Doctor Who news: Eric Roberts gets his own Master spin-off box set

In 2021, almost twenty-five years since he appeared in the Doctor Who TV movie, Eric Roberts’s Master will be getting his own audio spin-off series!

Well, this is surprising news! It’s just been announced by Big Finish that Eric Roberts, who played the Master in the Doctor Who TV movie back in 1996, will be getting his own audio spin-off from Big Finish Productions. The new three-disc box set – MASTER! – will be released in March 2021.

It’s pretty amazing to think that this is happening. Not that long ago, it would have been hard to believe that Eric Roberts would ever play the Master again, even on audio. Along with constantly working in the US, it didn’t seem likely that this particular incarnation would ever be revisited, even by Big Finish.

But that changed last year when the character featured in two separate releases: The Diary of River Song: Series 5, and the Doctor Who box set Ravenous 4. The latter release was particularly major, as his Master was reunited with Paul McGann’s Doctor for the first time in over 23 years. We can also expect to hear from him again in January, in the Master’s fiftieth-anniversary story Masterful.

I’ll be honest: if this new spin-off had been announced just after Eric Roberts’s first performance in a Big Finish audio, I would’ve been worried. While it was nice to hear him return to the role in his River Song story, it was clear that he wasn’t quite used to working in the audio medium. However, his performance in Ravenous 4 was a huge improvement, and you could tell that he had a lot of fun playing the Master again. So this box set could be a lot of fun to listen to.

Eric Roberts most recently played the Master in last year’s box set Ravenous 4, which featured a major reunion between his Master and Paul McGann’s Doctor.

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

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MASTER!

"Abandoned in the Vortex, the Master’s lost incarnation is about to be thrown a lifeline.Earth rebuilds in the aftermath of invasion, and power rests with those who innovate. Genius Lila Kreeg makes a deal with the devil to see her dreams fulfilled.As the Master returns, there are those – like Vienna Salvatori – who wish to hunt him, and those upon whom he wishes vengeance himself…"

The inclusion of Vienna Salvatori is in itself rather exciting. Played by Chase Masterson, the bounty hunter has had quite a life with Big Finish, originally appearing in Seventh Doctor audio The Shadow Heart before later getting her very own audio spin-off.

Producer David Richardson lets us know what we can expect from this box set.

"The Master continues his cunning plan, by stealth, to take over the Big Finish release schedule – we have the War Master, we have Missy, and now the Movie Master has his own box set, reaching out for help from the Time Vortex – and finding new allies and new foes. Think Killing Eve in a dystopian future and you may just get a taster of what this new direction for the Master looks like."

That certainly sounds like quite a promising description! While Eric Roberts’s incarnation isn’t my favorite, Big Finish’s many series are usually enjoyable, and The War Master and Missy are both fantastic series. Plus I’m generally excited about anything Master-related, so either way, this box set has a lot of appeal.

MASTER! will be released on CD and download in March 2021. You can pre-order it right now from Big Finish’s website.

Are you keen for more of Eric Roberts’s Master? Have you heard his previous appearances in Big Finish’s audios? Let us know in the comments below.