Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor teams with Kate Stewart, Osgood for 60th adventure
The full cast audio drama, Past Lives, will be the first in an eight-part series.
As Doctor Who gears up for its 60th anniversary celebrations this year, Big Finish has announced the cast and details for the first instalment of their upcoming epic audio drama.
The series, called Once and Future, was first announced late last year, with more cast members officially joining in February 2023.
Now, we know that the first instalment will arrive in May, will be called Past Lives, and will see Tom Baker back in his role as the Fourth Doctor.
Baker will star alongside Rufus Hound as the time-meddling Monk, a role he has voiced since 2015, while Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver will return as UNIT chief Kate Stewart and scientific advisor Osgood respectively. Meanwhile, Sadie Miller will once again take on her mother's role as Sarah Jane Smith, as she has done for previous Big Finish productions.
The official synopsis for Once and Future - Past Lives says: "Settling as his Fourth incarnation, the Doctor goes in search of the Monk, with a vague memory that he had something to do with his 'degeneration'.
"On Earth, the Monk is meddling, bringing Sarah Jane Smith to the future UNIT HQ to steal a device for an alien race. The Doctor must help Kate Stewart and Osgood foil an invasion before he can confront the Monk about what he knows…"
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Producer David Richardson said: "One of the joys of this anniversary release is being able to savour things that could otherwise never happen – like the Fourth Doctor meeting Kate Stewart and Osgood, or his being reunited with Sarah Jane Smith who is living through the day she was left behind on Earth in The Hand of Fear… It sparkles with magical moments that fit beautifully within Doctor Who’s 60th year."
The rest of the Once and Future series will continue to be released monthly, with the first seven parts materialising between May and October 2023, before a final coda lands in November 2024.
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It was previously announced that Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant would all be reprising their roles as the Doctor for the audio drama, while Stephen Noonan, Michael Troughton and Tim Treloar will play the First, Second and Third Doctors.
Meanwhile, guest stars already announced include Michelle Gomez as Missy, Georgia Tennant as the Doctor's daughter Jenny, and Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler.
Doctor Who: Once and Future is available for pre-order from Big Finish. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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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.
