Why the long face, Doctor? End of the universe? Oh, okay, understandable. Image : BBC

The Seventh Doctor was a mastermind of fiendishly clever plans that really pushed not just the Doctor’s famous intelligence to its limits, but often involved his infamous dark side, too. And in his next audio adventure, he’s going to need all the fiendish cleverness he can muster—and perhaps even just some fiendishness—to save the day.




io9 can exclusively reveal a first look—well, a first listen—at what’s to come for Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor in Dark Universe, penned by Guy Adams. Set immediately before Big Finish’s epic multipart Eighth Doctor series Doom Coalition, Dark Universe sees McCoy’s Doctor reunited with his beloved companion Ace, once again played by Sophie Aldred, as he goes up against the sinister Time Lord the Eleven (played by the returning Mark Bonnar, who’s been both foe and uneasy ally in several of the Eighth Doctor dramas beyond Doom Coalition).

But there’s a twist for the Doctor that even he’ll struggle to overcome this time around. It’s been 20 years since Ace last saw him, and things have changed a great deal. Check out the trailer and synopsis below, making their debut here on io9!


The Eleven has a plan. A grand plan. An appalling plan. A plan that endangers all life in the cosmos. With Ace working for the enemy, the Doctor must rely on scheming Time Lord Cardinal Ollistra for help. The stage is set for an epic confrontation. Because the Doctor has a plan to stop the Eleven. A grand plan. An appalling plan. A plan that endangers all life in the cosmos. Whichever one of them wins, the Dark Universe won’t want to lose...

Oh dear, Doctor. What have you gotten yourself into this time?

As well as the returning McCoy, Aldred, and Bonnar, Dark Universe will also star Carolyn Pickles as Cardinal Ollistra, Damian Lynch as Captain Rasmus, and many more. Dark Universe’s release date is being kept under wraps for now, but in the meantime, here’s Aldred from her recent appearance in the Class audio dramas, in case you needed a reminder of what Ace has been up to all these years:

Sophie Aldred as Ace. Image : BBC

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