The NEW RANI~!

[Lissa]

The Rani, the Time Lord villain created by Pip and Jane Baker in the 1980s, is to make her first appearance on audio in Doctor Who: The Rani Elite, out in December.

She will be reunited with the Sixth Doctor and Peri, in a story set written by Justin Richards and set in a galactic university.

The character has had three appearances on television in Mark of the Rani (1985), Time and the Rani (1987) and Dimensions in Time (1993), each time played by the late Kate O’Mara.

“The Rani’s return was very much prompted by Kate,” says producer David Richardson. “Her agent contacted me and said that she would love to reprise the role with us, and when I mentioned this to executive producer Nicholas Briggs and script editor Alan Barnes they leapt at the opportunity.

“Justin wrote The Rani Elite for us, and we were just a few weeks away from recording when the terrible news reached us that Kate had passed away. At first, we were not sure what to do – until Kate’s agent again got in touch again, and said that it had been Kate’s wish that we proceed with a new incarnation of the Rani.”

In her latest body the Rani is played by Siobhan Redmond, whose many leading television credits include Between the Lines, The High Life, The Smoking Room, Taggart and Holby City.

“We’d worked with Siobhan a few months ago as a different character in Revenge of the Swarm,” continues David, “and we fell in love with her. She’s a smart, delightful person and also an amazing actress – she’s the perfect choice for this new, slightly different version of the Rani.”

Pip and Jane finally released their death grip on the Rani but it came too late for dear old Kate. It's odd to pair this new Rani with Sixy though.

[Rob McCow]

it had been Kate’s wish that we proceed with a new incarnation of the Rani

In some ways it's sweet that she had the Rani on her mind before the end.

Once again, BF have tempted me. I didn't listen to the Sil story though. But if I'm assured that the Rani story is outrageously, insanely, ludicrously camp with more daft ideas than a UKIP conference and dialogue that Sir John Gielgud himself would balk at getting his muscular hydrostat around, I might just consider it!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

The cover is up. Looks promising!