| The First Doctor Adventures | |
|---|---|
| Big Finish Productions audio drama | |
| Series | Doctor Who |
| Featuring | |
| Written by | various |
| Directed by | Nicholas Briggs |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Release date | December 2017 - present |
The First Doctor Adventures is a Big Finish Productions audio play series based on the British television programme Doctor Who. It sees David Bradley and Stephen Noonan as the First Doctor, a role originated by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966, as well as by Bradley on television in the episodes "The Doctor Falls" and "Twice Upon a Time".
Beginning in 2017, it was announced that actor, David Bradley would portray the First Doctor, a role originated by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966, as well as by Bradley on television in the episodes "The Doctor Falls" and "Twice Upon a Time". David Bradley also portrayed William Hartnell in the BBC bio-drama, An Adventure in Space and Time.[1][2]
Also appearing are Claudia Grant as Susan Foreman, Jemma Powell as Barbara Wright and Jamie Glover as Ian Chesterton.[1] These three actors also appeared alongside Bradley in the aforementioned BBC bio-drama.[2] James Dreyfus joins the cast as an earlier incarnation of The Master prior to Roger Delgado.[1][2]
Announced in September 2017, the first pair of stories was released on 25 December 2017, with a second pair released in July 2018.[1][2] Confirmed in July 2018, a third duo was released in January 2019.[3] The fourth and fifth volumes were announced in 2019 and 2021 respectively.[4][5]
In May 2020, Big Finish announced that the Main Range would conclude with in March 2021, to be replaced with regular releases of each Doctor in their own boxsets throughout the year in 2022.[6] A single boxset for the First Doctor was announced in May 2021, set for release in April 2022.[7] Executive Producer, Nicholas Briggs in response to a fan letter stated in February 2022 issue of Vortex Magazine, "the new First Doctor range will feature an actor new to the role of the Doctor and he is, I assure you, amazing!".[8] On 11 February 2022, Big Finish announced that Stephen Noonan will be portraying the First Doctor alongside Lauren Cornelius.[9]
This section shows characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season.
| Actor | Character | Appearances | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audios with David Bradley | Audios with Stephen Noonan | |||||||
| V1 | V2 | V3 | V4 | V5 | S1 | |||
| David Bradley | The Doctor | ✓ | ||||||
| Stephen Noonan | ✓ [8] | |||||||
| Claudia Grant | Susan Foreman | ✓ | ||||||
| Carole Ann Ford | ✓ | |||||||
| Jemma Powell | Barbara Wright | ✓ | ||||||
| Jamie Glover | Ian Chesterton | ✓ | ||||||
| James Dreyfus | The Master | ✓ | ||||||
| Lauren Cornellius | Dodo Chaplet | ✓[10] | ||||||
| Rufus Hound | The Monk | ✓ | ||||||
| Nicholas Briggs | The Daleks | ✓ | ||||||
Individual episodes have titles, reflecting the practice of the programme in the 1960s when William Hartnell played the First Doctor.
These stories are set somewhere after the Season 1 story "The Reign of Terror" and before the Season 2 story "Planet of Giants".
| No. | Serial title | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Destination Wars | "Journey to the Future" | Nicholas Briggs | Matt Fitton | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, The Master | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The Father of Invention" | Nicholas Briggs | Matt Fitton | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, The Master | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Destination Wars" | Nicholas Briggs | Matt Fitton | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, The Master | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Prisoners of Time" | Nicholas Briggs | Matt Fitton | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, The Master | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arriving on the distant planet Destination, the TARDIS crew learn that the humanoid colonists on this planet are at war with the lizard-like locals, this conflict being manipulated by the mysterious 'Inventor'. While the Doctor researches the history of the conflict, Ian and Susan meet the Inventor, who Susan recognizes as an old friend of her grandfather's... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | The Great White Hurricane | "The Coming Storm" | Nicholas Briggs | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The Frozen City" | Nicholas Briggs | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Killer in the Snow" | Nicholas Briggs | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "River of Doom" | Nicholas Briggs | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| When the TARDIS materializes in New York, the crew are immediately caught up in a gang war when Ian is grazed by a stray bullet and Susan is taken hostage by a fleeing gang member. Barbara accompanies Ian to hospital while the Doctor tries to prompt the police to help him find Susan, but Barbara soon realizes that they are in great danger as they have arrived on the date of the 'Great White Hurricane' that struck New York. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. | Serial title | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Invention of Death | "A World Without Fear" | Nicholas Briggs | John Dorney | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The First" | Nicholas Briggs | John Dorney | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Dying Art" | Nicholas Briggs | John Dorney | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Invention of Life" | Nicholas Briggs | John Dorney | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The TARDIS arrives on Ashtallah, a world populated by large, sentient single-celled organisms, but their presence unwittingly introduces new concepts to this civilization. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | The Barbarians and the Samurai | "The Forbidden Land" | Nicholas Briggs | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Barbarians Among Us" | Nicholas Briggs | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Power Play" | Nicholas Briggs | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fall of the Samurai" | Nicholas Briggs | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | July 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arriving in nineteenth century Japan, the TARDIS crew are separated and caught up in the political turmoil of the era. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. | Serial title | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Phoenicians | "The Purple and the Gold" | Ken Bentley | Marc Platt | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The Hireling" | Ken Bentley | Marc Platt | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Legends and Lies" | Ken Bentley | Marc Platt | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Bull's Hide" | Ken Bentley | Marc Platt | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The TARDIS crew become caught in the political machinations of the Phoenican Empire after landing in Tyre, to the extent that Ian becomes the new favourite of the princess. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Tick-Tock World | "The Graveyard World" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Old Susan | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The Time Ship" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Old Susan | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Death in Time" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Old Susan | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Feast of the Xesto" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Old Susan | January 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Trapped on a world where Time has become twisted and distorted following the destruction of the TARDIS, the crew's only hope of escape is a mysteriously familiar old woman... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. | Serial title | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Return to Skaro | "The Towers of Skaro" | Ken Bentley | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Daleks, Thals | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The Hidden Enemy" | Ken Bentley | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Daleks, Thals | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Friend or Foe?" | Ken Bentley | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Daleks, Thals | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Death to the Thals!" | Ken Bentley | Andrew Smith | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Daleks, Thals | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The Doctor's latest attempt to take Ian and Barbara home takes the TARDIS back to Skaro, but as the crew admire the growth of Thal civilisation, it becomes clear that the Daleks aren't as dead as everyone believes... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Last of the Romanovs | "The Shattered Pane" | Ken Bentley | Jonathan Barnes | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "The House of Special Purpose" | Ken Bentley | Jonathan Barnes | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Execution Order" | Ken Bentley | Jonathan Barnes | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Waiting Cellar" | Ken Bentley | Jonathan Barnes | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The TARDIS materialises in Russia in 1917, and the Doctor is forced to face the human consequences of his inability to interfere in history. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. | Serial title | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | For the Glory of Urth | "For The Glory of Urth" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 |
| "A Place of Angels" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
| "The Toxicity of Dissent" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
| "Flowers of Iron" | Ken Bentley | Guy Adams | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
| 2 | The Hollow Crown | "The Winter of Discontent" | Ken Bentley | Sarah Grochala | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 |
| "The Play's the Thing" | Ken Bentley | Sarah Grochala | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
| "The Drums of War" | Ken Bentley | Sarah Grochala | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
| "The Hollow Crown" | Ken Bentley | Sarah Grochala | First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara | April 2021 | ||
This series is set between the Season 3 stories "The Savages" and "The War Machines".
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Outlaws"[11] | Nicholas Briggs | Lizbeth Myles | First Doctor, Dodo, The Monk | April 2022 |
| 2 | "The Miniaturist"[11] | Nicholas Briggs | Lizzie Hopley | First Doctor, Dodo | April 2022 |
In April, Nicholas Briggs expressed interest in producing further stories with David Bradley. Stephen Noonan also expressed interest in returning for future boxsets.[6] Another First Doctor boxset is scheduled for January 2023 but is unconfirmed whether Bradley or Noonan will star.[7]
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scribe Awards | 2019 | Best Audio | The Invention of Death | Nominated | [12] |