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Audio - The Eternal Summer

The Eternal Summer
(Jonathan Morris)


 Continuing the three stories in the 'Stockbridge Trilogy' is the second release, "The Eternal Summer", which shifts the trilogy into the present day in which things are not quite right... It has been described as a weird, Sapphire and Steely sort of affair featuring mad UFO spotter Maxwell Edison.

Released in November 2009 "The Eternal Summer", is another Fifth Doctor and Nyssa story. It is written by Jonathan Morris, directed by Barnaby Edwards and was recorded on the 11th and 12th June 2009.

As revealed by Director Barnaby Edwards, ‘The Doctor and Nyssa have been to present day Stockbridge before, but this is a new Stockbridge, where things are going slightly wrong’.

Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
For starters The Doctor and Nyssa do not arrive in the TARDIS but find themselves in the village where everyone claims to know them already. In fact it seems they have been living in the village for as long as they can remember and the locals think that The Doctor is the village doctor, and that Nyssa is the village postmistress!

 
It’s not quite Stockbridge as they know it’, Barnaby Edwards has stated. ‘There are these mysterious figures called the Lord and Lady of the Village, who The Doctor and Nyssa don’t remember from their past visits, Everyone’s frightened of them. It’s very like Sapphire & Steel. And one of the most conic characters from the Doctor Who Magazine Stories appears...

Nyssa

Nyssa

This would be Maxwell Edison - a UFO-spotter from a 1982 comic strip called "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" by Steve Parkhouse’. He has been a good friend of The Doctor for many years, and who most recently appeared earlier in 2009 alongside the Tenth Doctor and Majenta Pryce in the Doctor Who Magazine strip "The Stockbridge Child".

Maxwell Edison isn’t the only character from the Doctor Who Magazine comic strips to make the transition to audio in "The Eternal Summer", Susan Brown - who appears in all three Stockbridge stories - gives a voice to a less familiar face - Mrs Withers who runs the guest house where The Doctor is staying. Previously Mrs Withers appeared on just one page in the Doctor Who Magazine strip "The Stockbridge Horror".

Familiar Stockbridge buildings pop up in "The Eternal Summer" as well. ‘It has all the known places’, Writer Jonathan Morris has revealed. ‘The Redfern Inn, St Justinian’s Church, the village green where they play cricket, Wells Wood - pretty much everywhere is mentioned. Even the store where The Doctor used to buy his jelly babies is in there somewhere!

Guest stars for this story include: Mark Williams (The Fast Show, and as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films) who plays UFO hunter Maxwell Edison and Pam Ferris (Rosemary and Thyme and Little Dorrit) as Lizzie Corrigan. Also starring are: Roger Hammond, Nick Brimble, Abigail Hollick, Barnaby Edwards (as the Vicar) and Nicholas Briggs (as Geoff).


 
Companion Chronicles
 
This release also includes the ninth part of "The Three Companions" - the 12-part Companion Chronicles mini-series which are a bonus feature on the monthly Doctor Who plays since April 2009. Each of the 10-minute episodes has been written by Marc Platt and has been directed by Lisa Bowerman.

This special story brings together Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (aka The Brigadier) (played by Nicholas Courtney) and Polly (played by Anneke Wills), who discover that their past travels with The Doctor share a common link... Meanwhile, Thomas Brewster (played by John Pickard) is watching from a distance, and he is now the owner of a stolen TARDIS...

Also starring in this episode is Russell Floyd.

Episode Nine: "Many Meetings": In a cafe, three strangers meet: Polly, The Brigadier and Thomas Brewster. They share one thing in common - they have all travelled in time and space with the Doctor. But now the Doctor isn’t here, and the world is in terrible danger...


Big Finish Magazine - Vortex: Issue 9 (November 2009)

Audio - Big Finish Magazine - Vortex: Issue 9
Vortex: Issue 9
 Issue 9 of 'Vortex - The Big Finish Magazine' was also sent out to subscribers with this release.

  In this issue...

    1. Editorial - Nicholas Briggs

    2. Sneak Previews and Whispers
    - Doctor Who: "Survival of the Fittest", Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: "The Suffering" and Sherlock Holmes: "Holmes and the Ripper".

    3. Out & About - Big Finish at Regenerations

    4. Feature - The Eighties Revival

    5. Feature - Producing the Goods

    6. Forthcoming Releases - November 2009 - August 2010

    7. Feature - The Company of Friends

    8. Feature - Nick of Time

    9. Feature - Robert Shearman

    10. Feature - Holmes Alone

    11. Q&A - Alex Mallinson

    12. Letters

    13. Feature - He’s Dredd, Jim!

    14. Q&A - Mark Strickson

    15. Team Twitter


Published By: Big Finish Productions Ltd
Managing Editor: Jason Haigh-Ellery
Editors: Nicholas Briggs and David Richardson
Assistant Editor: Paul Spragg
Design and Layout: Alex Mallinson
Published: November 2009
Page Count: 40

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Notes:
  • Featuring the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa
  • Serial Number: 6C/O
  • Number of Episodes: 4
  • Cover Length: 120 minutes
  • Main Story Episode Lengths: 1 = 26'33", 2 = 24'12", 3 = 27'53", 4 = 28'40"
  • Main Story Total Length: 107'18"
  • Extra Story Episode Length: 9 = 8'14"
  • Also features 24 minutes of trailers and special behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and producers.
  • This story takes place between the television adventures "Time-Flight" and "Arc of Infinity" and follows on from "Castle of Fear".
  • Cover Illustration: Simon Holub
  • Recorded: 11th and 12th June 2009
  • Recording Location: Moat Studios
  • Released: November 2009
  • ISBN: 978-1-84435-431-3


On the Back Cover:

It's been a long, hot summer in Stockbridge. Longer than the villagers can remember. Summer's lease is never-ending – and all thanks to the Lord and Lady of the Manor!

One man alone knows that something's wrong: Maxwell Edison, Stockbridge's unofficial ambassador to the Universe. Or 'flying saucer nut', as the locals have it. He'll need help proving it: from the local postmistress Miss Nyssa, perhaps; or the village Doctor, the fellow that's been living at the Green Dragon Inn these last 30 years.

They'd better hope that autumn never comes to Stockbridge. When autumn comes, the world is doomed...

 

On the Inside Cover:

Writer’s Notes: Jonathan Morris

When I was asked whether I’d like to write a story with the Fifth Doctor, in the village of Stockbridge, featuring Maxwell Edison, I couldn’t really say no. I’d be annoyed if anyone else did it. The Doctor, Stockbridge and Maxwell, you see, have a history, dating all the way back to the early eighties, the Doctor Who Monthly comic strip, and the story Stars Fell on Stockbridge.

You don’t need to have read that story. Although The Eternal Summer features the same Maxwell, he’s also a brand new Maxwell on audio, brought to life brilliantly by Mark Williams. Perfect casting.

And as for Stockbridge, I’ve always thought there was something a little bit sinister about the idealised view of the English country village. Maybe it’s because I grew up in one, but there’s something claustrophobic, something terrifying, about the notion of being stuck in a place where time stands still...


Director’s Notes: Barnaby Edwards

Doctor Who stories, like the man himself, come in many different shapes and sizes, from outlandish space operas to present-day police procedurals. For our Stockbridge trilogy we wanted to try out three distinct but complimentary story types from this Gallifreyan gallimaufry: the historical romp, the contemporary mystery and the futuristic thriller.

The Eternal Summer is the second of these - and a marked contrast to its predecessor. The tone here is halfway between Sapphire and Steel and The Prisoner, but coloured by Jonny Morris’s love of time paradoxes. And what a script it is! The scene where the Doctor makes that phone call is, I think, the single finest piece of writing it has ever been my pleasure to direct: fiendishly clever and yet such a simple idea.

The cast was a dream to work with too. I demand more adventures starring Mark Williams as Maxwell Edison!

 

Who's Who?

The Fifth Doctor

First television appearance: "Castrovalva"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "The Land of the Dead"

 The Fifth Doctor’s seriousness, not to mention his caustic wit and occasional ruthlessness, were belied by his youthful, fresh-faced good looks. He didn’t choose most of his companions, and frequently seemed to be trying to make the best of their presence - but was nonetheless protective of his charges. On several occasions he demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice himself for others.


Nyssa

First television appearance: "The Keeper of Traken"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "The Land of the Dead".

 Nyssa first met the Fourth Doctor when he battled the Master on her home planet of Traken. Later, the Watcher rescued her before Traken was destroyed by an entropy field, and took her to rejoin the Doctor. Scientist Nyssa was intelligent and logical, but also extremely kind-hearted. She was very empathic - perhaps due to possessing a degree of psychic ability.
 

Full Cast List:

The Eternal Summer  
   
The Doctor Peter Davison
Nyssa Sarah Sutton
Maxwell Edison Mark Williams
Lizzie Corrigan Pam Ferris
Harold Withers Roger Hammond
Alice Withers Susan Brown
Dudley Jackson Nick Brimble
Jane Potter Abigail Hollick
Dave Nick Brimble
Vicar Barnaby Edwards
Geoff Nicholas Briggs
   
   
Companion Chronicles - Episode Nine: "Many Meetings"
   
Polly Wright Anneke Wills
Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart Nicholas Courtney
Thomas Brewster John Pickard
Gerry Lenz Russell Floyd
   

The Production Team:

The Eternal Summer  
   
Writer Jonathan Morris
Director Barnaby Edwards
Sound/Music Howard Carter
   
Companion Chronicles - Episode Nine: "Many Meetings"
   
Writer Marc Platt
Director Lisa Bowerman
Sound/Music Richard Fox and Lauren Yason
   
Both Stories:  
   
Theme Music David Darlington
Script Editor Alan Barnes
Producer David Richardson
Executive Producers Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
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