Audio Visuals
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The Audio Visuals were an unlicensed series of Doctor Who audio dramas made by British fans in the 1980s.[1] Featuring
The first three seasons (released 1985-1988) were produced by Bill Baggs, and the fourth and final season (1989–1991) by Gary Russell.
Although the Audio Visuals audios were a violation of copyright, the BBC chose to look the other way. Gary Russell later told an interviewer,
- "We were fans doing some stuff for a handful of people. We never advertised in professional magazines, we kept ourselves to ourselves. In doing so, we broke every copyright rule in the book (hell, Terry Nation would have crucified us - although I think our Dalek stories knocked spots off Saward's!) JNT was certainly aware of us, but he didn't care. Why should he? We were no more than any other fan product and at least we weren't printing articles about him or the show. I doubt Saward knew or cared. He wouldn't know drama if it bit him."[2]
Many of those involved in the Audio Visuals went on to work in more professional, licensed science fiction audio drama, either through
Several Audio Visuals scripts have been remade professionally, either by BBV (with the Doctor Who elements removed, as part of the video series
Elements from various Audio Visuals plays also appear in Gary Russell's contributions to the licensed Doctor Who novel ranges published by Virgin and the BBC, most notably in Deadfall. The Nicholas Briggs incarnation of the Doctor has also appeared in the DWM comic strip both as an unspecified future version, and the form taken by Shayde when posing as the Ninth Doctor.
References
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (23 June 2017). "Celebrating Big Finish: How a gang of fans reinvented Doctor Who for a new audience". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ Gary Russell talks about the Audio Visuals (Sonic Screwdriver, Victoria, Australia. 1998)
- ^ "History of Big Finish Productions". Archived from the original on 9 April 2003. Retrieved 9 April 2003.
- ^ "Requiem Press Release". 16 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.