15 years on from Paul McGann’s inaugural Doctor Who audio adventure – and 20 years since his debut as the Doctor – we count down our favourite Eighth Doctor adventures, all of which we highly recommend downloading from Big Finish…

 

6. ‘Lucie Miller’ / ‘To the Death’ (2011)

Be warned: the pulse pounding finale to the Eighth Doctor/Lucie Miller Adventures is bleak. Very, very bleak.

Nicholas Briggs’ apocalyptic Dalek scripts put all involved, including the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan and the Meddling Monk, through the wringer and back again, leaving those that make it through scathed and in a very dark place.

Sheridan Smith is utterly perfect in this powerful story, which tests the character to her absolute limit. There’s not much else to say that doesn’t count as a spoiler, so just take our word and download these two amazing episodes and see for yourself.

 

5. ‘Max Warp’ (2008)

A fun spoof of Top Gear from the mind of Jonathan Morris, which plays out a fun, witty murder mystery against the backdrop of an outer space car show.

Certainly one of the lighter, funnier McGann episodes, the story collects together a great guest cast, including Graeme Garden doing his best Clarkson impression, and allows its two lead stars a chance to show off their comedic chops.

 

4. ‘Blood of the Daleks’ (2007)

Kicking off the first season of The New Eighth Doctor Adventures and introducing Sheridan Smith as the feisty Lucie Miller, ‘Blood of the Daleks’ by Steve Lyons wastes no time in plunging our two heroes into extreme jeopardy, and finds an interesting tale to tell with the Daleks. A space colony on a distant planet has been hit by a huge natural disaster, and at the edge of breaking point, their self-proclaimed saviours have finally arrived – the Daleks!

What follows is a tightly plotted and horrifying adventure that tests the Doctor and his new companion’s unsteady relationship to the limit, with Lucie unaware of just how evil the Daleks really are.

Ultimately, it’s a great two-part story, boasting an imaginative, grim sci-fi plot with superb sound design and a great guest performance from Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter).

 

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