Doctor Who: The Preference for Audio Plays

As much as we enjoy watching Doctor Who on television, we can only imagine the work that would be required by the actors. Perhaps it is not a surprise that they would prefer to work on the Big Finish audio plays.

Doctor Who may only have twelve or so episodes a season, but they are quite intensive. Perhaps it is due to the different directors and writers, but the filming, editing and production for the show is quite a long and time consuming process. Quite simply, when one is the Doctor or companion, there just is not a lot of time left to do anything else.

With that being the case, it may not be shocking that former actors would prefer to perform the audio plays. At least, that is the case with David Tennant and Catherine Tate, who love the quickness in which the dramas are recorded and how they have the scripts in front of them, not needing to learn their lines.

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It certainly makes sense. Instead of spending months learning their lines and rehearsing scene after scene, both Tennant and Tate may need at most a couple of afternoons to record their lines. Just a few hours, and they can depart with quite the easy payday. Maybe it’s not the same as being on the show, but they still get to remain a part of the Whoniverse without having to spend months in their roles.

With the relative ease of making these episodes, and how quickly they would be to record, it is understandable why this would be the preferred method for a spinoff. Those actors and actresses involved could be around for a relatively brief amount of time, yet still record an entire series. It’s a win-win situation, as we get to enjoy more of their travels and they get to pursue other projects.

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It may not be the same as seeing Doctor Who on television, but Big Finish certainly provides a valuable service for Whovians. Considering how much David Tennant and Catherine Tate enjoy their time with Big Finish, it would not be a surprise to see their Doctor Who catalogue expand even further.