Doctor Who: The Forge – what is it and why should it return?

We think that the Forge are long overdue a return. But who or what are the Forge? We cover their history in Doctor Who right here!

In 2001, Big Finish released the Sixth Doctor Doctor Who audio Project: Twilight. This seemingly small tale about gangsters and vampires would eventually become a major story. Not just for the Sixth Doctor, but for his successor too.

While there were a number of ways Project: Twilight began several arcs, one of the biggest was how it introduced “the Forge”. Created at the end of the nineteenth century to acquire and exploit alien technology, the Forge became a recurring enemy for the Doctor.

It’s interesting looking back on the Forge, over a decade and a half later, and taking a look at the similarities between it and Torchwood. Both were created to use alien technology to give Great Britain specifically a technological advantage.

Both also worked in secret and used every dubious method they could use to get the job done. Even the Forge’s key saying – “For King and Country” – is very close to what Torchwood’s London boss Yvonne Hartman seemed to believe.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that there were similarities between the two. After all, Russell T Davies has always made it clear that he was a huge fan of Big Finish’s work.

Davies even got Robert Shearman to loosely base a television episode on one of Shearman’s own stories, Jubilee, which eventually became Dalek. So it’s not hard to see Torchwood as being loosely inspired by the Forge in the same manner.

The Doctor has encountered the Forge and Nimrod many times. But what is the Forge? Who is Nimrod? And why do we need to hear more stories of them?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Forge and Nimrod

However, there are clear differences, too. The Forge comes across as a darker, even less scrupulous organization than Torchwood did in its original format. The Forge have never been afraid of experimenting on either humans or aliens, or even outright killing either in cold blood.

While Victorian Torchwood was seen to be quite ruthless, particularly in the flashback episode Fragments, the group did evolve over time. The Forge cannot be described as having done the same. Perhaps because of who eventually lead it: Dr. William Aberton, aka Nimrod.

Nimrod is one of my favorite villains that Big Finish have ever created. He appeared in many key Forge audios, including Project: Twilight, Project: Lazarus and Project: Destiny. He’s an utterly ruthless character that’s also devoted to the government, and he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Nimrod’s story seems to have been brought to a close with Project: Destiny. But the Forge have been known to work without Nimrod’s presence. Audios No Man’s Land and A Death in the Family have certainly shown that, while fortieth anniversary story Zagreus hinted very strongly about it.

Why the Forge should come back

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How could the Forge return? Well, they have a large history, covering much of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. And they don’t even need to show up in Doctor Who stories.

For example, creators Cavan Scott and Mark Wright have shown as much themselves, both in a completely original spin-off novel, Project: Valhalla, and with their own online comic series, The Forge. So they definitely think there’s more to tell of the Forge, with or without the Doctor involved.

Why should the Forge return, however? Especially when we have Torchwood, both in and out of Doctor Who? Well, despite their similarities, as we’ve covered in this article, there are also distinct differences between the two, as well.

Also, stories with the Forge generally seem to involve a different kind of storytelling. Stories that are darker, grittier and more horrific than what you’d expect in Doctor Who.

Nimrod himself is an especially intriguing character. Ruthless he may be, but he also seems to firmly believe that what he’s doing is for the greater good. And Stephen Chance’s vocal performance as Nimrod has never been short of amazing.

But if the Forge could return, what would be the best story for them to come back in? If not in Doctor Who, where their story has been told, then what?

Perhaps they should clash with another organization that believes it’s doing its best for the country. One with a leader at least as equally strong. Perhaps it’s time we find out what happens when the Forge meets Yvonne Hartman and Torchwood One…

Have you listened to any stories with the Forge? Have you enjoyed them? Or has this article made you more curious about their original stories? Let us know in the comments below.