Full Cast Audios of the Lost Avengers Episodes

[b1ng09000]

I couldn't believe the news when I read the announcement on the Big Finish website this morning. I have been wishing for this for a long time! I have bought many audio dramas from Big Finish. I'm very confident that they will provide us with top quality Avengers productions.

[Timeless A-Peel]

I take Alan's point--regardless of where exactly Steed is in his career in the Keel era, Patrick himself was still in his thirties, so I can understand wanting an actor to convey the fact that he's younger. That said, in my experience, the voice is one of the few characteristics that can remain relatively unscathed over time, and loads of voice actors are able to successfully voice the same characters decades later. The Hitchhiker's cast came back roughly thirty years later and pulled it off. Most of the voice actors in animation still sound pretty much the same despite voicing some of the same characters since the eighties. So without hearing Donald's voice today, I don't know whether he'd be able to pull it off or not.

If they do end up doing a new series, and having a new partner with Steed, instead of recasting an old one, I agree that the best time to set it in would be during the gap between the original series and TNA. That era's ripe for fleshing out. Hana Wilde, anyone?

[Alan]

Is Steed at the start of his career, though?

I didn't say "start of his career". I said "start of his Avenging", which is different.

Are the BF bods planning to do anything with the episodes where no scripts exist?

They are contracted to produce 12 Series 1 Lost Stories. At this stage, I doubt they have any plans in particular beyond those 12 (which covers an eighteen month period from this point), as they will need to know whether the range is a success or not. I suspect they will not be looking to licence beyond the 12 before next Spring.

[Alan]

So without hearing Donald's voice today, I don't know whether he'd be able to pull it off or not.

Of course. However, Donald lives and works in LA, the production's London based, so not really a likely scenario, him being engaged as Steed (lovely thought though it is!).

The roles of Steed and Keel are already cast in any case and will be announced in July. I have no idea who they have picked, but I trust them to make good choices.

[Timeless A-Peel]

So without hearing Donald's voice today, I don't know whether he'd be able to pull it off or not.

Of course. However, Donald lives and works in LA, the production's London based, so not really a likely scenario, him being engaged as Steed (lovely thought though it is!).

The roles of Steed and Keel are already cast in any case and will be announced in July. I have no idea who they have picked, but I trust them to make good choices.

It's actually fairly common for voice actors to record their parts by proxy halfway around the world, so that wouldn't present too much of a problem. But I suspect that Donald won't be involved, no. It would be a great tribute if they let him play a small part, though, even if he wasn't Steed. The Hitchhiker's series gave parts to the TV versions of Ford Prefect (David Dixon) and Trillian (Sandra Dickinson), which made for great little in-jokes for fans. It'd be fun if Donald was included the same way.

I'm very excited to see who they do cast. Like I said, I'm actually more intrigued who they pick to play Keel. A year ago, who knew we'd be speculating on who could follow in Ian Hendry's footsteps?

[paulpdjh]

This is great news - I'd hoped something like this would happen, but didn't think it would! Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel audio plays were great, so I'm sure these will be too. Really looking forward to hearing who will play Steed and Keel (and hopefully Carol).

I've pre-ordered the first, which according to the confirmation email will be available on 31 January 2014.

I wonder how they chose which episodes to remake (I think there are scripts surviving for 14 or 15 of the missing season one episodes)?

[Alan]

I wonder how they chose which episodes to remake (I think there are scripts surviving for 14 or 15 of the missing season one episodes)?

There are 15 episodes with scripts of one kind or another surviving. I suspect that StudioCanal only have 14 of these, maybe less, as at least one script only showed up after the DVDs were worked on (One for the Mortuary, and this is in private hands).

Naturally, I have made this script available to Big Finish, should they need it.

[Frankymole]

Hana Wilde, anyone?

If they get Charlotte Rampling it'd be a coup

[Timeless A-Peel]

Hana Wilde, anyone?

If they get Charlotte Rampling it'd be a coup

Hey, I can dream.

[jaz]

At last! my secret is out...