Doctor Who: Vampire Weekend

The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures #1

by Tim Foley, Jodie Whittaker (Narrator), Mandip Gill (Narrator)

It’s Gina’s hen-do and her Maid of Honour has booked a large manor in the Peak District. All her friends should be here – including Yasmin Khan, who’s been mysteriously quiet whilst away on her travels. But Yaz is bringing a guest. Someone who isn’t invited. Someone who might prove a little disruptive. The Doctor is joining the celebrations. Unfortunately, so is an ancient enemy.

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

Audio CD

First published July 3, 2025

About the author

Tim Foley is an artist and illustrator born in Flint, Michigan, in 1962. Over the past quarter century, his clients have included national and international magazines, book publishers, and advertising agencies such as the Wall Street Journal, Cricket Magazine, New York Newsday, LA Weekly, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He currently lives and works in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first audiobook from the thirteenth Doctor as played by Jodi Whitaker. In this first BF audiobook we meet the Doctor and Yasmin Khan in a spooky manorhouse murder/vampire drama. Starting with a bang.
Before Yasmin goes on a bachelorette weekend with her friends from before the Doctor, the Doctor has actually been vampire hunting. It all started with the war of Timelords versus Bloodlords and the bloodsuckers lost. The Doctor is now chasing a survivor of the war together with two chickens, because the Doctor speaks chicken.
Anyhow the hen-do is starting off with attacks on the various guests of the weekend and chasing them is a vicious enemy.
The banter between the Doctor and Yasmin Khan is like before, a blast of sheer Joy. It is a reaquintance between the two after losing some members of the gang and so we go on a ride with the 13th Doctor and her travelling companion.
BF strikes gold again with a later Doctor, and she made me laugh.
Well worth a listen.

[meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

thasmin i’ve missed you so much

[tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘because i’m a silly billy’
obsessed with audio thasmin they are so funny and i think mandip and jodie nailed it as always. i think it really suited their dynamic to have so much more time together to actually interact. Jodie’s delivery on all of her lines actually cracked me up so much, like screaming barbara and ian.
i think classic big finish though being a bit too predictable on story lines but loved it all otherwise. thasmin i missed you so much.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This times different… this time I’ve got you!”

Jodie and Mandip totally nailed this! A very fun, silly, light hearted mystery, with a few deep moments sprinkled in. Perfect for the first Thirteen Big Finish story I’d say. I do hope in future stories we get a few less supporting characters, just to really make the most of the “solo adventures” opportunity with Yaz and The Doctor.

Also… “JUSTICE FOR BARBARA!” 🐓

[peep · Rating 5 out of 5]

“my yaz is braver than that!”

oh im so glad the thirteenth doctor and yasmin khan are back! ive missed them dearly!

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2019 52 Book Challenge - 31) A Book That Everybody's Talking About

My Doctor Who groups have kind of exploded about this book, and I can understand why. I actually really enjoyed this book, and while I'm not a fan of the 13th Doctor or Yaz, this book was actually really enjoyable. The Doctor was funny, and I kept cackling about the chickens named Barbara and Ian.

Plus, I just love vampire stories.

Honestly, if the rest of the 13th Doctor Adventures are like this story, then we're in for a hell of a decent series.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

THASMIN MY BELOVED ❤ gosh, this has just made me so happy, the 13th doctor at her best (bringing chickens to a hen party named Ian and Barbara), peak Who brilliance and camp excellence - can't wait for the other stories!!

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A majority of people's most anticipated new range from Big Finish in 2025 has been the 13th Doctor Adventures as it'll introduce Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill to the audio world of Doctor Who. It has unfortunately also been at the centre of a very specific controversy, considering how the range is being produced by a Zionist. How these audios are produced, however, stuff like this can't be helped. It's unfortunate, but countless other people have worked on these, so I don't think it's fair to punish everyone for one person's cruelty.

Yaz is joining a weekend away where a maid of honor is hosting a party for the new bride, but when The Doctor arrives, it quickly becomes clear something strange is going on. There's a vampire on the loose, one that forces its victims to tell the truth no matter how painful. Can The Doctor and Yaz stop the truth vampire in time or will all of time and space succumb to a new age of vampirism?

Tim Foley has written an incredible script. It's a creepy, hilarious and atmospheric story that doesn't take itself too seriously, but it has a great cast of characters, plenty of jokes and terror. I wasn't the biggest fan of Jodie's era, but this audio single-handedly proves that it wasn't the actors who were the problem, it was the writing.. Tim Foley has done an amazing job making Yaz feel more three-dimensional and making Jodie's Doctor not only more likable than usual but also hilarious.

Overall: It's an outstanding audio drama, that's by far my favorite 13th Doctor story so far. 10/10

[Sarah Catlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

toxic LESBIAN SITUATIONSHIP couple 13 and yaz travel to the PEAK district for a PROGRESSIVE FEMINIST hen do and comfort a NON-BINARY groomsTHEM and take on TRANS vampire in brand new WOKE big finish audio drama (who BLOCKED me on TWITTER after i publically asked for a PIRATED link)

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first story in Big Finish's Thirteenth Doctor Adventures is a ton of fun. Its story about a vampire lurking at a hen party makes for an entertaining opener, and I like how the vampire ties into the Great Vampires, the Dark Times and Ancient Gallifrey.

Jodie Whittaker is on top form, slipping back effortlessly into her Doctor's manic bundle of energy. The chickens Ian and Barbara are textbook Thirteenth Doctor, recalling her aloof nature that she often displayed onscreen. I was a little indifferent to Mandip Gill on TV, but I think much of my indifference was related to Yaz's lack of characterisation. She's much better here, due to the stronger script, which allows Mandip Gill to shine more in the role. We get to see more of her police detective skills, such aswhen she (incorrectly) deduces that the Great Vampire is Zoya, based on clues like the strawberry breath tying in with the strawberries she is using during her baking.

Vampire Weekend feels ripped straight from the Chibnall era. The music soundtrack evokes Segun Akinola very well, and the larger-than-life narrative feels perfectly in-keeping with other stories from the era, like It Takes You Away and Orphan 55. The beginning to The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures suggests plenty of promise for this new range's future.

[deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept and the setting were lots of fun, and made for a fun Scooby-Doo-style romp across a single night. The show pacing is breakneck, which makes for an exciting story, but it also becomes a bit difficult to follow and keep track and who everyone is and what precisely is happening. Also, the voices of Yaz and Zoya sound soooo similar, which added a layer of slight confusion. All in all, loved 13 in here, in all her chaotic chicken glory, and I like these stories with just her and Yaz. :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun first outing for 13 and Yaz on audio, and I can’t wait for more! And the Doctor bringing chickens (named Barbara and Ian, no less!) to a hen-do, that’s so on point for this incarnation. These two have been missed and I’m glad to see them back together in an adventure that does their characters justice.

[Richard Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 13th Doctor audio adventure definitely has the feel of a light-weight romp-ish season opener — it's seemingly a reminder of all the different tones Doctor Who does, all at once (not a bad thing), with a breakneck pace and a focus on just being a bit of fun. In that sense, it's more successful than many of her TV episodes were.

Jodie and Mandip slip back into their roles as if they'd never been away, and there are some nice scenes between the Doctor and Yaz. That goes some way to make up for the supporting cast being a mite too large — there's not enough time for this many characters, so they're all quite vaguely sketched. It doesn't help that several sound quite similar, meaning it can get a bit confusing in fast-paced scenes with everyone present.

Still, a solid start to the 13th Doctor's adventures on audio. Hopefully future episodes will deliver on the promise of what Big Finish can do to positively transform an era's reputation.

[Finlay O'Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long-awaited 13DAs start on a strong note, with some proper, compelling scriptwriting for Jodie Whittaker at last.

"Vampire Weekend" employs a well-structured plot which combines mystery and Sci-Fi brilliantly. The setting is simple with easy-to-imagine worldbuilding and very believable, realistic characters with some great representation.

I absolutely adored Whittaker's performance here. She taps back into 13 with ease and strived even further with a brilliant script in front of her. This story has very much given me high hopes for the rest of this range now.

The Truth Vampire is a fantastic, truly Who-esque monster as well. A fantastic idea for a villain and I love how it was still a fresh take on a species done both in the show and in Big Finish before.

Also, I'm delighted to see that we are seemingly in for a classic, old-fashioned background series arc with this line as well. There's a mention of something or someone known as 'The Tourist', and I'm excited to see where this goes over the next 11 adventures.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 13th Doctor release from Big Finish is better than anything else from Jodie Whittaker's TV era. But to be fair, that's a pretty low bar. Whittaker and Mandip Gill are in fine form, with rapid-fire banter boosting this fairly standard episode featuring a "Truth Vampire" terrorizing a group of characters at a "hen party," which I guess we in the states would refer to as a bridal shower.

Of course, this is Big Finish, so there must be pandering to the gender-confusion cult. BF appears to have replaced its previous obsession with putting lesbians into every release with non-binary characters. I've lost track of the number of BF releases this past year with they/them characters. Here we have a they/them who is worried that after coming out as 'non-binary,' his girlfriend might break up with him. Dude. You have a girlfriend. This should be a pretty good hint that you're a boy-person. But honestly, I don't know why I expected anything different from Big Finish. Including gender garbage is probably required of their writers.

The ironic thing is that while BF openly panders to proggies, the proggies themselves are so upset about the producer of this series being Jewish that they're telling their anti-semite proggie pals to pirate this release. Well, I guess if you cater to that crowd, you can't be surprised if they steal from you. Schadenfraudelicious!

Dear BF: normies like Doctor Who, too. And there are a lot more of us than there are of they/them.

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Finish are very good at getting a Doctor Who concept and bringing it to the next level. 

This time, it's Jodie Whittaker's turn.

This is a good story set at a hen night... complete with unwanted guests, vampires.

This story is just that... hunt the vampire! There's no substandard Neighbours soap opera strand about the Doctor’s background. 

Like Whittaker's sublime first series, this is just a straightforward adventure story. 

We do get to know the characters, care about them. 

The humour and the tension complement each other.  

Yaz is superb. We see her with her other friends. By herself, she shines.

And I love the in-jokes... chickens called Ian and Barbara. 

Overall, this is good introduction to the Jodie Whittaker audio era. 8/10

Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.

[Alex Southwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg yesss, the doctor queen will be redeemed!! First of all, Jodi was the perfect female pick for the Doctor - fight me. Second, it’s not her fault Chris Chibnall/COVID ruined her on-screen time. Between the absolute trash writing of 13’s seasons and storylines that literally ended up going nowhere, I’m beyond relieved Jodi will get a redemption arc with Big Finish.

My only complaint? That the 13th Doctor didn’t get a typical 3 story boxset like many of the other Doctor Adventures. Beyond sad it was only one story, though bonus points for it being a vampire story I guess. I have hope that Big Finish will do the 13th Doctor some justice for all the hardcore DW fans. <3

[Marcel Driel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Jodie Whittaker became the new Doctor, I was really excited. Finally, a female Doctor Who! Unfortunately, the episodes ranged from mediocre to bad—though that certainly wasn’t her fault. But now that’s been made right in audio! Today, the first episode of the new Thirteenth Doctor series by Big Finish was released, and it was better than her entire TV run. Creepy, thrilling, but mostly hilarious. I listened to it while walking through the park and found myself laughing out loud several times. Only downside? The next episode isn’t out for another two months!

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me a lot of the 10th Doctor adventures "No Place"- Haunted Makeovers.
Setting and location are interesting and original- a hen-do at a remote manor house.
However, the plot is nothing new- One by one, the guests are taken by a vampire and no way to escape or call for help.
It is small scale.
It is fun and entertaining.
Sadly, it is pretty clear who the vampire is early on.
But it is a great start and very engaging.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

after biting the big finish bullet with snare i thought why the hell not check out this too. going into that i'd have been happy with any old dogshit just to hear eccleston and piper again but this had the reverse problem: while i loved whittaker's doctor she was saddled with some absolutely shite scripts. luckily this isn't written by randomly slapping together scraps of cliche and half-remembered history so i had a good time

[Helen (they or he) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! I miss Thirteenth and Yaz so much. Such a fun romp for them as well. Four canonically queer characters in such a small, contained story. I also liked the plot and the nature of the Vampire. I always liked the "locked room mystery" sort of stories, but in this one it's a house contained in a forcefield of course. I enjoyed the way the Doctor and Yaz bounced off each other, while being in that place where they're still emotionally confused of their feelings.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent debut for the first of twelve 13th Doctor stories, with the great chemistry between the Doctor and Yaz successfully carried over from screen to audio, without the heavy regret of unrequited emotions that we saw in some of the later TV episodes.
The story carries along at a good pace, with some good humorous moments and a plot that leaves you guessing till the last act.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda weird hearing a reference to the website that tells you of a dog dies in a movie. And were they referencing an episode of The Mandalorian? I did like when The Doctor n’s Yaz got introspective about their dynamic.

[John]

Great first audio. Jodie has really grown into the role and has some strong writers providing her with focus for her quirkier take on the Doctor. Glad that Mandip gets to take an active role in a story since she can't be written into the background in audio. Can't wait for the next one.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sufficiently silly, and just what I needed after this stressful week. I love 13 and Yaz together, and I want so many more of their adventures! I’m glad we’re getting a whole series of 13 audio dramas.

[Toby Sutton-Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome Jodie and Mandip to Big Finish! This is one of those stories that is nothing particularly special, but a simplistic re-introduction to this era of the Whoniverse. The guest characters were a hoot! The ending was a bit of a let down but overall I enjoyed.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars - this is just missing that special sauce to take it over the edge. I think this is a good pace setting story for the 13th Doctor audios but I just want 13 and Yas to be engaging. Anytime the other characters get involved it just slows down the pace of what you want from the story.

[Brian Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reunited, and it feels so good!

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I love 13 and Yaz so much 😭

[hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

missed thasmin soooo much, loved this <3