Hornets' Nest
Hornets' Nest is the umbrella title of a five-story audio drama arc released in the closing months of 2009 in CD and digital download formats by BBC Audio.
The arc marked the return of Tom Baker to the role of the Fourth Doctor for the first time since Destiny of the Doctors in 1997. Baker was the only surviving classic series Doctor actor who had not previously participated in reprising the character for BBC Audio or Big Finish Productions. This also marked Baker's first performance in an original audio drama as the Doctor since Doctor Who and the Pescatons (on LP) and Exploration Earth (on radio), both in 1976.
Richard Franklin also appears, reprising the role of Mike Yates, which he played during the Third Doctor era. This was his first opportunity to play opposite the Fourth Doctor.
The series was collected into a five-disc box set, released 9 February 2010. Overall sales of the series were high enough that AudioGo has continued with similar five-episode series in subsequent years. (Demon Quest, Serpent Crest)
Between 21-25 February 2011 The Guardian newspaper gave away free downloads of all five Hornets' Nest stories.
Additionally, the series has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra numerous times, beginning in December 2011. In 2015, it was re-released in The Nest Cottage Chronicles box set.
A vinyl version of the series was released by Demon Records on 6 May 2022.
Description
Mike Yates is called to Nest Cottage in Sussex, where he finds the Fourth Doctor holding vigil in a house infested with Hornets. With the help of Mike (and the Doctor's irascible housekeeper Mrs. Wibbsey), the Doctor goes in search of the Hornets' origins.
Cast
Featuring
- Daniel Hill
- Clare Corbett
- Christian Rodska
- Susie Riddell
- Michael Maloney
- Jilly Bond
- Stephen Thorne
- Rula Lenska
Stories
| # | Title | Writer | Director | Featuring | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Stuff of Nightmares | Paul Magrs | Kate Thomas | Mike Yates, Mrs Wibbsey, Hornets | 3 September 2009 |
| 2 | The Dead Shoes | 8 October 2009 | |||
| 3 | The Circus of Doom | 5 November 2009 | |||
| 4 | A Sting in the Tale | 3 December 2009 | |||
| 5 | Hive of Horror |
Cover gallery
Hornets' Nest vinyl edition
Vinyl release
Released by Demon Records this was a vinyl release of the audio series, it was released on the 6 May 2022 with the production code: DEMWHOBOX009.
Vinyl record publisher's summary
“Wanted: retired Army Captain!”
On limited edition vinyl for the very first time, Demon Records presents the unique audio adventure that first instigated Tom Baker's remarkable return to the role of the Doctor.
When Captain Mike Yates is reunited with his old friend the Doctor, he finds him besieged by a powerful race of insects intent on global domination. As the Time Lord recounts his recent adventures across the centuries, it becomes clear that the fate of mankind is in the hands of the Doctor, Mike and the peculiar Mrs Wibbsey…
An exclusive, frameable portrait of the Fourth Doctor – every copy of which has been individually signed by Tom Baker himself – is just one of the treats inside this stunningly designed package. An impressive, die-cut removable outer sleeve houses a hornet-adorned lidded box, inside which are 10 individual, exquisitely illustrated LP sleeves featuring full cast and credits for each story. Also included is The Doctor's Journal, a large 16-page full colour booklet detailing the Time Lord's notes and illustrations from his battles against the hornets.
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Presented across 10 x 140g alternating Yellow and Black vinyl discs, this full-cast audio adventure by Paul Magrs stars Tom Baker as the Doctor, with Richard Franklin as Mike Yates and Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey. The supporting cast includes Daniel Hill, Christian Rodska, Michael Maloney, Stephen Thorne and Rula Lenska, and sound design is by Simon Power, alongside the familiar Doctor Who theme from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
External links
- io9 - Tom Baker Dons His Endless Scarf Once Again
- Release news at The Doctor Who News Page
- Past Times Special: Hornets' Nest restrospective (no spoilers) at Nebula One (News)
- Ten Years of Nest Cottage
- Official Hornets' Nest page at demonmusicgroup.co.uk
