Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Respond To All Calls
Christopher Eccleston returns valiantly to the Tardis in Ravagers and stays the course with Respond to All Calls. Big Finish Productions delivers on their Whovian promises in these three stories. It’s easy to break them up into chunks that will fit into your busy schedule or binge them as I did. Either way, you are sure to enjoy these if you are a fan of the Ninth Doctor. So, without further ado, Big Finish and Doctor Who bring you Respond to all Calls.
By: Big Finish
Cover Art: Tom Webster
Director: Helen Goldwyn
Released in: August 2021
Each of the standalone stories in this box set features the Ninth Doctor doing what he does best – responding to distress calls. This second volume of stories is again set before he met Rose. Although, I have minted my own head-canon where he met her and left in the Tardis as he did at the end of the episode Rose. Instead of coming right back though, he traveled about a bit. But we can keep that our secret.
The Doctor arrives on the scene as always without asking the right questions and expecting the right answers. Who can blame him when there is simply too much to consider at once. We all must start somewhere.
Girl, Deconstructed
Written by: Lisa McMullin
Starring: Pearl Appleby, Mirren Mack, Forbes Masson
DC Jana Lee is a grounded individual that understands the world even as it’s flipped upside down. Her past comes back to haunt her, which would leave most people off balance. However, she can learn to move forward once she confronts her ghosts.
This is a story of being careful what you wish for as Marnie McDonald is dispersed in the ether after an argument with her dad. Her dad fears that she ran away.
Hope doesn’t nag. It sits patiently waiting for you to believe it.
The Ninth Doctor
A missing persons report leads to a distress call straight to the Tardis, and the Doctor is on the case. The Doctor joins forces with Jana in an attempt to put all the pieces to this mystery together.
Fright Motif
Written by: Tim Foley
Starring: Damian Lynch, Gemma Whelan, and Adrian Shiller
American Jazz pianist Artie Berger calls post-war Paris home. This talented musician has perfect pitch. Well, he had perfect pitch. Now, he’s prey to the dissonance.
There’s a sound creature on the loose in post-war Paris hunting Artie, and others are becoming collateral damage. With the help of the Doctor, friend Zazie, and strict employer Maurice, musician Artie Berger might be able get his fingers back on the keys again.
Planet of the End
Written by: Timothy X Atack
Starring: Jan Francis, Nick Fletcher
Resident AI of Occasus (a.k.a. Fred) has developed a fault – a personality. As time passes, it turns out to have quite the cheek. And time passes it does.
The Doctor lands on mausoleum world, Occasus, and meets the resident AI. He’s only there to sort out some faulty records and answer a distress call. Sacristan Hinge might have something to say about that though if he can get there in time.
These audio adventures featuring Christopher Eccleston will fill in that Tardis-shaped hole in your life until this Autumn when the next series premiers. I found The Planet of the End a slower story. It was still brilliant; I believe it would have served better in the middle or listened to separately.
Make sure to grab your copy from Big Finish!