Survival of the Fittest (audio story)
Survival of the Fittest was the following three-part story comprising part of the one hundred and thirty-first release in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Jonathan Clements and featured Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Tracey Childs as Elizabeth Klein.
It is the final three-part story in Big Finish's Doctor Who range, bringing the experiment of three and one part stories, beginning in April 2007 with I.D. (three-part) and Urgent Calls (one-part), to a close.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
The hive of the Vrill bears the scars of a terrifying cataclysm. Only a handful remain alive, hatched after the holocaust of the mysterious Winterlack. The Vrill seek a new Authority. They find the Doctor, a two-legged creature who can lead them to survival. He must solve the mystery of the Carrion beast that haunts the lower chambers. He must face the Winterlack that still stalk the mountains. And he must find a path that does not lead to extinction...
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
- Elizabeth Klein - Tracey Childs
- Steffen / The Authority - Adrian Bower
- Rose / The Vrill - Hannah Smith
- Lilly / The Vrill - Evie Dawnay
- Jackson / The Watcher - Mark Donovan
- The Carrion - Alex Mallinson
- Butterfly - Rupert Wickham
Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Cover Art - Alex Mallinson
- Script Editor & Director - John Ainsworth
- Executive Producers - Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
- Music and Sound Design - Simon Robinson
- Producer - David Richardson
- Writer - Jonathan Clements
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor tells Lilly that he has known many beekeepers in his time. He claims that Aristotle never stopped wittering on about bees whereas he was stuck at a tea party with Thomas Jefferson and he spoke about them at least.
- Klein tells the Doctor that, with his intelligence, he would have been a great asset to the Nazi Party. The Doctor sarcastically remarks that it was "such a sweet thing to say."
Planets[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor and Klein previously visited the crystal planes of Mendroxia, the floating ocean on Quinbrax Four, and the mercury swamps on Vulcan.
TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Through the TARDIS' telepathic circuits, Klein hears the Doctor speaking German in "a stuffy Prussian accent."
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The single part audio story Klein's Story was also included on CD 1 of this story. It begins after the events of the audio story A Thousand Tiny Wings.
- This audio drama was recorded on 7 and 8 September 2009 at The Moat Studios.
- It was released on 18 February 2010.[1]
- Survival of the Fittest was one of the working titles for the television story Survival.
- The story was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on 25 and 28-29 May 2012, forming a radio season with A Thousand Tiny Wings, Klein's Story and The Architects of History.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor and Klein have recently visited the mercury swamps of Vulcan. (TV: The Power of the Daleks)
- There no longer seems to be a spare TARDIS key in the cubbyhole above the "P" outside the TARDIS. (AUDIO: The Architects of History) It would be restored by the time of the Doctor's regeneration into his eighth incarnation. (TV: Doctor Who)
- The Doctor mentions having known quite a few beekeepers in his time. He met one named Goronwy in this incarnation. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)
- The Doctor decyphers the scent language of Vrill. Fifteenth Doctor would later similarly decypher the rope language of Goblins. (TV: The Church on Ruby Road)
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official Survival of the Fittest page at bigfinish.com
- Survival of the Fittest at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- DisContinuity for Survival of the Fittest at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide
