2020 (production)

2020 in

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the DWU • production history • vital statistics • releases

2020 was a year in which a number of events important to the production of Doctor Who and its spin-offs occurred.

January

• 7 January - Big Finish's audio anthology Susan's War was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 13 January
  • The Big Finish audio story Subterfuge was recorded.
  • The Big Finish audio anthology Thin Time / Madquake was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 13 and 23-24 January - The second series of Big Finish's audio series Missy was recorded.
• 14, 15, 20 and 21 January - Big Finish's audio anthology The Lost Resort and Other Stories was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 15 January
  • Big Finish's Torchwood - Monthly Range audio story Tropical Beach Sounds and Other Relaxing Seascapes #4 was recorded at the Soundhouse.
  • Big Finish's Gallifrey audio anthology Time War: Volume Four was recorded.
  • Big Finish's audio anthology The Lost Resort and Other Stories was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 16-17 January - The Big Finish audio story Scorched Earth was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 23 January - Big Finish announced the audio box set Susan's War.
• 27-28 January - The Big Finish audio anthology The Flying Dutchman / Displaced was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 27 January - Big Finish's audio adaptation of the unproduced TV story The Doomsday Contract was recorded.
• 29-30 January - The Big Finish audio story The Lovecraft Invasion was recorded at the Moat Studios.

February

• 3 February - Big Finish's audio adaptation of the unproduced TV story The Doomsday Contract was recorded.
• 10-12 February - Big Finish's audio anthology The Year of Martha Jones was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 17-20 and 25 February - Big Finish's The War Master audio anthology Hearts of Darkness was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 20 February - Big Finish's audio anthology Thin Time / Madquake were recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 25-27 February - Big Finish's Gallifrey audio anthology Time War: Volume Four was recorded.
• 26 and 28 February - Big Finish's audio anthology The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Volume Two was recorded.

March

• 2-6 and 9 March - Big Finish's audio anthology The Eighth Doctor: Time War: Volume Four was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 10 March - Big Finish's Gallifrey audio anthology Time War: Volume Four was recorded.
• 10-13 March - Big Finish's The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield audio anthology Lost in Translation was recorded at the Moat Studios.
• 17 March - Big Finish Productions suspended recording of upcoming audios due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 20 March - As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns hitting the world, Doctor Who Magazine's Emily Cook brought Doctor Who fans together virtually with the launch of Doctor Who: Lockdown, a series of tweet-a-longs of past Doctor Who stories, beginning with the 50th anniversary story The Day of the Doctor.
• 23 and 30 March - The Big Finish audio story He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not was recorded. This resumed recording of Big Finish's Doctor Who audio output, using remote recording for the first time.
• 26 March
  • The Big Finish audio story Out of Time was recorded remotely.
  • Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweet-a-long of Rose in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of Doctor Who's TV comeback.
• 28 March - Fantom Films launched The Time-Space Visualiser virtual conventions.
• 30 March
  • The Big Finish audio story Echoes of Extinction was recorded remotely.
  • Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweet-a-long of Vincent and the Doctor.
• 31 March - The Big Finish audio stories The Enemy of My Enemy and Mutually Assured Destruction was recorded remotely.

April

• 1, 3 and 15 April - The Big Finish audio story Mutually Assured Destruction was recorded remotely.
• 1-3, 14-15 and 22 April - The Big Finish audio story The Enemy of My Enemy was recorded remotely.
• 1-3, 9-10, 14, 21-22 and 26 April - The Big Finish audio story Echoes of Extinction was recorded remotely.
• 2 and 15 April - The Big Finish audio story He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not was recorded.
• 5 April - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Eleventh Hour in commemoration of the episode's tenth anniversary.
• 7 April - Big Finish announced the audio box set Wicked Sisters.
• 10, 17 and 21 April - Big Finish's audio anthology Defender of the Earth was recorded remotely.
• 11 April - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a watch-a-long of The Doctor's Wife.
• 14 April - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Heaven Sent in commemoration of Peter Capaldi's birthday.
• 19 April - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetatlong of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of Elisabeth Sladen's death.
• 23 April - The Big Finish audio story The Ghost of Margaret was recorded remotely.
• 24 April - Doctor Who: Lockdown hosted a tweetalong of Human Nature/The Family of Blood.
• 28 and 30 April - Big Finish's The Paternoster Gang audio anthology Heritage 4 was recorded.
• 30 April
  • Big Finish's audio adaptation of the unproduced TV story The Doomsday Contract was recorded.
  • Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Dalek in commemoration of the episode's fifteenth anniversary.

May

• 1 May
  • Big Finish's audio adaptation of the unproduced TV story The Doomsday Contract was recorded.
  • Big Finish's audio anthology Defender of the Earth was recorded remotely.
• 4 May - The Big Finish audio story Out of Time was recorded remotely.
• 6 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Girl in the Fireplace in commemoration of the episode's fourteenth anniversary.
• 10 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion.
• 11 May
  • The Big Finish audio story Expiry Dating was recorded remotely.
  • The Big Finish audio anthology Master Thief / Lesser Evils was recorded at LA Productions.
• 13 May - The Big Finish audio story Precious Annihilation was recorded remotely.
• 15 May - The Big Finish audio story Ghosts was recorded remotely.
• 17 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Fires of Pompeii.
• 18 May - Big Finish's Gallifrey audio anthology Time War: Volume Four was recorded.
• 19 May - The Big Finish audio anthology for Shadow of the Daleks 1 was recorded.
• 20 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Listen.
• 22 May - Big Finish announced that Eric Roberts was to reprise the role of the Master for the audio box set Master!.
• 23 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong for An Adventure in Space and Time.
• 26 May
  • Big Finish announced the first story of the Out of Time audio mini-series.
  • Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Rings of Akhaten.
• 29 May - The second series of Big Finish's audio series The Robots was recorded.
• 30 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of the New Earth trilogy (The End of the World, New Earth and Gridlock).
• 31 May - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead in commemoration of the twelfth anniversary of River Song's debut.

June

• June - Big Finish's The War Master audio anthology Self-Defence was recorded.
• 2 June
  • The Big Finish audio anthology for Shadow of the Daleks 1 was recorded.
  • Big Finish announced the audio anthology Time Apart.
• 6 June - Doctor Who: Lockdown!'s planned tweet-a-long for World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls was cancelled following the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• 12 June - Big Finish announced the production of their own Doctor Who spin-off The Lone Centurion.
• 16 June - Big Finish's Gallifrey audio anthology Time War: Volume Four was recorded.
• 24 June - Big Finish announced the audio box set The Tenth Doctor and River Song.
• 30 June - The Big Finish audio story The Gates of Hell was recorded remotely.

July

• July
  • Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield audio anthology The Christmas Collection was recorded remotely.
  • Big Finish's The War Master audio anthology Self-Defence was recorded.
• 8 July - The Big Finish audio story Wink was recorded remotely.
• 15 July - Big Finish announced the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield box set Lost in Translation.
• 17, 22 and 31 July - The eighth series of Big Finish's audio series The Diary of River Song was recorded.
• 23-24 July - The Big Finish audio story The Grey Man of the Mountain was recorded at the Soundhouse and remotely.
• 31 July - Big Finish announced the fifth series of The First Doctor Adventures audio series.

August

• August - Big Finish's audio anthology The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Volume Two was recorded.
• 1 August - Big Finish announced the casting of Eleanor Crooks as the Fourth Doctor's companion Naomi Cross in advance of the online convention Virtual Big Finish Day.
• 5 August - Big Finish's audio drama anthology The Stuff of Nightmares was recorded.
• 6 August - Big Finish announced the multi-Doctor Time Lord Victorious story Echoes of Extinction.
• 9 August - Big Finish announced that Christopher Eccleston was to reprise the role of the Ninth Doctor for The Ninth Doctor Adventures audio range.
• 11-12 August - The Big Finish audio story Plight of the Pimpernel was recorded at the Soundhouse and remotely.
• 12 August - Big Finish confirmed the releases of Plight of the Pimpernel and The Grey Man of the Mountain were to be released in December of that year.
• 15 August - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
• 21 August - Big Finish announced the eighth series of their Doctor Who spin-off The Diary of River Song.
• 27 August - The Big Finish audio story Peake Season was recorded at Audio Sorcery.

September

• 3-4 September - The Big Finish audio story The Blazing Hour was recorded remtely, the Soundhouse and Video Factory.
• 7-9 September - The second series of Big Finish's audio series Lady Christina was recorded.
• 10 September - A pick-up scene was filmed for Revolution of the Daleks to test COVID-safety practices for Series 13.
• 15 and 30 September - The Big Finish audio story Genetics of the Daleks was recorded remotely.
• 15 September - Big Finish announced the audio series Dalek Universe.
• 21 and 24 September - The Big Finish audio story Colony of Fear was recorded at the Soundhouse and remotely.
• 21-22 September - Big Finish's audio anthology The Third Doctor Adventures: Volume Seven was recorded.
• 24 September - The fourteenth series of Big Finish's audio series Jago & Litefoot was recorded.
• 26 September - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Mummy on the Orient Express.
• 30 September
  • The Big Finish audio anthology Forged in Fire was recorded.
  • The Big Finish audio story Genetics of the Daleks was recorded remotely.

October

• October - Big Finish's The War Master audio anthology Self-Defence was recorded.
• 1-3 October - Big Finish's audiobook version of the novel 666 Charing Cross Road was recorded remotely.
• 1-2 October - The Big Finish audio anthology Forged in Fire was recorded.
• 6 October - Big Finish announced the Time Lord Victorious story Genetics of the Daleks.
• 7-8 and 16 October - The fourteenth series of Big Finish's audio series Jago & Litefoot was recorded.
• 10 October - The Big Finish audio story The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 was recorded remotely.
• 12 October - Big Finish's Torchwood audio story Coffee was recorded remotely.
• 14 October
  • The BBC announced the charity anthology Adventures in Lockdown.
  • Big Finish announced the relaunch of the audio series The War Doctor with The War Doctor Begins, with Jonathon Carley cast as a younger version of the War Doctor.
• 15 and 20 October - The Big Finish audio story The End of the Beginning was recorded remotely.
• 16 October - Big Finish announced the second series of Lady Christina.
• 21-22 October - Big Finish's audio anthology The Third Doctor Adventures: Volume Seven was recorded.
• 26 October - Big Finish's Torchwood audio story Lease of Life was recorded at Audio Sorcery and remotely.
• 28 October - The BBC announced the Blu-ray steelbook of Series 7.
• 30 October - Big Finish confirmed the Christmas-themed Bernice Summerfield audio anthology The Christmas Collection.
• 31 October - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Blink.

November

• 1-3 November - Big Finish's audiobook version of Fellowship of Ink was recorded remotely.
• 2 November - Filming for Series 13 of Doctor Who began at Roath Lock Studios.
• 7 November - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Husbands of River Song.
• 13 November - Filming on location first began on for Series 13 of Doctor Who at Morlais Quarry, Methyr Tydfil in South Wales
• 14 November - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Turn Left.
• 16 November - Filming on location for Series 13 continued in Morlais Quarry.
• 16, 18 and 20 November - Big Finish's audio anthology The Lone Centurion: Volume Two was recorded at Audio Sorcery and remotely.
• 17 November - The Big Finish audio story Free Speech was recorded remotely. The story's announcement was also made.
• 18-20 November - Big Finish's The War Doctor Begins audio anthology Warbringer was recorded remotely.
• 21 November - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Pilot.
• 23 November
  • The BBC announced the animated recreation of the third episode of The Web of Fear, scheduled for release in 2021.
  • The BBC confirmed that John Barrowman was reprising the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the festive special, officially titled Revolution of the Daleks.
  • The BBC announced the Blu-ray steelbook box set of The 50th Anniversary Collection.
• 25 November - The BBC announced the Blu-ray box set The Collection: Season 8.
• 26 November - Filming continued at The Parade in Cardiff, Wales.
• 28 November - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways.
• 29 November - Transmission for Revolution of the Daleks was confirmed for New Year's Day 2021.
• 30 November - The BBC confirmed that Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole were to leave in the New Year's special Revolution of the Daleks.

December

• 5 December - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of Thin Ice.
• 7 December - Filming for Series 13 went on to the streets of Cardiff, Wales.
• 8 December - Filming then continued in Neptune Court on Vanguard Way in Penarth, Cardiff.
• 9-11 December - Big Finish's audiobook version of Enter Wildthyme was recorded at Buffalo Studios.
• 12 December - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Unquiet Dead.
• 17-18 December - Big Finish's UNIT: Nemesis box set Between Two Worlds was recorded.
• 18 and 23 December - The fourteenth series of Big Finish's audio series Jago & Litefoot was recorded.
• 18 December - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of The Runaway Bride. A text message exchange between Russell T Davies and Catherine Tate in the aftermath triggered the series of events that led to Davies returning as showrunner and Tate and David Tennant returning for the 60th Anniversary Specials. (DWM 584)
• 20 December - Doctor Who: Lockdown! hosted a tweetalong of A Christmas Carol.
• 23 December
  • The fourteenth series of Big Finish's audio series Jago & Litefoot was recorded.
  • Catherine Tate texted Russell T Davies to tell him that David Tennant was also interested in returning to Doctor Who. After confirming this with Tennant, Davies emailed Director of Drama Piers Wenger to inform him of the actors' interest. (DWM 584)

Unknown Dates

• The first series of Big Finish's Doctor Who spin-off Master! was recorded remotely.