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{{Infobox Story
{{real world}}
|name= Death Comes to Time
{{ImageLinkWC}}
|image= Death comes to time 01.jpg
{{Infobox Story SMW
|series=
|image           = Death comes to time 01.jpg
|number= 1
|number         = 1
|doctor= Seventh Doctor
|doctor         = Seventh Doctor
|companions= [[Ace]], [[Antimony]]
|companions     = [[Ace]], [[Antimony (Death Comes to Time)|Antimony]]
|enemy=  
|featuring      = First Minister of Chance{{!}}Minister of Chance
|setting=
|featuring2      = The Brigadier (Death Comes to Time)
|writer= [[Colin Meek]]
|enemy           = [[Tannis]]
|director= [[Dan Freedman]]
|setting         = [[Santiny]], [[Gallifrey]], [[Micen Island]], [[Earth]], [[Alpha Canis One]], [[Anima Persis]]
|producer= [[Dan Freedman]]
|writer         = Colin Meek
|animator= [[Lee Sullivan]]
|director       = [[Dan Freedman]]
|broadcast date= [[13 July (releases)|13 July]] [[2001 (releases)|2001]] - [[3 May (releases)|3 May]] [[2002 (releases)|2002]]
|producer       = [[Dan Freedman]]
|format= 5 Episodes
|animator       = [[Lee Sullivan]]
|production code= BBCI-1
|broadcast date = 13 July 2001 - 3 May 2002
|prev= none
|format         = 5 Episodes
|next=Real Time (webcast)}}
|production code = BBCI-1
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a five-episode [[webcast]] animated adventure featuring the [[Seventh Doctor]]. It was available via the BBCI website in 2001 to 2002. However, unlike the other webcasts starring classic series Doctors that premiered, it is considered non-canon to ''[[Doctor Who]]'' for depicting the ultimate death of [[the Doctor]], negating the timeline that led into the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|TV movie]]. Also, the portrayal of the [[Time Lord]]s in this story seems different to the one seen in the usual series, giving them the abilities to revoke [[TARDIS]]es and release forbidden powers that disrupt the [[universe]].  
|network        = BBCi
|series          = [[BBCi]] animations
|next           = Real Time (webcast)
}}
{{TV stub}}
{{big toc}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a five-episode [[webcast]] animated adventure featuring a [[Seventh Doctor (Death Comes to Time)|version]] of the [[Seventh Doctor]]. It was available via the BBCI website in 2001 to 2002. Intended to potentially dovetail into a spin-off that would be the spiritual successor to ''Doctor Who'', called ''[[The Minister of Chance (series)|The Minister of Chance]]'' (later realised as a non-BBC [[Doctor Who spin-offs|spin-off]] in multiple media), this would-be finale depicts the Seventh Doctor making a final sacrifice, and an implied downfall of the Time Lord society prior to the events of the story, as the few Time Lords seen in the story are stated to be the last alive. As such, it seemed to side-step the events of the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|1996 TV Movie]] which had introduced [[Paul McGann]]'s [[Eighth Doctor]].


Before plans were announced to revive the series, an attempt was made to create a story that would act as the series finale for ''Doctor Who'' altogether. This ending would dovetail into a spin-off that would be the spiritual successor to ''Doctor Who'', called ''The Minister of Chance''. The would-be finale depicts the Doctor making a final sacrifice and an implied downfall of the Time Lord society. The Doctor's [[companion]] [[Ace McShane|Ace]] also ends up on her own, solemnly telling [[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] about the Doctor's demise. However, because the Doctor's body is never found, his final fate is unclear.
By the time it was released, writer [[Dan Freedman]] had abandoned his original plans, later stating that he would have ignored ''Death Comes to Time'' in his ''Doctor Who'' continuation even if he had been granted the license to make one. This, combined with the in-story peculiarities such as the Seventh Doctor's apparent deaths, left the place of the story relative to the wider [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] ambiguous at best. However, it was subsequently referenced in such stories as ''[[Zagreus (audio story)|Zagreus]]'' and ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)|The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'', which suggested that [[The Doctor's reality (Death Comes to Time)|the story's reality]] was some variety of a [[parallel universe]] or [[alternate timeline|timeline]] relative to the reality of the mainstream Eighth Doctor.


== Publisher's summary ==
== Publisher's summary ==
“Even Time Lords die...”
''“Even Time Lords die...”''


When a dissident [[Time Lord]] group inadvertently caused the destruction of an entire civilisation through interference, its members vowed to repent by serving the Universe not as gods of Time but as mere men. Many years later, this peaceful resolve is severely tested when two of their number are killed -- and the Doctor’s seventh incarnation becomes embroiled in the struggle against the apparently unstoppable General [[Tannis]].
When a dissident [[Time Lord]] group inadvertently caused the destruction of an entire civilisation through interference, its members vowed to repent by serving the Universe not as gods of Time but as mere men. Many years later, this peaceful resolve is severely tested when two of their number are killed -- and the Doctor's seventh incarnation becomes embroiled in the struggle against the apparently unstoppable General [[Tannis]].


Plagued by ominous portents, the Doctor and his companion Antimony must race across the Universe, taking in the [[Santiny|Santine Republic]], the Great Orion Nebula and the frozen heart of the [[Canisian|Canisian Empire]]. Meanwhile, the mysterious [[Minister of Chance]] battles his own inner demons, and former TARDIS traveller Ace finds herself in training for a destiny she never dreamed possible. Matters reach a terrible climax when Tannis’ next target for subjugation is identified. Exactly how much is the Doctor prepared to sacrifice in order to save Earth?
Plagued by ominous portents, the Doctor and his companion Antimony must race across the Universe, taking in the [[Santiny|Santine Republic]], the Great Orion Nebula and the frozen heart of the [[Canisian|Canisian Empire]]. Meanwhile, the mysterious [[Minister of Chance]] battles his own inner demons, and former TARDIS traveller Ace finds herself in training for a destiny she never dreamed possible. Matters reach a terrible climax when Tannis' next target for subjugation is identified. Exactly how much is the Doctor prepared to sacrifice in order to save Earth?


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
=== At the Temple of the Fourth ===
''to be added''
''to be added''


== Cast & characters ==
=== Planet of Blood ===
''to be added''
 
=== The Prisoner ===
''to be added''
 
=== No Child of Earth ===
''to be added''
 
=== Death Comes to Time ===
''to be added''
 
== Cast ==
* [[Seventh Doctor|The Doctor]] — [[Sylvester McCoy]]
* [[Seventh Doctor|The Doctor]] — [[Sylvester McCoy]]
* [[Ace]] — [[Sophie Aldred]]
* [[Ace]] — [[Sophie Aldred]]
* [[Antimony]] — [[Kevin Eldon]]
* [[Antimony (Death Comes to Time)|Antimony]] — [[Kevin Eldon]]
* [[Golcrum]]/[[Hawk (Death Comes to Time)|Senator Hawk]]/[[President (Death Comes to Time)|President]]— [[Jon Culshaw]]
* [[Golcrum]]/[[Hawk (Death Comes to Time)|Senator Hawk]]/[[George W. Bush|President]]— [[Jon Culshaw]]
* [[Mettna|Admiral Mettna]] — [[Jacqueline Pearce]]
* [[Mettna|Admiral Mettna]] — [[Jacqueline Pearce]]
* [[Casmus]] — [[Leonard Fenton]]
* [[Casmus]] — [[Leonard Fenton]]
* [[Minister of Chance|The Minister of Chance]] — [[Stephen Fry]]
* [[First Minister of Chance|The Minister of Chance]] — [[Stephen Fry]]
* [[Sala (Death Comes to Time)|Senator Sala]] — [[Britta Gartner]]
* [[Sala (Death Comes to Time)|Senator Sala]] — [[Britta Gartner]]
* [[Tannis|General Tannis]] — [[John Sessions]]
* [[Tannis|General Tannis]] — [[John Sessions]]
* [[Valentine|St Valentine]] — [[Anthony Head|Anthony Stewart Head]]
* [[Valentine (Death Comes to Time)|St Valentine]] — [[Anthony Head|Anthony Stewart Head]]
* [[Nessican]] — [[Dave Hill]]
* [[Nessican]] — [[Dave Hill]]
* [[Cain (Death Comes to Time)|Dr Cain]] — [[Charlotte Palmer]]
* [[Cain (Death Comes to Time)|Dr Cain]] — [[Charlotte Palmer]]
* [[Speedwell]] — [[Stephen Brody]]
* [[Speedwell]] — [[Stephen Brody]]
* [[Campion]] — [[Gareth Jones]]
* [[Campion]] — [[Gareth Jones (BBCi actor)|Gareth Jones]]
* [[Carne|Captain Carne]] — [[Andrew McGibbon]]
* [[Carne|Captain Carne]] — [[Andrew McGibbon]]
* [[Suneel|Lieutenant Suneel]] — [[Michael Yale]]
* [[Suneel|Lieutenant Suneel]] — [[Michael Yale]]
* [[The Kingmaker (Death Comes to Time)|The Kingmaker]] — [[Peggy Batchelor]]
* [[Kingmaker|The Kingmaker]] — [[Peggy Batchelor]]
* [[Pilot (Death Comes to Time)|Pilot]]— [[David Evans]]
* [[Pilot (Death Comes to Time)|Pilot]]— [[David Evans]]
* [[Bedloe|Premier Bedloe]] — [[Robert Rietti]]
* [[Bedloe|Premier Bedloe]] — [[Robert Rietti]]
* [[Computer (Death Comes to Time)|Computer]] — [[Julienne Davis]]
* [[Computer (Death Comes to Time)|Computer]] — [[Julienne Davis]]
* [[Magan]] — [[Emma Ferguson]]
* [[Magan]] — [[Emma Ferguson]]
* [[President of Santiny]] — [[Huw Thomas]]
* [[Man (Death Comes to Time)|Man]] - [[Richard Garaghty]]
* [[Bander|Major Bander]]/[[Prime Minister (Death Comes to Time)|Prime Minister]]— [[Nick Romero]]
* [[President of Santiny]] — [[Huw Thomas (actor)|Huw Thomas]]
* [[The Brigadier]] — [[Nicholas Courtney]]
* [[Mission Control (Death Comes to Time)|Mission Control]] - [[David Soul]]
* [[Bander|Major Bander]]/[[Tony Blair|Prime Minister]]— [[Nik Romero]]
* [[The Brigadier (Death Comes to Time)|The Brigadier]] — [[Nicholas Courtney]]


== References ==
== Crew ==
* [[Writer]] - [[Colin Meek]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Dan Freedman]]
* [[Producer]] - Dan Freedman
* [[Executive producer|Executive Producer]] - [[Richard Fell]]
* [[Producer|Online Producer]] - [[James Goss]]
* [[Script editor|Script Editor]] - [[Nev Fountain]]
* [[Animator]] - [[Lee Sullivan]]
* [[Composer]] - [[Nik Romero]]
* [[Sound department|Sound]] - [[Jon Taylor]]
* Online Presentation - James Goss, [[Rob Francis]]
* Technical Presentation - [[Wilfredo Acosta]], [[Alec Hale Munro]], [[Ann Kelly]], [[Kim Plowright]]
 
== Worldbuilding ==
* [[Nessican]] is one of the [[Vampire]]s and was imprisoned inside a [[phantom sun]].
* [[Nessican]] is one of the [[Vampire]]s and was imprisoned inside a [[phantom sun]].
* Saint Professor [[Antenor]] is mentioned to have been killed.
* Casmus has a companion; [[Midas the Cat|Midus]] the Cat.
* The planet [[Anamapercis]] is mentioned and seen.
* The species [[Annasaurus]] is mentioned.
* [[Blue's Bar]] was mentioned.


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
[[File:DWM_306_Shrine_Death_Comes_to_Time.jpg|thumb| A preview of the story printed in [[DWM 306]].]]
[[File:DWM 319 DEATH COMES TO TIME.JPG|thumb|Art by [[Roger Langridge]] from DWM 319]]
[[File:DWM 319 DEATH COMES TO TIME.JPG|thumb|Art by [[Roger Langridge]] from DWM 319]]
* Following the broadcast of ''[[Survival]]'' in 1989 and the show's subsequent placement on "indefinite hiatus" by the BBC, the idea of producing an animated series based upon ''Doctor Who'' and continuing the adventures of the [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Ace]] was reported several times in the media; reportedly the Canadian animation house [[Nelvana]] was even interested at one point. This project never materialised, but the idea of producing animated ''Doctor Who'' adventures resurfaced with the coming of the Internet and the newly emerging format known as webcasting. ''Death Comes to Time'' was the first experiment of its kind; it would be followed soon after by ''[[Real Time (webcast)|Real Time]]'' (featuring the [[Sixth Doctor]]), ''[[Shada (webcast)|Shada]]'' (featuring the [[Eighth Doctor]]) and culminating in ''[[Scream of the Shalka (webcast)|Scream of the Shalka]]'', which attempted to introduce a canonical new incarnation of the Doctor.
* When asked about the story's timeline placement, writer [[Dan Freedman|Dan Freeman]] simply stated "I must admit I don't think I was considering where it was in terms of timeline, I just saw it as a story :)"<ref>[https://twitter.com/danfreemanfan/status/1380487634045317120 Twitter @danfreemanfan to @VitasVarnas "I must admit I don't think I was considering where it was in terms of timeline, I just saw it as a story :)"]</ref>
* A new [[Doctor Who logo|''Doctor Who'' logo]] was introduced for this story. Although it was never used again, the basic shape of the logo would be retained for the new logo designed for the return of the series in 2005.
* Following the broadcast of ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'' in 1989 and the show's subsequent placement on "indefinite hiatus" by the BBC, the idea of producing an animated series based upon ''Doctor Who'' and continuing the adventures of the [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Ace]] was reported several times in the media; reportedly the Canadian animation house [[Nelvana]] was even interested at one point. This project never materialised, but the idea of producing animated ''Doctor Who'' adventures resurfaced with the coming of the Internet and the newly emerging format known as webcasting. ''Death Comes to Time'' was the first experiment of its kind; it would be followed soon after by ''[[Real Time (webcast)|Real Time]]'' (featuring the [[Sixth Doctor]]), ''[[Shada (webcast)|Shada]]'' (featuring the [[Eighth Doctor]]) and culminating in ''[[Scream of the Shalka (webcast)|Scream of the Shalka]]'', which attempted to introduce [[Ninth Doctor (Scream of the Shalka)|a new incarnation of the Doctor]].
[[File:Death_Comes_to_Time_logo.png|thumb|right|Doctor Who logo used for ''Death Comes to Time'']]
[[File:Death_Comes_to_Time_logo.png|thumb|right|Doctor Who logo used for ''Death Comes to Time'']]
* Voice actor [[Jon Culshaw]] is best known (in ''Doctor Who'' circles) for his uncanny impersonation of [[Tom Baker]]'s [[Fourth Doctor]] in BBC's ''Dead Ringers'' radio and TV series. He was also famous for his impression of George W Bush in the same show, hence the President's appearance.
* A new [[Doctor Who logo|''Doctor Who'' logo]] was introduced for this story. Although it was never used again, the basic crescent shape of the logo was somewhat similar to the new logo designed for the return of the series in 2005.
* The Minister of Chance was given his own spin off series in [[2011]] entitled ''[http://ministerofchance.com/The_Minister_of_Chance/Home.html The Minister of Chance]''. However this is generally considered [[canon|non-canonical]] and is not covered by this wiki.
* "[[O'Carolan's Farewell]]" is played in the first episode. "[[Allegretto: Allegretto]]" is played in the fourth episode. "[[Night on Bald Mountain]]" and "[[Pog Aon Oidhche Earraich]]" are played in the fifth episode.
* It is left ambiguous as to what the Kingmaker is. However it is implied she is a being with greater powers than even the Time Lords. This is yet to be explored on screen or in spin-off media.
* The fate of the Doctor at the end of this story has been used by some factions of Doctor Who fandom {{who}} {{fact}} as a rationale to "de-canonise" the 1996 ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'' TV-movie and, in turn, the later 2005 TV series. However, ''Death Comes to Time'' -- or at least its ending -- is generally considered non-canonical. {{by whom}} {{fact}}
* This reality was one of the realities seen by the Eighth Doctor during the Anti-Time infestation of the TARDIS. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Zagreus (audio story)|Zagreus]]'')


=== Original website release/broadcast ===
=== Original website release/broadcast ===
* "At the End of the 4th" - [[13 July (releases)|13 July]] [[2001 (releases)|2001]]
* "At the Temple of the 4th" - [[13 July (releases)|13 July]] [[2001 (releases)|2001]]
* "Planet of Blood" (1) - [[14 February (releases)|14 February]] [[2002 (releases)|2002]]
* "Planet of Blood" (1) - [[14 February (releases)|14 February]] [[2002 (releases)|2002]]
* "Planet of Blood" (2) - [[22 February (releases)|22 February]] 2002
* "Planet of Blood" (2) - [[22 February (releases)|22 February]] 2002
Line 87: Line 123:
* "Death Comes to Time" (2) - [[26 April (releases)|26 April]] 2002
* "Death Comes to Time" (2) - [[26 April (releases)|26 April]] 2002
* "Death Comes to Time" (3) - [[3 May (releases)|3 May]] 2002
* "Death Comes to Time" (3) - [[3 May (releases)|3 May]] 2002
== Continuity ==
* There are several references to the [[UP]], an interplanetary equivalent of the United Nations which had previously been used in the [[1970s]] [[Dalek annual]]s, notably appearing in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Doomsday Machine (short story)}}. The annuals in question were set in the [[far future]], with [[Earth]] a leading member in the UP, in contrast with the setting of ''Death Comes to Time'', where Earth is still a little-known backwater with no involvement in the politics of the various spacefaring empires.
* The [[Seventh Doctor]] is using the [[TARDIS control room (The Chameleon Factor)|TARDIS control room]] introduced in [[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Chameleon Factor (comic story)}}.
* [[Casmus]] is identified by [[the Kingmaker]] as holding the rank of [[Castellan]], introduced in [[TV]]: {{cs|The Deadly Assassin (TV story)}}.
* Casmus describes himself and [[Tannis]], and the wider race of [[Gallifreyan]] [[Time Lord]]s, as relics of a more "chaotic time" when "the skies were unexplored, and monsters roamed". The [[Time of Chaos]] had been namedropped in [[TV]]: {{cs|Silver Nemesis (TV story)}} as an early era of [[Gallifreyan history]] and the universe at large, treated in later sources possibly synonymous with the [[Dark Times]] or [[time before time]] before the [[anchoring of the thread]], including in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Lungbarrow (novel)}}.
* Among other references to other media set in the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] which were construed as [[parallel universe]]s, [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Zagreus (audio story)}} saw the [[Eighth Doctor]] of [[Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories|Big Finish ''Doctor Who'']] get a glimpse of a "universe in which the Time Lords had mysterious mind powers", ostensibly a reference to the ''Death Comes to Time'' cosmology.
* The [[Canisian invasion]] of [[Earth]] was referenced in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Trading Futures (novel)}}.
* In [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)}}:
** a [[prophecy]] cited by [[Larna|Lady Larna]], depicted as having been known during [[the Doctor's early lfe|the Doctor's youth]], mentions [[Tannis]] as one of the threats Gallifrey must encounter and survive with [[the Doctor]]'s help before its final, fated end.
** a "[[Santine Rift]]" is mentioned, presumably located on or related to the planet [[Santiny]] and its native people the [[Santine]]s.
** the recurring parable of the island of giants, cited throughout ''Death Comes to Time'', is described as the "[[first myth of the Time Lords]]". Put to paper by [[Marnal]], it is published on [[Earth]] as fiction under the title of ''[[The Giants]]''.
* Also in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)}}, one of the [[four surviving elementals]] of [[the Needle]] is described as "a tall man with a bent nose wearing a cravat and holding a pair of dice", matching the description of the [[First Minister of Chance|incarnation of the Minister of Chance]] seen in this story. The visual glimpse of the elementals in [[COMIC]]: {{cs|Miranda (comic story)}} likewise included a man whose face was partially-obscured, clearly modeled on the likeness of [[Stephen Fry]], though with shorter hair than seen in ''Death Comes to Time''.
* [[Mount Plutarch]] appears again in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Three Paths (short story)}}, where it is clarified to be another name for [[Mount Lung]] from [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Lungbarrow (novel)}}, identifying it as the mountain where the Doctor lived in his youth, as first mentioned in [[TV]]: {{cs|The Time Monster (TV story)}}, and on top of which [[the Hermit]] dwelled. "Mount Plutarch" is said to be associated with the legends of the "[[untimes]]" and "[[unhappened days]]", with one such legend telling of a Time Lord adventurer journeying to "a wise old lady in a cave in the southern mountains", an apparent reference to [[the Kingmaker]].
* [[Anima Persis]] is mentioned in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Relative Dementias (novel)}} and [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Tomorrow Windows (novel)}}, with the former giving an explanation for the state it appears in when [[Ace]] visits it in ''Death Comes to Time''.
* The primarily narrative of the [[The Minister of Chance (series)|''Minister of Chance'' series]], first told in audio dramas beginning with [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Pointed Hand (audio story)}}, and retold in novel form in [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Minister of Chance (novelisation)}}, carried on from the Minister's circumstances at the end of ''Death Comes to Time'', with the Minister forced to use the [[formula for doors]] to travel instead of [[Minister of Chance's TARDIS|his ship]].


== CD and other releases ==
== CD and other releases ==
[[File:Death Comes to Time cover.jpg|right|thumb|CD cover]]
[[File:Death Comes to Time cover.jpg|right|thumb|CD cover]]
* Released on CD in [[October]] [[2002]].
* Released on CD in [[October]] [[2002]].
* Released on MP3-CD in [[June]] [[2004]]
* Released on MP3-CD in [[June]] [[2004]].
 
== External links ==
* {{dwrefguide|bbci_01.htm|Death Comes to Time Webcast}}


== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{elx|page url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020601144142/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/death/enhanced/index.shtml|page name=Death Comes to Time|website url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/|website name=Doctor Who website}} (archived version)
{{dwrefguide|bbci_01.htm|Death Comes to Time Webcast}}


{{WC}}
{{WC}}
{{DWAP}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Webcasts]]
 
[[Category:Non-DWU stories]]
[[Category:2002 webcasts]]
[[Category:2002 webcasts]]
[[Category:Stories with unique variations of the Doctor Who theme]]
[[Category:Stories with unique variations of the Doctor Who opening titles]]
[[Category:BBCi]]
[[Category:Seventh Doctor webcasts]]
[[Category:2D animated productions]]

Latest revision as of 19:24, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

TVStub.png

Death Comes to Time was a five-episode webcast animated adventure featuring a version of the Seventh Doctor. It was available via the BBCI website in 2001 to 2002. Intended to potentially dovetail into a spin-off that would be the spiritual successor to Doctor Who, called The Minister of Chance (later realised as a non-BBC spin-off in multiple media), this would-be finale depicts the Seventh Doctor making a final sacrifice, and an implied downfall of the Time Lord society prior to the events of the story, as the few Time Lords seen in the story are stated to be the last alive. As such, it seemed to side-step the events of the 1996 TV Movie which had introduced Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor.

By the time it was released, writer Dan Freedman had abandoned his original plans, later stating that he would have ignored Death Comes to Time in his Doctor Who continuation even if he had been granted the license to make one. This, combined with the in-story peculiarities such as the Seventh Doctor's apparent deaths, left the place of the story relative to the wider Doctor Who universe ambiguous at best. However, it was subsequently referenced in such stories as Zagreus and The Gallifrey Chronicles, which suggested that the story's reality was some variety of a parallel universe or timeline relative to the reality of the mainstream Eighth Doctor.

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

“Even Time Lords die...”

When a dissident Time Lord group inadvertently caused the destruction of an entire civilisation through interference, its members vowed to repent by serving the Universe not as gods of Time but as mere men. Many years later, this peaceful resolve is severely tested when two of their number are killed -- and the Doctor's seventh incarnation becomes embroiled in the struggle against the apparently unstoppable General Tannis.

Plagued by ominous portents, the Doctor and his companion Antimony must race across the Universe, taking in the Santine Republic, the Great Orion Nebula and the frozen heart of the Canisian Empire. Meanwhile, the mysterious Minister of Chance battles his own inner demons, and former TARDIS traveller Ace finds herself in training for a destiny she never dreamed possible. Matters reach a terrible climax when Tannis' next target for subjugation is identified. Exactly how much is the Doctor prepared to sacrifice in order to save Earth?

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

At the Temple of the Fourth[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Planet of Blood[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

The Prisoner[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

No Child of Earth[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Death Comes to Time[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

A preview of the story printed in DWM 306.
Art by Roger Langridge from DWM 319
  • When asked about the story's timeline placement, writer Dan Freeman simply stated "I must admit I don't think I was considering where it was in terms of timeline, I just saw it as a story :)"[1]
  • Following the broadcast of Survival in 1989 and the show's subsequent placement on "indefinite hiatus" by the BBC, the idea of producing an animated series based upon Doctor Who and continuing the adventures of the Seventh Doctor and Ace was reported several times in the media; reportedly the Canadian animation house Nelvana was even interested at one point. This project never materialised, but the idea of producing animated Doctor Who adventures resurfaced with the coming of the Internet and the newly emerging format known as webcasting. Death Comes to Time was the first experiment of its kind; it would be followed soon after by Real Time (featuring the Sixth Doctor), Shada (featuring the Eighth Doctor) and culminating in Scream of the Shalka, which attempted to introduce a new incarnation of the Doctor.
Doctor Who logo used for Death Comes to Time

Original website release/broadcast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

CD and other releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

CD cover

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

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