Starring Tim Treloar as the Doctor, Katy Manning as Jo Grant, a stellar cast and great stories by Nicholas Briggs and Andrew Smith, discover new stories from Jon Pertwee’s era of Doctor Who (1970-1974), with the Third Volume of the Third Doctor Adventures.

This epic 5-disc box set contains two stories, the first being Nicholas Briggs’ The Conquest of Far.

Earth Alliance, the future… Fleet commanders receive their orders from the President of Earth. Operation Far is ‘go’. As soon as the planets are suitably aligned, the attack will go ahead.

The Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet Far. The Doctor wants to attend the grand opening of one of the human race’s greatest achievements. A huge Hyper Gateway built to make travel around Earth’s great empire more convenient, bringing relief to many starving outer colonies.

But they land in the wrong time period, long after the Gateway has been in service, and the Daleks have conquered Far! It’s the middle of a war and a deadly game is underway. When everyone has an agenda, betrayal can happen at any time, from any side. The endgame is approaching and maybe this time no one will survive.

Nicholas Briggs chatted to us about bringing the first Big Finish Third Doctor vs the Daleks story to life! "I can still remember the insane levels of excitement when I heard the Daleks were finally coming back in The Day of the Daleks after what had seemed like an age. The relationship between the Third Doctor and the Daleks has always felt odd to me, mostly because Jon Pertwee was so publicly critical of them. But they’re superb stories, all of them.

"So, I couldn’t wait to write something that captures the tremble in the stomach I felt waiting for Planet of the Daleks or Death to the Daleks to start. I’m such a fan of Terry Nation’s work and his storytelling, so it was great fun to do." 

The next story is from the pen of Andrew Smith, writer of Doctor Who TV story Full Circle, and a number of Big Finish releases.

Storm of the Horofax, by Andrew Smith

During a North Sea military exercise, the crew of the destroyer HMS Nemesis detect what they suspect is a submarine following them. But it’s actually a futuristic ship with an alien occupant, Arianda.

The Doctor and UNIT are called in, but things are already running out of control. The damaged craft is leaking particles and contaminating the Nemesis with time disruption.

But that’s not the biggest problem. For Arianda is being followed by the warships of the Horofax, who have picked precisely this moment to invade. Soon the destruction of humanity’s future will begin.

“Writing for the Third Doctor was a thrill,” Andrew tells us, “I am such a Pertwee fan, and Jo Grant is one of my all time favourite companions. I'm sorry to confess that I didn't adjust to Sarah Jane as quickly as (it seemed) everyone else, I was so sorry, at 11 years old, to see Jo leave.

“Storm of the Horofax began as a pitch about an alien that the Doctor removes from UNIT custody because the alien has knowledge of the future that endangers everyone. As I worked on the storyline, the nature of the Horofax evolved. They became armour-clad aliens led by Horofax Provosts, with a special relationship to Time. I devised a particular method by which they draw people to their cause, and saw dramatic possibilities in how that could be used against Our Heroes.

“This story introduces a new UNIT character, Major Paul Hardy. Well, I say new. Giving him a history and establishing his contribution to the story's resolution, together with what happens to Jo, was among the most satisfying aspects for me.

“In the studio, I was in awe of Tim Treloar's portrayal of the Third Doctor, and I can't wait to hear his performance again in the finished product.”

The Third Doctor Adventures Volume 3 is now available from the Big Finish site at £25 on CD or £20 on download. Don’t forget that a CD purchase will unlock a download exclusive of the story, which works with the Big Finish app.