War Master: Killing Time

Sir Derek Jacobi is Killing Time as the War Master for Big Finish

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The War Master will be back in a new audio drama boxset for Big Finish, due to be released August 2021. This time he turns his attentions on two of the Doctor’s former companions! Sir Derek Jacobi stars once more as the renegade Time Lord in his Time War incarnation, alongside Katy Manning, as Jo Jones (née Grant), and Sarah Sutton, as Nyssa of Traken, in four terrifying new adventures.

For centuries, the Stagnant Protocol has been forgotten by the universe: an empire populated by a race that can never advance… a race the Master seeks to seize control of. 

Unfortunately for him, he has a rival – Calantha – and she understands how to manipulate the system better than he could ever hope. His only chance of defeating her lies in the hands of some old acquaintances, whether they realise it or not. 

One thing, however, is certain. Whichever of them may win, the Stagnant Protocol is destined to lose… 

The four adventures in volume six, The War Master: Killing Time are: 

The Sincerest Form of Flattery by James Goss 

A Quiet Night In by Lou Morgan 

The Orphan by Lou Morgan 

Unfinished Business by James Goss 

Sir Derek Jacobi said: “I love being the Master. Doctor Who was part of my youth – I think I was around for the very first one – so it’s wonderful to be able to go back and actually become a character and play with these old companions. That’s one of the joys of being an actor – I can carry on pretending.” 

Scott Handcock added: “The War Master: Killing Time is a fantastic set of adventures written by James Goss and Lou Morgan that form a loosely connected arc. James opens and closes the set with a story featuring the Master attempting to take over an empire in order to exploit the fallout from the Time War, while the middle two episodes by Lou are more intimate character pieces, pitting the War Master against classic companions Jo Jones and Nyssa, long after they left the Doctor. 

“Jo and Nyssa both have a strong history with the Master, so it’s a real thrill to pit them against such a dangerous incarnation, and Derek really enjoyed learning more about the Master’s past.”

The War Master:Killing Time is now available for pre-order as a collector’s edition four-disc box set (on CD at £24.99) and as a digital download (at £19.99) from the Big Finish website. 

Big Finish listeners can save money by ordering a bundle of both The War Master series 5-6 for £48 as collector’s edition CD box sets or £39 as digital downloads.