April 26th, 2021
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Big Finish Receives a Guinness World Records™ Title for Doctor Who
Big Finish Productions is proud to announce that its long-running series Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures has received a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Longest running science fiction audio play series.
Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures released a brand-new adventure for 275 consecutive months from July 1999 to March 2021, featuring the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors across the range.
Big Finish Chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery said: “When we began the monthly audio adventures of Doctor Who in July 1999 we hoped we would make it to three years. If we’d achieved that we would have been more than happy.
“22 years later we have produced 275 productions and we are all so proud of the many amazing stories that we have had the opportunity to tell. As the series regenerates into a new range of box sets for each individual Doctor, we look forward to telling new stories in a new format and taking further adventures in the TARDIS.”
Big Finish Creative Director Nicholas Briggs added: “There’s something magical about the words GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, so I’m delighted that the achievement of so many brilliant Big Finish creatives is being deservedly marked and celebrated in this way.”
Fifth Doctor Peter Davison said: “Congratulations Big Finish on such a crowning achievement. Who could have known, when we recorded Sirens of Time back in 1999, where these adventures would take us? Who could have known I’d still be so young and dashing all these years later? The companions, the adversaries, and the stories have all been wonderful and, as always, I’m looking forward to my next adventure.”
Sixth Doctor Colin Baker added: “It’s hard to believe that the Big Finish Monthly Adventures started at the end of the last century. I was in from the Big Beginning, through the Big Middle and was delighted to appear in the Big Finish monthlies’ Big Finish recently. This is a fitting and richly deserved commemoration of that exciting journey and the brilliant writing and wonderful work of all involved. The adventures continue in another form and I am looking forward to them. I hope they never Finish, but if they do – it will be BIG.”
Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy said: “40 years ago in a show called An Evening with Sylvester McCoy – The Human Bomb, we pretended I was in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ book. That was a lie! Now, by association with Big Finish, I am in it. That’s the truth! Brilliant! I’m so proud to be, and so proud to be in the company of all who share this honour.”
Eighth Doctor Paul McGann added: “It was an honour to start my journey at Big Finish with the Monthly Adventures, and to have had the chance to continue playing the Eighth Doctor for so many years since. The creativity of the writers, directors, producers and all the guest actors never ceases to amaze me. Here’s to many more future adventures.”
All 275 Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures are available from the Big Finish website, from just £2.99 per adventure.
Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mailout of collector’s edition CDs (where available) will be delayed, but all purchases unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.
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Anonymous
April 26th, 2021 - 7:30pmWow! Great for them! 😀
Ian Cotterill
April 26th, 2021 - 4:18pmCongratulations!
Doug Who
April 26th, 2021 - 4:04pmWhat a fantastic achievement so well done to all! I have all 275 even if I still have some of the recent releases to catch up on!
It was genuinely thrilling when they launched all those years ago. Just as exciting when the news came that Paul McGann was continuing as the Eighth Doctor and I’m especially pleased that Tom Baker is continuing the adventures of the Fourth Doctor!
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors have all had amazing adventures beyond their TV runs and stories like ‘Jubilee’, ‘Spare Parts’ and so many others better many screen stories.
Many congratulations to all at BF!
the ergon
April 26th, 2021 - 5:12pmAlso Doug, the highly regarded ‘The Chimes of Midnight’. Its interesting that Spare parts was referenced in the twelth doctor TV story ‘World enough and Time/The doctor Falls’ because as soon as i saw those creepy patients in the hospital, Spare Parts immediately sprung to mind. Except in Spare Parts didn,t they have Cybermen on horseback?. That might seem incongruous to some but thrilling to actually see on screen. I mean if Cheetahs need horses why not cybermen?. Well done Big Finish , Long may you continue.
Doug Who
April 27th, 2021 - 5:38pmHi Ergon! ‘Chimes of Midnight’ is another cracker. In fact that whole first Eighth Doctor season was great.
Yes the image of the early Cybermen on (Cyber)horseback was very powerful. It’s on the limited vinyl cover I remember.
I enjoy the ‘Lost Stories’ a lot, finding it fascinating to hear what might have been such as the possible Season 27. In the case of the cancelled season 23, apart from ‘The Nightmare Fair’, it may have been for the best however!
Going to listen to ‘The End of the Beginning’ this weekend!
the ergon
April 27th, 2021 - 7:42pmI really like most of Colins Lost Stories but ‘The Nightmare fair I can actually visualise in my mind how it might have turned out. For example when the miners come to life in the Gold Mine which they would probably have had to shoot separately in studio not the actual Gold Mine ride. That ride sadly isn,t at Blackpool Pleasure Beach anymore and has been replaced with a Wallace and gromit ride in its place, so would now seem more nostalgic than ever. Also it would have been so great to have had Michael Gough on Who for one last time as he was prepared to reprise the Toymaker role. Sadly again it wasn,t to be.
Mcganns first season as you say was great and had the most adventurous travelling companion in Charley Pollard and whom they cast perfect with India Fisher, and would share that same chemistry later on with Lucie Miller played by the excellent Sheridan Smith.
More recently i,ve really enjoyed the ‘Stranded’ series and look forward to volume 3
Doug Who
April 27th, 2021 - 11:50pmI completely agree with you about ‘The Nightmare Fair’. I can really picture how it might have been on screen. The location footage in Blackpool would have been fantastic I’m sure. I loved the idea of the Toymaker’s games being updated for the video game age and yes it would have been great to see Michael Gough in the role one more time. Such a shame he had retired by the time the audio was recorded.
‘Mission to Magnus’ with its ‘school bully’ and female dominated society trope along with ‘The Ultimate Evil’ were perhaps not so great but still interesting to hear…you can picture the studio bound sets though!
Lucie Miller was so good with Paul McGann and I remember being quite surprised they could get her for Big Finish. A real joy was hearing them name-checked in ‘Night of the Doctor’.
Another highlight was the series of Fourth Doctor adventures with the much missed Mary Tamm.
Not yet listened to ‘Stranded’ (it’s on the to be listened to pile!) but I’m looking forward to it.
The ergon
April 28th, 2021 - 1:53pmSheridan didn,t even know she,d been namechecked as you may already know doug, i believe she was told when interviewed on the further adventures of lucie miller. She was pleasantly surprised and touched.
Bobby Davros
April 26th, 2021 - 3:07pmWho was the previous record holder?
CBH
April 27th, 2021 - 3:50amI believe it might have been the Flash Gordon radio dramas that were done over the radio in the 1940s-1950s. I’m not entirely sure but I know there were a whole bunch of them.