Today Big Finish has released the January 2020 main range title Dark Universe. It’s a Guy Adams Seventh Doctor and Ace story with the Eleven as the villain (as revealed here). Why it this story worth an extra mention? Well it’s because of where it sits in the Big Finish continuity (I’m not saying canon, well only here in these parantheses) . It’s what I like to think of as a jigsaw puzzle piece – it slots in connected a group of stories together. It might be a nexus, deliberately connecting threads or just a happy intersection. Any, Dark Universe is one such. I’ll let Big Finish explain…

Dark Universe

First the plot synopsis:

The Eleven has a plan. A grand plan. An appalling plan. A plan that endangers all life in the cosmos.

With Ace working against him, 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…

David Richardson gives the big picture:

“I’d long planned that if ever I was in a position to make it happen, we’d do a story with the Seventh Doctor and the Eleven, and tell the lead-in to the first scenes in the Eighth Doctor series, Doom Coalition…

“There’s a lot in Dark Universe – not only does it return to the Eleven’s story, it also shows what happens to Ace in her later life. And it features Ollistra and Rasmus, two characters who are important to our ongoing Time War series, plus it sets up other things too… It’s actually a pivotal release, for so many reasons.”

To add some more colour, we’ve this from Mark Bonnar:

“I was really pleased with the script as it gave a bit of the Eleven’s backstory. When I first played the Eleven, Sylvester was the Doctor who caught him. I’d met him previously because Sophie Aldred is a pal of mine, but it was really good to work with him as we hit it off pretty much straight away.”

“I really enjoyed being the Eleven with another Doctor this time – I hope there are plans to have him meet some of the other ones!”

It’s going to be interesting to hear how some of these connections work – my hope is Big Finish leaves some mystery and avoids over-explaining.

Look out for my review!