The next volume of Big Finish’s The Third Doctor Adventures will pit the Doctor and Jo Jones against the men from Mondas in ‘The Quintessence’.
Famously, Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor didn’t encounter the Cybermen during his original television run. While that fact has been remedied a few times, in ‘The Five Doctors’ and on audio, it’s always a treat.
The latest release announced for The Third Doctor Adventures goes one step further, providing an encounter with the original Cybermen.
The men from Mondas, with their distinctive singsong voices, debuted in William Hartnell’s final tale ‘The Tenth Planet’. More than 50 years later, that same “Mondasian” design was memorably revived for Peter Capaldi’s last two-parter.
Now, they’re back for a new six-part Pertwee-era audio drama too.
‘The Quintessence’ promises “… a showdown between the dapper Doctor and the devious cyborgs from Earth’s twin planet Mondas.” The story also continues the adventures with of older Jo which began in The Return of Jo Jones.
Here’s the synopsis for Doctor Who: The Quintessence:
The Doctor and Jo Jones arrive at ‘Always’, a Victorian manor house perched impossibly on the distant storm-world of Nethara Reach.
Greeted by the peculiar Pepperdines, a couple frantic with worry about their ailing daughter, they discover terrible secrets hiding within the panelled walls and gruesome oil paintings.
Secrets that will bring the Doctor face to face with one of his most ancient and implacable enemies, and put his relationship with Jo to the ultimate test.
‘The Quintessence’ comes from writers Stuart Pringle and Lauren Mooney. It stars Tim Treloar as the Doctor and Katy Manning as Jo Jones. Joining them are Chris Larkin (Outlander) Emily Joyce (My Hero), Emily Joyce (Emmerdale). Plus, Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen.
Producer Heather Challands says:
“This production has me very excited. Not only do we have the return of Katy Manning as the amazing Jo Jones alongside Tim as the Doctor, but we also have the Mondasian Cybermen.
“Stewart and Lauren have written a terrifying, gothic script that goes from a Victorian House on an alien wasteland to the depths of Mondas. The Doctor and Jo come across the Pepperdine family, who are hiding quite a few secrets, but even they don’t know the true extent of the danger they are in.”
Released in October 2024, Doctor Who – The Third Doctor Adventures: The Quintessence is available to pre-order now from Big Finish. It’s available as a collector’s edition CD box set (+ download) or on digital download.