2022 Scribe Awards – Big Finish dominate with their Doctor Who audios (updated)

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All six nominations in the Audio Drama category are for Doctor Who titles. 

Updated 24/07/22: Lizzie Hopley’s The Curse of Lady MacBeth has come out on top.

From the field of six Big Finish stories, the Scribe Awards 2002 have crowned a historical tale for Christopher Eccleston as Best Audio Drama.

It’s a worthy winner, which we thoroughly enjoyed, guest starring Neve McIntosh as the titular Lady. In celebration, all the nominees are back on sale too!

Original article follows…

2022 Scribe Awards – Big Finish dominate with their Doctor Who audios

All six nominations in the Audio Drama category are for Doctor Who titles. 

The Scribe Awards celebrate excellence in licensed tie-in novels and audio dramas based on TV shows, movies and games. Awarded by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, audio producers Big Finish usually make a good showing.

This year, however, the company has achieved a clean sweep with the nominations in the Audio Drama category. The six stories nominated for the 2022 Scribe Awards are all from the worlds of Doctor Who. As luck would have it, we’ve reviewed them all at CultBox.

The Ninth Doctor Adventures – Girl Deconstructed by Lisa McMullin

From Christopher Eccleston’s second boxset, ‘Girl, Deconstructed’ sees the Doctor on a missing persons case like no other.

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures - Girl, Deconstructed cover artwork

Our review said: “Lisa McMullin’s tale is a thoughtful one with a core message about reaching out and communicating with those we love.” We also praised the clever sci-fi idea while noting it “… comes second to the brilliant character work.”

The Fifth Doctor Adventures – The Lost Resort by AK Benedict

‘The Lost Resort and Other Stories’ continues the tale of Marc, a new companion to the Fifth Doctor who joined in the wake of Adric’s death. In the title story, the Doctor and his companions are attempting to repair their broken relationships.

Doctor Who: The Lost Resort and other stories cover art

In our review we said: “The Lost Resort examines life and death in various forms, forcing the Doctor to confront his guilt over Adric’s demise. Matthew Waterhouse returns to voice the ill-fated boy companion, and the story grants him a far more meaningful ending.”

The Ninth Doctor Adventures – The Curse of Lady Macbeth by Lizzie Hopley

‘The Curse of Lady Macbeth’ is drawn from the third of Christopher Eccleston’s boxsets Lost Warriors.

Our review said “Neve McIntosh’s Gruach is a vivid, resilient character and Lizzie Hopley’s story delights in challenges the preconceptions we have courtesy of the “Scottish Play”; it is after all how we, and the Doctor, think we know her. Mixing regal responsibilities with personal tragedy makes for an engaging drama with plenty of heart.”

The Ninth Doctor Adventures – Monsters in Metropolis by John Dorney

Also drawn from Lost Warriors, ‘Monsters in Metropolis’ gave us a first encounter for the Ninth Doctor with the Cybermen.

We said: “Writer John Dorney has penned an unashamed love letter to the influential Fritz Lang film Metropolis, with the conceit that the robotic Maria central character must be replaced by a Cyberman. It’s a great, easy to visualise idea which explores both the plight of the converted man and the political tensions of the time.”

Peladon – The Truth of Peladon by Tim Foley

The Peladon boxset is an anthology set celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the first Peladon tale; across four tales, we travelled through the years on one of the Doctor’s other favourite planets.

Of ‘The Truth of Peladon’, the set’s final tale we said: “The Peladon we return to is barely recognisable, it has become a police state – slowly dying under the regime of the powerful Chancellor Barok. Into this situation comes the Eighth Doctor with an agenda.” 

The Third Doctor Adventures – The Annihilators by Nicholas Briggs

As an impossible multi-Doctor tale, ‘The Annihilators’ blends the cast of two audio ranges. The regular Pertwee-era cast, led by Tim Treloar’s Third Doctor, meets the “new” Second Doctor Michael Troughton (son of Patrick).

Our review said: “The Annihilators is a great tale, with plenty of action, period detail and malodorous monstrosities. Along with the “good griefs” and gagging, it also provides a little ecological food for thought with a nod towards the themes the Third Doctor’s era went on to develop. The story would have doubtless been quite satisfying without the impossible guest stars, but that added dimension makes it something really special.”

The winner is crowned at an online ceremony on Friday 22 July 2022 between 2pm and 3pm (PT). We wish all six writers the best of luck!

If you’ve not enjoyed these stories, they’re all currently on sale at Big Finish (until Sunday 26th June).