The Silurian Candidate (audio story)

The Silurian Candidate
Doctor:	Seventh Doctor
Companion(s):	Mel, Ace
Main enemy:	Silurians
Main setting:	Earth, 2085
Key crew
Publisher:	Big Finish Productions
Writer:	Matthew Elliott
Director:	Ken Bentley
Producer:	David Richardson
Music:	Howard Carter
Sound:	Luke Pietnik
Cover by:	Anthony Lamb
Release details
Number of parts:	4
Release number:	229
Release date:	12 September 2017
Format:	2 CDs Download
Production code:	BFPDWCD229
ISBN:	ISBN 978-1-78178-807-3 (physical); ISBN 978-1-78178-808-0 (digital)
Official trailer
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The Silurian Candidate was the two hundred and twenty-ninth story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Matthew Elliott and featured Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush and Sophie Aldred as Ace.

Though the Seventh Doctor had previously faced the Silurians, most notably in the novel Blood Heat, this marked the first such encounter to actually be performed by Sylvester McCoy.

Publisher's summary

The year is 2085, and planet Earth remains on the edge of a nuclear precipice. At any moment, either of two vast rival power blocs, to the West and the East, might unleash a torrent of missiles, bringing about the terrible certainty of Mutual Assured Destruction.

But there is another way – or so Professor Ruth Drexler believes. Hence her secret mission deep in Eastern bloc territory, to uncover a hidden city, never before glimpsed by human eyes: the Parliament of the Silurians, the lizard people who ruled the Earth before humankind.

There, she’ll encounter a time-travelling Doctor, who knows the Silurians well. A Doctor on a secret mission of his own.

Plot

Part one

to be added

Part two

to be added

Part three

to be added

Part four

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
• Ace - Sophie Aldred
• Mel - Bonnie Langford
• Ruth Drexler / Avoxx - Fiona Sheehan
• Chairman Bart Falco - Nicholas Asbury
• Chordok / Spenodus - Nicholas Briggs
• Gorrister - Ignatius Anthony
• Shen - Louise Mai Newberry
• Karlas - Caitlin Thorburn

References

• The Doctor comments that the Karlas are very "Fritz Lang," referring to the movie Metropolis.
• After being knocked out, the Doctor dreams of a man with ringlets telling him "Come in, No. 7. Your time is up."
• Platinum Karlas have whisper settings and are expensive.
• Drexler first met Gorrister in 2081.
• By 2085, there are no more presidents and no more paper money.
• Shen is the Director of the Eastern Bloc.

Silurians

• The Parliament of the Silurians existed in the Silurian capital city.
• Silurian building ceilings are tall to accommodate dinosaurs.
• No member of the Triad can order another member.
• Falco believes there are billions of Silurians in hibernation.
• Mel believes the Silurians could use solar radiation to revive their entire species.

Technology

• The Doctor constructs a particle suppressor.
• The Silurians make use of mantric energy to power their hibernation cells and other technology.
• Drexler uses a grave robber program.

Notes

• The title of this story is a reference to the 1959 novel The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon.
• This story was recorded on 2 and 3 May 2017 at the Moat Studios.
• Ruth almost says "Doctor Who?" before being interrupted.
• As one of the Karlas goes offline, she states that any complaints can be directed to Doctor Clayton Forrester, referring to the character of either the 1953 film The War of the Worlds or the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
• This story dates Doctor Who and the Silurians as occurring before 1985.
• The cover of this story is the last to use the Seventh Doctor sidebar.

Continuity

• The TARDIS was originally on its way to a party on Maruthea. (COMIC: Party Animals)
• Ace mentions that since the Doctor left Mel, he has spent a lot of time dealing with unfinished business relating to old enemies and secret Gallifreyian weapons he left behind on Earth, including the Daleks, (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) the Cybermen (TV: Silver Nemesis) and Fenric, (TV: The Curse of Fenric)
• When Ace comments that the Doctor keeps a lot of secrets, Mel notes that the only time she ever saw the Doctor keep a secret was when they arrived in Pompeii, and she acknowledges that his reasons for doing so were good. (AUDIO: The Fires of Vulcan)
• Mel complains that the TARDIS' telepathic circuits make her studying Spanish language tapes effectively impossible by instantly translating sides of the translation to English. (TV: The Fires of Pompeii)
• The Doctor tells Ace about when he dispersed the Key to Time throughout the universe to prevent the Black Guardian from obtaining it, apparently believing that he had been telling her the rest of the story rather than just thinking it to himself. (TV: The Armageddon Factor)
• The Silurians know of the Doctor's ability to change his appearance. (TV: Doctor Who and the Silurians, Warriors of the Deep)
• Ace again exclaims "Ace!" (TV: Dragonfire)
• The Doctor tells Ace that, when working with artificial brains, arrow A goes to the front. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks)
• The Doctor refers to the Silurian's genetic manipulation and meeting them in 1835. (AUDIO: Bloodtide)
• Hexachromite gas is the deadliest poison known to Silurians. (TV: Warriors of the Deep)
• The Doctor plans to give Earth to the Silurians, similarly to when he signed the planet over to the Scourge, (AUDIO: The Shadow of the Scourge) but as he reminds her of their encounter with the Galparians, (AUDIO: Dead to the World) his claim of ownership is valid and has been rendered in puterspace. (PROSE: Love and War)
• The Doctor tells the Silurians of the solar flares that will strike Earth in a few centuries (AUDIO: The Tears of Isis) and sets their hibernation clock to awaken them in 16087. (TV: The Ark in Space)
• The Silurians and humans are both aware of the events of Sea Base 4. (TV: Warriors of the Deep)
• Ace doesn't seem to recall the Silurians as she met them before. (PROSE: Blood Heat)

External links

• Official The Silurian Candidate page at bigfinish.com