Who’d have thought Tom Baker would be playing his iconic role on Doctor Who well into the 21st century, let alone 2020 and 2021?
Since joining Big Finish Productions’ full-cast audio plays in 2012, the Fourth Doctor has added to his already impressive television run. Now comes word that he’ll get another two series with Big Finish that will see release in 2020-21.
In Series Nine of The Fourth Doctor Adventures, Tom Baker’s Doctor is reunited with Time-Lady Romanadvoratrelundar II (Romana to us humans), played by Lalla Ward. Joining them will be Adric, played by Matthew Waterhouse, in his first adventures back with Tom since his regeneration in 1981. John Leeson also reprises K9, the Doctor’s faithful robo-canine companion.
These stories are set in the beginning of Tom Baker’s last television series as the Doctor, season 18, in between the stories “State of Decay” and “Warrior’s Gate.” Trapped in E-Space, a pocket universe next to our own (N-Space), the Doctor acquired new companion Adric, a 15 year old mathematical genius, who joined the Doctor on his travels with Romana.
So hold on tight for four more adventures in E-Space. Volume 1 of Series 9 of The Fourth Doctor Adventures is out for release in January 2020:
- 9.1 Purgatory 12 by Marc Platt
- 9.2 Chase the Night by Jonathan Morris
Volume 2 of Series 9 follows in February 2020:
- 9.3 The Planet of Witches by Alan Barnes
- 9.4 The Quest of the Engineer by Andrew Smith
“I’ve always found that when recording a Doctor Who on audio, it felt like coming home,” said Matthew Waterhouse. “I absolutely loved it, and this (new series) is another development of that. I love the idea of E-Space with the Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9 travelling together.”
David Richardson, producer of The Fourth Doctor Adventures on audio, explained what mystical escapades this TARDIS team will encounter in a universe very different to our own: “We’re returning to another much-loved era in Season 9, as the E-Space trilogy gets a massive extension on audio and we explore strange and wonderful worlds in another universe with the genius team of the Doctor, Romana, Adric and K-9.
“It’s been such fun recreating the tone and high-concept style of that era, as the travellers begin the search for a CVE (Charged Vacuum Emboitment) which can take them (or at least most of them) home.”
In Series 10 the Fourth Doctor will be reunited with Leela (played by Louise Jameson) in four new double-length adventures.
“For Series 10 it’s a joy to welcome back our friends Louise Jameson and John Leeson to reprise Leela and K9,” Richardson said. “The stories include a prequel to ‘The Sun Makers,’ a visit to a doomed world, and a group of time-travelling tourists who make a terrible mistake.”
Series Nine will be released in January and February 2020, with Series 10 following in January and February 2021. Each volume is available as a 4-disc CD box set or download.
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