The Latest Big Finish News

Delay to New Website

(11/04/2012)
As Nick said might be the case in last week's podcast, we are sorry to have to announce a delay to the launch of our new website.

At Big Finish we are always striving to make things better for you, our loyal listeners, and while in the final phase of testing the new site we realised that we had an opportunity to do just that.

“It will be like Big Finish offering the same level of ecommerce as Amazon or something!” new Web Producer Richard Dinnick says. “We’re sad to have to delay the launch but when it comes to doing things fast or doing things right, Big Finish prefers the latter."

That doesn’t mean we can't be both right and relatively fast, though. We’ll need new merchant codes and time to integrate the currencies with the improved ecommerce system, but we’re pleased to say that the new site will now launch on Monday 30th April. So you won’t have to wait too much longer for all those bells and whistles!

“The extra time also gives us a chance to give you more of a heads-up on the new site,” Richard adds. “We’ve already outlined the site in general and looked at ranges and hubs in specific, but we can let you know about other aspects of the new site such as the new subscription process. Every cloud...!”

Watch this space for further information and updates, and apologies for the slight delay. The current website will continue to operate as normal in the interim.

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Podcast - April 002: The Perfidious Mariner - 11 April 2012

(11/04/2012)
With Nick Briggs away on holiday, David Richardson sequestered in the studio and Paul Spragg sitting at his desk with no idea how to use editing technology, it falls to sound supremo Martin Montague to undertake this week's podcast. And, despite what Nick said last week, it's all about Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner.

It's just after the sinking of the Titanic, and a retired Holmes has left crime-solving behind. But he's about to be drawn into a case which will test his intellect to the limit...

Find out more about this special Sherlock Holmes release in this behind-the-scenes podcast, featuring interviews with stars Nicholas Briggs, Richard Earl, Toby Longworth, Michael Maloney and Tracey Childs, plus some clips of the story... and more!

There's also a reminder of this month's competition, which you can enter by e-mailing podcast@bigfinish.com, the same address for all your letters. Download or stream some Holmes now!


Download Podcast Here

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Podcast - April 001: This Month's Releases - 06 April 2012

(06/04/2012)
Happy Easter everyone!

While you're unwrapping all the chocolatey goodness you can prise into your face, why not have a listen to the latest Big Finish podcast? Nick Briggs and Paul Spragg are back on deck to provide everything you need to know about this month's releases... and more!

Clips abound as we preview Doctor Who releases The Emerald Tiger, Energy of the Daleks and The Wanderer, plus Dark Shadows: Dress Me in Dark Dreams and Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner.

But that's not all! There's a sneak peek of the new Stargate audio series, news on Nick's recent trip to Cardiff, a brief spelling lesson, more of your letters answered and... the winners of last month's competition and the start of a brand new one!

It's everything you'll need for April and you can download or stream it now. And don't forget: competition entries and any letters/questions for us can be sent to podcast@bigfinish.com


Download Podcast Here

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Companion Chronicles - Series 7 Details

(05/04/2012)
Details have been announced for the seventh season of The Companion Chronicles, the Big Finish audio range which follows the Doctor’s companions in brand new, exciting adventures.

The next season launches in July with The Time Museum by James Goss, which stars William Russell as Ian Chesterton and Philip Pope as Pendolin. “The Time Museum is a celebration of the life of Ian,” says producer David Richardson, “and it’s a lovely script by Companion Chronicles newcomer James, who has written Doctor Who tales for AudioGO and produces our own Dark Shadows series with Joseph Lidster.

“We had intended that a story called The Alchemists would be released in this slot, but last minute scheduling problems meant that this First Doctor story has had to take it place. The Alchemists will instead be released in 2013.”

Wendy Padbury returns as Zoe Heriot in August, reunited with her daughter Charlie Hayes as Jen, in The Uncertainty Principle by Simon Guerrier. “This is a continuation of the older Zoe’s incarceration by the mysterious Company,” says producer David Richardson, “which also explores a hidden memory of Zoe’s time with the Doctor.”

Maggie O’Neill (Shameless, EastEnders) reprises the role of Aristedes from Project: Destiny and stars alongside Sylvester McCoy in Project: Nirvana, a brand new Forge story by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright in September. “We’d loved working with Maggie,” says David, “and she was so good we wanted to find a way to bring her back for more. A Companion Chronicle which delved back into that mysterious organization known as The Forge seemed the perfect opportunity to reunite Aristedes with the Doctor, and find out what she has been up to since we last saw her.”

October’s release is The Last Post by James Goss, which stars Caroline John and Liz Shaw, while Rowena Cooper (The Sarah Jane Adventures: Lost in Time) plays her mother Emily. “We fell in love with this script,” says David, “a dark, twisted and witty story about a series of letters that predict the deaths of important figures in British society. And it’s one that spreads its tendrils through the whole era of the Third Doctor!”

Peter Purves returns as Steven Taylor in November, battling an enemy from last year’s popular The Rocket Men. “Yes, Return of the Rocket Men sees the return of the jet-pack wearing vagabonds! John Dorney’s original story was hugely popular, and the Rocket Men were such quintessential 1960s villains that a rematch seemed inevitable. This time Matt Fitton is on writing duties, and he’s delivered a surprising, clever script to match John Dorney’s original.”

Louise Jameson plays Leela in December’s The Child by Nigel Fairs; William Russell and Carole Ann Ford perform together in January’s double-disc historical The Flames of Cadiz by Marc Platt, while Anneke Wills and Frazer Hines are back together in February in an as-yet-unnamed story by Steve Lyons.

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New Website: Finding the Things You Love

(05/04/2012)
As part of our ongoing build-up to the new Big Finish website’s launch on 11th April, we thought we’d tell you about the new Hubs and Ranges sections. These have been designed so that you can find exactly what you’re looking for as quickly as possible.

First up: hubs. When there are a number of ranges that fall within one, over-arching category, we have created a new level to the site. These are the Hubs and when we launch we will have four of them:  Doctor Who, Bernice Summerfield, Dark Shadows and Textbook Stuff.

Fans of these franchises will be able to see at a glance the latest releases from a selection of three ranges within that hub. It should also be clear which ranges there are in each hub because there will be a 'range navigator' at the top of each page, similar to the one for all ranges that sits on the site’s home page.

Speaking of which, there are a number of ways you’ll be able to find any of our ranges. As well as the range navigator on the home and hub pages, there is also a Ranges page, which will display all the logos for all the ranges. Or you can use the drop-down menu at the top right of the site to select the range you’re after.

So, what can you see when you get to a range page? We have illustrated this piece with a screen grab of the Doctor Who Main Range page so you can see as we talk you through it.

The first thing to say is that the latest release is front and centre. Its cover image is the biggest on the page and therefore easily identified. Beneath that are the two other most recent releases in the range. Clicking on the release’s cover image or title will take you to that story’s individual page.

Beneath that is a link to all released items in the range. But don’t worry; if you want to see all the stories that have been released and all the forthcoming ones, you can. The listing page allows you to filter your results and also to order them by date, price, etc.

To the right of the latest release is the Coming Soon column, which shows the next three releases in chronological order, most imminent first. You have the same ability to click on either the cover or the title to take you to a page with a synopsis and other details of the selected story.

Moving across the page, we then have the final column in which you will find a brief introduction to the range, a subscribe button and the new 'find & filter' box.

We’re very excited by this last development because it will allow you to display a full list of releases featuring your favourite Doctor, companion, returning character or enemy. You can search for releases with a certain word in the title or for a specific release number. You can even look for releases between certain dates, so if you’ve got any gaps in your collection, you can quickly identify what they are.

We hope you’ll agree that these changes will make things a lot easier for you to find the things you want to.

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