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Doctor Who Unbound is a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Free from the constraints of continuity, the Doctor Who Unbound audios present a series of "What if...?" scenarios, and cast new actors in the role of the Doctor.

Background

In Exile, Arabella Weir plays a female incarnation of the Doctor. American alternative weekly Houston Press's Jef Rouner described her portrayal as "one of the most melancholy of all the Doctors." Other actors who played the Doctor included Geoffrey Bayldon, David Collings, Derek Jacobi, and David Warner.

Sympathy for the Devil features UNIT during the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. David Warner played an alternate Third Doctor in the story, which also saw Nicholas Courtney play an alternate version of The Brigadier and Mark Gatiss play an alternate version of The Master. Warner and Courtney reprised their roles for the eighth story in the range, Masters of War. In 2016, Warner and Gatiss reprised their roles as the Doctor and the Master respectively for The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield audio drama series: The Unbound Universe and its sequel Ruler of the Universe in 2017. After being pulled from the Unbound universe into the regular continuity of the Doctor Who universe, both characters have made ongoing appearances in various Big Finish ranges.

In February 2022, after a 14-year hiatus, Big Finish Productions announced the return of Unbound. Two boxsets, compromising of 3 stories in each, feature Colin Baker as an alternate Warrior Doctor known as "The Doctor of War" in a universe where the Fourth Doctor made the ultimate decision on Skaro, destroying the Daleks and showing how events may have unfolded after that fateful decision was made. These boxsets were announced to be released in April and September 2022 respectively.

On 28 September 2022, Big Finish re-released the original first 8 stories in a download boxset titled Doctor Who: Unbound: 1-8 Collected.

From 2017 to 2021, David Bradley reprised the role of First Doctor in Big Finish's The First Doctor Adventures range, having played the character in the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon A Time" and 2022 Centenary special "The Power of the Doctor" as well as 2013 docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time" in which he played original First Doctor actor William Hartnell. The latter which he co-starred with Jemma Powell, Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant who played actors Jaqueline Hill, William Russell and Carole Ann Ford in the docudrama as well as playing the actors's original parts of Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton and Susan Foreman. On 11 February 2022, it was announced that Stephen Noonan would instead takeover the role of the First Doctor with a portrayal closer to the character's original depiction. In April 2022, Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs expressed interest in producing further stories with Bradley. In Issue 167 of Big Finish's magazine Vortex, Briggs teased further stories featuring Bradley's portrayal, saying "We've some very exciting plans afoot for further stories with David Bradley — something quite out of the ordinary and rather delightful." On 17 April, it was announced Bradley would continue to play a new alternate version of the First Doctor alongside Powell, Glover and Grant as alternate versions of their respective characters, but now as part of the Unbound range instead, in a series titled The First Doctor Unbound. Producer David O’Mahony stated that the series would take "stylistic inspiration" from “The Peter Cushing feature films".

Cast and characters

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season.

•   A green cell indicates the actor is a main cast member.
•   A red cell indicates the actor is a recurring cast member.
•   A light blue cell indicates the actor is a guest or special guest cast member.

Episodes

Original series (2003–2008)

Doctor of War (2022)

The First Doctor Unbound

The First Doctor Unbound 1 (Title TBA)

The first box set is set for release in September 2025 and is written by LR Hay.

Reception

Den of Geek's Andrew Blair selected Doctor Who Unbound as one of the ten Doctor Who stories that would make great musicals. The Mary Sue's Alan Kistler said "fans enjoyed imagining these alternate Doctors" of David Warner and Arabella Weir. American alternative weekly newspaper Houston Press's Jef Rouner said the series "fielded a fantastic set of stories."

Fandom

In 2016, BBC America's Anglophenia featured a fan-made version of the Doctor Who theme music for Unbound's alternate Second Doctor.

References

1. Crossan, Jamie (13 February 2013). "Doctor Who fans launch campaign for Sue Perkins to be next Time Lord". NME. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
2. Fulton, Rick (2 June 2014). "It's Time Lords and Ladies as we explore the women who could easily regenerate into Doctor Who". Daily Record (Scotland). Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
3. ^ Kistler, Alan (27 December 2013). "Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. – The Alternate Versions of Doctor Who". The Mary Sue. Abrams Media. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
4. Peck, Matthew Wace (3 August 2013). "Op-Ed: Is the new Doctor Who a woman?". Digital Journal. digitaljournal.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
5. ^ Rouner, Jef (20 September 2013). "Doctor Who: The 10 Best Alternative Universe Doctors". Houston Press. Voice Media Group. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
6. Westthorp, Alex (5 June 2014). "Doctor Who: the film careers of Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
7. Singh, Harminder (1 July 2016). "Everything you need to know about Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty". South China Morning Post. Alibaba Group. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
8. ^ "Doctor of War Rewrites History". Big Finish Productions. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
9. "Doctor Who: Unbound: 1-8 Collected - Doctor Who - Unbound - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
10. "Doctor Who - The First Doctor Adventures - Ranges - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
11. "Stephen Noonan is the First Doctor! - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
12. ^ "Revamped Doctor Who audio ranges from Big Finish - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
13. "Issue 167 - Vortex - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
14. "The First Doctor enters a new Unbound era - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
15. "1. Doctor Who - Unbound: Auld Mortality". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
16. "2. Doctor Who - Unbound: Sympathy for the Devil". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
17. "3. Doctor Who - Unbound: Full Fathom Five". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
18. "4. Doctor Who - Unbound: He Jests at Scars..." Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
19. "5. Doctor Who - Unbound: Deadline". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
20. "6. Doctor Who - Unbound: Exile". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
21. "7. Doctor Who - Unbound: A Storm of Angels". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
22. "8. Doctor Who - Unbound: Masters of War". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
23. ^ "The Doctor of War's Date with Destiny". Big Finish Productions. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
24. "11. Doctor Who: The First Doctor Unbound 1 (Title TBA) - Doctor Who - Unbound - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
25. Blair, Andrew (28 August 2013). "Doctor Who: 10 stories that would make great musicals". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
26. McAlpine, Fraser (September 2016). "Doctor Who's Day Roundup: Remaking the Music". Anglophenia. BBC America. Retrieved 13 April 2017.

• Audio plays based on Doctor Who
• Big Finish Productions
• Doctor Who spin-offs