David Tennant's Doctor is reunited with Derek Jacobi's Master in a new Doctor Who audio drama series. Tennant played the Tenth Doctor, taking over the long-standing mantle of the iconic Time Lord from Christopher Eccleston in 2005. Over the next four years and 47 episodes, Tennant earned global success and critical acclaim. Tennant is considered by many to be one of the best Doctors from Doctor Who's entire run, and when he regenerated into Matt Smith, fans were sad to see him go.
With his time as The Doctor making him a household name, it is not surprising that Tennant has returned to the role several times. This includes the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special in 2013, and he has been confirmed to appear in the upcoming 60th anniversary special along with Neil Patrick Harris and Catherine Tate, who returns as Ten's beloved companion Donna Noble. Since 2016, Tennant has also continued his Doctor Who work away from the screen with a series of audio adventures for Big Finish, which sees the Tenth Doctor embark on new adventures.
According to Digital Spy, in Big Finish's latest audio boxset, The War Master: Self-Defence, Tennant's Doctor is reunited with The Master, a cunning Time Lord villain initially played by Jacobi in a single Doctor Who episode. In the boxset, Jacobi's Master (as his other persona Professor Yana) and his companions, Cole Jarnish (Jonny Green) and Fenice (Jo Joyner), are stuck in the Forest of Penitence during the Time War. Complicating matters, The Master decides to bring the Tenth Doctor along with him, though this version of Tennant's character is actually much farther along in his timeline. Therefore, he knows the truth about Yana's identity and all that is to come. Jacobi commented on his exciting Doctor Who return, saying:
"It's lovely to be reunited with David Tennant. Having been brought up on Doctor Who as a child, it was thrilling to actually be a part of it in 'Utopia.' It's a joy to play the Master because he is very layered. He's not just this evil creature. He has many emotions which he indulges. And it's nice to see the Master on the defensive and not being quite so sure of himself. He's having a bad time and getting hurt himself – rather than hurting others. I thought that was very interesting. I've enjoyed every minute of it."
The classic 2007 Doctor Who episode "Utopia" brought Tennant and Jacobi's characters together. The Master was posing as Professor Yana at the time, but then would later regenerate into John Simm's version of the character. The timing of this audio adventure is certainly interesting, as it is described as both a prequel and a sequel to that Doctor Who episode. The War Master: Self-Defence is currently available for pre-order.
For longtime fans of Doctor Who, this audio drama is a fascinating opportunity to revisit past versions of beloved characters. As previously discussed, Tennant's Tenth Doctor remains extremely popular, and any story that brings him back is often seen as a good thing. The pairing of a Doctor who knows the truth about Yana is an intriguing one, and it will be interesting to see what their interactions are like in the Big Finish special. This audio adventure comes before Doctor Who's much-anticipated 60th anniversary special, which will also reunite many past actors and help usher in new characters and Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor.
Source: Digital Spy