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Post by Audio Watchdog on May 25, 2020 18:13:48 GMT
In a major change, Doctor Who audio drama producers Big Finish have announced they will be ending their monthly range of releases.
Big Finish’s original Doctor Who range has been running continuously for over two decades, since the company put out its first release The Sirens of Time in 1999, but will end in 2022 with release number 275.
In its place will be a regular rotation of releases, with each the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors each starring in their own box sets of adventures throughout the year.
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Post by xlozdob on May 25, 2020 18:20:57 GMT
“There are so many exciting new directions ahead. Where did the First Doctor and Dodo go next after leaving the planet of The Savages? What happened to the Second Doctor after The War Games? What new adventures await the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith? What happened on the Seventh Doctor’s Last Day? The adventures are only just beginning...” This is my main takeaway from that (especially the boldened part)
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Post by Audio Watchdog on May 25, 2020 18:22:27 GMT
“There are so many exciting new directions ahead. Where did the First Doctor and Dodo go next after leaving the planet of The Savages? What happened to the Second Doctor after The War Games? What new adventures await the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith? What happened on the Seventh Doctor’s Last Day? The adventures are only just beginning...” This is my main takeaway from that (especially the boldened part) Yeah that is the one that jumped out at me as well.
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Post by johnhurtdoctor on May 25, 2020 18:22:45 GMT
What a weird idea. The reasoning makes no sense.
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Post by mark687 on May 25, 2020 18:23:34 GMT
Don't believe it 20 + Years a Subscriber I'm an awkward one that'll have to contact Sales
Regards
mark687
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Post by grinch on May 25, 2020 18:27:11 GMT
Not sure about them potentially doing post War Games Adventures. (The issue of Series 6B seemed pretty tied up when The Black Hole came out) but I’d be up for possibly a Second Doctor boxset. He definitely needs more representation.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on May 25, 2020 18:32:44 GMT
Don't believe it 20 + Years a Subscriber I'm an awkward one that'll have to contact Sales Regards mark687 Everything changes Mark. We've known something like this was on the horizon for a couple of years now. Although I will say I'm still wrapping my brain around the idea of no Main Range myself.
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Post by newt5996 on May 25, 2020 18:33:15 GMT
I get it, change is hard and shit but well...going to box sets is going to be weird. Though on the plus side the box set model may be cheaper, though I really hope they don't make everything the 4 set miniseries for each Doctor or hour long releases, and go more of a 3rd Doctor Adventures and First Doctor Adventures with the two 4 parter releases, because seriously 1 hour releases are much harder to write for classic Who teams to work (especially with Doctors like 5 who have many companions.)
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Post by vivdunstan on May 25, 2020 18:36:16 GMT
I’ll also need to contact them to get the last 2. Unless I can have a double sub overlapping on 273, which I’d sell on.
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Post by vivdunstan on May 25, 2020 18:37:06 GMT
Oh and I’m not a fan of boxsets, finding them often cumbersome and generally too expensive. It’s very likely they’ll get a smaller number of purchases from me.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2020 18:37:31 GMT
Sad, but not unexpected, news. I hope it works well for them.
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Post by mark687 on May 25, 2020 18:38:30 GMT
Don't believe it 20 + Years a Subscriber I'm an awkward one that'll have to contact Sales Regards mark687 Everything changes Mark. We've known something like this was on the horizon for a couple of years now. Although I will say I'm still wrapping my brain around the idea of no Main Range myself. Its not the change just that I fall into the awkward category Regards mark687
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Post by shallacatop on May 25, 2020 18:39:44 GMT
I think we all guessed as much, given previous mentions of it and the lack of option to subscribe beyond next year.
I think the wording about being better jumping on points for new listeners is a bit clunky, especially when they should be more concerned about breaking the news to existing customers at this point. There’s nothing to announce about these new sets, nor is there anything to pre-order, so there’s time to promote it being a jumping on point in the future.
Just mentioning that they felt the monthly range presented constraints with casts, story lengths, etc. would’ve sufficed. I’m looking forward to hearing more when the time comes and the comments by David Richardson are intriguing.
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Post by shallacatop on May 25, 2020 18:42:57 GMT
The 3 releases for £32.50 is very good, almost one release free of charge. It’ll be interesting to see the format and pricing these sets take. For example, a 12 part epic for just over £30 is brilliant.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on May 25, 2020 18:48:20 GMT
Everything changes Mark. We've known something like this was on the horizon for a couple of years now. Although I will say I'm still wrapping my brain around the idea of no Main Range myself. Its not the change just that I fall into the awkward category Regards mark687 I bought the 3 release sub and that put me short 275 as well. I suggested to them it might make everyone's life a lot easier if they just make all the subscriber extras content available to anyone who purchases 274 & 275 through the BF web site.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on May 25, 2020 18:50:14 GMT
I think the wording about being better jumping on points for new listeners is a bit clunky, especially when they should be more concerned about breaking the news to existing customers at this point. There’s nothing to announce about these new sets, nor is there anything to pre-order, so there’s time to promote it being a jumping on point in the future. Just mentioning that they felt the monthly range presented constraints with casts, story lengths, etc. would’ve sufficed. I’m looking forward to hearing more when the time comes and the comments by David Richardson are intriguing. You've just summed up every problem BF has ever had with rolling out major changes. Clunky.
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Post by fitzoliverj on May 25, 2020 18:57:12 GMT
Boo. I like my stories on CD if I can get 'em, and I don't necessarily want several together. That being said, I can't remember buying any Main Range adventures on release recently; the last things I bought were an Early Adventure, so I went for the double discount and bought the pair, and may well do that with the 4th Doctor Lost Stories, so perhaps BF have got a point after all? “There are so many exciting new directions ahead. Where did the First Doctor and Dodo go next after leaving the planet of The Savages? What happened to the Second Doctor after The War Games? What new adventures await the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith? What happened on the Seventh Doctor’s Last Day? The adventures are only just beginning...” This is my main takeaway from that (especially the boldened part) I'm not sure that Season 6b is as surprising as the prospect of 3rd Doctor adventures with the Sarah Jane Smith recast, or Dodo finally appearing in some manner. And I think you misquote, it doesn't say 'What happened on the Seventh Doctor's Last Day', it says 'What happened on the Seventh Doctor's Last Day'. I think we've got a story title there. Actually, the most surprising this is that three out of four of these ideas having nothing to do whatsoever the Main Range...
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Post by masterdoctor on May 25, 2020 19:10:49 GMT
Hallelujah, they have finally announced the change! I for one welcome it as boxsets overall are usually cheaper per hour of story, and it will become much easier to buy specific releases without needing to subscribe. I am also intrigued by the small details given, and hope they announce a couple of sets to come out next year just to show off the new model.
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Post by elkawho on May 25, 2020 19:13:40 GMT
Sure, I'm excited about David R's comments, but those could have been explored in the Main Range as well. Yeah, just tell us you don't like it anymore and need to restructure.
I'm really sad about this. I'm going to miss having that monthly story very much.
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aztec
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 2,849
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Post by aztec on May 25, 2020 19:18:07 GMT
I know I don't really post here all that often anymore, and as someone who has only ever dipped and out of the Main range (well for the 5/6/7th Doctors,have all the McGann stories) perhaps it's not relevant to share my opinions...but I felt like de-lurking to share my thoughts (which are mixed). When I first got into BF it was through the price reductions on the Monthly Range's first 50, buying one or two largely stand alone stories at a time was really useful to get into the audios, I didn't felt obliged to follow any long running arcs and liked that you could pick and choose which stories to listen to, the variety of stories/formats/tardis teams changing every story kept things really exciting and it felt like much less of a commitment than subscribing or following a long run of boxsets, a 6/12 monthly subscription (or a one off-purchase) was a simple and easy to follow way to get into audios and spreads the cost out rather than splurging on one set at a time...I guess I just liked the nostalgic constant of the Monthly range lasting so long and continuing the old 4x25 structure (for the most part) of the Classic Series, and you have to wonder how many Main Range subscribers will follow over to the boxset model. I still feel that the 4x25 minute format is the best suited to the Classic Doctors (and especially larger tardis teams such as the Season 19 crew), and as much as I've enjoyed McGann's boxsets...the heavy reliance on story arcs/ 4x1 hour format makes it feel a bit identikit or overly 'epic'/gimmicky at times, and I'm sure if it would be a good thing to try and fit all Doctors into the same format or not...I suppose this also means less cover art in the future... On the other hand moving to boxsets will naturally provide a good jumping on point for new listeners (if possibly a more expensive one) and will probably lead to more experimenting with story structure/format with the 5th-7th Doctors and new directions for these eras which will be very exciting to see unfold. The 5th-7th Doctors already have production teams in the Monthly Range so perhaps this won't be too different a change. Hmm...come to think of it, do we think a move to boxsets will increase/decrease the importance of story arcs for the 5th-7th Doctors? Could we see a 5th Doctor Doom Coalition style arc? Would a high number but standalone Montly Range release be more or less daunting to a new listener than 'The 5th Doctor Adventures Volume 7' etc? Hmm, mixed feelings...it's an exciting development that was going to happen sooner or later, just not sure how to feel... I suppose the key question to be answered is, Is this just a re-packageing of monthly range style stories into a new purchasing format or a reboot to the type of stories BF will be telling with these Doctors? If the stories are just as great, then does it really matter which format they are in? On the other hand if it ain't broke why fix it? (Sorry for the long post, and sorry if that comes across as entitled-not my intention at all, just not sure how to feel about this and trying to get my thoughts down whilst they are fresh in the mind)
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