Doctor Who: John Simm joins Big Finish for the Master’s 50th anniversary in 2021!

In 2021, John Simm will return as the Master – and he’s not alone, as seven other Masters join him for the villain’s fiftieth anniversary box set, Doctor Who: Masterful.

I have been waiting a long time to write a headline like this. To be honest, in terms of reporting dream Doctor Who news, this is pretty high up. And now it’s finally coming true. After years of waiting, John Simm is finally joining Big Finish Productions to play the Master on audio!

Actually, having said that, we still have a fair amount of waiting to do. Just over a whole year, in fact. But it’ll be worth it. Because, in his Big Finish debut, he won’t be alone.

In January 2021 – fifty years after the character’s official debut – a special limited edition box set is being released to celebrate Doctor Who‘s greatest villain. Released by Big Finish Productions in association with BBC Studios, Masterful stars Geoffrey Beevers, Mark Gatiss, Derek Jacobi, Alex MacQueen, Milo Parker, Eric Roberts, Michelle Gomez and John Simm as various incarnations of the Master and Missy. With eight Masters and eight discs, this looks set to be possibly the biggest Master story we’ve ever had, in any medium.

Just two months ago, we got the biggest multi-Master story yet with Day of the Master. But the epic eight-disc box set Masterful might be even bigger…

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The biggest multi-Master story ever?

I must admit, I was wondering exactly what Big Finish had planned for the Master’s fiftieth anniversary – if they were even planning anything at all. It has to be said, they’ve already set the bar for themselves incredibly high – just two months ago, they released Ravenous 4, an Eighth Doctor box set that featured the two-part story Day of the Master.

Featuring four incarnations of the Doctor’s arch-enemy and dealing with some major mythology, it was one of the biggest Master stories ever. To be honest, I was initially surprised that they hadn’t saved that story for the villain’s anniversary. At the very least, Big Finish had set an incredibly high standard for themselves with their multi-Master stories, at least in terms of ambition.

But it has to be said: bringing back John Simm is definitely a pretty good starting point. And bringing him back in the biggest multi-Master story yet is even better.

I know I and many other fans are excited about Simm playing the Master again and joining Big Finish. But how does he feel about it?

"It’s a real honour to play this character: the nemesis of the Doctor. He’s everything the Doctor is but he’s evil. And it’s been great recording with Big Finish. You don’t get bored, it’s fantastic. It’s fun. It went really quickly. And I got to work with Derek Jacobi."

It’s fantastic that Simm is so positive about his first Big Finish experience. (At the very least, the fact that he has enjoyed it so much could mean this isn’t the last time we’ll hear from him. I certainly hope we get to hear more, at least!)

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Eight Masters, one writer

So how did Masterful come about? Producer David Richardson reveals the genesis of this very special box set.

"It was all Jason Haigh-Ellery’s idea. ‘We should do a special for the 50th anniversary of the Master in 2021,’ he said, and I leapt at the chance to produce it. James Goss was the perfect choice as writer – we knew he’d offer something as entertaining as it was dark, as imaginative as it was thrilling – and he hasn’t let us down!"

It’s definitely a huge plus that James Goss is writing it. Not only is he an excellent writer, one who knows how to write a gloriously dark story. But he’s written some extremely strong Master stories already, including The Sky Man and, along with Guy Adams, half of The Master of Callous for The War Master. The fact that he seems to be writing the entire box set is a bold move, but I definitely have high hopes for it.

I’m not going to lie – with eight Masters (one of which we definitely haven’t heard yet) and eight discs, it’s going to be a long wait for the release of Masterful. But – knowing Big Finish’s track record – I’m confident it’ll be worth it.

Doctor Who: Masterful is available to pre-order on CD or download now from Big Finish’s website. The physical edition will be limited to just 3,000 copies, so make sure you get your order in as soon as possible.

Are you excited about John Simm returning to the role of the Master? Do you think Masterful sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the Master’s fiftieth anniversary? Let us know in the comments below.