Doctor Who’s granddaughter and very first companion will finally be the star of her own time-traveling adventure. Big Finish Productions, in association with BBC Studios, just announced that Carole Anne Ford will reprise her role as Susan Foreman in Susan’s War. The 4-part audio drama is slated for an April 2020 release to thrill fans with a Classic and new series mashup.
Susan’s War will take fan back to the infamous Time War as Susan joins the battle to defeat a familiar enemy. Check out Big Finish’s full description of the series, story titles, and writer information below:
“Gallifrey needs every Time Lord to fight the Time War. A summons has been issued across the universe to its prodigals. Whatever their skills, the war effort can use them. Susan’s call-up papers have arrived, and, unlike her grandfather, she is willing to join her people’s battle and finally return home. Because Susan knows the Daleks, and she will do her duty…”
Doctor Who: Susan’s War Titles
Sphere of Influence by Eddie Robson
The Uncertain Shore by Simon Guerrier
Assets of War by Lou Morgan
The Shoreditch Intervention by Alan Barnes
This drama marks Ford’s first time as the primary protagonist but it’s certainly not her first foray into the Big Finish world. She has provided Susan’s voice in several Big Finish productions alongside the First Doctor but in Susan’s War, she teams back up with Ian Chesterton and meets the Eighth Doctor, voiced by the characters’ original TV actors William Russell and Paul McGann, respectively.
It’s not clear if Barbara will be mentioned nor how Ian and Susan will link up once again, but a crossover between two eras of the show is always fun. Big Finish is a great medium to explore more stories with these actors in a way that wouldn’t work on TV due to the actor’s aging or things not fitting into the show’s current narrative.
For Susan, Big Finish offered a way to give her character more development and depth than she experienced during the show. It’s a factor that pleases Ford, who spoke further about the series and Susan’s state of mind.
“It’s a very complex, interesting and fascinating piece of work which goes backwards and forwards in time in a way we’ve never actually done before in Doctor Who. We’re finding all sorts of extraordinary ways to chase after time machines, and the different phases in Time Lords’ lives are being investigated. Also, it’s Susan when she’s pushed on a few years. She has different attitudes to things and expects different behaviour from people that she’s with. So, this is marvellous. She’s a much stronger person, and I really like that.”
Susan’s War producer David Richardson stresses that this story may bring The Doctor into the fold, but it’s all about Susan’s journey and how it fits into Big Finish’s Time War collective.
“The Time War is a mighty battle on many fronts, and we are telling that huge story on many fronts too. This is Susan’s story – drafted into the war, an agent of the Time Lords and reunited with her past, firstly with Ian Chesterton, and then later with her grandfather in his Eighth incarnation.”
Audio fans can head over to Big Finish’s website to pre-order the series and get ready to see this Time Lady take on the Daleks again.
Image Credit: BBC
