Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles in the past have featured one story told by a companion, previously appearing with one of the early Doctors. However, since June 2015 the Companion Chronicles have appeared in box sets, and the latest one has certainly pleased reviewers! Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor Volume Two came out in June and stars Maureen O'Brien as Vicki, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Anneke Wills as Polly and Elliot Chapman as Ben Jackson.

“If you haven’t heard a Companion Chronicle from Big Finish you’re missing out on some well told and unique stories, says Blogtor Who, “Not all stories translate to screen, or even to full blown audio drama, as well as an excellently written and wonderfully narrated story can. Accompany that with some nicely constructed music and a few well placed and expertly crafted sound effects and you’re transported to wherever the Big Finish team want you to be.

"The First Doctor Early Adventures Volume 2 boasts some of the best stories, performances and sound you’re bound to hear. Even if the First Doctor isn’t your first choice for The Doctor these stories are absolutely worth listening to and the passion from all involved is apparent.

"It takes all of the elements being their best in order to achieve this level of craftsmanship and directors Lisa Bowerman and Helen Goldwyn have perfectly guided their team through four excellent stories but the music and sound design by Robert Harvey are what shine centre stage as they blanket these stories with textures so fine you may find yourself wondering why you ever paid for a 3-D film when you could be this immersed just with sound."

“If I had to pick two words that summed up The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor Volume Two, they would be ‘dark’ and ‘different’", says We Are Cult, "Nothing presented here relies on past successes or spoon feeds you nostalgia. This latest addition to the Companion Chronicles range offers brave storytelling, standout performances and hours of pure entertainment. Fans of the First Doctor era and audio drama, in general, will be enthralled. Set this high on your ‘Want List’! 

This release, which first came out in June, will be on general release from August 1st, so make sure you pick up your copy now, for just £15 on download or £20 on CD!

And for fans of Doctor Who since it returned to our TV screens in 2005 when Christopher Eccleston played the title role, we have The Ninth Doctor Chronicles.

Much like the Companion Chronicles, Big Finish delves into the past to tell the story of an adventure enjoyed by the Doctor and this time, Nicholas Briggs recites tales from the Ninth Doctor’s travels, from various points of his myriad life, and meets some of the strong characters created by Russell T Davies. The Ninth Doctor encounters Jackie Tyler, Rose’s mother, played by Camille Coduri, and Adam Mitchell, played by Bruno Langley.

“Not an impersonation as such but a capturing of the essence of the character," mentions Planet Mondas, on Nicholas Briggs’ interpretation, “all his sadness, his flashes of joy at the smallest things because this was a Doctor looking for a reason to carry on, for a meaning to make everything matter again – and he found it in one Rose Tyler.”

“For many Whovians, Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor was their first encounter with the Time Lord, says Blogtor Who, “He holds a special place for them even in spite of his short tenure. So hearing Big Finish resurrect Doctor Nine in ‘The Ninth Doctor Chronicles’ is fantastic!

"If you’re familiar with the ‘Destiny of the Doctor’ series, you’ll know what to expect from this type of release. These are not the full-cast audio dramas Big Finish usually puts out. Instead, they’re prose stories with one main narrator and an additional cast providing dialogue for certain characters.

"The set crams a lot of variety, from the bizarre to the domestic, the alien to the native. The guest characters have been chosen well to keep the ties to the 2005 series while still using new ideas and stories. No reliance on nostalgia here. All told, it’s a welcome return to the Ninth Doctor era and I hope Big Finish are inspired to keep on being…fantastic!” "

“Nicholas Briggs does such an astonishing job of capturing the personality and essence of the aforementioned Doctor that when you hear him,” says Mass Movement, “...the image that immediately forms in your mind’s eye is that of the all too familiar lanky, leather jacket wearing, slightly jug eared, northern Time Lord. It is an extraordinary performance that guarantees the safety and sanctity of the Ninth Doctor’s place in the continuing audio drama mythology of the Whoniverse.”

This release will also be on general release from August 1st, so make sure you pick up your copy now, for £20 on download or £23 on CD!

And you can get yours signed! For London residents, or if you’re visiting on holidays, Nicholas Briggs, narrator of the Ninth Doctor Chronicles, will be signing copies on Thursday 3rd August at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, on Shaftesbury Avenue, between 6pm and 7pm. Don’t miss out!