Almost 22 years, Big Finish’s first-ever range of Doctor Who audio dramas releases its final story: The End of the Beginning.
Today marks the end of an era for Doctor Who fans, particularly those who enjoy the many audio adventures released from Big Finish. Every single month, various Doctor Who stories and spin-offs have been released by the company. It all started in 1999 with The Monthly Adventures, where the likes of Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann have continued to play their classic Doctors for years. In fact, Big Finish’s first-ever Doctor Who audio, The Sirens of Time, featured the former three Doctors together!
However, after 22 years, this range is sadly coming to an end. The 275th release in The Monthly Adventures will also be its last. However, Big Finish has made it clear that this isn’t the end of Doctor Who on audio. Far from it, in fact. Rather than being the end, today’s multi-Doctor story is simply The End of the Beginning…
The end of a Doctor Who era
Executive producer Nicholas Briggs revealed why Big Finish’s first-ever range of Doctor Who audios is coming to an end. “To anyone visiting us for the first time, trying to work out where to start or which set of adventures to embark upon first, it’s very confusing that each Doctor doesn’t have their own separate range. And that confusion creates a barrier between a potential listener and Big Finish, and a listener losing out.”
This is a fair assessment. Making 275 audio dramas in one range is certainly impressive, but for potential new fans, it can also be rather daunting, especially with the range constantly jumping around the Doctor’s history. “The Big Finish Main/The Monthly Adventures range is like the bud on a flower – full of great stuff but locked in where no one can see it,” Briggs continued. “By reorganising the way we release things, we’re not stopping/cancelling/ending anything. We’re simply allowing that bud to flower.”
In some ways, this reorganization has been underway for a long time. Several Doctors have their own ranges already, including the First, Fourth, and Tenth Doctors. So entire ranges focused on each and every Doctor seems like the next logical step for Big Finish to take.
The End of the Beginning
But before this new era begins, let’s take a look at how the current one ends. Starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann as the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors, Doctor Who: The End of the Beginning sees The Monthly Adventures range end as it began: with a multi-Doctor extravaganza. Writer Rob Valentine reveals what to expect from this story:
"I wanted it to be a big celebration of The Monthly Adventures Doctors, and also something of a promise that their adventures are far from over. Knowing it was the last story of the range, I knew it had to have a certain weight and a bit of a ‘victory lap’ feel to it. And I also wanted to make it as fun and exciting as I possibly could."
We’re definitely keen to listen to this one. You can purchase The End of the Beginning right now on CD and download directly from Big Finish’s website. Alternatively, you can go right back to the beginning itself and download The Sirens of Time right now for free! This offer ends at 23:59 UK time on Mar 21, so make sure to check it out while you can.
Are you a fan of the Doctor Who audios? Are you sad that Big Finish’s first Doctor Who range is coming to an end? Let us know in the comments below.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels