Our guide to the 11th Doctor on Big Finish, in honour of their newly announced series of the 11th Doctor Chronicles. Most of the stories with the 11th Doctor on Big Finish are acted by impressionist Jacob Dudman. Critics say that Dudman “is uncannily like the Eleventh Doctor…His voice’s little touches and quirks show how much he’s studied Matt Smith as the Doctor.” Doctor Who is becoming very active online right now. Therefore it’s a perfect time to catch up on new stories.
Big Finish has more spin-offs from the 11th Doctor’s era than sets starring the character. So, unlike our previous guide, this one also includes most spin-offs. All the stories of 11th Doctor on Big Finish are available on download or CD + download, other than the short trips available on download only.
The 11th Doctor Chronicles
The 11th Doctor Chronicles is the only recurring series of the 11th Doctor on Big Finish. The first volume consists of 4 stories. Each includes a different companion or side character from his era. The second volume uses episodic companions. The 3rd and 4th volumes introduce an audio-exclusive companion – Valerie Lockwood. Other than a February 2024 release date, details for the 5th and 6th volumes are yet to be released.
Volume 1 – 7.2/10 Average Rating
- The Calendar Man by AK Benedict – Starring the 11th Doctor and Amy Pond. The pair arrive on a misty colony world, where only one young woman, scribbling in her notebook, can sense that they’re in danger from ‘The Calendar man.’
- The Top of the Tree by Simon Guerrier – Starring the 11th and Kazran Sardick from the episode A Christmas Carol. This story explores one of their annual trips, where the Tardis gets stuck in a strange tree on a twisted planet.
- The Light Keepers by Roy Gill – Starring 11 and Dorium Maldovar. Dorium enlists the help of the doctor to find out why the ‘Beacon People’ have landed on his shuttle park.
- False Coronets by Alice Cavendar – Starring 11 and Clara Oswald. They arrive in a 19th-century London Dungeon, hot on the heels of a temporal anomaly. History needs to be rewritten. And this time, they’ll need help from Jane Austen.
Volume 2 – 6.6/10
- The Evolving Dead by Doris V Sutherland – The dead stalk the corridors of Space station Romeo. But not all the undead are equal. Some seek the Doctor’s help, while others see him as an easy meal.
- The Day Before They Came by Daniel Blythe – Kayla Worthington waits patiently for an alien invasion in the shabby seaside town of Bayview. She wasn’t expecting the Doctor to offer her a cup of tea.
- The Melting Pot by Christopher Cooper – The Doctor returns to the planet Pirr, hoping to sample their local cuisine. But he’s arrived at a broken version of the world and has to stop it from falling apart.
- A Tragical History by Tessa North – Hythe Prison is unlike any other. While some inmates are miserable, others live out their ideal lives inside its walls. Will it tempt the Doctor?
Volume 3 Geronimo – To be released October 2023.
- The Inheritance by Alfie Shaw – Patricia and Valerie Lockwood find their dinner plans disrupted by a mysterious stranger. The man who brings tragedy in his wake.
- The House of Masks by Georgia Cook – The TARDIS takes Valerie to Venice, during Carnivale, for her maiden voyage into time and space.
- The End by Rochana Patel – Valerie and the Doctor are both dying and have to sacrifice themselves to save the other.
Volume 4 – All of time and space – TBR February 2023.
The stories will consist of the following:
- All of Time and Space by Ellery Quest
- The Yearn by Angus Dunican
- Curiosity Shop by James Goss
The Paternoster Gang: Heritage
Fans began begging for a Paternoster Gang spin-off when they hit our screens. The ragtag Victorian team made for one of Doctor Who’s all-time great supporting casts. These audio adventures have filled the gap spectacularly. With Neve Mcintosh as Madame Vastra, Catrin Stewart as Jenny Flint, and Dan Starkey as Strax all returning to their roles, the series has as much chemistry and comedy as their TV appearances.
Volume 1 – 7.7/10
- The Cars that ate London by Johnathan Morris – Eccentric Industrialist Fabian Solak brings electric carriages to the streets of Victorian London. The gang must investigate why he’s so ahead of his time.
- A photograph to remember by Roy Gill – The Paternosters meet rival gang ‘The Bloomsbury Bunch’ which also consists of a Sontaron, a Silurian, and a human. But can their strange intentions have anything to do with the recently photographed dead returning to life?
- The Ghosts of Greenwich by Paul Morris – Something sinister is happening to Greenwich. Where phantoms of the living start roaming the streets, others age before their time. Can the gang unearth the royal observatory’s secrets before it’s too late?
Volume 2 – 7.5/10
- Dining with Death by Dan Starkey – Written by Strax’s actor himself. This tale explores what happens when Madame Vastra offers Paternoster Row as neutral ground in an alien skirmish.
- The Screaming Ceiling by Guy Adams – The Paternoster gang goes up against famed ghost hunter Thomas Carnacki to explore a haunted castle in the Scottish highlands.
- Spring-Heeled Jack by Gemma Arrowsmith – When a mysterious monster terrorizes the streets of London, the gang must decipher whether Spring-Heeled Jack has come to life – or if they’re dealing with a kidnapper from another world.
Volume 3 – 7.8/10
- Family Matters by Lisa Mcmullin – Dinner with the in-laws has never been more awkward when Jenny’s family comes calling at Paternoster Row.
- Whatever Remains by Robert Valentine – The gang must solve the mystery of a missing landowner on the Jurassic Coast. And why are there new Prehistoric footprints on the sand…
- Truth and Bone by Roy Gill – Can strax save his place as one of the Paternosters while Sontar looks to retrieve its missing soldiers?
Volume 4 – 7.7/10
- Merry Christmas, Mr Jago by Paul Morris – Fan favourite Henry Gordon Jago (of Jago and Litefoot, from ‘The Talons of Weng Chiang’ and their Big Finish series) meets the Paternoster Gang for a potentially deadly Christmas.
- The Ghost Writers by Roy Gill – Madame Vastra is hired to solve the secrets of an exclusive literary society while Jenny and Strax investigate sightings of fairy tale creatures.
- Rulers of Earth by Matt Fitton – The gang must face their darkest hour. Separated from one another, a terrible pretender seeks to change Earth’s fate for good.
The Lone Centurion
Arthur Darvill returns to the role of Rory Williams in a series which explores what he got up to over his 1000 years waiting for the Pandorica to open as ‘the lone centurion.’
Volume 1: Rome 8.1/10
- Gladiator by David Llewelyn – Rory is kidnapped and thrown into a gladiator tournament in Rome. And the Emperor is soon impressed with the man who cannot die.
- The Unwilling Assassin by Sarah Ward – Now an assassin for the Roman Empire, Rory has to find a way to please the Empire without killing anyone.
- I, Rorius by Jacqueline Rayner – Rory needs to escape the conspiracies of Rome. But death is his only escape – and that’s tricky for an immortal.
Volume 2 – Camelot 8.1/10
- The Once and Future Nurse by Alfie Shaw – There are dark times in Camelot, and Merlin believes that the Pandorica holds the key to its salvation. He’s just saved Lancelot, but will Rory also need to save the Kingdom?
- The Glowing Warrior by Tim Foley – The newly Knighted Sir Rory must embark upon a quest to solve the mystery of the glowing knight and save a damsel in distress.
- The last King of Camelot – Merlin’s darkest prophecies have all come true, and the King and Queen of Camelot have fled. Can Rory save the legendary city?
The Churchill Years
A series starring Winston Churchill, as we learn more about his relationship with various incarnations of the Doctor over the years. The 11th Doctor notably had dealings with Churchill on a few occasions.
Volume 1
- The Oncoming Storm by Phil Mulryne – 6.9/10 – In late 1939, Churchill discovers a worse threat than even the nazis could pose. But when he calls on the Doctor, his friend seems determined to hide in the shadows.
- Hounded by Alan Barnes – 7.2/10 – Churchill battles his ‘black dog’ while others seek to exploit his vulnerabilities. The Tenth Doctor tries to help his friend but becomes a traitor.
- Living History by Justin Richards – 7.9/10 Churchill finally takes a trip into the TARDIS. But when he asks to meet his hero, Julius Caesar, history starts to go awry.
- The Chartwell Metamorphosis by Ken Bentley 6.4/10 – Sinister forces threaten Churchill’s chances of a peaceful retirement.
Volume 2– 7.1/10
- Young Winston by Paul Morris – In 1899, Churchill began to consider a parliamentary career. But when his past comes calling, he must work with Madam Vastra.
- Human Conflict by Ian Mclaughlin – Amid the Blitz’s devastation, Churchill searches for a weapon that could end the war. But The Doctor knows from experience some weapons shouldn’t enter the human war.
- I Was Churchill’s Double by Alan Barnes – Strange signals broadcast a future where Germany has taken over Britain, and Churchill urges the resistance. The ninth Doctor appears while he discovers what alternative histories can mean.
- Churchill Victorious by Robert Khan & Tom Salinsky – It’s VE day, but Churchill has one last conflict to solve. He must fight against an alien interloper and try to save the Doctor.
Short trips and short stories
Short trips are one of Big Finish’s most accessible story formats, usually consisting of one-off episodes with a single narrator. They are great for dipping your toe into the audiobook format if you’re unsure how much you’ll enjoy it. The stories below are all only between 45-30 minutes long. The Short trips range is also very cheap, with each of these stories costing £2.99 or less.
- Doctor Who: Short Trips: The Infinite Today by Sharon Bidwell 6.9/10 Starring Katy Manning as the 3rd Doctor’s companion Jo Jones, paired with the 11th Doctor for the first time since the ‘Death of the Doctor’ in the Sarah Jane Adventures. Jo finds herself stuck in an impossible time loop to Gatwick.
- Doctor Who: Short Trips: Regeneration Impossible by Alfie Shaw 8.9/10 The Doctor meets himself in one of Big Finish’s first appearances of the 12th Doctor, while Dudman acts for 2, taking on both roles.
- Destiny of the Doctor: The Time Machine by Matt Fitton 7.1/10 – The 11th Doctor’s story in the 50th Anniversary Destiny of the Doctor audio series.
Cameos
- Doctor Who: Short Trips: The Jago and Litefoot Revival Act 2
- Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume 11
- Doctor Who: Thin Time / Madquake
Conclusion
Doctor Who’s 11th Doctor has many adventures on Big Finish. While many have their eyes on the return of David Tennant, Matt Smith’s doctor steals the hearts of many. Big Finish has a range of Doctor Who audio drama adventures on its website. However, more stories are also on the way, with recent Torchwood launches.
More From Nerdgazm
? – Follow Nerdgazm on Twitter
? – Follow Nerdgazm on Facebook
