Doctor Who's Paul McGann to face Eric Roberts' Master again after 23 years

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

From Digital Spy

Not just one Master will do for Big Finish: Paul McGann will be pitted against four different incarnations of the villain in his latest Eighth Doctor audio boxset.

Ravenous 4 – being released in October – will see McGann face off with Michelle Gomez's Missy, Derek Jacobi's War Master, Geoffrey Beevers' classic version and, for the first time in 23 years, Eric Roberts' version.

The Eighth Doctor and Roberts' Master memorably faced off in McGann's Doctor Who debut, the 1996 TV movie.

The four-story set will also feature another reunion, though one that's not strictly Doctor Wh0-related, with Nicola Walker (playing the Doctor's companion) acting opposite her Last Tango in Halifax co-star Jacobi.

Photo credit: Big Finish
Photo credit: Big Finish

Mark Bonnar (Shetland, Catastrophe) will also reprise his role as deranged murderous Time Lord, the Eleven, with Hattie Morahan also returning as companion Helen Sinclair.

Ravenous 4 will see the past, the present, and the future conspire against the Doctor as he fights to defeat the only creature ever to strike fear into the hearts of a Time Lord, and will wrap up the arc that began in April 2018's Ravenous 1 and continued with October 2018's Ravenous 2, with Ravenous 3 set for release in April.

Photo credit: Big Finish
Photo credit: Big Finish

The finale is comprised of the stories 'Whisper' by Matt Fitton, 'Planet of Dust' by Matt Fitton and the two-parter 'Day of the Master' by John Dorney.

"'Day of the Master' was possibly the most exciting and yet terrifying brief I’ve ever had," said Dorney. "Finishing off the Ravenous arc was a big enough responsibility on its own... but throw in wanting to give great material to Sir Derek Jacobi... and Michelle Gomez... and that’s before we even get to the heart-stoppingly fantastic prospect of bringing Eric Roberts’ Master back face to face with the Doctor again for the first time in over twenty years.

“Well, you can see why it might be intimidating! But honestly it was one of the best times I’ve ever had writing a Doctor Who story. I really hope the audience enjoy it as much as I did!”

Doctor Who: Ravenous 4 is available for pre-order now ahead of its release in October 2019. Ravenous 3 is also available for pre-order. Both these titles are priced at £23 on CD or £20 on download each.


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