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ISSUE: 136 • JUNE 2020 WWW.BIGFINISH.COM

SCARY POPPINS RETURNS! : THE , LIV AND HELEN ARE BACK ON EARTH, BUT THIS TIME THERE’S NO ESCAPE…

DOCTOR WHO ROBOTS THE KALDORAN AUTOMATONS RETURN BIG FINISH

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EDITORIAL

WE’RE CURRENTLY in very COMING SOON interesting times, aren’t we? The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all our lives in recent AND ZARA months, with lockdown becoming a part of our everyday routine. WICKED SISTERS Personally, as I write this, I’m on furlough from my day job Abby and Zara are sisters who have been doing which has meant I’ve had more it for themselves since they rst met the Fifth spare time on my hands than Doctor in the Who: The Key 2 Time usual. Ideal for Vortex, of course! A real highlight this month trilogy released in March 2009. has been interviewing Rufus Hound in his returning role as the Meddling Monk in the THEY CONTINUED their of space and time. Their second Missy box set. He’s always adventures in four series names are Abby and Zara... made me laugh on television so of their own spin-off Three new adventures having the chance to chat with range, Graceless, as well written by , him has been a real highlight. as making an appearance The Garden of Storms, The I’ve also been able to spend some in the special 2015 release, Moonrakers and The People time in the garden to get it in shape The Worlds of Big Finish. Made of Smoke have been for the summer. I’ve loaded up my Created by pan-dimensional directed by and phone with Big Finish adventures beings the Grace to assist – produced by Mark Wright. and have been listening to the and sometimes hinder – the Simon says: “As it’s been a things I would normally play on Doctor in his second quest decade since the first series my daily driving commute to the for the key to time, Abby of Graceless, we thought it office. And I know, going by my (Ciara Janson) and Zara (Laura was time to bring things full Twitter feed, that I’m not alone in Doddington) are about to circle and take the sisters listening to Big Finish output to meet the again in back to where it all began get me through this tough time. Doctor Who: Wicked Sisters. – with the .” Thank you Big Finish! VORTEX is recruited by He adds: “Abby and Zara for a vital mission on are very different to the behalf of the Time Lords. women the Doctor met all Together, they must track those years ago when we down and destroy two god-like did The Key 2 Time series. beings whose extraordinary Back then he wasn’t required powers now threaten all to kill them…” VORTEX KALDOR’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS LIFE ON KALDOR IS FAR FROM SIMPLE FOR LIV CHENKA…

FOR A planet which only Walker) returns to spend a year very happy with it but you never appeared (in part) in four on her homeworld with her know if others will like it!” television episodes of sister Tula (Claire Rushbrook). Roland Moore’s The Robots Doctor Who in 1977, The first box set of three of War opens the second box Kaldor has made a huge stories was released last autumn, set, and John says: “The Robots impact. and the final scene featured a of War involves looking at the by is regularly voice familiar to fans of The military of Kaldor and how cited as one of the best stories in Robots of Death – actor Pamela they have Robots and what the show’s history, and even Salem playing Lish Toos. they do. It’s possibly the most though Kaldor never appeared Script editor John Dorney says: traditional of the three stories.” again on TV, such was the depth “We included that last scene in Roland explains: “The brief of the world created on screen The Robots Volume One as we for this one was fairly open. We that it has continued to resonate thought it would be an intriguing knew the relationship between through the years. little hook for the second series. Liv and Tula and the sort of Big Finish’s new series The “Listeners are very fond of the adventures we wanted to tell Robots is set on the planet, where first series – we have a fantastic following series one of The the Eighth Doctor’s cast with two phenomenal leads Robots. So I pitched The Robots Liv Chenka (played by Nicola in Nicola and Claire. We were of War. It was based on an article

VORTEX | PAGE 4 IT WAS BASED ON AN

Above (l–r): David Collings and V12 ARTICLE I’D READ IN A SCIENCE MAGAZINE ABOUT I’d read in a science magazine HOW THE AMERICAN about how the American military was using artificial intelligence MILITARY WAS USING in situations. One of the biggest hurdles was teaching ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE the AI so it knew how to cope with the choices you’d have IN COMBAT SITUATIONS. to make on the . ROLAND MOORE “One of these choices was prioritising the life of a higher ranking human officer over lower ranking ones. And that’s the bit that fascinated me. I wondered as the title already implies, is the what would happen if the Voc reintroduction of Robots – although unable to and David Collings into the world fight themselves – were used of Kaldor. Poul has to use his for strategising during war. investigator skills once again to And what would happen if they discover the details behind a had to prioritise the crime. Bringing them back was an of a senior human officer? idea we had during our original discussions of the range. Both THE SECOND story, Toos and characters were still alive at the Poul by Andrew Smith, end of The Robots of Death, so it felt features Pamela Salem as Toos like a no-brainer, really. And we’ve and David Collings as Poul, worked with both of the actors recorded just a few months before – regularly with Pamela on before David sadly passed Counter-Measures, and she is away. John reveals: “Toos and Poul, always a delight to have along.”

VORTEX | PAGE 5 Andrew, who previously wrote is unusual – I just liked it so much. Toos and Poul into the story. The Sons of Kaldor for The Fourth I love what Nick did with the Early on I pitched the idea of Poul, Doctor Adventures, reveals: “I Robots – it’s very interesting. I’ve having suffered in the was absolutely delighted to be written for the Robots before for TV series, adopting the life of a asked to be involved as The Robots the adventure, The Sons hermit and living a very solitary of Death is one of my all-time of Kaldor, and now Toos and Poul life. We made sure that would favourite Doctor Who stories. I so the Robots are finally getting fit with the rest of the series. remember it very well from when their time in the spotlight. “Liv and Tula don’t feature in it was first broadcast, and they “We had an initial get together, this adventure which is nice in did a repeat where it was edited myself, Matt Fitton, John Dorney a way as it gave me a bit more into two 50-minute episodes. and , for a discussion freedom and meant I didn’t have I devoured it – it’s just a great about the series. Then we went to concentrate too much on the adventure by Chris Boucher, where away and came up with some continuity of it all. I could just the story, direction, costume and ideas of how we would incorporate look at developing the story,

Above (l–r): Ian Conningham, Indra Ové, Andrew Smith and Satnam Bhogal

which is a bit of a whodunnit. It’s been quite a good thing, not to I’M VERY introduce Poul and Toos too early, to keep them back for the second INTERESTED series which is clever, clever stuff. “Toos and Poul has got a kind of a IN AI AND vibe to it, as there’s a town QUESTIONS out by the forest next to the plains, Above (l–r): far away from society – a part and Claire Rushbrook of Kaldor that regards itself as a AROUND world apart from the city dwellers. THE ETHICS They’re getting by – they’re farmers sound design all come together to and ranchers – and a number have deliver something that’s almost AND THE rickety old second-hand robots.” as perfect as Doctor Who gets. “One of my favourite Big Finish POTENTIAL THIS SERIES concludes stories ever is Robophobia by with Do No Harm by , which came out in DANGERS Sarah Grochala. John the summer of 2011. I remember explains: “Do No Harm listening to it as I drove to Scotland OF IT. investigates the SARAH GROCHALA with the family, and then I listened consequences of a major to it again twice that week which event at a laboratory and looks

VORTEX | PAGE 6 Above: David Collings

into the morality of robots with Kaldor and the idea of dealing with humans.” Writer Robots that might be becoming Sarah says: “John wanted an sentient. I’m very interested in episode in which a robot is put AI and questions around the ONE OF MY on trial for murder, and the ethics and potential dangers murder is related to something of it. It was also great to get FAVOURITE that has gone wrong at the to write for Nicola Walker laboratory. I jumped at that as who I’ve always admired as an BIG FINISH I’ve never written a courtroom actress. And I enjoyed playing drama before and I really with both the laboratory and STORIES fancied having a try at one. courtroom environments and Twelve Angry Men is one of trying to create believable my favourite films and I love versions of those worlds.” EVER IS the idea of having to try and piece together what actually DIRECTOR KEN Bentley ROBOPHOBIA happened from the different was pleased to be working versions of events that are with Pamela Salem again, BY NICHOLAS presented by the witnesses in having worked with her the courtroom. on Counter-Measures. He BRIGGS… Sarah enjoyed exploring says: “I’ve had the pleasure ANDREW SMITH the world of The Robots, of working with Pamela quite a explaining: “I loved working few times now and she’s utterly

VORTEX | PAGE 7 I’VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH PAMELA QUITE A FEW TIMES NOW AND SHE’S UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL ˆ ONE OF THE MOST KIND HEARTED PEOPLE YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO MEET. KEN BENTLEY

Above (l–r): V12 and Pamela Salem

delightful – one of the most full of potential as the planet is, bingeable event. When the full kind-hearted people you could I suspect producer David only run has come out, listeners ever hope to meet. Producer came up with the idea because will be able to go back and David Richardson had arranged it meant we got to work more enjoy it all in one go.” VORTEX for one of the original Robots to with Pamela and Nicola!” visit the studio during recording Looking to , John and it was very entertaining to teases: “There’s an overall plan reunite it with Pamela. She was for where the range is going so excited. which should slowly become “One of the uniquely clearer over the next few sets. rewarding things about working It will build into a bigger scale for Big Finish is bringing actors storyline which I think people together again. I’m not entirely will get a great kick out of. sure when Pamela and David “It’s an interesting series Collings last worked with each to dive in on with a similar other, it may well have been on feel to working on Counter- Doctor Who. I hadn’t worked Measures – which I had an with David before but familiar amazing time with. I love faces and shared experiences collaborating with the writers always help to make the day and working out what the more enjoyable for everybody. overall shape of the range is to DOCTOR WHO THE ROBOTS: VOLUME TWO “I’m amazed Big Finish have be – taking ideas people have, RELEASED: JULY 2020 taken so long to revisit Kaldor. developing them and forming FORMAT: CD’DOWNLOAD Not just because the cast are all an overall narrative that we’re actors we love working with, happy with. It will play out but because this story-world over time, and it’s great to be ORDER NOW AT: seems to be increasingly working on something with a bgfn.sh/voc relevant. But as exciting and larger scale, almost like a STORIES CODEŠ ACCESS WWW.BIGFINISH.COM‰OFFERS‰V‰BOOKCLUB

VORTEX | PAGE 8 John Dorney, who adapted many of The Avengers: The Lost Episodes, took on the post of script editor on The Comic Strip Adaptations. Volume One, released in April 2016, contains four adventures. The first two, Return to Castle De’ath and The Miser were written by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. Simon says: “The brief was quite specifically to replicate the feel of television series five ofThe Avengers, which means, as aficionados will appreciate, starting each episode with a, ‘Mrs Peel, we’re needed’ gag. Not such an easy task to replicate on audio!” Paul adds: “Luckily the comics are already true, in their own daft way, to the THE AVENGERSŠ spirit of the original programme. Here, we STEED AND MRS PEEL are positively encouraged to go to excess THE COMIC STRIP ADAPTATIONS with outrageous plotting and indulgent dialogue. They’re a joy to write.” VOLUME ONE The third story in the set, The Golden Dresses, was adapted by , who recalls: “It’s actually quite nice to adapt something where the story is already set and your job is to embellish John Steed and Emma and bring the secondary characters Peel are as quintessential to life a bit more. The bare bones are a British pairing as, provided but there was still quite a lot say, šsh and chips or to do – I wrote a few words every day.” Completing the volume is The Norse scones and jam. Code by John Dorney. He says: “The idea of Vikings in Norfolk immediately excited BASED ON adaptations of The me. To start with you read the strip, and Avengers comic strips published you then keep reading it so you get it in the 1960s, The Comic Strip inside your head. After that, it’s a question Adaptations Volume One has of looking for things to expand while CLUB been brought to life on audio by critically analysing the story.” VORTEX actors Julian Wadham and Olivia Poulet. Massimo Moretti, from rights’ owners StudioCanal, says: “When we discussed the options available to work with the Emma Peel character, I was eager to find a way to keep the momentum going. As there are no lost episodes from the Mrs Peel seasons, I needed an anchor to the wealth of materials that were created about and around the series at the time of its original broadcast. I remembered the Diana comics stories and I mentioned them to David Richardson.” Producer David continues: “Massimo had long admired the Diana comic strips, THE AVENGERS: STEED and thought they would be a good fit AND MRS PEEL for being adapted by Big Finish. He sent THE COMIC STRIP over the artwork and I thought it was ADAPTATIONS: VOLUME ONE stunning – such delicate, hand-crafted RELEASED: APRIL 2016 frames – every one was beautiful. And FORMAT: DOWNLOAD the stories were terrific too, so I met with Massimo and Martin Lindsay at DC Thomson, and we formulated ORDER NOW AT: bgfn.sh/avenge WWW.BIGFINISH.COM‰OFFERS‰V‰BOOKCLUB ACCESS CODEŠ STORIES CODEŠ ACCESS WWW.BIGFINISH.COM‰OFFERS‰V‰BOOKCLUB an agreement on the project.” BOOK BOOK She’s back and it’s about naughtiness!! Get ready for the second MISSY box set…

MISSY • THE ’s larger began with a meeting in the Big Script editor Matt Fitton adds: than life female incarnation Finish office where we threw around “In this second series, Missy has played by Michelle Gomez – is ideas. John Dorney was there, Matt the TARDIS she was after but returning for a second dose Fitton, Gemma Arrowsmith and it hasn’t brought her what she of mayhem in the most Lisa McMullin. We all have so much wanted as she’s missing her best delightful way… In her first love for the character and for the frenemy! During the course of these box set of adventures we saw Missy series that the ideas just kept on stories, Missy meets a do-gooder act as a nanny in Victorian coming, and we soon had the line who is even more infuriating than and encounter the Meddling Monk up of a very rich second series. the Doctor. She has a couple of as she sought to gain herself a There are characters returning attempts at causing mayhem across functioning TARDIS. from Series One (Lucy, Oliver and Earth’s timelines: first running Missy Series Two contains four ), plus Missy gets to meet into her Victorian wards from thrilling new stories: The Lumiat by Strax. And then we have Time Series One plus Strax. And then Lisa McMullin, Brimstone and Terror Agents from the future and the Guy Fawkes when she plans to give by Roy Gill, Treason and Plot by enigmatic Lumiat… It’s a fantastic his Gunpowder Plot some added Gemma Arrowsmith and Too Many set of stories, and we spent so oomph! Finally, when Missy does Masters by John Dorney. Producer many happy days laughing at these attract someone’s attention, it’s David Richardson explains: “It all scripts and at the recordings.” the Meddling Monk and he’s out

VORTEX | PAGE 10 DOCTOR WHO MISSY SERIES TWO

It’s absolutely delicious that she can casually order a drink at a bar as people are being gnawed to death! LISA MCMULLIN

point Missy has a box of rats – but they are man-eating rats! There’s just such a joy in writing for Missy. It’s absolutely delicious that she can casually order a drink at a bar as people are being gnawed to death!”

BRIMSTONE AND Terror sees Roy Gill return to Missy, writing a sequel to A Spoonful of Mayhem, the opening tale of Missy Series One. Roy says: “Missy has such Above (l–r): Dan Starkey, Ony Uhiara, Ben Fox, Philip Pope a distinctive voice I think I know and Christopher Hatherall when I hit a good Missy line – it’s playful, ambiguous and more than for payback... Unfortunately for around in the air. This story was a little dangerous. I kind of enjoy them both, so are the !” actually John’s idea originally. He channelling my inner Missy! The Lisa McMullin was delighted suggested something and straight real delight is discovering what spin to write for Missy. She laughs: away, I said, ‘I’m having that!’ Michelle puts on it in performance. “I think The Lumiat is one of my “The Lumiat keeps popping “Producer David was keen on a favourite things that I’ve ever done up everywhere Missy is, foiling sequel to A Spoonful of Mayhem, – the sheer fun of it is incredible. her wicked plans, which picking up on the same characters Michelle Gomez is just an absolute makes Missy cross. And Missy a few years later. We actually genius, she’s frighteningly like wonders, Who is this person? went back and cut out a line from the character. There’s a glint When she finds out who she is, the finale of Spoonful, just before in her eye that’s somewhere Missy’s even more furious! release, to make that possible. I felt between insanity and genius! “Gina McKee plays the Lumiat – like I could happily keep writing “The writers got together and and it’s joyous – she’s just brilliant Scary Poppins stories forever – I’m chatted about the series. John and you couldn’t have cast her very comfortable with urban Dorney already knew he was writing better. She’s absolutely gleeful. fantasy as a writer – but I needed for the Meddling Monk again and “I’m quite pleased with the to find a way to move the story somebody was throwing Ogrons ridiculous silliness of it all. At one on. I started thinking about Oliver

VORTEX | PAGE 11 Above (l–r): Ajjaz Awad, Dan Starkey, Glen McCready, John Dorney, Helen Goldwyn and Robert Whitelock

is Treason and Plot by Gemma I mean, what Arrowsmith where Missy encounters a historical figure in Guy Fawkes. a joy to write Gemma says: “The initial brief was wide open, Missy stories have a lot villainous lines of scope. In Series One there is an episode in the style of a true crime for Michelle podcast. It’s really bold, high concept storytelling and it really appealed to Gomez. It me. So I put together a page of story ideas I thought would work with doesn’t really Missy at the helm. Mostly moments in history which would have been get much oh so much worse if Missy had been better than there! The writers of this volume were then called in for a meeting and that for a ideas were thrown around. It became clear that my Treason and Plot pitch writer, does it? would work best alongside writers’ stories so I settled on that. GEMMA ARROWSMITH “The Gunpowder Plot to blow up Above: Michelle Gomez the Houses of Parliament was foiled in 1605. Missy intends to make and Lucy’s backstory – what teachers). Winter is coming – and sure it isn’t foiled this time around. would happen if Oliver’s dad Missy’s army is on the rise! Maybe then she can install herself found a new school with a sinister “And there’s a guest appearance as head of state, ruler of Earth and headmistress for him, and Lucy has from Strax! I love writing Strax (I Empress of the galaxy? Just as long to find a way to get him home?” think I must have an inner Strax as no-one meddles with her plan. Roy brings Missy and her too!), he always adds to the fun and “I mean, what a joy to write charges north of the border as his absurdity. And it’s always flattering villainous lines for Michelle Gomez. story features: “Dark magic at an to be asked to bring back characters It doesn’t really get much better isolated Scottish boarding school you’ve created. You feel like you’re than that for a writer, does it? with a dangerous headmistress helping build a bigger world.” Knowing that you are handing (and some very strange The third adventure in the set lines to someone who can not only

VORTEX | PAGE 12 DOCTOR WHO MISSY SERIES TWO

“There’s a lot of potential for fun, particularly given the Ogrons aren’t terribly bright and wouldn’t realise that Missy is actually . They have tracked the Master to a particular spaceship and the Monk is there – and they make the natural assumption that any would!” John was particularly happy about setting Time Lord against Time Lord again. He adds: “The Monk isn’t quite as clever as he thinks he is, which makes him fun to write for. It’s a great angle to work with.” Speaking exclusively to Vortex, Rufus says: “I can’t help but be deeply pleased by how much love my Monk has been given. “I was asked to design a moustache wax – it’s called Triumphant – and it has gone down so well they’ve turned it into an aftershave. I’ve joined the hallowed ranks of Britney Spears and Ariana Above: Michelle Gomez Grande in having my own perfume line! When I sat down to design it I came up with something that inject them with villainy but also smelt like every other moustache someone who has incredible comic wax – a bit sandalwood, a bit delivery as well. Missy is a delight.” There’s a lot tobacco-y – but there’s already of potential for 300 of them out there and not THE FOURTH story in this that many people buy moustache series is Too Many Masters by fun, particularly wax. So I thought, why not design John Dorney, and is a sequel to something that smells different? Series One’s Divorced, given the “It’s a bit like that with Doctor Beheaded, Regenerated. Once Who villains – there’s the Master again we see Missy finding out Ogrons aren’t who is full of darkness; the more about the Meddling Monk and who just want to destroy; his habits. John said: “I had an terribly bright and the Cybermen who want to absolute ball writing the first one, convert everyone to make them and I was very pleased that the fun of and wouldn’t uniform. With the Monk, you it translated to the audience. have someone who isn’t just Everyone seemed to like it in studio realise that out for the same old villainy. on the day, and we all said that we Missy is actually “Why is the Monk not the wanted to do another as it felt like a Master? It’s because he’s not natural pairing with such comedic the Master. really bad, per se, he’s just bored. potential. From that day of recording It’s something I’ve thought a lot JOHN DORNEY Divorced, Beheaded, Regenerated I about – living that long, how does think we were pretty sure we were it affect you? It’s very easy to get going to do another one.” bogged down in the short term, John admits that his first ideas and realised they had worked but if you look at the long term, for the story were more complex together before, which was nothing really matters apart from than the final plot. He reveals: an interesting starting point. climate change, really. In terms of “The initial thought I had was At the end of the TV episode, being the Monk, if you’ve got the that the Monk is out for revenge , it’s not entirely same tools at your disposal as the which led to an opening scene I clear where the Master goes, Doctor and the Master, why aren’t had a very long time in advance. so I thought that perhaps the you them? I think that’s where “The basic premise is given Master hadn’t properly paid the the Monk gathers his strengths. away relatively early. I was mercenaries for their services “The Comedian in Watchmen thinking about the Master’s and that was the hook I decided isn’t a particularly funny character, relationship with the Ogrons to go with in Too Many Masters. but he’s reached a point in life

VORTEX | PAGE 13 DOCTOR WHO MISSY SERIES TWO

where the only way to make sense of it is to see it as one enormous joke. That’s where the Monk fits in, between the Doctor and the Master. If, along the way, a few Picassos and Da Vincis fall down the back of the sofa, then so be it. He’s enjoying life – it’s the great game. He’s in it for self-amusement!” To date, the Monk has faced several Doctors, but Rufus particularly enjoys the clashes with Missy: “I love them! If John Dorney starts writing Post-It notes, I’m going to be hovering on his shoulder to read them! It was Vortex that told me there would be a second series, which was very pleasing, and I was delighted to read the scripts and realise it is as good, if not better, then the first. “I made a kids TV show about 15 years ago called Hounded. We didn’t get it right but if we had a second series we would have had a better handle on it. We were trying to do think-y sci-fi, but because it’s think-y, that doesn’t mean it can’t be stupid! With this script from John, and knowing Missy is Michelle Gomez, there’s Above (l–r): Cameron Percival, not much more you can want.” Dan Starkey and Alex Hope Rufus has enjoyed playing the Monk as a guest character in other series – but would he like COMPOSER JOE Kraemer was him to star in his own box set? delighted to be providing the He pauses before replying: “I’m I’m always music for this series. always impressed by all the ranges In his first interview with Big Finish does. As in comics, impressed by Vortex he reveals how he came there are ideas such as what if the to be involved with Big Finish: X-Men hung out with Spider-Man, all the nges “Like so many things these days, it all which provide such verdant soil. started with social media. I had just “I think there’s something about Big Finish does. released my score to Jack Reacher the Monk being in other peoples’ and people started following me on stories. For want of a comparison, As in comics, various platforms. One such person I played a part in One Man, Two was a film music fan called Andrew Governors. I stepped in for the there are ideas Cartmel, whose name I recognized lead on tour and in the West End. from the DVD special features on For two-and-a-half hours, I did such as what the Sylvester McCoy Doctor Whos. improv in a wolf suit, running “After confirming it was indeed around eight times a week. We if the X-Men the same , I began a got to the curtain call and there friendly correspondence with him was a fellow who played a waiter hung out which eventually led to me imposing for one and a half scenes, and the on him to mention me to Big Finish place went mad for him. Then I with Spider- as someone who would love to write stepped out and I didn’t get half music for them. That got me in the the reception he did because they’d Man, which loop with Nicholas Briggs, and after already given me their laughs some back-and-forth with him I was and applause during the show. provide such brought on board to do an hour-long “Maybe with the Monk it’s story for Vienna series two.” best to have him guesting. verdant soil. Joe wrote the theme tune for He can be the waiter!” RUFUS HOUND Missy (as well as other spin-offs

VORTEX | PAGE 14 DOCTOR WHO MISSY SERIES TWO

being able to move so drastically from light to dark in the music. One terrific thing about doing scores for audio dramas is that I can push the music much harder than in something with a visual element. Action music can be bigger because it has to help paint the picture in the listener’s imagination. When something tragic happens we can’t see the actor’s tears, so I must emphasize the emotion we’re not seeing through passionate music. “Another terrific thing is that Missy often breaks the ‘fourth wall’ between the drama and the listener, which gives me another avenue for fun and also mischief as a composer.” Joe admits he had a personal highlight from Missy Series Two, saying: “I am so glad that Rufus has come back as the Meddling Monk. The chemistry he has with Michelle is just terrific, and I love working against their amazing performances. But even aside from that, it’s so fulfilling being part of this series of stories. “I think the character of Missy, which started with Steven Moffat Above (l–r): Matthew Jacobs- and was then interpreted by Michelle Morgan and Gina McKee before coming to the wonderfully talented writers at Big Finish (as well as the director Ken Bentley) is such as – The Doctor’s just the best. Michelle, especially, Daughter), and he recalls: “The two makes it sound so natural to points of departure were the many be evil and likeable at the same allusions in costume and dialogue time, and that makes my job as to Mary Poppins, and Murray Gold’s composer easier as well.” VORTEX arrangements of the Doctor Who theme – I hoped to marry those two concepts into one theme. I also tried to balance the fact that Missy is a villain with the interesting concept that she’s the star of this series of audio adventures, so we are in a way rooting for her to win! So I wanted the theme song to have an element of fun in it too. “I suppose for me the bottom line of all the music in the Missy series is to keep it mischievous. She’s frankly a lovable character when she’s not being totally evil, so I have a lot of latitude in the music MISSY: to play up when she’s having a SERIES TWO laugh, but also when she’s plotting RELEASED: JULY 2020 the subjugation of the universe.” FORMAT: CD’DOWNLOAD Joe admits he had plenty of fun scoring a series with a fun, yet evil, protagonist. He grins: “It’s such ORDER NOW AT: a great time. As I say, I really love Above: Michelle Gomez bgfn.sh/lumiat

VORTEX | PAGE 15 THE ARE BACK – AND THEY ARE LITERALLY MORE OUT OF THIS WORLD THAN EVER…

IN THE near future, mankind there yet, so to do that the Star Cops was a cliffhanger that I don’t is expanding its presence in have got to get the colonists on side want to explain, yet! We got a space meaning the to gain their approval – there’s a very strong response to that, with International Space hearts and minds thing going on. listeners asking, ‘Wow, what’s been Force, known colloquially as “The Star Cops have already had going on for that to happen?!’” the Star Cops, have got their some adventures – investigating work cut out with an ever- murders, being hunted down STAR COPS: 2, out for expanding territory to cover. across the Martian desert. Devis has release this July, consists of Late last year, the third Big been saved from certain death by three new tales: Bodies of Finish Star Cops box set Mars 1 a mysterious masked figure, with Evidence written by Andrew, was released, with Nathan Spring further murders and disappearances Human Kind by Helen travelling to the planet in the going on in other locations. Goldwyn, and the conclusion, hope of establishing an ISPF office. “We’ve set up what Mars is like The Highest Ground, also by Andrew. Script editor, Andrew Smith, with various colonies, mainly He explains: “We actually begin brings us up to speed: “In Mars 1, the privately-sponsored corporate this second set of Mars stories regulars from the TV series – Nathan enterprises across the planet, with by going back to before the Star Spring, Pal Kenzy and Colin Devis just one or two government-run Cops were on their way, when from the International Space Police bases. We’ve established some a cargo ship from Mars crashes Force – have gone off to Mars to set characters like the co-ordinator of on the ’s surface. The three up a Star Cops base to bring law the main base, Barbara Holmberg, Star Cops investigate along with enforcement to the colonies there. and the colony at Olympus Mons, two other cops who are now left There isn’t any law enforcement and at the end of the box set there behind – Priya Basu and Paul Bailey.

VORTEX | PAGE 16 STAR COPS MARS 2

“That investigation stirs up a bit difficult – who’s experienced what be in the future. I did an awful of a hornet’s nest politically for and who knows who – and with lot of research for this, as did the Nathan, which takes us forward, flashbacks too, it took a lot of focus. other writers, and everything and that then has implications for “It’s a police drama set in space we’ve done is intended to be as the Star Cops on Mars. It all escalates and when you’re writing fantasy honest as it can be, to say this is towards quite an epic science fiction, you can get yourself how it could really look one day. in the final episode when they go out of all sort of scrapes by making “Describing Mars, the atmosphere, back to Olympus Mons and it all things up, but with Star Cops, it terraforming it, the radiation

FOR ME, IT WAS THE BIGGEST WRITING CHALLENGE I’VE EVER HAD – I HADN’T ANTICIPATED IT BEING SO DIFFICULT! HELEN GOLDWYN Above (l–r): David Calder, Linda Newton and Trevor Cooper

gets very dangerous and fraught: and how long it would take, there’s been a conspiracy going on. how people would survive, how People have their own agendas and it would appear – we’ve looked ideas about what the future of Mars at all of that and reflected how should be, and they are not wanting humanity would live there, and interference from the Star Cops.” also what form crime would take Human Kind writer Helen and how it would be investigated. Goldwyn has also directed this “It’s not hard sci-fi, there’s no series, and says: “For me, it was alien threat, it’s all about human the biggest writing challenge I’ve beings, being human beings, being ever had – I hadn’t anticipated it greedy and lusting after power, being so difficult! I was familiar looking after themselves. But with the characters and the there’s also the other side with premise of the whole series, but kindness and support. We have what I hadn’t realised was that I that mixture but have put it into have mostly written standalone a Martian environment with the stories in the past, and this story is result of some powerful drama.” part of a very complex massively researched bit of work by Andrew. MARS  sees the return of the “My story slots in after a first Above: new Star Cops regulars series on Mars, and I was writing created for the Big Finish for the second run. Not all of audios. Andrew says: “We the scripts in the first half had has to be logical and methodical recorded Mars 2 at the same been written, so I was trying to police procedure. I certainly time as Mars 1, and it was position something and create learned a lot on this project.” lovely. It was especially nice to get character journeys without being Andrew confirms: “With all the Rakhee Thakrar and Philip Olivier fully sure what’s come before, or Star Cops stories, we try to say back in studio. It wasn’t feasible to coming after! I found that really this is very feasibly how it could send all five characters to Mars on

VORTEX | PAGE 17 STAR COPS MARS 2

this mission to set up the Star Cops base as that would have them away for a period of two years. So it was great to find a way to feature Priya and Paul, by going back to the Moon, and the whole gang was at the recording.” Helen adds: “What’s wonderful is that Linda Newton comes over from Australia especially to do these audios, which is just incredible. The dynamic between the three originals, Linda, Trevor Cooper and David Calder, is really great to be around. There are lots of in-jokes, and it’s just like a family get together with them. There’s memorabilia in the green room with old photographs being passed around, and Trevor always wears his Star Cops T-shirts! There’s a great vibe about having those three together. “And of course, there’s also Rakhee and Philip, who are our fantastic new members of the crew and have slotted in brilliantly. The whole thing is a joy to direct. “Philip gets some really meaty Above (l–r): David Calder stuff to do. His character has come and Trevor Cooper from the background of being an undercover policeman and so gets to have a different perspective on procedure and sees things from another angle. He’s got lots of LINDA NEWTON action too – he has loads of fight COMES scenes and you can tell that he’s done plenty of them on TV. OVER FROM “Rakhee’s character is really multi-faceted – quite introverted, AUSTRALIA very analytical – she mainly plays by the rules, but she’s also got ESPECIALLY this maverick side where she’s so fixated on doing the right TO DO THESE thing and catching the bad guys AUDIOS, that she will veer off from the straight road and do something WHICH IS JUST unorthodox. It’s great when she does something quirky. It shows INCREDIBLE. her different layers – she’s not just HELEN GOLDWYN a straight-laced rule follower.” Above: Linda Newton

BRINGING THE story to life is sound designer Steve case it was just under 11 hours for recorded separately – but that Foxon. How long does a the three episodes, which I didn’t cause any difficulty.” dialogue edit take to prepare completed over a couple of days. Steve spoke to Vortex as he was for a release like this? He “Dialogue is generally pretty working on the sound design, explains: “It depends on the straight forward, unless you are and says: “I am really lucky average amount of characters per dealing with multiple characters that this is the second part of scene, but an hour long episode recorded at different times. a story I have already worked takes between three and five hours There was only one occurrence on, as it means 90% of the to prepare a dialogue edit. In this in this – a character being preparation is already done.

VORTEX | PAGE 18 STAR COPS MARS 2

have to be more creative when it comes to the application of music for storytelling. “As always with Big Finish, the writers and sound designers do such a great job in imagining these other worlds. When it comes to scoring the plays it’s very much a case of building on the brilliant and creative work that has gone before. The images conjured by the scripts and soundscape are so rich that writing music to enhance them is a joy. There’s a particular element of mystery and danger with Mars that permeates the stories, and hopefully that’s reflected in the music. Mars provides such a great backdrop for these stories, there’s so much to explore in terms of the imagery and atmosphere.” Andrew concludes: “Everyone was saying in studio that they thought Mother Earth was great (the story arc for our first two box sets), but they felt this was even better! “What I do like is that we Above (l–r): Philip Olivier planted lots of seeds in Mars and Trevor Cooper 1 for what’s coming up in Mars 2, but I don’t think many people will have noticed them with just the need to alter the yet as they’re quite subtle. timing where necessary. With the “It was difficult to set everything CRASHING backgrounds, I can just import up, as knitting it all together was SPACESHIPS those from previous projects. quite a thing, but the other writers Even sounds such as footsteps did a great job revealing what AND BEING are all saved as presets that can they had to when they needed be easily recalled depending to. I’m very proud of it.” VORTEX ATTACKED BY on the character and location, as well as reverbs of rooms, MACHINERY settings for helmet filters etc. “Also, whilst Star Cops has ARE ALWAYS little action, it’s very dialogue GOING TO TAKE orientated which suits the story telling, so there aren’t too many SOME WORK challenging parts. But crashing spaceships and being attacked TO GET RIGHT! by machinery are always going to take some work to get right!” STEVE FOXON Howard Carter is composing the music for this series, and adds: “Star Cops is great fun to work “Most of the background on as the score is largely written atmospheres are already created, electronically. These adventures STAR COPS: and things like driving in the have given me the chance to MARS 2 Mars rovers and shuttles are break out the synthesisers and RELEASED: JULY 2020 already designed. I have template various electronic toys and write FORMAT: CD’DOWNLOAD projects where I can, for example, in a slightly different way than import the different tracks I would with a more traditional for the Mars rover starting up, score. When you have fewer ORDER NOW AT: driving along and stopping, sonic resources you sometimes bgfn.sh/mars2 WRITE TOŠ FEEDBACK‹BIGFINISH.COM USING VORTEX MAIL AS THE SUBJECT MAIL Measures hasbeenoneofmy favourite jobs. Personally, doingthemusicfor Counter- Measures series. Sogladyou’veenjoyedit. time being, thisistheendofCounter- say neveratBig Finish.But,atleastfor the Nick: Asyoumayknow, Scott, wenever SCOTT MARKLE in amonthly specialdown theline. hope, nevertheless, thecast can popup end aftertheMovellan/ stories. I besincerelyI will sad ifthisistruly the I’m amazedathow brilliant thecast is. Counter-Measures! Every timeIlisten Just wanted tosingsomepraise for MEASURED UP We’dVORTEX lovetodomore though. the eventsoftelevision seriesone. Ness is thatwedon’tgobeyond current licence specifiedby Patrick Nick: HiNathan, acondition ofour NATHAN NEISINGER bitssoundamazing!). woodshirtless chopping…’, ofwhich the dangerous son,Charlie andMatteusz Angel civil war andplanet, Quillhasa as guidance(including ‘Weeping have entailed beencancelled haditnot ago ofwhat aClassseriestwo would dropped afew onhisTwitter years writers would dousingthehints he the very least, seewhat your creative and what hewould that.Or, dowith at an officialcontinuation ofhisshow, oratleastto write supervise/advise see ifyou couldget Patrick Ness back Is thatgoing tohappen? Iamdying to teased thepossibility ofdoingbefore! resolves the cliffhanger which you have show intheform ofaseriestwo that are anofficialcontinuation ofthe stories, butinterestingly noneofthem I’ve therelease noticed ofmore Class BACK TO COAL HILL that, Shaney. Great creations though. Nick: There are currently noplans for SHANEY Will we ever get more oftheMentors? very much intheirmonstrous morality. toaudio,be adapted astheirhorror is aliensto one ofthebestDoctorWho they were inthe1980s, andquitepossibly The Mentors are just asrelevant today as MENTOR HEALTH not stranger attimes! as strange asany alienplanet –if ofEarththat thereal is history Nick: Thanks, Alex.Ialwaysthink ALEX KNOTT and hugely way. satisfying Great work. added tothewhole canon inasubtle Who than re-creating theera, thisepisode eventswith was sothrilling.Far more rather thanobserve andget carried along wanting toget stuck inandactively help so clearly, andthefirst spark oftheDoctor the ‘we can’t interfere’ trope was depicted performed, buttheHartnell-era genesis of thisone.Not onlywith was itsuperbly does. Butanew classicWho was created don’t really gripmeintheway therest of for thepure mewith historicals –they the Romanovs! Thejuryisalways out Fantastic work all round Lastof with A SENSE OF HISTORY have certainly beenconsidering. Nick: Lovely idea,Michael, onewe MICHAEL EVANS format. MissionReports, perhaps? Single voice enhancedreading equivalent Tripsfor toShort Torchwood? Have you considered doingsomething TORCHWOOD TALES VORTEX TORCHWOOD SAVE OUR SOULS

sessions getting to grips with the structure to allow optimum atmosphere while also advancing the plot. James was absolutely brilliant, I have to say. Producing is a hard task, especially on Torchwood, but both he and script editor were great at conveying what they wanted and how the idea could be delivered.” Scott gives added authenticity to the story by having visited the location. He explains: “One unexpected highlight was being able to visit Flat Holm earlier in the year. Tours run regularly from Cardiff Bay so I booked myself on and travelled out one afternoon with a handful of others. It was Above: Not amused a really evocative experience, GOING FLAT OUT We travel back to the early days of Torchwood and its founder in Save Our Souls

recently, however, was that Flat bombing across the channel out AN EXPERIMENTAL radio Holm Island was the site of the to the island, and it just happened mast has been set up on a first radio transmission conducted to be around the time of year that remote island. It has been by Marconi across open water. Marconi would have conducted picking up signals – a voice that And somehow that information – his tests. That meant I got a sense claims it knows the future. coupled with the fact that Flat Holm of the elements a bit more, not to was established as a Torchwood mention the habits of Flat Holm’s Five people have come to the isolation facility – made it an massive gulls during mating season! island to hear the voice. A irresistible combination. I knew “The whole island is maybe scientist, a soldier, a medium, producer was looking only around 500 metres end to an alienist and the most for more stories featuring Queen end, but the place has so much powerful woman in the world Victoria and, given the date of that history: not just the Marconi – Queen Victoria. The voice original test, this seemed an obvious transmissions, but army barracks has something to say to all fit. So it all stemmed from the and a hospital building. The island of them. It starts by saying idea: what if Marconi transmitted used to serve, theoretically, as a who will be the first to die. his test signal and received an leper colony. But it’s a gorgeous unexpected reply? Cue Torchwood! place, and well worth a visit if “Originally I wanted something you ever get the chance.” VORTEX WRITTEN BY , rooted more in the science of Save Our Souls sees the return Marconi’s original discovery, of Rowena Cooper as Queen and that sense of forging new TORCHWOOD: Victoria, in a location which technology as a voice from beyond SAVE OUR SOULS featured in the Torchwood claims foreknowledge of Victoria RELEASED: JULY 2020 television episode, . and her Empire. James enjoyed that FORMAT: CD’DOWNLOAD Scott says: “I’m quite lucky, premise but wanted something living in Cardiff, that I get to know slightly more MR James, so the focus a lot of the city and local area. and tone shifted. We spent a lot of ORDER NOW AT: One thing I never realised until time sat in cafes after recording bgfn.sh/twsos A BUNCH OF

FIVESThe eighties are back in fashion for the next few months as returns as the Doctor…

THE FIFTH Doctor, , (having left his companions at was both Scott’s favourite and mine. Tegan and their new friend the end of an earlier story), and “It’s a ghost story set in an Marc return to The Monthly zipping back and forth through the abandoned underground train Adventures this summer – and history of his favourite planet. station beneath East Berlin in 1975. they’re in trouble! “There are some lovely historical It feels odd to call it a ‘historical’ In run of stories details in these adventures. We story, when it’s set in a year that I to feature these characters, their have one set in an abandoned remember! It is about a particular final adventure, Conversion, ended underground station in East Berlin; period in history, though, when with the Time Lord separating from one that deals with a superstition the Berlin Wall divided . his friends as he went off in the about shadows from British folklore; The story is a two-hander between TARDIS on his own. What happens the third meeting Mary Wade (the the Doctor and an East German to him is now being revealed in youngest convict to be transported to border guard called Peter – whose Time Apart, a collection of four Australia); and finally arriving during partner has just been killed by standalone Fifth Doctor stories. the Dancing Plague of Strasbourg.” something lurking in the shadows.” Producer Scott Handcock explains: ’s Ghost Station opens Steve – a Big Finish veteran – adds “Time Apart is an anthology release: the release. He says: “Scott wanted that crafting this story brought four single-episode stories from a story for the Fifth Doctor who is back happy memories: “It felt writers Steve Lyons, Jacqueline travelling solo because he feels his like writing Sapphire & Steel Rayner, Tommy Donbavand and friends are better off without him. again, and I’ve missed that!” Kate Thorman. These adventures He asked for a historical story, with has written are loosely connected in that they or without an alien element. I made the second story, The Bridge Master, see the Doctor travelling alone a few suggestions, and Ghost Station which she sums up: “It’s got a slight

VORTEX | PAGE 22 DOCTOR WHO THE FIFTH DOCTOR

brought him to my attention. Tommy was aware of his illness and very keen to fulfil his ambition of writing a Doctor Who audio but wasn’t sure how much he could commit to, so an episode in this anthology was ideal. It was obviously hugely upsetting to see Tommy’s condition deteriorate as quickly as it did, and I’m sad he won’t hear his words brought to life, but I hope we brought him some positivity at an extremely difficult time. The story serves as a fitting tribute to a brilliant author.” IT’S NICE TO GO TO A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PLACE THAN ‘CELEBRITY HISTORICAL’ OR ‘WELL-KNOWN HISTORICAL INCIDENT’. Above (l–r): Laura Aikman and Peter Davison JACQUELINE RAYNER

folk-ish, fairy tale-ish vibe. Bridges feature in a lot of myths and legends and this is inspired by some of those. It’s nice to go to a slightly different place than ‘celebrity historical’ or ‘well-known historical incident’. This was one that gave Jac – an experienced Big Finish writer – some worries. She explains: “I was quite nervous, actually. I’d only written for the Doctor once before, for a box set, and here he is all on his own, in the spotlight! I was worried I wouldn’t get him right. People talk about the being hard to write for because of the physicality of Patrick Troughton’s performance, but I think that goes for Peter Davison too – there’s so much restless energy in his portrayal. I hope I did him justice, though.” What Lurks Down Under was written by the late Tommy Scott explains: “It was my first, and Kate Thorman is the writer of Donbavand, a popular author regrettably only, time working with the final adventure in the set, The who passed away in 2019 Tommy Donbavand, who passed Dancing Plague. She laughs: “My title after a long illness, which he away shortly after delivering an early gives away a bit of what it’s about: the fought bravely to the end. draft. It was actually Paul Magrs who mysterious dancing plague of 1518

VORTEX | PAGE 23 DOCTOR WHO THE FIFTH DOCTOR

– Strasbourg, in Alsace. Determined they did, and really fear what might ‘shut in’ or ‘shuttered house’ story to find the alien source of the long- befall him in Conversion. where the characters are trapped unsolved plague that’s wiping out the “Thin Time and Madquake is together. It was great to work on.” medieval city, the Fifth Doctor misses another double-bill release written Of the second tale in the release, the very human threats around him. by and Guy Adams Scott tells us: “Madquake is “I was also interested in writing respectively. Our TARDIS teams are something altogether different, a story where the Doctor didn’t still separated from one another so dealing with our companions’ sense have all the answers, and where the first tale focuses on the Doctor’s of loss following their abandonment, we played with the way humans exploits, while the second checks and having to overthrow an alien respond to crisis (ha!), so that in on his companions. Thin Time is plot in the Doctor’s absence. And was cool to get to do. It’s still very a gloriously creepy script from Dan naturally, knowing the Doctor won’t escapist, though, I promise!” – whose New Deadwardians comic be around and continuity isn’t series I loved – so I was thrilled to threatened, I couldn’t resist including WE’LL FIND out what happens be able to let him tackle something a monster from the 2005 series of to Nyssa, Tegan and Marc a bit more atmospheric here.” Doctor Who. Did anyone imagine during the Doctor’s absence, in Writer Dan says: “It’s Hallowe’en Tegan and Nyssa would face off the next release, Thin Time / night in Victorian , and in a against the ? Probably not, Madquake. Scott explains: quiet town house two old friends are but they do, and it provides a bit of “When I took over the Fifth meeting to set an outlandish plan levity against the more emotional Doctor strand of The Monthly in motion involving the past, the story arcs we’ve been building.” THE KNOCKING AT THE DOOR IS NOT TRICK OR TREATERS. STAY INSIDE AND DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! DAN ABNETT

Writer Guy adds: “At the end of the last trilogy, we saw the Doctor and friends splitting up, and so the plan was that when we returned, the first release would show what the Doctor got up to in that time, and Madquake shows what his companions do when they are left behind, on the planet that’s possibly insane… “I really wanted to write something about the fragility Adventures, I was keen to shake future and the thinning of the ‘veil’ of everyone involved and I things up slightly and throw a new at All Hallows. But not everything is couldn’t think of a more fun element into the mix, hence the what it seems, and the knocking at way of doing it, suggesting the introduction of Marc: a new the door is NOT trick or treaters. Stay very ground they stood on was companion from Ancient Rome. I inside and DO NOT open the door!” as unstable as they were. sort of pitched him as a male version Dan is no stranger to Big Finish, “I hope people assumed we of Leela. He’s intelligent but having written The Harvest and wouldn’t do anything too nasty uneducated, acting on instinct and for the . He to Marc... and yes, we did! It’s skills he’s taught himself. Having adds: “I enjoyed writing Thin Time. probably the most tactless thing lived a life as a slave, travelling with It is a very character-driven piece, to do to the Doctor and friends, the Doctor is the ultimate freedom. and it was great to come up with give them a new companion and I’d always planned for him to a small cast of people who would then throw the Cybermen at them continue into this next set of bounce off the Doctor to great effect. again. These stories are very much adventures, so it was a relief to see It’s a very spooky story too – I love about dealing with the fallout of people warm to him as quickly as those! – and is almost literally a that, which is not just biological.

VORTEX | PAGE 24 DOCTOR WHO THE FIFTH DOCTOR

MADQUAKE SHOWS WHAT COMPANIONS DO WHEN THEY ARE LEFT BEHIND, ON THE PLANET THAT’S POSSIBLY INSANE… GUY ADAMS

whole thing between Rose and the Above (l–r): Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Wilf Scolding, Doctor, which you wouldn’t get Peter Davison, Nicholas Khan and Zaqi Ismail in classic Who. You could show the modern stories out of order and you wouldn’t really notice. “In a way, we’ve overlaid more classic sensibilities on this TARDIS team, which keep spreading out over the stories.” Scott directed Thin Time and Madquake, and adds: “It was a lot of fun reuniting with this team after their initial trilogy together had been released. There was a proper sense of coming back together, buoyed by the positive feedback we’d had online. The stories with the Doctor travelling solo earn their place as we catch up with the absent companions. These two releases won’t be the last we hear from this TARDIS team, with two more stories due out in 2021!” VORTEX

Above back (l–r): Harley Viveash, Raj Ghatak and George Watkins Above front (l–r): Doña Croll, and

“With this run of stories we decided emotional moment. And when you that the Fifth Doctor does angst so get to the Fifth Doctor there’s a sense well! On one hand you can look at this that the emotions continue a little. crew and think they are antagonistic Arguably the TV episode Time-Flight – do they even like each other, is quite quick to forget that one of particularly Tegan and the Doctor? them is dead. When Tegan leaves, it’s You either script against that and say, with an accretion of misery. It felt let’s have them making friends, or more interesting to play with that, DOCTOR WHO: you look at the differences between you can really write these people. TIME APART people who do care deeply for one “A lot of today’s newer RELEASED: JULY 2020 another, but there’s a big clash of listeners expect a certain level of FORMAT: CD’DOWNLOAD personalities, so let’s embrace that. It’s characterisation and emotional really the first TARDIS crew you could depth – that there will be do that with, after Susan departs. The consequences which you have in ORDER NOW AT: TV episode has an modern Doctor Who. Like the bgfn.sh/apart THE OMEGA FACTOR DIVINITY

The Omega Factor returns in a Big Finish exclusive audiobook…

SCARES ARE on their way this more a matter of batting ideas When I was writing the sequences month as The Omega Factor back and forth with Xanna. One set in the 1940s, I asked myself returns to Big Finish. idea that we both thought had what the series would have been Following on from potential was a prequel set in like had it existed in that period? Spider’s Web written by Iain the 1940s. According to the TV The 1940s had a vibrant occult McLaughlin and Festival show’s backstory, that was when scene – Aleister Crowley, Dion of Darkness written by Natasha the villain Drexel had his reign of Fortune, Gerald Gardner and Dennis Gerson, the third audiobook in this terror. Xanna gave me a number of Wheatley were all around, and Big Finish series, Divinity, has been story suggestions – most notably, people like MR James were still written by Doris V Sutherland. she asked me to include a plot in living memory. It was a really Editor Xanna Eve Chown explains: thread set in the 1970s so that interesting experience trying “Doris’s brief was to write an Omega Tom and Anne could be included to work those influences into a Factor audiobook set in the 1970s as characters. Beyond that I had story while remaining true to to explore more of Tom and Anne’s a lot of freedom in expanding the the television series from 1979. I time at Department 7. This has been world of The Omega Factor. hope that listeners of The Omega the theme of all the audiobooks so “After I’d worked with Xanna Factor will like the results.” VORTEX far as a counterpoint to the modern on my short story for Bernice investigations that take place with Summerfield: In Time, I asked her in the Big Finish audio dramas. if there were any opportunities “Doris won the 2018 writers’ going at Big Finish for longer- opportunity after she submitted a form work. Since my short story short story had a rather ghostly theme, she for the collection In Time with nudged me towards The Omega her adventure, The Bunny’s Curse. Factor. I wasn’t familiar with it at We wanted to give her a chance the time, but I bought the series to write something a bit longer on DVD and devoured it. I’ve long and more involved, and as Doris been fascinated by the 1970s is a big horror fan, The Omega vogue for occult and paranormal Factor seemed like a good fit.” themes – with The Exorcist in Divinity sees Tom Crane sent cinemas and the Fortean Times to the sleepy village of Coldad to making its debut – and I understood investigate a poltergeist. The terrified the series inside-out from the THE OMEGA FACTOR: Wright family invite him to spend start. Creating a story set in its DIVINITY the night in their haunted house world came naturally to me.” RELEASED: JULY 2020 where he gets to experience the Writing the audiobook was FORMAT: DOWNLOAD unsettling phenomenon at a closer an exciting time for Doris. She range than he might have liked. concludes: “For me, the highlight Doris tells Vortex: “It was less a was in expanding the world of The ORDER NOW AT: case of being handed a brief, and Omega Factor into a different era. bgfn.sh/divinity

VORTEX | PAGE 26 COMING SOON ISSUE: 136 • JUNE 2020 THE BIG FINISH RELEASE SCHEDULE

FOR FULL DETAILS AND UPDATES VISIT, bgfn.sh/whatsnew

JUNE 2020 ■ TORCHWOOD™ Save Our Souls ¥40¦ ■ DW • THE MONTHLY ADVENTURES™ The Lovecraft ■ STAR COPS™ Mars Part 2 ¥BOX SET¦ Invasion ¥265, ¦ ■ THE OMEGA FACTOR™ ■ DW • STRANDED 1™ Divinity ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO ¥THE EIGHTH DOCTOR¦

■ DW • SHORT TRIPS™ AUGUST 2020 Out of the Deep ¥10.6¦ DLO Managing Editor: ■ DW • THE MONTHLY ■ TORCHWOOD™ Jason Haigh-Ellery ADVENTURES™ Thin Time / Dinner and a Show ¥39¦ Madquake ¥267, FIFTH DOCTOR¦ Executive Producer: ■ THE AVENGERS™ ■ DW • THE SIXTH DOCTOR Nicholas Briggs The Comic Strip AND PERI™ Volume One Adaptations Volume 4 ¥BOX SET¦ Senior Producer: ¥BOX SET • STEED & MRS PEEL¦ David Richardson ■ DW • SHORT TRIPS™ ■ ™ Volume 2: These Stolen Hours ¥10.8¦ DLO Editor: The War That Never Was ■ TORCHWOOD™ Torchwood Soho Kenny Smith ¥BOX SET¦ – Parasite ¥BOX SET¦ ■ The Big Finish Team: TERRAHAWKS™ Expect the Unexpected ■ TORCHWOOD™ Red Base ¥41¦ Cheryl Bly, Sue Cowley, Emily Davis ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO ■ ADAM ADAMANT LIVES!™ Karen Parks, Hannah Peel ■ INTO INFINITY™ Volume 2 ¥BOX SET¦ Alœe Shaw, Paul Spragg The Day After Tomorrow Graphic Designer: ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO SEPTEMBER 2020 Mark Plastow ■ GEMINI FORCE ONE™ Black Horizon ■ DW • THE MONTHLY Copy Editor: ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO ADVENTURES™ The Flying Stephanie Hornett Dutchman / Displaced ■ SPACE PRECINCT™ ¥268, SEVENTH DOCTOR¦ Marketing: Demeter City ■ Steve Berry ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO DW • THE EIGHTH DOCTOR™ 4 ¥BOX SET¦

BFP Administration: ■ DW • SHORT TRIPS™ JULY 2020 Her Own Bootstraps ¥10.9¦ Brenda Smith, Alison Taylor DLO ■ DW • THE MONTHLY Publisher: ADVENTURES™ Time Apart ■ TORCHWOOD™ Ex Machina ¥42¦ Ltd. ¥266, FIFTH DOCTOR¦ ■ BIG FINISH CLASSICS™ ■ DW • Dracula’s War ¥BOX SET¦ ¥TENTH DOCTOR ª ¦ ■ GEMINI FORCE ONE™ TBC ■ DW • MISSY™ Series 2 ¥BOX SET¦ ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO

■ DW • THE ROBOTS 2™ ¥BOX SET¦ ■ INTO INFINITY™ TBC ¥AUDIOBOOK¦ DLO ■ DW • SHORT TRIPS™ WWW.BIGFINISH.COM Downward Spiral ¥10.7¦ DLO ■ CALLAN™ Volume 2 ¥BOX SET¦ @BIGFINISH THEBIGFINISH AMID THE ONGOING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, BIG FINISH BIGFINISHPROD HAS MOVED TO A DIGITAL-FIRST RELEASE SCHEDULE. ALL PHYSICAL ORDERS WILL BE FULFILLED, BUT YOU WILL HAVE BIG-FINISH TO WAIT LONGER FOR YOUR CDS TO ARRIVE. BIGFINISHPROD

DLO = DOWNLOAD ONLY • DW = DOCTOR WHO “Take a look at the lawman, DATES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. beating up the wrong guy”

VORTEX | PAGE 27 ISSUE: 136 • JUNE 2020 WWW.BIGFINISH.COM

FIRE UP THE THE STAR COPS ARE BACK – AND THEY ARE LITERALLY MORE OUT OF THIS WORLD THAN EVER…

DOCTOR WHO ROBOTS THE KALDORAN AUTOMATONS RETURN