Billie Piper returns to Doctor Who for unseen adventures from a key period of the Russell T Davies era
The new audio series follows Rose Tyler's journey back to The Doctor in The Stolen Earth
Remember how Doctor Who’s Rose Tyler got trapped in an alternate universe after battling the Cyberman and Dalek armies in series two finale Doomsday? And how Billie Piper’s character then managed to teleport back to reunite with David Tennant’s Doctor two years later in series four's The Stolen Earth? Well, what was she up to in the meantime?
Whovians need not wonder any longer, as Big Finish audio is set to fill in the gaps with a series of adventures inspired by former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
Starring Piper as the Doctor’s old companion once again, four-part story Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon is set to explore “Rose’s journey through dying parallel worlds” – the collapse of reality viewers saw during the series four finale.
This will hopefully mean we’ll hear more about Rose’s time in Pete's World – the universe named after her dad – especially her days working for Torchwood, a career move she briefly mentioned to The Doctor in Doomsday.
- Doctor Who New Year’s special plot details revealed
- Could the Daleks return for the Doctor Who New Year special?
- RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox
However, don’t expect any classic baddies to turn up. Although the Daleks and Davros are behind the events of The Stolen Earth, Big Finish says the stories instead focus on Rose and her family and “capture and showcase the beautifully rich human characters of Doctor Who”.
More like this
Alongside Piper, Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall will reprise their roles as Rose’s mum Jackie and her dad Pete, while Mark Benton will once again play alien investigator Clive Finch (who we briefly met in the first episode of the revived show, Rose), with Elli Garnett Clive as partner Caroline.
“I love how normal Rose is, and yet really extraordinary,” said Billie Piper. “She lived a normal average life but she is incredibly curious and has an enormous capacity for love and empathy and is really spirited. She is extraordinary.”
Explaining the development of the series, producer David Richardson said: “I approached Russell T Davies with the idea of Big Finish making a Rose Tyler spin-off. He was very enthusiastic – as always – and suggested we followed Rose’s journey that ultimately leads to her finding the Doctor in The Stolen Earth."
He added: “There is a whole multiverse of possibilities. Russell suggested including Jackie and Pete, and embraced my idea of including a parallel universe version of Clive – who of course was killed off in the TV series (in the 2005 episode Rose).
"It’s rather dark (though never short on wit and charm) but it’s not really about villains. It focuses on the fight to survive against the odds, and on the power of family and love.”
“That’s the great thing about Doctor Who,” Piper concludes. “It challenges new-thinking. It’s progressive and it can be political in amongst these human emotions and relationships. I think that’s its greatest appeal.”
From the worlds of Doctor Who, Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon will be released in September 2019 and is available for pre-order now at £25 on CD and £20 on download
