Doctor Who Unbound#ep4
{{Short description|Doctor Who audio drama series}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox audio drama
|title = Doctor Who Unbound
|cover =
|publisher = Big Finish Productions
|series = Doctor Who
|featuring = {{Plainlist|
- Alternate incarnations of The Doctor
}}
|writer =
|director =
|music =
|executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
}}
|date =
{{Plainlist|
- {{Start date|2003|5|df=y}} - present
}}
}}
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.{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Jamie|last1=Crossan|url=https://www.nme.com/news/film/doctor-who-fans-launch-campaign-for-sue-perkins-to-870976|title=Doctor Who fans launch campaign for Sue Perkins to be next Time Lord|work=NME|date=February 13, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2017}}{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Rick|last1=Fulton|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/its-time-lords-ladies-explore-3636248|title=It's Time Lords and Ladies as we explore the women who could easily regenerate into Doctor Who|work=Daily Record (Scotland)|publisher=Trinity Mirror|date=June 2, 2014|access-date=April 13, 2017}}{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Alan|last1=Kistler|url=https://www.themarysue.com/agent-of-style-alternate-doctor-who/|title=Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. – The Alternate Versions of Doctor Who|work=The Mary Sue|publisher=Abrams Media|date=December 27, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2017}}{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Matthew Wace|last1=Peck|url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355731|title=Op-Ed: Is the new Doctor Who a woman?|work=Digital Journal|publisher=digitaljournal.com|date=August 3, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2017}}{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Jef|last1=Rouner|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/doctor-who-the-10-best-alternative-universe-doctors-6378173|title=Doctor Who: The 10 Best Alternative Universe Doctors|work=Houston Press|publisher=Voice Media Group|date=September 20, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2017}}{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Alex|last1=Westthorp|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/30808/doctor-who-the-film-careers-of-matt-smith-and-peter-capaldi|title=Doctor Who: the film careers of Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi|work=Den of Geek|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=June 5, 2014|access-date=April 13, 2017}} 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.{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Harminder|last1=Singh|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1983718/everything-you-need-know-about-hong-kongs-return|title=Everything you need to know about Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty|work=South China Morning Post|publisher=Alibaba Group|date=July 1, 2016|access-date=April 13, 2017}} 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.{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Doctor Who: Unbound: 1-8 Collected - Doctor Who - Unbound - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-1-8-collected-2757 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}}
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.{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Doctor Who - The First Doctor Adventures - Ranges - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/v/doctor-who---the-first-doctor-adventures |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}} 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.{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Stephen Noonan is the First Doctor! - News - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/stephen-noonan-is-the-first-doctor |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}}{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Revamped Doctor Who audio ranges from Big Finish - News - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/revamped-doctor-who-audio-ranges-from-big-finish |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}} 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."{{#invoke:cite|web|title=Issue 167 - Vortex - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/vortex/v/167 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}} 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".{{#invoke:cite|web|title=The First Doctor enters a new Unbound era - News - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-first-doctor-enters-a-new-unbound-era |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}}
Cast and characters
{{cast indicator|appeared=at least one season|color=g b p}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" width="100%" |
"
! rowspan="3" | Actor ! rowspan="3" | Character ! rowspan="1" colspan="11" | Appearances |
colspan="8" | Original series
! colspan="2" | Doctor of War ! colspan="1" | The First Doctor Unbound |
---|
1
! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! {{abbr|Gen.|Genesis}} ! {{abbr|Des.|Destiny}} ! 1 |
{{sortname|Geoffrey|Bayldon}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Alternate Versions of the|First Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} | colspan="5" {{cNone}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} | colspan="4" {{cNone}} |
David Bradley
| colspan="10" {{cNone}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} |
{{sortname|David|Warner|David Warner (actor)}}
| {{sortname|Alternate|Third Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}} | {{cNone}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} | colspan="5" {{cNone}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} | colspan="3" {{cNone}} |
{{sortname|David|Collings}}
| {{sortname|Alternate|Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}} | colspan="2" {{cNone}} | {{cMain|{{chk}}}} | colspan="8" {{cNone}} |
{{sortname|Ian|Brooker|Ian Brooker (actor)}}
| {{sortname|Alternate|Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}} | colspan="2" {{cNone}} | {{cGuest|{{chk}}}} | colspan="8" {{cNone}} |
{{sortname|Michael|Jayston}}
| {{sortname|The|Valeyard |
| colspan="3" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="7" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Derek|Jacobi}}
| Martin Bannister
| colspan="4" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="6" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Arabella|Weir}}
| {{sortname|Alternate|Third Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Colin|Baker}}
| {{sortname|The|Doctor of War|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| colspan="2" {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Tom|Baker}}
| {{sortname|The|Fourth Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="2" {{cNone}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Nicholas|Briggs}}
| {{sortname|The|Doctor|The Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
| {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|The|Daleks|Dalek}}
| colspan="7" {{cNone}}
| colspan="3" {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{TBA}}
|-
| {{sortname|Carole Ann|Ford}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Susan|Foreman}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="4" {{cNone}}
|-
| Claudia Grant
| colspan="10" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
|-
| {{sortname|Nicholas|Courtney}}
| {{sortname|The|Brigadier|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart}}
| {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="5" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="3" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Mark|Gatiss}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|The|Master|The Master (Doctor Who)}}
| {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="9" {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Geoffrey|Beevers}}
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| colspan="2" {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Nicola|Bryant}}
| {{sortname|Peri|Brown}}
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
| colspan="2" {{cNone}}
|-
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| colspan="2" {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Sadie|Miller}}
| {{sortname|Sarah Jane|Smith}}
| colspan="8" {{cNone}}
| colspan="2" {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Terry|Molloy}}
| {{sortname||Davros}}
| colspan="7" {{cNone}}
| {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
| {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| {{sortname|Louise|Jameson}}
| Leela
| colspan="9" {{cNone}}
| {{cGuest|{{chk}}}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| colspan="10" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
|-
| colspan="10" {{cNone}}
| {{cMain|{{chk}}}}
|}
Episodes
=Original series (2003–2008)=
{{Episode table |background=#309CE4 |overall=5 |title=25 |director=15 |writer=15 |aux2=25 |airdate=15 |aux2T=Featuring |airdateT=Released |dontclose = y}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Auld Mortality
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-auld-mortality-362 |title=1. Doctor Who - Unbound: Auld Mortality |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Nicholas Briggs
| WrittenBy = Marc Platt
| Aux2 = Alternative First Doctor (Geoffrey Bayldon), Susan Foreman
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|5}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Doctor and Susan had never left Gallifrey?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = Sympathy for the Devil
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-sympathy-for-the-devil-363 |title=2. Doctor Who - Unbound: Sympathy for the Devil |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Gary Russell
| WrittenBy = Jonathan Clements
| Aux2 = Alternative Third Doctor (David Warner), The Brigadier, The Master
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|6}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Doctor had not been UNIT's scientific advisor?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = Full Fathom Five
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-full-fathom-five-364 |title=3. Doctor Who - Unbound: Full Fathom Five |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Jason Haigh-Ellery
| WrittenBy = David Bishop
| Aux2 = Alternative Doctor (David Collings), Ruth, Alternative New Doctor (Ian Brooker, uncredited)
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|7}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Doctor believed that the ends justified the means?"{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = He Jests at Scars...
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-he-jests-at-scars-365 |title=4. Doctor Who - Unbound: He Jests at Scars... |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Gary Russell
| WrittenBy = Gary Russell
| Aux2 = The Valeyard, Mel
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|8}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Valeyard had won" at the end of The Trial of a Time Lord?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = Deadline
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-deadline-366 |title=5. Doctor Who - Unbound: Deadline |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Nicholas Briggs
| WrittenBy = Robert Shearman
| Aux2 = Martin Bannister (Derek Jacobi), Philip, Barbara, Amy/Susan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|9}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... Doctor Who did not materialise as a television series?" {{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Exile
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-exile-367 |title=6. Doctor Who - Unbound: Exile |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Nicholas Briggs
| WrittenBy = Nicholas Briggs
| Aux2 = The Previous Doctor (Nicholas Briggs), Alternative Third Doctor (Arabella Weir)
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|9}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Doctor had escaped the justice of the Time Lords" at the end of The War Games?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = A Storm of Angels
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-a-storm-of-angels-368 |title=7. Doctor Who - Unbound: A Storm of Angels |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = John Ainsworth
| WrittenBy = Marc Platt
| Aux2 = Alternative First Doctor (Geoffrey Bayldon), Susan Foreman
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2005|1}}
| ShortSummary = "What if... the Doctor really had changed history, even just the tiniest bit?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = Masters of War
| RTitle = {{#invoke:cite|web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-unbound-masters-of-war-369 |title=8. Doctor Who - Unbound: Masters of War |publisher=Big Finish Productions |accessdate=8 March 2022}}
| DirectedBy = Jason Haigh-Ellery
| WrittenBy = Eddie Robson
| Aux2 = Alternative Third Doctor (David Warner), The Brigadier, Davros, Daleks, Thals
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2008|12}}
| ShortSummary = "What if.... the Doctor and the Brigadier travelled in the TARDIS together?"
| LineColor = 309CE4
}}
{{End|html=y|Episode table}}
=''Doctor of War'' (2022)=
{{Episode table |background=#309CE4 |overall=5 |title=25 |director=15 |writer=15 |aux2=25 |airdate=15 |aux2T=Featuring |airdateT=Released |dontclose = y}}
{{Episode table/part |c=#309CE4 |subtitle=Genesis}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
|EpisodeNumber_1 = 1
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 2
|EpisodeNumber_3 = 3
|Title_1 = Dust Devil
|Title_2 = Aftershocks
|Title_3 = The Difference Office
|DirectedBy = Barnaby Kay
|WrittenBy_1 = John Dorney
|WrittenBy_2 = Lou Morgan
|WrittenBy_3 = James Kettle
|Aux2_1 = The Doctor of War (Colin Baker), Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Peri Brown, Narvin
|Aux2_2 = The Doctor of War, The Master, Narvin
|Aux2_3 = The Doctor of War, Romana, Daleks, Kraals
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|4}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 309CE4
|NumParts = 3
}}
{{Episode table/part |c=#309CE4 |subtitle=Destiny}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
|EpisodeNumber_1 = 1
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 2
|EpisodeNumber_3 = 3
|Title_1 = Who Am I?
|Title_2 = Time Killers
|Title_3 = The Key to Key to Time
|DirectedBy = Barnaby Kay
|WrittenBy_1 = Nigel Fairs
|WrittenBy_2 = Lizzie Hopley
|WrittenBy_3 = Tim Foley
|Aux2_1 = The Doctor of War, The Master
|Aux2_2 = The Doctor of War, The Master
|Aux2_3 = The Doctor of War, The White Guardian
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|9}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor_1 = 309CE4
|LineColor_2 = 309CE4
|LineColor_3 = 309CE4
|NumParts = 3
}}
{{End|html=y|Episode table}}
= ''The First Doctor Unbound'' =
{{Episode table |background=#309CE4 |overall=5 |title=25 |director=15 |writer=15 |aux2=25 |airdate=15 |aux2T=Featuring |airdateT=Released |dontclose = y}}
{{#invoke:Episode list|sublist|Doctor Who Unbound
|EpisodeNumber_1 = 1
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 2
|EpisodeNumber_3 = 3
|Title_1 =
|Title_2 =
|Title_3 =
|RTitle_1 =
|RTitle_2 =
|RTitle_3 =
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy = LR Hay
|Aux2_1 =
|Aux2_2 =
|Aux2_3 =
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|9}}{{#invoke:cite|web|title=11. Doctor Who: The First Doctor Unbound 1 (Title TBA) - Doctor Who - Unbound - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-first-doctor-unbound-1-title-tba-3088 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.bigfinish.com}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 309CE4
|NumParts = 1
|TopColor = DDFFDD
}}
{{End|html=y|Episode table}}
Reception
Den of Geek{{'}}s Andrew Blair selected Doctor Who Unbound as one of the ten Doctor Who stories that would make great musicals.{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Andrew|last1=Blair|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/26832/doctor-who-10-stories-that-would-make-great-musicals|title=Doctor Who: 10 stories that would make great musicals|work=Den of Geek|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=August 28, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2017}} 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.{{#invoke:cite|web|first1=Fraser|last1=McAlpine|url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2016/09/doctor-whos-day-roundup-remaking-the-music|title=Doctor Who's Day Roundup: Remaking the Music|work=Anglophenia|publisher=BBC America|date=September 2016|access-date=April 13, 2017}}