Invaders from Mars (audio story)

A month after a mysterious meteorite lit up the skies of New York State, Martian invaders laid waste to the nation. At least, according to soon-to-be infamous Orson Welles they did. But what if some of the panicked listeners to the legendary The War of the Worlds broadcast weren’t just imagining things?

Attempting to deliver Charley to her rendezvous in Singapore 1930, the Eighth Doctor overshoots a little, arriving in Manhattan just in time to find a dead private detective. Indulging his gumshoe fantasies, the Doctor is soon embroiled in the hunt for a missing Russian scientist whilst Charley finds herself at the mercy of a very dubious Fifth Columnist.

With some genuinely out of this world 'merchandise' at stake, the TARDIS crew are forced into an alliance with a sultry dame called Glory Bee, Orson Welles himself and a mobster with half a nose known as 'The Phantom'.

And slowly and surely, something is drawing plans against them. Just not very good ones...

Cast

References

H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds is mentioned and referenced several times.
Orson Welles does not know who Shakespeare is.
Reggins are the invaders.

Notes

Simon Pegg would later play the Editor in DW: The Long Game, and narrate the first series of Doctor Who Confidential.
Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) would later play Joan Redfern in DW: Human Nature/The Family of Blood, and her great-granddaughter Verity Newman in DW: The End of Time, Part Two.
The first episode was specially released as a bonus on the original CD of The Ratings War.
The title references the 1953 movie Invaders from Mars.
One of Houseman's lines - "George, what are you doing with those keys?"- is aimed at George Coulouris, who appeared in Welles' broadcast as well as Citizen Kane and later starred as Arbitan in DW: The Keys of Marinus.
The headline on the Invaders from Mars cover is from a real newspaper reporting the War of the Worlds panic. The imitation poster on the CD booklet was drawn by Mark Gatiss.
This audio drama was recorded on 16 and 17 January 2001.

Continuity

The Sixth Doctor previously met The War of the Worlds' author H. G. Wells in Scotland during the summer of 1885 and subsequently took him on a trip to the planet Karfel. (DW: Timelash) Many years later in his personal timeline, the Tenth Doctor would meet Wells once again in 1889. He intimated that they would have a third encounter later in Wells' personal timeline which occurred earlier in his own. (IDW: The Time Machination)
The reason for Welles' ignorance of Shakespeare is revealed in BFA: The Time of the Daleks.
In BFA: Neverland, it is revealed why there are forty-nine states in the USA (instead of forty-eight in 1938) and how the CIA, which was actually founded in 1947, can exist in 1938.

Timeline

Invaders from Mars occurs after: ST: Second Chances
Invaders from Mars occurs before: BFA: The Chimes of Midnight

External links

Official Invaders from Mars page at bigfinish.com
Invaders from Mars at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
The Discontinuity Guide Invaders from Mars page

Big Finish Main Range

Fifth Doctor

	Adric, Nyssa, Tegan	The Star Men • The Contingency Club • Zaltys • Kingdom of Lies • Ghost Walk • Serpent in the Silver Mask

	Nyssa	The Land of the Dead • Winter for the Adept • The Mutant Phase • Primeval • Spare Parts • Creatures of Beauty • The Game • Circular Time (Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter) • Renaissance of the Daleks • Return to the Web Planet • Castle of Fear • The Eternal Summer • Plague of the Daleks • The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories • (The Demons of Red Lodge • The Entropy Composition • Doing Time • Special Features) • 1001 Nights (1001 Nights, My Brother's Keeper, The Interplanetarian, Smuggling Tales) • 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men • Alien Heart • Dalek Soul

	Nyssa, Brewster	The Haunting of Thomas Brewster • The Boy That Time Forgot • Time Reef • A Perfect World

	Nyssa, Hannah	Moonflesh • Tomb Ship • Masquerade

	Nyssa, Tegan	The Waters of Amsterdam • Aquitaine • The Peterloo Massacre

	Nyssa, Tegan, Marc	Tartarus • Interstitial • Feast of Fear • Warzone • Conversion • Madquake

	Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough	Cobwebs • The Whispering Forest • The Cradle of the Snake • Heroes of Sontar • Kiss of Death • Rat Trap • The Emerald Tiger • The Jupiter Conjunction • The Butcher of Brisbane • Eldrad Must Die! • The Lady of Mercia • Prisoners of Fate • Mistfall • Equilibrium • The Entropy Plague

	Tegan, Turlough, Kamelion	Devil in the Mist • Black Thursday • Power Game • The Kamelion Empire

	Tegan, Leela	Time in Office

	Turlough	Phantasmagoria • Loups-Garoux • Singularity • The Memory Bank and Other Stories (The Memory Bank • The Last Fairy Tale • Repeat Offender • The Becoming) • The Blazing Hour • The End of the Beginning

	Peri	Red Dawn • Exotron • Urban Myths • Mission of the Viyrans

	Peri, Erimem	The Eye of the Scorpion • The Church and the Crown • Nekromanteia • The Axis of Insanity • The Roof of the World • Three's a Crowd • The Council of Nicaea • The Kingmaker • Son of the Dragon • The Mind's Eye • The Bride of Peladon

	Amy	The Judgement of Isskar • The Destroyer of Delights • The Chaos Pool

	Vicki, Steven	The Secret History

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Omega • The Gathering • The Four Doctors • The Burning Prince • The Secret History • And You Will Obey Me • The Helliax Rift • Time Apart (Ghost Station • The Bridge Master • What Lurks Down Under • The Dancing Plague) • Thin Time • Shadow of the Daleks 1 (Aimed at the Body • Lightspeed • The Bookshop at the End of the World • Interlude) • Shadow of the Daleks 2 (Echo Chamber • Towards Zero • Castle Hydra • Effect and Cause)

Sixth Doctor

	Peri	Whispers of Terror • ...ish • Cryptobiosis • The Reaping • Year of the Pig • Recorded Time and Other Stories (Recorded Time • A Most Excellent Match • Question Marks • Paradoxicide) • 1963: The Space Race • Breaking Bubbles and Other Stories (Breaking Bubbles • Of Chaos Time The • An Eye For Murder • The Curious Incident of the Doctor in the Night-Time) • The Widow's Assassin • Masters of Earth • The Rani Elite • Memories of a Tyrant • Emissary of the Daleks • Harry Houdini's War • Plight of the Pimpernel

	Evelyn	The Marian Conspiracy • The Spectre of Lanyon Moor • The Apocalypse Element • Bloodtide • Project: Twilight • The Sandman • Jubilee • Doctor Who and the Pirates • Project: Lazarus • Arrangements for War • Medicinal Purposes • Pier Pressure • The Nowhere Place • 100 (100 BC • My Own Private Wolfgang • Bedtime Story • The 100 Days of the Doctor) • Assassin in the Limelight

	Evelyn, Brewster	The Crimes of Thomas Brewster • The Feast of Axos • Industrial Evolution

	Frobisher	The Holy Terror • The Maltese Penguin

	Charley	The Condemned • The Doomwood Curse • Brotherhood of the Daleks • Return of the Krotons • The Raincloud Man • Patient Zero • Paper Cuts • Blue Forgotten Planet

	"Jamie"	City of Spires • The Wreck of the Titan • Legend of the Cybermen

	Flip	The Curse of Davros • The Fourth Wall • Wirrn Isle • Antidote to Oblivion • The Brood of Erys • Scavenger • Vortex Ice • Cortex Fire

	Constance	Criss-Cross • Planet of the Rani • Shield of the Jötunn • Order of the Daleks • Absolute Power • Colony of Fear • The End of the Beginning

	Constance, Flip	Quicksilver • The Behemoth • The Middle • Static • Cry of the Vultriss • Scorched Earth • The Lovecraft Invasion

	Mel	The One Doctor • The Juggernauts • Catch-1782 • Thicker Than Water • The Wishing Beast • The Vanity Box • The Wrong Doctors • Spaceport Fear • The Seeds of War

	Jamie, Zoe	Last of the Cybermen

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Davros • The Wormery • Her Final Flight • I.D. • Urgent Calls • The Four Doctors • The Acheron Pulse • Trial of the Valeyard • Last of the Cybermen • Vampire of the Mind • The Lure of the Nomad • Iron Bright • Hour of the Cybermen • The Hunting Ground

Seventh Doctor

	Mel	The Fires of Vulcan • Bang-Bang-a-Boom! • Flip-Flop • Unregenerate! • Red • We Are The Daleks • The Warehouse • Terror of the Sontarans

	Ace	The Fearmonger • The Genocide Machine • Dust Breeding • Colditz • The Rapture • 1963: The Assassination Games • You Are the Doctor and Other Stories (You Are the Doctor • Come Die With Me • The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel • Dead to the World) • The Grey Man of the Mountain

	Ace, Hex	The Harvest • Dreamtime • LIVE 34 • Night Thoughts • The Settling • No Man's Land • Nocturne • The Dark Husband • Forty-Five (False Gods • Order of Simplicity • Casualties of War • The Word Lord) • The Magic Mousetrap • Enemy of the Daleks • The Angel of Scutari • Project: Destiny • A Death in the Family • Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge • Protect and Survive • Revenge of the Swarm • Mask of Tragedy • Shadow Planet • World Apart • Muse of Fire • The Flying Dutchman • Displaced

	Ace, Benny	The Shadow of the Scourge • The Dark Flame

	Sally	House of Blue Fire

	Ace, Hex, Lysandra, Sally	Black and White • Gods and Monsters

	Ace, Hex, Sally	Afterlife • Signs and Wonders

	Ace, Mel	A Life of Crime • Fiesta of the Damned • Maker of Demons • The High Price of Parking • The Blood Furnace • The Silurian Candidate • Red Planets • The Dispossessed • The Quantum Possibility Engine

	Mags	The Monsters of Gokroth • The Moons of Vulpana • An Alien Werewolf in London

	Klein	A Thousand Tiny Wings • Klein's Story • Survival of the Fittest • The Architects of History • Warlock's Cross

	Klein, Will	Persuasion • Starlight Robbery • Daleks Among Us

	Jo	The Defectors

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Project: Lazarus • Master • Return of the Daleks • Valhalla • Frozen Time • Death Collectors • Spider's Shadow • Kingdom of Silver • Keepsake • The Four Doctors • Robophobia • The Doomsday Quatrain • The Shadow Heart • The Two Masters • Dark Universe • The Psychic Circus • Subterfuge • The End of the Beginning

Eighth Doctor

	Mary Shelley	Mary's Story • The Silver Turk • The Witch from the Well • Army of Death

	Charley	Storm Warning • Sword of Orion • The Stones of Venice • Minuet in Hell • Invaders from Mars • The Chimes of Midnight • Seasons of Fear • Embrace the Darkness • The Time of the Daleks • Neverland • Zagreus • Scherzo • The Girl Who Never Was • The End of the Beginning

	Charley, C'rizz	The Creed of the Kromon • The Natural History of Fear • The Twilight Kingdom • Faith Stealer • The Last • Caerdroia • The Next Life • Terror Firma • Scaredy Cat • Other Lives • Time Works • Something Inside • Memory Lane • Absolution

	Solo & other travels	The Company of Friends (Benny's Story • Fitz's Story • Izzy's Story) • An Earthly Child • The Four Doctors

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Invaders from Mars (audio story)

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Invaders from Mars (audio story)

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