Big Finish to Tackle Time War?

[Rob McCow]

So there was this rumour that BF were going to do the Time War - that epic war between the Daleks and the Time Lords that was a heavy feature of the Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who.

Supporting this rumour:
There's a new series of 'Gallifrey' (their planet-of-the-Time-Lords soap opera) on it's way. Previous series featured K-9, Leela and President Romanavoratrelundar investigating murders and prophecies as they tried to bring other races in on the secret of Time Travel.
Gary Russell who did some script-editing for RTD is returning to BF.
Although refered to in the new series, The Time War is not actually a part of it so maybe they could negotiate the rights?

So - do you think this is likely, or even possible? And what would you like to see in a Big Finish Time War?

[matthewsch]

I want to know if it was 8 or 9 that was involved! Or both...

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I don't know if this is such a good idea. I mean part of what you get the feeling of is that the time war almost ripped apart the fabric of the Universe.

You get the feeling from what's been said that one side would go in and destroy a key world. Then the other side would go back in time and undo that victory. Almost like the Universe would temporarily oscillate between two states of being.

It's tantalising to think about, the snippits from End of Time are all fan w00t. But can you actually turn it into a story?

[Dino]

But the Time War worked because it was always hinted at?
The Master and The Doctor made references to huge alien battles that like the best suspense films, were left to your imagination?
Is it too much to ask if Big Finish might want to wind down and find work elsewhere...

[Rob McCow]

I thought this would get more replies. I'm putting it down to the fact that everyone's misreading the thread title - it's not about a disagreement between fishermen on how long they can spend dangling their lines.

[SiHart]

The Time War is better left to the imagination than it is to Big Finish writers.

Although Lalla Ward fighting the Time War has possibilities.

Si xx

[Lissa]

Is it too much to ask if Big Finish might want to wind down and find work elsewhere...

Why would you want them to? They continue to produce a lot of very good stuff. If you aren't interested then don't be interested but wanting them to go out of business is a bit harsh.

As the source of the rumour (though supposition and speculation might be a better way of putting it) I think there is a lot they could do with it. But if we're honest, a war between the Time Lords and the Daleks wasn't that good an idea to begin with. RTD skirted round the edges of it precisely because it is a pretty dull idea. To make it work you need to tell stories within the war rather than tell the story of the war itself.

The Time War is better left to the imagination than it is to Big Finish writers.

You say that like they're all pieces of cheese.

[Si Hunt]

I think there are legs in the idea. Perhaps they could re-invent it a bit and have "Time" as some sort of force like in "Sapphire and Steel" and have time as a third party conspiring to wipe out the Time Lords and the Daleks while they try and destroy each other.

Alternatively, it could just be excuse for adventures involving the key elements; imagine the Doctor marooned on a swamp world orbitting the Nightmare Child and finding the remains of a Dalek Attack Force.

Actually, no that's rubbish isn't it? This post is going nowhere.

[Andrew Curnow]

I once read Glen A Larson talking about Battlestar Galactica, in reference (I think) to the large number of characters in the show - and he said that although they look great, the audience would actually get very bored very quickly of seeing spaceship after spaceship. I think the Time War is the same - it sounds great, but I think it would get very dull & samey very quickly. It's far better left to the imagination, hinted at tantalisingly by a few non-specific phrases such as "I was there at the fall of Arcadia" and "The Cruciform" than it would be made explicit and pinned down to facts.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

It's like in Star Wars (the original 1977 movie), Obi Wan uses the throw away line about helping in the Clone Wars. It adds depth and mystery and history to the film.

Then Lucas went back and made films about them ... and they were rubbish.

[SiHart]

You say that like they're all pieces of cheese.

I probably should have said that it was best left in the imagination and not down to any writers really. I do think, however exciting or appealing the idea is, it's better left to the imagination than to actually have a definitive set down version of events. I don't think even RTD himself has any real fixed ideas on how the war was fought or won or whatever, other than the tantasling glimpses we heard of/ saw.

Si xx

[Larry]

I suppose the one plus point if BF, did devote a season of audios to the Time War, there would be no more arguments as to which Doctor, it was that fought in the war. I have my doubts whether some thing of the hiuge epicness of the time war could be pulled off on audio,