Big Finish has been gradually and consistently rising in quality year after year since I first decided to start listening to them properly. And if any year deserves to be theirs, then 2018 certainly looks set to be it! Over the last few months, more and more news about what we are set to see in BF's 20th Anniversary year just fills us all with pure excitement. And today, I'm going to take a look at 20 releases to look forward to for next year. Why 20?
Guess...
So ladies and gentlemen, closing of the new years celebrations here's....
Jack Ryan's
TOP 20 RELEASES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2018
FOR TOTALLY BIG FINISH
FOR TOTALLY BIG FINISH
BEWARE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN POTENTIAL SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
BLAKE'S 7: THE WAY AHEAD (40th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL)
As well as being the 20th anniversary year for Big Finish, 2018 will also see the 40th Anniversary of Blake's 7, and regardless of whether you liked or loathed the original series (I'm neither, as I'm discovering it, but looks good so far), Big Finish has allowed the series to have a further life than when it did when it finished back in 1981, and not only do they have their own ongoing fourth series of audios with Crossfire, they also have this two part special coming out really soon, celebrating every aspect of the show that it can. Can it succeed in the same style as Light at the End? With Mark Wright penning the script, it has a bloody good chance to!
THE CHURCHILL YEARS: VOLUME 2
Despite what others may have thought, I felt that The Churchill Years was a brilliant boxset that allowed Ian McNeice to truly hone in his portrayal of one of Britain's most notable Prime Ministers. Not only does this next boxset seem set to repeat that feeling, with some brilliant writing talent and a stellar cast (I will support anything with Mark Elstob), but also bring us one step further to our dream of a Paternoster Row spin-off, with Neve McIntosh joining McNeice as the great Silurian detective, Madame Vastra. Here's hoping Catrin Stewart's Jenny isn't that far behind...
GALLIFREY: TIME WAR
I finally managed to get Series 1 of Gallifrey on CD a while ago... and I BLOODY WELL LOVED IT!!! So here's hoping this one will also be able to live up to expectations. I mean, you have Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson, Seán Carlsen, Miles Richardson, Sophie Aldred, David Sibley, Nick Briggs and SIR DEREK RUDDY JACOBI!!! Not to mention a brilliant ream of writers for the set, and being tied in to Big Finish's Time War Saga! The hype is strong for this thing, and here's hoping it's well founded!
And for those looking to get in without the reams of continuity of eight series worth of audios, series seven and eight (Intervention: Earth and Enemy Lines) are more than enough to get up to date for new listeners. Thanks, April!
TORCHWOOD: ALIENS AMONG US: PART 3
I've already said how much I loved the first two parts of the new official Series Five, as to say I'm excited for the huge finale of it, is a complete and utter understatement. I mean, we have eight episodes worth of hype, the true dedication of James Goss, Scott Handcock and Russell T Davies, the talent of Joe Lidster and Voice of The Village Helen Goldwyn giving us the penultimate tales, and the absolute pure awesomeness of the cast (including The Demon Headmaster Terrence Hardiman!), We await the finale with baited breath, not only to see the end of this new era of Torchwood, but also to see in the new set of anthology releases starting in March.... and maybe something else.....;D
THE MARTIAN INVASION OF EARTH
Having been an honourable mention in last years list, I was excited for this release, ever since it was mentioned in soft whispers in other press releases and chats. Then I heard of the whole HG Wells season and my excitement increased ever further. Although we did have to wait a little further due to Nicholas Briggs workload, the details we later leaned about, including the return of The Hobbit and Robin Hood's Richard Armitage to Big Finish, make it all the more intriguing. And we won't have to wait long...
THE SHORT TRIPS RANGE
SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE MASTER OF BLACKSTONE GRANGE
Nick Briggs as the best Victorian Sherlock Holmes incarnation ever...
Need I say more?
THE TENTH DOCTOR CHRONICLES
When the New Series Doctor Chronicles were announced back just under a year ago, a lot of us were a bit sceptic, which was understandable. But then the Ninth Doctor Chronicles came out and showed us that Nicholas Briggs is a bloody good Ninth Doctor is we don't have Chris Eccleston. So now we have the Tenth and Eleventh to go, and we have a new narrator in the form of Doctor Who YouTuber Jake Dudman. And he is a bloody good Tenth and Eleventh Doctor. So, it will certainly be interesting, especially with the fact that legendary impressionist and Dead Ringer Jon Culshaw is on the cast list!
JAGO AND LITEFOOT FOREVER
I, like many others, were saddened by the sudden passing of Professor George Litefoot's actor, the great Trevor Baxter, back in July, which left the series as a whole in limbo, and seeming to not be able to end on a high note and honour Trevor's legacy. But now, with the remaining cast returning for one last hurrah, and over sixty hours of Baxter's recordings to send him off in style, Jago and Litefoot Forever looks set to be a poignant but hopefully fitting farewell to one of Big Finish's greatest spin-offs and to one of the greatest underrated actors I have ever got to know of.
UNIT: CYBER REALITY
Five series in and UNIT: The New Series is a great force to be reckoned with. Now, after giving us The Silence, Autons, Sontarans, Daleks and Silurians, one more major monster is left on the Earth Invasion Bingo Slip: The Cybermen. And not only are we getting the Cybermen, but we are also being graced once more with Sir Derek Jacobi's War Master, taking on the role initially done by Jon Pertwee in the Seventies, scientific adviser. It's safe to say that this will be an interesting dynamic to hear when this one comes out...
THE FOURTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES SERIES 7
After six years of a story every month for the Fourth Doctor Adventures, 2018 takes the range in a new direction, giving us four single-hour stories in both January and May, giving us a full series of eight audios early enough, allowing us to save a quarter of the original prices for a full series on the monthlies. So apart from that, we are graced with the return of Louise Jameson as Leela, and another take on the Voc Robots (their stories are very VERY good), and the build up to a Sutekh infested finale, this looks to be a good year for the Fourth Doctor
STAR COPS
The first of Big Finish's new ranges announced for the 20th Anniversary year, Star Cops is something that has my interest piqued from the initial announcement. I can't really talk much about it as it is a series that I was, and still am, unfamiliar on. But I will most likely get the first one to see what it is like. Hopefully it will be another Terrahawks and make me want to check out the original series.
JENNY: THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER
Also known as Big Finish's worst kept secret, Georgia Moffet/Tennant returns after a decade as the unforgettable Jenny from Series 4, and looks set to be following her father/husband (yeah, that family tree is ruddy confusing, especially when Trillian is Ten's mother-in-law) in the saving the universe business, along with her own companion in the form of Noah, played by the brilliant Sean Biggerstaff. With old and new writers coming into this series, here's hoping our hope for Jenny to finally get a spin-off is worth it!
CALLAN
Another new range, and one I know even less of, the one thing that makes me intrigued by it is that Frank Skinner.... Yes, THAT Frank Skinner is going to be playing a sixties spy...... a more dramatic sixties spy.... Curiosity is piqued...
THE FIRST DOCTOR ADVENTURES
Despite the backlash that this got when first announced, my excitement has grown and grown with the though that we would be able to get true full cast audios of the First Doctor era with a new cast (from the brilliant An Adventure In Space And Time). And my hope seems to not have been misplaced, with Volume 1 being a brilliant tester ground for both the futuristic and pure historical feel of the First Doctor's stories, the cast being brilliant, especially James Dreyfus as the First Master, and I really cannot wait for the next set in July... Anyone have a TARDIS I could borrow?
TORCHWOOD ONE: MACHINES
Before The Fall last year was BLOODY AMAZING!!!! And it was so lovely to hear Tracy-Ann Oberman as the patriotic and now thoroughly human Yvonne Hartman once more. And not only are we getting the return to pre-Canary Wharf battle Torchwood, but an origin story for Ianto, written by Gareth David-Lloyd himself, and..... THE RETURN OF WOTAN!!!!
I know it's odd that I'm going fanatic over the return of a vague sixties Who villain, but BAH! TO HELL WITH YOUR CONFUNED STARES!!
THE AVENGERS: TOO MANY TARGETS
Have I ever mentioned that I love the Avengers? Because I do. I FREAKING LOVE THE AVENGERS!!! The silliness, the seriousness, the mad, convoluted plots, Steed and Peel, all of it is bloody marvellous!!! so I was a tad upset that it seemed to be over and done with when the final set of missing episodes were released back last year.... but then they announced the Avengers would be doing The Avengers. Steed, Peel, Keel, Gale, King and Mother all together in one grand two-hour epic... Oh, Mr Dorney, you know how to tease me, you devious bastard!
THE DIARY OF RIVER SONG SERIES 3 AND 4
If this series (along with Doom Coalition) have shown me one thing, it is that Big Finish are the go-to people for character redemption, and River is now not only tolerable, but a brilliant character in her own right, without being completely shackled to the Doctor. And now, on her classic Doctors shopping list, she'll be coming across the Fifth and Fourth in series 3 and 4 respectively...
Alex Kingston..... and Tom Baker...... in the same audios......
Excuse me whilst my ears orgasm......
JEKYLL AND HYDE
Unfortunately, once more due to Briggs workload, not only has this one been delayed, but we still know little to nothing about it save for the fact that Briggs will be writing it... but, if Briggs' talents are any indication of how he'll tackle this tale.... um, Nick.... please tell us we'll be seeing this one soon... please!!!!
JEREMIAH BOURNE IN SPACE
And finally, one of the original 20th Anniversary ranges planned for this year. And once more, I know nothing about it, but this time, more to the fact that it has only been mentioned in the podcasts, and as it is an original range, I have nothing to see what they are continuing.... but with a title like that..... I'm bloody well getting something with that mad and brilliant a name.
And that's my look at some of my most anticipated releases in 2018. And not only are we going to be getting these, but a hell of a lot more if what we have heard is correct. Quite simply, 2018 looks set to be one of Big Finish's best, and I am truly super excited for it....
But now, some bad news... if you have followed this blog for the last two years, firstly thank you so very, very much for keeping up with my reviews and for your continued readership. But, I'm sad to say that this blog will have to take a break for a while, as real life is starting to overtake my opportunities for writing in my own time. That said, I will be doing some reviews for Blogtor Who every now and then to keep my talent and ability up. But I will have to take a break from this for the foreseeable future, but rest assured, when life calms down, I will return with not only this, but also my YouTube channel. And, I will also be of to Derbyshire in November to meet everyone I can at Big Finish Day 2018! So, to everyone, I hope you will understand my decision, and thank you for staying with me for these last two years. Totally Big Finish will return, and I will continue on the Twtter account for as much as I can, but for now...
Goodnight, my luvvies, and until we meet again... goodbye. ;D
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