# Doctor Who Unbound

Doctor Who Unbound is a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Free from the constraints of continuity, the Doctor Who Unbound audios present a series of "What if...?" scenarios, and cast new actors in the role of the Doctor.

## Background

In Exile, Arabella Weir plays a female incarnation of the Doctor. American alternative weekly Houston Press's Jef Rouner described her portrayal as "one of the most melancholy of all the Doctors." Other actors who played the Doctor included Geoffrey Bayldon, David Collings, Derek Jacobi, and David Warner.
Sympathy for the Devil features UNIT during the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. David Warner played an alternate Third Doctor in the story, which also saw Nicholas Courtney play an alternate version of The Brigadier and Mark Gatiss play an alternate version of The Master. Warner and Courtney reprised their roles for the eighth story in the range, Masters of War. In 2016, Warner and Gatiss reprised their roles as the Doctor and the Master respectively for The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield audio drama series: The Unbound Universe and its sequel Ruler of the Universe in 2017. After being pulled from the Unbound universe into the regular continuity of the Doctor Who universe, both characters have made ongoing appearances in various Big Finish ranges.
In February 2022, after a 14-year hiatus, Big Finish Productions announced the return of Unbound. Two boxsets, compromising of 3 stories in each, feature Colin Baker as an alternate Warrior Doctor known as "The Doctor of War" in a universe where the Fourth Doctor made the ultimate decision on Skaro, destroying the Daleks and showing how events may have unfolded after that fateful decision was made. These boxsets were announced to be released in April and September 2022 respectively.
On 28 September 2022, Big Finish re-released the original first 8 stories in a download boxset titled Doctor Who: Unbound: 1-8 Collected.
From 2017 to 2021, David Bradley reprised the role of First Doctor in Big Finish's The First Doctor Adventures range, having played the character in the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon A Time" and 2022 Centenary special "The Power of the Doctor" as well as 2013 docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time" in which he played original First Doctor actor William Hartnell. The latter which he co-starred with Jemma Powell, Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant who played actors Jaqueline Hill, William Russell and Carole Ann Ford in the docudrama as well as playing the actors's original parts of Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton and Susan Foreman. On 11 February 2022, it was announced that Stephen Noonan would instead takeover the role of the First Doctor with a portrayal closer to the character's original depiction. In April 2022, Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs expressed interest in producing further stories with Bradley. In Issue 167 of Big Finish's magazine Vortex, Briggs teased further stories featuring Bradley's portrayal, saying "We've some very exciting plans afoot for further stories with David Bradley — something quite out of the ordinary and rather delightful." On 17 April, it was announced Bradley would continue to play a new alternate version of the First Doctor alongside Powell, Glover and Grant as alternate versions of their respective characters, but now as part of the Unbound range instead, in a series titled The First Doctor Unbound. Producer David O’Mahony stated that the series would take "stylistic inspiration" from “The Peter Cushing feature films".

## Cast and characters

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season.
* A green cell indicates the actor is a main cast member.
* A red cell indicates the actor is a recurring cast member.
* A light blue cell indicates the actor is a guest or special guest cast member.
| Actor | Character | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances | Appearances |
| Actor | Character | Original series | Original series | Original series | Original series | Original series | Original series | Original series | Original series | Doctor of War | Doctor of War | The First Doctor Unbound |
| Actor | Character | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Gen. | Des. | 1 |
| Geoffrey Bayldon | Alternate Versions of the First Doctor | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| David Bradley | Alternate Versions of the First Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ |
| David Warner | Alternate Third Doctor | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| David Collings | Alternate Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Ian Brooker | Alternate Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Michael Jayston | The Valeyard | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Derek Jacobi | Martin Bannister | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Arabella Weir | Alternate Third Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Colin Baker | The Doctor of War | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Tom Baker | The Fourth Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Nicholas Briggs | The Doctor | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Nicholas Briggs | The Daleks | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | TBA |
| Carole Ann Ford | Susan Foreman | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Claudia Grant | Susan Foreman | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ |
| Nicholas Courtney | The Brigadier | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Mark Gatiss | The Master | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Geoffrey Beevers | The Master | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Nicola Bryant | Peri Brown | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Christopher Naylor | Harry Sullivan | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Sadie Miller | Sarah Jane Smith | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Terry Molloy | Davros | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Louise Jameson | Leela | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ | Does not appear |
| Jemma Powell | Barbara Wright | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ |
| Jamie Glover | Ian Chesterton | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | ✓ |

## Episodes
### Original series (2003–2008)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
| 1 | "Auld Mortality" | Nicholas Briggs | Marc Platt | Alternative First Doctor (Geoffrey Bayldon), Susan Foreman | May 2003 (2003-05) |
| "What if... the Doctor and Susan had never left Gallifrey?" ||||||
| 2 | "Sympathy for the Devil" | Gary Russell | Jonathan Clements | Alternative Third Doctor (David Warner), The Brigadier, The Master | June 2003 (2003-06) |
| "What if... the Doctor had not been UNIT's scientific advisor?" ||||||
| 3 | "Full Fathom Five" | Jason Haigh-Ellery | David Bishop | Alternative Doctor (David Collings), Ruth, Alternative New Doctor (Ian Brooker, uncredited) | July 2003 (2003-07) |
| "What if... the Doctor believed that the ends justified the means?" ||||||
| 4 | "He Jests at Scars..." | Gary Russell | Gary Russell | The Valeyard, Mel | August 2003 (2003-08) |
| "What if... the Valeyard had won" at the end of The Trial of a Time Lord?" ||||||
| 5 | "Deadline" | Nicholas Briggs | Robert Shearman | Martin Bannister (Derek Jacobi), Philip, Barbara, Amy/Susan | September 2003 (2003-09) |
| "What if... Doctor Who did not materialise as a television series?" ||||||
| 6 | "Exile" | Nicholas Briggs | Nicholas Briggs | The Previous Doctor (Nicholas Briggs), Alternative Third Doctor (Arabella Weir) | September 2003 (2003-09) |
| "What if... the Doctor had escaped the justice of the Time Lords" at the end of The War Games?" ||||||
| 7 | "A Storm of Angels" | John Ainsworth | Marc Platt | Alternative First Doctor (Geoffrey Bayldon), Susan Foreman | January 2005 (2005-01) |
| "What if... the Doctor really had changed history, even just the tiniest bit?" ||||||
| 8 | "Masters of War" | Jason Haigh-Ellery | Eddie Robson | Alternative Third Doctor (David Warner), The Brigadier, Davros, Daleks, Thals | December 2008 (2008-12) |
| "What if.... the Doctor and the Brigadier travelled in the TARDIS together?" ||||||

### Doctor of War (2022)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
| Genesis ||||||
| 1 | "Dust Devil" | Barnaby Kay | John Dorney | The Doctor of War (Colin Baker), Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Peri Brown, Narvin | April 2022 (2022-04) |
| 2 | "Aftershocks" | Barnaby Kay | Lou Morgan | The Doctor of War, The Master, Narvin | April 2022 (2022-04) |
| 3 | "The Difference Office" | Barnaby Kay | James Kettle | The Doctor of War, Romana, Daleks, Kraals | April 2022 (2022-04) |
| Destiny ||||||
| 1 | "Who Am I?" | Barnaby Kay | Nigel Fairs | The Doctor of War, The Master | September 2022 (2022-09) |
| 2 | "Time Killers" | Barnaby Kay | Lizzie Hopley | The Doctor of War, The Master | September 2022 (2022-09) |
| 3 | "The Key to Key to Time" | Barnaby Kay | Tim Foley | The Doctor of War, The White Guardian | September 2022 (2022-09) |

### The First Doctor Unbound

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Featuring | Released |
| 1 | TBA | TBD | LR Hay | N/A | September 2025 (2025-09) |

## Reception

Den of Geek's Andrew Blair selected Doctor Who Unbound as one of the ten Doctor Who stories that would make great musicals. The Mary Sue's Alan Kistler said "fans enjoyed imagining these alternate Doctors" of David Warner and Arabella Weir. American alternative weekly newspaper Houston Press's Jef Rouner said the series "fielded a fantastic set of stories."

## Fandom

In 2016, BBC America's Anglophenia featured a fan-made version of the Doctor Who theme music for Unbound's alternate Second Doctor.