Doctor Who TV movie writer Matthew Jacobs has reunited with Paul McGann for a new Big Finish audio story.
To date, Paul McGann’s total screen time as the Doctor clocks in at under two hours, and the majority of that can be credited to screenwriter Matthew Jacobs, who penned the 1996 TV Movie. Though it’s perhaps not the most beloved piece of Doctor Who media, most fans now acknowledge that it’s an important bridge between the classic series and the glossy sheen and higher production values of the revived show.
The film saw Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor land in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve 1999, before promptly being gunned down outside the TARDIS. He regenerates into Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor, and teams up with Doctor Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook) to fight The Master, who’s taken over the body of a paramedic (Eric Roberts) and lured gang member Lee (Yee Jee Tso) into being his assistant.
Jacobs recently made the terrific documentary, Doctor Who Am I?, in which he examines his place in the legacy of Doctor Who through the prism of fandom, visiting American conventions and interacting with fans. It’s currently available to rent for 99p or buy for £2.99 on Amazon Prime.
Big Finish have now revealed that Jacobs is reuniting with McGann for the first Doctor Who story he’s written since the TV movie; it’s called Puccini And The Doctor, which forms part of the boxset Deadly Strangers.
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The synopsis for Jacobs’ story reads as follows:
The TARDIS arrives in Milan at the turn of the twentieth century, where the time travellers encounter legendary opera composer, Giacomo Puccini (voiced by Tim McInnerny). But the Doctor’s not the only alien around with an interest in the music of love.
McGann stars as the Doctor alongside India Fisher as his companion Charlotte Pollard.
The other stories in the boxset are Women’s Day Off by Lisa McMullin and The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle.
Jacobs said in a statement, “This is the first time I’ve written a Doctor Who adventure since 1996. The Doctor is such an integral part of my life, so it’s been fascinating over the years to see it grow and grow. Paul has kept the Doctor alive at Big Finish in a marvellous way and he has become so much more sophisticated as a character than when we were starting”.
Deadly Strangers will be released in December. You can pre-order here.
