally allows the machine to take on the appearance of local objects as a disguise. However, the Doctors TARDIS remains fixed as a blue British police box due to a malfunction in the chameleon circuit, the Doctor rarely travels alone and often brings one or more companions to share these adventures. His companions are usually humans, as he has found a fascination with planet Earth, as a Time Lord, the Doctor has the ability to regenerate when his body is mortally damaged, taking on a new appearance and personality. The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during his travels, including the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Master, another renegade Time Lord. Doctor Who first appeared on BBC TV at 17,16,20 GMT, eighty seconds after the programme time,5,15 pm. It was to be a weekly programme, each episode 25 minutes of transmission length. Discussions and plans for the programme had been in progress for a year, writer Anthony Coburn, story editor David Whitaker and initial producer Verity Lambert also heavily contributed to the development of the series
4.
Sixth Doctor
–
The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Colin Baker, although his televisual time on the series was comparatively brief and turbulent, Baker has continued as the Sixth Doctor in Big Finishs range of original Doctor Who audio adventures. Within the series narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, when the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body, in doing so, his physical appearance and personality change. Baker portrays the sixth incarnation, a flamboyant man in brightly coloured, mismatched clothes whose brash. The Sixth Doctor appeared in three seasons, Colin Baker had been signed up for four years, as the previous actor Peter Davison had left after only three years. Prior to its postponement, season 23 was well advanced with episodes already drafted and in at least one case distributed to cast and production. These were all dropped with the reconception of the season in mid 1985 in favour of a 14 episode story arc called The Trial of a Time Lord, the Sixth Doctor also appeared in the special Dimensions in Time. There are also novels and audio plays featuring the Sixth Doctor, the sixth Doctors regeneration was initially unstable, and he nearly strangled Peri before he came to his senses. He encountered many old foes including the Master, Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans and he also faced a renegade female Time Lord scientist, the Rani, who was conducting experiments on humans using the Luddite riots as a cover. Later, the Doctor and Peri landed on the devastated planet Ravolox, before they could discover the reason for this disaster, the TARDIS landed on Thoros Beta. In reality the trial was a cover-up organised by the High Council, the prosecutor at that trial, the Valeyard, turned out to be a possible future evil incarnation of the Doctor himself who was out to steal his remaining lives. He had also edited the Matrix recordings of the Doctors travels, the events of the trial tangled the Doctors timeline slightly, as he left in the company of Mel, whom he technically had not yet met. When the TARDIS is attacked by the Rani, the Sixth Doctor was somehow injured and regenerated into the Seventh Doctor, attempts have been made by various authors to fill in these narrative gaps. The Virgin Missing Adventures novel Time of Your Life states that the Doctor went into an exile to avoid becoming the Valeyard. He was lured back into travelling by the Time Lords, although now travelling again, he attempted to avoid meeting Mel and recruited other companions such as history lecturer Evelyn Smythe and Edwardian adventuress Charley Pollard. He eventually encounters Mel accidentally during the events of the BBC Books novel Business Unusual, pip and Jane Bakers novelisation of Time and the Rani provides the first relatively brief attempt to explain the Doctors regeneration. In these events, the Doctor, through the TARDIS telepathic circuits, forces his own regeneration and then travels towards Lakertya, setting up the events of Time and the Rani. In 2015, Big Finish Productions released The Sixth Doctor, The Last Adventure, the message caused the past Sixth Doctor to fly his TARDIS to Lakertya, where he ended up exposed to radiation deadly to Time Lords
5.
Evelyn Smythe
–
A professor of history from the 20th century with a fondness for chocolate, she is a companion of the Sixth Doctor, and encounters the Seventh Doctor as well. Evelyn first appeared in the play The Marian Conspiracy, when the Sixth Doctor found her while searching for a temporal nexus point. Traveling with the Doctor back to 1554, she became involved with the surrounding the reign of Queen Mary. At the end of that adventure, Evelyn insisted on accompanying the Doctor further, because as a historian, Evelyn was fifty-five when she began her travels with the Doctor. Being more mature than most of the Doctors other companions, she was more than a match for the more abrasive Sixth Doctor, often questioning his decisions, in turn, the Sixth Doctor recognized Evelyns wisdom and ability and respected her advice. Their relationship was not always smooth, Evelyn had a heart condition which she kept from the Doctor, fearing that he would return her home if he found out. She also blamed the Doctor for his inability to save a woman named Cassie in Project, Lazarus, something the Seventh Doctor said she never forgave him for. When she and the Doctor returned a year later, Evelyn decided to stay and she subsequently became involved in the politics of Világ and underwent surgery for her heart. The surgery, however, did not correct her condition, without her knowledge. The infusion disguised Evelyns heart condition but also caused her to suffer headaches, increased aggressiveness. Two years later, the Sixth Doctor brought his new companion Mel to visit Evelyn on Világ, during their visit, Evelyn was kidnapped by a political enemy, and during the ordeal she became seriously ill as a result of the Killoran blood in her system. With the Doctors aid, Rossiters daughter Sofia, a physician, during her recovery, Evelyn was secretly paid a visit by the Seventh Doctor. He wanted to tell Evelyn that Cassies son, Hex, was now travelling with him, Evelyn continued to appear alongside the Sixth Doctor in new audio releases, set before her departure. The end of her life is chronicled in A Death in the Family, a few years later, Hex was dropped off on Pelicham after the Seventh Doctor died fighting a pan-dimensional enemy called Nobody No-One. Evelyn took Hex in as her ward for several months and told him about his mother, the Doctors other companion, Ace, resurrected the Doctor, and he travelled to Pelicham on the day Evelyn died of a heart attack. With her consent, he trapped Nobody No-One in her mind, at the end of Instruments, the Doctor agreed to take Evelyn back to her proper time, and to take the scenic route, implying further adventures. The novel also featured the first meeting between Evelyn and Mel, how these events can be reconciled with those in Thicker than Water is not clear, and supports the proposition that the novels and audios take place in separate continuities. The story was produced for the BBC website by Big Finish, Big Finish producer Gary Russell, who wrote the story, has also stated that he has no firm plans for continuing the story and it should, for the moment, be regarded as unofficial
6.
Paul Cornell
–
Paul Douglas Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctors spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield. As well as Doctor Who, other British television dramas for which he has written include Robin Hood, Primeval, Casualty, Holby City, for US television, he has contributed an episode to the modern-day set Sherlock Holmes series Elementary. Cornell has also written for a number of British comics, as well as Marvel Comics and DC Comics in America, soon after, he wrote Timewyrm, Revelation, a novel for the Virgin New Adventures series of Doctor Who novels. Timewyrm, Revelation was a reworking of a fan fiction piece Cornell had penned previously for the fanzine Queen Bat. Several other Doctor Who novels followed, including the award-winning Human Nature and his episode, entitled Masturbation, starred Ioan Gruffudd as Jack. He was due to be one of the writers on Red Production Companys planned Queer as Folk spin-off series Misfits, but the series was never made, being abruptly cancelled by Channel 4. In the 21st century he has written mainly for the BBC and he also contributed to the 1950s-set Sunday evening prime time drama series Born and Bred and was one of the writers of the 2005 series revival of Doctor Who, writing the episode Fathers Day. The episode was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2006, Cornell later wrote a two-part story for Doctor Whos 2007 series, based on his 1995 Virgin New Adventures novel Human Nature. The title of the first episode was also Human Nature, while the second was titled The Family of Blood, in 2008, the two episodes were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. He later announced on his blog that he was writing a second Robin Hood episode for later in the first series. His first episode, Who Shot the Sheriff, aired on BBC One on 21 October 2006. His second, A Thing or Two About Loyalty, followed on 2 December 2006 and he also wrote an episode for the second season of another Saturday evening family adventure programme, the ITV science-fiction series Primeval, transmitted in February 2008. He also wrote the one-off pilot Pulse, which was shown on BBC Three in early June 2010. co. uk in 2003 and he has also co-authored several non-fiction books on television, including The Guinness Book of Classic British TV, X-treme Possibilities, and The Discontinuity Guide. He has also written comics, both for Doctor Who Magazine and the 2000 AD spin-off Judge Dredd Megazine and he has written Wisdom, a 6-issue limited series for Marvel Comics MAX imprint, featuring the character Peter Wisdom, with art by Trevor Hairsine and Manuel Garcia. It was announced at the 2007 Wizard World Chicago comic book convention that Cornell would be following Chris Claremont on Marvels New Excalibur, plans were subsequently changed with the cancellation of the New Excalibur title and Cornells new project was announced as being titled Captain Britain and MI,13. The third trade paperback, Vampire State, was nominated for the 2010 Best Graphic Story Hugo Award, in 2008, he wrote a comic which featured on the Doctor Who website. He has also written the Young Avengers limited series that ties into Dark Reign and Black Widow, Cornell became the next Action Comics writer after War of the Supermen. Cornell signed with DC Comics exclusively in 2010 as part of writing for Action Comics and his 16-issue run on the series included number 900
7.
Nicholas Briggs
–
He is also a co-creator of Big Finish Productions, for which he has produced, directed and written several audio plays. In the late 1980s, Briggs also provided the voice of an incarnation of the Doctor for a series of unofficial audio dramas by Audio Visuals. This version of the Doctor also appeared in Party Animals, an installment of the Doctor Who comic published in Doctor Who Magazine issue 173, cover date 15 May 1991. He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution and directed a documentary film, Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide. He also voiced the Cybercontroller and Professor Osborn in the 2002 Webcast audio series Doctor Who, since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode Rose, on 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Special Government Advisor Rick Yates. Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen and he has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell and became producer of the company. In 2007, he guest starred in the Sapphire and Steel audio drama Water Like a Stone, Briggs voiced the Daleks in a charity theatre production of The Daleks Master Plan and briefly appeared on stage playing a regenerated Doctor. In 2010 he starred in Doctor Who Live as Winston Churchill, in 2012, his Doctor Who novel The Dalek Generation was published by Random House/BBC Books. Briggs has a role in the drama playing actor Peter Hawkins. In November 2013 he also appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five Doctors Reboot, Briggs has also been playing Sherlock Holmes in an acclaimed series of audio dramas for Big Finish Productions since 2011. He also appeared in the films Adulthood and 4.3.2.1, Briggs became the presenter of Radio 7s Seventh Dimension, daily science fiction segment in 2011. As of 15 April 2013, he is part of a rotating line-up of hosts of the 7th Dimension on BBC Radio 4 Extra, Doctor Who The Dalek Survival Guide Official website Nicholas Briggs at the Internet Movie Database
8.
Jason Haigh-Ellery
–
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. Many of those involved in Big Finish had worked on the Audio Visuals fan series of unlicensed Doctor Who audio plays. In 1999, Big Finish obtained a licence to produce official Doctor Who plays. Doctor Who and spin-offs have remained the part of the companys output ever since. The companys first foray into books also came through Benny and a series of paperbacks and this range was later abandoned, but the company then obtained a non-exclusive licence to produce hardback Doctor Who short story collections. Eventually, this ended, and the collections went out of print. The company subsequently returned to Benny books and other Doctor Who spin-offs, until July 2006, Gary Russell served as producer of the Doctor Who audios. When Russell left the company, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs took joint responsibility as Executive Producers, Briggs now bears creative responsibility for Big Finishs Doctor Who range, along with script editor Alan Barnes. The Managing Director of the company is Jason Haigh-Ellery, on 11 June 2011, Tenth Planet Events hosted the first Big Finish Day in Barking, with such guests as Sophie Aldred, Colin Baker, and Sarah Sutton. On 11 February 2012, a one was held with such guests as Tom Baker, Paul Darrow, Louise Jameson, Terry Molloy, Katy Manning. As of September 2015, there have been seven Big Finish Days, in February 2008, Big Finish launched a new download service through their website, which would provide audio plays in MP3 format, free of any DRM. They currently provide the majority of their catalogue in MP3 and M4B format. In June 2008, Big Finish announced a subscription service that mirrors its physical CD service. In addition, those who purchase Big Finish productions on CD through the companys website receive access to a download of the story. In September 2008, they released their first free downloadable play, UNIT, The Coup had previously been given away with an issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Since then, the company has made a couple of single-episode plays from its Companion Chronicles line available for exclusive download through Doctor Who Magazine. More recently, selected complete stories and single-episode samplers from longer stories have made available through SoundCloud. The late Jon Pertwees voice is featured in the 40th-anniversary story Zagreus and his part in the story was pieced together from snippets of Pertwees dialogue from the fan-produced Doctor Who video Devious
9.
Science fiction on television
–
Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality. The combination of initial cost and lower maintenance cost pushed producers into building these techniques into the basic concept of a series. The broad term special effects includes all the techniques here, visual effects involve photographic or digital manipulation of the onscreen image, usually done in post-production. Mechanical or physical effects involve props, pyrotechnics, and other methods used during principal photography itself. Some effects involved a combination of techniques, a ray gun might require a pyrotechnic during filming, stunts are another important category of physical effects. In general, all kinds of special effects must be planned during pre-production. Babylon 5 was the first series to use computer-generated imagery, or CGI, for all exterior space scenes, the technology has made this more practical, so that today models are rarely used. In the 1990s, CGI required expensive processors and customized applications, models have been an essential tool in science fiction television since the beginning, when Buck Rogers took flight in spark-scattering spaceships wheeling across a matte backdrop sky. The original Star Trek required an array of models, the USS Enterprise had to be built in several different scales for different needs. Gerry Anderson created a series of using puppets living in a universe of models and miniature sets. ALF depicted an alien living in a family, while Farscape included two puppets as regular characters, in Stargate SG-1, the Asgard characters are puppets in scenes where they are sitting, standing, or lying down. As animation is completely free of the constraints of gravity, momentum, in general, science fiction series are subject to the same financial constraints as other television shows. However, high production costs increase the risk, while limited audiences further complicate the business case for continuing production. Star Trek was the first television series to cost more than $100,000 per episode, while Star Trek and this enabled merchandising such as toy lines, animated cartoon adaptations, and other licensing. Creative settings also often call for broader story arcs than is found in mainstream television. Science fiction television producers will sometimes end a season with a cliffhanger episode to attract viewer interest. Dark Angel is one of many shows ending with a scene that left critical questions open when the series was cancelled
10.
Colin Baker
–
Colin Baker was born in Waterloo, London, England. He moved north to Rochdale with his family when he was three years old and he was educated at St Bedes College, Manchester, and originally studied to become a solicitor. At the age of 23, Baker enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, one of Bakers first acting jobs, in 1970, was a supporting role in a BBC adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartres trilogy The Roads to Freedom. In 1972 he played Anatole Kuragin in a BBC serial adaptation of War and his most prominent role in the 1970s was as the villainous Paul Merroney in The Brothers, a role that he played from 1974 to 1976. In the final episode of Fall of Eagles, Baker appeared as Crown Prince Willy of the German Empire and he also guest-starred as Bayban the Butcher in a 1980 episode of Blakes 7. In 1983 he featured in a BBC production of A. J, Baker made his first appearance in Doctor Who as Commander Maxil in the story Arc of Infinity. Producer John Nathan-Turner described Bakers performance as being quite arch and a little sassy, Maxil was one of the few characters actually to shoot the Doctor, then played by Peter Davison. At the time of Bakers casting as Davisons successor he was the actor portraying the Doctor to have appeared in the television series as another character prior to taking on the leading role. When Baker was cast to replace Davison, many fans cited that shooting scene in Arc of Infinity and he is no relation to Tom Baker, who previously played the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. Bakers first appearance as the Doctor occurred at the final minutes of The Caves of Androzani, the closing title sequence for episode four features Bakers face instead of Peter Davison and credits him as the Doctor before Davisons own credit. This was the first time that the new lead received top billing in the story of an outgoing Doctor. Baker then made his first full debut the following week in The Twin Dilemma. It was the first time since 1966, and only the time in the series history. Bakers era was interrupted by an 18-month hiatus which was announced in February 1985, one new Doctor Who story, Slipback, was made on radio during the hiatus. The Controller of BBC1 at the time, Michael Grade, criticised Doctor Who, saying that the programme had become overly violent, the programme returned for its 23rd season in September 1986. Season 23 featured a reduction in episodes produced, and the 14-episode-long serial The Trial of a Time Lord and this serial was a meta-textual reference to the fact that the series itself was on trial at this time. In 1986 Baker told an interviewer, Tom Baker did it for seven years, theres a part of me which likes to have a tilt at records. I would like to think that maybe Id still be doing it in eight years time, later that year Baker was dismissed from the part at the insistence of BBC management, who wanted to refresh the show
11.
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
–
The Doctor is the title character and protagonist in the long-running BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The character has also featured in one made-for-television film. In the programme, the Doctor is the alias assumed by a centuries-old alien—a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey—who travels through space and time in his TARDIS, since the shows inception in 1963, the character has been portrayed by twelve lead actors. The War Doctor and an aborted regeneration are counted in his previous cycle of twelve regenerations, a number of other actors have played the character in stage and audio plays, as well as in various film and television productions. The character has been well received by the public, with his enduring popularity leading The Daily Telegraph to dub him Britains favourite alien. On 30 January 2017, Capaldi confirmed that the series would be his last. His kind have dedicated themselves to overseeing all of time and space without interference, the Doctor chose to leave his home by stealing an obsolete TARDIS model as revealed in the 1969 serial The War Games and depicted in the 2013 episode The Name of the Doctor. With this vehicle, the Doctor explores the universe with usually human companions who serve as audience surrogate characters to ask questions which allow the Doctor to provide relevant exposition, spin-off media offer the explanation that his true name is unpronounceable by humans. In The Name of the Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor tells companion Clara Oswald that the name Doctor is essentially a promise he made, the promise itself is revealed in The Day of the Doctor, Never cruel nor cowardly. The Doctors earlier life and childhood on Gallifrey has been little described, the classic programme refers to his time at the Academy and his affiliation with the notoriously devious Prydonian chapter of Time Lords. Some are inspired, some go mad and some run away, when asked to which group he belonged, he replied, Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped. In the Armageddon Factor, it is revealed that the Doctor scraped through the Academy with 51% on his second attempt, in The Time Meddler, it is said that the Doctor was fifty years before the Meddling Monk. In Time and the Rani, the Doctor claims to have attended University alongside the Rani, specialising in thermodynamics. In The Time Monster, the Doctor says he grew up in a house on a mountainside and he is later reunited with this former mentor, now on Earth posing as the abbot Kanpo Rimpoche, in Planet of the Spiders. In other media, more has been revealed of the Doctors early life, in the Past Doctor Adventures novel Divided Loyalties, the Doctor recalls his Academy years in a dream induced by the Celestial Toymaker. With this group, he learns about the Celestial Toymaker and travels to his realm in a type 18 TARDIS with Deca members Rallon and Millennia and this leads to the Doctors expulsion from the Academy, condemned to five hundred years in Records and Traffic Control. In The Quantum Archangel, it is revealed the Doctor studied cosmic science alongside the Master, feeling that too much of the Doctors backstory had been revealed by the Seventh Doctors era, writers Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt developed a new direction for the series. Cartmel wished to restore the awe, mystery and strength
12.
Ancient Rome
–
In its many centuries of existence, the Roman state evolved from a monarchy to a classical republic and then to an increasingly autocratic empire. Through conquest and assimilation, it came to dominate the Mediterranean region and then Western Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa and it is often grouped into classical antiquity together with ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the Greco-Roman world. Ancient Roman civilisation has contributed to modern government, law, politics, engineering, art, literature, architecture, technology, warfare, religion, language and society. Rome professionalised and expanded its military and created a system of government called res publica, the inspiration for modern republics such as the United States and France. By the end of the Republic, Rome had conquered the lands around the Mediterranean and beyond, its domain extended from the Atlantic to Arabia, the Roman Empire emerged with the end of the Republic and the dictatorship of Augustus Caesar. 721 years of Roman-Persian Wars started in 92 BC with their first war against Parthia and it would become the longest conflict in human history, and have major lasting effects and consequences for both empires. Under Trajan, the Empire reached its territorial peak, Republican mores and traditions started to decline during the imperial period, with civil wars becoming a prelude common to the rise of a new emperor. Splinter states, such as the Palmyrene Empire, would divide the Empire during the crisis of the 3rd century. Plagued by internal instability and attacked by various migrating peoples, the part of the empire broke up into independent kingdoms in the 5th century. This splintering is a landmark historians use to divide the ancient period of history from the pre-medieval Dark Ages of Europe. King Numitor was deposed from his throne by his brother, Amulius, while Numitors daughter, Rhea Silvia, because Rhea Silvia was raped and impregnated by Mars, the Roman god of war, the twins were considered half-divine. The new king, Amulius, feared Romulus and Remus would take back the throne, a she-wolf saved and raised them, and when they were old enough, they returned the throne of Alba Longa to Numitor. Romulus became the source of the citys name, in order to attract people to the city, Rome became a sanctuary for the indigent, exiled, and unwanted. This caused a problem for Rome, which had a large workforce but was bereft of women, Romulus traveled to the neighboring towns and tribes and attempted to secure marriage rights, but as Rome was so full of undesirables they all refused. Legend says that the Latins invited the Sabines to a festival and stole their unmarried maidens, leading to the integration of the Latins, after a long time in rough seas, they landed at the banks of the Tiber River. Not long after they landed, the men wanted to take to the sea again, one woman, named Roma, suggested that the women burn the ships out at sea to prevent them from leaving. At first, the men were angry with Roma, but they realized that they were in the ideal place to settle. They named the settlement after the woman who torched their ships, the Roman poet Virgil recounted this legend in his classical epic poem the Aeneid
13.
Julius Caesar
–
Gaius Julius Caesar, known as Julius Caesar, was a Roman politician, general, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed an alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to power as Populares were opposed by the Optimates within the Roman Senate. Caesars victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Romes territory to the English Channel, Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both the Channel and the Rhine, when he built a bridge across the Rhine and crossed the Channel to invade Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, with the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with the 13th Legion, leaving his province, Civil war resulted, and Caesars victory in the war put him in an unrivalled position of power and influence. After assuming control of government, Caesar began a programme of social and governmental reforms and he centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed dictator in perpetuity, giving him additional authority. But the underlying political conflicts had not been resolved, and on the Ides of March 44 BC, a new series of civil wars broke out, and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. Caesars adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to power after defeating his opponents in the civil war. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began, much of Caesars life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and from other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources, Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history. Caesar was born into a family, the gens Julia. The cognomen Caesar originated, according to Pliny the Elder, with an ancestor who was born by Caesarean section. The Historia Augusta suggests three alternative explanations, that the first Caesar had a head of hair, that he had bright grey eyes. Caesar issued coins featuring images of elephants, suggesting that he favored this interpretation of his name, despite their ancient pedigree, the Julii Caesares were not especially politically influential, although they had enjoyed some revival of their political fortunes in the early 1st century BC. Caesars father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, governed the province of Asia and his mother, Aurelia Cotta, came from an influential family. Little is recorded of Caesars childhood, in 85 BC, Caesars father died suddenly, so Caesar was the head of the family at 16
14.
Gaius Julius Caesar (proconsul)
–
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman senator, a supporter of his brother-in-law, Gaius Marius, and the father of Gaius Julius Caesar, the dictator. Caesar was married to Aurelia Cotta, a member of the Aurelii and Rutilii families and they had two daughters, known as Julia Major and Julia Minor, and a son, Gaius, who was born in 100 BC. He was the brother of Sextus Julius Caesar and the son of Gaius Julius Caesar, caesars progress through the cursus honorum is well known, although the specific dates associated with his offices are controversial. According to two elogia erected in Rome long after his death, Caesar was a commissioner in the colony at Cercina, military tribune, quaestor, praetor, the dates of these offices are unclear. The colony is one of Marius of 103 BC. Broughton dated the praetorship to 92 BC, with the quaestorship falling towards the beginning of the 90s BC, brennan has dated the praetorship to the beginning of the decade. Caesar died suddenly in 85 BC, in Rome, while putting on his shoes one morning, another Caesar, possibly his father, had died similarly in Pisa. His father had seen to his education by one of the best orators of Rome, Marcus Antonius Gnipho. In his will, he left Caesar the bulk of his estate, but after Mariuss faction had been defeated in the war of the 80s BC
15.
Will Thorp
–
Will Thorp is an English actor. Thorp attended St. Augustines Catholic College in Trowbridge and he studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company. Thorp was also a member of the National Youth Theatre for 6 years before training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for three years. 2008, Hughie Green, Most Sincerely, Law and Order, UK, other appearances include Scott and Bailey, Doctors, In The Club and Unhallowed Ground and Cornelius the Centurion in NBCs A. D. The Bible Continues. in 2002, In 2006 Thorp played the role in a national UK tour of the play Strangers on a Train. In 2008 he played the role in David Hares play The Blue Room which opened at the Haymarket Theatre. 2013 Love and Money UK Tour, in 2005 he appeared on the third series of the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing, reaching seventh place with his partner Hanna Haarala. He guest-starred in the Doctor Who audio play 100 and he has narrated a series of Doctor Who novels, Forever Autumn, Sick Building, Peacemaker and The Krillitane Storm, all produced by BBC Audiobooks. Other audiobooks read by Thorp include The Knife That Killed Me, Hyperpsychoreality Syndrome, Baboon, Buy-ology, The Kill Call, Click, and The Spooks Curse, The David Bowie Treasures, Inverting the Pyramid, Anatomy of England and The Dynamite Room. Soup Man 2 Jodie Doctor Who, toby Zed The Impossible Planet The Satan Pit Hughie Green, Most Sincerely. TV Executive Law & Order, UK, Cornelius Will Thorp at the Internet Movie Database Watch, BBC webTV interview with Will Thorp – August 2006
16.
Aurelia Cotta
–
Aurelia Cotta or Aurelia was the mother of Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. Aurelia Cotta was a daughter of Rutilia and Lucius Aurelius Cotta or his brother and her father was consul in 119 BC and her paternal grandfather of the same name was consul in 144 BC. The family of the Aurelii Cottae was prominent during the Roman Republican era and her mother Rutilia, was a member of the gens Rutilia. Publius Rutilius Rufus was her maternal uncle, three of her brothers were consuls, Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 75 BC, Marcus Aurelius Cotta in 74 BC and Lucius Aurelius Cotta in 65 BC. Aurelia married a praetor Gaius Julius Caesar and her husband died 85 –84 BC. Their children were, Julia Major, wife of Pinarius and grandmother of Lucius Pinarius, Julia Minor, wife of Marcus Atius and grandmother of emperor Augustus, Gaius Julius Caesar, the historian Tacitus considered her an ideal Roman matron and thought highly of her. Plutarch described her as a strict and respectable woman, highly intelligent, independent and renowned for her beauty and common sense, Aurelia was held in high regard throughout Rome. Aurelia and her family were influential in her son’s upbringing. Her husband, the elder Gaius Caesar, was often away, when the younger Caesar was about 18, he was ordered by the then dictator of Rome, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, to divorce his young wife Cornelia Cinna, Cinnas daughter. Young Caesar firmly refused, and by so doing, put himself at risk from Sulla. Aurelia became involved in the petition to save her son, defending him along with her brother Gaius Cotta, after Cornelias death in childbirth, Aurelia raised her young granddaughter Julia in her stead and presided as mistress over her sons households. Although Caesar himself admitted her possible innocence, he divorced her shortly after stating that his wife must be above suspicion
17.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
–
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, baptised as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. Born in Salzburg, he showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood, already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, Mozart was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court, while visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame, during his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his death. The circumstances of his death have been much mythologized. He was survived by his wife Constanze and two sons and he composed more than 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers, Ludwig van Beethoven composed his own early works in the shadow of Mozart, and Joseph Haydn wrote, posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria, née Pertl and this was the capital of the Archbishopric of Salzburg, an ecclesiastic principality in what is now Austria, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was the youngest of seven children, five of whom died in infancy and his elder sister was Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl. Mozart was baptized the day after his birth, at St. Ruperts Cathedral in Salzburg, the baptismal record gives his name in Latinized form, as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. He generally called himself Wolfgang Amadè Mozart as an adult, Leopold Mozart, a native of Augsburg, Germany, was a minor composer and an experienced teacher. In 1743, he was appointed as fourth violinist in the establishment of Count Leopold Anton von Firmian. Four years later, he married Anna Maria in Salzburg, Leopold became the orchestras deputy Kapellmeister in 1763. During the year of his sons birth, Leopold published a textbook, Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule. When Nannerl was 7, she began lessons with her father. Years later, after her brothers death, she reminisced, He often spent much time at the clavier, picking out thirds, which he was ever striking, and his pleasure showed that it sounded good. In the fourth year of his age his father, for a game as it were, began to teach him a few minuets and he could play it faultlessly and with the greatest delicacy, and keeping exactly in time. At the age of five, he was composing little pieces
18.
John Sessions
–
John Gibb Marshall, better known by the stage name John Sessions, is a British actor and comedian. He is known for improvisation in television shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway. As a panellist on QI, and as an actor in numerous films. Sessions was born in Largs, Ayrshire, when he was three years old, his father, a gas engineer, moved the family to Kempston, Bedfordshire, and then to St Albans, Hertfordshire. He has a sister, Maggie, and an older brother. Sessions was educated at Bedford Modern School, an independent school for boys, at university, he had begun to appear to audiences with his comedy in shows such as Look back in Bangor and Marshall Arts. He later studied for a PhD from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and this period in his life was unhappy. Sessions attended RADA in the late 1970s, studying alongside Kenneth Branagh, in the early 1980s he worked on the small venue comedy circuit with largely improvised freewheeling fantasy monologues. He topped a double bill with French and Saunders during this period and he had a number of small parts in films including The Sender in 1982, The Bounty in 1984 and Castaway in 1986. Sessions played to his strengths in improvisation and comedy with his stage show Napoleon. Sessions and Stephen Fry were the two regular panellists on the original radio broadcast of Whose Line Is It Anyway. His ready ability to switch between accents and personae meanwhile allowed his career in improvisation to flourish, in 1987 he played Lionel Zipser in Channel 4s mini-series Porterhouse Blue. In 1989, Sessions starred in his own one-man TV show and this series prompted two further one-man TV shows, John Sessions Tall Tales and John Sessions Likely Stories. Although billed as improvisation, these were increasingly pre-planned,1991 also saw Sessions in the BBC drama Jute City, a three-part thriller based around a sinister Masonic bunch of villains, co-starring with vocalist Fish. He provided the voice of the Professor in The Adventures of Pinocchio in 1996 and he also contributed Sonnet 62 to the 2002 compilation album When Love Speaks, which consists of famous actors and musicians interpreting Shakespearean sonnets and play excerpts. In between appearing in film and TV roles, Sessions has made appearances on Have I Got News for You and, more recently. Other Sessions creations appeared on Berkeleys show in subsequent years, Sessions has taken the role of narrating the popular Asterix stories for audiobook, since the death of Willie Rushton. Sessions made a guest appearance in a special webcast version of Doctor Who, in a story called Death Comes to Time and he occasionally appeared in the BBC series Judge John Deed as barrister Brian Cantwell QC
19.
Frank Finlay
–
Francis Frank Finlay, CBE was an English stage, film and television actor. He also appeared in the controversial drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. He was educated at St Gregory the Great School, but left at the age of 14 to train as a butcher himself at the firm, gaining a City. Finlay made his first stage appearances at the local Farnworth Little Theatre, the current Little Theatre president, also in the cast of that Miranda production, remembers him as a perfectionist in his craft. He also played in rep, initially in Scotland, before winning a scholarship to RADA in London, there followed several parts in productions at the Royal Court Theatre, such as the Arnold Wesker trilogy. He became particularly associated with the National Theatre, especially during the years when Laurence Olivier was director, the critic John Simon wrote that the close-ups in the film afforded Finlay the chance to give a more subtle and effective performance than he had on stage. At the Chichester Festival Theatre, he played roles ranging from the First Gravedigger in Hamlet to Josef Frank in Weapons of Happiness. He also had parts in The Party, Plunder, Saint Joan, Hobsons Choice, Amadeus, Much Ado About Nothing, The Dutch Courtesan, The Crucible, Mother Courage, and Juno and the Paycock. Finlay also made appearances on Broadway, in Epitaph for George Dillon and in the National Theatre, one of his earliest television roles was in the family space adventure serial Target Luna, as journalist Conway Henderson. Finlays first major success on was in the title role of Dennis Potters BBC2 series Casanova. Following this, he portrayed Adolf Hitler in The Death of Adolf Hitler for London Weekend Television and he appeared in several additional films, including The Wild Geese. He appeared in two Sherlock Holmes films as Inspector Lestrade, solving the Jack the Ripper murders and he also played a role in an episode of the Granada Television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett, in which his son Daniel played a minor role as well. Finlay appeared on American television in A Christmas Carol playing Marleys Ghost opposite George C and he also guest-starred as the title character in an episode of The Black Adder. Finlay played Sancho Panza opposite Rex Harrisons Don Quixote in the 1973 British made-for-television film The Adventures of Don Quixote and he won another BAFTA award that year for his performance as Voltaire in the BBC TV production of Candide. Finlay played the role of Justice Peter Mahon in the award-winning New Zealand television serial Erebus, in the Roman Polanski film The Pianist, he took on the part of Adrien Brodys father. He starred alongside Pete Postlethwaite and Geraldine James in the BBC drama series The Sins in 2000 and he appeared in the TV series Life Begins and as Jane Tennisons father in the last two stories of Prime Suspect. In 2007, he guest-starred in the Doctor Who audio adventure 100, in November 2008, Finlay appeared in the eleventh episode of the BBC drama series Merlin, as Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns. Finlay met his wife, Doreen Shepherd, when they were both members of the Farnworth Little Theatre
20.
Fifth Doctor
–
The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison, within the series narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body, in doing so, his physical appearance, Davison portrays the fifth such incarnation, who has a vulnerable side and a tendency towards indecisiveness, dressed as a boyish Edwardian cricketer. He travelled with a host of companions, including boy genius Adric, alien aristocrat Nyssa and Australian flight attendant Tegan Jovanka and he also shared later adventures alongside devious schoolboy Vislor Turlough and American college student Peri Brown. Peter Davison was chosen due to his acclaimed role as Tristan Farnon in the BBC series All Creatures Great. The Fifth Doctors era was notable for a back to the attitude, in which silly humour was kept to a minimum. It was, at times, a darker and grittier series, in part for seeing the death of one of his companions, Adric. It was also notable for the reintroduction of many of the Time Lords enemies, such as the Master, Cybermen, Omega, the Black and White Guardians, and the Silurians. The regeneration was difficult, and nearly failed, with the Doctor briefly taking on personality aspects from his four previous incarnations, after recovering in the fictional city Castrovalva, he continued his travels with Adric, Tegan Jovanka and Nyssa. Following Adrics death, the TARDIS accidentally arrived at Heathrow airport, here the Doctor and Nyssa left Tegan assuming she would want to stay. The Doctor and Nyssa then travelled together for an amount of time before the renegade Time Lord Omega, attempting to return to our universe. Faced with this threat, the Time Lords were forced to attempt executing the Doctor, but he eventually tracked Omega to Amsterdam where he defeated him and re-encountered Tegan. When the Doctor met a new companion, an alien boy stranded on Earth by the name of Vislor Turlough, soon after, Nyssa left to help cure Lazars Disease on the space station Terminus. Landing in the reign of King John, the crew encountered the Master. However, the Doctor helped Kamelion to regain his free will, the Doctor met three of his previous incarnations when they were summoned to the Death Zone on Gallifrey by president Borusa, who was attempting to gain Rassilons secret of immortality. After further adventures in which the Doctor re-encountered old foes, including the Silurians, the Doctor was eventually forced to destroy Kamelion, when the Master used his mental connection to the robot to regain control of him, a process the robot realised was irreversible. Ultimately, the Fifth Doctor and his last companion Peri Brown were exposed to the drug spectrox in its deadly toxic raw form on Androzani Minor, a sketch of the Fifth Doctor is seen in John Smiths book in the new series episode Human Nature. Visions of the Fifth Doctor appear in The Next Doctor and The Eleventh Hour, however the Tenth Doctor, remembering the event, knew how to stop it because he recalled watching himself correct the mistake when he was the Fifth Doctor
21.
Peri Brown
–
Peri Brown, also known as Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An American college student majoring in botany, Peri is a companion of the Fifth and Sixth Doctors and she first appears in the Fifth Doctor serial Planet of Fire, in which she encounters the Doctor and Turlough on the island of Lanzarote. After an encounter with the Master and the shapechanging android Kamelion, Peri asks to join the Fifth Doctor on his travels, as they are both suffering from spectrox poisoning on Androzani, the Fifth Doctor decides to give what antidote remains to Peri, sacrificing himself to save her. Peri is a bright, spirited young woman in her early twenties, although she shares a more abrasive relationship with the Sixth Doctor, there is an undercurrent of affection in their verbal sparring. Peri travels with the Doctor for a period of time, some sources say she travels with him for mere months. In the second segment of the Trial story arc, Mindwarp, Peri is abducted by a creature named Kiv. Soon after, the Doctor is led to believe that Peri is dead and it is later revealed at the end of The Ultimate Foe that the evidence of Peris death was faked by the Valeyard. Peri has, in fact, survived, saved by, and married King Yrcanos of Thoros Alpha and it is not known what happens to Peri after she marries Yrcanos. Peri Brown has the distinction of being the first humanoid television companion to appear in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip and her first appearance is in Funhouse Part 1 in which she appears in two panels as a scantily clad apparition manifested by a villain. The epilogue to the Target Books novelisation of Mindwarp by Philip Martin states that Peri returns to the 20th Century with Yrcanos where the latter becomes a professional wrestler and this tongue-in-cheek conclusion is not reflected in any televised story, and is generally ignored by fandom. The Virgin New Adventures novel Bad Therapy by Matthew Jones reveals that, although becoming Yrcanoss Queen, in the novel, the Seventh Doctor makes peace with Peri after she finds her way back to Earth through a temporal rift on Krontep, and returns her to her time. The Telos novella Shell Shock by Simon A, forward reveals that Peri had been sexually abused by her stepfather. She has two step-siblings from her mothers marriage to Foster, Bryant voiced the character of Peri in several audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions, alongside both Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor. In several of these stories, the Fifth Doctor and Peri are joined by another companion, one audio play, The Reaping, introduces Peris mother, Janine Foster, played by American actress Claudia Christian. The play, set in 1984, confirms Peris late fathers name as Paul and mentions that Howard and Janine Foster have gone their separate ways, Janine is killed at the end of the play due to an accident involving Cyber-technology, cutting Peris last familial tie to Earth. The canonicity of other appearances, like all Doctor Who spin-off media, is unclear. Future show runner Steven Moffat mentions an unnamed Warrior Queen on Thoros Beta in his 1996 short story, forward Blood and Hope by Iain McLaughlin Fascination by David J
22.
Seventh Doctor
–
The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy, within the series narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body, in doing so, his physical appearance, McCoy portrays the seventh such incarnation, a whimsical, thoughtful character who quickly becomes more layered, secretive, and manipulative. The Seventh Doctor first appeared on TV in 1987, after the programme was cancelled at the end of 1989, the Seventh Doctors adventures continued in novels until the late 1990s. The Seventh Doctor made an appearance at the start of the 1996 movie before the character was replaced by the Eighth Doctor, the Seventh Doctor era is noted for the cancellation of Doctor Who after 26 years. It is also noted for the Virgin New Adventures, a range of novels published from 1992 to 1997. The Seventh Doctors final appearance on television was in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie, a sketch of him is later seen in John Smiths A Journal of Impossible Things in the new series 2007 episode Human Nature. Brief holographic clips of the Seventh Doctor appear in The Next Doctor and The Eleventh Hour, when the TARDIS was attacked by the Rani, the Sixth Doctor was injured and forced to regenerate. On the planet Svartos, Mel decided to leave the Doctors company for that of intergalactic rogue Sabalom Glitz, also at this time, the Doctor was joined by time-stranded teenager Ace. Growing more secretive and driven from this point on, the Doctor took Ace under his wing and began teaching her about the universe, soon afterwards, the Doctor used a similar tactic and another Time Lord relic to destroy a Cyberman fleet. Later, he was reunited with his old friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart while battling the forces of a dimension on Earth. The Seventh Doctors manipulations were not reserved for his rivals, with the goal of helping Ace confront her past, he took her to a Victorian house in her home town of Perivale in 1883 which she had burned down in 1983. Eventually, the Doctor confronted and defeated Fenric at a British naval base during World War II, the Doctor continued to act as Aces mentor, returning her to Perivale, however, she chose to continue travelling with him. The circumstances of her parting from the Doctor were not shown on television, near the end of his incarnation, the Seventh Doctor was given the responsibility of transporting the remains of his former enemy the Master from Skaro to Gallifrey. He is thus the only Doctor to have died at the hand of one of his own companions. Perhaps due to the anaesthesia, the Doctor did not regenerate immediately after death, unlike all previous occasions, he finally did so several hours later, while lying in the hospitals morgue. The later revival of the series, however, contradicts earlier episodes by establishing the Ninth Doctor as being 900 years old in Aliens of London and he generally displayed an affable, curious, knowledgeable, easygoing, excitable, and charming air. He was a physical performer and deployed a repertoire of magic tricks, illusions
23.
Ace (Doctor Who)
–
Ace is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A 20th-century Earth teenager from the London suburb of Perivale, she is a companion of the Seventh Doctor and was a regular in the series from 1987 to 1989 and she is considered one of the Doctors most popular companions. Ace appeared in 9 stories, and was the companion in the original run of the classic series. She was written to be a fighter and not a screamer, Ace is a 16-year-old human who first appears in the 1987 serial Dragonfire, where she is working as a waitress in the frozen food retail complex of Iceworld on the planet Svartos. She had been a teen on Earth, having been expelled from school for blowing up the art room as a creative statement. Gifted in chemistry, she was in her room experimenting with the extraction of nitroglycerin from gelignite when a storm swept her up and transported her to Iceworld. There, she meets the Doctor and his companion Mel, when Mel leaves the Doctor at the conclusion of the serial, he offers to take Ace with him in the TARDIS, and she happily accepts. Following the latter event, needing to lash out, she burned down a local abandoned Victorian house named Gabriel Chase after sensing the presence of the villain Light there and was put on probation. Consequently, Ace covered up her own fears and insecurities with a streetwise and her weapon of choice, disapproved of by the Doctor, was a powerful explosive she called Nitro-9, which she invented and mixed up in canisters which she carried around in her backpack. Affectionately giving the Doctor the nickname of Professor, Ace is convinced that he needs her to watch his back, and protects him with a fierce loyalty. However, the Seventh Doctors increasing tendency to manipulate events and people, even with what appears to be the best of intentions, results in several difficult moments in their relationship. She also faces the ghosts of her own past in Ghost Light and The Curse of Fenric, coming to terms with them and, ironically, over time, she starts to mature into a confident young woman, and her brash exterior ceases to be a front. After Fenric is defeated in 1943, Ace continues to journey with the Doctor, in the original script for Part One of The Curse of Fenric, writer Ian Briggs planned to reveal that Ace was no longer a virgin, but producer John Nathan-Turner forced him to cut this. Instead, at one point in the story, Ace offers to distract a guard so that the Doctor can free a prisoner, when the Doctor asks how she plans to divert the guards attention she replies that she is not a little girl. She proceeds to lead the guard away from his post by intriguing him with a combination of slightly suggestive innuendo towards the guard, the scene suggests that she is aware of both her developed sexuality and the Doctors manipulative tendencies. Briggs, who had created the character of Ace, had stated in Aces character outline for Dragonfire that she had lost her virginity to Sabalom Glitz on Iceworld. A painting seen in the version of Silver Nemesis suggests that at some point in her personal future Ace will end up in 18th or 19th century France. This idea is explored in the novelisation of The Curse of Fenric
24.
Eighth Doctor
–
The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Paul McGann, the character was introduced in the 1996 TV film Doctor Who, a back-door pilot produced in an unsuccessful attempt to relaunch the series following its 1989 cancellation. While the Eighth Doctor initially had only one appearance, his adventures were portrayed extensively in subsequent spin-off media. In 2013, the actor reprised the role in the mini-episode The Night of the Doctor, within the series narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body but in doing so gains a new appearance and with it. McGann portrays the eighth incarnation, a passionate, enthusiastic. His only companion in the film is Grace Holloway, a medical doctor whose surgery is partly responsible for triggering his regeneration. Intended as a pilot for a new television series on the Fox Network. In the United Kingdom, it was received well, attracting over 9 million viewers and it was also generally well received in Australia. These stories spanned the nine years between 1996 and the debut of the new series in 2005. He is the longest-serving Doctor in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip, in the wake of the positive reaction to the revived television series in 2005, several of the Eighth Doctors Big Finish audio dramas were also broadcast on BBC7 radio in an edited form. The trailers for these broadcasts explained that these took place before the destruction of Gallifrey as described in the revived TV series. In 2007, BBC7 aired a new series of Eighth Doctor audio adventures, Paul McGann has continued to portray the Eighth Doctor in the various audio spinoffs. The canonicity of the media with respect to the television series. It has been suggested that the Eighth Doctors adventures in three different forms take place in three separate continuities, the discontinuities were made explicit in the audio drama Zagreus. In response, it has become common to consider the three ranges separately. Marys Story, a 2009 audio story by Big Finish, contradicted these suggestions, as there the Doctor mentions his companions in order, in The Night of the Doctor, the Doctor salutes five of his companions by name, all from the Big Finish audio productions. In 2007, the Eighth Doctor finally made an appearance within the television series continuity
25.
Bernice Summerfield
–
The New Adventures were authorized novels carrying on from where the Doctor Who television series had left off, and Summerfield was introduced in Cornells novel Love and War in 1992. A 26th century archeologist, Summerfield became a popular character amongst fans of the books. She officially stopped travelling with the Doctor in Happy Endings but returned a few times thereafter, including the last Virgin New Adventure and that year, Virgin had lost the licence to publish Doctor Who fiction, which was not renewed by the BBC. These New Adventures starring Bernice continued until 1999, when the Virgin fiction department closed down, after they gained the license to produce Doctor Who audio dramas in 1999, Big Finish thrice featured Bernice in Doctor Who stories set during and after the run of the New Adventures novels. Big Finish are still regularly producing Bernice Summerfield audio dramas and the company has published various novels. Bernice also appeared in comic strips in Doctor Who Magazine, with Virgin. This depiction, which was applied to novel cover art, was of a slim, statuesque build, with short dark hair. Over time, the appearance has been modified and among recent changes include a longer hairstyle. The Doctor first meets Benny in Love and War - she is a 30-year-old archaeologist and she was born in 2540 and is the daughter of Admiral Isaac Douglas Summerfield - a high ranking Spacefleet officer. Her mother, Claire Summerfield, died when Daleks attacked their homeworld of Beta Caprisis and she has not seen her father for many years and has spent much of her life searching for him. At times she claims to have a degree from Heidelberg University. She published a book called Down Among the Dead Men in the year 2566. Theatre of War features the first encounter between Bernice and Irving Braxiatel and he later becomes a regular character in the Bernice Summerfield-only New Adventures. In Sanctuary Bernice falls in love with Guy de Carnac, a former Knight Templar, unfortunately he is killed later in the novel. In Death and Diplomacy she meets her future husband Jason Kane, Happy Endings is set on the occasion of Bernices wedding to Jason Kane. Bernice leaves the TARDIS after this novel having been given Time Rings by the Doctor, in Return of the Living Dad, Bernice finally resolves the mystery of what happened to her father. Virgin had long considered a non-Doctor Who spin-off series, but plans were moved forwards when they lost the license from the BBC, a number of preparations were made for the transition to Bernice-led New Adventures. As Virgin felt Bernice would make a lead as a single woman
26.
Sympathy for the Devil (audio drama)
–
Sympathy for the Devil is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Doctor Who Unbound dramas pose a series of What if, the Doctor had not been UNITs scientific advisor. The Doctor arrives on Earth for his exile, not in the 1970s but in 1997 and he finds a world that has faced some three decades of alien invasions and other incidents without him to help, and old friends and enemies bitterly transformed. It is revealed that under the alias Ke Le, The Master defected to China, tennants character Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood reappears in UNIT, The Wasting. Without the Doctor being UNITs scientific advisor, several stories in this universe had different outcomes. A sequel to this audio, named Masters of War, was released in December 2008 and it featured David Warners Doctor, the Brigadier, Davros and the Daleks. In 2005, David Tennant became the actor to play the Doctor on television. David Tennant would be reunited with David Warner for the Tenth Doctor animated story Dreamland and this is the first audio drama to feature a Time Lord regenerating
27.
The Impossible Planet
–
The Impossible Planet is the eighth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 3 June 2006. It is the first part of a story, followed by The Satan Pit. The TARDIS lands in a base on a planet orbiting a black hole, the base crew are drilling towards a mysterious subterranean power source, to claim the power that keeps the planet in orbit for the good of the Human Empire. However, an ancient evil is down there too, and it is awakened, the TARDIS arrives aboard a sanctuary base used for deep-space expeditions. The Doctor and Rose explore the area, discovering strange alien writing that the TARDIS is unable to translate and they are confronted by the Ood, a docile race of empathic servants who work on the station. After a misunderstanding with the Ood, the Doctor and Rose meet the crew of the base, Zack, Ida, Jefferson, Danny, Scooti, the crew are on an expedition on the mysterious planet Krop Tor, impossibly in orbit around a black hole. Captain Zack explains that a gravity funnel exists around the planet, the source of the funnel is an immense energy force ten miles within the planet, which they are drilling towards to understand its power. As the Doctor and Rose are acquainting themselves with the crew, Rose and The Doctor resign themselves to being trapped and begin helping out the crew. As the drill nears its target, a malevolent presence begins to make itself known, the Oods translation spheres reveal messages about the Beast awakening, while Toby is unknowingly possessed by the Beast. The possessed Toby kills Scooti when she discovers him surviving outside the base without any protective gear, when the drilling is complete, the Doctor offers to go with Ida into the bowels of the planet. After traveling down the shaft, the Doctor and Ida find a large circular disk inscribed with more undecipherable markings. The Doctor believes it to be a door, and they watch as it opens, suddenly, the Beast repossesses Toby before transferring into all the Ood as they refer to themselves as the Legion of the Beast. With Rose and the remaining crew alerted that the planet is now falling towards the black hole, Zack mentions that he took over when Captain Walker, the original expedition commander, was lost on the voyage in. Captain Walker appears in the TARDISODE accompanying this episode, seen being given the assignment to go to Krop Tor, in the episode the human government is the Empire. When reporting Scootis death, Jefferson gives what appears to be the date as Forty-three K, Rose refers to the dinner lady job she had in School Reunion when talking to an Ood serving food. The Doctor mentions that TARDISes are grown rather than built, actor John Barrowman mirrored this comment when talking about the piece of TARDIS coral Jack Harkness keeps in his office at the Hub in a special feature in Radio Times. Another grown spaceship was seen in the Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield, at one point toward the end of the episode, the possessed Ood begin to list the names that have been used to label The Beast. One of them is Abaddon, a demon, who features as an element in the episode End of Days of the spin-off series Torchwood
28.
The Satan Pit
–
The Satan Pit is the ninth episode of the second season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the part of a two-part story, following The Impossible Planet. With the TARDIS seemingly lost, Rose and the humans are trapped on the base with the possessed Ood. Meanwhile, the Doctor is trapped in the heart of the planet where he encounters the Beast. The episode was first broadcast on 10 June 2006, the episode opens where The Impossible Planet left off, with the Doctor and science officer Ida Scott investigating a strange door deep in the planet Krop Tor. Rose and three of the members of the crew, Mr Jefferson, Danny and Toby, flee from the advancing Ood. The group initially believe Toby to be possessed by the Beast. The Doctor makes contact with the crew, revealing that nothing has exited the trapdoor that he and Ida are invertigating. He offers to rappel down into the pit to further investigate, although he is lowered on a winch. As the Doctor and Ida prepare to return to the base, the Beast communicates with the Doctor, the Beast tells them that he was sealed in the pit before the universe began and is seeking to escape. The Beast demoralises each member of the crew by playing on their fears and weaknesses, however the Doctor begins to reassure the crew that the Beast is using their fears against them, as well as the fact that they can use their advantage of numbers to defeat the Beast. The lift cable snapped shortly after, trapping Ida and the Doctor 10 miles underground and this was done, as pointed out by Rose, to stop the Doctor from inspiring the crew to fight back, and defeat the Beast. They are forced to head through shafts designed for transporting resources. However, the Ood enter the shafts and give chase, Mr Jefferson holds back to buy the others time with his machine-gun, and is unable to make it to the next section of the shafts in time. Knowing that Captain Zach cannot save him without sacrificing the air supply of the others, Mr Jefferson chooses to die by oxygen starvation, Rose, Danny and Toby reunite with Captain Zach, board the escape rocket and leave the planet. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Ida use the cable to explore the pit, although the Doctor finds nothing. He then chooses to detach himself and fall, landing at the bottom thanks to an air cushion and finds that he can breathe. Finding cave paintings depicting the Beasts final battle and imprisonment, the Doctor discovers two jars on pedestals a few feet from each other as their light reveals the physical form of the Beast
29.
Slipback
–
It was later released on cassette and CD, most recently by BBC Audio and free with the 27 April 2010 edition of The Daily Telegraph newspaper via WHSmith. It was the first Doctor Who serial produced as a radio play, no further radio productions were mounted until the mid-1990s when Jon Pertwee reprised his role as the Third Doctor in two productions. The story was written by script writer Eric Saward, whose writing credits include The Visitation, Earthshock, Resurrection of the Daleks. Valentine Dyall played the Black Guardian in the television series, Dyall died in June 1985, a month before Slipback aired. A novelisation by Eric Saward was published by Target Books in April 1986, sawards novelisation expands on the radio play greatly, with an extensive prologue running about a third of the book before the Doctor appears and the adaptation of the radio play storyline begins. Slipback was released in November 1988 on an audio cassette along with the 1978 LP version of Genesis of the Daleks. It was subsequently released as a standalone CD in January 2001, Slipback at the Doctor Who Reference Guide Slipback reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide On Target — Slipback The Cloister Library - Slipback
30.
...ish (audio drama)
–
…ish is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Sixth Doctor and Peri attend a conference of lexicographers at a college where a murder has occurred. The Omniverbum is the mythical longest word in existence, according to records, no one who has found the Omniverbum, or its sentient affix Ish, has lived to tell of it. Book found the Ish on a world and accidentally brought back to the college as per his programming. But now its escaped, and is out to cause havoc on the centers of the human brain unless The Doctor can stop it. Peri is in a different kind of danger, distraught and unhinged enough to kill her
31.
Year of the Pig
–
Year of the Pig is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. What is the connection between the pig and the celebrated Parisian inspector. And are there any more of those truffles left, Year of the Pig marks her first acting return to Doctor Who since she left the programme in 1965. Adjoa Andoh played Sister Jatt, one of the Sisters of Plenitude in the 2006 Doctor Who episode New Earth and she later played Francine Jones, mother of the Tenth Doctors companion Martha Jones, in the 2007 and 2008 series. Michael Keating is best known for his role as Vila Restal in the BBC science-fiction series Blakes 7 and he also appeared in the Fourth Doctor serial The Sun Makers. A theatrical performer known as Toby the Sapient Pig did in fact exhibit himself in the nineteenth century, however, he was long dead before the setting of this story. Marcel Proust appears in a role in this story. The play contains many references to his work À la recherche du temps perdu, Big Finish Productions - Year of the Pig Year of the Pig at the Doctor Who Reference Guide Year Of The Pig reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
32.
The Nightmare Fair
–
The Nightmare Fair is a story originally written for the 1986 season of Doctor Who, but never filmed. A novelisation based on the script was published in 1989 by Target Books, the script and novelisation were written by former series producer Graham Williams, and would have been directed by Matthew Robinson had it gone to air. An audio play based on Williams script was released in May 2003. For this adaptation, the Sixth Doctor was played by Steve Hill, a second audio adaption, done by Big Finish, was released in 2009. Adapted by John Ainsworth, it featured both Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant reprising their roles of the Sixth Doctor and Peri respectively. The Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri are lured in the TARDIS to Blackpool, the Doctors adversary the Celestial Toymaker is behind it, and the Doctor and Peri must fight their way through his videogames in order to defeat him. Several stories were in the stages for the 23rd Season of Doctor Who. Former series Producer Graham Williams was to have written the season opener, being the first slated for production, Williams script was by far the most advanced at the time of cancellation, with Matthew Robinson pencilled in as director. In 1988, Target Books, which had been successfully publishing novelisations of Doctor Who stories for many years, while negotiations went forward with the BBC for the publication of new adventures, three of the cancelled scripts were published in book form. The writers of all three were approached, and all were signed to write the novels, the Nightmare Fair required far less additional material than the other two, and in May 1989 it became the first to be published under the Missing Episodes banner. It was the first of 275 releases from different publishers as of 2007 that were not televised or broadcast on radio. The next two books in the series were The Ultimate Evil by Wally K. Daly, released in August 1989, the original ending of the 1985 series finale, Revelation of the Daleks, had the Doctor telling Peri he was going to take her to Blackpool. Before broadcast, however, the decision was made to frame the Doctor before he says this. Williams novelization of the serial does not, therefore, take its lead from the ending of Revelation. At the start of this novel TARDIS is drawn into the nexus of the cauldron of Space-Time itself and he. In the text of the novel, the character Kevin is given the surname Stoney, Kevin Stoney is the name of an actor who appeared in earlier stories in the televised series. Big Finish Productions produced a drama adaptation of The Nightmare Fair in 2009. In early March 2009, Big Finish announced that the role of the Toymaker was to be played by David Bailie, the original 1966 Toymaker story starred Michael Gough, but at the time of audio recording, he had retired from acting
33.
Mission to Magnus
–
Mission to Magnus is a story originally written to be part of the unfilmed 1986 season of Doctor Who. It was novelised by its scriptwriter Philip Martin, who had written the television stories Vengeance on Varos. The story is set after another unfilmed story, The Nightmare Fair, a novelisation of the story was published by Target Books in 1990 as the third volume of its Missing Episodes series. A Big Finish audio adaptation of the story was published in 2009, the Sixth Doctor and Peri find themselves being threatened by Anzor, an old school bully from the Doctors time on Gallifrey, who locks the TARDIS in orbit above the planet of Magnus. On this planet, Anzor has been working with the upper caste to his own ends. When the Doctor investigates further, he discovers that the polar icecaps of the planet hide an even darker foe — the Ice Warriors. It was announced in 1985 that Michael Grade, controller of BBC1, had cancelled a number of long-running programmes in order to fund the launch of a new soap opera named EastEnders. Of the many programmes that were cancelled, Doctor Who was the most high-profile, a campaign was quickly launched by the national press to see about its return and Grade very quickly confirmed that Doctor Who would be returning in 1986. Several stories had already been in the stages for the 23rd Season of Doctor Who. He also requested the inclusion of the Ice Warriors, who hadnt been seen in Doctor Who since The Monster of Peladon in 1974, as the third in production, this script was the least complete at the time of the cancellation, and no director had yet been announced. In 1988, Target Books, which had been successfully publishing novelisations of Doctor Who stories for many years, saw itself quickly running out of available televised material. While negotiations went forward with the BBC for the publication of all new adventures, the writers of all three were approached, and all were signed on to write the novels. As it was the least complete of the three scripts, Mission to Magnus required a deal more work in adapting it to novel form. Mission to Magnus is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, in February 2009, Big Finish announced plans to track down and record seven of the cancelled serials from the original season 23 of Doctor Who. Mission to Magnus was the first of these to be recorded after being adapted by original author Philip Martin
34.
Leviathan (audio drama)
–
Leviathan is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Doctor discovers a village where nobody ages. And Herne the Hunter is on the loose, the script was initially for season 22 of Doctor Who. Paul has since written a prequel to Leviathan for the Companion Chronicles range, featuring the Third Doctor, it is titled The Sentinels of the New Dawn. Big Finish Productions A Brief History of Time Lost Stories index
.jpg)
