Gallifrey (audio drama series)
![]() | The topic of this article may not meet Justapedia's general notability guideline. (January 2019) |
Gallifrey | |
---|---|
Big Finish Productions audio drama | |
Series | The Worlds of Doctor Who |
Directed by |
|
Produced by |
|
Executive producer(s) | |
Starring | |
Music |
|
Release date | March 2004 | – present
Gallifrey is a Big Finish Productions audio play series based on the television series Doctor Who, starring Louise Jameson as Leela, Lalla Ward as President Romana II, and John Leeson as two K-9 units, Mark I and Mark II. The title refers to the home planet of the Time Lords.
The first play in the series, Weapon of Choice, was released in 2004. The most recent: Gallifrey: Time War Volume Four, was released in February 2021.[1][2]
Cast
This section shows characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season.
- A green cell indicates the actor is a main cast member.
- A red cell indicates the actor is a recurring cast member.
- A light blue cell indicates the actor is a guest or special guest cast member.
Actor | Character | Appearances | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gallifrey | Gallifrey: Time War | Gallifrey: War Room | ||||||||||||||||||
S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | |||||
Lalla Ward | Romana | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||
Mary Tamm | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Juliet Landau | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Louise Jameson | Leela | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||||
Seán Carlsen | Narvin | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||||||
John Leeson | K9 | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||
Miles Richardson | Irving Braxiatel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||
Sophie Aldred | Ace | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Ken Bones | The General | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||||||
Lynda Bellingham | Darkel | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Andy Coleman | Andred | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||
Stephen Wickson | Valyes | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||
Stephen Perring | Matthias | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
Nicholas Briggs | The Daleks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||
Stephen Thorne | Omega | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Celia Imrie | Livia | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Pippa Bennett-Warner | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Derek Jacobi | The Master | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Terrence Hardiman | Rassilon | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Richard Armitage | ✓ | TBA | ||||||||||||||||||
Beth Calmers | Veklin | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||||||
Chris Jarman | Rasmus | ✓ | TBA | |||||||||||||||||
Carolyn Pickles | Ollistra | ✓ | TBA |
Summary
The series focuses on political struggles within the leadership of the Time Lords, centred on Romana's presidency. In the first series, Romana's progressive policies and desires to open Gallifrey up to the outside universe faces opposition from more conservative cultures. In addition, a terrorist group known as "Free Time", who want to break the monopoly on time travel technology shared among the Time Lords and the few other temporal powers, steals a timeonic fusion device. The inquiry into Romana's handling of the incident reveals a dark secret surrounding the Time Lords' policy of non-intervention.
The second series sees the admission of non-Gallifreyans into the Time Lord Academy, leading to even more tension within the Time Lord political elite. Romana has to deal with Free Time infiltrators as well as an attempted coup by Inquisitor Darkel. In addition, an ancient Gallifreyan evil escapes from the Matrix: Pandora, a megalomaniacal personality who manipulates Romana and others with the goal of regaining life and power. At the end of the second series, Pandora manages to manifest herself in the form of Romana's first incarnation (played once again by Mary Tamm). Both Romanas claim the title of Imperiatrix, absolute ruler of Gallifrey, leading to civil war.
In the third series, Romana traps Pandora in the Matrix once again, and destroys her by sacrificing the Matrix. After an election fraught with political manoeuvring, one Lord Matthias becomes Lord President. The series ends on a cliffhanger, with Gallifrey on the brink of economic and social collapse as well as in danger of being overrun by a Free Time virus, while most of the cast are trapped with no apparent means of escape.
At the time Big Finish's license forbid them from using aspects of the revived television series,[3] the Gallifrey series does not explicitly acknowledge the events of the Time War. However, in the final chapter of the third series Irving Braxiatel speaks of "rumours out there in the big wide universe — more than rumours, in fact — that something's coming to Gallifrey, something worse than you could possibly imagine". Because of these rumours, Braxiatel engineers the removal of the Time Lord biodata archive from Gallifrey, in order that the Time Lords might someday be restored after their planet meets its doom. Former Big Finish producer Gary Russell indicated in the audio interviews for the fourth series that this was a reference to the television series' Time War.
The fourth series, sees Romana, Leela, K9 Mark II, Brax and Narvin unable to save the Gallifrey they know. Brax takes them to the Axis, from where they have access to a myriad of truncated timelines, and they look for answers in these alternate Gallifreys. During their travels, Brax falls into one of the portals of the Axis and is lost to them.
In the fifth series, Romana, Leela, and Narvin are stranded on an alternate Gallifrey, where time travel has not been invented and Time Lords are simply Regenerators. Romana and Narvin take over leadership and attempt to reform the planet, while Leela lives as an Outsider in the wastelands of Gallifrey with the former slaves she has freed. At the end of the series, the Daleks arrive through a portal in the Axis in their quest to invade the multiverse.
The sixth series begins with Romana, Leela, and Narvin foiling the Daleks' plot and returning to their original timeline with a cure to the Dogma Virus. Upon their return, Romana is greeted by her next incarnation in the Matrix and they enter into a deal to return Gallifrey to its former state. The Time Lords reinstate Romana as President following Matthias's resignation. When a Dalek force invades Gallifrey, Romana tricks them into entering the Matrix and traps them there. Unaware that Romana had survived, Narvin sends Valyes to recruit the Doctor on a mission to avert the creation of the Daleks, a move which becomes one of the opening acts of the Time War.[4]
The special Intervention Earth stars Juliet Landau as a new regeneration of Romana, who had made an appearance earlier as the Matrix projection Trey. It also introduces Sophie Aldred as Ace and features Stephen Thorne guest starring as Omega. In the special, Romana, Ace, and Narvin attempt to foil a plot to free Omega.[5]
The next special Enemy Lines saw Lalla Ward and Louise Jameson return, having remained absent in the previous release, with Seán Carlsen and Sophie Aldred continuing their roles. In the release, Brax returns and changes the timeline to prevent Romana's regeneration, averting the timeline in which Omega returns. Romana steps down from the presidency and names Livia as her successor, appointing herself as Coordinator of the CIA.
Having obtained the license to the revived series, Big Finish finally explored the Time War in a four-volume series from 2018 to 2021. In the first volume, Ward, Jameson, Carlsen, Richardson and Aldred reprised their roles, with Derek Jacobi guest starring as The War Master. Ace and Braxiatel head on a field mission together to obtain information, in which Brax wipes Ace's memory and leaves her on Earth, fleeing the Time War himself. Following Ace and Brax's disappearance, Romana recruits the Master in the fight against the Daleks. However, in a mission with Leela he betrays her and throws her into the Time Vortex.
At the end of the first volume, the Time Lords succeed in resurrecting Rassilon to lead them in the Time War. The second volume shows Romana and Narvin resisting Rassilon's increasingly authoritarian regime, even with all their allies gone. After an attempted coup, they are forced into exile from Gallifrey, where they decide to go search for Leela. The third volume shows Romana and Narvin in exile, and reveals what happens to Leela after being thrown in the Vortex. The fourth and final volume ends with Rassilon imprisoning Romana to a pocket dimension and conscripting Leela to fight in the Time War.
Big Finish Productions announced another four-volume series from 2022 to 2025 entitled Gallifrey: War Room with Jameson and Carlsen returning from previous sets as Leela and Narvin. They are joined by Ken Bones, reprising his role of the General from Doctor Who television episodes "The Day of the Doctor" and "Hell Bent" as well as Beth Chalmers, Chris Jarman, Carolyn Pickles as Veklin, Rasmus, and Ollistra.[6] The series bridges the gap of what happened before Leela's appearance in the War Doctor series.[6] Challands said “We heard the end of Leela's fight in The War Doctor: Casualties of War. We saw the end of the General's fight in The Day of the Doctor. The War Room is the heart of Gallifrey's manoeuvres and finally we are going to understand how all that strategy will play out.”[6]
Episodes
Series 1 (2004)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Weapon of Choice" | Gary Russell | Alan Barnes | Romana II, Leela, K9 I & II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Torvald, Darkel, Arkadian, Free Time | March 2004 |
2 | "Square One" | Gary Russell | Stephen Cole | Romana II, Leela, K9 I & II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Free Time | April 2004 |
3 | "The Inquiry" | Gary Russell | Justin Richards | Romana II, Leela, K9 I & II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Darkel, Torvald | April 2004 |
4 | "A Blind Eye" | Gary Russell | Alan Barnes | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Narvin, Torvald, Arkadian | May 2004 |
Series 2 (2005)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Lies" | Gary Russell | Gary Russell | Romana II & I, Leela, K9 I & II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Darkel, Andred, Wynter, Pandora, Free Time | April 2005 |
2 | "Spirit" | Gary Russell | Stephen Cole | Romana II, Leela, Braxiatel, Narvin, Darkel, Wynter, Hallan | May 2005 |
3 | "Pandora" | Gary Russell | Justin Richards | Romana II, Leela, K9 I & II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Darkel, Wynter, Andred, Hallan, Valyes, Pandora | June 2005 |
4 | "Insurgency" | Gary Russell | Steve Lyons | Romana II, Leela, K9 I & II, Narvin, Darkel, Andred, Valyes | July 2005 |
5 | "Imperiatrix" | Gary Russell | Stewart Sheargold | Romana II & I, Leela, K9 I & II, Narvin, Darkel, Hallan, Pandora | August 2005 |
Series 3 (2006)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Fractures" | Gary Russell | Stephen Cole | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Pandora, Darkel, Narvin, Valyes, Matthias, Hallan, Annos, Janartis, Elbon, Henzil | May 2006 |
2 | "Warfare" | Gary Russell | Stewart Sheargold | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Pandora, Darkel, Narvin, Valyes, Matthias, Hallan, Annos, Janartis, Elbon | June 2006 |
3 | "Appropriation" | Gary Russell | Paul Sutton | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Darkel, Narvin, Valyes, Matthias, Henzil, Annos, Janartis | July 2006 |
4 | "Mindbomb" | Gary Russell | Justin Richards | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Darkel, Braxiatel, Narvin, Valyes, Matthias, Henzil, Annos, Janartis, Elbon | July 2006 |
5 | "Panacea" | Gary Russell | Alan Barnes | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Braxiatel, Narvin, Valyes, Matthias, Arkadian, Henzil, Annos, Janartis, Elbon | August 2006 |
Series 4 (2011)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Reborn" | Gary Russell | Gary Hopkins | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Braxiatel, Narvin; Alternative Romana I, Vansell | March 2011 |
2 | "Disassembled" | Gary Russell | Justin Richards | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Braxiatel, Narvin; Alternative Romana II, Leela, Burner Doctor, Vansell, Andred | March 2011 |
3 | "Annihilation" | Gary Russell | Scott Handcock & Gary Russell | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Narvin; Alternative Borusa, Torvald | March 2011 |
4 | "Forever" | Gary Russell | David Wise | Romana II, Leela, K9 II, Braxiatel, Narvin; Alternative Romana II, Narvin, Valyes, Vansell | March 2011 |
Series 5 (2013)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Emancipation" | Gary Russell | James Peaty | Romana II, Leela, Narvin; Alternative Slyne, Lukas, Kavil, Valyes, Matthias, Rahvon | February 2013 |
2 | "Evolution" | Gary Russell | Una McCormack | Romana II, Leela, Narvin; Alternative Slyne, Lukas, Kavil | February 2013 |
3 | "Arbitration" | Gary Russell | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Leela, Narvin; Alternative Kavil, Slyne, Braxiatel, Matthias, Andred, Rahvon | February 2013 |
Series 6 (2013)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Extermination" | Gary Russell | Scott Handcock | Romana II, Leela, Narvin, Daleks; Alternative Slyne, Lukas, Rahvon, Braxiatel, Andred | October 2013 |
2 | "Renaissance" | Gary Russell | James Goss | Romana II, Leela, Narvin, Trey | October 2013 |
3 | "Ascension" | Gary Russell | Justin Richards | Romana II, Leela, Narvin, Trey, K9 II, Valyes, Matthias, Slyne, Daleks | October 2013 |
Series 7 (2015)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | "Intervention Earth" | Scott Handcock | Scott Handcock & David Llewellyn | Romana III, Ace, Narvin, Omega, Lukas | February 2015 |
Series 8 (2016)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | "Enemy Lines" | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Leela, Ace, Narvin, Braxiatel | May 2016 |
Series 9: Time War – Volume 1 (2018)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Celestial Intervention" | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Leela, Narvin, Livia, Trave, Ace, Braxiatel | February 2018 |
2 | "Soldier Obscura" | Scott Handcock | Tim Foley | Ace, Braxiatel, Daleks, Romana II, Narvin | February 2018 |
3 | "The Devil You Know" | Scott Handcock | Scott Handcock | Leela, the Master, Romana II, Narvin | February 2018 |
4 | "Desperate Measures" | Scott Handcock | Matt Fitton | Romana II, Narvin, Livia, Trave, Braxiatel, Daleks, Dalek Emperor, Rassilon | February 2018 |
Series 10: Time War – Volume 2 (2019)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Havoc" | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Narvin, Rassilon, Livia, Mantus, Trave | March 2019 |
2 | "Partisans" | Scott Handcock | Una McCormack | Romana II, Narvin, Eris, Livia, Mantus | March 2019 |
3 | "Collateral" | Scott Handcock | Lisa McMullin | Romana II, Narvin, Eris, Rassilon, Livia, Mantus | March 2019 |
4 | "Assassins" | Scott Handcock | Matt Fitton | Romana II, Narvin, Rassilon, Livia, Mantus | March 2019 |
Series 11: Time War – Volume 3 (2020)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Hostiles" | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Narvin | February 2020 |
2 | "Nevernor" | Scott Handcock | Lou Morgan | Romana II, Narvin | February 2020 |
3 | "Mother Tongue" | Scott Handcock | Helen Goldwyn | Leela | February 2020 |
4 | "Unity" | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Daleks | February 2020 |
Series 12: Time War – Volume 4 (2021)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Deception"[1] | Scott Handcock | Lisa McMullin | Leela, Narvin, Rassilon, Livia, Mantus | February 2021 |
2 | "Dissolution"[1] | Scott Handcock | Lou Morgan | Narvin, Rayo, Daleks | February 2021 |
3 | "Beyond"[1] | Scott Handcock | David Llewellyn | Romana II, Braxiatel, Ravenous | February 2021 |
4 | "Homecoming"[1] | Scott Handcock | Matt Fitton | Romana II, Leela, Narvin, Braxiatel, Rassilon, Livia, Mantus, Daleks | February 2021 |
Series 13: War Room 1: Allegiance
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Last Days of Freme" | Samuel Clemens | Lou Morgan | Leela, The General, Veklin, Ollistra, Rassilon, Narvin, Daleks | August 2022[7] |
2 | "The Passenger" | Samuel Clemens | David Llewellyn | Leela, The General, Veklin, Rasmus, Ollistra, Rassilon, Narvin, Daleks | August 2022[7] |
3 | "Collateral Victim" | Samuel Clemens | Alfie Shaw | Leela, The General, Veklin, Rasmus, Ollistra, Rassilon, Narvin, Daleks | August 2022[7] |
4 | "The First Days of Phaidon" | Samuel Clemens | Sophie Iles | Leela, The General, Veklin, Rasmus, Ollistra, Rassilon, Narvin, Daleks | August 2022[7] |
Series 14: War Room 2
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | July 2023[8] |
2 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | July 2023[8] |
3 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | July 2023[8] |
4 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | July 2023[8] |
Series 15: War Room 3
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2024[9] |
2 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2024[9] |
3 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2024[9] |
4 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2024[9] |
Series 16: War Room 4
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2025[10] |
2 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2025[10] |
3 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2025[10] |
4 | TBA | TBD | TBD | TBA | February 2025[10] |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Gallifrey - Time War 4 coming soon". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Richard Armitage will play Rassilon in new Doctor Who spin-off". The Radio Times. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Big Finish FAQ
- ^ "6. Gallifrey Series 06 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "7. Gallifrey: Intervention Earth - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "The battle for Gallifrey isn't over! - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d "13. Gallifrey: War Room 1: Allegiance - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d "14. Gallifrey: War Room 2 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d "15. Gallifrey: War Room 3 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d "16. Gallifrey: War Room 4 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.