Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and

audio play Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

s (released straight to

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

and for download in

MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...

and m4b format) based, primarily, on

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

science fiction properties. These include ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', the characters

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

and

Strontium Dog ''Strontium Dog'' was a long-running British comics series starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter who lives in Earth's future. The series was created in 1978 by writer John Wagner (under the pseudonym T. B. Grover) and artist Carlos Ezque ...

from '' 2000 AD'', ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

'', ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...

'', ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'', ''

Terrahawks ''Gerry Anderson & Christopher Burr's Terrahawks'', usually referred to simply as ''Terrahawks'', is a 1980s British science fiction television series produced by Anderson Burr Pictures for London Weekend Television and created by the product ...

'', ''

Sapphire & Steel ''Sapphire & Steel'' is a British television supernatural sci-fi/fantasy series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. Produced by ATV, it ran from 1979 to 1982 on the ITV network. The series was created by Peter J. ...

'', ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'', ''

Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...

'', '' The Avengers'', ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'', ''

Timeslip ''Timeslip'' is a British children's science fiction television series made by ATV for the ITV network and broadcast between 1970 and 1971. It was first broadcast on Friday evenings at around 5:10-5:15pm in the ATV region with the other ITV r ...

'' and ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing ...

''.

History

Founded in 1996, Big Finish in late 1998 began releasing audio plays adapted from the

New Adventures New Adventures is a British dance-theatre company. Founded by choreographer Matthew Bourne in 2001, the company developed from an earlier company Adventures in Motion Pictures, now dissolved. History Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP) was es ...

, a series of novels from

Virgin Books Virgin Books is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Group, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company. History Virgin established its book publishing arm ...

which had originally been licensed ''Doctor Who'' stories, but by then had become officially independent from the show and were based around the character of Bernice "Benny" Summerfield. In 1999, Big Finish obtained a non-exclusive licence to produce official ''Doctor Who'' plays, beginning with the multi-Doctor story ''

The Sirens of Time ''The Sirens of Time'' is a 1999 audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was the first Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the series and became the first in the company's '' ...

''. ''Doctor Who'' and spin-offs have remained the main part of the company's output ever since, although they have since diversified. Many of those initially involved in Big Finish had worked on the

Audio Visuals The Audio Visuals were an unlicensed series of '' Doctor Who'' audio dramas made by British fans in the 1980s. Featuring Nicholas Briggs as the Doctor, twenty-eight audio plays were recorded and distributed on audio cassette between 1985 and ...

fan series of unlicensed ''Doctor Who'' audio plays. The name of the company was taken from the episode "The Big Finish" of the 1989-1993

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

series ''

Press Gang ''Press Gang'' is a British children's television comedy drama consisting of 43 episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993. It was produced by Richmond Film & Television for Central, and screened on the ITV network in it ...

''. On 25 July 2019, Big Finish made a statement about equality and diversity in response to requests from fans wishing the company to make a statement on the views expressed by a few individuals they have worked with. The company stated that it is committed to ensuring that those working for the company are protected from discrimination due to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, pregnancy or maternity leave, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.

Organisation

Until July 2006,

Gary Russell Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...

served as producer of the ''Doctor Who'' audios. When Russell left the company, Jason Haigh-Ellery and

Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs (born 29 September 1961) is an English actor, writer, director, sound designer and composer. He is associated with the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Dal ...

took joint responsibility as Co-Executive Producers. Briggs now bears creative responsibility for Big Finish's ''Doctor Who'' range, along with script editor Alan Barnes. David Richardson holds the title of

senior producer Senior producer, also known as supervising producer, is a title given usually to the second most senior person of a computer game, animation, film or television production. Used mainly in the United Kingdom, a senior producer (who would occasionall ...

across all ranges, organising the schedules across the company's output, as well as having creative producer responsibility for '' The Companion Chronicles'', Lost Stories, and the spin-off '' Jago & Litefoot''. The Chairman and co-executive producer of the company is Jason Haigh-Ellery.

Big Finish Day

Big Finish Day is a

fan convention Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...

featuring guest appearances by Big Finish actors. On 11 June 2011, Tenth Planet Events hosted the first Big Finish Day in

Barking Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking ** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...

. On 11 February 2012, a second one was held. As of September 2015, there have been seven Big Finish Days, with more planned.

Downloads

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 DRM may refer to: Government, military and politics * Defense reform movement, U.S. campaign inspired by Col. John Boyd * Democratic Republic of Madagascar, a former socialist state (1975–1992) on Madagascar * Direction du renseignement milita ...

. They currently provide the large majority of their catalogue in MP3 and M4B format, with very few outstanding exceptions. In late April 2008, Big Finish released a download subscription service that mirrors its physical CD service. In addition, those who purchase Big Finish productions on CD through the company's website receive access to a complimentary 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 ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...

''. On February 8 2017 they announced the Big Finish app.

Available releases

''Doctor Who''

The ''Doctor Who'' audio plays have, to date, featured seven of the ten living actors to play the character of the Doctor in the series (

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...

Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor with many credits in television dramas and sitcoms. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan ...

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series '' Doctor ...

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the lon ...

Paul McGann Paul John McGann (; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial ''The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987), which was a ...

Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, he is best known for his television and film work, which includes his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series '' ...

, and

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

), as well as many of the regular supporting actors over the many years of the programme. The late

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996) was an English actor, comedian, entertainer, cabaret performer and TV presenter. Born into a theatrical family, he served in the Royal Navy and the Naval Intelligence Division during ...

's voice is featured in the 40th-anniversary story ''

Zagreus In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Zagreus ( grc-gre, Ζαγρεύς) was sometimes identified with a god worshipped by the followers of Orphism, the "first Dionysus", a son of Zeus and Persephone, who was dismembered by the Titans and reb ...

''. His part in the story was pieced together from snippets of Pertwee's dialogue from the fan-produced ''Doctor Who'' video "Devious". The actor

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

also recorded appearances as the

War Doctor The War Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by the English actor John Hurt. Although he precedes Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in the sh ...

for Big Finish prior to his death in 2017. ''

Destiny of the Doctor ''Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor'' is a series of audiobooks produced by Big Finish Productions for AudioGo. They were released monthly through the first eleven months of 2013 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of United Kingdom, British te ...

'', produced in conjunction with

AudioGO AudioGO (formerly BBC Audiobooks) was a publisher of audiobooks and a range of spoken word and large-print titles. It was majority owned by AudioGO Ltd, and minority owned by BBC Worldwide. It was formed in 2010, when AudioGO purchased a majori ...

, who were rights holders to the 2005–present series, marked the first time Big Finish produced storylines featuring the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors to mark the 50th anniversary of the franchise. In February 2015, Big Finish announced that following a licensing deal with

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

, they had been permitted to produce an audio series entitled '' UNIT: Extinction'', starring

Kate Stewart Kate Stewart (born 16 January 1995), also formerly known as KStewart, is an English singer-songwriter. She featured on the vocal version of Oliver Heldens's "Koala", and her song "Ain't Nobody" charted at number 86 on the UK Singles Chart. On ...

played by

Jemma Redgrave Jemima Rebecca Redgrave (born 14 January 1965), known as Jemma Redgrave, is a fourth-generation British actress of the Redgrave family. She played the title character in four series of '' Bramwell'', and has a recurring role in ''Doctor Who'' as ...

. The debut of the character on audio marks the second time Big Finish have been actively permitted to utilise material introduced in the 2005 revival. In May 2015, Big Finish announced a new series of ''

'', featuring Captain Jack Harkness (

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in '' Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrow ...

). Since this announcement. In 2017, Big Finish announced six new stories of ''

Class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

'' featuring original members of the class, as well as a story starring

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

(

Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred (born 20 August 1962) is an English actress and television presenter. She has worked extensively in children's television as a presenter and voice artist. She played the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, in the television series ''Do ...

). On 27 June 2015, it was announced that Big Finish would produce a line of stories featuring River Song and the Eighth Doctor, as well as stories from

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

(

Ian McNeice Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. He found fame portraying government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series '' Edge of Darkness'', and went on to feature in popular films such as ''The Englishma ...

) and his interactions with the Doctor. Further it was announced that a special set would be released featuring classic Doctors (in this case, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors), with new series monsters ( The Weeping Angels, the

Judoon The Judoon are a fictional extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial species of mercenary police from the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'' and Spin-off (media), its spin-offs, first appear ...

, the Sycorax, and the

Sontarans The Sontarans ( ) are a fictional race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial humanoids principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. A warrior race characterised by ...

). The latter story will also connect into the Time War. According to Big Finish's website in May 2018, their license was expanded to feature properties set during the Twelfth Doctor's era up until '' Twice Upon a Time''. This has allowed Big Finish to explore more recent characters and areas from ''Doctor Who'', as seen in ''

Paternoster Gang Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax (informally known as the Paternoster Gang, together with the Doctor), are a trio of recurring fictional characters in the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', created by Steven Moffat ...

''; ''Jenny, The Doctor's Daughter''; and ''Tales from New Earth''. Developments in the 2005 revival TV series also impacted the availability of certain characters. For example, Big Finish was no longer allowed to use the character of

Davros Davros () is a character from the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was created by screenwriter Terry Nation, originally for the 1975 serial ''Genesis of the Daleks''. Dav ...

, following his return to the series in 2008, although this restriction has since been lifted and Davros returned to Big Finish in ''

The Curse of Davros ''The Curse of Davros'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra from 25 June to 2 July 2016. Plot Davros has ...

'' (January 2012). Prior to the character's being featured in the new series, he had been used in several plays, portrayed by

Terry Molloy Terry Molloy (born 4 January 1947) is an English actor. He is known predominantly for his work on radio and television, especially his portrayal of Davros, creator of the Dalek, Daleks, in the BBC television science fiction series ''Doctor Who ...

, who played Davros in three TV serials in the 1980s. In a 2008 podcast,

explained that all scripts are sent through the TV show's offices in Cardiff to prevent any potential conflicts in continuity. The return of Sarah Jane Smith to the continuity of the TV series, and subsequent ''

The Sarah Jane Adventures ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC sc ...

'' spin-off, resulted in the character's no longer being available to Big Finish (forcing the cancellation of an ongoing ''Sarah Jane Smith'' audio series). According to Briggs, permission from

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include '' Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scie ...

, producer and creator of ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', had been secured that would have allowed the character (and actress

Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside ...

) to return to Big Finish for a series of stories alongside Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, but Sladen's illness and death in April 2011 put an end to those plans. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ''Doctor Who'' in 2013, Big Finish created a series in the style of ''The Companion Chronicles'' range titled ''

'' narrated by companions throughout the show's history. In addition to this, Big Finish released a multi-doctor story featuring all surviving Doctors of the classic series and almost every companion in ''

The Light at the End ''The Light at the End'' is a 1986 vampire novel by John Skipp & Craig Spector which became a ''New York Times'' bestseller and is often credited as the book that started the splatterpunk movement. Story The book takes place in the 1980s punk su ...

''. Big Finish also published a series of short story anthologies taking place in the ''Doctor Who'' universe under the overall title of '' Short Trips''. Three ''Short Trips'' collections were published by

BBC Books BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasti ...

in the late 1990s, before a hardback short story anthology licence was granted to Big Finish, who took over the name and produced them until their licence to publish such stories was revoked in the spring of 2009. Big Finish currently continues to produce audio-only Short Trips productions. In 2016, Big Finish's licence to produce ''Doctor Who'' audios was extended to 20 June 2025. In 2019, Big Finish reached its 20th anniversary of producing ''Doctor Who'' audios and released a special: ''The Legacy of Time'' which combined several spin-offs, including

UNIT Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (alb ...

, ''

The Diary of River Song ''The Diary of River Song'' is an audio play series from Big Finish Productions. Alex Kingston reprises her character River Song from the television series ''Doctor Who''. Background The series is one of the first to prominently feature ele ...

'',

Bernice Summerfield Bernice Surprise Summerfield (later Professor Bernice Summerfield or just Benny) is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length ''Doctor Who ...

and ''Counter-Measures''. Other celebratory releases included the third series of '' Ravenous'' (featuring almost all

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 pilo ...

companions); fourth series of ''Ravenous'' (featuring multiple incarnations of the

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

; the sixth Series of the ''Early Adventures'' (in which the

First Doctor The First Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time L ...

encountered the

Second Doctor The Second Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. While the Troughton era of ''Doctor Who'' is well-remembered by fans an ...

, as well as using the character of

Katerina Katerina (Greek: Κατερίνα, ''Katerína''; Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian: Катерина, ''Katerina'') is a feminine given name. It is a Greek variant of '' Ekaterini'' and a Russian and Bulgarian short form of ''Ekaterina'' or '' ...

for the first time); ''

'' series 5 (the first appearance of

Eric Roberts Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in ''King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes fo ...

' Master since the 1996 film and the return of Missy). In August 2020, Big Finish announced a new series of audios beginning release in May 2021, featuring

reprising his role as the

Ninth Doctor The Ninth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston during the first series of the show's revival in 2005. Within the seri ...

(for the first time since his departure from the series in 2005). In December 2021, Big Finish announced that their license to produce Doctor Who audios was extended until the 31st of March 2030. In June 2022, Big Finish announced that in November of the same year, the prices of all unreleased boxsets as of that month would see an increase in price due to the rising costs of production and supply costs. These new prices are yet to be announced as of the 15th of September 2022.

Doctor Who spin-offs

Other spin-offs include the ''

Gallifrey Gallifrey () is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It is the original home world of the Time Lords, the civilisation to which the protagonist, The Doct ...

'' series (with

Lalla Ward Sarah Jill "Lalla" Ward (born 28 June 1951) is an English actress, voice artist and author. She is best known for playing the role of Romana II in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1979 to 1981. Career Early career Ward's stage na ...

as Romana,

Louise Jameson Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a wide variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The Omega Factor'' (1979), ...

as Leela and

John Leeson John Francis Christopher Ducker (born 16 March 1943), known professionally as John Leeson, is an English actor, voice artist and freelance wine educator. He is known for portraying Bungle in ''Rainbow'' and voicing K9 in ''Doctor Who'' and s ...

as K-9); the '' Dalek Empire'' series; the ''

'' series; the ''

Iris Wildthyme Iris Wildthyme is a fictional character created by writer Paul Magrs, who has appeared in short stories, novels and audio dramas from numerous publishers. She is best known from Doctor Who spin-offs, spin-off media based on the long-running Britis ...

'' series starring

Katy Manning Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946) is an English-Australian actress, television presenter, voice artist and former model. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as th ...

; the ''

Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien t ...

'' series and the '' I, Davros'' series. Big Finish have also produced a series of ''Doctor Who'' plays based on alternative scenarios (for example, what if the Doctor had never left Gallifrey, or had been a woman), collectively titled ''

Doctor Who Unbound ''Doctor Who Unbound'' is a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Free from the constraints of continuity, the ''Doctor Who Unbound'' audios present a series of "What if...?" scenarios, and cast new actors in the role of ...

''. This has allowed them to cast other actors in the role of the Doctor, including Sir

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', ''The Tempest'', ''King ...

Arabella Weir Arabella Weir (born 6 December 1957) is a Scottish comedian, actress and writer. She played roles in the comedy series '' The Fast Show'' and '' Posh Nosh'', and has written several books, including ''Does My Bum Look Big in This?'' Weir has al ...

and

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

. In 2013, following the death of original Romana actress

Mary Tamm Mary Tamm (22 March 1950 – 26 July 2012) was a British actress, who appeared in many British TV drama series and serials, and is best known for her role as Romana I in the BBC's science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', starrin ...

, Big Finish introduced a previously unknown third incarnation of Romana, played by American actress

Juliet Landau Juliet Rose Landau is an American actress, director, producer, and ballerina best known for her role as Drusilla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spinoff show ''Angel'', the latter appearance earning her a Saturn Award nomination. She ...

. Other spin-off series include ''Jago & Litefoot'', featuring

Henry Gordon Jago Henry Gordon Jago is a character who appeared in the 1977 '' Doctor Who'' television serial, '' The Talons of Weng-Chiang''. He was played by Christopher Benjamin. He worked so well with Trevor Baxter's character, Professor George Litefoot, ...

( Christopher Benjamin) and

Professor George Litefoot Professor George Litefoot is a character who appeared in the 1977 '' Doctor Who'' television serial '' The Talons of Weng-Chiang''. He was played by Trevor Baxter. He worked so well with Christopher Benjamin's character, Henry Gordon Jago, th ...

(

Trevor Baxter Trevor Baxter (18 November 1932 – 16 July 2017) was a British actor and playwright. He was educated at Dulwich College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Early years A postal worker's son, Baxter was born in Lewisham, London, England, an ...

), characters from the 1970s storyline ''

The Talons of Weng-Chiang ''The Talons of Weng-Chiang'' is the sixth and final serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 26 February to 2 April 1977. In the serial ...

''; ''Counter-Measures'', featuring a group of scientists featured in 1988's ''

Remembrance of the Daleks ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' is the first serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The serial was first broadcast in four weekly episodes from 5 to 26 October 1988. It was written by Ben Aaronovi ...

''; ''Vienna'', focusing on an assassin named Vienna Salvatori (played by former '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' actress

Chase Masterson Chase Masterson (born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963) is an American actress and singer. Early life Chase Masterson was born Christianne Carafano in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As her father was in the Army,The Shadow Heart ''The Shadow Heart'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. Plot The Doctor returns to the fallen Drashani Empire, just as The Wrath look to conquer the Eart ...

''; UNIT, originally focused around the UNIT during the hiatus years of ''Doctor Who'', starring

the Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. ...

(

) and Elizabeth Klein (

Tracey Childs Tracey Childs (born 30 May 1963) is an English actress, known for playing Lynne Howard in the 1980s drama series ''Howards' Way''. Her other television roles include Marianne Dashwood in ''Sense and Sensibility'' (1981), Linda Cosgrove in ''Bor ...

, who first appeared in ''

Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the c ...

'') and later became focused on UNIT from the revived series, featuring Kate Stewart (

and Osgood (

Ingrid Oliver Ingrid Oliver (born 25 February 1977) is a British actress and comedian, and one half of the comic double act '' Watson & Oliver''. She is known for playing Petronella Osgood, a supporting character in the BBC television series '' Doctor Who'' ...

), as well as guest characters Jo Grant, River Song (

Alex Kingston Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in ...

) and Doctor Chin Lee (

Pik-Sen Lim Pik-Sen Lim (, born 15 September 1944) is a Malaysian-British actress. According to the British Film Institute, Lim was "the most familiar Chinese actor on British television screens in the 1970s and 80s." Her notable roles include Chin Lee i ...

, who first appeared in ''

the Ambassadors of Death ''The Ambassadors of Death'' is the third serial of the seventh season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts on BBC1 from 21 March to 2 May 1970. Written by Trevor Ray, Te ...

''). Two TV spin-offs from the ''Doctor Who'' universe have been continued in audio form by Big Finish: ''

'' and ''

'' which has featured the return of several characters from the original cast:

Gwen Cooper Gwen Cooper is a fictional character portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles in the BBC science-fiction television programme ''Torchwood'', a spin-off of the long-running series ''Doctor Who''. The lead female character, Gwen featured in every epi ...

(

Eve Myles Eve Myles (born 26 July 1978) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles portraying Ceri Lewis in the long-running BBC Wales drama series '' Belonging'' (2000–2009), Gwen Cooper in the BBC science-fiction series ''Torchw ...

Owen Harper Dr Owen James Harper is a fictional character played by Burn Gorman, and a regular in the BBC television series ''Torchwood'', a spin-off from the long-running series ''Doctor Who''. The character last appeared onscreen in the Series 2 finale, ...

(

Burn Gorman Burn Hugh Winchester Gorman (born 1 September 1974) is an English actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Owen Harper in the BBC series ''Torchwood'' (2006–2008), Phillip Stryver in ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012), Karl Tanner in the ...

Toshiko Sato is a fictional character from the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its Spin-off (media), spin-off ''Torchwood'', played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "Aliens of London" (2005), Toshiko is re-introdu ...

(

Naoko Mori (born 29 November 1971) is a Japanese actress based in the United Kingdom. She is known for her roles as Toshiko Sato in ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', Yasuko Namba in ''Everest'', Sarah in ''Absolutely Fabulous'' and Nicola in '' Spice World ...

Ianto Jones Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television programme ''Torchwood'', a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the long-running series ''Doctor Who'', played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A regular within the show, Ianto appears in e ...

(

Gareth David-Lloyd Gareth David Lloyd (born 28 March 1981), known professionally as Gareth David-Lloyd, is a Welsh actor and writer best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction series ''Torchwood.'' Early life He was born in Bettws, Newp ...

), Rhys Williams (

Kai Owen Kai Owen (born 4 September 1975) is a Welsh actor of stage and screen, known to Welsh audiences for his numerous roles on Welsh language television and to worldwide audiences for his portrayal of Rhys Williams in '' Torchwood'' and Pete Bucha ...

), Andy Davidson ( Tom Price), Suzie Costello (

Indira Varma Indira Anne Varma (born 27 September 1973) is a British actress and narrator. Her film debut and first major role was in '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love''. She has gone on to appear in the television series ''The Canterbury Tales'', ''Rome'', ''L ...

Captain John Hart Captain John Hart may refer to: *Captain John Hart (Torchwood), fictional character on Torchwood TV Series *John Hart (South Australian colonist) Captain John Hart CMG (25 February 1809 – 28 January 1873) was a South Australian politician ...

(

James Marsters James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator. He is sometimes credited in various anime series and video games as David Gray and Sam Majesters in the series ''Dr ...

) and

Bilis Manger This is a list of characters from the British television science fiction, British science fiction television programme ''Torchwood'', created by Russell T Davies. This list includes main characters, recurring characters and important guest chara ...

(

Murray Melvin Murray Melvin (born 10 August 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for his acting work with Joan Littlewood, Ken Russell and Stanley Kubrick. He is the author of two books: ''The Art of Theatre Workshop'' (2006) and ''The Theatre Royal, ...

) have all reprised their roles in ''Torchwood''. Characters from ''Doctor Who'' have also appeared in ''Torchwood'' audios, including Yvonne Hartman (

Tracy Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is widely known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie ...

) and Jo Grant. Big Finish have also created several new characters of Torchwood in their continuation of the series from Miracle Day, most notably Tyler Steele (Jonny Green). Starting with January 2017, Big Finish also began releasing the "Torchwood One" series set before the events of Doomsday (Doctor Who). Other writers for Big Finish include

Rob Shearman Robert Charles Shearman, sometimes credited as Rob Shearman, is an English television, radio, stage play and short story writer. He is known for his World Fantasy Award-winning short stories, as well as his work for '' Doctor Who'', and his ass ...

and ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives o ...

's''

Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series ''Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', and '' Dracula''. Together with ...

, who have also written for the 2005 relaunch of the ''

'' television series. Shearman's 2005 TV episode "

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 ''Doctor Who'' ...

" has been acknowledged as being based upon his Big Finish storyline ''

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

''.

''2000 AD''

Between 2002 and 2004, Big Finish released eighteen audio plays featuring characters from the British sci-fi comic strip anthology magazine '' 2000 AD''. These consisted of sixteen ''

'' stories with two additional plays featuring characters from the ''

'' strip. The ''Judge Dredd'' series drew heavily upon Big Finish's repertory company established through their ''Doctor Who'' series with many actors crossing over such as

Toby Longworth Toby Longworth is a British actor who has appeared on film, radio and television. He is originally from Somerset, where he attended King Edward's School, Bath. He has worked most often as a voice actor, however, notably in several science-fictio ...

(who voiced Dredd),

Clare Buckfield Clare Buckfield (born 10 April 1976) is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Jenny Porter in the BBC sitcom ''2point4 Children'' for most of the nineties and Natasha Stevens in the CBBC series ''Grange Hill''. Biography From ...

, Mark Donovan and

Teresa Gallagher Teresa Gallagher is an American-born British actress. Career Gallagher is known for her role as Ellen Smith in ''The Bill'', for her appearances on radio in ''No Commitments'', ''Salem's Lot'', and '' Memorials to the Missing''. She play ...

who voiced Chief Judge Hershey. The series would also feature many special guest stars such as ''

playing

Judge Death This is a list of characters in the British comic strip ''Judge Dredd'' appearing in '' 2000 AD'', ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' and related publications. They are listed alphabetically by surname, in categories. (Major characters have their own art ...

, ''Doctor Who'' companion actress

Nicola Bryant Nicola Jane Bryant (born 11 October 1960)England & Wales Birth ...

(who would also direct ''99 Code Red!'') plus ''

'' star

Stephen Greif Stephen John Greif (; 26 August 1944 – 23 December 2022) was an English actor known for his roles as Travis in ''Blake's 7'', Harry Fenning in three series of ''Citizen Smith'', Signor Donato in ''Casanova'' and Commander John Shepherd in '' ...

as Efil Drago San. Writers for the series included David Bishop,

Dave Stone Dave Stone (born 12 June 1964) is a British science fiction writer. Biography Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and ''Judge Dredd''. Stone also contributed a number of com ...

and

James Swallow James Swallow is a British author. A BAFTA nominee and a ''New York Times'', ''Sunday Times'' and Amazon #1 best-seller, he is the author of several original books and tie-in novels, as well as short fiction, numerous audio dramas and video ga ...

''Blake's 7''

In July 2011, Big Finish obtained a licence to produce audiobooks and novels based on the BBC television series ''

''. On 1 February 2012, the first collection of audiobooks, ''Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles'', was released featuring original cast members from the television series. Eleven more followed. Since then five series of full cast audio dramas have been released.

''Earthsearch''

Earthsearch ''Earthsearch: A Ten-Part Adventure Serial in Time and Space'' is a science fiction radio series written by James Follett. It consists of ten half-hour episodes. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between January and March 1981. There is also ...

'' was a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

radio series written by

James Follett James Follett (27 July 1939 – 10 January 2021) was an English author and screenwriter. Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the Ministry of Defence. He wrote over 20 ...

which was later adapted as a science fiction novel. However, his prequel novel ''

Earthsearch Mindwarp {{Infobox audio drama , title=Earthsearch Mindwarp , publisher= Big Finish Productions , series=''Earthsearch'' , number=1 , featuring= , cover=Earthsearch Mindwarp.jpg , writer=James Follett adapted by Jacqueline Rayner , director=Jason Haigh-Ell ...

'' was adapted by Big Finish and is being broadcast by the

Digital radio Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. Types In digital broadcasting syst ...

station

BBC 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio broadcasting, radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a ...

. ''

'' stars a number of actors from the ''Doctor Who'' range —

India Fisher India Fisher (born 1974) is a British actress, narrator and presenter. Her father is the ex- MP Mark Fisher. She is also the stepsister of musician Crispin Hunt and of actress Francesca Hunt, who appears with her in the play ''Other Lives''. S ...

Nicholas Courtney William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Ear ...

and

Former releases

''The Tomorrow People''

Big Finish also produced and sold 5 seasons of ''

The Tomorrow People ''The Tomorrow People'' is a British children's science fiction television series created by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran from 30 April 1973 to 19 February 1979. The theme music was c ...

'' audios until renewed licence negotiations failed in late 2007, the range was withdrawn in total in December 2008.

''Sapphire & Steel''

Big Finish produced and sold three seasons of ''

'' audios until their licence expired. Unusually their production included none of the TV actors, instead Susannah Harker played Sapphire (replacing

Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...

) and

played Steel (replacing

David McCallum David Keith McCallum Jr. (born 19 September 1933) is a Scottish actor and musician. He first gained recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E''. In recent years, McCallum ...

), although

David Collings David Collings (4 June 1940 – 23 March 2020) was an English actor. In an extensive career he appeared in many roles on stage, television, film and radio, as well as various audio books, voiceovers, concert readings and other work. He garnered ...

did reprise his role of Silver from the TV series in several releases.

Other productions

Big Finish has released audio dramas based upon other works as well, including ''

'', ''

'', '' Captain Scarlet'', ''

'', '' The Avengers'' and ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical fiction, philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''Th ...

''. In 2016, Big Finish produced and released its first series of '' The Prisoner stories'', written and directed by

and starring Mark Elstob in the

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. Born in the United States to Irish emigrant parents, he was raised in Ireland and Engla ...

role. In July 2018, Big Finish released audiobook versions of the first two novels of the '' Star Trek: Prometheus'' trilogy. Narrated by

Alec Newman Alec Newman (born 27 November 1974) is a Scottish actor best known for portraying Paul Atreides in the Sci Fi Channel's 2000 miniseries adaptation of Frank Herbert's ''Dune''. Early life Newman was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father is San ...

, these releases adapt ''Fire with Fire'' and ''The Root of All Rage'', with the third story--''In the Heart of Chaos''-- released in December 2018.

Awards and nominations

World records

References

External links

Big Finish Productions Official website''Big Finish Productions'' official YouTube channel
{{Authority control Publishing companies established in 1996 1996 establishments in the United Kingdom Companies based in Maidenhead

History

Organisation

Big Finish Day

Downloads

Available releases

''Doctor Who''

Doctor Who spin-offs

''2000 AD''

''Blake's 7''

''Earthsearch''

Former releases

''The Tomorrow People''

''Sapphire & Steel''

Other productions

Awards and nominations

World records

See also

References

External links