Big Finish Stories within TV Canon
Mar 18, 2018 7:25:17 GMT
whiskeybrewer, barnabaslives, and 6 more like this
Post by Whovitt on Mar 18, 2018 7:25:17 GMT
This post is merely a bit of fun Nobody has to take it seriously if they don't want to
Whether something is canon or not within the Doctor Who universe is a matter that is regularly debated/discussed. In terms of Big Finish, the majority of people like to just accept that it is all probably canon and leave it at that. A couple of months ago, I decided that I wanted to try and form a comprehensive list of exactly what could be categorically proven to be canon and what could not. Below are my findings
[For this first post I've focused primarily on the Main Range, though the opening section will address specifically the 8th Doctor. Due to how difficult it is to work this stuff out and to find a way of presenting the information in a user-friendly manner, it may be a while before I finish with all the different ranges and spin-offs (as in it may be weeks before I can finish publishing my findings), but I thought the Main Range was as good as any place to start ]
All information published in these lists will stem from the minisode The Night of the Doctor. All other connections will be drawn from having heard the stories in question or from consulting the Wiki pages for the releases. If there are any mistakes or connections that people don’t agree with, please sing out
Eighth Doctor's Ongoing Adventures
So, we'll begin with the 8th Doctor's adventures. As he is about to regenerate, the 8th Doctor lists off numerous companions he had travelled with. Included in this list are Lucie, Tamsin, and Molly. With his declaring these companion's existence within the TV show, all their Big Finish stories must therefore be real within the TV universe. As such the entire Eighth Doctor Adventures range and the Dark Eyes range are officially canon. As the Doctor and Molly meet Liv Chenka in Dark Eyes, it is safe to assume that any future adventures featuring Liv are also canon, therefore Doom Coalition and Ravenous are also canon (making Helen an official companion in the process).
Now Included in the Canon: The Eighth Doctor Adventures, Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition, and Ravenous
Main Range/Classic Series Spin-offs
Now we look at the other two companions the 8th Doctor mentioned before regenerating: Charley and C'rizz. As C'rizz appears only in stories featuring Charley, we'll just look at Charley's stories. Charley appeared in 27 Main Range stories alongside the 8th Doctor. As Charley is officially canon, so too are all 27 of these stories. Additionally, Charley would go on to have 7 Main Range adventures with the 6th Doctor, as well as 1 Bonus Release (Return of the Krotons) (referenced as "BR7") and The Red House, an episode of The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure (referenced as "6D-TLA").
Now Included: Main Range stories 16-19, 28-33, 50, 52-55, 61-64, 72, 75, 7, 80, 83, 88, 101, 103, 105, 111, 114, 124-126, BR7, 6D-TLA: The Red House
It is from here that things start getting interesting! As Charley appeared in 6D-TLA, an ongoing four-episode story, the other three episodes of the story must be also be canon (if this isn't enough confirmation, the final episode, The Brink of Death, makes a direct reference to the final events of 6/Charley's last adventure together, so these two factors combined should be enough to make this canon). With 6D-TLA now a part of the fold, companions Flip and Constance (who appear in the set) are made official, meaning that their Main Range adventures with the 6th Doctor are also canon, bringing in another 15 Main Range stories (discounting The Crimes of Thomas Brewster, which is about to be addressed). Evelyn Smythe is also name-checked in The Brink of Death, meaning her 19 Main Range stories with the 6th Doctor are also made canon.
Now Included: 6, 9, 11, 22-23, 37, 40, 43, 45, 57, 60, 73, 78, 84, 100, 108, 143-145, 156-158, 182-184, 204-206, 218-220, 225, 231-233
Next we look at Evelyn's other Main Range adventure. She appears in the story A Death in the Family, which is part of the Hex/B&W TARDIS arc, making all stories featuring these elements canon as well. As a bonus, Liv Chenka appears in one of these stories (Robophobia), so even if the Evelyn connection isn't acceptable, Liv's appearance solidifies all 26 Main Range stories (all the way up to Signs and Wonders and including Shadow Planet/World Apart). The Hex story line picks up from a previous character arc for Ace starting back in The Fearmonger, so all 5 Main Range stories in this arc are included. After Hex's story arc is complete, the 7th Doctor and Ace's story continues in You Are the Doctor (and other stories) before they meet up with Mel again. As this is a continuation of the story, these 10 Main Range stories become canon as well.
Now Included: 5, 7, 21, 25, 36, 58, 67, 74, 79, 82, 89, 92, 106, 115, 120-122, 139-141, 149, 151-152, 162-164, 181, 189-191, 207, 214-216, 226-229, 241-243
Now for some smaller contributions. With Evelyn Smythe being a confirmed companion, so too is Thomas Brewster, who appeared in a Main Range trilogy with her. As such, his earlier Main Range trilogy of stories with the 5th Doctor (this includes The Boy That Time Forgot) is also canon. Also, with Colditz being part of Ace's character arc, the character of Elizabeth Klein is also canon, bringing a further 7 Main Range releases into the fold. With the inclusion of The Harvest, the 2 other Main Range stories in that trilogy are also canon. With the MacQueen Master appearing in Dark Eyes, his other appearances would also be canon, so the 'Two Masters' Main Range trilogy is also canon.
Now Included: 86-87, 107, 110, 113, 130-132, 175-177, 211-213, 244
Here we move into our first set of 'referenced stories'. In this context, 'referenced stories' are stories that explicitly reference and/or are explicitly referenced in any other story already confirmed to be canon. These will be put in spoilers for brevity's sake.
For our first set, we will look at stories between 1-100:
{Spoiler}
The Sirens of Time (the same President of Gallifrey also appears in 11. The Apocalypse Element)
Phantasmagoria (the Doctor refers to having seen the Type 70 TARDIS he encountered in 1. The Sirens of Time)
The Mutant Phase (Nyssa’s first encounter with the Daleks, making her later interactions with them make sense; also part of the 'Dalek Empire' quadrilogy)
The Land of the Dead (referenced in 15. The Mutant Phase)
Loups-Garoux (referred to in 19. Minuet in Hell)
The One Doctor (references both 25. Colditz and 16. Storm Warning)
Master (references 21. Dust Breeding and 50. Zagreus)
The Juggernauts (the Doctor mentions Evelyn Smythe)
Davros (referenced in 65. The Juggernauts)
Singularity (the Doctor once again refers to the Type 70 TARDIS seen in 1. The Sirens of Time)
Renaissance of the Daleks (references 15. The Mutant Phase)
Urgent Calls from I.D. (part of the 'Viyran/Charley' arc [referenced as 94.1])
Urban Myths from Exotron (part of the 'Viyran/Charley' arc [referenced as 95.1])
The Wishing Beast/The Vanity Box (parts of the 'Viyran/Charley' arc [referenced as just 97])
Now Included: 1-2, 4, 15, 20, 27, 48-49, 65, 76, 93, 94.1, 95.1, 97
Referenced stories between stories 101-200 (including any stories that might retroactively become canon from releases 1-100):
{Spoiler}
Mission of the Viyrans from The Mind’s Eye (part of the 'Viyran/Charley' arc [referenced as 102.1])
A Company of Friends (features a story with Mary Shelley, who the 8th Doctor refers to having met on several occasions, see 16. Storm Warning; the other stories are assumed canon but could be argued otherwise)
The Eternal Summer (references 15. The Mutant Phase)
Castle of Fear and Plague of the Daleks (part of the ongoing ‘Stockbridge trilogy’ with 128. The Eternal Summer)
Primeval (referenced in 128. The Eternal Summer)
Circular Time (referenced in 128. The Eternal Summer),
The Silver Turk, The Witch from the Well, and Army of Death (all three feature Mary Shelley; the 8th Doctor refers to having met her on several occasions, see 16. Storm Warning)
The Wrong Doctors (references 6. The Marian Conspiracy and 73. Thicker Than Water)
Catch-1782 (referenced in 169. The Wrong Doctors)
Spaceport Fear (references both 113. Time Reef and 65. The Juggernauts)
The Seeds of War (features the Eminence from the Dark Eyes series)
The Widow’s Assassin (explains what happens after the end of 184. Scavenger; part of the 'Older Peri' arc)
Masters of Earth and The Rani Elite (part of the ‘Older Peri’ arc)
The Defectors, Last of the Cybermen, and The Secret History (shared trilogy, with canonicity connections withheld for spoiler reasons)
Now Included: 26, 68, 91, 102.1, 123, 127-129, 153-155, 169-171, 192-194, 198-200
Referenced stories between stories 200-244 (the latest story with cast details, including any stories that might retroactively become canon from releases 1-200):
{Spoiler}
We Are the Daleks (references 65. The Juggernauts)
The Warehouse (the Doctor mentions having met a Rat King before, presumably in 148. Rat Trap; this one can be contended)
The Memory Bank (and other stories) (references 172. Eldrad Must Die!; one story is canon, the rest are assumed)
Now Included: 201-202, 217
Taking a step back, The Eternal Summer and Plague of the Daleks are briefly referenced in Cobwebs, the first story in the 'Old Nyssa' arc. As this is case, the entire arc, comprising 15 Main Range stories, is part of the canon.
Now Included: 136-138, 146-148, 159-161, 172-174, 195-197
***
It is at this point that we diverge from the Main Range alone and look at other ranges that will allow us to expand to additional characters/story arcs in the Main Range.
We begin with 6D-TLA. Episode 3 features the characters of Jago and Litefoot; as they recognise the Doctor in this body, the Jago & Litefoot series (where they first encounter this incarnation) must be canon (including the two Voyage releases, J&L&Strax, and The J&L Revival). An extension of this is they appeared in The Worlds of Doctor Who, canonising the spin-off series' Counter-Measures (assumed to include The New Counter-Measures as well) and Gallifrey (whose protagonists also appear; if this isn't satisfactory, the series is set up at the end Zagreus).
Now Included: Jago & Litefoot, Counter-Measures, and Gallifrey
***
In Gallifrey: Series 4, the protagonists visit a location known as 'the Axis'. The Axis had previously appeared in the 5th Doctor Main Range adventure The Axis of Insanity at a time when he was travelling with his companion Erimem. The existence of the Axis in the canon legitimises The Axis of Insanity and therefore Erimem, giving us a further 11 Main Range stories [this includes The Mind's Eye, altering the reference for this release to simply "102"].
Now Included: 24, 38, 41, 56, 59, 69, 71, 81, 99, 102, 104
Referenced stories as a result of this:
{Spoiler}
Legend of the Cybermen (the Doctor refers to having met Dracula before in 99. Son of the Dragon)
City of Spires and The Wreck of the Titan (part of the ‘Old Jamie’ trilogy with 135. Legend of the Cybermen)
1963: The Assassination Games (part of the Counter-Measures story arc)
Now Included: 133-135, 180
***
At this point we must move further on to determine what other ranges/spin-offs are canon in order to further determine which of the remaining Main Range stories are also canon.
To start off with we will consider The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield: Volume 1. This box set features the characters of the 7th Doctor, Ace, and Bernice Summerfield; in this set, Ace has been sent to Gallifrey, where she is training at the Academy. This ties in with established continuity in Gallifrey: Intervention Earth and Enemy Lines, therefore this set can be assumed as canon. Under this assumption, all stories featuring Bernice Summerfield (with the exception of Main Range releases 13. The Shadow of the Scourge and 42. The Dark Flame, which have been confirmed by Big Finish as an alternate universe [I’m fairly sure it was mentioned in a podcast somewhere]) become canon, including the Bernice Summerfield – Singles range, Bernice Summerfield – Box Sets range, The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield range (all three of which will be referred to as just ‘Bernice Summerfield’), and The Worlds of Big Finish.
Included in The Worlds of Big Finish are other Doctor Who characters: Iris Wildthyme (from series Iris Wildthyme), Vienna (from series Vienna), and Abby (formerly Amy) and Zara (from series Graceless). Having appeared in The Worlds of Big Finish, their solo adventures are also now included in the canon. Incidentally, companion Charley has her own spin-off series, Charlotte Pollard.
Now Included: Bernice Summerfield, The Worlds of Big Finish, Iris Wildthyme, Vienna, Graceless, and Charlotte Pollard
***
Referenced stories as a result of this are:
{Spoiler}
Bang-Bang-a-Boom! (the events of which are referenced in Iris Wildthyme: 2.1. The Sound of Fear)
The Wormery (features Iris Wildthyme)
The Key 2 Time: The Judgement of Isskar, The Destroyer of Delights, and The Chaos Pool (the stories feature both Abby and Zara)
Red Dawn (events referenced in 117. The Judgement of Isskar)
The Shadow Heart (features Vienna)
The Burning Prince and The Acheron Pulse (part of a trilogy with 167. The Shadow Heart)
Omega (referenced in 165. The Burning Prince)
The Waters of Amsterdam (references leaving Tegan and Nyssa in Amsterdam in 165. The Burning Prince)
Now Included: 8, 39, 47, 51, 117-119, 165-167, 201
TOTAL CANON:
Main Range: 1-2, 4-9, 11, 15-33, 36-41, 43, 45, 47-65, 67-69, 71-84, 86-89, 91-93, 94.1, 95.1, 97, 99-108, 110-141, 143-149, 151-167, 169-177, 180-184, 189-202, 204-208, 211-220, 225-229, 231-233, 241-244
8th Doctor: Eighth Doctor Adventures, Dark Eyes, Doom Coalition, and Ravenous
Other: BR7, 6D-TLA
Spin-offs: Bernice Summerfield, Charlotte Pollard, Counter-Measures, Gallifrey, Graceless, Iris Wildthyme, Jago & Litefoot, and The Worlds of Big Finish
***
As far as I am aware, this represents approximately all of the Main Range releases that are definitely part of the TV canon. If I've made any mistakes, or you think there are more, please let me know