Series 1 (BFBS)
The first series in the Bernice Summerfield range of audios was released by Big Finish Productions in 1998–2000 and marked the first commercially produced audios by Big Finish. The titular character of the range, Bernice Summerfield, was originally created by Paul Cornell for Virgin New Adventures novels. In contrast to the following seasons and, indeed, to most of the audios produced by Big Finish, the first series consisted of six adaptations, or "dramatisations" as they were called on the covers, of Virgin Bernice Summerfield New Adventures and some Virgin New Adventures (in the latter, the character of the Doctor had to be omitted or replaced). It was on the strength of these adaptations that Big Finish were granted a licence from the BBC to produce original Doctor Who audio dramas in 1999.
The season included 6 regular releases and one limited-edition bonus release. Three of the releases (3–5) formed the "Time Ring Trilogy". Lisa Bowerman was cast for the titular role of Benny and remained the only actress to embody the role for 20 years and counting. For supporting roles, Big Finish were able to secure the talents of several prominent actors of televised Doctor Who fame, including Colin Baker and Nicholas Courtney, best known as the Sixth Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart respectively. The producer Gary Russell had been even more recently involved in writing the novelisation of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie. Nicholas Briggs, who directed several of the adaptations, came into the production with the fresh experience of making unlicensed Audio Visuals Doctor Who audios.
Overview[[edit] | [edit source]]
With all six regular stories being adaptations, their original authors were credited alongside Jacqueline Rayner, who "dramatised" all stories except for Beyond the Sun, which was adapted by its author Matt Jones. The bonus Buried Treasures release featured two original short stories by Rayner and Paul Cornell. These two stories held the distinction of being the first original stories recorded by Big Finish Productions, but were overtaken on the release stage by The Sirens of Time.
The first five regular releases were produced in two variants: on two cassettes or two CDs. Only Dragons' Wrath was squeezed into one CD, whereas the cassette format has been abandoned altogether. The bonus release was also distributed on a cassette or CD, but, being limited edition, has long been out of print and became a rarity. The cassette releases have been discontinued. As of April 2021[update], all stories from the season were available as downloads, with some also remaining in stock on CD.
Apart from actors already known to Doctor Who fans, the series witnessed debuts of many actors who would later have an extensive career in Big Finish dramas and sometimes beyond. Mark Gatiss, Barnaby Edwards and Maggie Stables are all graduates of this season, to name just a few.
The production process was not yet completely stabilised sometimes causing significant delays. For instance, the problems with the recording studio and post-production for the sixth story Dragons' Wrath, adapted with all the others, resulted in a 12-month gap between the recording and the final release. But by the end of the season many recognisable fixtures of the series were already in place, including the "Professor Bernice Summerfield" logo by Paul Vyse and the music theme.
Featured actors[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Lisa Bowerman
- Nicholas Courtney
- Sophie Aldred
- Anneke Wills
- Elisabeth Sladen
- Colin Baker
- Stephen Fewell
- Richard Franklin
Aldred, Baker, Courtney, Franklin, Sladen and Wills were all known for their Doctor Who roles, which they would all eventually reprise in Big Finish audio dramas.
Stories[[edit] | [edit source]]
Regular releases[[edit] | [edit source]]
| # | Title | Author | Director | Featuring | Released | Pr. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oh No It Isn't! | Paul Cornell and Jacqueline Rayner | Nicholas Briggs | September 1998 | BFPCD1 | |
| 2 | Beyond the Sun | Matt Jones | Gary Russell | Jason Kane | BFPCD2 | |
| 3 | Walking to Babylon | Kate Orman and Jacqueline Rayner | Jason Kane
John Lafayette |
January 1999 | BFPCD3 | The Time
Ring Trilogy |
| 4 | Birthright | Nigel Robinson and Jacqueline Rayner | Nicholas Briggs | February 1999 | BFPCD4 | |
| 5 | Just War | Lance Parkin and Jacqueline Rayner | See note | Jason Kane | August 1999 | BFPCD5 |
| 6 | Dragons' Wrath | Justin Richards and Jacqueline Rayner | Ed Salt | September 2000 | BFPCD6 |
Special release[[edit] | [edit source]]
Alongside Just War in August 1999, subscribers to the Time Ring Trilogy received an additional bonus release Buried Treasures with two original short stories:
| Title | Author | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Making Myths | Jacqueline Rayner | Jason Haigh-Ellery |
| Closure | Paul Cornell |
Production[[edit] | [edit source]]
| # | Title | Recorded on | Recorded at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oh No It Isn't | 25 and 26 June 1998 | Intergalactic Arts, London |
| 2 | Beyond the Sun | 6 and 7 August 1998 | Crosstown Studios, London |
| 3 | Walking to Babylon | 5 and 6 November 1998 | |
| 4 | Birthright | ||
| 5 | Just War | 13 and 14 March 1999 | |
| 6 | Dragons' Wrath | 7 September 1999 | Harvey Summers' Studio, Hastings |
Cover art[[edit] | [edit source]]
The cover art for the season was heavily based on the book cover art of the adapted novels. The only exception was the cover for Walking to Babylon, which still represents the same scene as the book cover but drawn anew from a different angle.
Despite this uniform basic idea, the covers went through several styles during the season. The first two releases added the image of reclining Bernice Summerfield as drawn by Lee Sullivan overlayed in the bottom right corner of the cropped book cover. This image also formed the cover of the subscriber-only special release Buried Treasures.
- Covers with Lee Sullivan's art
Buried Treasures
For the releases 3–5, which form the "Time Ring Trilogy", the cover style was modified to include a ring motif. In addition to several typographical changes, photos of featured actors were placed on the cover.
- Covers with the ring motif
Finally, the last, sixth regular release of the season saw the introduction of "Professor Bernice Summerfield" logo designed by Paul Vyse. It has become a standard fixture for the range and was even applied retroactively when the first five regular stories were rereleased. The placement of the logo in the top left corner required using mirror images for some of the covers. The Time Ring Trilogy retained its ring motif, but Sullivan's Benny was gone. With the hindsight of Jason Kane's role in the range, Stephen Fewell, the actor portraying him, was added as "starring" on the covers of stories he appeared in, whereas the authors of the original novels were removed.
- New covers with Paul Vyse's logo
Oh No It Isn't!
Beyond the Sun
Walking to Babylon
Birthright
Just War
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official Series 1 trailer page at bigfinish.com
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