David Bradley returns as the Doctor in audio series that breaks free from canon
Bradley will be joined by his Adventure in Space and Time co-stars Jemma Powell, Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant.
Big Finish has announced a brand new audio series called Doctor Who: The First Doctor Unbound, which will see David Bradley reprise his role as the First Doctor.
Bradley first played the role of First Doctor actor William Hartnell in one-off 2013 docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time, but has since gone on to play the First Doctor himself in three episodes of Doctor Who on screen - The Doctor Falls, Twice Upon a Time and The Power of the Doctor.
Now, he is being reunited with his Adventure in Space and Time co-stars Jemma Powell, Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant, who played actors William Russell, Jacqueline Hill and Carole Ann Ford respectively.
Now, they will take on those actors' Doctor Who parts, playing Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton and Susan Foreman.
The series, the first volume of which will be released in September 2025 and is now available to pre-order, will break "free from established continuity to tell its own surprising stories".
Producer David O’Mahony said: "The Peter Cushing feature films of the 1960s were our stylistic inspiration here – the lighter tone, the spirit of high adventure, the true Technicolor nature of the storytelling. We want all these adventures to have that bank holiday or Sunday afternoon feeling."
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He continued: "We combined this with the brilliant cast of the BBC's anniversary special An Adventure in Space and Time, led by the legendary David Bradley.
"Working with such a wonderful cast and an exceptional creative team, we have created a time fracture leading to a separate universe... it might not be canon (or is it?), but it's going to be brilliant!
"I cannot tell you how excited I am to be taking charge of The First Doctor Unbound. Similarly to the Lost Stories range, making these stories unbound to the television continuity of Doctor Who gives us a wonderful creative freedom to explore characters, stories and styles.
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"The hunger to create new stories and be inspired by various parts of the Whoniverse has driven so many wonderful Big Finish productions – to bring in this Doctor and set him on these adventures is like unearthing a treasure trove of potential and exciting tales."
The announcement of this new audio drama arrives just under a month before the new season of Doctor Who starts airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and Disney Plus worldwide, with Ncuti Gatwa taking the reins of the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Doctor Who will return on Saturday 11th May on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
