The Telegraph has published a rather lovely article explaining the concept of the Big Finish Doctor Who audios to those who have never heard of it.  Even for those of us who have listened to the BF range before, it’s a very interesting read, and it gives us some insight about why the company has attracted so many actors, big-name and underground, over the years.

Seventh Doc Sylvester McCoy is even quoted (The Telegraph attended a recording of Thin Ice, one of the Lost Stories) discussing his original reasons for working with the company:

“We knew when they took Dr Who off the air in 1989 that they were mad because there’s such a great fan base, and being the last Doctor of that era it was my duty to feed the want of the fans.”

We wonder if Mr. McCoy realised at the time that the Doctor Who fanbase is an impossible beast to feed; the more you give it, the hungrier it gets!  Even though the television version has been back for five years with no signs of stopping anytime soon, business is still booming at Big Finish!

Or, at least, booming enough to draw in other superb actors like Derek Jacobi, David Warner, and Sherlock himself Benefiber Coffee-stash Benedict Cumberbatch.  Said Big Finish’s managing director, Jason Haigh-Ellery:

“Actors love working in audio.  You don’t have to worry what you look like – it’s all about creating an image for the mind.”

Which may explain why some Who actors, like Sixth Doctor Colin Baker in Kangazang!, have taken their audios a step further, with stories separate from those of the Whoniverse altogether.

Related articles

• Dr Who: a parallel world of audio stories (telegraph.co.uk)