DW Once and Future 4 crop

Doctor Who – Once and Future 4 released

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Once and Future 4 – ‘Two’s Company’ sees the Sixth Doctor meet a curious mix of old friends. 

Updated 16/08/23: Doctor Who‘s diamond celebration continues.

To celebrate the release of the fourth instalment of Once and Future, Big Finish’s 60th Doctor Who anniversary audio series, there’s another video trailer.

This one embraces the cocktail of characters in brought together for ‘Two’s Company’ by Lisa McMullin. The Sixth Doctor is reunited with an older Harry Sullivan, as well as encountering Rose’s mother Jackie Tyler and Lady Christina de Souza. Each get a line in the diamond themed trailer.

Producer David Richardson said: “This episode is a glorious collision of much-loved characters. It’s chalk meets cheese in the Once and Future universe, and there’s so much fun to be had…”

Colin Baker agreed: “I marvel at the fact that Big Finish can continue to produce such a high standard of script. Lisa McMullin has done a lovely job.”

Michelle Ryan added: “I love that I got to work with Colin. He’s great. He’s got that wisdom in his voice. I love the new dynamic (working with his Doctor), it’s a totally different dimension that I didn’t anticipate.”

And Camille Coduri said: “How brilliant – you’ve got your working-class girl (Jackie Tyler) and your aristo (Lady Christina). Jackie’s relationship with the Doctor is love/hate, but they’re more like sisters.”

Doctor Who: Once and Future – Two’s Company is out now. It’s available on standard Collector’s Edition CD + download, or digital download only from Big Finish.

Updated 26/06/23: Big Finish have released a trailer for July’s Once and Future story.

As we count down to the fourth instalment of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary audio series, the producers have dropped a two-minute trailer for ‘Two’s Company’ via social media.

 

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After episodes which have taken the degenerating Doctor on some tangents, he’s focussed on seeking a cure for his condition. In the trailer, we hear him (as the Sixth Doctor) catching up with former companion and UNIT medic Harry Sullivan.

Also, there’s a first encounter between Jackie Tyler (Rose’s Mum) and Lady Christina in classic Jackie style! Plus, with a sinister sounding line at the end, we presume we’ve just met “The Renegade”…

Once and Future 4 Two's Company Special Edition cover art

While you wait for ‘Two’s Company’ to land, check out the CultBox reviews of the series’ previous instalments: ‘Past Lives‘, ‘The Artist at the End of Time‘ and ‘A Genius for War‘.

Doctor Who: Once and Future – Two’s Company is out in August 2023. It’s available to pre-order on standard Collector’s Edition CD + download, or digital download only from Big Finish.

Original article (of 03/07/23) follows…

DW Once and Future 4 crop

Doctor Who – Once and Future 4 cast & cover revealed

Once and Future 4 – ‘Two’s Company’ sees the Sixth Doctor meet a curious mix of old friends. 

Once and Future, the epic Doctor Who 60th Anniversary audio series kicked off in May. The story sees the Doctor injured during the Time War and stuck in a state of degeneration – while we’ve only heard the first two stories so far, starring the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, the third installment is imminent.

Now, the cover and cast details have been revealed for the fourth episode, ‘Two’s Company’, which lands in August.

Doctor Who Once and Future logo

Doctor Who – Once and Future: Two’s Company, from writer Lisa McMullan, will see the Doctor re-visit his sixth incarnation.

Joining Colin Baker’s Doctor are Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler and Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina de Sozua. Also in the mix is Harry Sullivan (Christopher Naylor), with Michael Maloney playing a mysterious character simply called “The Renegade”.

Here’s the synopsis…

The Time War. The Doctor has been injured and brought to a Time Lord field hospital. His body glows with energy, but this is no regeneration into a future form – instead, the Doctor’s past faces begin to appear as he flits haphazardly between incarnations…

Staggering to his TARDIS, the Doctor sets out to solve the mystery of his ‘degeneration’. Who has done this to him? How? And why? From the Earth to the stars, across an array of familiar times and places, he follows clues to retrace his steps, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Tumbling through his lives, the Doctor must stop his degeneration before he loses himself completely…

DW Once and Future 4

Back on Earth, the Doctor finds a clue in the search for the origins of the degeneration weapon. In his Sixth body, he meets Jackie Tyler and Lady Christina de Souza – thrown together by fate, or something more? – in pursuit of a powerful item of jewellery.

Meanwhile, a Time Lord renegade has duped Harry Sullivan into helping him stop the Doctor’s travels before they begin – and all are set on a collision course.

Script editor Matt Fitton has spoken about the heady mix of characters for this fourth chapter of Once and Future:

“With these 60th anniversary stories, it was great to work out what the shopping list of characters would be, who we’d throw into the mix, how they’d bounce off each other and who would work well together.

Headshots of Colin Baker, Camile Coduri, Michelle Ryan & Michael Maloney - the cast of Doctor Who - Once and Future 4: Two's Company
Colin Baker, Camile Coduri, Michelle Ryan & Michael Maloney

“We felt it would be really fun to put Lady Christina and Jackie together. They’re at two different ends of the social spectrum and so having them run into each other would make for an interesting mix. We’re also doing our best to represent lots of different eras of Doctor Who. And with this particular setting, we’ve got an older Harry Sullivan turning up as well.

“We’re bringing together people we’ve worked with quite a lot over the years. We know they’re fun and enjoy recording, so it’s a great group of people – both characters and actors.”

While you wait for ‘Two’s Company’ to land, check out the CultBox reviews of the previous Once and Future series ‘Past Lives‘ and ‘The Artist at the End of Time‘.

Doctor Who – Once and Future: Two’s Company is available to pre-order as a single-disc collector’s edition CD (+ download), or on digital download only, exclusively from Big Finish.

We’ll keep this page updated as further details emerge.