Neverland was the thirty-third story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Alan Barnes and featured Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, India Fisher as Charlotte Pollard and Lalla Ward as Romana II.
This story concluded the arc of stories beginning with Invaders from Mars concerning the paradox of Charley Pollard's surviving the R101's destruction.
Neverland was one of three audio stories to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor alongside Romana as played by Lalla Ward. The others were the audio adaptation Shada, which itself was an extended release of the webcast of the same name, and Zagreus.
Publisher's summary
The Web of Time is stretched to breaking. History is leaking like a sieve. In the Citadel of Gallifrey, the Time Lords fear the end of everything that is, everything that was... everything that will be.
The Doctor holds the Time Lords' only hope — but exactly what lengths will the Celestial Intervention Agency go to in their efforts to retrieve something important from within his TARDIS? What has caused the Imperiatrix Romanadvoratrelundar to declare war on the rest of creation? And can an old nursery rhyme about a monster called Zagreus really be coming true?
The answers can only be found outside the bounds of the universe itself, in a place that history forgot. In the wastegrounds of eternity. In the Neverland.
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Paul McGann
- Charley Pollard - India Fisher
- Romana - Lalla Ward
- Rassilon - Don Warrington
- Coordinator Vansell - Anthony Keetch
- Kurst - Peter Trapani
- Levith - Holly King
- Undercardinal - Lee Moone
- Rorvan - Mark McDonnell
- Taris - Nicola Boyce
- Matrix voices - Jonathan Rigby, Dot Smith, Ian Hallard
- Dalek Emperor - Alistair Lock
References
Botany
- In a Matrix projection, there are no Cadonwood trees left alive.
Conventions
- The Doctor invokes the Archetryx Convention on Charley's behalf.
Galaxies
- The Doctor hasn't visited the Acteon Galaxy for some time.
- The Doctor mentions the Seven Galaxies.
Gallifreyan culture
- The origins of Zagreus are explored.
- Kurst swears saying "by Thalia's bones".
- Gallifreyan Presidents are made aware of: the War Perceptives, Jasquig Records, Cavox Imperatives and the Oubliette of Eternity.
Gallifreyan history
- The Matrix (while recounting dates) mentions: the Cult of Morbius, the Master's theft of plans for the Doomsday Weapon, Chancellor Goth's visit to Tersurus, and the Daleks' failed invasion of Gallifrey.
- Rassilon is: Conqueror of Yssgaroth, Overpriest of Dronid, First Earl of Prydon, Patris of the Vortex, Ravager of the Void.
- Rassilon used the Eye of Harmony to anchor all of space-time into a single continuity.
Gallifreyan technology
- The Oubliette of Eternity erases people and Time Lords from history. They end up in the Antiverse.
Space-time vessels
- The Time Station is a class 7C supra-orbital time station made from triple-bonded Polysium and Tinclavic. It runs on Artron fuel. Its temporal engines are protected by a Zybanium shield.
Other realities
- Anti-time cannot pass Gallifrey's transduction barriers.
- In a Matrix projection the Doctor sees Romana as Imperiatrix of Gallifrey.
Species
- The Doctor mentions Megaluthian slimeskimmers.
- Vansell mentions the Monan Host and the Warpsmiths of Phaidon.
TARDIS
- Charley uses the fast return switch to fly the TARDIS back into the path of time torpedoes.
Theories and concepts
- The Web of Time is stretched to breaking point. Even Gallifrey's own continuity is ready to break.
Timeline
- There is time distortion present in the Humanian Era, Sensorian Era and Sumaran Era.
Time Lords
- When Romana was a young girl of sixty, her family went to the shores of Lake Abydos on Gallifrey.
Literature
- Charley makes various reference to Peter Pan.
Notes
- Don Warrington's name was not included in any of the cast lists printed in Doctor Who Magazine, www.doctorwho.co.uk or the CD's inner booklet in order to conceal the character's identity. His name does, however, appear on the cover of the CD.[1]
- Despite Neverland being publicised as a traditional Big Finish Productions four-part story, it was released as "a special two-part, feature-length" presentation with episodes of seventy-two minutes each.[1]
- Part 2 of Neverland leads directly into Zagreus. However, there was a gap of a year and five months between the release of Neverland in June 2002 and the release of Zagreus in November 2003.
- This audio drama was recorded on 24 and 25 January 2001 and 27 February 2002.
- This story was originally released on CD. It is now available as a download, as well as to stream on Spotify.
Continuity
If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
- The paradox of Charley's survival started in AUDIO: Storm Warning.
- The Daleks were stuck in the vortex in AUDIO: The Time of the Daleks.
- The Time Lords first tried to get the Doctor in AUDIO: Embrace the Darkness.
- The Doctor tells Charley that he never gives up because he's the Doctor. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
- The Doctor originally tells Charley that the Time Lords want the Doctor to report at an inquiry into the recent Nimon incursion on Earth in AUDIO: Seasons of Fear, before giving in and telling her it's about her survival.
- Vansell makes note of the Doctor and Charley's presence in Beauvais, France on 5 October 1930 (AUDIO: Storm Warning), the cargo ship Vanguard in 2503 (AUDIO: Sword of Orion), Venice in 2294 (AUDIO: The Stones of Venice), Malebolgia in 2003 (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell) and New York City in 1938 (AUDIO: Invaders from Mars).
- Vansell also notes their next appearance in London, but it is unclear how true that is, given the events of AUDIO: The Chimes of Midnight.
- AUDIO: Seasons of Fear first showed the Neverpeople entering the normal universe.
- AUDIO: Project: Twilight, PROSE: Instruments of Darkness and AUDIO: Seasons of Fear mentioned Zagreus.
- The Matrix noted Rassilon Era date of 6978.3. This is incorrect, and should have been 6798.3.
- The Library of St John the Beheaded appeared in PROSE: All-Consuming Fire; Yssgaroth appeared in PROSE: The Pit, and Gallifrey's Mount Cadon comes from PROSE: Timewyrm: Revelation.
- The Doctor recalls his and Romana's adventures in E-Space. (TV: Full Circle, TV: State of Decay, AUDIO: The Invasion of E-Space, TV: Warriors' Gate)
- The Doctor mentions his encounter with Mary Shelley and Lord Byron near Lake Geneva in Switzerland in June 1816. (AUDIO: Mary's Story)
- The Matrix voices refer to the crash of the British airship R101 on 5 October 1930 (AUDIO: Storm Warning), Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933 (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus), the abdication of King Edward VIII on 10 December 1936 (PROSE: Players), the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 (AUDIO: A Blind Eye), the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk on 27 May 1940 (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus, AUDIO: Fugitives), the admission of Peladon into the Galactic Federation (TV: The Curse of Peladon, TV: The Monster of Peladon), the election of Mavic Chen as Guardian of the Solar System in 3950 (TV: The Daleks' Master Plan), the Daleks' forces assembling on Kembel in 4000 (TV: Mission to the Unknown), the establishment of the Cult of Morbius in 5725.3 (TV: The Brain of Morbius), the theft of the plans for the Doomsday Weapon by the Master on 5892.9 (TV: Colony in Space), Chancellor Goth's visit to Tersurus in 6241.1 (PROSE: Legacy of the Daleks), the disappearance of Lady President Romana and Etra Prime in 6776.7 and the repulsion of the Dalek invasion of Gallifrey by Romana in 6796.8 (AUDIO: The Apocalypse Element).
- After Vansell's death, he would be succeeded as coordinator of the CIA by Narvin. (AUDIO: Weapon of Choice)
- During their visit to Light City in the Divergent Universe, the Doctor and Charley's memories were contributed to the pool of information used to programme the Proles. An edited version of their visit to Gallifrey was included in an infotainment broadcast which the Proles were obligated to watch. (AUDIO: The Natural History of Fear)
- After Charley escaped from the Ever-and-Ever Prolixity, a Viyran agent was stationed on Gallifrey to search for her. (AUDIO: The Fall of the House of Pollard)
- The Doctor mentions previously being in Rassilon's Tomb. (TV: The Five Doctors)
External links
- Official Neverland page at bigfinish.com; note that it is out of print and is available as download only.
- Neverland at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- DisContinuity for Neverland at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide