Coming soon: an audio drama adaptation of the shelved Doctor Who 30th anniversary special The Dark Dimension. Starting January 23rd 2020, Pharos Features’ Doctor Who: Dark Dimension will reimagine the unmade story almost 30 years after its demise.
First conceived in 1993, The Dark Dimension (sometimes known as Lost in the Dark Dimension) was a direct-to-video drama commissioned by the-then BBC Enterprises to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the TV series, Doctor Who. Yet, after script concessions, miscalculation of budgets and a loss of confidence in the production, the project was shelved.
Now, a leaked rehearsal script for the original film has been adapted into a four-part audio drama, with a cast of 30 from 6 different countries, recorded in isolation over two worldwide lockdowns.
Every Saturday (from 23 January to 13 February), a new episode of Doctor Who: Dark Dimension will be released live via YouTube Premiere. The episode will then be available to listen to on demand the Monday following its Premiere stream (25th January – 15th February).
Pharos Features executive producer and director of Doctor Who: Dark Dimension, Billy Garratt-John said; “The original Dark Dimension project has been a source of great intrigue for Doctor Who fans for nearly three decades.
“Now, with the help of some immensely talented, generous and passionate fans, performers and artists, we hope to capture that mystery and deliver a highly-polished full-cast audio adventure worthy of this great legend.”
The cast include alumni from official Doctor Who projects within the wider universes of the franchise, including Chris Walker-Thomson (Doctor Who and the Star Beast) as the villainous Prime Minister Oliver Hawkspur, Jonathon Carley (Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins – Forged in Fire as the titular War Doctor, formally played by the late Sir John Hurt), Sophie Iles (A Song For Running and Master Thief – part of the epic Time Lord Victorious saga – performed by Jon Culshaw – and the Bernice Summerfield adventure The Frosted Deer) and Christopher Johnson (Gallifrey IV, the Bernice Summerfield story Private Enemy No. 1 and the final episode of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, ‘The Gunpowder Plot’).
In addition, specially commissioned artwork will be unveiled throughout the release of the project, from artists Tom Newsom (Big Finish cover artist), Andy-Mark Thompson, David Burgess and others.
Matthew Toffolo, who plays the Fourth Doctor (as originally performed by Tom Baker) in Doctor Who: Dark Dimension and also acts as script editor for the production said; “Billy has done and amazing job adapting the story to audio in a way that makes it stay true to the themes of the original.
“It’s been a great pleasure playing a weary 90s-era Fourth Doctor and hearing the project come together with incredibly talented voice acting, editing, sound design and an equally impressive soundtrack. I look forward to finally being able to step inside The Dark Dimension upon its release.”
The first part of Doctor Who: Dark Dimension releases on the Pharos Features YouTube channel at 7pm UK time on Saturday January 23rd 2020. Here’s the synopsis and cast list:
2025. The Earth is a smouldering husk – ravaged by fire and floods. A small pocket of resistance fighters led by Commander Summerfield must fight a creature they can’t defeat in a universe where the Doctor is dead.
Starring Matthew Toffolo, Chris Walker-Thomson, Laura Jayne-Hunt and Ellie Collins.
Adapted and directed by Billy Garratt-John.
Stay tuned to Pharos Features for more information, and to Who Review for an exclusive, spoiler-free review of the first-episode later this month.
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