Posted in: BBC, Comics, Games, TV | Tagged: Circuit Breaker, doctor who

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker Connects the Dots in Fun, Fascinating Ways

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker is off to a fun and fascinating start, and we have a look at how the crossover connects to a number of Doctors.

Currently underway, BBC Studios' multi-platform adventure "Circuit Breaker" sees the Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin) taking on the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, a rogue Weeping Angel – and a big bad that's hiding in the shadows – to save the very fabric of reality from being torn apart. Helping to save the day on the UNIT side is none other than the newly appointed Head of the Black Archive, Petronella Osgood (Ingrid Oliver), and her assistant, Andrew (Omari Douglas). But the Fugitive Doctor wasn't on Osgood's radar, and she's definitely unlike any Doctor she's met before. If you're looking for something to distract you from the blues that come from knowing that there won't be any new Doctor Who anytime soon, you couldn't ask for more than this.

Not to take away from the previous crossovers, because we've actually enjoyed them all, "Circuit Breaker" feels more real when it comes to The Whoniverse. Bringing UNIT into the mix early on and using its "website" to start dropping clues and teases was a brilliant move (very similar to what Showrunner Eric Kripke had going with The Boys). We're also liking how this feels more integrated into the show's history, not just a story set in the show's universe. Plus, it's just great getting to see more of Martin's Fugitive Doctor in action; that's always a good thing.

That brings us to the latest release, "Circuit Breaker: An Introduction" (which you can check out above), which includes key moments from a number of classic episodes that tie directly into the crossover – such as "Fugitive of the Judoon," "Dalek," The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky," "Time Heist," "Genesis of the Daleks," "War of the Sontarans," "Blink," "The Shakespeare Code," "The Girl in the Fireplace," and "The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon." It's a fun way for "Circuit Breaker" to connect the dots when it comes to what it all means.

"Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker" Intel – What You Need to Know

In the depths of UNIT's most secure facility, the Black Archive, familiar objects have been pulled through time and space, surrounded by a dangerous energy signature threatening to tear reality apart. With time running out, newly appointed Head of the Black Archive, Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) and her assistant Andrew (Omari Douglas) turn to the only person who can help… the Doctor (Jo Martin).

This is no ordinary crisis, and not the Time Lord they are familiar with. As the Doctor confronts her most infamous enemies, such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, and a rogue Weeping Angel, she is forced to complete a mission with an insidious presence lurking in the shadows.

Secrets begin to surface, and trust between UNIT and the Doctor begins to erode as those who idolise her start to question if she really is the Time Lord they thought they knew…

June 25th: Calling the Doctor – UNIT website written by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

July 8th: Adversary of the Daleks – Titan Comics, written by Dulce M. Montoya and Dan Watters, with stunning art from Roberta Ingranata and Sami Kivelä

July 23rd: The Honourable Society – Doctor Who Magazine issue 632, written by Jason Quinn and illustrated by Anthony Williams

July 30th: The Deadliest Weapon – BBC Audiobooks Audio Original written by Steve Lyons, narrated by Jo Martin with David Banks as the Cyber-Leader

August 4th: Dawn of the Daleks –Titan Comics, written by Dulce M. Montoya and Dan Watters, with stunning art from Roberta Ingranata and Sami Kivelä

August 6th: Castling – East Side Games written by Mario Mentasti

August 17th: Don't Blink! – UNIT website written by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

August 20th: The Doctor and the Three Witches – Puffin book written by Janelle McCurdy

August 27th: Moment Mori – East Side Games written by Mario Mentasti

August 31st: The Black Archive Files – Circuit Breaker DVD release

September 3rd: The Kaleidoscope – Penguin Random House book written by Jo Martin ​

September 22nd: Full Circuit – Big Finish audio story written by Robert Valentine

September 24th: Short Circuits – Big Finish audio story written by Robert Valentine

Before the epic adventure kicks off on June 25th, Martin shared with Radio Times some of the things that are most exciting her about the multimedia crossover. "There are so many layers to her, and we're just finding these layers, which has been a real gift and a real joy. She's not one-dimensional, which is what she kind of veers on in her TV appearances, really – you don't see all the other things that make her tick, "Martin shared. "I think that in all my TV appearances, she's very decisive, she knows what [she's doing], it's a very hard line, and no nonsense. And I think with Big Finish and with 'Circuit Breaker,' we've got room to breathe and room for more nuance and room for making her a far more multi-dimensional character."

"There's so much more to her than just that, and the fact that she does have a vulnerable side, and she does question herself, and she does have regrets sometimes, and thinks, 'Was that the best way to deal with that?' I think that's really nice for 'Doctor Who' fans to see that side of her, because it makes it all the better when she does switch back into this decisive, hard-line Doctor," Martin added, noting that the Fugitive Doctor we've seen so far has had a bit of personal shield up. "We all have stuff that we do to mask or to hide other bits of ourselves, and I think sometimes she uses her sarcasm and her humour to hide behind, and so to have this opportunity now to flesh her out and to explore more and to lean more into her backstory is just incredible."

Fans can follow every twist via the Doctor Who website and official channels and The Whoniverse Show, with the first chapter of the epic story launching on the in-universe UNIT website on June 25th.

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