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Circular Time
(Paul Cornell & Mike Maddox) |
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 The
first audio release for 2007 was originally going to
be "The Year of the Pig". However, "The
Year of the Pig" has swapped places with "Circular
Time" and so "Circular Time" is now the
first release in 2007.
"Circular
Time" has been written by Paul Cornell and Mike
Maddox and tells four seasonal tales with the Fifth
Doctor
and Nyssa. It is directed by John Ainsworth and was recorded
6th and 7th September 2006.
The
cover has been completed by Barry Piggott, a designer
new to Big Finish Productions. "Even though the
new style of covers doesn’t kick in until March," explains
Nicholas Briggs, "we were keen to give the old
style a boost before our re-launch, and I think Barry’s
come up with something rather beautiful for this unique
story."
The
TARDIS takes The Doctor and Nyssa to the springtime of
a distant future where they find themselves embroiled
in Time Lord politics on an alien world. A world the
population are birdlike and where the siblings of the
convicted are punished for their crime.
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| Fifth Doctor |
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Nyssa
is horrified by this unfair justice system and blatant
cruelty to the children of this planet - and so is The
Doctor. Especially when he discovers that the laws on
this planet have been set by a member of his own race
- Cardinal Zero.
Why
is The Doctor’s arrival expected and why are the
population ruled by a Time Lord? Why is Cardinal Zero
playing God and attempting to give the population the
power of flight?
Things
though soon take a turn for the worse when Cardinal Zero’s
life is threatened - causing him to regenerate and, because
he can now fly, is reborn as the Prophet. And so The
Doctor and Nyssa find themselves hunted down so that
punishment, for the “death” of Cardinal Zero,
can be administered. Luckily the TARDIS is not that far
away.
Some
time later, during the stifling heat of a summer in the torture chamber in the
basement of Tower of London, The Doctor and Nyssa discover that this is not the
best of places to be in.
After
a mistake in a tavern, where The Doctor accidentally uses currency from the wrong
era, The Doctor and Nyssa find themselves prisoners in the Tower of London accused
of being either fools, forgers or Catholics.
There
they find themselves in the illustrious company of Sir
Isaac Newton who is determined to obtain the truth of
who they are and why they have strange metal coins on
them.
And
then Sir Isaac Newton finds a strange box outside the
tavern – but worse, when he looks closer at the
coins, he is alarmed to discover that one has the year
2003 stamped on it, another has a harp and another with
Queen Elizabeth II and another made with 2 different
metals. But worse another is from The United States of
America and another is from the Roman Empire. Sir Isaac
Newton comes to the assumption that the Blue Box is a
time machine – and so will give whoever owns it
great power…
By
all the symbols on the coins Sir Isaac Newton deduces
the future of the world. And is so close to the truth
leaving a desperate Doctor with a lot of explaining to
do – How is he going to prevent this knowledge
from changing established history.
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Nyssa
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The third
recorded story occurs in the recent past in the Hampshire
village of Stockbridge where Nyssa spends a romantic
golden autumn while The Doctor plays cricket.
Nyssa
is spending her time writing a novel – but finds
herself distracted by a local lad named Andrew. Andrew
offers Nyssa advice which at first angers her but the
more time they spend together the more realises that
she is falling in love with him.
As
The Doctor plays more and more matches and becomes more
involved in training sessions the more time Nyssa spends
with her lover – which even leads to a trip to
Traken – but a Traken on Earth and not Nyssa’s
home planet.
The
Doctor is not caught up with his cricket not to realise
that he and Nyssa’s time together is coming to
end. But he has obligations to continue helping his friends
win the county championships and so it is up to fate
if this could be Nyssa’s final adventure with The
Doctor
With
the cricket season drawing to an end Nyssa has a huge
decision to make and time is running out. Will her book
be completed – and if so who will get to read it
- before she has to decide if to leave with The Doctor
or stay with her newly found love? Will The Doctor be
able to fulfil his obligation and help Stockbridge win
even if it means the death of one of the players during
the winning run?
And
finally, many years after their travels together have
ended, The Doctor and Nyssa meet again in the strangest
of circumstances – via the power of dreams.
A
wife, a lost daughter, strange visions in a blizzard
and the convergence of dreams with Nyssa – what
does it all mean? Whose dream are they both in? Why does
Nyssa ask The Doctor about her father and The Master?
The
Doctor is confused and is worried that this strange encounter
with Nyssa may wake up Peri, Adric and Tegan – his
wife and two children all of whom are asleep upstairs!
Both
of them have a lot of catching up to do – but will
they instead unearth some unwanted ghosts? Are they in
a trap or is something more innocent occurring? Could
The Master have something to do with this strange encounter
or is he an illusion too?
The
Doctor is regenerating into his sixth incarnation and
needs help for it to succeed. Nyssa is his obvious
choice – and they must find The Watcher or else
all will be lost and The Doctor will die.
The
Doctor and Nyssa find themselves in four separate stories
where time becomes circular rather than linear. Where
one season revolves into the next. Where The Doctor regenerates
so that his existence can continue and where he will
always will be...
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Notes:
- Featuring the Fifth
Doctor and Nyssa.
- Serial Number: 6CH
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Cover Length: 130 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 29'42", 2 = 28'51",
3 = 27'14", 4 = 32'08"
- Total Story Length: 117'55"
- This story takes story takes place during
various times in The Doctor’s fifth incarnation.
- Cover Illustration: Barry Piggott
- Recorded: 6th and 7th September 2006
- Recording Location: The Moat Studios
- Released: January 2007
- ISBN: 978-1-84435-175-6
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On the Back Cover:
Summer to winter, the
seasons turn.
In the springtime
of a distant future, The Doctor and Nyssa become
embroiled in Time Lord politics on an alien world.
During the stifling heat of a summer past they suffer
the vengeful wrath of Isaac Newton. In the recent
past, Nyssa spends a romantic golden autumn in an
English village while The Doctor plays cricket. And
finally, many years after their travels together
have ended, the two friends meet again in the strangest
of circumstances.
Four seasons. Four Stories.
Now close the door behind you,
you’re letting the cold in…
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On the Inside Cover:
It’s a pleasure
to work with someone as talented as Mike. I hope
it mizes things up and gives these four one-episode
stories a fresh approach. They represent four different
sorts of Doctor Who stories: alien planet; pure historical;
social realism and shameless fan service. I’ll
leave it to you to decide which is which. They’re
also all about my love, from childhood, for the work
of Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton.
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Paul Cornell,
August 2006 |
I met Paul in summer 2005,
at the Greenbelt Arts Festival. Paul had come straight
off the place from Dublin with acute bronchitis,
and through the chemical haze of incredibly strong
antibiotics, he asked if I’d write a play with
him. Stunned, and fearing he’d drop dead in
front of me, I quickly agreed.
Paul had already written the
plots for "Circular Time" as one-paragraph
springboards, leaving me to write my episodes up as
full script. Working with Paul was a sheer delight
from start to finish, with us reading and rewriting
each other’s work, and generally having fun as
we bounced off each other. If I ever have the chance
to replay the favour I surely will. |
Mike Maddox,
November 2006 |
Paul Cornell
is a veteran writer of Doctor Who audio dramas and books,
as well as being the creator of Bernice Summerfield,
the spin-off novel companion who now features in her
own Big Finish strand. This is Mike Maddox’s first
foray into the world of Big Finish… |
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Who's Who?
The Fifth Doctor
First television appearance: "Castrovalva"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "The
Land of the Dead"
He
has been exploring the universe for hundreds of years.
He fights injustice. He defeats evil. He helps people.
Always accompanied by travelling companions, The Doctor has lately found his TARDIS shared by Peri and Erimem, two lively young girls from different
points in Earth’s history. They are currently
in Monte Carlo 1966 – in search of the Veiled
Leopard diamond – allowing The Doctor some
time to himself. He’s always meant to explore
the Ice Caves of Shabadabadon…
Nyssa
First television appearance: "The
Keeper of Traken"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "The
Land of the Dead".
After
the death of her father, Nyssa, a young, intelligent
woman from the planet Traken, began travelling with
The Doctor. She is logical and pragmatic - a great
believer in science and reason - but is also compassionate
and caring. At first, she and The Doctor shared the
TARDIS with others, but lately, it’s just been
the two of them. They have recently visited Earth
at various points in its history - Alaska in the
1990’s, Switzerland in the 1960’s, America
in the twenty-second century - as well as both Traken
and Trios in their respective infancies. |
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Full Cast List:
| The Doctor |
Peter Davison |
| Nyssa |
Sarah Sutton |
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| Spring |
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| Hoodeye |
Jamie Sandford |
| Redklaw |
Toby Longworth |
| Carrion |
Lois Baxter |
| Snowfire |
Teresa Gallagher |
|
Zero |
Hugh Fraser |
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| Summer |
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| Guard |
Jeremy James |
| Molly |
Sunny Ormonde |
| Jailer |
Trevor Littldale |
Sir Isaac Newton
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David Warner |
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| Autumn |
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| Andrew |
Jamie Sandford |
| Jack |
Toby Longworth |
| Anton |
Jeremy James |
| Don |
John Benfield |
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| Winter |
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| Lasarti |
Jeremy James |
| Anima |
Sunny Ormonde |
The Production Team:
| Writers |
Paul Cornell and Mike Maddox |
| Director |
John Ainsworth |
| Sound/Music |
David Darlington |
| Theme Music |
David Darlington |
| Story Editor |
Alan Barnes |
| Producer |
Sharon Gosling |
| Executive Producers |
Nicholas Briggs
and Jason Haigh-Ellery |
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