Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: Audio Drama, bbc, big finish, christopher eccleston, doctor who, ninth doctor

Doctor Who: Eccleston, Big Finish Audio Dramas Head "Back to Earth"

Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor is back to make new friends and foes in a brand-new box set of Doctor Who audio dramas, released today by Big Finish Productions. The Ninth Doctor's second series of audio adventures begins with three emotional stories that examine what it means to be human. During these Earthbound travels, the Time Lord also encounters a mysterious robot, faces a spine-chilling demon known as the Grimminy-Grue, and gets caught in the middle of family affairs.

Eccleston is joined by Hayley Tamaddon (Emmerdale, Coronation Street), Wendy Craig CBE (Not in Front of the Children, The Worst Witch), Leah Brotherhead (Hullraisers), Alexander Arnold (Skins, Yesterday), Ian Bartholomew (Coronation Street), Indigo Griffiths (Still So Awkward), Greig Johnson (Late Night Mash) and Katy Brittain (Ten Percent). Doctor Who — The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Back to Earth is now available as a collector's edition 4-disc CD box set (+ download for just £24.99) or on download only (for just £19.99) from www.bigfinish.com. Now here's a look at the promotional trailer and overview for the new set of adventures:

Time and again, the Doctor finds himself returning to his favourite planet. Dropping in on history or the present-day, whether it's kings, commuters or ordinary people, he's never met anyone who wasn't important…

"Station to Station" by Robert Valentine: A deserted railway platform can be the loneliest place on Earth. But when Saffron is stranded at Underbridge station, she meets echoes of the past – and a fellow lost traveller. And the Doctor knows that something is hunting them…

"The False Dimitry" by Sarah Grochala: Moscow, 1605: the old Tsar is dead – but some blame unnatural forces. Perhaps the mysterious Doctor in the palace can help? A successor advances on the Kremlin with an army, preparing the country for war. But Tsarevich Dimitry is not what he seems…

"Auld Lang Syne" by Tim Foley: Every December, Mandy Litherland gathers the family at Foulds House to see in the New Year. Not everyone appreciates her efforts. At least the caretaker seems friendly – if a little weird. Mandy hopes she'll see him again next year – but perhaps she already has…

"What's struck me recently is the element of the Doctor stepping back and being a straight man for the various exotic personalities and creatures that come by," Eccleston said. "The Doctor is there but other people take the stage. I like that ensemble feel. I liked it on television and I like it on the audios. You have actors coming in doing spectacular alien turns and your job as the Doctor and an actor is to support and encourage that," Eccleston explained. "I always connected with the Doctor's love for humanity, even though he refers to them every so often as 'stupid apes'. I think that was a very clever device to give this alien with two hearts a fascination and concern for the human race and their funny little customs. It's interesting to play a character inside and outside the foibles of humanity."

Producer David Richardson added: "The core of these stories is all about humanity – how diverse we are, what we need from life, and who we love. And of course, it's about great big, exciting adventure too – and lots of scary stuff. I think 'Station to Station' might be just about as scary as we should dare go with 'Doctor Who' – to my mind, the Grimminy-Grue is one of the most disturbing creations the Doctor has ever faced! So, this box set has it all – fear, fun, and just masses of heart and soul. They are emotional scripts that won't leave a dry eye."

Doctor Who — The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Back to Earth is now available to own for just £24.99 (collector's edition CD box set + download) or £19.99 (download only), exclusively from the Big Finish website. The triple-LP vinyl are strictly limited to a pressing of 1,000 per volume and can be ordered at £35.99 each, or £132 for the bundle of all four albums, again exclusively at www.bigfinish.com.

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