Big Finish has made an Ian McNeice Churchill story free for one week only as its #lockdownload title. Full details of this and the associated sale below.

Happy Birthday Mr Churchill

First Lord of the Admiralty, British Prime Minister during the Second World War, and close friend of several incarnations of the Doctor, Winston Churchill was born 146 years ago today. 

When Churchill encountered the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who: Victory of the Daleks, in 2010, we learned that this wasn’t the first time the pair had met from hints of several other encounters between them. Over two volumes, Big Finish’s series The Churchill Years has filled in some of the back story.  

During the UK-wide lockdown earlier this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Big Finish began a series of weekly free downloadable audio dramas – or #lockdownloads. This week’s free title is:  

The Churchill Years — The Oncoming Storm, by Phil Mulryne 

Ian McNeice (who has appeared in a number of Doctor Who adventures on TV) and Emily Atack (familiar to many as star of The Inbetweeners, and Celebrity Juice) star as Churchill and his secretary Hetty in this complete, hour-long audio adventure.  

Late 1939. Britain faces the might of Germany. Winston Churchill serves as First Lord of the Admiralty. But Churchill soon finds himself facing a more immediate threat than the looming Nazi menace.  

A ‘Stone’ with the most mysterious properties is discovered in the Thames’ sands, and soon oddly spoken soldiers are creeping round London ruthlessly trying to acquire it. Who are they? 

Can Churchill and his new secretary Hetty Warner defeat them? And what about the man in the battered leather jacket that Hetty meets? Churchill feels sure they can rely on the Doctor to help them! Except that this Doctor seems to want to stay hidden in the shadows… 

Listeners can download this story FREE from now until 23:59 (UK time) 06 December 2020 at the Big Finish website.   

Director Ken Bentley said: “The thrill about getting Churchill into the studio was, for me, about the storytelling world. One of the fascinating things about Big Finish (and Doctor Who itself) is the broad range of storytelling worlds the plays inhabit. Unusually the period in which Churchill lived isn’t a world we’ve visited often, so it felt fresh and exciting to explore.” 

Producer David Richardson added: “I’m fiercely proud of this series – I think the scripts are top notch, Ian does a superb job, the tone is really engrossing and the stories are very rich. It’s one of my favourites and I think people are going to love it.” 

Emily Atack added: “I was a little bit nervous when I first walked in, not really knowing what to expect. But I’ve really taken to it. It’s been such a lovely job. It’s a really meaty character. I’ve enjoyed it.” 

Plus, for one week only, Big Finish listeners can get up to 70% OFF all collector’s edition CD box sets and downloads in The Churchill Years range at the Weekly Deals page: https://www.bigfinish.com/collections/v/weekly-deals  

Additional Doctor Who stories featuring Ian McNeice as Winston Churchill (including Ravenous volume 1, The Third Doctor Adventures volume 6, and Subterfuge) are also discounted in this sale.