Doctor Who: Hooklight - the Fifth Doctor audio epic begins

Told across two box sets, Hooklight stars the Season 19 TARDIS crew.

Updated 03/04/25: Hooklight 1 is out, dropping with a video trailer

The 12-part audio adventure Hooklight begins today with volume 1. The story, featuring the Fifth Doctor and his original TARDIS crew promises planet-destroying peril, monsters and immense cliffhangers.

To coincide with the release, there’s also a special animated trailer voiced by Peter Davison…

Joining Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding, the fantastical story features guest performances from Celia Imrie and Kieran Bew.

The wider cast also includes Alan Cox, David Holt, Issy Van Randwyck, Theo Solomon, David Shaw-Parker, Ruby Crepin-Glyne, and Harriet Kershaw.

Writer Tim Foley said:

“David Richardson came to me and said, ‘Let’s do a big twelve-part epic,’ and gave me free reign to come up with my own world – a big, vast universe in which we could put the Doctor and his companions and send them off on their journeys.

“I got thinking about what kind of epics one would have seen in the 1980s; at the moment there’s a resurgence of the likes of Foundation and Dune, and the epic I was most drawn to was the BBC audio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. So, I was digesting these stories but then trying to take it one step further and put things on a bigger scale.”

Actor Sarah Sutton added:

“It’s unusual to have something this long; twelve episodes in two separate chunks. It’s a true epic. It’s a bit like Lord of the Rings in space – there’s a quest and we all get split up and we’re all doing different things.”

And, her co-star Matthew Waterhouse said:

“This is a really enjoyable one to play – the scenes are fun, it’s exciting, there’s some nice humour. The Hooklight is really quite mysterious and strange. I like that combination of the science fiction story with the fantasy, gothic atmosphere, and the frightening bits. Elements of this are actually quite scary.”

**The second part of Hooklight follows in May, with artist Rafe Wallbank’s cover already revealed…**

You can purchase Hooklight 1 from the Big Finish website now, and Hooklight 2 is available to pre order.

Both are available on Collector’s Edition CD (+ download), or on download to own formats.

**Updated 12/02/25: Hooklight first trailer!**

Ahead of its April launch, Big Finish have revealed our first glimpse of Hooklight, in an auditory sense that is.

Launching in April 2025, writer Tim Foley’s twelve-part tale promises a great quest for the Fifth Doctor and his ship-shape Season 19 team…

Hooklight 1 is out in April, while the concluding volume follows in May. For more on the tale, check out the story and cast details below.

Doctor Who – The Fifth Doctor Adventures: Hooklight Parts One and Two are up for pre-order at Big Finish now. They’re available on Collector’s Edition CD (+download), or digital download only.

Original article (of 03/10/24) continues…

Doctor Who: Hooklight – Big Finish announce an epic Fifth Doctor tale

Doctor Who audio producers Big Finish have announced a 12-part drama for Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor.

Released in April and May 2025, Hooklight sees the Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan embarking on a great quest. We’re told that the vast, multi-layered story spans different planets and times, introducing a galaxy of new characters and monsters.

The tale comes from writer Tim Foley, who excels spinning these longer stories across a whole box set. We loved River Song’s Friend of the Family, and his recent Morbius tales for the Dark Gallifrey and The War Doctor Rises ranges.

Here’s the synopsis for Doctor Who: Hooklight

There is a light that must never be lit…

When the TARDIS runs aground in the ancient realm of Morning, the Doctor learns that a powerful force has reemerged. A lamp filled with a mythical substance known as Hooklight has been discovered – and this could mean the end of everything.

A great quest begins against the forces of chaos, encompassing many new friends and foes. Without their ship and without each other, the time travellers will be tested on their journey to the Dark Forge. And not everyone will survive…

Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Peter Davison (c) Big Finish

Joining the regulars, Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding, the cast includes Celia Imrie (The Diplomat) as the chronicler Doctor Kessica Myles, and Kieran Bew (House of the Dragon) playing buccaneer pilot Davlin Crux.

Producer David Richardson says:

“Writer Tim Foley has excelled even himself with this one – a sprawling, lyrical six-hour tale packed with new characters, new monsters and a whole load of surprises.

“The Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric have new worlds to explore on separate journeys, as reality itself is threatened by the mysterious Hooklight. Expect something exceptionally exciting and beautiful.”