Doctor Who: Rose Tyler finally gets her own audio spin-off from Big Finish!
By James Aggas
Out in September next year, the popular Doctor Who companion Rose Tyler is finally getting her own audio spin-off series from Big Finish Productions!
There have been many Doctor Who fans eager for a Rose Tyler spin-off series ever since the cancelled Rose Tyler: Earth Defence. And while the chances of getting one on television are incredibly slim now – especially since it’s almost a decade since the character last appeared on our screens – we are getting one on audio. And it’s an incredibly exciting one, too.
Set during series four, Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon focuses on Rose as she travels various dying universes to get back to the Doctor – not just the man she loves, but also the only man who can stop the stars from going out.
Along with Rose Tyler herself, (naturally still played by Billie Piper,) the series will feature many other characters that we’re familiar with. We’ll be hearing more from Jackie (Camille Coduri) and her husband Pete (Shaun Dingwall).
But there’s also a couple of other familiar faces outside of her family that we’ll be hearing more from. Mark Benton and Elli Garnett return as Clive and Caroline Finch. You may remember Clive, a man obsessed with the Doctor but still clearly a strong family man, from the first episode of the New Series Rose. (You may also remember he died a rather tragic death, but that’s parallel universes for you.)
Rose Tyler returns in new spin-off series Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon! What can we expect from this new audio series?
(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
A guiding hand
So what lead to Big Finish making this spin-off, particularly when it’s set? Producer David Richardson explains how they had help from someone very close to the character.
"I approached Russell T Davies with the idea of Big Finish making a Rose Tyler spin-off. He was very enthusiastic – as always – and suggested we followed Rose’s journey that ultimately leads to her finding the Doctor in The Stolen Earth. I found the proposal irresistible, and instantly script editor Matt Fitton and I were throwing around ideas."
It’s fantastic to know that, just like series five and six of Torchwood, Russell T Davies had a guiding hand in this, and inspired key ideas. It sounds incredibly exciting, particularly Richardson’s summary of it.
"I’m absolutely delighted with what we have – a family drama about the end of worlds. It’s about love and loss and things that might have been – and our brilliant cast have embraced the emotional scripts."
Billie Piper and Camille Coduri return as mother and daughter in Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon!
(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
An exciting series
I must admit, I’m really excited to find out exactly what Big Finish can do with this series. I’ll be honest, while Rose Tyler is brilliant in Series One, her return in Series Four wasn’t exactly satisfying. Especially her new ending in Journey’s End, which effectively undid the huge emotional impact of Doomsday.
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However, we know how great the character can be when written well. Flawed, yes, but also an excellent character. Which is why I’m excited to see what Big Finish will do with Rose Tyler. Especially as she’s far from the first strong female character that they’ve handled. In fact, a spin-off based on a popular Doctor Who companion was how Big Finish began in the first place!
I also like the unexpected time placement, too. It’s brilliant, for two reasons. Firstly, we actually get to explore Rose Tyler during the gap when she’s completely separated from the Doctor. She’s learned from him, but now, we’ll be seeing her with just a little more responsibility. That’ll be fantastic to explore, especially when she’s crossing so many dying universes.
This brings me to my second point. The idea of exploring a doomed Earth was fantastically done in Turn Left. Now we’ll get to hear more variations of that key concept. This should allow for The Dimension Cannon to be a darker series than what was initially planned with Earth Defence, and I’m definitely all for that.
Out in September 2019 on CD and download, we have a bit of a long wait for Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon. But I’m sure it’s going to be worth it.
Next. Why The Day of the Doctor is the best multi-Doctor story. dark
Are you a fan of Rose Tyler? Are you looking forward to hearing her own spin-off series? Do you think this could be an interesting time to explore in Rose’s life? Let us know in the comments below.