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The
Marian Conspiracy
(Jacqueline Rayner) |
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 Released
in March 2000 was "The Marian Conspiracy". It was written
by Jacqueline Rayner and is directed by Gary Russell.
This Sixth
Doctor story, starring Colin Baker, was recorded
on the 23rd October 1999 and introduces 'new' companion
Evelyn Smythe who is played by Maggie Stables. Also
starring are: Sean Jackson, Gary Russell, Jez Fielder,
Jo Castleton, Anah Ruddin, Nicholas Pegg, Barnaby Edwards
and Alistair Lock.
Historian
Evelyn Smythe is furious when, while lecturing her students
on Tudor history, a man in a silly coat enters the hall
with a bleeping electronic device, claiming that the fate
of the planet is at stake. Forced to cut short her lecture
she attempts to take this stranger to task. The stranger
though is The Doctor and Evelyn learns that he is tracking
a nexus point in time and that it appears that she herself
appears to be the temporal nexus point he is looking for.
He then informs Evelyn that her own history is rapidly
vanishing.
Not
believing a single word of what The Doctor is saying she
storms off in a huff and returns home to find that The Doctor has followed her. In order to get rid of him she
agrees to let him see her family historical records so
as to prove that he is wrong. However as she shows him
a book containing her family history she is shocked to
see that half of the page containing her family tree is
blank, and the rest of the type is slowly fading away
even as she watches. The Doctor has been telling the truth
all along and unless something is done Evelyn will cease
to have ever existed.
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| Sixth Doctor |
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As ever, The Doctor is convinced that this problem
can be fixed easily. The Doctor must travel back to Tudor times to stabilise
the nexus and save Evelyn's life. Evelyn insists that she comes with him and
reluctantly he agrees. However, a miscalculation means that they both find
themselves in London during the reign of Queen Mary instead of Queen Elizabeth.
It soon becomes clear that things don't seem to be going to
plan. While Evelyn discovers a plot to kill the Queen The Doctor finds himself
mistaken for a medical doctor and looking after a supposedly pregnant Queen.
Then suddenly they both find themselves branded as traitors and locked in the
Tower of London awaiting their own execution.
Will The Doctor be able to save English history and his new friend? Especially when it
is all he can do to prevent his own death...
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| Maggie Stables |
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Introducing
Evelyn
Smythe: During the later half of
1999 Big Finish Productions announced the
casting of actress Maggie Stables as new
companion Dr. Evelyn Smythe, a college
history professor who joins Colin
Baker in "The Marian
Conspiracy".
On Evelyn Smythe's character producer Gary Russell
revelled: "Her university are trying to pension her off, so she sees the
opportunity to go with The Doctor as a means out of her dull, pointless future.
The university thinks she's a pain in the butt, her students love her
eccentricities and think she's fab. Think Emelia Rumford meets Angela Lansbury
meets Margaret Rutherford meets The Aztecs' Cameca!".
Maggie Stables
however, made her debut in the Big Finish Productions Doctor Who Audio
adventures in the very first story
"The Sirens of Time".
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Notes:
- Featuring the Sixth
Doctor and introducing new
companion Evelyn
Smythe.
- Serial Number: 7C/A
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Cover Length: 110 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 24'28", 2 = 27'50", 3 =
25'05", 4 = 29'04"
- This story takes place between "The
Trial of a Time Lord" and "Time
and the Rani".
- Cover Illustration: Clayton Hickman
- Recorded: 23rd October 1999
- Recording Location: NU Groove Studios
- Released: March 2000
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On the
Back Cover:
Tracking a nexus point in time, The Doctor meets
Dr Evelyn Smythe, a history lecturer whose own history seems to be rapidly
vanishing.
The Doctor must travel back to Tudor times to stabilise the
nexus and save Evelyn's life. But there he meets the Queen of England and must
use all his skills of diplomacy to avoid ending up on the headman's block...
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On the
Inside Cover:
The brief for the story that eventually
became
"The Marian Conspiracy" was to do a 'Hartnell historical' for the Sixth
Doctor - the Big Finish version of "The
Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve", if you
like; a political thriller featuring real
figures from history, and I was happy to oblige. Some years ago, after
reading the novelisation of "The Reign of
Terror", I went out and got a huge text book from the library on the
French Revolution, to find out more. My second-year school project
on the Aztecs was
one of the most informed in the class. That's
one of the greatest things about
Doctor Who, the way it can inspire a thirst for knowledge, and
the historical stories will always have a special place in my heart.
And with a new
direction for the hideously under-appreciated Sixth Doctor, a fab new companion
to introduce, and plots and intrigues and hideous executions to play with -
well, what more could a girl want?
Vive Le
Docteur |
Jacqueline Rayner,
January
2000 |
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Full Cast
List:
| Part One |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| George Crow |
Sean Jackson |
| John Wilson |
Gary Russell |
| William Leaf |
Jez Fielder |
| Lady Sarah |
Jo Castleton |
| The Queen |
Anah Ruddin |
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| Part Two |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| John Wilson |
Gary Russell |
| William Leaf |
Jez Fielder |
| George Crow |
Sean Jackson |
| The Queen |
Anah Ruddin |
| Lady Sarah |
Jo Castleton |
| Reverend Thomas |
Nicholas Pegg |
| Francois de Noailles |
Barnaby Edwards |
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| Part Three |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| William Leaf |
Jez Fielder |
| Francois de Noailles |
Barnaby Edwards |
| Reverend Thomas |
Nicholas Pegg |
| Lady Sarah |
Jo Castleton |
| George Crow |
Sean Jackson |
| The Queen |
Anah Ruddin |
| Royal Guard |
Alistair Lock |
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| Part Four |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| William Leaf |
Jez Fielder |
| Francois de Noailles |
Barnaby Edwards |
| The Queen |
Anah Ruddin |
| Lady Sarah |
Jo Castleton |
| Royal Guard |
Alistair Lock |
| Reverend Thomas |
Nicholas Pegg |
| George Crow |
Sean Jackson |
The
Production Team:
| Writer |
Jacqueline Rayner |
| Director |
Gary Russell |
| Sound/Music |
Alistair Lock |
| Theme Music |
Mark Ayres |
| Producers |
Gary Russell and
Jason
Haigh-Ellery |
| Executive Producers for the
BBC |
Stephen Cole
and
Jaqueline Rayner |
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