The writer of the Doctor Who TV movie contributes a script to the upcoming audio box set Deadly Strangers.
Matthew Jacobs’ connection to Doctor Who goes back to his childhood. His father Anthony Jacobs appeared opposite William Hartnell in ‘The Gunfighters’ and he has memories of a set visit.
Fast-forwarding to 1996, with script credits on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Jacobs penned the script for Doctor Who – The Movie.
The made-for-tv film, a UK/US co-production, gave us a face-off with the Master at the millennium. It showed us the last moments of the Seventh Doctor and introduced us to Eighth, played by Paul McGann. Unfortunately, despite good viewing figures in the UK, the show did not lead to a series.
Jacobs moved away from Doctor Who circles for many years, but returned with his recent documentary Doctor Who Am I. In the film, he reflected on the TV movie and its mixed reception.
Now, he is writing for the Doctor again, this time for Big Finish Productions. Jacobs has contributed a story to December’s release in The Eighth Doctor Adventures range.
‘Puccini and the Doctor’
Big Finish tell us: “In Jacobs’ story, the TARDIS arrives in Milan at the turn of the twentieth century, where the time travellers encounter legendary opera composer, Giacomo Puccini. But the Doctor’s not the only alien around with an interest in the music of love.”
The story will feature the regular cast of Paul McGann, India Fisher and Jaye Griffiths. Joining them, Tim McInnerny (Blackadder, Game of Thrones) plays Puccini.
Here are the details for the Deadly Strangers box set:
The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda.
An alien princess takes an interest in Puccini, a visitor to Iceland causes chaos, and a lethal interloper slips into the dreams of a sleeping population. Some strangers have deadly intent…
Alongside Jacobs’ story are ‘Women’s Day Off’ by Lisa McMullin and ‘The Gloaming’ by Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle.
Matthew Jacobs said:
“This is the first time I’ve written a Doctor Who adventure since 1996. The Doctor is such an integral part of my life, so it’s been fascinating over the years to see it grow and grow. Paul has kept the Doctor alive at Big Finish in a marvellous way and he has become so much more sophisticated as a character than when we were starting.
“I was over the moon when script editor Matt Fitton asked me to put together a story. We discussed that this version of Paul’s Doctor is a bit closer to the TV movie Doctor – inquisitive, not as embittered as he gets through the Time War.
“The idea that stuck out was one where I got to deal with some unfinished business from the TV movie. In the movie, the Doctor says how sad it was that Puccini never got to finish Turandot, and it was the bane of his life towards the end. I wanted to tell a story to do with the nature of how we use music and how we search for love.”
Doctor Who – The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Deadly Strangers is available to pre order now at Big Finish. It’s released in December 2024 on Collector’s Edition CD (+ download) or digital download only.