8 More Doctor Who Characters Who Need Big Finish Spin-Offs

Ian McNeice returns as Winston Churchill in Big Finish’s ‘Doctor Who: The Churchill Years.’

(Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish Productions have been making some big news in the last few weeks. Since 1999, they’ve been producing high quality Doctor Who audio plays starring past Doctors, companions, and villains. They’ve even produced a number of Doctor Who spin-offs, including Jago and Litefoot, Gallifrey, and Counter-Measures. But there was always a catch: once the new Doctor Who series began in 2005, its characters and creatures were off limits to Big Finish. Until now.

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First Big Finish announced a new UNIT spin-off featuring Jemma Redgrave as the Brigadier’s daughter, Kate Stewart — a role she continues to play on Doctor Who to this day. (It was later revealed that fan favorite Osgood will also take part in Big Finish’s UNIT series). Next came the announcement of new Torchwood audio adventures, with John Barrowman returning as Captain Jack Harkness. And last week saw the biggest bombshell of all: Alex Kingston is returning as River Song in the next Eighth Doctor audio story and then starring in her own spin-off, The Diary of River Song. In addition, Ian McNeice is returning as Winston Churchill for Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, and Doctors Five through Eight will take on new series villains in Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters.

So now that Pandora’s Box has been opened (or should I say “the Pandorica”?), what other Doctor Who new series characters should Big Finish revive for a spin-off series? Well, I have some suggestions…

Next: 8. I'm a make a deal with the Bad Wolf, so the Bad Wolf don't bite no more

Billie Piper as Rose Tyler (Credit: BBC)

8. Rose Tyler

She’s arguably the most popular companion of all time, so who wouldn’t want to see more of Rose Tyler? In fact, former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies actually did plan a Rose-centric spin-off called Rose Tyler: Earth Defence. It would’ve shown what Rose was up to on the alternate earth (aka “Pete’s World”) after departing the Doctor in ‘Doomsday.’ Ultimately, Davies decided against the spin-off, fearing it would lessen the impact of that episode.

Well, it’s been a few years now and I say it’s time to dust off Rose Tyler: Earth Defence and have Big Finish bring it to life. You can focus on the time between ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Journey’s End,’ or set it after that episode and show what’s happened with Rose and the Meta-Crisis Doctor since that time. It’s doubtful that David Tennant would return to voice the Meta-Crisis Doctor, but there are ways around that. Perhaps they’ve separated by now (I know, gasp!), or he’s built himself a new TARDIS (as a deleted scene from ‘Journey’s End’ implied), and he’s off saving the galaxy while Rose defends the Earth.

Either way, I’m sure Billie Piper would be game, and fans would eat it up.

Next: 7. Companion, UNIT officer, freelance fighter

Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones (Credit: BBC)

7. Martha Jones

Another companion who had quite a colorful history even after her time with the Doctor. First she joined UNIT, where she had a number of encounters with Jack Harkness and the Torchwood Institute, and later she married Rose Tyler’s former boyfriend, Mickey Smith, and the duo became freelance alien fighters. If that’s not ripe for exploration, I don’t know what is.

It’d be great to have new Martha adventures either with UNIT and Torchwood or, even better, with her new husband as they travel the globe as guns-for-hire. I’m excited just thinking about the possibilities. And I can’t imagine that Freema Agyeman and Noel Clarke would say “no.”

Next: 6. A small role that could be so much bigger

6. Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick Cord Longstaff XLI (AKA “Porridge”)

I’ve always felt the great Warwick Davis was wasted in this relatively small role in ‘Nightmare in Silver.’ Now, here’s a chance to change that!

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the most compelling character, but think about it: he was the emperor of all humanity, but rejected that role to escape the pressure. There’s a story in there somewhere, but mainly I just want more Warwick Davis. The rest will work itself out later.

Next: 5. Adventure is in her blood

Georgia Moffett as the Doctor’s daughter, Jenny.

(Credit: BBC)

5. Jenny

Talk about your dangling plotlines! In ‘The Doctor’s Daughter,’ the Tenth Doctor is cloned without his knowledge, resulting in the rambunctious Jenny. At the end of the episode, the Doctor is convinced she’s been killed and leaves, without knowing she was actually revived. Jenny departs in a shuttlecraft saying, “Oh, I’ve got the whole universe: planets to save, civilisations to rescue, creatures to defeat — and an awful lot of running to do.”

So where the hell is she? We haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since. Of course, in the real world, actress Georgia Moffett — Fifth Doctor Peter Davison’s daughter — went on to marry her Doctor Who co-star David Tennant. Moffett has reportedly given up acting, but surely she can be convinced to return for a limited Big Finish spin-off series. Jenny has the potential to carry a full range of adventures, and fans are dying to know what happened to her.

Next: 4. Slow Jam the News?

Brian Williams as Brian Williams (Credit: NBC)

4. Brian Williams

Wait — not that Brian Williams, though I’m sure he’d be happy to regale us with stories of how his ship was shot down by the Daleks in the Great Time War.

No, no, no…I’m talking about this Brian Williams:

Mark Williams as Brian Williams (Credit: BBC)

Say what you will about ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ (or all of Series 7, for that matter), but there’s no denying how great Mark Williams was as Rory’s enthusiastic father. After traveling with the Doctor for a very short while to the planet Siluria, he returned to Earth and exchanged places with Amy and Rory, supposedly to take care of their plants.

I’d love to know what Brian is up to now. Does he know the tearful fate that befell his son and daugher-in-law? (A proposed DVD short film extra called ‘P.S.’ would’ve shown that he did). Did he continue traveling the globe in search of adventure? Now that he’s had his eyes opened by the Doctor, did he witness or investigate any additional alien activity?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Next: 3. A lizard, a lesbian, and a potato

Strax, Jenny, and Madame Vastra — The Paternoster Gang.

(Credit: BBC)

3. The Paternoster Gang

Of all of the suggestions on this list, this one holds the most chance of actually happening. In fact, I would bet real money on Big Finish announcing a Paternoster Gang spin-off within the next three months.

I’ve already discussed the reasons why this needs to happen in a previous article, so I won’t go too deep into detail here. It’s a no-brainer, really. Steven Moffat has even discussed the possibility of a live-action spin-off in recent years, so giving Strax, Jenny, and Vastra their own adventures is not an idea that anyone’s dismissing out of hand.

Let’s make this happen, Big Finish.

Next: 2. A good man goes to war

John Hurt as the War Doctor. (Credit: BBC)

2. The War Doctor

Ever since Sir John Hurt graced our screens as the mysterious War Doctor in the 50th anniversary special, ‘The Day of the Doctor,’ fans have been clamoring to learn more about him. The Doctor clearly spent a long time in this incarnation, as a much younger John Hurt was seen after the Eighth Doctor regenerated in ‘The Night of the Doctor.’

So what was he up to all that time? Thus far, the only hints we’ve gotten were in George Mann’s 2014 novel, Doctor Who: Engines of War. The War Doctor is slated to appear in Titan Comics’ big crossover event next month called Four Doctors, but it looks as though it will be a small role in a flashback prologue. So let’s explore the Great Time War in depth with a War Doctor limited series from Big Finish!

Would John Hurt be willing to return? Actually, I think he might. He seems like an actor who’s game for just about anything, despite his pedigree. If not, this is one case where I would be fine with another actor taking over an established role. We’re talking about audio plays here, so appearances don’t matter, and if it means new War Doctor stories versus none at all, I’m very much in favor of it.

Next: 1. Everyone else is doing it!

Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor (Credit: YouTube)

1. The Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors

The best part about Big Finish’s Doctor Who license is that we can hear new adventures each month from our favorite Doctors, no matter how many years have passed since they relinquished the role and no matter how old the actors have gotten. Tom Baker and Colin Baker certainly don’t resemble the Doctors they played on screen 30 and 40 years ago, but pop on a new Big Finish adventure and it’s as though nothing’s changed.

So now that the BBC has opened the doors to the new series, why stop with the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors? Bring in Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith and let’s hear more adventures with the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors!

The big question is, would they do it? Eccleston has been quite vocal about his displeasure with his time in the TARDIS and his reluctance to return to the role. With that said, though, his beef has always appeared to be directed toward the BBC. Big Finish is an independent company and would provide Eccleston the opportunity to return to the Doctor without dealing with any of the people he’s apparently sore with.

David Tennant keeps himself quite busy, but I think he could be convinced to return. He’s an unabashed fan of the series even beyond his own tenure as the Doctor, and I have to think he would relish the opportunity to play the Doctor again. The real question is whether he can fit it in his schedule.

Matt Smith is the most unlikely candidate. He’s fresh out of the role and is doing everything in his power to establish himself as an actor and avoid being typecast for the rest of his life. Would he eventually return to play the Doctor once more? I think he would, but not any time soon.

Next: REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker

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Doctor Who: 8 More New Series Characters Who Need Big Finish Spin-Offs

By Barry Rice | Jul 4, 2015