A Complete Guide To The Multi-Platform Story In One Place
By Mélissa M Azombo
Doctor Who fans are thrown into a new time war saga, as multi-part story Time Lord Victorious comes to headphones, bookshelves, experiences and more, this month.
In the most ambitious licensee crossover in history, fans of the longest-running sci-fi TV show Doctor Who, will uncover new parts of the time war, an era alluded to multiple times throughout the series post-2005, most notably in the 50th anniversary episode The Day Of The Doctor.
Time Lord Victorious is set during the Dark Times, an epoch at the start of the Universe and sees the 8th, 9th and 10th incarnations of the Doctor (as played by actors Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant), defend their home planet from a terrible race. This new element of the Time War will be explored through books, audio dramas, comic books, escape rooms, games and an experience.
These elements will be brought to life through Doctor Who licence holders Big Finish, Penguin Random House (BBC Books & BBC Children’s Books), Panini, Titan Comics, Escape Hunt, Maze Theory and Immersive Everywhere. Avid followers of the story will be able to grab different puzzle pieces to complete their collection and get clued up on the complete story from this September through to April 2021.
For those who can’t quite get through the entire collection, but would still like to delve into the story, Time Lord Victorious producer James Goss says on the Doctor Who website, “It’s been designed so that if you just explore one bit of it, you’ll have a great time and understand the story fully.” Although the project is headed by Goss, it was Cameron McEwan who originally came up with the idea. He collected lots of research from BBC Audience Panels to throw together a menu of what fans want. So, the result should be a treat for all. With over 30 confirmed titles and more to be announced, here is the Time Made Of Strawberries guide of what to expect when, for those who are keen on absorbing absolutely everything!
BOOKS
OUT NOW! 3 September 2020 – Doctor Who: The Official Annual 2021 from BBC Children’s Books promises an amalgamation of Doctor Who fun, from activities to illustrations and short stories at RRP £7.99. More importantly, one featured story from this completes the Time Lord Victorious puzzle. This annual is one for the collection for readers who want a glimpse into the Dark Times, among all the Doctor Who fun. One for the Christmas list, this is the best way to get a taste of the adventure to come.
The Official Annual 2021 features lots of activities and an exciting Time Lord Victorious snippet!
Check across retailers for different prices, as Forbidden Planet currently has this in stock for £5.99 online. Stockists include WHSmith, Blackwell’s , Foyles and Waterstones. You can also contact your local library to find out if and when they are expecting this book on their shelves or available online. As with all books on this list, if they are not expecting it, you should also be able to request that they order it from their supplier.
1 October 2020 – Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: The Knight, The Fool and The Dead by Steve Cole, brought to you by BBC Books will be released early next month and is available to pre-order now through Waterstones, Foyles, Hive, Blackwells and Forbidden Planet, with RRP £9.99. The novel’s synopsis teases how it will fit into the Time Lord Victorious saga.
Featuring David Tennant, The Knight, The Fool And The Dead by Steve Cole marks the first Time Lord Victorious novel release.
“The Doctor travels back to the Ancient Days, an era where life flourishes and death is barely known… Then come the Kotturuh – creatures who spread through the cosmos dispensing mortality. They judge each and every species and decree its allotted time to live. For the first time, living things know the fear of ending. And they will go to any lengths to escape this grim new spectre, death. The Doctor is an old hand at cheating death. Now, at last, he can stop it at source. He is coming for the Kotturuh, ready to change everything so that Life wins from the start. Not just the last of the Time Lords. The Time Lord Victorious.”
Following Combat Magicks, The Darksmith Legacy: The Vampire of Paris and We Can’t Stop What’s Coming from The Target Storybook, Steve Cole pens his 24th Doctor Who book in this 5th instalment in the Time Lord Victorious series, according to the handy BBC roadmap. Contact your local library to find out when they will have this title available or request that they order it from their supplier.
10 December 2020 – Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: All Flesh Is Grass by Una McCormack, published by BBC Books will be available to purchase in the lead up to Christmas, from all good book shops. It is available to pre-order now via Waterstones, Foyles, Hive, Blackwells and Forbidden Planet at an RRP of £9.99.
The novel’s synopsis states “In All Flesh is Grass we are transported back to The Dark Times. The Tenth Doctor has sworn to stop the Kotturuh, ending Death and bringing Life to the universe. But his plan is unravelling – instead of bringing Life, nothing has changed and all around him people are dying. Death is everywhere. Now he must confront his former selves – one in league with their greatest nemesis and the other manning a ship of the undead…”
All Flesh Is Grass by Una McCormack features the 8th, 9th and 10th Doctors, as played by Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant
This is Una McCormack’s 5th Doctor Who book, following titles Molten Heart, Royal Blood and The Way Through the Woods. Contact your local library to find out when this 21st instalment in the Time Lord Victorious series will be with them.
AUDIO BOOKS
7 October 2020 – Short Trips: Master Thief by Sophie Iles & Lesser Evils by Simon Guerrier
A trip out of this world: Sophie Iles and Simon Guerrier bring double audio book release to Big Finish, narrated by Jon Culshaw.
Meet The Master in this double bill audio book from Big Finish. In Sophie Iles’ Master Thief, The Master, as played by Anthony Ainley attempts to break into the most secure vault in the universe, The Repository. He’ll soon find out though, that breaking in is deceptively easy compared to getting away with it.
Lesser Evils sees a recurring race throughout Time Lord Victorious, The Kotturuh, arrive on planet Alexis to distribute the gift of death to its inhabitants. One thing stands in their way: A renegade Time Lord called The Master.
This double release narrated by Jon Culshaw and directed by Lisa Bowerman, marks Sophie Iles’ third time working on a Doctor Who project, having previously written A Song For Running and illustrated The Raggedy Doctor By Amelia Pond.
Meanwhile, Simon Guerrier has previously co-written The Women Who Lived with Christel Dee and penned the audio book The Empty House.
Their 70-minutes Short Trips double bill is available to pre-order digitally now from the Big Finish website for £4.99. Please contact your local library to see if and when they will be receiving this 4th and 5th installment on the Time Lord Victorious schedule.
14 October 2020 – He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not by Carrie Thompson
The 8th Doctor as played by Paul McGann meets Brian The Ood in Carrie Thompson Big Finish audio drama He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not
An 8th Doctor story, this 9th installment in the Time Lord Victorious series is set on the desert world Atharna, where The Doctor has ventured to visit one of the seven wonders of the Universe. As it turns out, this wonder is missing, and The Doctor is about to encounter one of his adversaries as he is enrolled in a web of deceit…
In Carrie Thompson’s second Doctor Who story, Paul McGann reprises his role as The Doctor, alongside cast members Silas Carson (Brian), Jack Devos (Samson), Pauline Eyre (Jacqueline), Mischa Malcom (Felicity) Martin McDougal (Craddock) and Melanie Stevens (Sophie). This Big Finish production from director Scott Handcock is available to pre-order now at RRP £8.99 for digital copies and £10.99 for CD copies. Stockists include Big Finish, themselves and Forbidden Planet.
11 November 2020 – The Enemy of My Enemy by Tracy Ann Baines
Paul McGann features multiple times across the Time Lord Victorious series, this time in The Enemy Of My Enemy Big Finish Audio drama wriiten by Tracy Ann Baines.
Following her previous Big Finish venture The Diary Of River Song, Tracy delivers a tale of two species: the Wraxians and Daleks, in talks to begin peaceful negotiations. The only one who isn’t happy about this is The Doctor. He knows the Daleks are never to be trusted and he knows the Wraxians should never have existed…
The 13th installment in the Time Lord Victorious series stars Paul McGann (The Doctor), Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks/Krinso), Rachel Atkins (Sarathin), Raj Ghatak as Boros and Samantha Béart, Stephen Critchlow & Jacob Dudman as Security Guards.
Also directed by Scott Handcock, this Big Finish audio drama is available to pre-order now from stockists Big Finish and Forbidden Planet at RRP £8.99 for digital copies and £10.99 for CD copies.
27 November 2020, 4 December 2020 – Echoes Of Extinction by Alfie Shaw
Straight from Big Finish, a mystery surrounding The 8th and 10th Doctors. This audio drama will be the 17th and 19th releases in the series.
“Trapped, a haunted monster waits to consume new victims. It needs help. It needs a doctor. Unfortunately, it also needs to kill whoever it meets. Thrust into immediate danger, and on the back-foot, it will take all of the Doctor’s ingenuity to triumph.
Two interlinked adventures. Two Doctors. One foe.”
Written by Alfie Shaw, the audio drama stars Paul McGann (The 8th Doctor), David Tennant (The 10th Doctor) , Burn Gorman (The Network), Kathryn Drysdale (Jasmine), Mina Anwar (Joshi), Paul Clayton (Edwards), Stephen Critchlow (General), Jacob Dudman (Guard), Inès de Clercq (Frye), with Melanie Stephens and Jack DeVos both voicing Orrivian. Last but not least, known for his role as Rory Williams in the TV series from series 5 to series 7, Arthur Darvill voices the character Cooke.
Shaw’s previous work includes Short Trips: Regeneration Impossible and Class: Mock.
David Tennant reprises his role as The 10th Doctor in Alfie Shaw’s Big Finish audio drama, Echoes Of Extinction out on 27 November 2020
Echoes of Extinction is set for release on vinyl on 27 November 2020, with the digital release to follow on 4 December 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions following a national lockdown being implemented in England, the vynil release has been postponed to 21 February 2021. Pre-order your digital download now at RRP £8.99 from the Big Finish website.
The vinyl edition will be available exclusively to ASDA stores in the UK with RRP not yet available. Check back regularly for updates.
3 & 4 December 2020 – The Minds of Magnox by Darren Jones
The Doctor goes to the planet Magnox with Brian The Ood,where he must take a dangerous test. Written by Darren Jones, this audio book narrated by DWM Time Team alumnus, Jacob Dudman will be released in digital, CD and vynil formats.
Doctor Who enthusiasts are set to be thrown into a mystery, as narrator Jacob Dudman (Doctor Who: Lockdown, The A List, The Stranger) tells the tense tale of The Doctor travelling with his Ood companion, Brian to the planet Magnox.
“In this original story, the Doctor travels with Brian, the Ood assassin, to the planet Magnox, one of the greatest receptacles of knowledge the universe has ever known, and home to the Minds of Magnox. The Doctor needs to ask a vital question, but the answer is Grade 1 Classified. In order to gain an audience with the Minds of Magnox he must take a dangerous test.
Meanwhile, Brian gets involved with a criminal group and is asked to assassinate the Minds of Magnox. However, others also have the planet within their sights…” – Synopsis.
Darren Jones, who has previously written BBC Audio Doctor Who stories pens the first joint release between BBC Audio and Demon Records to be available in all formats: download, CD and vinyl. BBC Audio will release download and CD formats on 3 December, with the vinyl format from Demon Records to follow the next day.
The Minds of Magnox will be presented on limited edition 140g Repository Red Vynil.
The 18th instalment in the Time Lord Victorious series is available to pre-order now, with downloads from Audible at RRP £9, CDs from at RRP £10.99 (currently £9.99 at Forbidden Planet)and vinyl from The Sound Of Vynil at RRP £19.99.
Michael Stevens, Doctor Who Range Editor for BBC Audio described The Minds of Magnox as “a unique and thrilling adventure for us all.” He added “Darren Jones has created the world of Magnox for the Tenth Doctor and Brian to visit, and Jacob Dudman brings it to life pitch-perfectly.”
9 December 2020 – Mutually Assured Destruction by Lizzie Hopley
Mutually Assured Destruction from Lizzie Hopley sees The Doctor (Paul McGann) in a Dalek entanglement in this Big Finish audio drama.
Having voiced the Mantasaphid Queen in the 2007 animated series The Infinite Quest also produced by James Goss, Lizzie Hopley is no stranger to the world of Doctor Who. In fact, she has also penned Big Finish audios for 2016 spin-off show Class. In this 20th installment in the Time Lord Victorious series, Lizzie crafts an 8th Doctor story to captivate your ears.
“The fallout of the great battle.
Outnumbered and alone, on a Dalek time-ship careering through the vortex, the Doctor must use all his cunning to survive. As the saucer disintegrates around them, the Doctor is trapped with a crew of increasingly desperate Daleks.
Or are the Daleks trapped with him?”
The Daleks feature multiple times throughout the Time Lord Victorious series, so it will be intriguing to discover what this story adds to the big picture.
Paul McGann takes the helm as The Doctor in this audio drama, alongside Nicholas Briggs, who voices the Daleks. Actress Samantha Béart voices Tiska and Wilf Scolding is Groth.
Mutually Assured Destruction is available to pre-order now at RRP £8.99 in digital form and £10.99 in CD format from Big Finish and retailers like Forbidden Planet.
10 December 2020 – Genetics of the Daleks
Above: Artwork for Genetics of the Daleks, a Big Finish & Escape Hunt partnership.
COMIC BOOKS
OUT NOW! 2 September 2020, 7 October 2020, 18 November 2020 – Defender Of The Daleks #1 & 2 & Collection by Jody Houser
Defender Of The Daleks by Jody Houser sees 3 releases this autumn, as part of the epic multi-platform series Time Lord Victorious.
The Doctor and the Daleks: Always a recipe for a great storyline. In the second Time Lord Victorious installment, The Doctor finds himself in a time that is not his own…
“The Tenth Doctor awakes in a timeline that is not his own, finding himself pursued, impossibly, by the entire Dalek Empire. Even more impossibly, the Daleks are losing a battle with a race who ceased to exist long ago. The Dalek Emperor needs help, and there’s only one person in the universe more terrifying than Daleks – but can the Doctor ever trust the Dalek Emperor, and be willing to save his Empire?”
From Titan Comics comes a comic book story available in 2 parts at RRP £5.40. The Defender Of The Daleks Collection will be released on 18 November 2020. Part 1 now is out now from select comic book stores.
MAGAZINES
17 September 2020, 15 October 2020, 12 November 2020 – Monstrous Beauty #1, 2 & 3
Issues 566 – 568 of Doctor Who Magazine from Panini are must-haves for collectors. Jam-packed with the usual exclusives from the Whoniverse from interviews to competitions, these particular issues also feature Time Lord Victorious tie-ins. These editions’ comic strips titled Monstrous Beauty see The 9th Doctor and Rose Tyler trapped in the Dark Times, facing a terror out of myth.
Written by Scott Gray, illustrated by John Ross, coloured in by James Offredi and lettered by Roger Langridge, all 3 issues are available to pre-order now at RRP £5.99. Currently listed on Forbidden Planet for £5.69, they should also be stocked in all good newsagents.
ANIMATION
NOVEMBER 2020 TBC – TIME LORD VICTORIOUS: DALEKS!
Doctor Who ticks off all formats but tape across the Time Lord Victorious series, as the Daleks! animation lands on YouTube in November.
Starring The Sarah Jane Adventure’s Anjli Mohindra, reigning voice of the Daleks Nicholas Briggs, Holby City’s Ayesha Antoine and Strictly Come Dancing’s YouTuber, Joe Sugg, this 5-part animated series will land on 12 November 2020. The story will unroll over 5 weekly 10-minutes episodes, available to watch for free on YouTube.
Ayesha Antoine plays Mechanoid 2150 who is one of the greatest threats to the Daleks’ domination. Joe Sugg voices Centinal R41. “He’s fom the planet Kolos and has to deal with the Daleks. He’s a little bit sassy,” explains Sugg about his character.
While the exact storyline details remain unknown, the cast speak very highly of the experience of working on this project.
Anjli Mohindra who, like Antoine voices a Mechanoid expressed “When I saw that this series was about THOSE iconic villains I knew it was going to be one hell of a ride and I couldn’t wait to sign up!!”
Resident Dalek voiceover man Nicholas Briggs who plays all the Daleks and Drones in this animation, was also clearly very excited about the final product of this BBC Digital Studios production written by TLV producer James Goss and animated by Studio Liddell.
Briggs said “This latest, fantastic, thrill-packed venture into the world of anbimation, with the Daleks as the stars of the show, is something so many of us have been craving for years. And for me it’s been a marvellous challenge, as usual playing every single Dalek in action, but with the added excitement of portraying some beautifully written, leading Dalek characters. It’s been a blast, and I can’t wait to see the finished production.’
In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer here and don’t forget to click below and subscribe to the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, to be notified the second a new episode is uploaded.
EXPERIENCES/ESCAPE ROOMS/ GAMES
AVAILABLE NOW! – A Dalek Awakens
Escape Hunt’s A Dalek Awakens escape room game throws fans into the Time Lord Victorious narrative, as they are put in charge of the lives of 10000 passengers.
Brought to you by the team behind Doctor Who: Worlds Collide, Escape Hunt’s A Dalek Awakens escape room lets players dive right into the world of Time Lord Victorious. And in true Doctor Who fashion, against the clock!
Help The Doctor Defeat a rogue Dalek or face extermination. As The Doctor’s friends, you land on a ship a Dalek is using as a pitstop to recharge. If successful in its mission, it will annihilate everyone on board. Switch off the power source, you interrupt. It can’t harm you. This is the same power source the ship runs on, though. So, switch off the power source and risk the lives of 10 000 passengers.
In 60 minutes, find out how to avoid this conflict. Defeat the Dalek and save everyone. Good luck!
Visit your nearest escape room now in Reading or Birmingham, with upcoming dates in Norwich and Basingstoke. Tickets have been booking since March 2020 from £25 per player for a group of 4-6, with student prices available Monday – Thursday from £21.25 per player per 4-6 persons group. Groups can only be between 2 and 6 players. Players in groups of 2-3, can expect to pay £30 per player per group, while students can play from £25.50. A full price list available on the Escape Hunt website.
21 April 2021 – 30 March 2022 Doctor Who: Time Fracture
This immersive experience launches you into a tale of Time Lord Victorious, throwing you straight into the narrative. Postponed to next year due to the ongoing pandemic, participants will be key to resolving the mystery of the time fracture in this theatrical adventure from Immersive Everywhere.
At the height of the Blitz, a weapon destroys a small corner of Mayfair, creating a rift in time and space. UNIT investigates undetected, but the fracture is out of control and they are close to defeat.
EDIT: Due to COVID-19, Doctor Who: Time Fracture which had already been postponed from Autumn 2020 to 17 February 2021, running until 30 May 2021, has been further postponed to 21 April 2021 and is now expected to run until 13 March 2022.
Booking opened for general sale on 20 August 2020. Tickets start at £49.95 and a merchandise package containing a UNIT T-shirt, a pin badge and an A2 poster is also available for £20. The adventure starts at UNIT HQ, 19 South Molton Lane, London, W1K 5LE
MERCH
20 October 2020 – Dalek Emperor & Dalek Drone
The hand-painted Dalek Drone and Dalek Emperor from Hero Collector will materialise with a companion magazine from Eaglemoss Publications.
This hand painted Hero Collector Dalek figurine set boasts strong detail, an ornate add-on to a fan’s desk or bookshelf. One for the collector, this 11th instalment in the Time Lord Victorious series comes with a companion magazine detailing the behind the scenes of this multi-platform project.
With a metallic resin finish, this is available for RRP £19.99 from various retailers, including Eaglemoss and Forbidden Planet.
1 November 2020 – Dalek Commander & Dalek Scientist
Next in the Time Lord Victorious series, the Dalek Scientist and Dalek Time Commander are memorabilia to own, along with its companion magazine from Eaglemoss Publications.
The 12th instalment in the Time Lord Victorious series brings out another Hero Collector figurine set. This time, it is the Dalek Commander & Dalek Scientist, equipped with companion magazine lands with more exclusives at RRP £19.99. It is available to pre-order now from various retailers including Eaglemoss and Forbidden Planet
23 November 2020 – Dalek Executioner & Dalek Strategist
16th in the series is the Hero Collector Dalek Executioner and Dalek Strategist set with its magazine filled with facts about the epic crossover project. Hand painted with a metallic resin finish, this set is ideal for display and admiring. Own a piece of the Time Lord Victorious series from RRP £19.99 from Eaglemoss.
1 March 2021 – The Time Lord Victorious & Brian The Ood
Release 22 of the Time Lord Victorious saga is yet another Hero Collector figurine set with Eaglemoss Publications magazine. Limited information seems available on this at the moment but check back here regularly for any updates. Presumably, the RRP will be £19.99, as with the other figure sets, though this is unavailable information.
NEWSLETTERS
23 September 2020 – The Dawn of the Kotturuh by James Goss
Time Lord Victorious James Goss pens a Doctor Who newsletter like no other. At no cost at all, fans can delve deeper into the Time Lord Victorious via a simple e-mail. Simply sign up to the Doctor Who newsletter via the Doctor Who website to enter the Dark Times from your inbox on 23 September. The Kotturuh begin their journey here.
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