For the first time since 2012, a new Doctor has joined the Big Finish fold. It's not just any Doctor either. It's the War Doctor played by John Hurt. It's exciting enough that it's a new Doctor, but also the fact that Big Finish have secured an actor of John Hurt's caliber to something as obscure as an audio spin off series.
Of course, to use the new cliche, he's not quite the Doctor we were expecting. Many fans have already heard rumours David Tennant and Catherine Tate would be reprising their roles as the Tenth Doctor and Donna for audio adventures. That may yet happen of course but as great as it would be to see one of the best Doctor/Companion teams, I'm even more excited at what we've got right now. It feels inevitable that one day David Tennant would participate in these audios. He has done already as other characters. But John Hurt was a person I never expected to do them. It's great that he's doing this. Fans can get to hear more from this great actor who gets the chance to reprise role in a manner which demands less physically tiring work.
I have no doubt that the Big Finish writers are relishing the opportunity to write for the time war. George Mann's War Doctor book, The Engines of War, only just scratched the surface of this dark time in the Doctor's life and I'm hoping Big Finish can push the darkness and the grittiness even further. Some might argue that stories of the Time War were best left to the next generation of fans to explore. I sympathize with this view, but it's also the case that this is the best time to get John Hurt to participate. Let's hope the quality of the story-lines do justice to the talent of the leading man.
While 2016 is looking to be a gap year for Doctor Who on television, Big Finish is leading the way with more and more promising arrivals from the new series. I've dipped in and out of Big Finish once or twice, but this is certainly making me inclined to look at their catalogue.
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