Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles: The Revenants

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Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles

Released May 2012

Written by Ian Potter

Starring William Russell Sharon Small

About
Backstage
Cast
Production Credits

The present day: the Orkney Ferry, where Ian Chesterton meets a stranger who he is able to confide in.

Decades earlier: the TARDIS lands on Orkney, and Ian and Barbara are abandoned when the Doctor and his ship vanish in front of their eyes. As the pair head for civilization, something is stirring in the treacherous bog lands.

And only the ancient Wissfornjarl can protect them...

The Revenants is available to purchase as part of the bonus material on The Light at the End (Limited Edition).

Recorded at: Moat Studios

Episode titles:
1. The Marsh-Wains
2. The Wissfornjarl

Making The Revenants - Producer David Richardson on the background of the story

How did The Revenants come about?
Big Finish has made special stories to be given away with Doctor Who Magazine before - most recently a couple of Companion Chronicles: The Mists of Time (starring Katy Manning) and Freakshow (starring Mark Strickson). Both are now available to buy in our Companion Chronicles Box Set. When it came to planning another, I felt it'd be nice to go right back to the roots of Doctor Who and have William Russell telling a story of Ian Chesterton's travels in the TARDIS.

Can you talk a bit about the development of the story?
Originally Ian Potter had been asked to write a tale that was a bit Quatermass-y, with the Doctor and his friends arriving in a New Town in the 1950s. Actually, during development, I realised this would be more suited as a script for Counter-Measures, our spin-off series about the guest characters from Remembrance of the Daleks (Gilmore, Dr Jensen and Allison Williams). So Ian ended up with two commissions! But Ian did carry over one aspect of his original script - the idea that Ian and Barbara arrive on Earth, in a time so near and yet so far from their own.

What do you remember of the recording?
It's always a happy day when you work with William Russell. He is such a gentleman and excellent company, and a fantastic storyteller both as himself and as Ian. We were so lucky to have Sharon Small - star of Downton Abbey, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Mistresses - as our guest star. I know director Lisa Bowerman spent some time finding the right person, and Sharon was brilliant.