Swipe Right (audio story): Difference between revisions

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|image                  = Swipe Right (audio story).jpg
|image                  = Swipe Right (audio story).jpg
|range                  = Series 3 (9DA){{!}}The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Series 3
|range                  = Series 3 (9DA){{!}}The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Series 3
|series in range        = Buried Threats (audio anthology)
|series in range        = Star-Crossed (audio anthology)
|series number in range = 4
|series number in range = 4
|number in series      = 1
|number in series      = 1
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|companions            = [[River Song|River]]
|companions            = [[River Song|River]]
|featuring              =  
|featuring              =  
|enemy                  =  
|enemy                  = [[The Matchmaker]]
|setting                = [[Crell]]
|setting                = [[Crell]]
|writer                = John Dorney
|writer                = John Dorney
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|prev                  = Ancient History (audio story)
|prev                  = Ancient History (audio story)
|next                  = Face of the Apocalypse (audio story)
|next                  = Face of the Apocalypse (audio story)
}}{{Audio stub}}
}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the first story in the audio anthology ''[[Star-Crossed (audio anthology)|Star-Crossed]]'', produced by [[Big Finish Productions]]. It was written by [[John Dorney]] and featured [[Christopher Eccleston]] as the [[Ninth Doctor]] and [[Alex Kingston]] as [[River Song]].
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the first story in the audio anthology ''[[Star-Crossed (audio anthology)|Star-Crossed]]'', produced by [[Big Finish Productions]]. It was written by [[John Dorney]] and featured [[Christopher Eccleston]] as the [[Ninth Doctor]] and [[Alex Kingston]] as [[River Song]].


== Publisher's summary ==
== Publisher's summary ==
There are strange rumours about the planet [[Crell]]. People have been vanishing. The mysterious Matchmaker is keen to get the populace paired up via his special dating app… but rejecting too many suitors can have fatal consequences.
There are strange rumours about the planet [[Crell]]. People have been vanishing. The mysterious [[Matchmaker (Swipe Right)|Matchmaker]] is keen to get the populace paired up via his special [[dating app]]… but rejecting too many suitors can have fatal consequences.


It's precisely the sort of thing [[Ninth Doctor|the Doctor]] would want to investigate. But unfortunately it's also precisely the sort of thing [[River Song]] would want to investigate too. The Doctor and River are on a collision course - but this time it might not be a match made in heaven.
It's precisely the sort of thing [[Ninth Doctor|the Doctor]] would want to investigate. But unfortunately it's also precisely the sort of thing [[River Song]] would want to investigate too. The Doctor and River are on a collision course - but this time it might not be a match made in [[heaven]].


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
''to be added''
[[Ninth Doctor|The Doctor]] arrives at [[Barclay (Swipe Right)|Barclay]] and [[Natalie (Swipe Right)|Natalie]]'s [[restaurant]] on [[Crell]] and is seated with [[Bethany Brown|Beth]] when he pretends to be meeting someone given that, like all other restaurants on Crell, they only serve couples. He pretends to be [[Julien (Swipe Right)|Julien]], her date, and learns from her that the disappearances on the [[planet]] are due to [[the Matchmaker]]. She begrudgingly takes a [[napkin]] with his [[telephone]] number on when she leaves and, after the Doctor heads to [[the TARDIS]] to investigate the Matchmaker, [[River Song|River]] arrives and briefly speaks with the real Julien. River too is looking into the Matchmaker and assumes that Julien is being hyperbolic when he tells her that he will [[death|die]] if the date does not work out. Once she leaves, Barclay and Natalie report that the date was a failure despite Julien begging them not to and [[robot]]s go after him and Beth.
 
River flees with Julien to his [[flat]] after retrieving [[River Song's diary|her diary]], having left it behind, and the Doctor saves Beth in the TARDIS when she calls him for help. Beth explains how the Matchmaker's [[dating app]] forces people into relationships under pain of death and that she accidentally passed her limit of rejecting suitors due to her not wanting to burden anybody with her [[asexuality]], prompting the Doctor to try to match with her to keep her safe just as River tries to do with Julien. However, the system recognises that the two [[time travel]]lers are [[marriage|married]] and the confused Doctor flies the TARDIS to River to find out who she is. He saves her and Julien from the robots and refuses to believe that he will marry River in a future [[incarnation]], instead reasoning that she has been lying to get his attention. She claims that he is correct.
 
The Doctor pilots the TARDIS to the Matchmaker's headquarters and heads to the executive office whilst River uses her [[gun]] to hold back the pursuing robots. They learn that the Matchmaker, a [[computer]], wiped out Crell's [[government]] when they decided to stop it implementing its plan to maximise productivity by pair-bonding the workforce, something that the Doctor plans to prove is not necessary by wiring Beth to a deep part of its programming. Beth shoots this down as she does feel [[romance|romantic]] attraction, but River arrives and points out that this incarnation of the Doctor does not feel such attraction. By wiring himself to the system, the Matchmaker realises that it has made a mistake and deactivates itself due to it having diminished the workforce by killing people.
 
The Doctor returns to the restaurant to tell Barclay and Natalie that they are now able to separate and no longer have to be miserable together, only to learn that they entered into a relationship five years before the Matchmaker's creation and are in [[love]] despite their constant arguing. He bids farewell to River, Beth and Julien and departs. River is upset at the Doctor's disinterest in her but remembers that he will feel differently in the future and leaves using [[River Song's vortex manipulator|her vortex manipulator]]. Alone with Beth, Julien invites her to dinner; she declines.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
''to be added''
* [[Ninth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Christopher Eccleston]]
* [[River Song]] - [[Alex Kingston]]
* [[Bethany Brown|Bethany]] - [[Francesca Mills]]
* [[Julien (Swipe Right)|Julien]] - [[Tom Neenan]]
* [[Barclay (Swipe Right)|Barclay]] / [[The Matchmaker]] - [[David Holt]]
* [[Natalie (Swipe Right)|Natalie]] / [[Jessica Castleton|Jessica]] - [[Beth Chalmers]]
 
=== Uncredited cast ===
* Robot - [[Beth Chalmers]] ([[BFX]]: ''Star-Crossed'')
* Robot - [[David Holt]] ([[BFX]]: ''Star-Crossed'')


== Worldbuilding ==
== Worldbuilding ==
''to be added''
* [[Paul (Swipe Right)|Paul]] is 37, works in [[finance]] and has a [[photograph]] in which he is posing next to a [[sedation|sedated]] [[marsh tiger]].
* [[Graham (Swipe Right)|Graham]] is 46.
* [[Matt (Swipe Right)|Matt]] is 35 and works in [[education]]. He exercises.
* [[Natalie (Swipe Right)|Natalie]] likes her [[steak]] well done. [[Barclay (Swipe Right)|Barclay]] disapproves.
* Natalie is a [[restaurant]] [[manager]].
* The Doctor mentions that [[Herman Melville]] once stowed away with him.
* The Doctor has seen the original stage production of ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]''.
* According to [[River Song|River]], [[champagne]] which does not come from the [[Champagne region]] of the [[Crab Nebula]] is just sparkling wine.
* [[Michael (Swipe Right)|Michael]] is 41.
* Beth is [[asexuality|asexual]].
* The Ninth Doctor is [[aromanticism|aromantic]].
* River mentions a [[robot]] on [[Distrana Maxima]] who "knew how to treat a lady".
* The Matchmaker does not support [[infidelity]].
* River says that she is not attracted to [[fish]] despite what [[Jim the Fish|Jim]] thinks.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
''to be added''
* ''Swipe Right'' was recorded in [[March (production)|March]] [[2023 (production)|2023]].
* [[John Dorney]] originally began developing ''Swipe Right'', named as a reference to ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'', for ''[[Donna Noble: Kidnapped!]]''; however, as ''[[Out of this World (audio story)|Out of this World]]'' featured [[speed dating]], Dorney instead wrote ''[[Spinvasion (audio story)|Spinvasion]]''.<ref>[[VOR 182]]</ref>


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
''to be added''
* The Doctor mentions that some of his best friends were robots. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Invisible Enemy (TV story)}}, {{cs|The King's Demons (TV story)}})
 
== Cover gallery ==
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Swipe Right (audio story) textless.jpg|Textless cover
Swipe Right (audio story) alt.jpg|Alternate cover
</gallery>


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{bigfinish|releases/v/doctor-who-the-ninth-doctor-adventures-star-crossed-2827}}
{{bigfinish|releases/v/doctor-who-the-ninth-doctor-adventures-star-crossed-2827}}
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}


{{BF 9DA}}
{{BF 9DA}}

Latest revision as of 19:39, 25 November 2024

RealWorld.png

Swipe Right was the first story in the audio anthology Star-Crossed, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by John Dorney and featured Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Alex Kingston as River Song.

Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

There are strange rumours about the planet Crell. People have been vanishing. The mysterious Matchmaker is keen to get the populace paired up via his special dating app… but rejecting too many suitors can have fatal consequences.

It's precisely the sort of thing the Doctor would want to investigate. But unfortunately it's also precisely the sort of thing River Song would want to investigate too. The Doctor and River are on a collision course - but this time it might not be a match made in heaven.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor arrives at Barclay and Natalie's restaurant on Crell and is seated with Beth when he pretends to be meeting someone given that, like all other restaurants on Crell, they only serve couples. He pretends to be Julien, her date, and learns from her that the disappearances on the planet are due to the Matchmaker. She begrudgingly takes a napkin with his telephone number on when she leaves and, after the Doctor heads to the TARDIS to investigate the Matchmaker, River arrives and briefly speaks with the real Julien. River too is looking into the Matchmaker and assumes that Julien is being hyperbolic when he tells her that he will die if the date does not work out. Once she leaves, Barclay and Natalie report that the date was a failure despite Julien begging them not to and robots go after him and Beth.

River flees with Julien to his flat after retrieving her diary, having left it behind, and the Doctor saves Beth in the TARDIS when she calls him for help. Beth explains how the Matchmaker's dating app forces people into relationships under pain of death and that she accidentally passed her limit of rejecting suitors due to her not wanting to burden anybody with her asexuality, prompting the Doctor to try to match with her to keep her safe just as River tries to do with Julien. However, the system recognises that the two time travellers are married and the confused Doctor flies the TARDIS to River to find out who she is. He saves her and Julien from the robots and refuses to believe that he will marry River in a future incarnation, instead reasoning that she has been lying to get his attention. She claims that he is correct.

The Doctor pilots the TARDIS to the Matchmaker's headquarters and heads to the executive office whilst River uses her gun to hold back the pursuing robots. They learn that the Matchmaker, a computer, wiped out Crell's government when they decided to stop it implementing its plan to maximise productivity by pair-bonding the workforce, something that the Doctor plans to prove is not necessary by wiring Beth to a deep part of its programming. Beth shoots this down as she does feel romantic attraction, but River arrives and points out that this incarnation of the Doctor does not feel such attraction. By wiring himself to the system, the Matchmaker realises that it has made a mistake and deactivates itself due to it having diminished the workforce by killing people.

The Doctor returns to the restaurant to tell Barclay and Natalie that they are now able to separate and no longer have to be miserable together, only to learn that they entered into a relationship five years before the Matchmaker's creation and are in love despite their constant arguing. He bids farewell to River, Beth and Julien and departs. River is upset at the Doctor's disinterest in her but remembers that he will feel differently in the future and leaves using her vortex manipulator. Alone with Beth, Julien invites her to dinner; she declines.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor mentions that some of his best friends were robots. (TV: The Invisible Enemy [+]Loading...["The Invisible Enemy (TV story)"], The King's Demons [+]Loading...["The King's Demons (TV story)"])

Cover gallery[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]