Bernice Summerfield ( series ) Bernice Summerfield was the first series produced by Big Finish Productions , combining both audio and prose releases in an ongoing narrative , with the titular character portrayed by Lisa Bowerman . The series began in 1998 with audio adaptations of six Virgin New Adventures novels . After this first season ' s success , Big Finish began producing audio stories and prose stories simultaneously . These were initially released alternately so that both the audio and the prose made up one continuous series , with some of the wider arc stories only being featured and explained in detail in one medium . For example , Bernice ' s pregnancy began and ended in the novels " The Gods of the Underworld " and " The Glass Prison " , but the audio stories made several minor references to her pregnancy . However , this practice ceased after the third series . Many characters created or established in the Virgin New Adventures , such as Jason Kane and Irving Braxiatel , made major appearances in this series . Most of the stories cover Bernice ' s life following her departure from travelling with the Doctor . However , several prose releases have featured stories that portrayed Bernice ' s life long before she met the Doctor . The series concluded in 2013 , but it was relaunched the next year as " The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield " . Stories . Series 1 . Series 1 was a collection of audio adaptations of Virgin New Adventures novels . Series 2 . Beginning with series 2 , Big Finish began to release original audio stories about Bernice Summerfield . They also began to publish short story anthologies that continued ongoing plotlines from the audios . Series 6 . Staring in series 6 , the anthology releases began to alternate between collections of short stories and groupings of three novellas . This continued until series 9 . " Epoch " . After series 11 , Big Finish began to release new Bernice Summerfield audios in collected " boxsets " rather than spread out over months . " Road Trip " . " Road Trip " began the pattern that would last until the series ' penultimate release , where the boxset would include three audio stories and be accompanied by a tie - in novel . " Many Happy Returns " . The audio story " Many Happy Returns " was released in November 2012 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Bernice Summerfield ' s introduction in " Love and War " . Its contributors included Xanna Eve Chown , Stephen Cole , Paul Cornell , Stephen Fewell , Simon Guerrier , Scott Handcock , Rebecca Levene , Jacqueline Rayner , Justin Richards , Miles Richardson , Eddie Robson , and Dave Stone . A portion of the proceeds went to the myalgic encephalomyelitis charity " Invest in M . E . " The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield . In 2014 , the Bernice Summerfield audio series continued as " The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield " , now with the Doctor Who license and featuring the Doctor . The release format continued to be annual boxsets , with occasional accompanying book releases under the " Bernice Summerfield " title . Crossovers . The Bernice Summerfield range occasionally crossed over with other ranges . For instance , " The Plague Herds of Excelis " was branded as a Bernice Summerfield story but published not in the Bernice Summerfield range but in the Excelis Saga . Similarly , Bernice Summerfield starred in " The Phantom Wreck " from " The Worlds of Big Finish " , a boxset which also featured characters from Big Finish ' s " Graceless " , " Iris Wildthyme " , " Vienna " , " Sherlock Holmes " , and " Dorian Gray " ranges .