Shadow of the Sun (audio story)

After an accident, the TARDIS lands on a luxury star-liner. Leaving their ship to repair itself, the Doctor, Leela and K9 find themselves facing a great terror: mingling at a cocktail party.

Something seems awry behind the pleasantries, however. Guests are going missing, and equipment is breaking down. When the Doctor investigates further he discovers that the star-liner is literally on course for disaster.

But no-one seems surprised by this information, still less troubled. What's going on? And can the Doctor and his friends save everyone... when nobody wants to be saved?

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part one[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Part two[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor - Tom Baker
Leela - Louise Jameson
K9 / Professor Nicely - John Leeson
Lady Malina Rigel-Smythe - Fenella Woolgar
Dr Suleiman Zorn - Paul Herzberg
Captain Brandis - Glen McCready
First Officer Hix / Autopilot - Barnaby Edwards

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

The SS Surya Namaskar is a Prominence-class luxury starship, based in the Sol system and owned and operated by the Gold Star Line.
Lady Malina Rigel-Smythe has done Venusian yoga.
Dr Suleiman Zorn was was Professor of philosophical physics at the University of Buenos Aires and runs the Helios Society.
Members of the Helios Society believe the solar system's sun is a habitable paradise that they call Heliotopia.
Dr Zorn believes in the concept of solar apotheosis.
After gaining riches from his plan, Hix intends to spend the rest of his life on a beach on Ganymede.
Captain Brandis was previously captain on the Xanadu Gamma, where ten crew members died under his command.
Leela says that sometimes it seems like the Doctor has tried to teach her that her ancestors were wiser than her own people, but deep down they are exactly the same. The Doctor agrees.
When Leela tells Lady Malina she must find something better after Heliotopia, she says that Leela sounds like her third wife.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

This was one of the first Big Finish stories to be recorded remotely from each performer's home, as all were in self-isolation at this time due to the COVID-19 crisis. Each actor recorded their own lines using their own equipment and were directed over Zoom, which allowed the actors to interact with their fellow actors. It was also the first time a full-cast story was recorded by Big Finish in this style. Previously, individual cast members like John Barrowman had recorded their parts remotely, while the rest worked in studio. Recording for Shadow of the Sun took place on 31 March and 6 April 2020.^[1]
The SS Surya Namaskar was originally described in the script as a Corona-class starship, in reference to the solar phenomenon of the same name. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, producer David Richardson asked Robert Valentine to change this, and it was renamed to Prominence-class luxury starship. The new name retained the spirit of the original name, referencing the phenonemon of a solar prominence. (BFX: Shadow of the Sun)
The SS Surya Namaskar was taken from Sūrya Namaskār, a series of yoga moves meaning "Salutation to the sun" in Sanskrit.^[2]
This story was originally meant to be in Series 13 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures, as that was what was being focused on prior to lockdown, but it was released ahead of Series 13 as a lockdown special.
Unlike the other four stories in Series 9, this release is 2 parts long.
This story was originally released on CD and download.