December 17th, 2021 14 comments

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Doctor Who The Lost Stories Mind of the Hodiac by Russell T Davies

Big Finish unveils the guest cast for Mind of the Hodiac

Big Finish is excited to announce the star-studded guest cast joining Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford for the audio release of Russell T Davies’ long-lost Doctor Who: Mind of the Hodiac script. The script was written in the 1980s and will be released in March 2022.

This full-cast audio production stars Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Bonnie Langford as companion Melanie Bush alongside a host of brilliant British talent.

Producer Emily Cook said: “We knew we had to step up and assemble an amazing array of talent for Russell’s first-ever Doctor Who script. We also wanted to keep all the characters that were written into the original script and notes so, unlike most other Big Finish recordings, Mind of the Hodiac has a massive guest cast. And what a guest cast!

“We’re thrilled with our final line-up. Some are brand-new to Big Finish; others have been on many audio adventures before. We are delighted to welcome back the wonderful Annette Badland to the world of Doctor Who, this time in the role of Mrs Chinn. We have the marvellous Laurie Kynaston as the mysterious Hodiac. And we can’t wait for you to meet the Maitland family. T’Nia Miller gives a truly captivating performance as Mrs Maitland. She’s phenomenal!

“I could go on… Every single cast member was a joy to work with. And collectively they were a fabulous bunch. It was exciting hearing them bring this lost Russell T Davies story to life. We recorded over a couple of days in the summer with everyone in studio (apart from Colin who was working remotely). There was such a warm, positive atmosphere on both days and a strong sense that we all knew we were working on something special. We are very much looking forward to sharing Mind of the Hodiac with everyone in March 2022.”

Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Mind of the Hodiac is available to pre-order as a collector’s edition CD box set (priced at £14.99) or digital download (at £12.99), at www.bigfinish.com.

Returning to a Russell T Davies-penned drama after her starring roles in Years and Years, Banana and Cucumber, actress T’Nia Miller plays the mother of a family who are experiencing supernatural events that could turn into something much more sinister.

She said: “It’s Russell, isn’t it? His writing’s always a gem – you turn the page and think ‘right, I’m in for a treat here!’ And he writes family so well, I’ve had such fun recording this – to work with everybody, it’s so relaxed – Bonnie is a gem, Annette is just brilliant – it’s like a masterclass.”

Laurie Kynaston (Torchwood, How to Build A Girl) plays the mysterious Hodiac, as he builds an army to complete his deadly quest – with the missing piece being the Doctor’s patchwork coat…

Of the script, Kynaston said: “It’s a beast, it’s enormous in every sense of the word – it’s just got so much imagination, and we go on such a journey.

“And it’s been nice to be back in the room for the first time in a year and a half, back in the studio with another actor – it’s made such a big difference, it’s been great!”

Annette Badland (Doctor Who, Outlander) plays Mrs Chinn, a research scientist with an agenda of her own.

She said: “When I first read the script, I fell in love with it immediately – it’s Russell T Davies, what’s not to like!”

Doctor Who – The Lost Stories: Mind of the Hodiac is now available to pre-order as a collector’s edition CD box set (at the special pre-order price of £14.99) or digital download (at just £12.99 until general release), exclusively from the Big Finish website.

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release.

Categorised under: Big Finish, CD, The lost stories