Special Features (audio story)

Special Features
Doctor:	Fifth Doctor
Companion(s):	Nyssa
Main enemy:	Rasht
Main setting:	Audio recording studio, 2001
Key crew
Publisher:	Big Finish Productions
Writer:	John Dorney
Director:	Ken Bentley
Producer:	David Richardson
Music:	Richard Fox, Lauren Yason
Sound:	Richard Fox, Lauren Yason
Release details
Release number:	142d
Part of:	The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories
Release date:	December 2010
Format:	1 X 25 minutes
Production code:	6C/Q
ISBN:	ISBN 978-1-84435-538-9
Main Range
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Next →	The Crimes of Thomas Brewster

Special Features was the fourth story in the audio anthology, The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories, which comprised the one hundred and forty-second release in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by John Dorney and featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa.

It was notable for its unusual structure, which used the guise of a DVD commentary recording session as a means for the Doctor and Nyssa to solve the story's central mystery. As a result, it was in places a parody of the Doctor Who DVD commentary process in which both Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton have been involved.

Publisher's summary

At last, the cult 1970s horror anthology Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror is set for release on DVD, complete with a commentary from director Martin Ashcroft, leading actors Sir Jack Merrivale and Johanna Bourke, plus the film's historical adviser — the mysterious "Dr John Smith"!

Plot

Martin Ashcroft, Sir Jack Merrivale, Johanna Bourke, and the mysterious Doctor John Smith (the Doctor) sit down to record DVD commentary for the 25th anniversary of the cult 1970s horror anthology Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror. The former three discuss about the film's technical achievements, past actors and broach but ultimately avoid the subject of the death of a young crew-member of the film, which started suspicions of a "curse" surrounding the film. However, the Doctor explains that the events the movie is based on are, in fact, real, much to their disbelief.

Cast

• The Doctor - Peter Davison
• Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
• Martin Ashcroft - James Fleet
• Sir Jack Merrivale / Narrator / Professor Bromley - Ian Brooker
• Johanna Bourke / Carlotta - Joanna Munro
• Mr Pinfield / Yokel / Running Man / Carriage Driver - John Dorney

References

• While working on Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror, the Doctor used the alias "Dr. John Smith".
• While posing as a European actress named Nyssa Traken, Nyssa claimed to be from Tardis. Sir Jack Merrivale believes that it is in Romania.
• Nyssa's character in Doctor Demonic's Tales of Terror was named Felicity.

Notes

• Some of the lines the fictional actors say are reminiscent of things that actually appear on Peter Davison-led commentaries for the Doctor Who range. For instance, Johanna Bourke mimics Janet Fielding's propensity of stopping the conversational flow of a commentary by randomly saying something about a character's costume. (DCOM: Earthshock and others)

Continuity

• The Doctor refers to his encounter with the Speera in Red Lodge, Suffolk in 1665. (AUDIO: The Demons of Red Lodge)
• In the 21st century, a reporter covering the BAFTAs noted that Merrivale and Ashcroft were present. (AUDIO: The Crooked Man)

External links

• Official Special Features page at bigfinish.com
• DisContinuity for The Demons of Red Lodge and other stories at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide