Big Finish’s acclaimed range Doctor Who – The Lost Stories takes ideas proposed during the classic era of the TV show and adapts them into full-cast audio dramas. The next release in the range reveals the origins of one of the Doctor's greatest enemies – the Genesis of the Cybermen. 

This story comes from the mind of one of the Cybermen’s original creators – Gerry Davis, the writer who, with Kit Pedler, first devised the Mondasian monsters and went on to write several of their TV stories. 

The intended origins of the Cybermen never made it to screen; Davis pitched a story about their creation in the early 1980s, but it was rejected by producer John Nathan-Turner. Doctor Who fans may remember details of this adventure being printed in the 1988 book Cybermen by David Banks. 

Now, the story has been adapted by David K Barnes into a full-cast audio drama. The Lost Stories: Genesis of the Cybermen stars Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, alongside Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, and Matthew Waterhouse as his companions Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric, with Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen. 

Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Genesis of the Cybermen is now available to pre-order as a collector’s edition 2-disc CD (+ download for just £16.99) or download only (for just £13.99), exclusively here. 

A King lies dying in his castle. His eldest son Prince Sylvan is an artist with no desire to inherit a kingdom, while Prince Dega toils in his laboratory, dedicated to saving their dying people from extinction. They will all burn unless he succeeds. 

When the TARDIS arrives, its crew believe they can help. But this planet is Mondas. And this is the Genesis of the Cybermen... 

Producer and director David O'Mahony said: “The Cybermen have been one of the Doctor’s greatest opponents throughout the ages. They are brutal, uncaring and dedicatedly vicious.  

“Gerry Davis's ideas about their origin never made it onto TV, so it’s a total pleasure to bring this story to life with Peter Davison’s Doctor. Setting it pre-Earthshock gives it the feel of a brilliant prequel to the impending Cybermen stories that we know and love.” 

Praise for The Lost Stories: Operation Werewolf, a recent release in the range: 

“Thrilling, suspenseful and full of danger and derring-do, Operation Werewolf is a true gem of a story.”
Who Review 

“[Writer Jonathan] Morris keeps things lively with a few Indiana Jones-style set-pieces and the odd cheeky riff on the 1980s sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo.”
Doctor Who Magazine 

“A stunning addition to The Lost Stories that perfectly captures the spirit of its intended era.”
Doctor Who Reviews 

“Put a huge smile on my face.”
Sci-Fi Pulse 

Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Genesis of the Cybermen together with 2025’s second Doctor Who – The Lost Stories adventure (title TBA, due for release in September 2025), in a multi-buy bundle on collector’s edition CD (+ download for just £32) or download only (for just £26).  

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release. 

Please note: the collector’s edition double CDs are strictly limited to 2,000 copies and will not be repressed. 

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.