Synopsis
From a sleepy English village to an asteroid on the edge of creation, Christmas is celebrated across all of time and space. But beneath the snow and behind the tinsel... the monsters are waiting.
1. Unholy Night by Noga Flaishon - a Missy Adventure
Stranded on the frozen planet of Jul, Missy must face her worst nightmare: the most darling Christmas celebrations imaginable!
Hounded by hospitality, she will need all her wit and malice to survive Noel Falls and its nauseating citizens. For while you can visit any time you like... you can never leave.
2. Legacy of Blood by Julian Richards - a Sixth Doctor and Jago & Litefoot Adventure
It's 1962 and Ellie Higson has lived a long time. Her adventures alongside those inimitable investigators, Professor George Litefoot and Henry Gordon Jago, have long since faded into memory. So why is Ellie suddenly being plagued by her most harrowing recollection of those bygone days?
Drawn to the village of Dunstanton-on-Thames, Ellie is reunited with the Sixth Doctor, on the trail of an ancient evil. As the ice sets in, old friends and enemies return, and the Green Knight is invited out of his prison...
3. Presents of Mind by Mark Wright - a Smith & Sullivan Adventure
On the Winter Solstice, Sarah and Harry are filled with festive anticipation for their trip to Aunt Lavinia's house. What they aren't expecting is to be trapped on a train during a frosty alien assault.
Can they get home for Christmas, or will this journey turn into their longest night?
4. It's a Wonderful War by Jonathan S Powell - an Eighth Doctor Adventure
On an asteroid drifting at the edge of a great war, Foreman Galen Smith is having bad dreams. Dreams of monsters descending from the sky and exterminating his people.
Fortunately, Galen has a guardian angel, an angel who calls himself the Doctor. And he's here to earn his wings.
**Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,500 copies.**
Cast:
- Michelle Gomez (Missy)
- Colin Baker (The Doctor)
- Louise Jameson (Leela)
- Sadie Miller (Sarah Jane Smith)
- John Leeson (K9)
- Nicholas Briggs (Vaanaxyr / The Daleks / Stuart)
- Paul McGann (The Doctor)
- Beth Chalmers (Agnes / Veklin)
- Rosemary Ashe (Narrator)
- Annette Badland (Aunt Lavinia)
- Lisa Bowerman (Ellie Higson)
- Paul Bown (Kevin)
- Cassie Bradley (Sharla Smith)
- Alan Cox (Supervisor Ritter)
- Richard David-Caine (Galen Smith / Monitor)
- Holly Jackson Walters (Vampire)
- Frances Jeater (Mary Evergreen)
- Simon Kane (Tom the Baker)
- Harriet Kershaw (Mrs Brook)
- Joanna Monro (Mrs Knight)
- Roxanne Morgan (Sandra the Innkeeper)
- Harry Myers (Herold)
- Christopher Naylor (Harry Sullivan)
- Jonathan S Powell (Jaxon / Harry)
- Andrew Wincott (Nicholas Smith / Time Lord)
Producer David Richardson
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
- Product Format: 4-disc CD (jewel case in slipcover)
- Number of Discs: 4
- Duration: 303 minutes
BACK STAGE:
Recorded on: 31 October and 17 December 2024, 4 June and 7 July 2025
Producer Jonathan S Powell said: "Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas have long been a big part of the Christmas season, so I was thrilled to keep that tradition alive. Boasting a powerhouse of talent from across the Whoniverse, these four festive delights are packed with terror, laughter, danger and Daleks. Like any good chocolate box! I can’t wait for listeners to gather round the fire with their robot dog, tear open the wrapping paper with their fangs, and dive right in."
On Legacy of Blood, Jonathan said: "I was honoured to meet Christopher Benjamin before his passing and tell him how much Jago & Litefoot has meant to me - as well as being tremendous fun, it was one of the prime movers that got me into audio. I hope that fans like myself will find that this latest case does justice to those infernal investigations of old.”
Lisa Bowerman said: "It's amazing to be back as Ellie. During Jago & Litefoot, except for in one of the audiobooks, we never did a Christmas story. And I always regretted that, because it would have been a perfect fit. But you can look at this and think there’s now a Jago & Litefoot Christmas celebration."
Writer Julian Richards added: "Jago & Litefoot has been close to my heart since before the first series was even written. So much of its brilliance came from Chris and Trevor; there’s a very real sense in which this story is written to reflect that. It's a story about fathers and father figures, and about celebrating the incredible legacy they leave behind.
"I don’t want to give away too much, but I've tried to draw on the whole rich tapestry of Jago & Litefoot - especially series 2 and 5 - as well as a number of other moments and stories that I hope people will pick up on."
Michelle Gomez said: "I'm absolutely delighted with this script [Unholy Night]. Being Missy in a world of saccharine and knowing how uncomfortable that would make her was really, really funny. I love that. There are certain words that do not come naturally to her, like 'nice' for instance."
On Presents of Mind, Sadie Miller said: "Normally we have so many great guest actors, but it was really nice to do a four-hander. It feels very theatrical. And you dive into those relationships between the characters a little bit more. It was something quite new."
On It's a Wonderful War, Paul McGann explains: "The Doctor's not really one for Christmas! He's not one to sit down and relax. H'’s always in the heart of the battle. His companions are the ones who get Christmas.
