Recorded on: 31 March, 4-6 and 27 April and 30 June 2023
Recorded at: The Soundhouse
Producer and director David O’Mahony said: "With the First Doctor Unbound series, we took inspiration from the Peter Cushing films, with bold storylines, high-stakes drama, and the kind of twists and turns that would have been thrilling in a cinema. Return to Marinus kicks the trilogy into high gear - with the Voord and my personal favourite villains involved, this is a high-octane, fast-paced adventure.
"Our ensemble of actors turn their incredible talents to exploring a whole new corner of the universe. I really hope everyone enjoys this middle part of the story and will be chomping at the bit for our third instalment, coming in 2027."
Writer Jonathan Morris added: "I've always loved The Keys of Marinus, ever since I read the novelisation. The only Doctor Who planet with multiple societies and biomes - a whole world. But we only saw five aspects of it on television - how much more might there be to explore? What about its deserts, or volcanoes, or the undersea kingdom of the Voord?
"So the chance to write a sequel story - in glorious, technicolour widescreen - was a dream come true, because this is the sort of thing I dream about. Not only to find out what happened to its peoples one hundred years after that first adventure, but also to revisit its themes and widen the canvas even further. And, if that wasn't enough, it has the Daleks in it too.
"I approached this story with great eagerness and delight because I've always wanted to write a full-cast First Doctor story. To write for David Bradley is another delight and then to write a story set on Marinus is a dream come true. Literally! I've had that dream - that's the sort of thing I dream about!
"The brief was: 'We want to produce three audio movies akin to the 1960s Who films starring Peter Cushing. Bright popcorn tales of adventure and sweeping stories.' I rationalised it as being, 'What if Milton Subotsky did a movie version of The Keys of Marinus and it did really well, so he decided to get Terry Nation to write a sequel?' Or 'What if they had managed to sell Doctor Who to America so it got a film series budget in its second year?'
"It's not Unbound in the sense of doing a 'What-if' in terms of continuity. I mean, you can treat it as a 'What if Jonny Morris was sent 60 years back in time and given the keys to the Big Finish office?' exercise if you like! But I wrote it to fit in with continuity - not just TV, but stuff from the annuals, comic strips, the sweet cigarette cards, and other audios where possible. It is a sequel to a TV episode so naturally it has to follow the continuity of that."
David Bradley, Jamie Glover, Jemma Powell (archive photo)
Adam Howden, Robert Gill, Joseph Millson, Sulin Hasso, Derek Elroy, Jemma Powell, Timothy Blore
