Doctor Who: The Doctor’s granddaughter is recruited in the Time War in April!

The Time War is raging across the universe – and the Doctor’s granddaughter is caught up in it! Find out what happened to Susan in the upcoming Doctor Who spin-off Susan’s War!

Well this was one Time War release that I definitely wasn’t expecting. Later this year, a brand new Doctor Who spin-off series will be released by Big Finish Productions in association with BBC Studios. Set during the Time War, the series will feature an incredibly crucial character from Doctor Who‘s long history. From the very beginning of it, in fact: Susan Foreman, the Doctor’s granddaughter.

This is such an exciting idea. Big Finish have explored Susan’s life after she had left the Doctor (or, more accurately, after her grandfather chose to leave her). We’ve seen her reunited with her grandfather in his Eighth incarnation; take part in the most disastrous family Christmas dinner ever, and even helped to fight off a second Dalek invasion while suffering a terrible price.

But Big Finish have gone even further than that. In 2017, a Short Trip was released that explored what happened to Susan when the Time War began. Summoned by the Time Lords to fight in the War, Susan said goodbye to her grandfather in All Hands on Deck. Her new upcoming series, Susan’s War, will reveal what happened next…

Susan won’t be the only familiar face to feature in this series, as William Russell returns to play Ian Chesterton!

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

School reunion

"Gallifrey needs every Time Lord to fight the Time War. A summons has been issued across the universe to its prodigals. Whatever their skills, the war effort can use them.Susan’s call-up papers have arrived, and, unlike her grandfather, she is willing to join her people’s battle and finally return home.Because Susan knows the Daleks, and she will do her duty…"

This looks set to be an exciting take on the Time War. Not only will Carole Ann Ford be returning once more to play Susan herself. But William Russell will once again play Ian Chesterton – another member of the original TARDIS team. It really does feel like a clash of completely different eras, in the best possible sense.

Carole Ann Ford is excited about playing Susan caught in the middle of a war.

"It’s a very complex, interesting and fascinating piece of work which goes backwards and forwards in time in a way we’ve never actually done before in Doctor Who. We’re finding all sorts of extraordinary ways to chase after time machines, and the different phases in Time Lords’ lives are being investigated.Also, it’s Susan when she’s pushed on a few years. She has different attitudes to things and expects different behaviour from people that she’s with. So this is marvellous. She’s a much stronger person, and I really like that."

Lords of War

And to top it all off, Susan’s grandfather will also appear in this box set – once again played by Paul McGann! But of course, they’re not the only Time Lords to feature in this series, as producer David Richardson reveals.

"More from Winter is ComingFor All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule WesterosConfirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”How lucky was I to spend recording days with legends like Carole Ann Ford, William Russell and Paul McGann, such key figures from the classic series thrown into this compelling era of new series Doctor Who? And with them are Veklin (Beth Chalmers) and Rasmus (Damian Lynch) – two characters whose story arcs spread through a myriad of releases, and help tie together our intricate Time War range."

It’s nice to see returning characters from other Time War ranges show up in Susan’s own series. (In fact, Rasmus has just featured in this month’s Doctor Who audio Dark Universe.) It gives a sense of cohesion to something as chaotic as a Time War, and reminds us that the same war is being fought on many sides.

Susan’s War will be released on CD and download in April. This looks set to be an extremely exciting spin-off for Doctor Who fans both old and new, and I can’t wait to listen to it.

Are you eager to find out what happened to Susan in the Time War? Which reunion with Susan are you looking forward to more: Ian or her grandfather? Let us know in the comments below.