The revelation that the Doctor actually had many lives before the so-called First Doctor has proved to be a hugely controversial twist among Doctor Who fans. And yet everyone’s in agreement that the best thing to come out of the recent retcon is the Fugitive Doctor, one of these lost incarnations of the Time Lord, who’s brilliantly played by Jo Martin. The good news is that, though the Thirteenth Doctor’s era is about to come to an end, Martin is set to continue her adventures in her very own audio spinoff series.
Big Finish Productions has officially announced Doctor Who: The Fugitive Doctor, which will feature Martin reprising her role in six full-cast audio dramas to be released across two separate volumes. Although we don’t know exactly when to expect them to come out just yet, Volumes One and Two are available to pre-order from the Big Finish website.
In response to the announcement, Martin had the following to say:
“Big Finish do amazing work – they are a vital part of the fandom. I’m over the moon to be joining this iconic show. I can’t wait to see what stories they have in store for the Fugitive Doctor.”
Martin first appeared in 2020’s “Fugitive of the Judoon” as Ruth, an ordinary human woman who was revealed to be a past incarnation of the Doctor in disguise, hiding from her people after going on the run. She’s since returned for cameos in 2020’s “The Timeless Children” and in 2021’s “Flux: Chapter Three”. Fans have always been frustrated that her appearances have been limited like this, so this audio series is definitely exciting news.
It also follows the announcement earlier this year that Titan Comics is working on a solo comic series for the Fugitive Doctor, titled Doctor Who: Origins, which will further explore how she fits into the show’s canon. The first issue hits shelves this June.
Though characters and concepts from her tenure will continue to live on in the Whoniverse, Jodie Whittaker’s time in the TARDIS draws to a close. Her final Doctor Who episode airs sometime this fall.