Legend of the Cybermen (audio story)

Legend of the Cybermen
Doctor:	[[doctor::Sixth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Jamie, Zoe
Main enemy:	Cybermen
Main setting:	Land of Fiction
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Big Finish Productions]]
Writer:	Mike Maddox
Director:	Nicholas Briggs
Producer:	Jamie Robertson
Release details
Release number:	135
Release date:	30th June 2010
Format:	2 CDs, 4 parts
Production code:	7C/PK
ISBN:	978-1-84435-459-7

Legend of the Cybermen was a part of Big Finish Productions' wholly original season for the Sixth Doctor in 2010. It was notable for featuring the first joint appearance of Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury since The Five Doctors — and the first appearance of Zoe Heriot alongside the Sixth Doctor — in performed Doctor Who.

Publisher's summary

The Cybermen are on the march through the Hundred Realms, killing and converting as they go. Resistance is useless. Trapped on the outermost fringes of the battle, the Doctor and Jamie are astonished to encounter an old friend: astrophysicist Zoe Heriot. It's the happiest of reunions. But what hope is there of a happy ending against the unstoppable Cybermen?

Cast

• Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
• Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
• Zoe Heriot - Wendy Padbury
• The Thief/The Young Lord - Steven Kynman
• The Lieutenant - Abigail Hollick
• The Commander/The Pirate - Ian Gelder
• The Rebel - Charlie Ross
• The Captain - Alexander Siddig
• The Laird - Charlie Ross
• The Cybermen - Nicholas Briggs

References

Books

• Zoe creates fictionalised versions of her adventures with the Doctor including; Doctor Who and the Dominators and Doctor Who and the Krotons.

Cultural references from the real world

• The works of Charles Dickens play a part in the meta fictional element of the Land of Fiction, as well as the works of other authors.
• Characters from authors such as Wagner, Carrol, Stoker, Verne, Melville and Arthur Conan Doyle appear. These characters include the Artful Dodger, Oliver Twist, Alice Liddel of "Alice in Wonderland", Dracula and Captain Nemo.
• References are made to "the four colour kingdom" (comics), expanding the literary basis of the Land of Fiction into modern pop culture and superheroes (although by the time of the events the Doctor takes part in, the four colour kingdom has been devoured, and the last of the super-heroes either dead or converted).

The Doctor

• The Doctor tells Jamie and Zoe of his trial by the Time Lords, and his exile on Earth and regeneration caused by Spectrox toxaemia.

Individuals

• Zoe Heriot was able to break the locks placed on her memories by the Time Lords.
• Jamie asks the Doctor the infamous question: "why did you never come back for us?". The Doctor never came up with a valid explanation.
• Jamie repeatedly shouts "craig a tur!" as he fights the Cybermen.

Races and species

• A Cyber-Planner is present within the Land of Fiction.
• A Cyber Controller is mentioned to have been been destroyed.
• The Cybermen convert several fictional species into Cybermen including; mermaids, giants and ogres.
• The Cybermen also attempted to convert woodsmen, who were in fact werewolves.
• Fairies exist within the Land of Fiction.
• As Jamie regains his memories he hears the sounds of Daleks' weapons firing and the fire/recharge cycle that Quarks go through.
• The Doctor is hostile to the Count, saying that his people and "that thing's" have a long history, Jamie compares it to a Highland blood feud.

Notes

• This story cleverly breaks the fourth wall several times, most notably a cameo by Nick Briggs (playing himself) and Zoe describing the Doctors adventures as "targeted at children, but loved by adults".
• Many musical cues appear to take inspiration from classic adventure and horror movies.

Continuity

• The Karkus, previously seen in DW: The Mind Robber reappears..
• The Doctor mentions his trial by the Time Lords; DW: The War Games, his waking up in a hospital on Earth, seen in DW: Spearhead from Space and his poisoning by Spectrox toxaemia in DW: The Caves of Androzani.
• Zoe mentions the events of DW: The Wheel in Space.
• The Land of Fiction has also appeared in NA: Conundrum and Head Games.
• Zoe creates fictionalised versions of her adventures with the Doctor including; Doctor Who and the Dominators (DW: The Dominators) and Doctor Who and the Krotons (DW: The Krotons).
• The Doctor returns Zoe, her memories again locked by the Time Lords back to the Wheel at the end of DW: The Wheel in Space.

Timeline

For the Doctor and Jamie

• Legend of the Cybermen occurs after BFA: The Wreck of the Titan.
• Legend of the Cybermen occurs before PDA: Business Unusual

For Zoe Heriot

• Legend of the Cybermen occurs after DW: The War Games.

External links

• Official Legend of the Cybermen page at bigfinish.com