Doctor Who: The Light at the End

by Nicholas Briggs

November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…

It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…

It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…

From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.

From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fiction

Audio CD

First published October 31, 2013

About the author

Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.

He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).

Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.

Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.

Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.

Reviews

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unless one of our future selves bothers to fix the chameleon circuit."

"Is this some kind of Doctors afterlife?"

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved just about every last moment of "The Day of the Doctor" (including getting a bit lump in my throat at a certain surprise scene), part of the classic Whovian in me was still a bit disappointed that we didn't an appearance by all the remaining living Doctors. I realize that time has passed and that seeing the Doctors older might interfere with our memories of them (since they're all ageless on the DVD releases), but I still think it would have been fun to see the Doctor run into some of his previous selves from the classic series run.

Leave it to Big Finish to fill in the gap with a year of connected audio stories, a series of adventures from the audio Doctors centered around the year 1963 and the jewel in the crown, "The Light at the End," featuring all the remaining classic series Doctors and their companions in a huge, sprawling, convoluted and utterly enjoyable adventures that celebrates the fiftieth anniversary in style. The story even manages to find passable imitators of those Doctors no longer with us so we really can have a sprawling story featuring each of the first eight Doctors in a rousing adventures.

Interestingly, the story centers around November 1963 and several adventures by various Doctors all converging together. The script has just enough continuity nods and Easter eggs to the classic era, all while managing to tell a solid little tale. Of course, a lot of my enjoyment of this story could be the nostalgia factor alone and the realization that this is as close as we'll get to the Doctors getting back together for one last reunion before we push on to the sixtieth anniversary.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light at the End hangs on a gimmick -- get all 8 Doctors from the classic era together for one rousing adventure -- and it succeeds! Baker, Davison, Baker, McCoy, and McGann are all together, along with companions Leela, Nyssa, Peri, Ace, and Charley. Any worries I had that some would be short-changed were not realized. Each of them gets plenty of time in the spotlight, playing off each other, their companions, and finally The Master (Geoffrey Beevers version). As for the first three Doctors? They're in there, too.

Sound production exceeds Big Finish's typically high standards, including a rousing new version of the opening theme that I wouldn't mind hearing used again.

The plot is a little light, as might befit a story that has to feature so many characters. The effect is sort of like a Big Loud Summer Blockbuster Movie where you go for the thrill ride action more than for plot, but the plot isn't particularly weak. It's actually kind of dark, and the aliens the Master is working with (or using or whatever) are pretty nasty. So it's dependent on the interplay of the characters to keep it light. (Four and Eight have some fantastic banter.)

The Maguffin that puts the Doctor in peril is actually rather clever, and though there are plenty of little nods and references for the long-time fan, even a casual Whovian will enjoy this.

It's not perfect, but I have a hard time imagining how the current TV series could come up with something better for the 50th Anniversary celebration. Well done, Big Finish! Well done!

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 52 Book Challenge - December Mini Challenge - 10) Ten Lords A-Leaping

This was so good! If this had had the modern Doctors, this would have been everything I wanted from the 50th Anniversary. Fantastic acting, great plot, memorable villain. I especially loved how they managed to include the first three Doctors. It was just fantastic.

I did twist the prompt a little and I used the idea of the ten Time Lords in the book leaping into action.

[MindProbe · Rating 2 out of 5]

an insular and inward-looking exercise in pure plot mechanics and fanservice that compares poorly to the far more emotionally and thematically rich The Day of the Doctor, but still basically works on the level on which it sets out to. inasmuch as this story is a celebration of Doctor Who, it goes about it more in fetishising the superficial trappings of it as an object of fandom than displaying any real insight into its characters or spirit - tellingly, the plot is intensely focused on the TARDIS, both as a location in which substantial chunks of the runtime are set, and a plot device around which the whole thing revolves (the title itself being a rather weak pun about a mysterious flashing warning light on the console), but not as something that carries any actual meaning. it's only significant in a literal, logistical sense.

speaking of logistics though, it's worth noting that the Doctors are all juggled and balanced quite well, each getting their own slice of time in the spotlight and a decent amount to do, which is a legitimate feat in itself given how many of them the story has to deal with (even if, like in Briggs' previous multi-Doctor effort The Sirens of Time, they are written largely as interchangeable plot functions rather than contrasting personalities, without much in the way of spark or chemistry between them). and the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa's strand towards the end of part one in particular is rather good, grounding the story, albeit briefly, in some tangible human experience - a father's concern for his wife and children. ostensibly this ordinary man, Bob Dovie, serves as an anchor for the plot as a whole, but again simply as an almost literal device, with little focus given to him as an actual character.

all that being said, while not what I'd consider a standout example of the fifty-year storytelling tradition that it nominally exists to celebrate, there's admittedly still a basic pleasure to be had in what this story is, taken on its own terms. if what it does offer, five Doctors in a structurally convoluted but fundamentally straightforward fan-pleasing battle with the Master (with Geoffrey Beevers on typically excellent form and relishing every second), has some inherent appeal to you, then it will likely provide it in a satisfying enough way. if not, maybe try Zagreus.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Finish anniversary special was released a month early. What a delightful surprise!

It was everything that it promised to be. A big multi-Doctor story crossing timelines and averting all kinds of catastrophes. By far my favourite parts were the ones with Tom Baker and Paul McGann. Two of my favourites together and they were so funny. They really were a great combination. It was nice to see the other doctors working together and even to see the hints with Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee as well.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed that the companions were written out quite so quickly. Leela meeting Charlie was brilliant. As was Ace addressing all the Doctors. I would have liked to have seen more of that but then I suppose the cast was just too unwieldy if some didn't go.

I think this is the big multi-doctor story people were wanting for the 50th. Though it is a little bit of a shame it couldn't cross into new who and bring the three more recent doctors in as well. (Though how they would have had room for them I have no ideas.)

While not as emotional as Dark Eyes or as clever as Gallifrey VI it was the perfect way for Big Finish to celebrate the 50th. I just wish I could have afforded the special edition.

[Devin Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light at the End was AMAZING. 100x better than the last anniversary special they did at Big Finish (Zagreus, which I did enjoy as well but not nearly as much as this). It was great to see all of the Doctors' interacting, especially 4 and 8 who were just wonderful together. I just love when Doctors and Companions meet past and future Doctors' and Companions, it's always so wonderful. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctor's were are all impersonated perfectly, especially Frazer who seems to have Patricks voice down perfectly it is so wonderful, I do wish we could have heard more from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctors' and especially their companions but it was still great. Unlike what a lot of people have said though, I thought the plot held together extremely well, especially for a large multi-doctor story, and I can see myself re-listening to this quite a few times in the next few weeks, theres just so much to catch and it is just great. (Also on the sidenote, not related to the story but the theme at the beginning and end of the audio is one of my all time favorites, it is epic)

[William Lavell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I for one love multiple-Doctor stories because the way the Doctors play off of each other is fun. 8 making fun of 4's scarf, for example. Each manages to bring their unique traits to the table for this story, and although it's slow in a few places, overall it was a great story. Colin Baker, who always seems to express The Doctor's outrage with he Time Lords, does so admirably here. Ace as the plain-talking comic relief that she normally is, had a hysterical reaction to meeting Colin Baker's Doctor. Tom Baker, who is new to Big Finish compared to the others, is good in his part, and Geoffrey Beevers is great as The Master. This was a great offering for the 50th!

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decently fun anniversary adventure. The first half is a bit slow, but things pick up in the second half. The Fifth Doctor and especially the Sixth Doctor have the most prominent roles, though all the classic Doctors have their moments. I was particularly pleased they found a way to include the first three Doctors. I was hoping for a bit more inter-Doctor banter than we got, however. Also, the ending is a bit too neat, but it's perfectly fine for something that's just meant for fun.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 50th anniversary celebration featuring Doctors Four through Eight. The story is remarkably coherent and remains so despite incorporating a plethora of characters and cameos. The Doctors themselves take centre stage and all feel important. Definitely one of Big Finish’s better efforts.

[Horror Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuity references, timey wimey shenanigans, Tom Baker having the best time, this 50th anniversary audio from Big Finish has it all. While Doctors 1-3 have very minor roles, this is a story that really focuses on Doctors 4 through 8 trying to figure out what is happening on one particular day in 1963. Something (or someone) is affecting the flow of time, and the Doctors will have to work together to figure it all out.
This was such a fun listen, and despite the story lagging in some parts, this is a great showcase of the kind of stories Big Finish can do. There's comedic bits (the 4th & 8th Doctor duo really works!), but there are also darker & quieter moments too (just listen to the discovery that the 5th Doctor & Nyssa make in the dollhouse). The ending with the 'you know who' villain wraps up just a little too quickly for me, but "The Light At The End" is still a great audio celebration of classic Doctor Who.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun audio (only) book. Plot was meh, but it was true to the classic sounds and characters of the original series. I, like other fans, was drawn in by all the voice acting talent that they managed to pull together for this 50th anniversary effort:
- Doctors: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann
- Companions: Louise Jameson (Leela), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Sophie Aldred (Ace), India Fisher (Charley Pollard)
- and Geoffrey Beevers (The Master)

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10
Verdict: Optional

Very iffy story with some good doctor crossover action. The master is as generically evil as ever, and the plot is as annoying to follow as a lot of time meddling plots are. Can't say I can recommend this but I wouldn't recommend against it either. It's pretty below standard who all things considered.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's traditional that decadal anniversaries of Doctor Who feature multi-Doctor stories. For the 50th, on TV we got The Day of the Doctor, while on audio, we got this. (Interestingly, according to the sleeve notes, the producers had decided not to bother this time round, but Tom Baker apparently talked them into it, making this the first multi-Doctor story he'd properly appeared in).

A time distortion emanating from when else but the time and date of the TV show's first broadcast traps the TARDIS, pulling it into a pocket universe. As is clear from the cover, the story primarily involves the fourth to eighth Doctors, but there are also cameos from the first three, using a plot device that means we can never quite hear them clearly (thus disguising the fact that they aren't voiced by their original actors).

The story is a complex one, as one might expect, and quite a bit better than the novel The Eight Doctors that kicked off the BBC Books range back in 1997 - or, indeed, the audio story Zagreus, which celebrated the 40th anniversary. Since he's also on the cover, it's no surprise that the Master is involved in it all, but the story also brings in interstellar arms dealers and events at a suburban house in Hampshire. Despite the large number of characters, all of the Doctors get a good share of the spotlight, although the five featured companions are a little more side-lined.

Quite why it's all happening is rather harder to follow at times, although it does all make sense in the end. Along the way there are plenty of nods to past stories which, in fairness, may reduce the appeal to casual fans or those who follow the new series alone - they're not essential to the plot, but part of the fun is spotting them. Naturally, there's also the enjoyment of seeing different Doctors and companions interact, which, again, does require you to be familiar with who they all are.

Normally, BF releases use the theme tune of the relevant era, but, in the case of this pan-era release, they've created a new variation. It's rather good, and to my mind, feels like a mixture of the themes for the Eighth and Tenth Doctors. That it's two one-hour episodes, rather than four half-hour ones, also adds to the "special" feel.

Is it perfect? No, but it's everything you want from a big multi-Doctor team up, a story that's clearly celebrating the show down the years. It's aimed straight at the long-term fan, and merely the fact that it unites so many of the 'classic' Doctors, still played by their original actors, is a delight in itself. One for the fans, to be sure, but definitely a good one.

[David Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Light at the End" Nick Briggs takes on his own "Day of the Doctor" with eight Doctors involved. Now that is some task, with potential overwhelming complications. For the first three Doctors, voice actors imitate them and then they get the spectral treatment, so that one does not hear the differences overly much. Even then, they have a key role to play in the plot. For the rest, we get Doctors 4,5,6,7 and 8, in equal measure, each with one key companion. Of course, with so many leads, none of them gets significant time, but each still manages a key role in the plot. This time, the Master is out to wipe the Doctor from history, and only the Doctor can save himself. And, as usual, with all this Doctor meets himself stuff, once the damage is undone, it is as though it had never happened. Briggs does very well in limiting the amount of Doctor squabbling, opting instead for moving along the plot. It is a very tall order for a writer, and one must give kudos to Briggs for managing the job with some grace and only a few minor stumbles.

[Lewis Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This is like comfort food in audio format. It isn’t necessarily the ‘Classic’ alternative to Day of the Doctor - its loud fast and action packed story would seem out of place in most eras of Classic Who - but it’s much more fun and exciting than the televisual celebration, and I still get a thrill hearing all these classic Doctors and companions together. In the end, the story barely matters, which is good because it becomes increasingly more neat and unsatisfying as it races towards its conclusion. What matters is celebrating Doctor Who in all its forms and styles, and making each one the hero of this story.

[Jeffrey Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Big Finish Dr. Who audio books and I especially love the ones where they bring together multiple Doctors. This was their 50th anniversary special released in 2013 featuring five Doctors and their companions. It also made nice references to the earlier Doctors and their companions. I particularly liked how the different stories all eventually merged together at the very end. If you are a Classic Dr. Who fan, this is for you.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. THIS is the 50th anniversary celebration.

Okay, it’s not the only 50th anniversary thing that year, but it impressed me quite a lot. Loved how it used the five Doctors featured here and even used what I thought was archive audio of the first three, but it was actually William Russell, Frazier Hines, and Tim Treloar doing good impressions. Love the interactions between the Doctors and the companions. Truly feels like a celebration of Doctor Who.

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don`t know... yes, it was fun and all, but somehow I have the feeling that these multi- doctor adventures have less substance than the normal ones.
As usual for Big Finish great production and great acting, with a very enthusiastic cast.
But, as said above, it just lacks something. Paul McGann and Tom Baker are great together, though...

[Marcel Driel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most multi Doctor stories, this one is light on plot and heavy on the interaction between the different characters. When they banter, it’s fine, when they not, it’s okay. The actors do their best, but in the end it’s nothing more than perfectly adequate. The last three minutes are hilarious though.

[Samael Kovacs]

The Fourth Doctor and The Eight Doctor is a combination I'd never knew I'd needed but one I want to see so much more of.
They were amazing together.

The whole story is amazing.

Ending was hilarious.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun! I don't know if I followed exactly how the Master's plan was ruined...but 5 DOCTORS!!! And companions!!!

[Tempus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool to hear the Doctors, but the story falls short of any substance. Hilarious ending scene though.

[Billy Martel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best multi-Doctor story of all time.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. The plot in the last third gets a little complicated but even for having 8 Doctors here is balanced well and the ending is a hilarious cherry on top.

[Miss Zero · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I listened to this audio adventure a while back, and I was...very pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed it.

I've not been a fan long, and was a fan less than a few weeks after having listened to this and only really familiar with the Fourth Doctor at the time. So I really kind of got to know some of these others Doctors well here!

This has a pretty solid story. You've got the Doctor's foe The Master, and for an anniversary story, of COURSE this makes perfect sense! You've got all sorts of "timey-whimey" going on. I felt that the story was pretty well paced out, it wasn't too slow, wasn't too fast, and most importantly, it held my attention. My favorite bits had to be the interaction between the Fourth & Eighth Doctors, my two favorite Doctors. I love the callbacks to the first three Doctors, though they are no longer with us, and I felt the voice actors for them were fairly believable. They also did it in a way that I thought was nice - they weren't "up front" in the audio, they were almost ghostly...well, you'd have to listen to know what I mean, but it works!

Overall, this is probably one of the best Doctor Who stories I've had to pleasure of hearing, and I'm glad the Classic Doctors were recognized for the Fiftieth in this way!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the multi Doctor story we had all hoped for with the 50th anniversary, shame its on audio. The Master has a plan to kill the Doctor, all the Doctors, and they have to stop him. I don't want to say anymore as that will spoil the fun. All the Doctors get their chance to shine, and there's some really good cameos. It's a feel good adventure and one that I suspect I will be listening to regularly.
The extras in this special edition include 2 documentary CDs and a companion chronicle with Ian Chesterton. The booklet was obviously made for autograph hunters and is very nice. A brilliant listen, one for all Doctor Who fans.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like multi Doctor adventures. It was an ambitious idea to try and have eight doctors participate in this story in some form or other. The story mainly features Doctors 4-8. But, Doctors 1-3 are also represented. In a nice touch, and an homage to the series history, the First Doctor is voiced by first Doctor Companion Ian prtrayed by William Russell nad the Second Doctor is voiced by companion Jamie portrayed by Frazer Hines. A number of the companions are sprinkled throughout. On of the focal points of the adventure is he date of November 23, 1963. If you don't know the significance of that date, you are not an old time Who fan.

[Eric Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing 50th anniversary story for the series. Doctors 1-8 face off against the Master (though 1-3 are just old clips repurposed for the new story due to the actors, sadly, no longer being with us) and a plot to erase them all from existence one by one. FAR better than the actual, official, BBC 50th anniversary. But, then, I'm not a fan of the Moffat era of Doctor Who. The guy is okay at one off stories here and there, but as the show runner, he's just completely ruining the series. Anyway, you can buy/download this audio drama at Bigfinish.com along with a hell of a lot more really great Doctor Who stories.

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow, this was mind-blowing, certainly worth waiting for 4 years to listen to! This audio is just perfection, featuring the first 8th Doctors and their companions which are beautifully written going up against The Master for the sake of The Doctor's past and future! This feels more like a 50th anniversary special then Day of The Doctor which just ended up feeling like an early 10th anniversary of the modern reboot. But yeah this audio is just amazing, a masterpiece by Nicholas Briggs and I would highly recommend it to those who are wanting to get into Big Finish but also to those who have already gotten into it and are still yet to listen to this one.

Rating: 10/10