The Sirens of Time (audio story)

The Sirens of Time
Doctor:	[[doctor::Fifth Doctor Sixth Doctor Seventh Doctor]]
Main enemy:	The Knights of Velyshaa The Sirens of Time
Main setting:	Gallifrey The U-20, the Atlantic Ocean, 7 May 1915 The Edifice, the Kurgon system, 3562
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Big Finish Productions]]
Writer:	Nicholas Briggs
Director:	Nicholas Briggs
Producer:	Jason Haigh-Ellery and Gary Russell
Release details
Release number:	1
Release date:	July 1999
Format:	4 Episodes on 2 CDs
Production code:	7Z
ISBN:	ISBN 1-903654-28-9
Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories
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The Sirens of Time is the first in the series of Doctor Who audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions. Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, the four-part story features the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors, with Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy respectively reprising their roles from the original television series.

Publisher's summary

Gallifrey is in a state of crisis, facing Destruction at the hands of an overwhelming enemy. And the Doctor is involved in three different incarnations - each caught up in a deadly adventure, scattered across time and space. The web of time is threatened - and someone wants the Doctor dead.

The three incarnations of the Doctor must join together to set time back on the right track - but in doing so, will they unleash a still greater threat?

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison
• The Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
• The Seventh Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
• Commander Raldeth / Schmidt - Andrew Fettes
• Coordinator Vansell - Anthony Keetch
• The President - Michael Wade
• Elenya / Helen / Ellie / Knight Commander Lyena - Sarah Mowat
• Ruthley - Maggie Stables
• Sancroff - Colin McIntyre
• Commandant / Lt Zentner / Pilot Azimendah / Sub-Commander Solanec - John Wadmore
• Captain Walther Schwieger / Edifice Captain / Knight 2 - Mark Gatiss
• The Temperon - Nicholas Briggs
• Delegate - Nicholas Pegg

References

Astronomical objects

• Calfadoria
• The Kurgon Wonder was created as a result of the Knights of Velyshaa attempting to capture the Temperon.

The Doctor

• The fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations of the Doctor make telepathic contact with one another to apprise all of them of the situation. They trigger it with the spoken command "Contact".

Individuals

• Tegan and Turlough are trapped in the Fifth Doctor's TARDIS when he arrives.
• The Sixth Doctor mentions that he knows Hadene Lestrade.

Organisations

• Coordinator Vansell is a member of the Celestial Intervention Agency.
• The Galactic Wonders Commission decides which objects are Wonders of the Universe.

Species

• The Knights of Velyshaa appear.
• The Temperon is a legendary time beast. It is a 'cousin' of the Chronovores.

TARDIS

• TARDISes have a time core.
• Cloister Bell

Theories and concepts

• The Laws of Time (supposedly) stop the Doctor's incarnations from meeting.

Timeline

Sirens' altered timeline

• The Fifth Doctor accidentally prevents the U-20 from sinking the RMS Lusitania in the Atlantic Ocean on 7 May 1915. This allows Eric Charles Vincent to kill Alexander Fleming before he discovered penicillin.

Notes

• This is the first appearence of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors together.
• Several references to the AudioVisuals audio dramas are made during this story including:

• The appearance of Drudges, originally robotic servants of Conglomerate who appeared in Conglomerate, The Destructor Contract and Subterfuge, respectively.
• The appearance of the Temperons, which first appeared in The Time Ravagers.
• Mention of Calfedorian Tri-Planetary Alliance which first appeared in Maenad before being mentioned several times in future stories.

• In episode 3, Helen and the U-boat crew are unable to understand each other, despite the usual application of the Doctor/TARDIS' Translation circuit.
• Maggie Stables, Sarah Mowat and Anthony Keetch all reappeared later in other Doctor Who audios.

• Anthony Keetch reprises his role of Vansell in The Apocalypse Element, Neverland, He Jests at Scars..., Reborn, Disassembled and Forever.
• Maggie Stables was later cast as Evelyn Smythe, a companion to the Sixth Doctor.
• Sarah Mowat was later cast as Susan Mendes.

• The Sirens of Time was originally released on cassette and CD.
• Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy would all later appear together in BFA: Zagreus and BFA: The Four Doctors, both of which also feature Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. Furthermore, Baker and McCoy appear in BFA: Project: Lazarus, BFA: The Wormery and BFA: Thicker than Water together.
• This audio drama was recorded on 6 and 7 March 1999.

Continuity

• The Fifth and Seventh Doctors previously met each other in MA: Cold Fusion and would later do so again prior to the events of BFA: The Veiled Leopard. The latter is not actually depicted but is witnessed by the former's companions Peri Brown and Erimem. Peri describes the Seventh Doctor as being "a kooky little guy in a weird pullover." She would later meet him more formally in NA: Bad Therapy.
• The Sixth Doctor recalls climbing the Himalayas during his first incarnation. (DW: Marco Polo)
• The Knights of Velyshaa are mentioned and a Knight appears in BFDE: Invasion of the Daleks.
• Vansell reappears in BFA: The Apocalypse Element and BFA: Neverland. Following his death in the latter story, alternative versions of Vansell appear in BFDWU: He Jests at Scars..., BFG: Reborn, BFG: Disassembled and BFG: Forever.
• According to PDA: Instruments of Darkness, Evelyn Smythe was in the TARDIS while the Sixth Doctor was at the Kurgon Wonder.
• The method by which the Doctors telepathically contact one other ("Contact") was first seen in DW: The Three Doctors.
• Sancroff is mentioned by Kalendorf in BFDE: Dalek War: Chapter Four.

Timeline

For the Fifth Doctor

• This story occurs after ST: Lily
• This story occurs before ST: Qualia

For the Sixth Doctor

• This story occurs after BFA: The Marian Conspiracy
• This story occurs before BFA: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

For the Seventh Doctor

• This story occurs after NA: The Room With No Doors (after the Doctor returns Penelope and Joel home)
• This story occurs before PDA: Bullet Time

See also

• DW: The Three Doctors
• DW: The Two Doctors
• DW: The Five Doctors
• DW: Dimensions in Time
• MA: Cold Fusion
• VG: Destiny of the Doctors
• EDA: The Eight Doctors
• BFA: Zagreus
• DW: Time Crash
• BFA: The Four Doctors

External links

• Official Big Finish The Sirens of Time page at bigfinish.com
• The Sirens of Time at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• DisContinuity for The Sirens of Time at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide
• AudioReview of The Sirens of Time at Regent Times