A brand new Doctor Who adventure will mark a Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper reunion as the stars reprise the roles of the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler. Released today, audio drama Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Pandemonium looks back at a classic episode to give Rose some closure.
The story kicks off at the Powell Estate in 2006, with the Doctor and Rose travelling to find that historical figures are wreaking havoc. Samuel Pepys is stumbling around drunk, Celtic warriors are causing trouble, and Jackie Tyler’s new flatmate is Edith Nesbit.
As the Doctor strives to figure out what happened, Rose wonders if this glitch in the timelines could give her the chance to see her dad one last time.
Big Finish Productions
Related: Best streaming services
“The emotional stakes are very high in this episode!” commented Eccleston.
“It touches very strongly on the themes and events of ‘Father’s Day’ and brings Rose very close again to this notion of changing time, which is a point of tension between her and the Doctor.
“Plus, the Doctor’s frustrated about being stuck on Earth – and he’s more frustrated about being stuck with Jackie!”
Piper, who’s reprising the role of Rose after more recently appearing on Doctor Who in season 15 finale ‘The Reality War’, called the audio drama “a history lesson with all the tropes of a great drama, and loss and grief”.
“It deals with the sadness of the past and people having to come to terms with that. It’s a hard experience for Rose because it closes up the story of her and her dad,” she said.
The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Pandemonium is written by Katharine Armitage, with the cast rounded out by Clive Hayward as Glen, Kate Harbour as Edith Nesbit/Violette Szabo/Celtic Warrior, and Nick Denning-Read as Paul/Samuel Pepys.
Big Finish Productions
Camille Coduri, who reprises the role of Rose’s mum Jackie Tyler, said: “Kat’s really honoured Russell’s work, in the way that she’s put a hand in your chest and pulled out your heart a few times.”
She added: “This is what we all love about Doctor Who, isn’t it? The strangeness, the scariness, the comedy, and these brilliant historical characters. It’s just fantastic to be a part of that.”
Producer and script editor Matt Fitton said: “After their little trip into the future in ‘Cloud Eight’, the Doctor and Rose are back to the Powell Estate, once again that mysterious elastic band bringing them back. They find the place in complete turmoil, with loads of historical figures running amok.
“Katharine Armitage is great at creating a really vivid story world, filling it with characters, and finding a high concept idea to spin off on. It’s really interesting to look at places around London, places where people live, and think about how much history there is there.”
Explaining the idea behind her story, Armitage said: “I was thinking about the idea of history as this very highfalutin thing which belongs in books and dusty libraries. And actually, when you walk around London, one of the things I love is the blue plaques, there’s a nondescript little house, and someone amazing lived there for a while. These people are hiding everywhere.”
The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Pandemonium is available to download for £9.99, with a download and limited edition collector’s CD bundle available to purchase for £11.99.
Take our interdimensional Doctor Who quiz!
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Interested in talking about Doctor Who? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
Read more Doctor Who news on our dedicated homepage
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Sir David Attenborough, is here! Buy Sir David Attenborough in newsagents or online.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.Â
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).Â