''The Apocalypse Element'' is a

Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'', the ...

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

based on the long-running British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series '' Doctor Who''. It forms the second serial in the Dalek Empire arc, following on from events in ''

The Genocide Machine ''The Genocide Machine'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It forms the first serial in the Dalek Empire arc, which continues in ''The Apocalypse Element'' ...

''. The arc continues in ''

The Mutant Phase ''The Mutant Phase'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who. It forms the third serial in the Dalek Empire arc, following on from events in ''The Genocide Machine ...

'' and concludes in ''

The Time of the Daleks ''The Time of the Daleks'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It is the last serial in the Dalek Empire arc, which began with ''The Genocide Machine'' a ...

''.

Plot

At a conference on Archetryx between major temporal powers, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn discover that Romana has been missing for twenty years and that the

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 ''Doctor Who ...

s' newest weapon — the Apocalypse Element — threatens not only the

Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', of which the series' main protagonist, the Doctor, is a member. Time Lords are so named for their command ...

s but the entire galaxy.

Cast

*The

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles * ...

—

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series '' Doct ...

Evelyn Smythe Dr Evelyn Smythe is a fictional character played by Maggie Stables in a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. A professor of history from the ...

—

Maggie Stables Maggie Stables was a British actress who played the part of the companion Evelyn Smythe in a range of audio dramas by Big Finish Productions based on the BBC television series '' Doctor Who''. Career Stables began acting as a second career a ...

* Romana —

Lalla Ward Sarah Jill "Lalla" Ward (born 28 June 1951) is an English actress, voice artist and author. She is best known for playing the role of Romana II in the BBC television series '' Doctor Who'' from 1979 to 1981. Career Early career Ward's stage n ...

*Monitor Trinkett — Karen Henson *Assistant Monitor Ensac — James Campbell *Commander Vorna — Andrea Newland *Coordinator Vansell — Anthony Keetch *Monan Host —

Toby Longworth Toby Longworth is a British actor who has appeared on film, radio and television. He is originally from Somerset, where he attended King Edward's School, Bath. He has worked most often as a voice actor, however, notably in several science-fict ...

*The President — Michael Wade *Dalek Voices — Alistair Lock and

Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs (born 29 September 1961) is an English actor, writer, director, sound designer and composer. He is associated with the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Dal ...

*Vrint — Andrew Fettes *Captain Reldath — Andrew Fettes

Notes

*This is the first official appearance of Romana in a production since she left the

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...

and stayed in E-Space in ''

Warriors' Gate ''Warriors' Gate'' is the fifth serial of the 18th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was written by Stephen Gallagher and was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 3 to 24 January 1981. Th ...

''. Later novels established that she returned to normal space, as well as returning to

Gallifrey Gallifrey () is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It is the original home world of the Time Lords, the civilisation to which the protagonist, the Doctor belongs. It is located in ...

, where she eventually became President of the High Council. She returns in future plays such as ''

Neverland Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live. Alth ...

'', ''

Zagreus In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Zagreus ( grc-gre, Ζαγρεύς) was sometimes identified with a god worshipped by the followers of Orphism, the "first Dionysus", a son of Zeus and Persephone, who was dismembered by the Titans and rebo ...

'' and the ''

'' series. The audio story ''

The Chaos Pool ''The Chaos Pool'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Plot Chaos and Order, old friends and old enemies and beginning and end of time come head to head at t ...

'' shows her before she became President, but just after she returned from E-Space. *This story forms the second serial in the Dalek Empire arc, a storyline that started with the

Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy ...

(''

''), continues with the

Fifth Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...

(''

'') and concludes with the

Eighth Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, or ⅛, a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an inte ...

(''

''). Elements from these stories tie in with the '' Dalek Empire'' series. *This story attempts to explain why, in the 1996 ''Doctor Who'' television movie, the

Eye of Harmony Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and c ...

is opened with a human

retina The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which then ...

l pattern. *The Seriphia galaxy is cleansed of life in this story, as part of the Daleks' grand plan to usurp the galaxy without resistance. Although President Romana vowed to block the Daleks from taking Seriphia, by the time of the Dalek Empire spin-off series, Seriphia has become the Daleks' main powerbase. This would suggest that the turbulent political events in the Gallifrey audio series left Seriphia open to the Daleks. *An article by

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', ''The Second Coming'', '' Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...

in the ''Doctor Who Annual 2006'' refers to the events of this story ("the Etra Prime Incident") as one of the opening skirmishes of the Time War. *Romana reassumes the Presidency of the High Council of

s at the end of this story. *This story also introduces the Monan Host, one of several "temporal powers" in the ''Doctor Who'' universe who possess time travel technology. The politics of the temporal powers play a major role in the ''Gallifrey'' audio series, which centres around Romana's presidency. * Co-ordinator Vansell first appeared in ''

The Sirens of Time ''The Sirens of Time'' is a 1999 audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was the first Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the series and became the first in the company's '' M ...

'' and returns in ''

'' and in the ''

Doctor Who Unbound ''Doctor Who Unbound'' is a series of radio drama, audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Free from the constraints of continuity (fiction), continuity, the ''Doctor Who Unbound'' audios present a series of "What if...?" scenarios, a ...

'' play, '' He Jests at Scars...''

External links

Big Finish Productions – ''The Apocalypse Element''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apocalypse Element, The Sixth Doctor audio plays Dalek audio plays Plays by Stephen Cole 2000 audio plays Gallifrey audio plays