Big Finish Productions has launched their official audio drama podcast Into the TARDIS, a new weekly series that will allow listeners to experience various officially licensed Doctor Who full-cast audio dramas that the company has put out over the past 25 years. It will be hosted by Colin Baker, who fans should know as the Sixth Doctor. Baker portrayed the Time Lord on screen from 1984-1986 (with a few additional stints here and there), as well as in audio form from 1999-present. Each episode will also include behind-the-scenes interviews related to that week’s adventure.
The first two episodes will feature parts one and two of the 201 release Death and the Queen, written by James Goss (many Doctor Who stories) and starring none other than David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna. Tennant played the Doctor on screen from 2005-2010, then again in 2013, and then again in 2023. Donna was the Doctor’s companion in 2006, 2008, and then again in 2023. They’re an impressive and incredibly popular duo.
The synopsis for Death and the Queen reads:
Donna Noble has never been lucky in love.
So when, one day, her Prince does come, she is thrilled to have the wedding of all weddings to look forward to. Though the Doctor isn’t holding his breath for an invitation. And her future mother-in-law is certainly not amused.
But on the big day itself, Donna finds her castle under siege from the darkest of forces, marching at the head of a skeleton army.
When it looks like even the Doctor can’t save the day, what will Queen Donna do to save her people from Death itself?
For over two decades, Big Finish has been putting out officially licensed audio dramas from various franchises such as Blake’s 7, The Avengers (no, not those ones), Sherlock Holmes, and more. They’ve put out a slew of original dramas as well. However, by far their biggest and well-known output comes from the world of Doctor Who spanning not only hundreds of stories featuring the two-hearted alien themself, but also stories centered on characters and other series that have been set within the Whoniverse.
The cast of Torchwood, the cast of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Bernice Summerfield, The Master, The Paternoster Gang, and many, many more regularly get their chance to shine within the medium of audio. Alongside David Tennant and Colin Baker, Christopher Eccleston, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Jo Martin, and John Hurt have all reprised their role as the Doctor over the years for new stories featuring their iteration of the character.
Jason Haigh-Ellery, a chairman at Big Finish had this to say about the launch of the podcast:
“As part of the celebration marking 25 years of Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama productions, I am delighted to announce that Big Finish are partnering with BBC Studios, Zebralution, Apple and Acast to launch Into the TARDIS – the first officially licensed Doctor Who audio drama podcast. This is an initiative that we have been working on for some time and I am particularly excited about, as it will bring Big Finish’s work to a far wider audience.”
This isn’t the first time, however, that Big Finish has released their older Doctor Who adventures on platforms in a way that makes it easier for new fans to gain access to them. You can currently listen to many of the oldest stories Big Finish has put out for Doctor Who on Spotify for free. I’m currently listening to the Eighth Doctor Adventures so I can experience more Paul McGann, one of my favorite Doctors.
Episode one of Into the TARDIS is out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Acast. Having listened to the episode already myself, I can say it was a lot of fun. Baker is in top form and simply a delight to listen to, and I found myself really enjoying part one of Death and the Queen. It really does feel like Tennant and Tate never left.
