Doctor Who: An Introduction to the Eighth Doctor Adventures (Season Four audio)
By James Aggas
After many adventures together, we come to the final season of Doctor Who: the Eighth Doctor Adventures. But what changes did that final season bring? And how much darker would the Doctor’s travels become?
The fourth and final season of the Eighth Doctor Adventures brought a lot of change to the Doctor Who audio series. Of course, some things did remain the same. While the weekly downloads of season three sadly went, and the stories were released monthly, the two-part structure still remained. And the series still aimed to capture a lot of the style and tone of the New Series.
But there were a lot of changes, too. It was announced early on that the fourth season would say goodbye to Lucie Miller, in the Christmas special, Death in Blackpool. It was quite a surprise, too. Lucie was such a core part of the Eighth Doctor Adventures, and it was especially surprising that she was leaving at the start of the final season. However, Big Finish did have a few reasons for that…
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A new companion would be introduced in this new season. But it would be done in such a way that had never been done before. Indeed, it would introduce the new companion in a way that the TV series could never do. In the season opener Situation Vacant, four potential companions would be introduced. All four would be advertised in the story, and the characters would all compete to be the new companion. But the winner’s identity would be kept hidden from future releases.
It was quite a bold move for Big Finish. But it’s also the kind of surprise that only they could do. After all, with the press always chasing after filming, and major casting details being very difficult to keep hidden, the BBC tend to announce new companions and new Doctors way ahead of time. Big Finish, on the other hand, were able to use their lower public profile to their advantage. It worked pretty well, too. The new companion didn’t get a cover appearance until a few stories later.
Returning favorites
But it wasn’t just new faces that this season would bring. It also featured the long overdue reunion between the Doctor and his granddaughter, Susan. (While An Earthly Child was a subscriber special, and not technically a part of season four, it clearly set up a lot of the backstory. So we’ll be including that in our reviews for the season.) Just as importantly, the Doctor got to meet his great-grandson, Alex.
But it wasn’t just the Doctor’s family who returned for this season. It also included many major enemies, too. These included the Ice Warriors, the Daleks…and a very, very old enemy of the Doctor’s. One that he thought was dead…
How well does the fourth season of the Eighth Doctor Adventures finish the series? And where does it lead? Find out, in our upcoming reviews for each story, coming soon.
Next: Why the Sontarans need to return as villains
Have you listened to the fourth season of the Eighth Doctor Adventures? What did you make of it, overall? Are there stories that you’re particularly fond of? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.