Doctor Who: Trailer and details revealed for Eighth Doctor box set Ravenous 3

A new trailer and story details have been revealed for Doctor Who: Ravenous 3, the next Eighth Doctor box set, and we’ve got a lot to look forward to – including a meeting between the Doctor’s former and future companions!

The current Eighth Doctor audio series Doctor Who: Ravenous has been an interesting one. I’ll admit, volume one wasn’t exactly my favorite box set that featured Paul McGann’s Doctor, especially after the excellent Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition and Time War box sets.

Thankfully, the second volume was a huge improvement. In particular, the two-part story Better Watch Out/Fairytale of Salzburg was an incredibly strong story, and made it into our top five essential Christmas audios at number two. On top of that, it also ended on a huge cliffhanger, which left fans eager to hear the next volume.

The anticipation for volume three only increased when it was revealed that most of the Eighth Doctor’s companions – past, present and future – would unite to fight against the Nine, who last appeared in Doom Coalition 3. So Companion Piece looks set to be the biggest draw of the set.

But the other stories of Ravenous 3 sound exciting, as revealed by Big Finish earlier this week. We’ve got legends, Time Lords and some very dangerous monsters to look forward to. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect from each of the four episodes.

The last episode of Ravenous 2, Seizure, ended things on a massive cliffhanger. Deeptime Frontier will continue where the episode left off.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Deeptime Frontier

"Stranded on a desolate world by a dead TARDIS, the Doctor and his friends are trapped, surrounded by creatures from Time Lord nightmares – the Ravenous…Elsewhere, on the edge of the vortex, a Gallifreyan research station takes on board an extremely dangerous artifact. Are the Time Lords sowing the seeds of their own destruction?And if one Ravenous creature rattles the Doctor’s nerves, what will happen when the whole clan is hunting him?"

So it sounds like, just like in the last box set’s finale Seizure, we’re going to focus even more on the Ravenous in this episode. Which makes sense, considering how the previous episode ended.

What I’m particularly excited about is finding out how the Doctor will be affected by the presence of the Ravenous. As the synopsis mentions, he had a difficult time being in the same area as just one of them. Will we be hearing a more psychologically vulnerable Doctor with this episode? I hope so, as that could make things really interesting.

I’m also curious to find out exactly what this “extremely dangerous artifact” is that the Time Lords are looking into. Does this tie into the Ravenous’s return? Whatever happens, it sounds like Deeptime Frontier will kick off the third volume in a big way.

Companion Piece

"When the evil Time Lord known as the Nine comes across a rare and valuable item floating in the space-time vortex, his acquisitive nature means he can’t resist the urge to complete the set.Soon a wicked scheme is underway. Only the Doctor’s friends – past, present and future – will be able to stop him.But without the Doctor around will even the combined skills of Liv, Helen, River Song, Bliss and Charley be enough to save the day?"

So many companions, so little time! Bringing so many of the Eighth Doctor’s companions together is an interesting idea, especially the ones he hasn’t even met yet. And I’m not just talking about River Song, as apparently, even Bliss is showing up from The Eighth Doctor: The Time War series! Considering that’s set much later, I’m curious to see how she meets Liv and Helen, not to mention if Ravenous will tie into the chronologically later series in other ways.

But what I’m most excited about with this episode? Charley. It’s been a long time since she’s last appeared in a Doctor Who audio, and while it sounds like she sadly won’t be meeting Eight for the first time since their goodbye in The Girl Who Never Was, I’m still greatly looking forward to this one. Particularly what she makes of the later companions. It’ll also be interesting to know exactly when this takes place for Charley – during or after her travels with the Doctor? I can’t wait to find out.

Since the very beginning of previous Eighth Doctor series Doom Coalition, the Eleven has been a major villain. So how will he become a companion to the Doctor?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

L.E.G.E.N.D.

"Over years of study and research, the Brothers Grimm built a compendium of folklore: stories of witches and wizards, magic and morality, strange creatures and treacherous forests…Professor Marathanga does much the same, on a universal scale. But her methods are rather less rigorous, using technological shortcuts to fill her intelligent database – L.E.G.E.N.D.When worlds collide, the TARDIS crew discover that fairy tales can become real. And the Doctor’s latest companion is put to the test. Will the Eleven be an asset, or one more monster to defeat?"

This episode sounds a little more standalone than the other stories in this volume. Which isn’t surprising, as Ravenous has been notable for having an interesting balance between arc episodes and stories that completely stand on their own.

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And, like the Salzburg episodes of the last box set, there seem to be strong hints of magic and fairy tale in this one. Considering how well that particular combination worked last time, I’m really keen to listen to L.E.G.E.N.D.

But perhaps most curious of all? Who “the Doctor’s latest companion” is: the Eleven. One of the Eighth Doctor’s greatest villains, and one that I’ve described as one of the greatest villains ever, is now a companion! In the last volume, he stole the Doctor’s TARDIS and left him and his friends to die. So how on Earth will he become their ally? This may be something the previous episodes will answer, but I’m still keen to find out.

The Odds Against

"The Doctor, Liv and Helen have landed near an abbey housing the gateway to the dimension in which the Ravenous were originally imprisoned.But their plans to enlist the inhabitants’ help in defeating their pursuers are disrupted when they stumble over a dead body. Strange creatures roam the corridors and something monstrous may be awakening beneath their feet."

I’ve mentioned that Ravenous has, so far, been a mix of both standalone and arc stories. The last episode in this box set could go either way. While it sounds like it could reveal more about how the Ravenous have returned, this could just as easily be more focused on introducing another monster altogether. So I have a little less to speculate on with this one.

Regardless, Ravenous has been quite the interesting series so far. As I’ve mentioned before, I wasn’t too keen on the first volume, but the second was, in my opinion, a huge improvement. I’m hoping we get more of the same high quality with the third volume in April. At the very least, we certainly seem to have a lot to look forward to.

Have you been listening to Ravenous? Are you excited about the next volume? Which story are you especially keen to listen to? Let us know in the comments below.